Lycanthrope
For more information, look below the table.
Contents
Table
| ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
Werewolves
Beings of two worlds.
The world of humanity, and the world of wolves.
Their existance is one of constant inner conflict, striving to maintain balance.
When that balance is lost, tears or blood usually follow into the werewolves lives.
Legend of the Werewolves Creation
Many of the werewolf tribes of northern Cotiego tell stories about their origins. Though some differ greatly, the following is a tale that is commonplace:
"Gather round, young pups, for I have a tale to tell you. This is story is an important one, one that I pray will give you insight into what we are. This story, is how the Goddess made us what we are.
In the early time of our world, the many race upon it were just beginning their existence. Within the dense forests, there lived a human man and woman. The pair loved one another very much, and managed to care for themselves off of what the forest could provide them. Their lives, while difficult, were tranquil and happy.
One moonlit night, the woman went off on her own to gather food. But as she approached a thicket of flowers, a large wolf emerged, growling and snarling at the woman. She backed into a tree, terrified by the strange creature with fur and sharp teeth as it came toward her. She held her eyes shut, knowing the creature would likely sink its sharp teeth into her throat soon. Strangely, the growling suddenly stopped. She opened her eyes, to see the wolf just staring at her. The wolf tilted its head to the side inquisitively, its sharp fangs no longer bared. She crouched down to look at it, amazed at how quickly it had gone from something so frightening to something so... curious. She wondered if perhaps, the creature had been just as terrified as she had.
Just as she began to move toward the creature, however, a blur of what appeared to be a large stick came swinging down, striking the wolf hard in the back of its head. She looked up, to see her mate continuing to beating the wolf with it. Before she could even speak a breath, it was already too late, and the creature lay dead before them. The man quickly hugged his mate tightly, glad he had protected her from the vicious creature.
As the woman tried to speak with her mate, the pair were blinded by a bright light. A young girl appeared to them, looking down at the dead wolf and sobbing. The man turned from his mate to face her, trying desperately to explain what had happened. The young girl simply turned toward the man, eyes still fresh with tears as she raised her hand toward him. The wolf on the ground disappear in a flash, and the man suddenly felt as if he were on fire. The woman watched, eyes and mouth wide open in horror as her mate's form began to change. In a matter of moments, she found herself starting at the very same wolf she saw earlier... only now it had eyes the same color as her mate's. The woman turned toward the young girl, hoping to plea for mercy toward her mate, but the girl had already left.
The woman was confused, unsure of what to do. As she looked into the wolf's eyes, she knew it was still her mate. But at the same time, it wasn't. She could not understand his strange growls and whines, nor could he understand her gestures and speech. He would not go into their home, choosing instead to stay out in the wilderness around them. And she could not keep up with him, as he journeyed about the woods at great speed. And as she tried to sleep at night, her mate's mournful howls would kept her awake each night.
When she could stand it no longer, the woman decided to do something. She returned to the very spot her mate had changed, the moon just as it had been that night. She prayed for several hours, begging for someone to hear and help her mate. Someone finally did answered, and to the woman's amazement, it was the same little girl as before. She begged the young girl to change her mate back, trying to explain once more why her mate acted as he did. Sadly for the woman, the young girl said she could not change him back. He had slain one of her 'children', and to atone would remain as a wolf for the rest of his life. Desperate, the woman looked to her mate, then asked if she could also be changed into a wolf as well. The young girl asked the woman why she would want such a thing, as she would never be able to walk, speak, or think as a human again once this was done.
The woman explained that she felt partially to blame, as it was her mate's love that drove him to defend her. She would rather lose her humanity forever, than be away from her mate. The young girl smiled to the woman, giving her a brief hug before granting her request. In her new form, the female wolf licked and nuzzled her mate, overjoyed to be together once more.
For many moons after that, the two wolves lived and hunted together in peace. Though they had lost much to be together, they were both content to be with one other once more. Several months later, the female wolf came to be with child, soon after having their first litter of pups. They raised them as best they could, teaching them how to hunt, and carefully maneuver through their woodland home. One day, being the inquisitive, curious pups they were, they wandered off on their own. Soon, they came upon a small village of humans. Near the outskirts, a group of small children were playing together. The pups watched intently, slowly approaching the small group. And as they did, they slowly took on the same bodies as the humans they saw.
These children, you see, were the first of our kind.
we are not simply humans who can become four-legged, nor are we simply wolves who can become two-legged. We walk a fine line between both aspects of ourselves, one that is often hard to balance on. Our human side plans and thinks things through, but at the same time, the wolf within us desires to act on impulse and instinct. It is not any easy existance. It may even seem like a 'curse' to many of you.
But know this. Though our birth began with tragedy, we owe our existance to love. Our ancestors loved one another very much, enough to give up their human existance to be with one another. Even the Goddess herself loves us dearly, as she saw fit to return humanity to us. But we must never forget why we have our gift. We must constantly strive to better understand both humanity and wolven kind, in order to better understand ourselves. To neglect either, would be to repeat the tragic events of our origin. Go forth, young pups, and discover the truth about yourselves."
Detailed Racial Information
According to most myths in Cotiego, werewolves are descended from a man and woman given wolven form by Stacey. Some stories also include influence from Kalyca, though agreement on this detail cannot be reached by the tribes. Because of the powerful beings involved in their birth, this trait is almost always present in descendants of werewolves in some form. Usually, because of their dual nature, werewolves often prefer relationships with their own kind. Depending on the tribe, however, relationships with either humans or wolves are not unheard of, and sometimes encouraged.
While not always the case, the amount of human or wolf blood present in a family line seems to influence what aspects of their human and wolf ancestry is more prevalent.
In lines saturated with more wolven blood than human, the werewolves can become wolves easly, but have difficulty looking human. They usually look partially human in appearance. These individuals are usually found from tribes closer to the natural world, and their wolf brethren. They tend to favor staying in wolf form, following their instincts and staying in the wild. However, they do have the capacity to understand and communicate with humans, though they tend not to unless necessary.
In lines where human blood is more prevalent than wolf, their animal traits are less pronounced. They tend to stay in human form, but only take on a few wolf-like features when changed, such as patches of fur, ears, fangs, and claws. They have great difficulty taking on a completely animal-like appearance, most only able to take a form similar in appearance to the Garoujin. These werewolves tend to stay near human settlements, identifying more with them than their animal brethen. However, they are very much aware of their wild side.
Finally, there are the lines balanced with both wolven and human blood. These tend to be the most common, and cause the most debate on what influences a werewolf's ties to their human and wolf heritage. The majority appear similar to a Garoujin, able to take on either the form of a large humanoid-like wolf, or a human with wolf-like features. However, there are those who will sometimes lean more toward their human or wolf side as well, much like the other two bloodlines mentioned. It is still unknown what causes these werewolves to favor one side, or neither.
Though their appearance and shape-shifting ability may differ, all share the same base instincts of both humans and wolves. Even in human form, these werewolves retain some of their heightened senses, such as smell and hearing. In animal form, their human side allows them to somewhat keep their instincts in check. However, when their emotions are peaked, they can lose almost all self control, giving in to their animal-like tendencies.
The Moon
The moon holds special sway over werewolves. The reason has been long debated by the many werewolf tribes. Some say it is due to the night of their origin, as most legends say it was a moonlit night when Stacey created their ancestors. Others speculate that Kalyca may have played a role in their origin, however the tribes seem split on acknowledging her possible influence. The strained relationship between some tribes of werewolves and wereravens, over worship of Stacey, may play a role in this.
Regardless of their origin, what is definitely known is the moon's effect on werewolves.
On nights where the moon is full, a werewolf looses almost all their human will and thought, reverting to their wolf instincts. They will take on the form of a full wolf, usually seeking out wooded areas to roam and hunt for the night. While not necessarily completely vicious on these nights, one should use caution, as they will likely not be able to understand people normally.
At the same time, on nights where the moon is hidden from view, a werewolf loses all their instincts and heigtened senses, reverting to their human form. On these nights, they are unable to take on the form of a wolf. Many werewolves use this night as a time for reflection and meditation.
Most werewolves agree this aspect of the moon's influence is a deliberate one. Why, however, is something up for debate among the tribes. Some view it as a reminder of their dual nature. Others view it as a lasting punishment for their past sins. Which view is true, neither Stacey nor Kalyca have ever revealed.
