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Lycanthrope (Incomplete)

Written by Storm Weaver

Lycanthropes are born or infected as lycanthropes. Born lycanthropes are the offspring of existing lycanthropes and either another lycanthrope or a human, but lycanthropy is dominant.

Lycanthropes can come in any number of species, though the ones surviving most easily are predators -- wolf, bear, and large cats predominating.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Lycanthropes are humans bearing either a hereditary variant of lycanthropy through one or both parents being lycanthropes or who are infected with lycanthropy due to a bite from a lycanthrope in Shifted form.   In only ONE case is the bite of an unshifted lycanthrope going to cause lycanthropy, and that is in the case of a male Omega lycanthrope in unshifted form biting their female sexual partner, where a pregnancy results from the sex. In that case, though the mother of the child does not become a lycanthrope, the -child- IS, and becomes a rare Iota lycanthrope.

Except for the Iota, lycanthropes MUST shift during the night of the full moon, and they may desire to shift and hunt during the day prior to and the day after the full moon as well.

A Shifted lycanthrope will take a form that is a very large, very powerful form of the sort of lycanthropy that it has contracted -- large wolf, large bear, etc. In its Shifted form, it will be approximatly fifty to a hundred times as powerful as a human, it will obtain many of the abilities of the animal that it shifts into, including heightened senses and visual acuity, and it will be compelled to hunt and kill, often animals, but some do go after humans.

Behaviour

Most lycanthropes are social creatures, leaning more towards their human side than their animal side, though in some forms, these coincide -- namely among wolf lycanthropes, lion lycanthropes, and the herd-animal forms that are rare but present on occasion (deer, bison, etc.).   As such, the groups retain a sort of structure that is satisfying to both the human side and their animal nature, often choosing a group existence, with a hierarchical structure. For example wolves often travel in a pack with a clear Alpha or Alpha Pair, and with, typically, at least one 'scapegoat' member at the lowest end of the pecking order whose station either doesn't change or is difficult to change, known as the Omega. In between there may be a variety of options that serve a given pack, and the treatment of some of the more rare variants of lycanthropy, including the Iota variants (the ones formed when an unshifted Omega bites and breaks skin on a non-lycanthrope sex partner, resulting in a child and the spread of lycanthropy from parent to offspring without spreading to the non-infected parent. Incidentally, though it is rare, a female Omega -may- bear an Iota child if she bites her companion and draws blood -- it is not known how this works, but the infusion of uninfected blood consumed during the sex act is sufficient to change the infection status of the conceived fetus. This has only arisen twice in lycanthropic history, both times with lions).

Additional Information

Social Structure

Lycanthropes tend to live according to the style of the animal that they Shift into. Some are more socialized than others, but all lycanthropes MUST answer to the Alphas of their species, if they are commanded.

Wolf lycanthropes have the most well-defined hierarchical structure, with fully formed and defined packs run by an Alpha, but often containing one Beta and multiple Delta lycanthropes. Some packs may also include an Omega. Some werewolves choose not to join a pack, and are considered lone wolves, which works out well for them if they're an Alpha, but those werewolves also tend to be the ones who often cause trouble, choosing to go after humans far more often than the ones who are part of a pack. Many packs, and, in fact, other lycanthropic groups will not allow a lone were- of their subspecies to exist in their territory, with the sole exception of the Iota, who is considered mostly harmless and who, on occasion, is even sought out to provide healing for members of a pack.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Lycanthropes exist over anywhere that the human population exists

Average Intelligence

About the same range as the human population.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
150-200 years
Average Physique
Exceptionally powerful.

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