Skinwalkers

Skinwalkers are a race of Supernaturals capable of taking on the form of fearsome man-animal hybrids. They are also commonly known as Therianthropes, Lycans/werewolves, and Naguals, and derogatorily as werebeasts. They are the natural enemies of vampires.

## Appearance

Normally, skinwalkers appear as ordinary men and women. They can be of any race and vary as widely in appearance as Casters and ordinary humans. However, many skinwalkers often share a very wild, haggard appearance as they tend to live away from ordinary civilizations in the wild. Because of this their clothes are often very dingy and dirty and their overall appearance not very well kept. All skinwalkers also share the same eyes: bright and amber colored, with pupils reminiscent of a cat or dog's.

When they Turn however, a staple of their people, they appear as large anthropomorphic animals standing anywhere from 9 to 13 feet tall, though with a pronounced hunch or slouch that is reminiscent of apes. In this form, they are distinctly humanoid, but with long, thickly muscled forearms and digitgrade legs, both allowing for bipedal or quadrupedal movement. Their snouts are elongated and their heads are distinctly animalian. They are covered in fur, usually relating to their hair color as a human, though there are variations and differences such as the difference between color and fur type between a leopard and a wolf, and their eyes are animal eyes.

## Origin

No one knows the true story of the creation of skinwalkers. They appeared suddenly and mysteriously in the middle of the vampire war and were crucial ending the vampiric onslaught on the world. There are several theories about the origin of vampires:

One theory is that the skinwalkers were created by Casters, more specifically Casters from the Essex family, who specialized in hunting vampires and to this day work incredibly closely with skinwalkers (especially werewolves) in hunting and killing rogue vampires. Many believe that Lady Crina Essex, whose familiar was a Eurasian wolf, turned a group of Casters into the first skinwalkers (the first werewolves), however this was never confirmed as Lady Crina died never speaking a word about the origin of skinwalkers.

Another theory is that perhaps the fae brought the first skinwalkers into existence. They hated the vampires as much as the Casters did because of their immortality, though their dislike stemmed from the belief that there is power in the cycle life and death. It is well know that faeries have a close connection to animals and are certainly wise enough to have used their magic to merge man and beast, taking care to give them abilities that would hinder a vampire. This is also unconfirmed, as the Fair Folk will neither deny or confirm this matter.

A final but highly improbable theory is that man simply evolved to defend himself against vampires, a group of men coming into contact with and surviving an encounter with vampires, leading to magic changing their physiology and resulting in the first therianthropes. It's all very loose and uncertain.

One thing that is certain however is that without the skinwalkers the war with vampires might have dragged on for decades and many many more lives would have been lost. Afterwards, the skinwalkers allied themselves with Casters and the fae and eventually, strenuously, with the vampires as well, though is was more of unwilling truce with the latter.

## Leadership and Society

Skinwalkers have perhaps the least amount of central leadership overall of all the other Supernaturals, but with a very strict social hierarchy. They are organized into packs and tribes, groups of 6 to about 30 individuals, though some large pack have upwards of 60 or 70 members scattered around their territory (typically vast for a pack so large). Each pack is led by an Alpha (or chief) and the Alpha's mate (Alpha's have no gender requirements, and neither do their mates). The Alpha's word is law, and often goes undisputed as typically he or she is the strongest member of the pack, having earned his or her place by killing the previous Alpha. The Alpha's second in the command is the Beta, also having no gender requirements. The rest of the walkers in the pack are subordinates, trained to hunt for and defend the pack.

Some skinwalkers prefer to live in smaller groups of three, in pairs of two, or alone as Omegas, packless beasts.

Each pack is separate and independent, however the therianthropes as a whole need a representative on the GOVERNMENT. So, about every decade the skinwalkers from the largest and strongest pack on each continent convene to choose the Alphas of the strongest pack of them all to represent their people. For many years it has been the Alpha of the Highmoon Pack (who also work closely with the Essex) from Europe as this is where Lycanthropy began, but recently (2277) the Pacific Pack has gained power through Alpha Jaggedstone.

Many Skinwalkers often have compound words such as Greyfur or Brambleclaw as names, often being called the frist part of said name for short, such as Grey for Greyfur or Bramble for Brambleclaw. But they might also have culturally influenced name such as the Pacific Pack influenced by their Native American members: Teller of Smooth Stones, Brook Through Green Forest, Running Wind, or Cloud in Western Sky for example.

SKinwalkers are often brought into existence through mating with other walkers, resulting in a pureblood child who will grow up learning to control their abilities. However, a lonely Omega might choose to Turn a human through a bite. This is dangerous, as bitten therianthropes have much less control over their inherent rage and abilities, making them a danger to themselves and those around them.

## Abilities

In their human forms skinwalkers exhibit a heightened level of strength and speed than the average human, though not so much as a vampire. They have heightened endurance and senses as well as elevated reflexes. But a skinwalkers true power comes from his or her ability to Turn, resulting in their abilities heightened to levels equal to or greater than a vampire's. Turned, they fight with dagger like teeth and claws capable of shredding metal. Their healing factor is also greatly elevated. Depending on the species of therianthrope, their powers may differ.

Skinwalkers, in both their human and Turned forms, exhibit a rage that further heightens their strength, speed, and combat abilities.

Their bite is incredibly dangerous to a vampire and acts as a toxin that results in a very long a painful death.

A full moon acts a boost to the therianthropes already elevated abilities.

## Weaknesses

Unlike vampires, therianthropes are not immortal and they age and die at the same rate as ordinary humans. They are also subject to disease in the same manner as humans, but are a bit more resistant like Casters. There have been instances of skinwalker dying of cancer.

The same rage that fuels a skinwalker's power might also cloud his or judgement and ruin his or her rational thought.

A vampire bite will kill a skinwalker in the same a walker's bite would a vampire.

Silver is toxic to skinwalkers, as is wolfsbane, and weapons made from or dipped in either result in wounds that heal much slower or not at all. Silver or wolfsbane in the bloodstream might also kill a therianthrope.