Lycanthropy

Lycanthropy is the name of a virus that infects an individual through the bite or claws of a transformed person, or through blood to blood contact between an infected person and an uninfected individual. This disease is characterized by advanced healing and longevity, increased aggression and the physical transformation of the individual either under duress or under the influence of the full moon.

Transmission & Vectors

Bite, claws and blood to blood contact.

Causes

Lycanthropy is a magical disease caused by a Virus that infects a host and alters their DNA, high jacking the endocrine and immune systems as well as altering many of the proteins the body produces. Over roughly 30 days the virus effects all parts of the host and the first transformation begins during the first full moon.

Symptoms

Infection Stage the host will experience redness and tenderness of the infection site. Fever, fatigue, muscle soreness, bleeding from the gums or conjunctiva, uncontrollable muscle movements, increased aggression, allergy to Monkshood and an immediate change in hormonal cycles tied to the phases of the moon and the infection stage ends after the first transformation.

Post Infection Stage includes an accelerated healing and immune response, as well as an acute topical allergy to silver and the flowers of the Monkshood plant. The Lycanthropy virus alters the endocrine system of the body and creates a hormonal cycle tied to the cycles of the moon, altering various glands to produce the chemicals that trigger the changes associated with the Lycanthropic transformation. This transformation sees the host physically transformed into a larger, more intelligent form of the animal associated with their particular strain of lycanthropy. More advanced stages of the virus can see a transformation into a half-man version, a bipedal creature with hands and apposable thumbs but also sporting the claws, fur and fangs associated with the particular strain.

Treatment

There is no known cure or vaccine for Lycanthropy.

Prognosis

Undisturbed by external factors, someone infected with Lycanthropy can live in excess of 180 years. As long as they are not killed by silver, fire, or another Lycanthrope. The immune system and advanced healing abilities allows someone with Lycanthropy to live double the average human lifespan. However, it is much more common for Lycanthropes to die to violence either from other Lycanthropes or by being hunted down by humans.

Sequela

Women infected with Lycanthropy can not carry a fetus to term due to the physical trauma of the lunar transformations. It is rare for infants with a Lycanthrope father and human mother to inherit the condition genetically but in rare cases it can happen resulting in Mowgli Syndrome. Infants who inherit this condition genetically are typically born with terminal physical abnormalities and rarely survive beyond the first few weeks and no known records exist of anyone living for more than 4 months.

Affected Groups

Typically those at the highest risk for infection by attack are farmers and those that live in or frequently travel through rural areas. Woodsmen, hunters and trappers are also at risk for being attacked.

Hosts & Carriers

Wolves carry a primitive form of the virus between the pads on their feet. It is theorized that the first infections of primitive forms of Lycanthropy were from humans drinking water that gathered in the footprints of infected wolves.

Prevention

If you are bitten on the hand or foot the affected limb can be immediately cut off and cauterized, but this is not a guarantee. If the wound continues to heal at an accelerated rate then infection is likely already set in.

Epidemiology

Typically this condition is passed via survival from an attack by a Lycanthrope. Genetic Inheritance of this condition is rare and women infected with Lycanthropy can not carry a fetus to term due to the trauma caused by the lunar transformations. There are instances of intentional blood to blood infection being used to infect individuals willingly.

History

Early History.

Earliest records of Lycanthropy are in paleolithic art depicting half-men half-beasts hunting on cave walls and scenes depicting men running with beasts under full moons. Ancient Greece has many stories of men using herbs or magical belts to turn into wolves to hunt at night and return to their human forms at dawn. Western Europe has the famous Lions Headed Men statues and seemed to revere these figures. Legends of Hyena Men or Hyenas mimicking human voices to hunt humans are thought to be paleolithic in origin. Leopard Men and Tiger Men were thought to be demons or evil spirits. Lycanthropes seem to have existed for as long as modern humans have. Some cultures revered and celebrated the strength and power Lycanthropy can provide while others ostracized or vilified them for the terrible damage and bloodshed they can unleash.

Medieval History.

Lycanthropes are almost universally feared and hunted down. Along with persecution of Wise Women, Folk Healers and Witches, Werewolves in particular are hunted down and exterminated wherever they can be found. Often the method of execution is burning the home of a suspected Werewolf down in their sleep. There are some notable exceptions such as The Werewolves of Ossory, who might not have had Lycanthropy but used Enchanted Wolf Skins to transform into wolves to fight and raid. Various serial killers and other disturbed individuals were often accused of being Lycanthropes. Whether these were excuses or superstitious fear is a case by case basis but around this time most Lycanthropes were known to intentionally kill renegades within their packs for risk of being discovered. Werewolf packs are known to still like in the deep forests of Europe and the mountains of Scandinavian countries. These were typically family groups of outcasts who survived on their outdoors skills and lived in highly isolated communities far from civilization.

Early Modern History.

Lycanthropes in early history are intensely isolationist and live in rural and wilderness populations subsisting off of hunting and gathering while living in caves or small settlements in mountains or deep forests away from greater civilization. The numbers of infected remain small and only a handful of confirmed attacks happen each year. The wars around this period offer a respite from the intense persecution and hunting of lycanthropes due to there being more important things to focus on such as The Seven Years War, The French and American Revolutions and The Witches Rebellions in The Russian Empire. With their small numbers and isolationist attitude there were maybe less than 100,000 by 1850.

The Gévaudan Rogue.

In Gévaudan France, between 1764 and 1767, The Beast Of Gévaudan took advantage of the end of The Seven Years War to stalk the countryside of rural France, attacking and killing young women and children tending their sheep in the fields. These attacks resulted in at least 500 deaths and multiple Lycanthropy infections. This rash of killings was so bad that the French Army and the King of France's Royal Hunt Master was dispatched to attempt to kill the beast. While an exceptionally large wolf was brought back before the king and the incident closed, the killings continued until a local farmer surprised the rogue lycanthrope and struck him through the heart with a silver minie ball. This is the most infamous rogue lycanthrope in Europe history.

Cultural Reception

Globally, people infected with Lycanthropes are viewed as dangerous animals who could snap at any moment and kill indiscriminately. Lycanthropes are seen as to dangerous to be allowed in normal society and in many countries it is perfectly legal to kill Lycanthropes on sight. Nazi Germany is the only nation that allows Lycanthropes to serve in the military and offers full citizenship to any Lycanthropes who volunteer for service.

Type

Supernatural

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired & Congenital

Rarity

Extremely Rare