Werewolves
Basic Information
Anatomy
Werewolves primarily live as humans, appearing almost no different from mortals. On the night of the full moon they are transformed completely into wolves until dawn, though most do retain enough human consciousness to make rational decisions and think clearly. The day before and following this night, werewolves are in a semi-wolf, semi-human form. The degree to which they are more human versus more wolf is determined by the individual.
Genetics and Reproduction
Werewolves reproduce as any other mammal. Despite popular fiction, werewolves cannot create more werewolves by biting a non-werewolf. They also cannot reproduce across species lines, meaning that hybrid species cannot being conceived.
Werewolves are only fertile during the two days and one night of the full moon. Pregnancy typically lasts seven and a half months. Twins are most common, but some single births do happen.
Growth Rate & Stages
Young werewolves grow and mature at the same rate as mortal humans. Between the ages of two and ten, werewolf children are especially suseptable to the dangerous disease, Werewolf Parvovirus. Werewolves begin transforming on the full moon when they reach puberty.
Ecology and Habitats
Most werewolves enjoy living in suburban or urban areas where they can interact with diverse groups. This, however, makes it more difficult to live in large groups, and if they don't focus on their safety during the full moon they can be killed or captured and placed in zoos or animal shelters, both unsafe places to be when they become human again. In rural areas, however, they can draw more attention to their large family groups and also endanger themselves in wolf form. The lack of a truly good solution has led to the species gradually declining in the last few centuries due to accidents and the forced reduction in family size to blend into mortal societies across the world, in addition to the ravages of werewolf parvovirus.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Werewolves have a higher calorie need than most mortals but have no restriction on what they can ingest. When consuming meat, most prefer it cooked rare, and some will even eat it raw. Biologically, werewolves cannot survive on vegetarian or vegan diets.
Behaviour
Werewolves form close-knit extended family groups that are not always biological, even when they aren't able to live with other werewolves. Polyamorous groups are not uncommon, but most werewolves participate in monogomous marriages when living among human communities.
Additional Information
Social Structure
All adult members within a family can have equal say in decisions, but the eldest in the family, the pater familias or mater familias, has the final authority. This authority is not held by force, but by traditional respect. Those who do not wish to honor the elder's authority often choose to leave, or are forced out by the rest of the family, and form their own family group or join another.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Werewolves live all over the world.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Regardless of what form they are in, all werewolves have a stronger sense of hearing and smell than mortals. They are also able to see better in the dark than most mortals.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
Those werewolves who leave their original families do not always find new werewolf families to join. Instead, they may form family groups with humans or other supernatural beings.
Civilization and Culture
Courtship Ideals
Very little courtship is expected and a matchmaking service is available for those looking for partners. The only requirement for romantic or sexual interactions is mutual consent of those involved. However, most werewolves choose not to mate with a lover during the full moon unless they have been dating for several months, as mating increases the bond between werewolves and is considered a serious relationship step.
Relationship Ideals
As a species, werewolves are extremely loyal to friends, family, and lovers, even if they have large groups of any of these.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
As a way of honoring their origins, most werewolves learn Latin at an early age. However, Werewolf Latin has changed somewhat from Classical Latin.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Most werewolves love Halloween, and they also continue to celebrate the ancient Roman holiday of Saturnalia in December.
History
God found the story of how Rome was founded to be highly entertaining and decided to bless/curse a faction of Roman citizens who claimed to come directly from Romulus and Remus, legendary founders of Rome, to have to live a part of their lives as wolves in honor of the legend. Thus the first werewolves came into being. God used angels to help the werewolves adapt, angels who mostly found this concerning but did as required, easing the transition for the new species.
Common Myths and Legends
A common claim among werewolves is that many Roman emperors and Senators were werewolves, but it can't be historically proven which ones may have been. It is likely that at least some were.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
In general, werewolves have accepted their status of being God-cursed and are comfortable interacting with and befriending vampires, Fallen angels, and even some demons, as well as humans.
Werewolf Characters
Werewolf Origins and Roman Foundation Mythology
There are many versions of the myth of Romulus and Remus that the werewolves trace their lineage to. Even among werewolves, the chosen narrative varies by family or individual, but the overall version most commonly accepted by modern werewolves still contains several variations from the usual, non-werewolf mythology.
The belief is that the twins were born of the union of an unknown mortal man and a mortal woman named Rhea Silvia, niece of King Numitor of Alba Longa. The king forced her to abandon the twin boys in the wilderness to die, afraid that they would grow up to contest his throne.
Fortunately for the twins, a wolf appeared who suckled them until the boys' father located them. The father took them to a hut in the woods, where he raised them with the continued help of the wolf, who never left their sides until old age took her when the boys were grown.
The children eventually grew up to found what would eventually become Rome, participating in various legendary and heroic deeds along the way. Unlike the usual legend, werewolves don't believe Remus was killed by Romulus, but that both had equal glory in shaping what would become Rome until they died of old age. They also both had multiple children from which the werewolves claim lineage. Each family keeps a beautifully detailed, if potentially inaccurate, family tree that traces them back to the first werewolf in their line, and all the way back to either Romulus or Remus.
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