Lycantrophy

Lycantrophy can be a curse born of magic, a gift from the divine, or something one is born with. It most often affects races of human and elven descent, but can be seen in some other humanoid races, as well. There is no known cure for the condition.   Most people are only familiar with the curse, one that a lycantrope can spread to other through their bite, and that is generally uncontrollable.  

Cursed Lycantropes

  In its cursed form, lycantrophy is an unpleasant thing. The transformation is painful, whether it's done willingly or under the fullmoon, and with transformation comes the nigh-bottomless rage. Control comes with rigourous training and meditation, and losing it is as easy as it is to breathe. Cursed individuals may not be able to tell friend and stranger apart, and can cause much damage as the fury burns in their hearts. Individuals that do not wish to harm others usually turn to a reclusive lifestyle whereas those with tendency to violence and negative chaos might embrace the curse and stay within communities.  

Divine Lycantropes

  While extremely rare, a divine being can gift an individual with lycantrophy. Most commonly this is done by Hunter of the Agerian faith, but some other deities of the nature might do this, as well. This could be considered the most gentle form of lycantrophy, with painless transformations and full control under fullmoon, but usually comes with the duty to continue serving the god, or at least abide by their rules, or risk it becoming a curse.  

Inherited Lycantropes

  Inherited lycantrophy is usually of divine origin as a curse is usually directed at an individual. However, in some cases a whole bloodline may have been cursed, leading to a line of lycantropes. With cursed inheritance, the individual is likely to be more animalistic during their transformation, and its more painful whereas divine inheritance is more controlled and painless, though not to the same degree as if the individual was directly blessed by a deity.   Lycantrophy is a highly dominant trait, meaning that an individual with just one lycantrope parent is still extremely likely to be a lycantrope, themselves.  

Full Moon's Effects

  During a full moon, individuals usually tied to one of the three moons of the Guardian Dragon, a lycantrope will shift whether they want to or not. The moons are considered to be drawing out this lycan blood, magic calling to magic, and at its fullest, the moons' draw is too much for a being to resist. A cursed individual becomes akin to the wolf of the folktales that terrorises people, a violent creature that would tear into anything and anyone, rarely sparing anyone except perhaps those they recognise as their own pack. They often seek for victims, never ceasing the hunt until the morning finally dawns.   Divine lycantropes are able to keep their wits about, and often feel a strong pull to protect the innocent against the creatures dwelling in the shadows. They have a keen sense for infernal and evil beings during these nights, and in some rare cases might even be able to predict where such creatures can turn up based on the flow of magic and the minute changes of scents in the area.   Inherited lycantropes become more wolf-like, following their animal instincts, hunting and often keeping away from sight. When they feel cornered or surprised, sometimes even upon simply seeing a stranger, their first instinct is usually to attack, mostly in self-defence, opposed to a natural wolf's instinct to run, and they might become quite irritable when trapped, which is why many prefer to go to the wilderness. They recognise their own pack, and even close friends, and other positive familiar faces might simply be ignored.  

Lycantrophy and Pelenna

  Pelenna, the moon that was destroyed some hundred years ago, was the moon under which some lycantropes transformed. The remnants of the moon are still in the sky, and there are still those whose transformation is tied to it: it's rare one is born with it, but it can happen on occation.   Rather than turn at a regular interval, Pelenna's lycantropes' can never predict when their bestial blood takes over. Many have tried studying if certain event might be related to the forced transformations, but so far no answer has been found. Due to the unpredictability, these individuals often live with others of their kind, as many would rather keep their blood a secret due to the prejudice it faces. These small communities can be found across the globe, usually in forests where the food is plenty and there are many hiding places to choose from.