Werewolf

## Overview

Werewolves (also known as Lycanthropes) are terrifying creatures of brute strength and instinct. The devastating effect these creatures can have on a person have caused the understanding of their form to occupy one of fear and hatred. Werewolves have the chance to spread their affliction to others through their bodily fluids, and in many cases are drawn to doing so.

Originally created through many attempts to artificially emulate the abilities of a powerful shapeshifter, the outcome of one such attempt creating a powerful affliction known as Bargtjest (pronounced bɑːrɡ’hest). The affliction causes the victim to painfully transform into a deadly wolf-like creature of grim proportions and increased strength.

Though the exact type of magic used is widely unknown, many of those within Aevonhold who speak of the creature equate their powerful abilities to that of Dark Magic. Fear of the creatures is widespread throughout the realm as both an ill omen of the perverse form of magic and Dark Magic incarnate.

## Appearance

Werewolves are bipedal wolven creatures of massive proportions, muscular and imposing, they can grow to heights upwards of 7 - 9 feet tall depending on their height in human form. Their entire form is covered in a coarse fur which often bears a considerably darker color similar to that of their natural hair color. A werewolf's eye color remains almost completely the same as their human form, though in some rare cases the eyes may maintain a color similar to that of a common wolf.

## Magic

### Light Magic

Light Magic is inherently devastating to a Werewolf, simple spells can cause severe surface burns and waves of physical pain that spread throughout the body. Even when in their human form, Werewolves are still pained just as badly. Simple healing magics do not work either, and can cause more harming effects deeper within the body rather than surface burns. Healing magics can also create internal bleeding and even death if applied for too long.

Light blessed objects and weapons have similar effects, though not to the degree of the raw magical energy created by spellcasting. These objects can leave surface burns as well, though they do not cause the pain that is felt from the spell form of the magic.

### Dark Magic

Dark Magic is also quite devastating to Werewolves, though not in the same way. Dark Magic users have the inherent ability to trigger the base instincts of a Werewolf, and can in some cases even control them fully. By way of channeling large amounts of arcane energy through Dark spell casting into the Werewolf, the Dark mage may gain control of the bestial form of the creature and command it.

Dark spell casting has an odd effect on Werewolves, even maintaining proximity to active Dark Magics can cause headaches and nausea.

## Behavior

Werewolves transform every night, and as the process is quite exhausting, it can make maintaining a normal life quite difficult. Those who are afflicted with Bargtjest are often tired and pained when in their human form. Given years of practice with the affliction, the transformation can be controlled but the urge to transform still remains and takes a heavy toll on their ability to sleep.

Recently afflicted Werewolves feel the urge to transform and seek out other Werewolves, hunt for easy prey and spread the affliction to others. Practice can also subdue the urge to transform though they always remain in the back of the mind for any Werewolf. Due to this, Werewolves have to maintain a balance between their forms and maintain a very loose grasp on their ability to fight the urge to transform and attack.

Werewolves are inherently creatures of instinct, relying on their enhanced senses in order to hunt, survive and spread the affliction. Werewolves are carnivorous, attacking indiscriminately and consuming the flesh from many creatures. From lone livestock and wild game, and even humans, Werewolves attack opportunistically. Werewolves often attack when they can ensure the fight is in their favor, only attacking when the moment reveals itself and when the guard is down

### Social and territorial behavior

Werewolves are highly territorial by nature, establishing far reaching territories in order to maintain a steady supply of prey. Werewolves defend their territory through direct attacks and howling, fighting hostile packs and offending creatures that move into their territory with ferocity.

### Packs

Recently afflicted Werewolves are also drawn to the one who had originally turned them, becoming instinctively subservient to their new superior and forming a pack. Packs are large groups of Werewolves usually containing 6 - 8 Werewolves per pack, and are typically lead by a mating pair, one of which being the alpha of the pack. Alphas are quite dominant and display superiority to all members of the pack and are usually willing to kill to maintain their position.

Pack dispersal can occur and is usually caused by internal strife, such as competition for food sources. When packs disperse, the dispersing werewolves uncommonly disperse very far, they often form new packs in the same region.

### Lehtfide

Lehtfide (pronounced let’faɪd) are Werewolves that have been effectively cleansed through the use of Light Magic and as a result lose their ability to spread the affliction and become far weaker than their original form. The process of cleansing a Werewolf with Light Magic is expensive, exhaustive, time consuming and painful for the Werewolf involved.

Beginning with the physical inscription of three Sigils pertaining to Light warding magics by a Light mage, the Light mage uses a sharp element and Refined Arcane and Conductive Essences to cut the Sigils into the flesh of the Werewolf in three areas, both palms and once upon the chest.

Once the Sigils have been properly inscribed onto the flesh of the Werewolf, the Light mage must then channel magical energy into the Werewolf by casting lesser Light magic by way of a magical Conduit, causing excruciating pain to flow through the Werewolf, particularly in the areas inscribed with the Sigils.

After channeling magic into the Werewolf for quite some time, the Werewolf must drink a quart of a concoction of magical essence, human blood and their own blood (created by boiling them together for a long period of time.) If the process fails, it can harm the Werewolf greatly or even lead to the Werewolf becoming feral. However, if the process completes successfully the fur of the wolven form will turn stark white and the Werewolf will find itself weaker, unable to spread the affliction or reproduce entirely.

Lehtfide react to Light Magic in similar fashion to Bargtjest, burned and weakened by the magic in any form.

### Feral Werewolves

Werewolves who become feral lose their ability to revert from their bestial form, becoming violent and unpredictable. There are a few ways in which a Werewolf may become feral, either through resisting the urge to transform for long periods of time or remaining in the Werewolf form for extended periods of time and submitting to the urges of the afflicted form.

Reverting the feral form is all but impossible, and the those unfortunate enough to become this way are usually hunted down for their outwardly destructive behavior.

## Biology

### Transformation

The process of transformation is painful and exhausting, though after years of practice the transformation may be controlled or slightly quickened, the act of turning into the wolven form itself remains excruciatingly painful.

Beginning in the middle of the torso, extending outwards the body slowly grows in proportion. First the ribcage will begin to expand, stretching both skin and muscle around the rippling form, various pops can be heard as the tendons stretch to fit the form. As both the legs and arms start to extend into their lanky build, hair begins to grow over the entire form of the creature, undulating and flowing like a pool of water slowly appearing from under the rough skin of the creature.

As the body of the werewolf begins to take shape the legs of the creature snap into position, giving the werewolf a bipedal digitigrade stance, similar to that of a common wolf. When the lower portions of the form have taken shape, the hands begin to grow to an inhuman size. Fingers double in length as sharp claws push from the underside of the human fingernails, stretching the skin until it finally gives way.

Any noticeably human features fall away from the werewolf at this stage, fingernails give to the sharp claws, human hair begins to fall out in clumps with each significant movement and the human teeth reform into sharper, wolf-like teeth. Finally, after the majority of the transformation has all but completed, the warped human face of the werewolf begins to stretch and snap into position, taking on a canine appearance.

Clothing is torn away during this process, either by the expansion of the form itself or the wild spasms and movements the creature endures during the breadth of the transformation.

Children who become afflicted with Bargtjest usually do not survive their first transformation, their smaller forms and still growing bone structures can’t handle the particularly violent transformation process. The process of transformation can shatter bones and puncture vital organs, leading to an agonizing end.

### Transmission

The Bargtjest affliction is spread through subcutaneous contact with bodily fluids, such as blood. While coming into subcutaneous contact with blood from both the human and wolven form of the Werewolf has a chance of spreading the affliction, saliva only carries the ability to spread the affliction when the creature is in its wolven form.

Introducing large quantities Werewolf’s blood directly into the bloodstream through open wounds or through consumption is almost a complete guarantee that the affliction will be transmitted. After being bitten by or consuming the blood of a Werewolf, a sickness spreads throughout the entire body, serious enough to cause any healthy individual to become bedridden though it is not fatal by any means.

Though magical healing can be administered at this point in order to alleviate some of the more major symptoms of the sickness such as weakness and nausea, the sickness itself does not diminish and eventually wanes after a few weeks.

### Memory

Those who have become afflicted with Bargtjest recently have almost no recollection of their nightly transformations, only bits and pieces of time from the experience may resurface into scattered thoughts from previous transformations. Over time the recollection of events after transformation may become easier, though it is still quite straining on the mind.

### Moon Phases

Due to the relationship that the moon has with the inherent magical energy that permeates Aevonhold, the phases of the moon have a strong effect on Werewolves, causing almost immediate transformation upon the full moon phase. The full moon also causes extreme agitation in both Lehtfide and Bargtjest, leading to more unpredictable outbursts in both human and wolven forms.

Much of the memory of these forced transformations is lost, only surfacing when practiced heavily. Those who have become recently afflicted with Bargtjest who undergo the forced transformation under the full moon phase may sustain injuries related to their transformation, accidentally clawing themselves while changing and layers of skin breaking under the strain of the forced transformation.

The forced transformation under the full moon applies to both Lehtfide and Bargtjest, causing emotional and logical instability. Attempting to refuse the urge of the full moon transformation can have consequences, leading to great strain on the mind and body and in some cases causing a Werewolf to turn feral.