Lycanthropy
Savage rage embodied in a bestial form; werewolves are cursed figures infected by demonic forces. Werewolves are bipedal figures that look like an amalgam of several ferocious beasts, though most prominently wolfs, hence the name. A person cursed by lycanthropy can assume either their natural form or their werewolf form, though when the Witch Moon rises, their curse takes over. Some choose to fight the curse, locking themselves away while their feral rage runs its course. Others revel in the unbridled might their powers give them. Superhuman strength, a hide able to shrug off blades, claws as sharp as knives, and more. Most werewolves are solitary, hiding among humanoids until they find the right time to strike. If enough werewolves become infected in the same area however, they may choose to band together into a roving gang of murder beasts.
Transmission & Vectors
Most werewolves are created from those who are infected by an existing werewolf's bite. However, Talbovir's cult is still active, and has been known to either kidnap and infect innocents or take their master's dark blessing upon themselves and become cursed with lycanthropy.
Symptoms
Lycanthropy affects both the body and the mind. The most obvious change is the physical transformation into a horrible chimeric monster precision designed for murder. Werewolves can shift back into their previous humanoid form to try and hide among normal people, but their true form is the monster. Lycanthropy is also a curse upon the mind. Being born of demons, lycanthropy fills the victim's mind with an insatiable lust for destruction. They are sent into an unquenchable rage and will slaughter any living creature they can get their claws on.
These are the results of the final stage though. When first infected, the victim will have several stages of infection before they become a full werewolf. At each stage, they gain some of the powers of the werewolf like their incredible durability or their inhuman strength, while being inflicted with penalties like reduced intellect and unstoppable bloodthirst. They also gain physical changes like becoming hairier and their fingernails sharpening into claws. If the victim embraces the lycanthropy, these stages can progress rapidly until they complete their transformation into a full werewolf. If the victim fights the curse, they slowly pass through the stages of lycanthropy and even have a chance to break the curse if they seek treatment. It is a matter of willpower as to how slowly they progress, as they fight these intrusive thoughts back.
Hosts & Carriers
Only humanoids can be infected with lycanthropy, but any humanoid is vulnerable. Those in contact with the divine or the elemental, such as priests, seem to be resistant. It is believed that this is due to their divine magic weakening the demonic magic of the curse.
History
The curse of the werewolf began with Talbovir, a powerful Dark Lord obsessed with corrupting and twisting the natural world. It crafted the curse to empower its followers, who accepted their master’s dark blessing with glee. Newly transformed, these cultists carved a swath of destruction across the countryside, spreading chaos and their curse as they went. This first rampage was eventually stopped, but those cursed during the attack eventually succumbed, causing sporadic werewolf populations to pop up throughout the ages. Some evil mages have managed to get their hands on the curse as well, magically altering it to change the appearance. While always some ferocious beast, the powers are always roughly the same no matter the form. There is also rumors of a group of holy priests who have managed to develop a mastery of the curse that allows them to keep their minds, letting them turn the power of the werewolf against the forces of evil.
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