Werewolf

### Powers

Enhanced Strength, Heightened Senses, Rapid Healing, Agility and Speed, Shapeshifting, Night Vision, Increased Stamina, Claws and Fangs, Enhanced Reflexes, Enhanced Endurance

### Weaknesses

Silver, Wolfsbane, Fire, Vampire Blood

In folklore, a werewolf, or occasionally a lycanthrope, is an individual capable of shape-shifting into a wolf. This transformation occurs either deliberately or as a consequence of a curse or affliction, often resulting from a bite or scratch by another werewolf. The metamorphosis typically takes place on the night of a full moon, portraying the individual as a wolf or a therianthropic hybrid creature with wolf-like characteristics.

## INFORMATION:

The werewolf is a prevalent concept in European folklore, taking various forms that share a common origin rooted in the Christian interpretation of underlying European traditions during the medieval period. From the early modern era, werewolf beliefs extended to the New World with colonialism. The belief in werewolves evolved alongside the belief in witches during the Late Middle Ages and the early modern period. Similar to the broader witchcraft trials, the persecution of supposed werewolves originated in what is now Switzerland (especially the Valais and Vaud) in the early 15th century, spreading across Europe in the 16th century, reaching its peak in the 17th century, and diminishing by the 18th century.

The persecution of werewolves, intertwined with associated folklore, forms an integral part of the "witch-hunt" phenomenon, albeit a peripheral one. Accusations of lycanthropy were initially combined with allegations of wolf-riding or wolf-charming. The case of Peter Stumpp significantly heightened interest in and persecution of supposed werewolves, particularly in French-speaking and German-speaking Europe. The phenomenon endured longest in Bavaria and Austria, with records of the persecution of wolf-charmers extending beyond 1650; the final cases occurred in the early 18th century in Carinthia and Styria.

The European motif portraying the devilish werewolf consuming human flesh has its roots in a shared development during the Middle Ages, particularly within the context of Christianity. However, the tales of humans transforming into wolves find their origins in earlier pre-Christian beliefs.

The common origin of these narratives can be traced back to Proto-Indo-European mythology, where lycanthropy is reconstructed as a facet of the initiation of the kóryos warrior class. This initiation may have involved a cult centered around dogs and wolves, which were identified with a specific age grade of young, unmarried warriors. The standard comparative overview of this aspect of Indo-European mythology is provided by McCone.

References to men transforming into wolves are found in Ancient Greek literature and folklore. Herodotus, in his Histories, wrote that according to accounts from the Scythians and the Greeks settled in Scythia, the Neuri, a tribe to the north-east of Scythia, underwent a yearly transformation into wolves for several days before reverting to their human form. While Herodotus expressed skepticism about the tale, he noted that the locals fervently swore to its truth. This narrative was also referenced by Pomponius Mela.