Lycanthrope
From ThreadsOfTime
In this way, we are not so different from the Shapeshifter.
- Speculations -
By Marth Venn
Contents |
Introduction
Tales of the lycanthrope - of the shapeshifter, the beast in man's form - are common to every society, human and demihuman alike. There is a certain universality to the concept, which is understandable. The symbolism is so potent, so immediate: A man becomes the beast, and the beast masquerades as a man. Does this not perfectly encapsulate the duality of human nature? In many accounts, the metamorphosis is beyond the shapeshifter's control, signifying the bestial rage that can well up within the mildest of souls. And the fear engendered by the presence of the shapeshifter - the suspicion that any stranger or even a friend may turn out to be the beast - is a reflection of the grim truth that no man may truly know what is in his fellow man's heart.
Yes, the shapeshifter is a powerful symbol. One does not have to believe in the existence of the shapeshifter to understand the innate truth of such wild tales, for that central truth has nothing to do with monsters or bestial nightmares, but with the psychology of humanity. Right? Naivety. While tales of the shapeshifter may be symbolic, they also reflect a substantive reality. Shapeshifters do exist. You may discount the werebeast as a superstitious folly, as something no more significant than an old wives' tale. But then you have overlooked the obvious: those so-called 'old wives' frequently remember the ancient truths...
The Blue Bloods
It is the very error of the moon:
She come more near the earth
That she was wont.
And makes men mad.
- Othello -
By William Shakespheare
This is the archetypal form of the scourge that is lycanthropy. Often called true lycanthropy, it is an inherent, self-sustaining condition that can neither be cured nor contracted by others. If one is not born a true lycanthrope, then one can never become one. If one is so born, then it is impossible to alter or cure the condition, much as it would be impossible to cure an human of the condition of being an human.
True lycanthropes have their own society as well as their own rules of conduct. Although they may move through normal human society, they are not of that society. For the moment, suffice it to say that when it comes time to choose a mate, most true lycanthropes select another of their kind. The offspring of such a union will always prove to be heritable lycanthropes themselves.
Heritable Lycanthropy
Sometimes, for whatever reason, a true lycanthrope will breed with someone who does not suffer the scourge. If it is the male who is the true lycanthrope and the female who is free of the contagion. The offspring of the union will have an estimated 50 percent chance it will be a true lycanthrope. If the offspring does not inherit true lycanthropy, it should be completely free of the taint (although the father may well come back at some later time to transmit the contagion through an attack, thereby infecting his own child).
If it is the mother who bears the scourge of true lycanthropy, however, the offspring cannot be so lucky as to escape the taint. There is still a 50 percent chance that any offspring will be a true lycanthrope, inheriting the full form of the condition. If this does not come to pass, however, the child is not completely spared: instead of becoming a true lycanthrope, it becomes an infected, one. Thus, every offspring of a lycanthropic mother will suffer one form or the other of the scourge.
Pathologic Lycanthropy
This is the dreaded disease described in hundreds of folktales, the cursed affliction that turns an innocent victim into a ravening beast. No living being or sex is immune; it is a plight to which every man, woman, and child is susceptible.
Unlike true werebeasts, infected lycanthropes are not born with their affliction. Their condition more closely resembles a disease, in that it can be contracted and passed on. If the victim is very fortunate, it can even be cured, though not as any ordinary disease might be. This form of lycanthropy can be acquired through contact with the saliva, blood, or other secretion of either a true werebeast or another infected werebeast.
True lycanthropes harbor a serum in their blood and saliva that controls their shape change. If they transmit even a single cell of this serum to a normal humanoid - by biting them, for example - the victim can acquire the disease lycanthropy. Furthermore, any lycanthrope - true or diseased - can pass the disease to a victim.
The contagion lies dormant until something triggers a transformation. Then the cells of the serum multiply wildly and force the victim's shape change. For common werewolves, a full moon triggers the change; on the night of a full moon, and each night immediately preceding and following it, the victim changes into a wolf. Other werebeats may change only when they become angry or fall into a battle lust. Even two creatures of a similar nature may be transformed by different events. Members of a single pack, however, usually share the same trigger.
Unlike true lycanthropes, victims of the disease have only two forms: homid and animal. When not in human form the victim has the mind of an beast. He knows not what he does and cannot control his actions. (An ST may control the PC during these times). Unfortunately, those for whom he has the strongest feelings as a human - even love - tend to be the victims of his attacks if they are near during a change. When the lycanthrope regains his human form, he has only vague, dreamlike recollections of his animal actions. In many cases, the lycanthrope is to be pitied as well as to be feared.
In human form, a diseased lycanthrope has normal human abilities and frailties. In animal form, he has the immunities and abilities of the werebeast. This means that he, too, can infect someone with his disease. A simple bite will do. A lycanthrope that is pregnant transmits the disease to her unborn child.
Some true lycanthropes can enslave victims they personally infect. These master lycanthropes cannot control a victim who is in human form, but sometimes they can trigger the victims shape change.
Ridding the lycanthrope of his disease is difficult. No cure is possible until the true lycanthrope that ultimately infected him is slain. Since a diseased lycanthrope can infect other humans, who can in turn infects other, the original source of the disease may be extremely difficult to trace.
Once the master Lycanthrope is dead, the victim must complete a serious of arduous steps to cure his disease. A set of rituals that is truly difficult to discover within the realm of humans, folklores and superstitions.
Any lycanthrope upon death resumes his homid form.
Psychological Survey
Moral and Ethical Outlook
It is the general opinion that virtually all lycanthropes are highly malign. To be ever truthful, of course, few have likely to have encountered any werecreature of a less than cruel nature. Can 'good' werebeasts exist?
Why are lycanthropes such creatures of evil? Lycanthropy is a dark, malign disease - a perversion of the way life should be - and hence it is somehow akin to evil itself. When someone willingly kills a sentient creature, this is an act of evil. Because such acts will ultimately corrupt the mind of those who perform them, so will a lycanthrope's killing slowly warp him into a malign form, whatever his original inclinations.
If they are born into lycanthropy, they exhibit their malign outlook regardless of the form they take. This does not mean that a werebeast cannot pretend to have a different moral outlook when in its human aspect, of course. Such lycanthropes are likely to exhibit a range of ethical attitudes, however. For example, a wererat may be more amenable to group interaction.
The infected lycanthropes retain their original moral and ethical outlook when in human form. However, when they transfigured into their Animal aspect, they take on the moral and ethical stance appropriate to their phenotype.
Unfortunately, many infected lycanthropes resist any effort to cure them, for their hearts have been claimed by their dreadful curse. As such, they too must be destroyed. No matter how hard they try to hold onto their human natures, these blighted people grow progressively immoral and depraved.
This process is not instantaneous. Some lycanthropic individuals seem capable of resisting the siren song of depravity for a considerable period of time. Eventually, however, nearly all succumb to the fell blandishments of corruption. Werebeasts born to their malady who wish to resist this change seem able to postpone the inevitable by limiting the number of times they kill sentient creatures. This seems to imply that it is the slaying of intelligent, self-aware victims, and not a simple fact of lycanthropic nature, that causes the progressive decline into depravity.
Goals and Desires
Many believe that lycanthropes are dumb, ravening beasts, with only a modicum of animal cunning and certainly no real intelligence. This is true in enough instances that the belief has become firmly rooted in the minds of man. Yet it is definitely not the general case.
Why does this misconception persist, when anyone who has had personal experience with a lycanthrope can testify to this fallacy? The misconception is, perhaps, an attempt to minimize danger represented by werebeasts - that is, to deny that they are as significant a threat as they undoubtedly are. It is less daunting to consider lycanthropes as unintelligent, albeit still powerful, animals. How much more terrifying they become when one factors in human-level intelligence... Humanity shows a remarkable capacity for self-delusion.
Infected Lycanthropes
In their secondary form, that of the beast, infected lycanthropes come closest to the stereotypical view of ravening monsters - particularly during the first few times that they transfigure. When a newly infected lycanthrope changes shape, its overriding desire is to find food. While it may show some level of animal cunning in hunting down its prey. it will rarely exhibit anything akin to true intelligence. Its hunger is simply too vast - its sense of freedom too overwhelming as the beast within is released from captivity - to allow it sober judgment.
The issue of bloodlust, too, is something that comes into play here. Newly infected lycanthropes are highly likely to be overcome by this fiendish urge. Thus, the lack of intelligent planning during early kills and the greater propensity to enter bloodlust ensures that an infected werecreature is likelier to be detected at the beginning of its 'career' than later on... About the first five or six times an infected lycanthrope undergoes transfiguration. Needless to say, the goals and desires of a recently infected werebeast differ from one that has adjusted to its new lifestyle.
If the creature can avoid being detected and destroyed, after the seventh transfiguration or so it begins to show a little more intelligence and restraint in its behavior. Its chance of entering bloodlust also decreases at about this time. Hunger and the lust to hunt are still its dominant desires, but now the creature seems able to analyze and act upon these motivations a little more dispassionately.
While a newly infected werebeast will hunt quite openly (which is, might add, the most opportune time to track and kill these creatures), one that has survived numerous transfigurations will be more cunning. It will make the effort to cover its tracks and to keep its true nature secret. For example, a newly infected werebeast is quite likely to attack its prey - often, sadly, a loved one - in a relatively public place, rending him or her within clear sight of others. An 'experienced' werebeast is more likely to sneak into the house of its prey at night and drag the victim into the woods. In a private, secluded place, it will devour its quarry with vicious glee, knowing that his or her screams will never be heard.
Obviously, if an infected lycanthrope has survived its first six or so transfigurations, the chances of its continued survival dramatically increase. Once the werebeast begins to apply its intelligence to the problem of survival, the difficulty of hunting it increases tenfold. For this reason, it is vital to start the hunt as soon as a werecreature has claimed its first victim. If the culprit is a newly infected lycanthrope, the chances are much better of successfully hunting it if the effort is made immediately.
True Lycanthropes
There is a wide variation in the goals and desires of lycanthropes that inherit their condition. Some believe that this variation was based along phenotypic lines. In other words, that lycanthropes of the same phenotype shared an overall set of behaviors and views. However, this is not true - or, at least, not universally true. Certainly, there are similarities between lycanthropes of the same phenotype. But, quite are often, the variability within a phenotype is greater than that between phenotypes. The inescapable conclusion is that lycanthropes are individuals first and foremost. Indeed, they show much the same disparities and similarities as do humans.
The central aspect of any lycanthrope's philosophy is survival. Since survival requires the creature to eat raw meat, and since its preferred food (regardless of its origin or moral outlook) is human flesh, hunting intelligent prey is at the heart of all its behaviors. However, this does not mean that a lycanthrope that has inherited its illness will be the conspicuous, ravening beast that newly infected werebeasts often are. Certainly there are some true lycanthropes that seem to enjoy openly terrorizing humans and thus attracting attention to themselves, but they are rare. This is particularly true because such creatures would bring down the wrath of every werehunter in the region. As such, these lycanthropes are few and far between.
It is possible to argue this point by analogy. Humans must eat to survive. Granted, they do not have the dietary restrictions of lycanthropes, but set that consideration aside for the moment. Does this mean that a human's every waking moment will be spent concentrating on finding his next meal? Does this imply that humans think of nothing but food? Of course not. The same logic holds true for lycanthropes, whether hereditary or infected ones that have adjusted to their disease.
Indeed, for many werebeasts the greatest motivation in their lives is that of continuing the deceit that they are normal humans. There have been times that True lycanthropes have crafted such cunning, complete masquerades that maintaining them interferes with their ability to hunt. They would undoubtedly have found it easier to feed if they had relaxed their attention to detail in their ruse. Yet they did not do so.
It has been posited that lycanthropes maintain a human facade to assure continued access to convenient sources of food. This theory did not hold true, for the cost of maintaining a deceit frequently can prove detrimental to acquiring food on a regular basis. Thus, these creatures must have be enjoying some other benefit gained from their deceits. Could it be a kind of personal satisfaction, a knowledge that they are capable of deceiving - and thus proving they are smarter than - the humans surrounding them. So important to such werecreatures is this satisfaction that they will suffer obstacles to their hunting to maintain it.
This kind of demonstrated 'superiority' over humanity seems to be a common motivator among werebeasts. Yet it is by no means the only one. Some of these fell creatures seem to share many of the same drives as humans: wealth, comfort, power. Such lycanthropes tend to pursue wealth and comfort in much the same ways as mankind, through means honest or criminal. If they choose the latter, their unnatural powers provide them with significant advantages over merely human thieves.
It is interesting to note that true lycanthropes' definitions of wealth and comfort vary depending on phenotype. For example, werefoxes seem to relish a large house, with lots of space and privacy. Wererats, in contrast, prefer small, labyrinthine dwellings, cluttered with shiny baubles. In terms of artwork and other aesthetic elements, the items chosen by lycanfchropes often reflect their underlying personality. Thus, the art preferred by a werewolf might well seem brutal, almost cruel, to humans. One must not forget that most werebeasts are intelligent enough to understand this and will subvert their aesthetic tastes to maintain a facade, if they desire.
Lycanthropes define 'power' in either much the same way as humans do or quite the opposite. There are some werebeasts who have pursued and attained public office. There are others who led human bandits, and still more who organized thieves' guilds, surrounding themselves with followers who were unaware of their leader's true nature.
One surprisingly cunning individual - a wererat - accrued great influence in a village by leading the locals' efforts to counter the depredations of the 'mysterious beast' that was terrorizing the region. Although these efforts neither identified nor destroyed the beast (which was, of course, the wererat itself), they did minimize its impact on the citizenry, merely because the wererat scaled back its attacks as soon as it gained the position of power it had sought. Fortunately, few lycanthropes seem to be quite so cunning and enterprising. Unfortunately, most lycanthropes simply take the guise of a 'mysterious ravening monster' to remove anyone who attempts to block their advancement.
Regardless of phenotype, the vast majority of true lycanthropes have as a major goal the spreading of fear, pain, and suffering. Werebeasts seem to derive pleasure from tormenting mankind. While some werebeasts are quite blatant in this and go so far as to instigate 'waves of terror' in which many innocents are slaughtered, others enjoy more subtle machinations. Through carefully escalated acts that start with mildly disturbing events and end with out-and-out atrocities, lycanthropes can create an environment of growing fear and paranoia, paralyzing and eventually destroying an entire community.
It is suspected that some werebeasts consider this kind of terrorism to be the highest form of 'art'.
Bloodlust
Lycanthropic bloodlust can be compared to the rage of a berserker or a feeding frenzy among sharks, where the creatures lose all inhibitions and forget all caution in the desire to feed. During bloodlust, werebeasts lose all inhibitions. They fly into a rage that is horrifying to behold, falling with incredible fury upon anyone and anything unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity. During bloodlust, all lycanthropes become the heartless, ravening monsters from folktales - and then some. They will attack and attempt to slay anyone nearby, regardless of whether it is prospective prey or an erstwhile ally. They will fall upon that person and then feed to satiation. If the werebeast in bloodlust is well fed, it will eat only its regular amount . . . plus, perhaps, a little extra. If it has been denied food over the last several days it will eat enough to eliminate this hunger totally... and again, perhaps a little extra.
The primary stimulus for bloodlust is proximity to a source of food, combined with the sight, smell, or taste of fresh blood. Hunger, predictably, exacerbates the problem, as does the proximity of any other lycanthrope that has already entered bloodtust. The chance of losing control is also increased if the werebeast is seriously wounded; apparently, pain diminishes the creature's self-control. There are other aggravating factors: puberty (for true lycanthropes), and the unfamiliarity of the lycanthropic state (for newly infected werebeasts).
Infected lycanthropes can enter bloodlust only when they are in their Animal form. True lycanthropes are much more likely to enter bloodlust in their secondary or tertiary form, although if they are severely wounded they may also succumb while in their primary human aspect.
Once it has entered this state, a lycanthrope will remain in bloodlust until it has eaten its fill. Then it will slowly regain control. This effort may be immediate or may take several minutes. If the bloodlust continues after the creature has eaten its fill, it will not gorge. Instead, it will continue its slaughter, but it will not feed on the bodies of its victims.
Obviously, bloodlust is a hideous thing to witness. Lycanthropes - intelligent ones, at least - fear its onset, since it can easily destroy years of effort in building up a subterfuge. There tales that there are some lycanthropes that have learned how to initiate bloodlust willingly.
Lycanthrope Phenotypes
Lycanthropes come in a staggering number of phenotypes, each distinguished by its animal form. For the vast majority of lycanthropes, the beast within is a carnivore, a creature that subsists on the flesh of other animals. Whatever their diet, the majority of animal aspects are mammals - furred, warm-blooded, air-breathing, and viviparous. This is not a hard-and-fast rule, however. Several nonmammalian creatures are worthy of note, including the wereraven, the weresnake, the werecrocodile, and the dreaded wereshark. For the record, some say that they have personally encountered lycanthropes with the following animal forms: wolf, bat, boar, rat, cat, badger, fox, crocodile, raven and jackal. Other phenotypes which are believed to exist, although none have admitted to seeing them, include snakes, coyotes, bear, seal, walruses, shark, and-may the gods help those who sail the seas-killer whales!
The only phenotypes we will be accepting on Threads of Time are the bat, fox, rat, raven, cat (mostly lynxes) and wolf.
Transfiguration
Transfiguration (Shapeshifting) is the term applied to a werebeast's ability to change forms, or aspects. With few exceptions, a true lycanthrope has three aspects, homid, beast and monster, any of which it can adopt at will. Furthermore, the true tycanthrope is generally unaffected by the triggers that initiate transfiguration in infected lycanthropes. Thus, a true werewolf need never fear that the full moon will trigger an unwanted transfiguration.
Furthermore, true lycanthropes retain all of their mental faculties while in any of their forms. At no point do they forget what occurs when not in human aspect, nor do they lose control of their actions. In addition, they always retain their immunities and most of their abilities.
It is important to stress that the actual process of transfiguration is not typically a rending, burning agony for true lycanthropes, but it is often so for the pathologic variety. In fact, many of the true lycanthropes have claimed that the experience is one of transcendent ecstacy.
During the transfiguration, the creature's body is racked with convulsions as its skeletal structure and musculature shift into their new orientations. Observers can see the bones and muscles shifting around under the skin, a process which is accompanied by a wet, tearing sound.
In contrast, an infected lycanthrope has but two forms; homid and monster and their transfiguration is one of mortal agony.
Primary Aspect: Homid
The first aspect of a true lycanthrope is homid (human), and the homid aspect is characteristic of the individual. In other words, when in homid form, it will always look the same. A werebeast cannot use the transfiguration to alter its human appearance or create disguises.
Secondary Aspect: Beast
The second form that any true lycanthrope can assume is that of the beast. In this aspect, the individual appears as an animal. Again, the type of animal and the specific details of its appearance are characteristic of the individual. Details such as eye color, pelt markings, and other distinguishing features do not change, which makes it possible for an astute observer to distinguish between individuals, just as an owner of hounds can tell the difference between two members of the same breed.
A true lycanthrope's animal aspect is usually larger than average, when compared to normal animals of the same type. Remember, however, that there is a wide variability in sizes among natural animal populations. While it is true that lycanthropes in animal aspect are larger than the average for that species, it is not always true that werebeasts are larger than all other specimens. If a werewolf is leading a pack of timber wolves, the lycanthrope need not automatically be the largest creature in the pack. (Wererats pose a special case: their secondary aspect resembles a giant rat, not a normal rodent.)
Many tales and legends claim that lycanthropes in their secondary form can be distinguished from natural animals by their sense of intelligence, unnatural wisdom, and anomalous watchfulness. This can be true in some cases, but only when the werebeast wants the observer to discern its true nature. True lycanthropes in their animal aspect retain their full intelligence, which makes them much more intelligent and aware than natural animals that may surround them. Yet the monsters are also in touch with their animalistic nature - the beast within - in the form of natural senses and instincts. They can, if they so wish, allow these senses and instincts to overshadow their human intelligence and thus behave identically to a natural animal. This knack for subterfuge makes it exceedingly difficult to distinguish a werebeast from a normal animal.
It is important to point out the fallacies in some legends and tales. While it is true that lycanthropes in animal aspect can still understand the languages of mankind, it is not true that they can speak them. The anatomy and physiology of animals precludes this. For example, the throat and mouth of a rat is incapable of human speech; thus, so is a wererat in animal aspect. (The wererat would be able to both speak and understand the limited communication of natural rats, however.) Similarly, while in animal aspect most werebeasts have neither hands nor fingers, and thus cannot easily manipulate their environment. Accordingly, those tales which describe werewolves in wolf form opening intricate locks or latches are most obviously fantastical.
It seems obvious that natural animals can distinguish a werebeast in animal aspect from one of their own kind. Natural animals' responses to werebeasts vary quite widely, however. Pack-oriented or herd-oriented creatures will usually cede dominance of the group to the werebeast. Thus, wolves will almost always signal their submission to a werewolf in their midst and allow the lycanthrope to lead the pack. Trained animals such as domesticated dogs will be more likely to react with unease or even distress if a werebeast is in the area. Naturally solitary animals will usually respond by avoiding werebeasts in animal aspect.
As an aside, there are many tales in which faithful house pets detect the inhuman nature of true lycanthropes in human aspect, and react by growling, whining, or even attacking.
Tertiary Aspect: Monster
The true werebeast's third aspect - half man, half beast - is indeed the most dreadful. This is the form most commonly associated with true lycanthropes in tale and legend. The man-beast has the features of both human and animal forms, creating a horrifying, unnatural blend.
The actual details of the man-beast aspect vary from phenotype to phenotype, and even from individual to individual within a single phenotype. Any given individual will always look the same in his or her tertiary aspect, however.
In general, the body's overall form is humanoid, although there may be noticeable differences in musculature, The head closely resembles that of the animal, but with some disturbingly human features. The eyes are typically human in appearance, albeit frequently bloodshot and glaring - malignant intelligence seems to gleam within them. The entire body is usually covered in fur, which is similar in color and texture to that of the natural animal. The pelt is typically thicker around the head and shoulders, especially at the back of the neck. Hands and feet usually sport elongated nails - not quite claws, but definitely reminiscent of them, and capable of inflicting gruesome wounds. The tertiary form always has characteristics symbolic of the phenotypical animal. Thus, if the natural animal type is powerful, then the man-beast form based on it will also be powerful, as in the case of werewolves for example. If the animal type is exceptionally agile, then the man-beast form will reflect this, too, and thus wererats are slender, fast- moving things. It is interesting to point out that this characteristic is based more on symbolism than anything else. If the animal type is symbolic of some attribute, whether it actually possesses it, then the man-beast form will incorporate that attribute into its appearance.
True lycanthropes in man-beast aspect retain the ability to use language. Their voices are usually harsh and growling, however. The creatures also retain their full dexterity in man-beast form, and thus can manipulate their environment easily.
Clothing and Armor
While the transfiguration changes the form of a werebeast's body, it obviously does not transform the creature's clothing or equipment. In most cases, the man-beast form is larger and more heavily muscled than the human aspect. Depending on the particular phenotype, the metamorphosis from human to animal form may involve either an increase or decrease in overall size. For example, a wererat's animal aspect is smaller than man-sized. This size differential will determine what effect the transfiguration has on any clothing or armor worn by the creature.
If the transfiguration decreases the creature's overall size, then clothing and equipment pose little inconvenience. Elaborate clothing or a complex suit of armor might momentarily limit a much smaller aspect's freedom of movement - a two-foot-long rat is almost caged in a suit of plate mail, for example - in all but the rarest instances however, the werebeast can quickly free itself from such impediments. [This may take an additional round.]
But what if the new aspect, the one into which the creature is transfiguring, is larger than the one that donned the accoutrements? With all but the most robust and confining clothing, there is little problem. The force with which the skeletal and muscular changes occur is almost always sufficient to burst any ciothing at the seams. This happens so fast that the creature is not discommoded, since the torn fragments simply fall away.
Such is not the case with all armor, however. Suits of armor are obviously more robust than normal clothing; they are designed to withstand abuse as well as to resist being torn away. So resilient are most types of armor that they can cause significant harm to a werebeast unwise enough - or unlucky enough - to change into a larger aspect while wearing them. Generally speaking, the more protection a suit of armor provides, the more damage it can inflict on the werebeast wearing it.
When a werebeast changes back to human form, it will almost invariably be naked. The experience of returning to one's self, naked, bruised, and in a strange place, is often the first clue to an infected lycanthrope of his affliction.
Shifting Stat Adjustments
Animal Form
Werebat: Str -1 Dex +2 Sta -1 Man -2 Per +2 Werefox: Str +1 Dex +2 Sta +1 Man -1 Wererat: Str +1 Dex +2 Sta +1 Man -2 Cha -2 Wereraven: Str -1 Dex +2 Sta -1 Man -2 Per +2 Werecat: Str +2 Dex +2 Sta +1 Man -2 Werewolf: Str +2 Dex +2 Sta +1 Man -1
Crinos Form
Werebat: Str +2 Dex +3 Sta +1 Man -2 Per +3 App 0 Werefox: Str +2 Dex +3 Sta +2 Man -2 App 0 Wererat: Str +2 Dex +3 Sta +2 Cha -2 App 0 Wereraven: Str +2 Dex +3 Sta +1 Man -2 Per +3 App 0 Werecat: Str +4 Dex +3 Sta +2 Man -3 App 0 Werewolf: Str +4 Dex +3 Sta +2 Man -2 App 0
NOTE: Crinos form is the only form that can soak aggravated damage without any other unnatural/magical means.
Vulnerabilities and Healing
Lycanthropes of all types are daunting foes. Most weapons are useless against a lycanthrope in its man-beast or animal form; the wounds caused by weapons heal almost instantly. When in human form, an infected lycanthrope is as vulnerable to attack as any normal mortal. Though this is not so for the true lycanthrope. A true lycanthrope in human form may appear to sustain a wound from any ordinary weapon, but in reality suffers no ill or lasting effects. The apparent wound fades quickly, sometimes in an hour or so, but the change is not instantaneous. In this way, true lycanthropes can maintain a ruse of being normal humans.
Yet the situation for a would be hunter of lycanthropes is far from hopeless. Every werebeast has at least two vulnerabilities, two items or substances which can bring about its death. If common lore is to be believed, no lycanthrope is immune to silver weapons. While that may be true in some mythical or distant realm, it is not true here. Rather, the vulnerability varies from phenotype to phenotype, and less frequently, from individual to individual within a single phenotype. The werebeast hunter who relies solely on a silver weapon still inevitable faces his own grisly death or worse.
Most lycanthrope is susceptible to some herbal concoction or naturally occurring element. While some of these compounds are poisonous to humans, their effectiveness against specific lycanthropes is unmatched. The slightest trace of the appropriate compound, whether ingested or insinuated into a wound, maybe enough to slay a susceptible lycanthrope instantly. Most lycanthropes find the smell of their nemesis distasteful, although this reaction is not so strong that an individual cannot suppress it if the circumstances so warrant.
Summary of Vulnerabilities
Creature Weapon Vulnerability Herbal Susceptibility Werebat Silver (Piercing) Skullcap Werefox Canine Bone Juniper Berry Wererat Varied (Set by ST) Varied (Set by ST) Wereraven Silver Mandrake Werecat Obsidian Ginseng Werewolf Silver Wolf bane (Aconite)
Lycanthropes can recover from minor wounds (small cuts, scrapes, or bruises) almost instantly. Deeper cuts and gashes would take a few hours to heal, and broken bones or damage to internal organs would probably take about a two RL days. For near fatal wounds, ones that affect the heart, brain, lungs, etc., a character would probably spend a few days recovering. Regenerating limbs takes even longer. For the loss of a single digit -- a finger or toe, a character would need 1 or 2 weeks in order to grow it back. A month is required to regain a severed hand, foot, ear, or eye; Two months for the loss of an arm or leg. A lycanthrope cannot duplicate himself if, say, his head were severed from his body--he could not grow a new body. Once the head and heart are separated, the lycanthrope is dead.
Memory Loss and Retention
True lycanthropes suffer no memory loss due to the transfiguration. Their personalities are unchanged and their memories unaltered, regardless of their current form. They are even totally aware of their surroundings during the transfiguration itself. Would-be werebeast slayers who count on a moment of disorientation or shock immediately after their foe's transfiguration are bound to be sorely disappointed.
The situation with infected lycanthropes is more complex. An infected lycanthrope in human form will remember his actions in secondary form vaguely at best. Those memories will have the surreal, indistinct characteristics of a nightmare incompletely recalled upon waking. Without other, more tangible clues such as inexplicable wounds, few victims of the dread affliction will believe those memories are anything but nightmares. Further, even the transformation itself cannot be clearly recalled. For the present purposes, one should consider an infected lycanthrope to be in its secondary form from the moment the first transfiguration starts to the instant the second one ends.
Thus, he will not remember clearly the torment of shifting to animal form or back again... although faint echoes of these agonies might be part of his 'nightmares'. For infected lycanthropes, memory loss is unidirectional. In other words, a werebeast in human form will not recall what he has done as an animal. However, while the werebeast is in animal form, he will remember virtually everything that he knows in human form, though bloodlust colors his attitudes and sensibilities. This is how an infected werebeast successfully hunts down loved ones and enemies alike; it recalls all pertinent facts about its prey. Such knowledge includes any precautions, tricks, and traps that the prospective target may have mentioned to the marauder while the latter was in human form. Further, the ravening beast recalls any precautions that he himself might have taken while in human aspect whether or not the human suspected that his own dark side was a thing to be feared.
Diets
Infected and True Lycanthropes differ significantly in their eating habits and dietary requirements.
Infected Lycanthropes: While in human aspect, victims of pathologic lycanthropy experience no significant change in their needs for food; it remains just as it were before they contracted the contagion. Although their preferences alter somewhat, leaning more towards rare cuts of meat, they can still subsist on normal diets and can extract sustenance from fruits and veggies. As soon as infected lycanthropes assume the shape of a beast, however, things are very different. The creatures will immediately try to eat their fill of fresh, raw flesh. The amount required varies by type of beast and matches the requirements set out for Blue Bloods. Once the beasts become human again, their need for flesh is diminished. None the less, infected lycanthropes that retain their animalistic form for extended periods could conceivably starve if opportunities for killing were limited.
True Lycanthropes: Regardless of breed, all true lycanthropes must eat meat to survive. Although they can eat veggies and fruit and will do so to bolster their masquerade while in human form, they gain no nourishment or enjoyment from doing so. Some breeds can subsist on previously killed prey, on flesh that has been dead for hours or even days. This ability matches the natural feeding abilities of the base breed. If the animal form resembles a creature that is naturally a scavenger, such as a rat or raven, then the beast can eat older flesh. If the animal aspect is naturally a hunter, such as the wolf, the werebeast can gain sustenance only from flesh that is freshly killed. As a general rule, a true lycanthrope must eat an amount of flesh roughly equal to that amount necessary to sustain a natural specimen of its own animal breed.
Regardless all werebeasts vastly prefer freshly killed prey and seem to prefer the flesh of humans over that of animals. This preference is not so strong that they cannot override it when necessary (Willpower check vs. diff 6).
Type of Creature Daily Needs in Pounds
Werebat 3
Werefox 7
Wererat 5
Wereraven 3
Werecat 10
Werewolf 10
Procreation
Lycanthropes consider their procreative behavior to be intensely personal, and not a topic for public discussion.
With Blue Blood Lycanthropes
There are some significant differences in procreative behavior between true lycanthropes and the human or humanoid species they resemble. Gestation period is unchanged; thus, a female werebeast whose primary aspect is human will carry a child for about nine months. Many other characteristics of procreation are different, however. For example, werebeasts reach sexual maturity earlier than most members of their 'primary species'. This difference is notso great as to be remarkable (as it would be if a young werewolf were sexually mature at age three, for example). However, if this early maturity were allowed to become known, it would qualify the offspring as sexually precocious. True werebeasts also tend to be more fertile than members of the race they resemble. And they have a slightly higher incidence of multiple births. However, none of these differences is great enough to alert any but the most meticulous (and suspicious) researcher.
The offspring of a male and female true lycanthrope will always be a true lycanthrope of the same phenotype, whatever conditions apply. As dreadful as it may seem, true lycanth ropes do sometimes court normal, uninfected humans. Such a union can lead to the birth of a child.
Gestation and Birth
During the first quarter of the gestation period, female true lycanthropes are free to transfigure into any of their three aspects without any risk to their unborn child. After that, however, they will not change into animal aspect unless the only other alternative is death. During the latter three-quarters of pregnancy, the female limits her transfigurations to human and man-beast aspects exclusively. Dietary needs change as the pregnancy progresses; after the second month, the mother's appetite is increased by one-quarter to one- half.
True lycanthropic mothers usually give birth in the same form in which their children begin life: human. However, I have heard tell that the pain of labor may induce a spontaneous transfiguration into the man-beast form. Perhaps for this reason, many true lycanthropes prefer to bear their offspring in private, lest a midwife learn of their true nature. (On the other hand, they may simply slay the midwife after the birth.) Lycanthropes recover from the rigors of birth much faster than do normal humans. They could be up and around, fully functional, within minutes of the birth, if this were necessary. Most lycanthropes will feign the post-partum weakness (and sometimes depression) exhibited by humans, however, merely to maintain their masquerade.
Rearing Young
True lycanthropes show a somewhat schizophrenic outlook with regard to their young, if they can do so without personal risk or significant hardship, they will usually nurture their young until the offspring have reached puberty and can control their transfigurations. At this point, all contact between parents and offspring usually comes to an end. Before puberty, the parents - predominately the mother - will protect and educate the children. Most werebeasts are stricter, more severe parents than are the majority of humans. The difference is rarely great enough to attract overmuch attention, however.
It is important to note that few lycanthrope parents will tell their offspring the 'facts of life' until the children are old enough to understand the importance of concealing their true nature. Since the parents are hunting throughout this period, it is not uncommon for lycanthropic children to be orphaned before they learn what they are.
The attitude of werebeast parents toward their children seems directly tied to the parents' own security. Most true lycanthropes are living within (or at least on the outskirts of) human civilization, masquerading as normal humans. Typically, no one suspects their true nature. Cunning lycanthropes can maintain this facade for years or even decades - possibly not in the same locale, but by moving on to a new village or town when the focus of suspicion turns in their direction. However, if suspicion does start to focus upon them, true werebeasts with young children will, without a qualm, arrange it so that their offspring are the next victims of the 'mysterious monster'. This will usually divert suspicion, at least for a time, since few humans want to believe that parents of any species could so cold-bloodedly sacrifice their children. Such is the nature of werebeasts, however.
Even if children merely represent a hardship, true lycanthropes are quite likely to abandon or sacrifice their young simply to make their own lives easier. This may occur if the presence of children hinders the parents' ability to hunt or otherwise feed themselves, or - if traveling is necessary - when offspring would limit the parents' mobility. This willingness to contemplate and perform infanticide is perhaps the most horrifying facet of the lycanthropic personality, and the fact that most distinctly sets these beasts apart from humans.
The second strategy is simply to abandon the offspring on the outskirts of human settlements. In most cases, of course, the foundlings will be adopted by members of the community who are unaware just how feral such children really are. I have no doubt that the true parents of these monsters enjoy many a cruel laugh at the humans who behave so generously. For that generosity will, in all likelihood, eventually be rewarded by a savage and lethal attack. If the lycanthropes choose not to follow either of these options, they seem no less willing to practice infanticide than true werebeasts who lead (or feign) a more civilized existence.
With Infected Lycanthropes
While in human aspect, infected lycanthropes will engage in the same procreative behavior as uninfected individuals of their own race. Fertility, incidence of multiple birth, gestation period, and similar factors are unchanged. If the father of a child is an infected lycanthrope, the child will not automatically suffer the affliction (unless the father subsequently infects it through normal means, of course). If the mother suffers the blight, however, so will the child. It will share the same phenotype and trigger condition as its mother.
It is interesting to point out that infected females who are with child become immune to their normal trigger condition during the last third of the gestation period. This seems to be an adaptation designed to protect the unborn child. Human females, then, will not undergo transfiguration - no matter what the stimulus - during the final three months of pregnancy. As though to make up for the lapse, the first transfiguration after giving birth may be particularly violent, and it will always lead to bloodlust. The woman automatically flies into bloodlust on changing into her secondary form, and must eat twice her normal amount following her first post-partum transfiguration. If she survives this episode, she reverts to her normal behavior thereafter.
Although it would seem logical that a female werebeast's first target after giving birth might be her own offspring, this does not seem to be the case. Probably as the result of a prosurvival adaptation, female werebeasts in their secondary aspect seem to consider their own children off-limits ... so long as those children are also infected lycanthropes. Children born before their mother's infection, who do not share the lycanthropic scourge, often do become targets of her bestial predations. (Of course, this willingness to attack one's own offspring can also be observed in infected males whose children do not share their affliction.)
Relationships
Lairs
Ghouled Lycanthropes
Pure Lycanthropes are unlikely to be willingly ghouled. Most of them suffer allergic reactions to vampiric blood, and cannot stomach it for long. Only a few can drink vitae without vomiting immediately, and even they tend to avoid putting themselves in debt to other supernaturals.
Perhaps the only reliable way to ghoul a Lycanthrope is to go after one of the diseased ones. The main difficulty with this method, however, is that they re believed to be bonded to the Lycanthrope that infected them. Add to this the difficulty of detecting the difference between a pure and diseased Lycanthrope, and it's easy to see why so very few ghouled werewolves exist.
