Lycanthropes

Lycanthropes are humanoids that can transform into a beastly creature, half humanoid and half animal. There are different ways one can become a lycanthrope, and multiple varieties.

Causes of Lycanthropy

The Blessing of Vadaszat

The god Vadaszat, who presides over predators and the hunt and all the death of nature, holds the title Father of Manbeasts. Followers of his are occasionally blessed with the curse of lycanthropy, often as a reward for surviving his Red Hunt. It is said that each time the quarry of such a hunt evades their pursuers, Vadaszat gives them a new form of lycanthropy. These lycanthropes have more control over their transformations than the others, able to transform into the creature itself as well as the hybrid beastman.

Bloodline of the Hunt

There are many curses passed by blood, and lycanthropy is one such curse. Not all children born to werebeasts are lycanthopes, but many are. Like with all bloodlines, the likelihood of such a curse diminishes over the generations, occasionally happening a thousand years down the line. More often than full-blooded lycanthropes, creatures known as Skinwalkers are sometimes the result of such cursed blood, born in the same manner as Tieflings, Aasimar, and other "half-humanoid" races.

The Ritual of the Beast

True priests of Vadaszat who have been blessed with lycanthropy can spread the curse to willing victims. The ritual involves restraining the victim and feeding them the blood of the beast away from civilization, deep in the wilderness. These are unable to control their transformations, or remember much of what they do in beast form. These "lesser hunters" are able to be controlled by their progenitors.

The Monster Spirits

The goddess Attinae, who is the mother of monsters and the lady of pain, is the progenitor of most monstrous beings of the world. It is said that the result of a union of her and Vadaszat created invisible spirits of the hunt. These spirits seek out those humanoids with the potential to cause great harm, and if the person is not strong enough in spirit may be corrupted by the lycanthropic spirit. These creatures transform and kill at the whim of their dark mother, often completely unaware of the acts of violence they commit in her name. These werebeasts are easily identified by the presence of other physical corruptions in their beast form, such as weapons made of their own bones, or extraneous mouths, or bleeding teeth.

Alchemical Lycanthropy

The inventor of this monstrous potion is unknown, and it is incredibly difficult to make, involving rare ingredients and certain celestial conditions. Such creatures need only imbibe the potion once, and thenceforth suffer uncontrolled transformations on occasion. These are considered heretical to Vadaszat, and alchemical lycanthropes are often sought out and killed by his followers.

The Redeemed

Lelia, who is the twin to Vadaszat and the goddess of life and renewal, offers a cure to lycanthropes who seek redemption. She transforms these beasts into werebears, who live their lives with the goal of protecting those places sacred to Lelia, and in turn their souls may go to her in the afterlife instead of the cursed hunting grounds of Vadaszat.

Known Varieties of Lycanthrope

Werewolves

The most common variety of werebeast, the werewolf is a malicious predator that lives to hunt. Their transformation is excruciating, and in their humanoid lives tend to be quick to anger.

Werebats

Werebats are social creatures who tend to seek each other out and live in isolated colonies. They tend to be more clever in their cruelties, luring prey to them rather than hunting. In their humanoid forms, werebats develop an aversion to light.

Werebears

Werebears as mentioned above are redeemed lycanthropes who serve as warriors and protectors of nature. They feel a nearly undeniable to help others, especially followers of the nature gods.

Wererats

In humanoid form, wererats always develop a single unpleasant feature, such as big teeth, slightly pointed noses, or yellowing eyes. Like werebats, they tend to form communities with each other, often choosing to live in the sewer systems beneath large cities. They often feel a uncontrollable urge to horde.

Weresharks

Weresharks are solitary creatures that live near the ocean, for obvious reasons. Much like their bestial forms, the humanoid wereshark is prone to fits of bloodlust, and are more likely than other lycanthropes to consume prey outside of the transformation.

Wereboars

Found in the wilds of The Darkwood, wereboars are most commonly entire families. They are usually thought of by neighbors as barbaric, and almost all of them have extreme tempers. Wereboars often experience their first transformations in moments of extreme anger.

Weretigers

Weretigers are found most often in the jungles of the Elves, solitary hunters that delight in forming close relationships with potential prey, often bonding with an intended target for years before going for the kill. They are the most controlled and intelligent of the lycanthropes, and often the most difficult to identify in humanoid form, save for a generally condescending tone towards any not chosen as a victim.

Werecrocodiles

The most malicious and least numerous of the shapechangers, werecrocodiles are often murderers before their first transformation. They are most comfortable around the water, and specialize in luring prey out into the swamps to hunt them down after transforming. In humanoid form, they are often unsettling to others, and have slightly sharp teeth.

The Workings of the Curse

Lycanthropes are of course defined by their curse, the occasional transformation into a beast. It is a commonly held belief that this transformation is tied to the moon of Vadaszat, but this simply isn't the case. Transformations are actually completely random, save for those beasts cursed by Attinae, who transform at her whim. All lycanthropes tied to Vadaszat at the same time, and always at night. The beasts are resistant to damage save for that inflicted by silver.