Wererat

Written by EmperorCharlesII

You're about to catch a breath of air after a harrowing card game when someone grabs your arm. You glance over, and you see an old dwarf, eyes a little clouded over, has a tight grip on your wrist. He leans towards you, and you begin to lean away uncomfortably.
"You weren't plannin' on headin' out at this hour, I hope?" You can smell the alcohol on his breath, but you say yes.
"I'd watch out for the rats. They wander into the streets this late at night and they love the taste of human." He chuckles. "And the best part? They always look like people, too, until they pull off their disguises and rake into ya with their claws."
You shudder, but you're resolved to find your way to your friends back at The Miran Tower. You need to get to Frecrest before the end of the week. You wrench your arm free and walk out the door.
A couple of nondescript men that saw you leave lick their lips and follow you outside.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Wererats can appear in three forms: their humanoid form, their rat form, and their Shifted form.
Their humanoid form looks the same as the regular humanoid they were before their first Shifting, and only a spell of True Seeing will be able to tell the difference between a Wererat and a regular human or dwarf.
Their rat form looks like a rat of enormous size, being about the size of a large dog or maybe even bigger. Their tails can reach a metre long, and their teeth are as long as daggers.
Their Shifted form is the form that identifies them as Wererats, and is the most drastic. They walk on two legs, and they can still wear human clothing and use items, but there the similarity ends. Their noses elongate and grow whiskers. Their eyes turn a beady dark red. Their hands become sharp claws. A oily tail grows behind them, long enough to trail on the ground behind them. And most alarmingly, their teeth grow longer until they reach past their lips.

Ecology and Habitats

Wererats live in urban areas, preferring dark places like dungeons, basements and sewers. In their humanoid form, they can be seen in prisoners or working in taverns and inns. In their rat form or Shifted form, they harass and kill people who wander into sewers or their basement lairs.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Wererats require uncooked flesh to sate their animalistic side, and they hunger for it very strongly. Because of this, they will often hunt out sickly or weak people walking home at night, kill them, then store them in their lair until it's time to eat. They are still capable of eating regular food, but only flesh can really satisfy their hunger.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Wererats have been attested most commonly in the crowded metropolises of Orkanis, but reports have reached The Seven that they have been spotted on Earth and on Dreandril as well.

Average Intelligence

Wererats are very cunning, and they will stop at nothing to keep their identity a secret. This extends to killing anyone who watches them feed or Shift, or skipping town if that's not possible.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Wererats share the extrasensory capacities of rats, being able to see in the dark and responding to rat-like instincts. These senses even extend to their humanoid form, which can also be used to identify humans as Wererats. Naturally, their rat forms and Shifted forms also have these senses.

An artist's depiction of a wererat in its hybrid form.

Lifespan

Longer than regular humanoids of their race.

Average Height

Shifted form: A little shorter than their usual height.
Rat form: 1.1-1.3 metres tall.

Average Weight

Rat form: around 45 kg.

Average Length

Rat form: up to about 1.7 metres.

Uses, Byproducts and Exploitation

The heart of a Wererat (or another Lycanthrope) is a commonly used cure against Lycanism.

Artist Credit: emperorcharlesii (me!)