Werewolves

General Observations
Basics

+ The curse comes around in one of two ways in our world, the first occurs when an individual is born into a pack or family and through genetics has it passed down onto them. The second is through being infected though a bite but the victim must first survive the attack and then the virus as it spreads through their bodies. Surviving both means at the next full moon they will be pulled into a shift.

+ Much like the vampires, their survival has been attributed to their seamless melding with the human society they are in and not letting their secret out; they guard that with intensity as their lives and the lives of their family depend on it.

+ A Lycan's body temperature (in all forms) is always warmer then a human by a few degree's but this difference can easily be explained as having a fever.

+ Lycan's thrive on physical contact, a light touch on the shoulder, a hug or waking up in a group after a full moon is common place. There are exceptions that can be due to past experiences or events but they are not seen any differently because of it.

+ Life expectancy is complicated only by the level of danger in their lives, if they are not met with hardships or foe they can expect to live decades and can enjoy most of it with a youthful appearance.

+ There are three forms lycans can occupy:

Human: On sight alone there is absolutely no way to find differences between a Lycan and an average human; to live in this world both requires jobs, housing and food as basic necessities.
Wolf: Takes on the appearance of a wolf with key differences. Size, structure and intelligence. Always bigger then their wild counterpart they have a range of three sizes, small: 150lbs to 200lbs, medium: 250lbs to 300lbs and large: 350 to 400lbs.
Hybrid: This form is difficult to attain and can only be achieved with the training and guidance of a mentor who has already mastered it, this is the classic horror movie upright wolf form in a human stance with a much more muscled and dangerous presence. It can be achieved by anyone except Curs and Half Bloods as long as they put the work into it. It is the least controlled of the forms.

Behavior

+ Through the entire month, outside the full moon, they behave as any other human might; those bitten may have more noticeable mood swings nearer to the full moon but otherwise, they are not any different than they were before bitten, any different from the humans around them.

+ They can become territorial and possessive, but it isn’t guaranteed. A lot has to do with what personality they had before the curse, and the temperament of their maker/bloodline.

+ The pull of the full moon is primal, unless they have the training behind them they loose all sense of the person inside. Shifting outside of the moon is very difficult and also requires training to achieve.

+ Age related restrictions:
• Child: 10-14 years. Zero control while shifted, cannot shift without the full moon.
• Adolescents: 15-18. Very little control while shifted, very few can shift without the moon.
• Adult: 19 and up. Complete control is usually obtained around the age of 30, being able to shift without the moon should come into play around the same time with the right training and guidance.

+For those born into the life, the pull of the full moon’s transformation is usually triggered by the start of puberty. Until then, the child will be either highly excitable, uncomfortable or a combination of both during the full moon but will experience no physical changes.

+All werewolves are subjects to the moon, for three days every month they are on edge and pushed to the limits of their control but only on the night of the full moon do they transform without any control. Some have more recollection and control over their memories and impulses during the change than others.

+ While lycans have the ability to hold three very different forms (Human, Hybrid and Wolf), not all are capable of all three.

Healing Rates

+ Healing is accelerated beyond what is the norm for human but only if their system is clean of silver.

+ Healing Times:
• Minor flesh wounds require 1 to 2 days to heal.
• Major flesh wounds (such as gunshot) takes 2 to 3 weeks.
• Bones Require 3 to 4 weeks depending on the break.
• Injuries inflicted by silver must be treated by a knowledgeable doctor within 24hrs or it will kill them. A treated silver wound will leave them weak for a minimum of 4 weeks, will leave scars.


Terminology

+ Alpha: A leader that is naturally born into the role or has grown into it, when it comes to pack life their position can be challenged and lost or won in battle. There will typically be one male and one female, ruling as a pair, per pack/territory.

+ Beta: A position given to individuals after they've shown to be worthy of such a title, they come second in the hierarchy and hold authority within their own pack. A Beta takes on responsibilities given to them by their Alpha and are usually known for being level headed and kind yet able to lay down the law when needed. This position cannot be won in battle, it must be given by an alpha. And it can be taken from someone and given to another if they are deemed unworthy.

+ Cur: These are individuals who where born into a pack or family of Lycans and while they carry the genetic markers, they don't and cannot shift. For all intended purposes, they are human and become the 'black sheep' of a pack.

+ Pack: A family unit for werewolves, more or less. There is safety in numbers and most lycans abide by that fact. Packs are not strictly limited to blood relation and can be made of a hodge-podge of individuals depending on the alpha and their preferences.

+ Types: There are many ways the curse can be inflicted upon someone, and with that, come degrees or types of infection:
Pure blood: Someone born into lycanthropy with at least eight generations of werewolves in their family before them. The strongest of the werewolf species. ** Requires admin approval to join as one.**
Blood Born: A title given to those who where born into it but don't qualify as a 'pure blood'. Second most common. An example would be two Bitten type lycans having a child, who would be classified as Blood Born.
Bitten: Those who are attacked and infected with lycanthropy with no previous of very little knowledge on werewolves, usually comes from a unexpected and accidental attack. They make up the majority of the race.
Half Blood: Someone who had one parent of lycan blood and one of human blood. They are the weakest of the four and therefore the rarest as they tend to be 'culled' by packs wishing to keep the race strong.** Requires admit approval to join as one.**

Advantages

+ Speed and Strength are attributes present in every werewolf but the ability varies in individuals. In human form a good portion of their strength is locked away from them but in wolf and hybrid forms the average werewolf can handle 300lbs to 400lbs with ease, there are those who are above average and are most commonly the ones who end up the head of their own pack.

+ Sense of smell in human form is slightly better then that of their human counterparts but no where near the same heightened state under the full moon.

+ The wolf form has a far greater range of motion then a normal wolf, this allows them greater agility and the ability to swipe at targets in much the same way a feline does.

+ If they are careful and don’t run into hunters or vampires, they will enjoy a somewhat extended lifespan from humans, and a generally slowed aging process. The oldest known lycan lived to be nearly one hundred and thirty by some texts, one hundred and fifty by others.


Limitations

+ Silver has a more toxic effect them than poison, a simple paper cut sized injury from a silver instrument of any kind can and will kill them without treatment. They cannot even touch silver without it burning the skin.

+ Eyesight isn't any better than a human unless in hybrid or full wolf form.

+ They are not immortal and can be killed without the use of silver, a normal gunshot to the head or heart is as good as a silver bullet to either.

+ Venom in a vampire's bite makes any injury excruciating to the same level of silver but without the end result of death if left untreated. There is not much that can be done to dull the pain or quicken the process as it must be endured until it runs it course, usually between 2 and 3 days. Symptoms include pain, fevers, hallucinations, weakness, irritability and an inability to shift outside of a full moon.


Social Structure

Hierarchy

+ They are drawn into packs by primal instinct, ruled by a single pair these packs can range in size and location. The head of the family, or pack, also known as an Alpha male/female rule the pack’s larger decisions but often have second in commands to help delegate the tasks. There is no wavering in the chain of command, you do as your told or you pay the price in flesh or with your life. There are two ways to gain control of a pack, by challenging the alpha male and winning or having it 'passed down' to next of rank by a dying alpha.

+ While they are drawn to living with their own kind there is no requirement for them to join a pack. It is uncommon but there are lone werewolves who live on their own just fine. They can choose to affiliate with an established pack and have some protection in exchange for aiding the pack or go in it completely on their own. If living on their own in an established pack’s territory, it is considered a required politeness that they abide by that pack’s rules while there and if they do anything to threaten the pack’s authority or security in their secrecy, they will be removed from the area by a means of the pack’s choosing.

Packs

+ Not all packs function the same- some hold to much more strict “old world” rules and culture while newer packs are finding a more “loose leash” approach works best for them. This will vary greatly depending on where you are in the world and where the alphas come from.

+ Unlike vampires there is a strong loyalty to a pack once you are accepted and bond with one. It’s a found family, but one of the strongest kinds, and an assault on one member will bring the retaliation of the whole pack in many cases.

+ While many packs operate on their own terms there is a council of pure blooded alpha’s that govern the cursed to ensure they remain unknown to hunters, safe from vampires, and in many cases, don’t “dilute” the blood. To them, the less bitten, the less individuals brought in, the stronger the blood as it keeps those with the curse in controlled and smaller numbers. Actions that break taboos and rules imposed by this council will result in the offending individual(s) being hunted by their own kind, and eliminated.


Interactions

The Bite

+ Not everyone bitten survives the initial injury, let alone the first transformation following the bite. The virus is not kind, and due to that, there is a strong taboo on turning humans, and it is generally not allowed.

+ Some traits can be carried over through the bite from maker to the infected.

+ By and large, the behavior of the bitten individual after their infection will depend on their personality before the bite and the character of their maker.

+ Depending on the maker, this will help or hinder the newly infected individual during their transition to their new life. Since infecting humans is seen as taboo by most lycans, most of the ones bitten are left to their own devices until finding a pack willing to take them in and coach them in their new life or a hunter finds them and kills them.

Relationships

+ Relationships can happen within the pack, outside members or even with humans.
• Own Species: Often forms the strongest bond in all forms.
• Human: Accepted in most packs but there are those "old-school" groups who see this as an embarrassment.
• Vampire: It's severely looked down upon to be involved with one and often seen as treason.

+ Dating within their own species can result in a pairing for life if the right partner is found but much like their human counterparts, relationships can come and go until that right match is found.
• Bonded Pair: Dating doesn't mean a couple is automatically a bonded pair, this occurs through a process that has no set limit or span of time. It's a deep connection between two individuals regardless of form and rarely breakable, these couples can have the same problems that other relationships have but the bond between them will always come through.

+ Shifting without the full moon's protection brings about a high risk for the pregnant females, it's almost guaranteed to lose the baby and as such should only be done for emergencies.