Aine's Curse

Over 300 years ago, the Enchantress Aine Merethyn used her magic to bind her lover Taunfel Sulise and his Knights into large Black Lion forms and bound them to Vithien.
Now, with Aine's death they believed they were free from their curse. But that is not so. In a side effect that even Aine would be surprised about, when the freed Knights get emotional or passionate they will slip into great Lion hybrid forms. They have less control in these forms and are incredibly dangerous. And on top of that, when they share a close emotional bond with another living thing, they can inadvertently pass this curse onto them.