Wilder Origins

*"What's it like? It's like you are sleep walking. You wake up in a cold sweat, you shiver, you roll out of your bed in a daze, and you feel it pulling on you. It's like your skin is trying to separate from your body, and if you don't keep taking steps then it might tear away completely. You want to scream out for help. You want nothing more than to turnaround and tell your lover that it's taking you. But you can't. Your mouth won't move, and maybe part of that is The Wild, but the other part is that deep down, you know what's happening. You know are going to be leaving and not coming back. You've been hearing about it since you were a boy, and right then, if you let her know, it'll just bring you both pain. So, the draw gets stronger, you start running. You head directly towards the trees, in the night, the most dangerous and deadly time to be there. Your heart is pounding. Your head is throbbing. And about the time you step into the woods, the pain starts to creep up through your legs, into your chest, and up your neck. You run faster. It's so dark, but somehow, you can see. You'll run like that till the morning, till you are so far away you're not even sure if you can find your way back, and then it'll come over you. You pass out, and when you wake up, you'll find some things about you that just aren't the same."* -- **Unknown account of possession by The Wild.**

## Possessed by The Wild

Almost all Wilders were once normal Tribesfolk. They at some point in their life become possessed by The Wild, an event that occurs when a body absorbs too much magic energy and begins to mutate as a result. Possession almost always occurs at night in the sleep, and the person wakes up, terrified, cold, and ultimately unable to resist a feeling that comes over them to run as quickly as they can towards a greater source of magic that can be found in the Great Forest. The most common story is that people disappear quietly and without a trace. The feeling that compels them to move often takes them deep into the forest. They travel all night, for miles. As they are moving, the effects of the mutation are already happening, and they begin to experience a pain similar to sore muscles. The first changes that happen are those that start to increase their endurance and their speed, causing them to run farther and farther into the Great Forest.

Next, the most often occurrence is that the person passes out from an eventual exhaustion. They may stay like that for days, and if they survive not being eating by some creature of the forest in that state, they will eventually awaken to find themselves inhabiting a body that no longer feels like their own. For most people, they not only lose their body but also their mind, becoming a monster of the forest, some kind of half-man, half-beast that has gone completely feral and will now spend the rest of its days stalking the woods like any other creature. However, some find that when they awake they still retain their minds. The first sensation that hits them will be their heightened senses of smell, sight, and hearing. They will immediately detect scents they have never detected before, hear the sounds of the forest that were previously inaudible, and note that their vision is now so clear that they can behold even the tiniest details of the forest that were previously overlooked. These new senses will overwhelm them at first, making them feel as if they are in a dream or perhaps stumbled into a world that is eerily similar to the one they were just in but somehow very different. They will then likely discover the other changes that have occurred to their body. They may find fur, fangs, or even horns. This is often a horrifying experience for them as it dawns on them that they have become some sort of monster.

From there, usually depression sets in. This happens as they struggle with the grief over what has befallen them. From childhood, all Tribesfolk know about the The Wild, and every villager knows of at least someone who has lost a loved one to it. It will therefore occur to the person exactly what has happened, and the realization that they have lost everything about their previous life will wash over them. It may therefore be days before that person is willing to even stand up, let alone move. However, hunger will set in, and eventually, nature will compel the person to find food. Most do so the first time easily, their heightened senses allowing them to track down a prey animal which they, to their horror, find they can easily eat raw. After that, with their energy restored, they may think that they need to return to their village. However, the run that led to them that spot often spanned many miles, and it is not easy to find your way alone in the Great Forest. They are often simply too lost to return.

What they do from there is up to the individual. Most however, begin to feel the sensations of magic within their body, which pull and tug them in different directions. After a while, directionless, they will start to follow those sensations, and within days, will most likely stumble upon a Wilder Pack. They will be scared at first, unsure of how to act, but the pack will know exactly what to do. They will take him in, help to teach and guide him, and make him a full member of their pack. As time passes, he will become stronger and more comfortable in his new body. His humanity will start to return, and the shock and grief will go away in time. He will become more human, and eventually, he will become a Wilder.

Return to Forest Tribes Back Story

--Neil (talk) 17:36, 25 October 2016 (AST)