Werewolf

***Werewolves*** are a race of therianthropic shape changers who take on characteristics of a wolf. They should not be confused with other were-creatures or shapeshifters, even a shifter who can take the form of a wolf.

## Origins

Werewolves descend from Lucien, a member of the Originals who were the first born children of Adam and Lilith.

## Physiology

### The Change

Only some werewolves have the ability to change into a fully lupine form, a breed called Garou Lupus. Werewolf eyes glow with any amount of transformation. **Alpha** werewolves always have red eyes. **Beta** and **Omega** werewolves most often have eyes that glow gold and pale yellow. If a werewolf who is not an Alpha has killed an innocent person, thus losing part of their soul, their eyes will glow a cold but luminous shade of blue. Even when not transformed, the eyes of a werewolf will glow in videos and photographs.

Werewolves are able to partially shift which results in their face becoming slightly hairier, ridges along the forehead and nose, sharp upper and lower fangs, and develop very sharp, long claws. When they do a full shift their appearance varies greatly based on the type of werewolf they are. Alphas obtain a massive physique and take on several lupine features such as long ears and protruding snout. Betas will retain a humanoid physique but their legs will more resemble a wolf, they will grow much more hair and their ears will become slightly longer. Omegas do not have a full shift and are only able to retain a partial shift.

While in human form, a werewolf's body temperature will be notably higher than a normal human.

### The Wolf Within

Before a werewolf has learned to control their changes, a new werewolf will struggle between their human or feral side. When the transformation occurs, the wolf will be in complete control and the human will experience memory loss. The human may, however, still exert some influence over the wolf. Similarly, the wolf will exert some influence over the human when not transformed. As a result, new wolves often exhibit hostility to those around them, and may behave in irrational ways that tend to alienate them from their friends. This influence grows as the full moon approaches. Wolves in packs will be taught control as swiftly as possible.

### Diet

Werewolves are able to eat and receive nutrition from a normal human diet, however at the time of the full moon they will crave raw meat. Some werewolves eat raw meat regularly while transformed, and some will even eat the heart of their victim intentionally.

Werewolves, like humans, can become addicted to vampire blood.

### Illness

As werewolves are immune to nearly all diseases, being bitten and transformed into a werewolf will cure even chronic illnesses -- including asthma, epilepsy, and cancer.

## Werewolf Society

Werewolves form packs with their own unique hierarchical structure. Typically members of a pack are related by blood or have been bitten by an alpha.

### Alpha

Normally depicted as leaders of packs who are exceptionally strong and knowledgeable. One can become an Alpha by killing another Alpha and claiming his power or by being next in line to inherit the power of the previous Alpha who has died. Alphas will have dark red **eyes**.

#### True Alpha

A rare individual who can become an alpha through his willpower and character and doesn’t have to kill in order to obtain the power. Extremely rare as only 1 and 1000 exist. True Alphas will have slightly brighter red **eyes** that indicates their honorable nature.

### Beta

Werewolves who belong to a pack and who are one rank below an Alpha. They are usually loyal to their Alphas and to each other, and will defer to their Alpha's judgment. Normally betas will have gold **eyes** but a beta who has taken an innocent life will have blue **eyes**.

### Omega

Also known as "lone wolves," omegas are werewolves who do not belong to a pack. There are many reasons why a Werewolf may not have a pack, such as being kicked out or abandoned by their former pack, being the sole survivor of a pack who had been killed by Hunters or other supernaturals, or, in rare cases, having chosen solitude over the security of a pack. They are the weakest of werewolves and often die swiftly. Omegas have pale yellow **eyes** that signify their solitude.

In order to survive, some Omegas will join a pack, however, they will lack a bond with this pack and thus are often met with cruelty and mistrust by their packmates.

### Packs

Werewolves typically organize into packs. Packs are led by an Alpha and always have at least four other members, in order to be considered complete. Packs are generally bound by either blood or by bite and members are related or have been bitten by the Alpha. This is not always the case, however, and Omegas can join a pack when they are not related. Some packs, on the other hand, are more like cults and are bound together by a common belief.

The werewolf race experiences its own internal bigotry, and this is often exemplified in the membership of packs. Some packs refuse to accept mutts into their midst.

### Breeds

Although all werewolves are generally the same, there are some differences between different breeds. These differences generally include how completely they are able to transform into a lupine form, or how much control they have during a full moon. Unlike vampire bloodlines, different breeds seldom have names to differentiate them from each other.

The two primary breeds are:

* **Garou Homid:** Rarely able to attain a fully lupine form, these werewolves are the most common breed. Despite remaining primarily humanoid during shifting, Homids have an advantage in that they are able to, with training, fully control their shifts.
* **Garou Lupus:** These werewolves are able to attain a fully lupine form but rarely have any control over their shifts and must shift every full moon. This is considered a terrible curse.

## Reproduction

Werewolves can reproduce as ordinary humans. The coupling of two werewolves will always produce werewolf children, though the coupling of a human and a werewolf does not necessarily always produce werewolves, and the coupling of a werewolf with another living supernatural creature may produce either one of the parents' species.

Any werewolf who was not born one is considered a mutt.

### The Bite

An Alpha werewolf may bite a human, infecting them with lycanthropy. This will also create an empathic bond between the two werewolves, allowing the Alpha some amount of control over his progeny.

Though rare, the bite of an Omega can sometimes infect the victim with lycanthropy.

### Scratch

If the claws of an Alpha go deep enough into a non-therianthrope, they can often have the same effect as the bite, though the victim will often be presumed dead before their first transformation.

### Footprint

Legend holds that drinking rainwater out of a werewolf's footprint can cause someone to become a werewolf. As of yet, there are no proven cases of this.

### Mutations

Though the transformation is typically that of a werewolf, after becoming therianthropic there is a chance of the therianthropy mutating. This is often because of the emotional state of the new shape changer. It is entirely possible for someone to be bitten by a werewolf and transform into any other type of therianthrope instead. This is a very rare occurrence due to it breaking the natural order.

### Cure

Rumors hold that a werewolf may be cured if he or she kills the one who bit it. There is no documentation to back up this claim.

Obscure references also claim that, if injected with wolfsbane before the first full moon after being bitten, a werewolf can be cured.

## Threat Assessment

### Abilities

* **Alpha Powers:** Alphas have shown a wide variety of other abilities, although most only possess one significant ability. Wounds inflicted by Alphas upon other werewolves will take considerably longer to heal.
* **Enhanced Agility:** Werewolves are incredibly agile, even in human form. Like other abilities, this increases closer to the full moon and is stronger in wolf form than in human form.
* **Enhanced Speed:** Werewolves are exceptionally fast, arguably faster than vampires. They also have lightning quick reflexes.
* **Enhanced Strength:** Werewolves are exceptionally strong, able to match vampires with ease. Though they are unnaturally strong in human form, they cannot access their full strength without shifting at least partially. They're strength grows as the moon waxes, and decreases as it wanes.
* **Glamour Resistance:** While susceptible to being glamoured, even the most powerful glamour will end after no more than 24 hours.
* **Heightened Senses:** Werewolves have much stronger senses than an ordinary human. As well as having sharper senses, they are also able to detect emotions, particularly fear and sexual desire. They may also be able to distinguish between the smells of individual people, including sometimes being able to determine if a person is a supernatural being or not.
* **Immunity to Disease:** Werewolves are immune to virtually all diseases, as well as most poisons. Becoming a werewolf will even cure chronic illnesses.
* **Memory Transference:** Werewolves can transfer memories to or from another by inserting their claws into the nape of the victim's neck. They are also able to steal memories. This is an extremely difficult ability to master, and as such it is typically only accomplished by Alphas.
* **Pain Transference:** Werewolves are able to syphon pain from other creatures into themselves through touch.
* **Shapeshifting:** Although most werewolves cannot fully transform into a wolf, the transformation into a more bestial form gives werewolves access to the full range of their abilities, at full strength.
* **Regeneration:** Werewolves heal rapidly from all wounds, except those inflicted by Alphas. The healing occurs faster while in human form.

### Weaknesses

* **Death & Death's Scythe:** Severe injuries, such as beheading, that a werewolf cannot heal from will be enough to kill a werewolf. The being known as Death is also able to kill werewolves, as is his scythe.
* **Electricity:** Pulses of electricity, depending upon their voltage, can force a werewolf to transform either into human or wolf form, can keep them from transforming into their wolf form, or even knock a werewolf out cold.
* **Full Moon:** Although a werewolf is at its strongest during the full moon, new werewolves and those deprived of moonlight for an extended period, are utterly at the mercy of the wolf within during a full moon. Many breeds of werewolf are forced to transform during the full moon. Hecatolite can block the effects of moonlight, however this will dull the control a werewolf has during subsequent full moons.
* **Lunar Eclipse:** A lunar eclipse renders werewolves completely without any supernatural abilities.
* **Mountain Ash:** A werewolf is unable to cross a border of mountain ash. It is also poisonous, though not fatal, when it enters the bloodstream of a werewolf.
* **Silver:** Werewolves are vulnerable to silver, unable to break it despite their strength. It can burn their skin, and is instantly fatal if it pierces their heart.
* **Solar Eclipse:** A solar eclipse will force werewolves to instantaneously transform and lose total control of their powers.
* **Tranquilizer:** A tranquilizer dart will knock a werewolf unconscious and return it to a fully human form.
* **Wolfsbane:** The flower wolfsbane is toxic to werewolves. In the presence of wolfsbane, the werewolf will initially develop a headache and fever and then lose control of the wolf within completely. If it enters the bloodstream of the werewolf, they will become ill and feverish and ultimately die. The only cure to being poisoned by wolfsbane is to find more, create a salve with it and place it over the wound. Wolfsbane that is inhaled can cause hallucinations.

## Notable Werewolves

* Lucien
* Lycaon
* Hale Family
* Scott McCall

## Notes

* Created using material from ***Being Human***, ***Buffy the Vampire Slayer***, ***Big Wolf on Campus***, ***Charmed***, ***Lost Girl***, ***Supernatural***, ***Teen Wolf***, and ***True Blood***.