Werewolf

**Werewolves** (also called **Lycanthropes**, **Beasts**, or even just **Wolves** for short) are a supernatural shapeshifting species of individuals who unwillingly transform into large, fearsome, and extremely hostile wolves on the night of the full moon. Even in their human form, werewolves possess superhuman physical prowess, and their abilities are not as powerful compared to those they possess on the full moon while transformed.

## Triggering The Werewolf Gene

Lycanthropy is an inherited genetic condition due to a curse, and a person can only be a werewolf if they are born to at least one werewolf parent; they cannot be turned by a bite or scratch. Furthermore, the werewolf gene must be "triggered" by taking the life of a human, either intentionally or by accident, in order to gain access to their enhanced physical abilities, though this comes at the cost of transforming into a wolf during every full moon. It does not matter if the kill was accidental or intentional, premeditated or out of self-defense — if a werewolf causes the death of a human in any way, their werewolf gene will be activated.

Because difficult-to-control anger and aggression are common personality traits in even those werewolves who have not activated their lycanthropy, the likelihood of them losing control of their rage and inadvertently triggering their werewolf gene by accidentally killing someone is quite high; it is even speculated that the anger and aggression inherent in werewolves is intended to increase the likelihood that a werewolf will activate their lycanthropy. However, it is possible for an untriggered werewolf to go their entire life without killing; in fact, this happens frequently enough that in some cases, a family's lycanthrope heritage will be kept a secret that will ultimately die with an ancestor, causing the knowledge of their heritage to be lost and remain unknown for generations that follow until a member takes a life and unintentionally triggers their curse.

After the gene is triggered, the werewolf's eyes will turn black and gold, and their latent powers (such as increased strength and accelerated healing) will activate instantly. A werewolf who has yet to trigger his or her curse only exhibits one characteristic of lycanthropy: increased aggression and anger on a general basis, which can become overwhelming fits of violent rage leading up to and during the nights of the full moon.

### Appearance

Werewolves in their wolf form are quite similar to natural wolves, although unlike natural wolves, werewolves have glowing yellow or orange eyes, wicked fangs, and a much more feral and predatory appearance. They can also be distinguished from regular wolves by their displays of supernatural strength, blurred speed, and size which is comparable to fully grown humans. Werewolves appear the same as any other human the rest of the month, aside from their enhanced abilities of speed, strength, and healing.

### Werewolf Transformation

The first transformation is quite slow, and the person is subjected to at least five or six hours of intense, bone-breaking pain before the actual transformation. After the first transformation, the experience does not last nearly as long, but it is still painful and something many werewolves come to dread. After their first full moon transformation they gain they ability to turn whenever they want regardless of a full moon, but still have to turn when a full moon comes around reguardless.

### Psychological Characteristics

Werewolves are known to be aggressive, strong and fast, even in human form. Those with the werewolf curse still latent can exhibit some supernatural traits which can be triggered by aggression, along with unusual physical strength for the person's given size and age, but they cannot fully transform, and they also have a tendency to black out when they become overwhelmed in fits of rage. Werewolves seem to have a strong sense of duty and loyalty to protect their own and feel a responsibility to help their fellow werewolves whenever they can.

While some werewolves prefer to keep to themselves and keep their beastly natures hidden, most seem to aggregate themselves into packs and residing in areas isolated from general human society so they can run free on the full moons without fear of hurting or killing anyone.

## Powers and Abilities

Werewolves' strength and speed are enhanced and are at their peak during time under a full moon. When angered or threatened, these powers and abilities are temporarily enhanced;

* **Super Strength:** Werewolves possess supernatural strength that makes them far stronger than humans.

* **Super Speed:** Werewolves are much faster than immortals, supernatural hunters, and humans.

* **Super Agility:** Werewolves possess superhuman agility. Either in wolf or even in human form, they have demonstrated that they can move, jump very high, climb, flip, and run incredibly fast without difficulty or exhaustion. They can also jump down from incredible heights with almost gravity-defying grace.

* **Super Durability:** Werewolves can take far more trauma than humans without nearly as much discomfort or injury, however, not as much as vampires. They can also exert themselves for longer periods without tiring.

* **Accelerated Healing:** Werewolves possess superhuman regenerative abilities, meaning that if they are physically injured, their bodies will heal rapidly.

* **Super Senses:** Werewolves have the extremely keen and heightened senses of smell, sight, taste, hearing, and touch inherent in all canines.

* **Lycanthrope Enhancement:** Werewolves are able to make their eyes glow when angry or threatened, but only for a short amount of time.

* **Shapeshifting**/**Transformation Control:** During a full moon, they will unwillingly transform from their human form and into their wolf form. Every werewolf can transform at will. When the full moon comes around they have to turn regardless of being able to transform when they want.

* **Full Moon:** A werewolf's strength, speed, agility, and all their powers are enhanced to their peak during a full moon.

## Weaknesses

* **Wolfsbane:** When ingested, wolfsbane causes a werewolf to become severely weak and feverish. Also, If a werewolf's skin is exposed to wolfsbane, it will burn them.

* **Mortality:** In most situations, minor physical injuries such as gunshots, stab wounds, and broken bones will cause a werewolf pain and slow them down until they heal. However, they still share many of the same weaknesses as non-supernatural beings and can perish from extreme trauma (e.g. suffocation, extreme blood Loss, a broken neck, decapitation, fire, heart extraction, etc.). They can also die from old age.

* **Magic:** Werewolves are susceptible to the powers of witchcraft.Multiple spells have been performed by witches against werewolves to cause several effects against them, such as slowing down or speeding up a werewolf's transformation during a full moon, telekinetically ripping a heart from a werewolf's chest, or cursing a pack of werewolves to be trapped in their wolf form at all times except for a few short hours during the full moon when they return to their human forms.