Lycanthropes

Lycanthropes

Lycanthropes are basically human, but with some... extras.

Lycanthropy and shapeshifter lore is another one of those concepts that's universal. Every culture in the world has some legend about them, in various forms. That's because they're out there. What isn't quite so well known is the fact that there are different kinds. Werewolves do make up the largest body of lycanthropes, but they are not the only ones. Other less common but fairly substantial groups are Werebears, Werecats, Werefoxes, Werecoyotes and Wereravens.

Generally speaking, lycanthropes have their own societies. This does not mean that they all live off in a commune somewhere. It just means most of them keep tabs on one another and occasionally gather. Some species more than others. They also take a lot of their traits from the animal they share a spirit with. They are families, the lycanthropy running through the bloodlines though not all children of lycanthrope parents will be one themselves. There's a 30 percent chance of a child being a lycanthrope if one of the parents is one. There is an eighty percent chance if both parents are. One strange but universal phenomena is that if two different types of shapeshifters breed, their offspring is always a normal human.

One universal drawback to being a lycanthrope is all of them are severely allergic to silver. Its very touch burns them, and any wound inflicted with a silver weapon will not only automatically scar, but it will take much longer to heal than normal. If any is embedded in their bodies, it will act as if it is a powerful poison, severely weakening and eventually killing the victim.

Forms
Each lycanthrope species has three forms. Human, animal, and the large half-man-half-beast form that encompasses the in between stage. This battle form is generally large, the strongest of all of the forms, and not one you want to mess with no matter which species you're up against.

On the night of the full moon, the in between form is forced. It will happen at moonrise and last until moonset. This is, however, the only night that the lycanthrope must change form. Alternately, on the new moon, the individual is stuck in their natural form and can't change.

One interesting thing about lycanthropes are they are not only born in human form. Some are born in animal form, so you have things from both ends of the spectrums. Humans that have an animal form, and animals that have a human form. One of the bigger traits of animal born lycanthropes is that when in human form, they tend to be a little strange. They aren't used to being a human or having the human sort of mentality, so they are socially awkward.

Instinct
Lycanthropes are not just people who sometimes change form. They are hybrids between humanity and an animal, and therefore they generally have picked up habits or traits from their counterpart. There are some tendencies that are pure instinct, inborn things that are simply there in their person that humanity would not understand. Mating habits are usually patterned after the animal with which they share a soul. Detailed below are outlines of some of those mentalities and tendencies.

Overall Society
Lycanthropes do try to keep tabs on one another in areas. While there isn't anything like a coherent committee or anything of the like, there are usually a few higher ranking individuals that will represent their race if problems arise. They are happy to largely ignore one another and let each species get along with their own business. Some species get along quite well with others and have been known to seek out their company or counsel, while others shouldn't be allowed to occupy the same room without a chaperone to avoid unnecessary corpses.

Many of the species have at the very least a loose societal structure, often resembling tribes. Some are much less tightly knit than others, but there's usually a general hierarchy in play. With some of the more scattered species it's nearly impossible to tell how it works, however. Most species don't try to figure out the other's tribal structures.

Werefoxes and Wereravens tend to drive each other insane. They also have a habit of trying to out-do one another wisdom-wise, which generally dissolves into verbal abuse and stomping away from one another...and prank wars.

Werewolves and Werebears tend to get along fairly well. They generally map out territory when in the same area, and both will stick strictly to the agreement and not infringe upon the other's territory unless absolutely necessary.

Werecoyotes are generally looked down upon by most other lycanthrope species. They're seen as the mongrel dogs of the entire set.

Advantages
-Heightened senses. Hearing, smell, sight, etc. It's all richer for lycanthropes (including ALL forms).
-Three forms and all the drawbacks/advantages that go with them. In example, wereravens can fly in both forms other than human. Werecats do in fact have a habit of landing on their feet and have excessively good balance. etc. Werewolves are good at tracking. Alternately, Werebears are a little more sluggish and nap-prone in the winters, Werewolves tend to be nocturnal by nature...
-It's often difficult to pull off lying to a lycanthrope. They can hear your heartbeat, notice when your eyes dilate, and catch any scents you might be giving off.

Drawbacks
-One of the main things that's true about lycanthropes is that they do not have as long a lifespan as the rest of humanity. It is cut back a good ten, fifteen years from normal life expectancy for humanity, sometimes more than that. While the average is more in the seventies to late seventies for humans, it's more late fifties, early sixties for lycanthropes.

Note: All born lycanthropes are in full control of their change, all the time, even when it's the forced change on the full moon. The only exception to this rule is the bitten werewolves. There are no bitten, cursed lines for any other lycanthropes, it only exists in the werewolves. While there can certainly be sick sociopathic weres, who want to just give in to any animal instinct, this is rare, and most lycanthropes will kill a member of their society that does that.

Werewolves
Society and Temperament
One of the most complicated societies in the lycanthrope society are the Werewolves. It's less because they're the largest population and more because of their mentality. They are pack creatures. Which is a whole mess onto itself. Packs can be comprised of several families or family members. Werewolves will try to be in some sort of pack structure any way they can. Including seeking a new one should the members of their own die. They do not do so well on their own, naturally social creatures built to be in a pack.

Loyalty is one of the main traits Werewolves are known to possess. If you need steadfast, go talk to a Werewolf. They're the ones who will go down fighting if they have to, but they won't give in.

Pack Structure
Werewolves are the most structured of the lycanthrope types. For the most part, werewolves live in small family packs. Often this is in the same type if structure as the basic human nuclear family, however sometimes this is a looser, more 'friends' based structure - it really depends on the time of life of the werewolf and whether they have mated yet or not. In these small family groupings, the word of the alpha is taken as the final one. They are the 'father figure' (though in the last century or so, werewolves have shown some kind of sexual equality moves and the pack leader can either be male or female) and it often comes down to 'it's my way or the highway'.

That said, the werewolf community operates on a larger scale as well outside of the family unit. Think of the werewolf community as a local church group - there is support from the community and there are elders who are respected and whose opinion carries more weight, but their views are taken more as advice rather than law.

In the area around Marquette, there is pack land. The loose wider pack grouping really works around here - out in the woods they own several cabins, including a healer who will deal with any and all pack injuries. Any werewolf without a place to go is welcomed in these cabins and they are also generally welcoming to any other lycanthropes.

Mating and Family
Werewolves mate for life, like their counterparts. They have very strong family orientation values, sticking together and watching out for one another automatically. Families will go to great lengths to help their family including the siblings and extended family members. Raising a child is not only a parent's responsibility, it's taken on generally by the entire family unit.

Drawbacks
Werewolves have a pack mentality, and that's not going away. It means that if they don't have a pack, they're driven to distraction and sometimes succumb to lone wolf syndrome and go a little mad. It's not uncommon for that to occur when new packs cannot be found or a solitary werewolf cannot find a new group to allow them in.

Werebears
Society and Temperament
Werebears seem to be the steadfast grandparent-like members of the lycanthrope community. They don't live their lives in the fast lane, they tend to take everything much slower. Which gives them a perspective others often don't have. Generally good natured, werebears can give off the impression of being big, protective teddybears often times.

This shouldn't however, be mistaken for being synonymous with 'harmless'. While bears are not quick to anger, if something does filter through to get them riled, minimum safe distance should be reached. They are the largest of the lycanthropes in their inbetween form, and the strongest. They're slower, but no one wants to go up against a pissed of bi-pedal hulk of a bear-monster. It's just stupid. Possibly suicidal.

While Werefoxes are creatures that share wisdom by trying to teach, the Werebears are revered as having a quiet, earthy wisdom of their own. It's much less spiritual and much more grounded. The Werebears aren't worried about what might come later, they're concerned with what's going on now. The earth and world around them, the people that occupy their lives.

Mating and Family
Bears are generally solitary creatures, and Werebears tend to follow this tradition as well. While this does not mean they are uncaring, in fact, they're known to be some of the more generous individuals in the lycanthrope community, they do not have tight knit family groups. Both sexes of Werebears tend to have multiple partners, and the mother raises the children that largely leave the home fairly early in their lives.

Drawbacks
-During the winter, Werebears are a lot more sluggish as creatures.They are prone to long naps, and only being awake when they have to be. During hibernation periods, they really do take the bare minimum participation in the world around them.

Werecats
Society and Temperament
Meet the princesses and drama queens of the lycanthrope population as a whole. Werecats are vain, self centered, and better than you. Possibly at everything. No, definitely at everything. They generally do not keep company with one another, because it doesn't usually end very well. They're also, however, fully capable of having a knock down drag out fight with another member of their species, and not give a damn about it later. They're much more in the moment than long term thinkers, so gatherings could end in fights and tears one time, and the next start out with hugs and much purring.

Generally speaking, no one wants to mess much with Werecats. They can be the most vicious of enemies if you manage to genuinely piss one off. And while they are ruled by whim and may in fact forget all about whatever you did to slight them, one never knows when the claws are coming out.

As a species, they are erratic about violence. If a cause stirs their interest, they can be right up there on the front line, waiting to draw blood first if they can arrange it. Other times, they could care less, and will wave sweetly with a smile as everyone else goes off to battle. It all greatly depends on the individual (and what mood they might happen to be in). They can be fiercely secretive, but it depends what secrets they're keeping.

One of the most defining characteristics of the species is their curiosity. It's much less focused than their cousins the Werefoxes or even Wereravens. It's much more dependent on whimsy. It's whatever catches their attention, as opposed to having a driving force behind it. The result of this is Werecats can be experts on incredibly random things.

Mating and Family
Is it warm and has a heartbeat? Awesome. Werecats are generally highly sexually active and quite possibly promiscuous as a species. Family groups don't generally matter that much to them, but not so much that they actively avoid--they just tend not to care one way or another. They only care when the competition starts for mates. Which is worse than a group of highschool girls, more or less. They don't have much in the way of loyalty for their family, they're individuals by nature.

Drawbacks
Curiosity killed the cat. And his brother Bob, and the rest of his litter, because none of them could help themselves. Easily the biggest weakness a Werecat suffers from is intense, insatiable curiosity. It's gotten many a young Werecat killed and it's largely something that there's nothing for, nor is there a large movement to guard against it. It's viewed by not only the rest of the lycanthrope community but by the species itself as something that Just Is.

Werefoxes
Society and Temperment
A species of lycanthrope that hails from Asia(specifically Japan), the werefoxes pop up in lore as Kitsune. Kitsune or Ninetails are what they're refered to by their own society as well as polite members of other lycanthrope populations.

Generally speaking, the Werefoxes are intelligent, highly spiritual creatures. They are in search of enlightenment, and alternately, wish to bring you along with them. As is in many of the legends go, they can be tricksters, however they differ from the trickster nature of the Wereravens by one distinct difference. They adopt a philosophy often of trying to teach others through their actions. Their ultimate goal is to help those around them achieve greater wisdom.

This gives them the habits of being cryptic. They also often feel as if they know better than you, are higher up on the path of wisdom towards Transcendence, and occasionally annoy the hell out of everyone around them with their spiritual, riddle like conversations. They do have trouble letting that go, because of their deep seeded belief that people can only be happy when they're at peace and one with their universe. There are a whole lot of Zen Taoists in the ranks of the Werefoxes. This obviously makes them the least violent species of lycanthropes, even beating out the Wereravens for the title.

Mating and Family
Werefoxes generally as parents do not stay together. Fathers may stay around for a time after the children are born to help out, but it usually does not last. Their society is less family oriented than some of the other species of lycanthrope. They are more individuals, following their own paths as opposed to concentrating on people who happen to share DNA. They have a less tightly knit group than others, and while there have been large gatherings, the occurrence is rare, and they are less likely to keep in contact with others of their species. They're much more built to spread out into their own space or area than stick close to home.

Drawbacks

In their history, Werefoxes were occasionally revered as deities by humans. This has left its mark upon the psyche of the species as a whole, often effecting a pompous, regal sort of demeanor from its members. This does not win them a lot of popularity contests

Werecoyotes
Society and Temperament
Werecoyotes are lycanthropy's great adapters. While most of the other species are set in their ways, the Werecoyotes don't have that trouble. They can adapt to just about any situation they're tossed into. Resourceful is the name of the game, and these ones have it in spades.

They're famous for being able to deal. Werecoyotes are difficult to rattle, often with a laid back sort of mentality and attitude. They adopt an air of 'don't worry, it'll work out' often times because for them? It actually seems to. Their resourcefulness shines through brilliantly. They're the least stuck in their own mentality of all the lycanthropes because they're so adaptable. They can actively change nearly anything about their own habits at the drop of a hat. So instinct with this group is a lot less of a factor. This could be one of the contributing reasons behind the dislike of so many of their cousins.

Mating and Family

Werecoyotes are much like foxes in the way they have their families. The male will be around for a while after children are born (though usually they do not live with the mother and children) and helps out, but he isn't generally known for sticking it out for the long haul. Similar to bears as well, Werecoyotes tend to leave the family home at a young age to set out on their own. Families don't loom very important to Werecoyotes--unless extenuating circumstances arise in which case packs can form.

Drawbacks
They don't like you. In fact, most people don't like you. Other lycanthropes have a view of werecoyotes that is unfavorable at best, outright loathing at worst. It's been going on for so long that no one's even sure anymore where the prejudice started, but it doesn't much matter. It's distinctly there. Traveling through territory that belongs to other lycanthropes can be trying and occasionally actively hazardous depending on whose territory it is.

Wereravens
Society and Temperament
As one might expect, Wereravens are not necessarily the most trustworthy of the lycanthropes. They take their totem quite seriously, and are keeper of secrets, some of the best liars around, and generally cause mischief. They're tricksters at heart, from purely innocent to intensely cruel depending on the individual.

Wereravens love secrets. They love keeping secrets, but one of their favorite pastimes is digging out yours. Or anyone's. Never let on around a Wereraven that you're not telling the whole story, because they will try to dig out whatever information they possibly can just so they'll know.

They tend to be hoarders, amassing great collections of things (everything from antique diamond jewelry to comic books). Usually, each individual has a collection of choice that they cater to, and also is one of their weak points. If offered something to further their collection, it often distracts their attention considerably until they can possess it.

Wereravens are also generally accomplished thieves. It's a trait that seems to run in the society at large, often viewed as a prestige gaining event. They've boasted some of the best thieves in history, and at gatherings they often regale each other with tales of their more trying and complicated heists. Now, this doesn't mean that it's a society made up entirely of criminals. It's a challenge for them, and more often than not the items stolen are to further a collection as opposed to armed bank robbery or the like.

As a species, they aren't very big on violence. Other lycanthropes may have a lot of anger pent up in their system, but the Wereravens pride themselves on being more civilized and intelligent than that. And they are clever. They are grudgingly thought to be the most intelligent of all the lycanthropes on a whole.

Mating and Family

Wereravens take a cue from their totem and tend to mate for life. Their families stay together or nearby if they are able, and they are generally a family oriented species. Wereraven parents generally share equally in raising a family. There are not a lot of mothers who leave the family or deadbeat dads in the Wereraven community, and they would look down upon anyone who shirked their responsibilities to their family.

Drawbacks
They're keepers of secrets, and one of the largest secrets they keep is whatever they collect. Generally they will not keep this from one another, but they will attempt to keep their personal collections secret from anyone else. This is because it's a compulsion to further it. They can't help it. It's firmly entrenched in their psyche, and it leaves them open to vast manipulation if someone discovers it. Everyone has a price, and your worst enemy is the person who can afford to pay it.

Another is that due to their nature, a lot of people get very very angry with Wereravens. Often times they have trouble maintaining long term relationships with people outside of their species. They unfortunately get labeled with being underhanded and secretive--things which they can't actually help that much and usually isn't malicious.

Cursed Werewolves

While most lycanthropes are born that way, there is an oddity to werewolves. There's a virulent strain of lycanthropy in the world. There are mixed sorts of legends about how it got started. One theory is that someone was trying to find a way to become a werewolf and used mysticism or science to attain it and they only half managed. Another is more mystically based, telling a tale of a werewolf who hated being different than the rest of humanity so much that they tried to 'cure' themselves. Yet another story details a man who was evil during life and was cursed by the gods.

However it got it's start, it's here today. Cursed werewolves are quite a bit different then born ones. One of the biggest differences is it's an uncontrolled change. While born werewolves can change to any form any time they like, cursed ones are forced to change on the night of the full moons, if they endure enough physical damage, if they're enraged...etc. Once the change is upon them, they are no longer in control of their faculties.

This? Is bad. This means that that the werewolf is a wild, rampaging beast. The battle form of any werecreature is formidable, though the werewolves are one of the most feared. They tear through anything and anyone in their path. Friends, family, it doesn't matter once the change hits. They are completely mad, and no longer 'home'. They will not recognize anyone. This usually goes on until they drop from exhaustion or they're killed and/or rendered unconscious. Once sleep or unconsciousness occurs, they will revert back to their human form.

Cursed werewolves are generally amnesic about their activities while in the grips of the change. While sometimes they can remember disjointed bits and pieces, feelings or vague remembered emotions, they usually don't ever retain full coherent memories.

Their bite (if the victim survives and it is in fact, rare) is infectious. By the next full moon, the person will have become a cursed werewolf as well.

Depending on the age of the victim when they were bitten, instinct plays a different role in their life. If they were bitten when they were very young, then instinct will play much more heavily on their person. They will often have strange tendencies that they are unaware are strange because it is normal for them. Alternately, if one is bitten when they're older, they will be able to spot the weird instincts and do a much better job of ignoring or finding ways around the new instincts.