Were-Touched

Were-Touched live tumultuous lives, constantly wrestling with their true nature. Blood-cursed from birth due to their Werewolf heritage, they are able to tap into their bestial aspect at will - altering their bodies to briefly resemble their terrifying lycan ancestry. While they have some control of this form, the dangers of it still make much of society hesitant to engage with Were-Touched individuals. Because even though they are able to keep a muzzle on for a time - like a caged animal, they can’t be repressed forever. And when their true form is unleashed after being withheld for too long, the ensuing ferocity can be devastating.

ATTRIBUTES AND APPEARANCE

While at first glance Were-Touched appear similar to Humans, they have a few stark features that disrupt that. Were-Touched have bright yellow eyes and teeth that come to a sharpened point, particularly their canines. They also often have incredibly thick hair that grows long and quick, and in some cases have wolf-like ears and patches of fur across parts of their face and body.
When Were-Touched unleash their inner beast - their body is altered to extremes to take on their lycan form. This form varies from individual to individual but often includes extended and muscular limbs, razor claws, and even full wolf-like head and jaws. While in this state they are filled with vicious strength and agility, making them strong Barbarians or leaning on their lupine senses to make adept Rangers.

HISTORY

Were-Touched are a more recent race of peoples in the modern world. Their story begins in the Age of Darkness with Werewolves at the peak of their power. Full-blooded Werewolves became prominent within the Fractals as an alternative to subjugation beneath the Vampire Lords. These Werewolf Clans offered protection from the rampant Undead, and within these clans were the first Were-Touched offspring.
As numbers grew over the years, conflicts with Vampires became long and drawn out through the latter half of the Age of Darkness. With the start of the War of Thorns, many Werewolf Clans fought alongside the fledgling army of the Valedori Empire. Their knowledge and experience fighting against the Vampire Lords for over a century was critical and ultimately led to victory for the Imperial Army.
By this time, full-blooded Werewolves had become much more uncommon and Were-Touched became much more populous. After the war, they aided in the cleansing of the Imperial Fractals, which led them to build relationships with many Devilbloods who served a similar purpose at the turning of the age. But there were some Devilblood Companies who began to see Werewolves as beasts to be hunted as well. This marked a turning point at the start of the Imperial Age - in the boom of civilization, Werewolves and Were-Touched alike became outcasts to high society as too wild and dangerous to live alongside.

IN SOCIETY TODAY

Were-Touched are still most often found within the remnants of the old Werewolf Clans spread across the Imperial Fractals - most commonly within the depths of the Muldrotha Wilds or the peaks of the Stormvane Cliffs, well beyond the reach of civilization. The most prominent of these encampments is Castle Stormvane, the repurposed Shadar ruins once ruled by a Vampire Lord.
That said, they can still be found amidst fringe settlements like Grey's Mooring and Viridesce. While Were-Touched are more accepted in the Valedori Empire than peoples like the Shadar-Kai, they are still looked at with distrust in similar ways to Elves. Because of this, some even traveled to the Diaspora Fractals, where they have been helpful in cleaning the Southern Hinterlands of the Hollow.
The relationship Were-Touched have with their inner beast is not dissimilar from the Shadar-Kai and the Hollow, leading some to travel far and seek out guidance from them amidst the Holy Land Fractals.

by Tommy Lee

Common Regions: Imperial Fractals, Diaspora Fractals
Region Exclusions: Imperial Fractals (Mistrusted)
Average Lifespan: 70
Average Height: 5-6
Languages: Common, Tzigani
Naming Examples: Virgil, Herrera, Artigas, Tatiana, Sonia, Mortitia