Lycanthropy

In the early days of civilization, Humans spread stories of what some of them had seen in the woods: men that could turn into feral beasts under the light of the full moon, and knew no mercy, only violence. Some said they were demons from beyond the mortal plane, others believed they were tampering with dark powers. These fearful debates lasted all of three months, and ended when the Lycans showed up in person to clear up the matter. Afterwards, everyone had a good laugh and a few drinks, but the legend of Werewolves lived on, if only for the humor value.

The story did not end there, however. A certain group of necromancers toyed with Lycan genes, and from them crafted a virus that could transform its victims under the full moon, turning them into wolves that were vicious, strong enough to bite through steel, and, most importantly, enslaved to their necromantic masters. Victims of lycanthropy have no control over their bodies during the full moon, and their minds are linked to the neromancer who crafted the virus, allowed their master to see through their eyes, hear through their ears, and command them directly.
Lycanthropy remained undiscovered for many years, as the Society was very careful to make sure their canine minions acted like a normal Lycan on the town. However, their presence was discovered after a particularly bold necromancer decided to try and infect a Lycan with it. All that this ended up doing, however, was make the victim really itchy and, because most of the mental effects were directly caused by the physical ones, gave them the power to see where their infector was. This lead to the discovery of the Society's true intentions, and the subsequent war against them.
Despite the affliction's long history, there still remain two races that are unaffected by it: the Lycans, by virtue of immunity, and the Genetaur, who the Society have actively prevented from getting it. The reason for this is that the condition affects half-animal races in bizarre enough ways, having Lycan genes intermingle and modify a countless number of other genes is an experiment no one wants to try. A society member once asked what the worst that could happen in the event of such was, and in response, a committee was formed that started a list, and hasn't stopped since. Theorized effects range from an unusually furry rash to Cthulhu.

Transmission & Vectors

While referred to as a virus, Lycanthropy is more of a magical disease than a true viral infection. It is initially contracted through contaminated water, food, or a blow dart. It can be transmitted through bite, although this is not always a guarantee, and a rabies shot is usually enough to prevent catching it in this way.

Symptoms

Lycanthropes will transform into a canine form under the light of a full moon, although what form this is exactly depends on the race afflicted. For Humans, Dwarves, and Elves, the resulting form is usually a wolf. For the other races, the species of wolf varies, and is listed below, along with other powers they receive while in this form:

• Dragonborn become Hellhounds, a horned canine with dragon claws, fiery breath, and a black and red coat of fur that is similar to a bloodhound's.


• Fairies become Kitsune, a nine-tailed fox with the power to generate man-sized illusions.


• Merfolk become Seawolves, a type of wolf with webbed paws in front, and seal-like flippers in the back that can breath underwater and swim extremely fast.


• Naga become Serpandogs, a strange creature with the upper body of a wolf, and the lower body of a snake. They have a venomous bite and extremely high land speed.

All variants of this form have enhanced night vision, speed, strength, smell, and keen tracking instincts. It should be remembered, however, that these "benefits" come at the cost of the victim's free will, and with enough repeated transformations, the necromancer can trigger them more often, even in broad daylight. While this process can take months, even years, necromancers are nothing if not patient...

Treatment

While it is possible to sever the connection between a victim and a necromancer, this is extremely difficult, time-consuming, and requires a priest with access to powerful Divine Magic. Even with the connection destroyed, the victim still has to deal with the occasional transformations that will happen every night or on the night of the full moon, depending on how thorough the necromancer's control over them was. While they can learn to control it, and remain conscious and even trigger it themselves, they still must constantly struggle against their wolven nature for the rest of their lives.
It was recently discovered that a mineral from Saturn's Rings can be used as an ingredient in an herbal remedy that completely removes the magical condition from the victim's body forever.

History

Lycanthropy has mainly been used as a weapon by the Society, controlling their canine minions for use in espionage, global monitoring, and assassination. Werewolves are still used to this day, albeit on a much quieter scale than in the past. This is due in part to more reliable minions that don't have free will to begin with, although the infection's psychic connection is used to monitor opposing governments through high-ranking officials.

Cultural Reception

Lycanthropes have been met with a mixed reception. Some view them as wild beasts who need to be put down, while others pity them their loss of free will, and some see them as mere animals, lesser beings that need a home or pity like any other dog. Many Genetaur have pointed to the first and last reaction and said "See? That's how we feel!" This has still earned them no sympathy from Lycanthropes, despite the many similarities. However, the Lycans as a whole have been treating the Genetaur a little bit kinder ever since...

Type

Supernatural

Origin

Magical

Rarity

Rare

Affected Species

• Naga
• Elves
• Merfolk
• Humans
• Dragonborn
• Fairies
• Dwarves