Lycanthrope

A Lycanthrope is a Therianthropic entity capable of transforming its appearance from that of a human to that of a human wolf hybrid, this form is most often referred to as a “Bestial form” or “Canine Form’. A Lycanthrope gains their shapeshifting powers by obtaining Lycanthropy, an anomalous infection that in certain instances can be transferred from host to victim.

#### What causes the effects of Lycanthropy?

The cause of a Lycanthropes therianthropic abilities is an anomalous viral Bactria called Lycianus-Anomis. This bacteria is what causes the regeneration as well transformations of a Lycanthrope. The Lycianus-Anomis contains markers and blueprints for the Lycanthropes transformation. It should also be noted that this Viral Bacteria takes an active role in repair of the body, flushing into recently wounded areas to repair damage. It is for this soul reason that silver is an effective counter to Lycanthropes with it being able to kill and disable the powers of Lycianus-Anomis. Though it should be noted although there is a variety of ways to contract this though the predominant way is through inheritance. This Viral Bacteria is even found within Astral Lycanthropes though does not seem to function at all.

## Types of Lycanthropy

Unlike the common depictions in media and folklore that many are familiar with real Lycanthropy can be obtained in a variety of ways and take a multitude of forms. These forms though they vary in effect they all result in the individual becoming a canine form of themselves. Commonly the way in which a Lycanthrope obtains their power is directly related to type of Lycanthropy that one will now possess though there are the occasional exceptional individual.

There are four known and regularly reoccurring forms which Lycanthropy can take, these forms are based on the way in which the individual obtains and performs their Lycanthrope powers.

### True Lycanthropy

True Lycanthropy is obtained by birthright or divine gift, this is the most powerful form Lycanthropy can take and allows the individual to transform in and out of their canine form at will. True Lycanthropes also retain the largest amount of their cognition whilst in their bestial form and will often participate in cultural and religious gatherings. True Lycanthropes also make up the largest portion of the Lycan population in the modern world, with the majority of their kind now firmly intergrated into civilian society, hidden in plain sight. Those afflicted with true Lycanthropy rarely bother the human populace, though of course as is the curse of sentience there are always certain individuals that simply do not agree with the status quo. There is also the ever looming threat of Remes Disease, an anomalous disease that affects specifically True Lycanthropes and is able to be passed from host to victim with terrifying implication.

True Lycanthropes are also known as Cynocephaly and are the oldest known form of Lycanthrope. There is no ‘cure’ for True Lycanthropy with any born of gifted their abilities being unable to be simply just human. With true Lycanthropes off spring also having Lycanthropy it is easy to see how over hundreds of years family lines have formed. Some of these family lines have claims to being the heads of packs and the kings of long lost lands.

### Cursed Lycanthropy

Cursed Lycanthropy is obtained by gaining the ire of a thaumaturge or deity, this is the form of Lycanthropy most often depicted in media and folklore, with its victims retaining none of their cognition whilst in their canine form. Cursed Lycanthropes will also be unable to control when or why they transform with many often being subject to rules such as transformations being caused by the full moon or when they see a certain individual. Fortunately cursed Lycanthropes are unable to spread their curse from host to victim.

Due to this form of Lycanthropy being a literal curse it is easily cured with a Thaumaturgical ritual to lift the curse. This isn’t the case however for Cursed Lycanthropes suffering from Remes disease which must be cured with medication. This easy cure to cursed Lycanthropy has allowed Anomalous Security Agencies to effectively contain and control the spread of any cursed Lycanthropy outbreaks. This form of Lycanthropy has been used by terrorist organisations in the past in order to insight fear and violence in a targeted populace.

### Serkik Lycanthropy

Serkik Lycanthropy is obtained by using an anomalous item known as a Serk, also known as a berserkers cloak. These Cloaks are crafted from the pelts of animals which the individual believes to possess beneficial abilities. Though this can be done for virtually any animal with a pelt that could fit over a man it is most often used to become a Lycanthrope or a Ursusthrope. Serkik Lycanthropy effectively allows individuals to be completely human unless they chose to use their Serk, though this does come at the expense of the individuals sanity as a craving to wear their Serk will almost always overwhelm them. Another Serkik specific issue is the transformation from Canine form to human, where as other Lycanthropes can simply enact this using their own power a Serkik Lycan will first have to return to the location where in which they transformed into their canine form. This is done by consuming the left over skin, flesh, and hair from their transformation, this can lead to a Serkik Lycanthrope being permantly trapped within their form if their personal pile of viscera has been lost or destroyed.

The Serk is an animal pelt that has been hunted and forged into an arcane item with the help of an Elemental Deity. Often these Serks are adorned with iconography of their chosen animal and patron deity, some serks may even be decorated with prescious metals or stones that cause different fur patterns and pigmentations of the users Canine form. In most instances these patterns and pigments will resemble tattoos or body art. For obvious reasons Serkik Lycanthropes are rarely seen in the company of True, Cursed, or even Astral Lycanthropes, instead they prefer the company of Druids, Hedge Thaumaturge, and Elemental Pagans. In some instances Serkik Lycanthropes may be used by cults or covens as a form of enforced or for their traditional role as Berserkers.

### Astral Lycanthropy

Astral Lycanthropy perhaps one of the most bizarre forms Lycanthropy can take, only obtainable by gaining favour (or ire) from deities of the Celestial Arcana, this Lycanthropy is perhaps the most beneficial. As a pose to their physical body transforming like other forms of Lycanthropy this instead produces an astral projection that resembles what their canine form would be. Whilst performing this however the individual will be left in an unconscious state until they return to their body. This form of Lycanthropy can also be used to cross the borders between planes or reality allowing Astral Lycanthropes to effectively travel any distance with ease. Though this being said due to the source in which they gain their power there are almost no instansces of Astral Lycanthropes attacking innocent humans.

Much like true Lycanthropy there is no cure and those gifted with these abilities are fixed with them for life. Astral Lycanthropy also comes with a perhaps unintended side effect in relation to the individuals soul. Due to the function of Astral Projection upon the death of an Astral Lycanthrope their soul shall not pass on to an afterlife and will instead be left to wander in the Astral realm. Though some consider this to be a curse in many Lycan religions this fate is considered to be bliss.

### How to obtain Lycanthropy

There is a variety of ways to obtain Lycanthropy though chief among all is by inheriting it from ones parents. True Lycanthropes are able to continue their species via procreation though of course this is not the only way to gain Lycanthropy. Of course no one would wish for a form of cursed Lycanthropy so they will have to go about obtaining one of the other three forms. One way is to simply craft a serk or find someone to craft one for you, this is obviously far harder to accomplish than it is for me to write it. The other way is to attempt to please a Lycan deitity such as Lyakios or Lupa, this often requires the individual to undergo a convoluted set of rituals. Though of course one could attempt to ask a Thuamaturge for assistance though the risk involved with such an action are immense. Finally and perhaps the most effective way is to attempt to find a group of Arcadian Lycans, these Lycans will gleefully offer any individual who finds them a way to acquire Lycanthropy. This is where the aforementioned convoluted rituals come in as the Lycans simply persistently ask their gods until the individual in question is transformed though often they will first have to complete a task. These tasks often revolve around myths, such as hiking to the top of a mountain or hunting an animal with their bare hands. It is not recommended to seek out Lycanthropy as often this will result in ones demise.

## Lycanthrope Sub Species & Variants

Unsuprisingly Lycanthrope refers to an entire species, with many distinct and unquie subspecies within their family. These subspecies are most often geographical variants though some more anomalous and bizarre sub species roam the shadows of the hidden world.

### Lycanis-Lupus

Lycanis-Lupus is one of the most common subspecies of Lycanthrope, with their canine form resembling that of a Eurasian Wolf its plain to see why most depictions in media resemble this entity. Though originally found only in Europe Lycanis-Lupus has quickly spread across the globe with groups of Lycans participating in empires throughout human history. Most depictions of Lycanthropes in folklore and media display a near perfect representation of Lycanis-Lupus in appearance.

Being the most predominant species of Lycanthrope its easy to see why other less seen sub species may have been forgotten or miss identified. It is highly likely that due to their wide spread nature that you have at some point came into contact with an instance of Lycanis-Lupus. Though most of their population is concentrated in Central Europe, Russia, North America, and Australia, in many of these places Lycanis-Lupus goes completely unseen, living side by side with humans without even a hint as to their true nature.

Though their population is now spread across the globe the origins of Lycannis-Lupus can be traced to a few isolated incidents of mass Lycanthropy in the ancient world. Though it seems as if Lycanis-Lupus may be far older than recorded instances suggest.

### Lycanis-Lapaster

Lycannis-Lapaster resembles an African Wolf and for reasons I’m sure you can deduce are mostly found in Northern Africa, the Majority of the Lycanis-Lapaster population specifically partake in Anubinism, a Lycan centeric form of ancestor worship built from the Egyptian Pantheon. Many Lycanis-Lapaster seek out careers in funeral care, grave keeping, or jobs as morticians and coroners. The personal cultural belifies of Lycanis-Lapaster often hold these roles in incredibly high regard, due mainly to their ancestors roles ancient Egyptian society. As the Egyptian myth tells Anubis the jackal headed god gave unto humanity the gift of embalming in order to preserve the dead for the after life, its due to this that many Lycanis-Lapaster modelled their belifies and values to be in line with Anubis.

Unfortunately for many a grave robber many Lycanis-Lapaster take their veneration on the dead and burial sites to a zealous level. In many old cities grave yards and abandoned Egyptian tombs there lurks instances of Lycanis-Lapaster guarding the areas throughout the twilight of the night. Often Lycan Packs consisting predominantly of Lycanis-Lapaster will rally around an instance of Lycanis-Anubis, believing them to be a true sign of their gods power. These packs often take the form of small grave guarding cults, though their role in larger mixed packs and Lycancenteric religions show that even other Lycanthropes view them as guardians of the fallen. In many Lycancenteric religions namely Arcadianism certain religious roles can only be fulfilled by Lycanis-Lapaster, these roles once more revolve around the recently deceased, with Lycanis-Lapaster being referred to as priests of Anubis and treated with veneration. Many larger packs have a sect of these priests within their ranks though for smaller packs bands of traveling Lycanis-Lapaster roam the land in order to perform the final rites and care of the Lycan dead.

### Lycanis-Latrans

Lycanis-Latrans is North America’s resident Lycanthrope species, in popular culture they would be referred to as “Were Coyote”, though in the anomalous world many have used the term “Lyote” as a short hand name. Though originally comprised of members of the native population of North America the number of Lycanis-Latrans has exploded over the past few hundred years. With the colonisation of the new world and an influx of Lycanis-Lupus instances the small packs populations exploded in size with new packs mixed of both native and settler Lycanthropes. Though heavily integrated into many packs it is not uncommon to find small unrecognised packs consisting solely of Lycanis-Latrans, though these are mostly limited to North America and are rarely seen elsewhere. In fact the vast majority of Lycanis-Latrans instances reside in Mexico, The United States of America, and Canada.

### Lycanis-Simensis

Lycanis-Simensis or as it’s sometimes known “Red Lycans” are the sub Saharan variant of Lycanthrope. Strongly resembling an Ethiopian wolf whilst in their bestial form these Lycanthropes serve a strange purpose in the anomalous world. Where as other Lycanthrope sub species spread across the world the Lycanis-Simensis have remained where they have always been, being fiercely territorial these Lycanthropes are far less trusting of outsiders than others of their species. During the brutal colonisation of Africa by European powers it was a common occurrence for roaming raiders or marching armies to be set upon by a large pack of Lycanis-Simensis. Instances of Lycanis-Simensis were even used by the defending Zulu armies during the Anglo-Zulu Wars though only in a small number of engagements.

Often Lycanis-Simensis packs have lived upon their ancestral ground for centuries and will defend it to the death, often simply wandering into their territory unaware is enough to gain their ire. Though it is true that there are many packs that will welcome outsiders with open arms the near constant invasions by humans both native and foreign has forced Lycanis-Simensis packs to become isolationist.

### Lycanis-Aureus

Lycanis-Aureus are often referred to as Arcadian Wolves as their species claims to be able to trace its linage back to its conception in the city of Arcadia. Many Lycanis-Aurus consider themselves to be superior to their cousins, being a dazzling timber gold like their non anomalous counter part the Golden Jackal its easy to see how this idea of superiority came from. Though not as numerous as Lycanis-Lupus the Arcadian Wolves are the second largest population of Lycanthropes in the modern world. The majority of Lycanis-Aureus instances are concentrated in Greece and Turkey, in which some packs have laid claim to areas for centuries.

### Lycanis-Alpinus

Better known in the western world as a Dholeman these Lycans are the most populace species in South East and Central Asia. Though there population is no where near as substantial as its cousins this is simply because they have not spread out across the world. With much of the Dholemen being confined to VIetnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos with smaller populations being found in South China and across the whole of South East Asia.

### Lycanis-Pictus

Only found in Africa these Lycanthropes are some of the most powerful of the entire species. Being strongly related to Lycanis-Simensis(Striders) grants Lycanis-Pictus to be used as elite warriors by their packs. Exceedingly rare the Lycanis-Pictus are almost never encountered outside of military campaigns or colonisation attempts. Much like their strider kin Lycanis-Pictus acts as a force of self defense for rarely seen Lycanthrope packs.

### Lycanis-Anubis

Resembling Lycanis-Lapaster but with fur dark as night the instances of Lycanis-Anubis are few and far between with individuals preferring the peacefulness of long forgotten Egyptian tombs. In many Lycan religions Lycanis-Anubis instances are used as the sole relgious leaders to go to for matters pertaining to death and the afterlife. Predominately found in North Africa or at the head of Anubian cults these Lycanis-Anubis are rarely seen by outsiders.

### Lycanis-Umbris

Being exceptionally rare Lycanis-Umbria represents one of the most sort after entities in the Lycan world. Resembling an instance of Lycanis-Lupus only larger and with jet black fur it is easy to see why such entities are held in high regard as great hunters, warriors, and leaders within Lycan packs.

### Lycanis-Albus

There has only been a total of 204 recorded instances of Lycanis-Albus, resembling Lycanis-Lupus though far larger and with fur white as fresh snow, often these Lycans are considered to be a sign of divinity in many Lycanthrope religions. It’s unknown why some people afflicted with Lycanthropy become Lycanis-Albus though its presumed that it may a select mutation gifted to certain Lycanthropes by Lycancenteric deities. Though the disproportionate amount of Lycanis-Albus instances that appear within the artic circle suggestions that it may be a biological adaptation to assist with camouflage.

### Lycanis-Mortis

Often found in the company of necromancers or being used as guard dogs in vampire courts Lycanis-Mortis are a horifiying sight to behold. Resembling other members of their species Lycanis-Mortis is an undead Lycanthrope risen from its grave to reek an unholy vengeance on its masters enemies. In some instances Lycanis-Morris are created by Abnubite priests in order to protect holy sights and protect the graves of long forgotten hero’s.

## Lycanthrope Transformation

As one may already expect the transformation Lycanthropes undergo whilst changing into their canine form is excruciatingly painful for the entire duration. Though the whole process only lasts a matter of seconds the agony of every bone, muscle, and organs in ones body tearing themselves apart, and then knitting themselves into a abhorrent mix of man and wolf leads to it feeling like an eternity. Fortunately Celestial Lycanthropes do not undergo this process, simply astral projecting their canine form into the world. Though for the unlucky True, Cursed, and Serkik Lycanthrope their transformation beings thusly.

Over the course of 15 seconds the Lycanthropes human body will change, this is accomplished by a massive realise of growth hormones into the body. This causes all bones and tissue to rapidly expand in size, terrifyingly enough as if being twisted by an unseen force these hormones force the growth to form an uncanny resemblance to that of a wolf. Often the excruciating pain causes Lycanthropes to claw at their face and hands in a pain maddened panic, this also results in a rather loud howl or growl one the transformation is complete. The massive sudden growth causes much of the current skin and hair to slide off the body in a truly unsettlingly moist fashion. If the Lycanthrope was wearing clothes at the time they began their transformation then their favourite fashion items will most likely being destroyed as their fabric attempts to stretch over their bodies new frame. Though all the following actions happen simultaneously we will break them down into changes in certain areas of the body starting with the legs of the Lycanthrope.

As many a budding biologist has pointed out the construction of a human foot is perhaps one of the most poorly designed of any mammal. Fortunately for Lycanthropes this plantigrade structure is converted into a digitigrade one, this is done extending the metatarsal bones in the feet. This combined with growth of muscle and tendons allow a Lycan in its canine form to perform feet’s of agility and reach speeds that Olympians envy.

Moving up the body the legs overall are strengthened and gain an increase of muscle though as to how much varies by sub species. These new and improved legs once more add to the speed and agility capabilities of a Lycanthrope, allowing some to reach speeds of 20mph.

The Torso of a Lycanthrope undergoes significant changes, like the rest of the lycanthrope its gains muscle and bone mass due to the massive dump of growth hormones. The spine of the individual becomes contorted due to the overgrowth of bone, this gives Lycanthropes a distinct hunch and causes many to roam the world in a quadrupedal stance , only posturing onto their hind legs in order to gain height over any prey they have came across. Strangest of all however is the strange tail that is created from the bottom of the spine, this tail is seemingly unable to be controlled seemingly to only react with what the Lycanthrope is feeling, though this is only subtle movements as there is little to no strength within the tail.

Moving onto the arms they once again have had a large increase in bone and tissue, with the forearms specifically being lengthened seemingly to promote quadrupedal movement. Thusly just like the legs, the arms are also incredibly strong, allowing Lycans to climb and hurl humans around like rag dolls. The reach a Lycanthrope has whilst in its canine form makes attempting to face one in melee combat a near impossible task.

The hands have undergone expected changes, with the fingers lengthening and the entire hand structure being strengthened to assist with quadrupedal movement. The previous nails of the individual are replaced with sharpened protrusions of the finger bones resembling claws. These new claws are more than proficient at tearing unfortunate prey to ribbons, due to the strength behind these claws many Lycans can rip though civilian vehicles like card board.

Finally moving onto the head we see the most extreme of changes, with the entire skull appearing to almost be that of a wolf though this is only an uncanny resemblance. It’s most important to note here that a Lycanthrope transformation doesn’t add anything new, in the sense that the canine form of a Lycan is simply twisted from that of a human. This bizarre twist of man into the shape of a wolf is seen no where better than the face of a Lycanthrope. The eyes are still distinctly human, simply now being slightly more inset than previously, the jaw is lengthened and the cheek muscle ripped to resemble that of a canines. The nose and maxilla are also pushed forward to meet the jaw. The nose becomes upturned and almost pulled back to once more resemble that of a canine, unseen with this is a complete retrofit of the Lycans olfactory system. The ears of the Lycanthrope are changed to vaguely resemble that of a wolf though they are rarely seen as they are often covered by an overgrowth of fur. As a whole the head of a Lycanthrope will look like that of a canine though one would be hard pressed to miss the disturbing human details.

It should be noted that overall most Lycanthropes will gain a modicum of height though this varies greatly in sub species. Most noticeable however is the massive growth of hair that coveres a Lycanthropes canine form, there is no new hair actually added during this. Instead the current hair of the Lycanthrope thickens and toughens, allowing Lycans to brave many inclement weather conditions with ease. Areas such as the face may be covered in more hair if they are a male due to facial hair, this may give some Lycanthropes the appearance of having a sort of mane.

The entire transformation is incredibly complicated and many need degrees in anomalous biology to truly understand the minute changes throughout a Lycanthropes body. But one thing can be certain a Lycanthrope in its canine form is perhaps one of the most finely tuned predators in the anomalous world, hiding in plain sight and only revealing themselves when needed. It should again be noted that this entire transformation only lasts around 15 seconds and is absolutely agonising for a Lycanthrope to undergo, surprisingly enough though many Lycanthropes claim to enjoy the process as it offers a unique awakening in ones consciousness. Being able to hear and smell everything, read minute body language, and even sense prey near by its clear to see why many Lycanthropes consider their transformation to be an awakening of their true self.

Many Lycans often consider the transformation from canine to human to be far less painful and is often described as “warm”. Many of the same actions previously described play out simply in reverse. Certain matter can not be recalibrated back into the Lycanthropes original form and thusly must be discarded. This is often seen during a transformation as large clumps of hair and flesh will slosh off of the Lycanthropes canine frame. It should be noted that there is no blood during this action, the material that is excreted has a jelly like consistency though under analysis is shown to be the flesh of the Lycan. It is presumed that these left over chunks are the dead Lycianus-Anomis that have absorbed the no longer needed matter. Once a Lycan has returned to their human form they will find themselves covered in the same jelly like substance containing more Lycianus-Anomis. This “Lycan Jelly” will naturally decay over the course of an hour leaving only hair as evidence.

## Lycanthrope Abilities

The abilities of a Lycanthrope are what make them truly dangerous, their increased strength, speed, agility, and their sensory overhaul make them truly formidable predators. Though on top of this Lycanthropes also possess a form of passive regeneration, this allows Lycanthropes to quickly recover from any wounds as long as they have recently consumed the flesh of a recently deceased creature. This makes Lycanthropes effectively invincible in certain circumstances with them being able to quickly repair most wounds inflicted upon them.

Though its a Lycanthropes ability to track and find its prey that make them remarkable, as previously mentioned a Lycanthropes olfactory system experiences a complete over haul and the same can be said for their auditory system. These new high potency systems allow Lycanthropes to literally sniff out their prey and track them down much like service dogs employed by law enforcement. The hearing of a Lycanthrope is improved so much that they can pick up frequencies humans simply can not, this also allows Lycanthropes to hear even the faintest of noises. The eyes of the Lycanthrope are less changed however though still offer a superior quality of low light vision, though an unintended side effect of this is a form of red-green colour blindness.

Another unseen ability is that of a form of Lycanthrope specific telepathy, this telepathy allows Lycanthropes in canine form to effectively communicate. Though to the common man it may simple sound like barks, snarls, and growls each noise has a complex meaning near unintelligible by the human mind. Many Lycanthropes have described this as “Discerning intent and meaning from body language and tone” though will go onto explain how this works less as direct language and more as vague suggestion. This does however allow Lycanthropes to effectively plan at strategise with one another, this makes well trained and cohesive groups of Lycanthropes to become less terrifying beast and more supernatural force. It is common for Lycanthropes hunting particularly hardy prey to lay traps using other humans or important objects as bait. This communication extends further with Lycanthropes being able to perform similar acts of communication with non anomalous wolves and domestic dogs. This has in the past lead to some Rogue Lycanthropes to become the heads of wolf packs.

Though most Lycanthropes prefer to tear their prey limb from limb using tooth and claw it is not uncommon to see Lycanthropes in ceremonial circumstances to make use of tools or weapons. Lycanthropes considered to be Abnubites are often armed with sickles or scythes though these items may be quickly discarded if they must fight. However there are instances of some Lycanthropes making use of weapons such as swords, axes, and staves. Though the effectiveness of using these is minimal there is somthing to be said about the psychological effect it has on a human to see a Lycanthrope posturing atop a hilltop whilst holding a broadsword adorned with canine iconography.

By far the biggest asset of a Lycanthrope is its ability to be human, this has allowed Lycans to cement themselves throughout nations and cultures across the globe. This ability to be human also allows Lycans to produce crafted items specifically to be used by Lycanthropes in canine form. Though uncommon in the modern age there does exist suits of steel plate armor, crafted to fit Lycanthropes of wars gone by. Though these suits of armor often weigh upwards of 60kg the massive amount of muscle a Lycanthrope in canine form possesses allows them to wear this armor like a knight of old. In some agencies that make use of Lycanthropes such as the Ministry of Anomalous Defence there has been suits of modern armour made though there effectiveness is highly debatable.

Of course we must finally mention the Lycanthropes ability to transform at all, being able to hide in plain sight among the very creatures that wish to destroy you is a highly advantageous adaptation indeed. This power for Lycanthropes to transform has been used to great effect in years gone by. Being able to kill in their canine form and then revert to human its no surprise as to why Lycans became so feared.

It should be noted that although Lycanthropes are Therianthropic entities the vast majority have no access to what one would consider to be Thuamturlogical powers. This lack of Arcane power means that even if a Lycanthrope was previously a Thuamaturge, once their Lycanthropy has been obtained all access to the Arcane shall be severed. This is especially damaging for Serkik Lycanthropes as the revocation of their power leads to many being unable to craft a new Serk.

#### Lycanthrope Astral Projection

An Astral Lycans powers are reminiscent of an Astral Projection, with the user falling into a trance and separating their soul from its physical being. In the case of Astral Lycanthropes this Astral Projection will always resemble what their canine form would have been under any other form of Lycanthropy. This Astral form allows these Lycans to walk between the plains of reality at will as well as effectively appear anywhere they wish. Being an Astral form the only way to combat these projections is by using Thaumaturgy in order to disperse the projection and find its source. These Projections are capable of inflicting severe physical damage akin to that of a weaker Lycan upon their targets. These projections are also capable of simply passing through physical objects making them nigh unstoppable for the average man. Fortunately given that this Lycan projection has to travel through the Astral Plain in order to move great distances this makes them have a sort of time limit to complete their tasks. Every second an individual walks their soul through the Astral Plain they draw more attention from the denizens of said realm. This has in past been abused to effectively combat Astral Lycanthropes by simply wasting their time one can force them to retreat.

#### Lycanis-Albus

Lycanis-Albus are an anomaly among anomalies, being a Lycanthrope capable of Thaumaturgy flies in the face of much of the established science of Lycanthropes. Though as discussed previously Lycanis-Albus are chosen by Lycan deities to enact their will during times of great unrest in the Lycan world. These Lycanis-Albus have access to a Lycan specific type of Celestial Arcana allowing them to cast magic though it seems to be limited to only minor Thaumaturgy. This access to the Arcana allows Lycanis-Albus to cast offensive magic in order to incapacitate their opponents whilst in either their human or canine form. When casted the Arcana appears as a balls of light that are capable of damaging armoured vehicles and concrete structures. Fortunately a Lycanis-Albus is far more likely to simply tear you apart with their jaws and claws as a pose to rendering you incapacitated using magic.

Most notably however is the celestial necromancy employed by Lycanis-Albus in order to heal or resurrect fallen Lycans. Much like their other casted magic this Arcana displays itself as a bright light and is capable of healing even the most grievous of wounds. This can even be used to resurrect the recently deceased though if done incorrectly or to the long dead it shall create an instance of Lycanis-Mortis. This power can also be used on humans though if done so will grant the individual with True Lycanthropy turning them forever into a Cynocephaly. An Lycanis-Albus is also able use their power in order to convert willing (and unwilling) humans, allowing them to effectively replenish Lycanthrope numbers whenever they wish. Finally it should be noted that Lycanis-Albus is able to open portals in order to travel distances instantly though requires them to use the vast majority of their Arcana. This is often used as a way for Lycanis-Albus to flee capture or appear somewhere they are immediately needed.

## Lycanthrope Culture

Unlike the common depictions of Lycanthropes throughout media and folklore the true to life Lycans have a long and complex history. With their own Lycan-Centeric religions large groups known as packs were able to form around common religious and cultural belifies. There is a total of 16 formally recognised packs by the UN, these packs are all over 100 members and worship a formally recongnised religion. These packs vary in political strength and often have varying customs, belifies, and values, though they all agree on one sole goal for all Lycans, Remain unseen. Fortunately this makes Lycanthropes effectively self containing with large Lycanthrope packs hunting down and detaining rogue Lycans that risk exposing their species as a whole. Though this is valuable to anomalous security agencies such as ours, often the damage caused by Lycanthropes fighting each other can lead to unforeseen containment problems.

In 1986 the United Nations passed the Lycanthrope Civil Agreement Act which included many common agreements between Lycanthropes and humans. One of the largest effects of this act was the creation of officially recognised Lycanthrope Packs, these packs must be held up to a common civil standard and includes many laws that protect Lycanthropes from persecution by not just humans but also other Lycans. With a minimum member count required to be recognised many of the small packs that had remained independent were quickly consolidated into already large packs. This has lead to a large amount of instability in certain packs and from the year 1986 - 2008 there was an alarming rise in Lycanthrope related incidents across the world. This was caused in part due to disagreements within the larger recognised packs, causing some more zealous of their ranks to take matters into their own hands.

##### Lycanthrope Individual Classifications

Given Lycanthropes are a sentient and intelligent species with a complex culture is no surprise to learn that just like people some of their kind simply do not wish to participate in society. Though this is not inherently a threat stability some of these anti social Lycanthropes wish to inflict violence on un suspecting civilians. It’s for this reason that Lycanthropes have been further classified based on the threat they pose to society.

###### Pride Lycans

Pride Lycanthropes are considered to be little to no threat, with members with this designation staying within predominantly Lycan communities and always participating in pack gatherings. These Lycanthropes are most often seen in Europe or North America with many of these individuals fighting for a more isolationist relationship with humanity.

###### Civil Lycans

Civil Lycans are the most common catagory of Lycanthropes, defined by their willingness to participate in human society as well as their pack gatherings. Civil Lycanthropes are considered to be friendly and will often assist Anomalous Security Personnel with investigations or operations involving other Lycans. Civil Lycans are considered to be the lowest threat of Lycans for these reasons with it being incredibly rare for an individual with this classification to lash out at society.

###### Lone Lycans

Lone Lycans defined by thier refusal to participate is common Human or Lycan social groups. Often these Lones Lycans have little to no family with instances only occasionally being part of a small pack or group of around 3 Lycans. More often than not these Lycans are found in rural areas, simply leading their lives peacefully however they see fit. Sometimes these Lycans do participate in human society though are often anti social and rarely keep the company of others. Lone Lycans are considered to pose a modicum of threat to society though are not extremely dangerous as their anti social behaviour is often to the detriment of the individual. This designation is also given to Lycanthropes that participate in anomalous societies on their own, such as Lycan members of Druid cults.

###### Rogue Lycans

Rogue Lycans are the designation given to Lycanthropes that pose a significant threat to society as a whole with individuals of this classification actively participating in violence against humans. These Rogue Lycans pose a high threat and its not uncommon for a Lycan with this classification to simply not understand the consequences of their actions. Cursed Lycanthropes are always given this classification as their actions are rarely consciously controlled by the individual. Rogue Lycans often find themselves in the company of others who share their views, this often leads to the creation of Rogue Packs. It is also not uncommon to see Rogue Lycans as part of vampire courts, Thaumaturge Cults, or terrorist organisations.

##### Aflicted Lycans

Afflicted Lycans are the designation given to humans and Lycanthropes afflicted with Remes disease or Cursed Lycanthropy. These Lycanthropes are categorised by their complete lack of human mind whilst in their canine form as well as their lack of ability to control when they change. These Lycanthropes are considered to be highly dangerous and infectious leading to ranged weaponry being the only method of safely incapacitating one. Given the nature of these Lycanthropes its recommended to always attempt non lethal means of incapacitation. This allows Afflicted Lycanthropes to be assisted with and sometimes cured of their Remes Disease Disease or Curse.

### Lycanthrope Packs

Lycanthrope packs are officially recognised groups of Lycans, these packs even have a degree of influence in politics, being able to offer pro Lycan opinions on many issues. These officially recognised packs are all in agreement that the hidden world must remain hidden and have agreed to assist organisations like the Ministry of Anomalous Defence in the protection of the world against the monsters that lurk in the dark. Following is a list of all 16 formally recognised packs by the UN, though there are far more smaller packs that have either never been discovered, do not meet the criteria to be recognised, or have became excommunicated due to their actions.

Recognised Lycan packs are made of at least 100 individual Lycanthropes and must allow religious as well as racial freedoms under their pack law. Though these criteria seem easy to achieve at the time the Lycanthrope Civil Agreements Act the majority of packs were anywhere from 10 to 50 members. This forced many packs to band together or join already larger pre existing packs to ensure their own survival in this new world. These smaller packs often hold a strong sway over the newer large packs that exist in the modern day with many packs having councils, parliaments, or senates made up of the leaders of many of their founder packs. Often many of these smaller packs were made up on one or two families.

#### Pack - Lycadia

The pack of Lycadia is the largest of all Lycanthrope packs, with many of its members coming from all corners of the Earth. Religiously there is a strict policy that all members practice Arcadianism though due to UN law they have been forced to except a wider pool of Lycanthropes. Lycadia claims to trace its origins back to the myth of Arcadia and king Lykos, though the validity of this is often in question there is a large amount of evidence supporting this. Lycadia is the pack that many others look to, being considered the De facto lead pack of the Lycanthrope world. Lycadia is unsurprisingly based in Greece and accounts for 98% of the Lycanthrope population within the Greek territory.

#### Pack - Romana

Romana is the second largest of the Lycan packs and consists predominantly of Canis-Lupus. Romana claims to be able to trace its founding back to the founding of Rome, specifically the myth of Romulus and Remus. Romana claims to be the followers of Remus that partook in his betrayal and were cursed to for ever more be Lycans. Romana packs members predominately follow Sheeism, a religion that worships the she wolf Lupa. With their pack headquarters being based in Rome many members consider their pack to be the true inheritors of the Roman Empire.

#### Pack - Timber

Pack Timber is a North American based Lycanthrope pack created in 1986 and accounts for the largest Lycan population in North America. Consisting of a large number of mixed sub species Timber prides itself on its integration of all members of the Lycanthrope species. Though officially their religion is Arcadianism many member practice their faith however they see fit.

#### Pack - Grey

Pack Grey is a Canadian Lycan Pack based in British Columbia, and consists predominantly of Lycanis-Lupus and Lycanis-Latrans. Officially Pack Grey is considered to follow Arcadianism though many of its members practice far older religions. Many of members of Pack Grey reside in reserves along side their human kin, only all coming together to celebrate on their holidays.

#### Pack - Dingo

Pack Dingo is the resident Lycanthrope pack of Australia, accounting for 99.4% of Lycanthropes within the country. Based in Queensland Pack Dingo consists of primarily Lycanis-Lupus and Lycanis-Latrans.

#### Pack - Ankhet

Based in Cairo Egypt pack Ankhet accounts for the majority of Lycanthropes in North Africa and Arabia. Though mostly being populated by instances of Lycanis-Lapaster and Lead by instances of Lycanis-Anubis Pack Ankhet accepts Lycanthropes of any sub species. Though officially Ankhet members can practice faith however they wish it is highly encouraged to follow Anubinism.

#### Pack - Wolfshall

Pack Wolfshall is the largest pack in the United Kingdom and accounts for 48% of the Lycanthrope population. Pack Wolfshall has been a staunch ally to The Ministry of Anomalous Defense since its conception. Orginally Wolfshall was one wealthy Lycan family though after the Lycanthrope Civil Agreement Act they stood as the leaders of Lycanthrope kind in the British Isle.

#### Pack - Ritter Wolfskraft

Ritter Wolfskraft or the Knights Lycan as its affectionately known in the English speaking world is the predominant Lycan pack of Germany. Tracing their lineage back to forgotten Knightly orders of times gone by, they have remained as stoic guardians of Germany for centuries. These Lycan Knighthoods formed into the Ritter Wolfskraft in 1986, mostly Knights Lycan members now hide in the shadows waiting to come to the defence of their national home. Though official RItter Wolfskraft is listed as Christian members are free to practice their faith how they see fit. Unfortunately this has lead to many incidents of infighting due to cultural and political differences. Being made up of predominantly Lycanis-Lupus and being lead by an instance of Lycanis-Umbris the Wolfskraft members have been able to remain almost solitary, though due to the Lycan Civil Agreement Act they were forced to accept members of any subspecies. Ritter Wolfskraft even holds a specialist position with the German based anomalous security agency Nachteswehr, being used as specialist agents and soldiers to deal with rogue Lycanthropes.

Unlike other packs that democratically elect their leader Ritter Wolfskraft practices succession by combat, meaning that the any of their pack can become its leader though must first defeat the ruling Lycan in ceremonial combat. Surprisingly this combat must be performed whilst in their human form, and the battle must be conducted using swords of special significance to Ritter Wolfskraft.

#### Pack - An Teaghlach

The Royal Lycan family of Ireland claim to trace their linage back to ancient kings and queens of Irish legend. Predominantly consisting of Lycanis-Lupus Pack Teaglach accounts for the majority of the Lycanthrope population in Ireland, though it also boasts members in lands far from Irelands shores like America. Pack Teaglach practice Lycan Druidism officially though allow members to practice faith how they see fit. Unlike other packs the members of Teaglach are ruled over by a few Lycanthropes of an Irish family with supposed claims to the throne of Ireland. The members of this royal family are unlike their followers, being Astral-Lycanthropes where as the vast majority of their followers are not. Astral Lycanthropy is considered to be the purest form of Lycanthropy in pack Teaghlach with members possessing this form of Lycanthropy being lifted to positions of leadership. Though powerful in its own right pack Teaghlach is untrusted by many of its fellow packs due to the nature of its leadership, with many Lycans outside of Teaghlach referring to its members as Lackies.

#### Pack - Dei Lupi

Pack Dei Lupi is the largest pack that practices Benendantism, based in Northern Italy Dei Lupi is considered the Abrahamic Lycan pack. Practicing a Lycancenteric version of Abrahamic religion the members of Dei Lupi consider themselves to be warriors of God and will hunt down anyone they consider to be ‘entirely evil’. Predominately consisting of Lycannis-Lupus pack Dei Lupi claims to trace its ancestry back to a group of Astral Lycanthrope monks in the Middle Ages. Upon the Lycanthrope Civil Agreement Act many of the smaller packs in Italy looked toward pack Dei Lupi for guidance and political protection from other larger packs.

#### Pack - Loublesse

Pack Loublesse accounts for 41% of the Lycanthrope population in France and is decedent from minor French nobility. The members of Pack Loublesse though not all part of a noble family all partake in the lifestyle associated with pre revolutionary france. Hosting lavish dinner parties designed to accompany their canine form and sometimes even tailoring fine suits to wear its clear to see why the members of Loublesse are considered by many to be pompous fools. Do not let the glitz and glamor of a Versailles inspired Lycanthrope party fool you though for the members of Loublesse are nothing if not cunning politicians. Loublesse boasts as to how it has members within the French government though the truth to this is less amazing than they would wish you to beleive. It is true however that Loublesse has managed to get certain laws passed that benefit Lycanthropes in not just France but the whole European Union. Unsurprisingly the pack headquarters of Loublesse is a french chateau a few kilometres outside of Versailles.

#### Pack - Conquista

Being made up of predominantly Lycanis-Lupus Pack Conquista is a Spanish based pack that has spread across the globe. Holding one of the largest populations of Lycanthropes Pack Conquista stands as a bastion of their Spanish heritage. Styling much of their iconography on that of the Spanish Empire its easy to see why their dazzling sight alone could have an influence on other Lycans. Orginally being made up of a band of Lycanthropes under the employ of the Spanish crown Pack Conquista absorbed a large number of smaller packs from across the empire upon the advent of the Lycanthrope Civil Agreement Act. Members of pack Conquista mainly follow Benendantism though a large portion of Sheeites are also present.

#### Pack - Raikan

Pack Raikan accounts for the majority of Lycanthropes on the Asain Continent, being Japanese based but having heaquaters in China, VIetnam, and Mongolia pack Raikan model themselves off of the Japanese shogunate. Though the resemblance to the Shogunate is trivial at best in the modern age some iconography still holds true, suits of armour made to resemble that of a samurai and having its leaders be adorned in robes reminiscent to that of a Shinshoku. Due to the conglomeration of many packs across the Asian continent much of Pack Raikens history, religion, and culture no longer resembles what it once did. Members of pack Raikan exclusively follow a Lycancenteric version of Shinto religion with an emphasis on ancestor worship, nature worship, and veneration of canines. Pack Raikan is often lead by instances of Lycanis-Albus or Lycanis-Umbris though supposedly any Lycanthrope sub species can become leader. Though holding democratic leadership votes, most members of a Lycanthrope pack will only vote for a sub species they consider to be worthy of lead pack Raikan.

#### Pack - Dhib Allah

Dhib Allah is an Islamic Lycanthrope pack that has vowed to defend Islam across the globe, orginally made up of multiple smaller packs the members of Dhib Allah consorted their strength in order to defend their land from European Crusaders. Still to this day many members of Dhib Allah roam the Islamic world dispensing justice unto those that drag down the holy name of their lord. Though a valued member of the Islamic faith the members of Dhib Allah are segregated from humans, having their own mosques and gathering points. Much of the iconography is Dhib Allah is clearly inspired by their homeland though the clear influence of wolves is unmissable.

#### Pack - Lunar

Pack Lunar is one of the smallest officially recognised packs in the modern world, predominantly made up of Lycanis-Lupus their members are scattered across the globe. It is only one a year during the first full moon of the new year do all of the members of Pack Lunar come together. Though its base is in Germany its members rarely form groups larger than 10 members outside of their Lunar festival. Strangly enough unlike other packs Lunar has no official religion allowing members to practice whatever faith they wish, though there is an exception to this as worship of the moon is heavily encouraged. Even more strange however is that members of Pack Lunar refuse to expand on their religious beliefs simply referring to the event as a gathering to celebrate being Lycanthropes.

#### Pack - Tundruska

Tundruska Pack is a Russian based Lycan pack primarily comprising of instances of Lycannis-Lupus, Lycannis-Areus, and Lycannis-Albus. Bizarrely enough Tundruska pack members practice otherdox Christianity and consider themselves to be some of the only true follows of the Abrahamic faith in Russia. Even more bizarrely is that Tundruska originally began as a type of Druidic cult though was seemingly converted around 1621.

#### Pack - Stepetri

Steptri is able to trace its history back to the ancient world, claiming to originally be from a small town in Eastern Europe that was under the effect of an anomalous curse. Being one of the smaller packs Stepetris has little say on a grand scale though is known for its cunning and wit. Stepetri members primarily partake in Arcadianism though some smaller denominations of less known religions also exist within their ranks.

#### Lycanthrope Pack Structure

Lycanthrope packs vary in hierarchy and structure depending on the history, culture, or religion that makes up the majority of the pack. Packs do often follow a standard organisation though in order to assist with inter pack negotiations, trade, and communications. Most packs are organised thusly, at the top will be the international pack, this is often referred to as the “Alpha Pack” and acts as the leader of the pack furthering the whole groups goals as a whole. Subservient to the Alpha pack is the “Beta Packs” that operate on a national or continental basis, these are the packs that are responsible for solving the majority of issues in their designated areas. Then we have the “Omega Packs” which are more often than not made up of one to four Lycan families which simply have to live their lives. Although packs lower in the structure are subservient to their betters it’s incredibly rare to see any Beta Packs or the Alpha Pack to enforce any strict rules or objectives on the Omega Packs. This structure seems to be more of a hold over from how packs used to operate, with many being confined to only around 30 members and only being made up of one or two families. With the modern world and the global scale that some of the larger packs operate on its strange to see this incredibly loose hierarchy work at all. It’s mostly due to the modern use of Packs as political entities that have allowed this strange form of governance to be successful, this paired with the common species of all being Lycan has led to many simply accepting that this is how things in their pack have run forever.

Though looking at this from a human perspective we may question much of the logistics of enforcing this form of governance though Lycanthropes simply accept the rules of how their packs run. This made even more bizarre when one takes into account the wide variety of roles and leadership positions that are all obtained differently. It’s not uncommon for packs like LouBlesse to complain about how the human French government is run, citing “How could one let a sheep lead wolves”, a clear reference to their personal nepotistic form of governance. LouBlesse then contrasts greatly with a pack like Grey which prides itself on democratic leadership and allowing all members of its pack to vote. Furthermore when these packs meet instead of like us humans devolving into political rabble foaming at the lips to prove our system is better, Lycans instead simply greet one another with open arms respecting one another as wolves among men. As romantic a notion of this is though it is not uncommon for packs or individuals to be entirely excommunicated from all Lycan packs due to their political views. Beliefs such as “Lycan Aryanism” are considered to be grounds for expulsion from society, citing the inherent NAZI ideology of such a belief to be dangerous to the entire Lycanthrope species. With most modern packs being conglomerations of many smaller packs its no surprise to see such contradicting ideologies and beliefs begin to meet under one banner.

At the head of a Pack their sits the head Alpha(s) that oversee running of their pack and act as its figurehead. The responsibilities of such as position vary greatly from pack to pack with positions like “The Grand Alpha or the RItter Wolfskraft” having to oversee near everything within thier packs. Where as “The Lord Alpha of Wolfshall” is aided heavily in this by an effective team of parliamentary style Lycan Politicians. This is emphasised further by how these positions are even obtained which leads to almost every Lycanthrope pack being governed differently all be it under a similar structure. It is this similar structure that allows Lycanthropes as a species to interact with one another outside of politics in order to flourish in a human dominated world.

### Lycanthrope Religion

Lycanthrope Religion is unsurprisingly incredibly complex, with many Lycanthropes practicing deviations of the officially recognised Lycan religions. These official religions were first coined in 1988 by the UN in order to prevent persecution and promote unity among Lycans.

#### Arcadianism

Aracdianism is the dominant Lycanthrope religion and promotes pro Lycan myths, legends, and deities. The origin or Arcadianism can be traced back to the myth of king Lykos and is not just followed by Lycanthropes but also a small portion of humans. The Arcadian pantheon consists of Lycan versions of many of the old gods. Deities such as Zeus, Anubis, and Odin have been saved from utter destruction by being fragmented into a Lycan version of themselves. The Arcadian pantheon is structured similarly to that of the Greco/Roman pantheon with Lykaios (Zeus) being at the head of the pantheon as ruler of the sky, he is then flanked by Lynubis, the ruler of the Arcadian underworld and Lodin the ruler of the Earth. These are just the leaders of the Arcadian pantheon and has absorbed a large portion of Lycan centeric deities or created them from the fragments of far old deities. Arcadianism proclaims the be the one religion for Lycanthropes to follow, with the majority of Lycan centeric deities from other religions such as the Sheeite Lupa included in its pantheon its easy to see why so many have flocked to it as a source of spiritual practice.

Arcadianism puts a strong emphasis on Lycanthrope sub species filling specific roles, with Species like Lycanis-Lupus and Lycanis-Latrans being considered to be the commoner class of society, responsible for labour. Where as members of Lycanis-Aureus are considered to be scholars, teachers, and artists. This almost eugenic view on their species has lead to many problems in Arcadian communities as a whole, with the more hardline Arcadian Lycans being considered to be Orthodox Arcadians. Fortunately as with every religion many Arcadians practice a far tamer version of the original religion, being accepting of their Lycan cousins filling what ever roles they wish.

Much of the Iconography in Arcadianism is heavily inspired by that of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, with much of their artwork being reminiscent of classical works of art from the period. Much of the ceremonial clothing and items used during their religious gatherings also invoke a sense of classical age works of art. Though as with all Lycancenteric religions Arcadianism has not escaped a massive influence from canine species in its iconography with much of their art works and ceremonial regalia depicted Lycanthropes and Canids. This almost veneration of canids is most heartily seen in the extremely large rate of adoptions of domestic dogs, often these dogs act as life long companions for Arcadian Lycans with many considering their family pooch as a direct example of the Arcadian pantheons existence. On occasion some of these canids are considered to be a member of the Arcadian pantheon in mortal form and are revered as kings among wolves. As hilarious as it is to see 22 Lycanthropes adorned in tradional religious garb holding a corgi aloft to behold its glory the act of venerating specifically canids that have evolved along side humanity represents their own journey at the side of humans.

Fortunately Arcadianism premotes considerably more tame religious rituals than their cousins, with simple prayer often being enough to please the gods. Often during these prayers Arcadian Lycans will sing Arcadian hymns that often make references to Myths and Legends involving wolves or Lycanthropy. In some instances namely during their large relgious festivals ritual animal sacrifice and ceremonial hunts are performed. One such festival is known as Kings Day where in which a random male Lycanthrope in attendance at the festivities will chosen as Lykaios, king of the wolves and will be treated as such for the remainder of the festival. Often these festivals involves copious amounts of wine and freshly hunted meat making them quite the spectacle to behold for an outsider.

Surprisingly enough Arcadianism is incredibly accepting of humans and in fact many of its members wish to be known to humans in order to spread the worship of their Lycan Pantheon. Throughout Arcadianism there’s a strong link with humanity, with many Arcadian Lycans considering humans to be in need of Lycanthropy. This has lead to a disturbing set of actions Arcadian Lycanthropes undertake if an unsuspecting human comes across them, instead of simply fleeing or killing the intruder Arcadian Lycanthropes will attempt to convince the poor human to join them. Though almost any person in their right mind would refuse this offer its hard to say no when the alternative could be you being torn limb from limb. Arcadianism also puts a strong emphasis on cohabitation and is even encouraging of marriage between human and Lycanthrope. As progressive as this seems in the anomalous world this isn’t without its dark twist with humans in these marriages being almost forced into becoming Lycanthropes in order to sire true Lycan offspring. It may be surprising to learn that many Arcadian Lycanthropes hold positions of power in governments and companies across the globe though this seems to be more of a way to generate revenue for their pack and faith than to usurp power.

Arcadian Lycans have always attempted to appear open and honest with the Anomalous Security Comunity though unfortunately it is quite clear to see that the primary goal of Arcadianism is to spread Lycanthropy across the globe. It is for this reason that Arcadianism is considered to be a Class 1 anomalous religion organisation.

#### Sheeism

Sheeism could be considered the Protestant to Arcadianisms Catholic, unlike the Arcadian religion which puts an emphasis on polytheism the Sheeites of Rome only follow the She Wolf Lupa from myth. Though Lupa is a recognised Arcadian deity her followers worship only her, following her example of divine motherhood. In Sheeite packs female Lycans are given preference for leadership roles over males, it is thought that just as the she wolf nurtured Romulus and Remus so would her descended Daughters nurture her followers. Often in Sheeism a female Lycanthrope leads local groups and the religion as a whole though this is not an explicit form of criteria as many male Sheeites also hold positions of power.

Sheeism claims to trace its roots back to the founding of Rome, with its followers being those who fought beside Remus and were given Lycanthropy as punishment. Much of Sheeite religion is based off of the back of the Roman Empire with absurd claims that certain figures throughout history have actually been Lycans in disguise. Many Sheeites participated in the Roman Empire so its no wonder as to why their iconography which adorns artwork and items crafted by them looks as if it were straight from the craftsmen of the empire. This heavy roman influence is even seen within the ways in which Sheeites practice their religion, where as many are content with just praying to the She Wolf some wish to gain greater boons from her. One of the most iconic ways in which Sheeites practice their religion is by enacting passion plays of scenes throughout history, of course instances such as the betrayal of Romulus are favourites to perform.

Unlike some of the other Lycanthrope religions Sheeism has stayed mostly homogeneous since its conception, with only a few minor fractures in sects. As a whole Sheeism promotes the inclusion of all Lycanthropes as children of Lupa, wishing to bring as many into their faith as possible Sheeites make up the second largest portion of Lycanthropes in modern times.

#### Benandantism

Benandantism is considered to be the defacto Abrahamic religion in Lycan culture, with much of its values, beliefs, and lore being based off of that of Christianity. Tracing its origin back to a group of monks in northern Italy the Benendanti religion prides itself on upholding Christianity values all whilst being Lycans. Though orginaly the religion started as Lycan monks it has evolved in to its own sect of Christianity, with many of its saints being considered to be Lycanthropes. These claims even extend to the claim that Jesus Christ was a Lycanthrope and that Lycans may even be gods chosen people. Fortunately this zealous stance is only held by a fractions of the Benandanti with the rest simply worshiping as any other member of the Christian faith.

As expected Benandanti practitioners partake in the common religious holidays their human counterparts do, though usually with their own kind. As with all Lycanthrope religions Benandantism has been riddled with canine iconography. No where is this more obvious than on their Danticross symbol in which Jesus is depicted to be a Lycan upon the cross. This further extends into Christmas trees being decorated with canine baubles and Easter eggs being painted with canine artwork.

Overall the Benandanti are considered to be nearly harmless, simply wanting to worship god and live along side humanity, it is for this reason that they are catagorised as a Class 2 Anomlaous Religious Organisation.

#### Anubinism

Anubinism is primarily practiced by instances of Lycanis-Lupaster and Lycanis-Anubis, being found almost exclusively in North Africa and Arabia. Anubinism (as im sure you can work out) places the Egyptian God Anubis as its patron deity, thusly leading to a large veneration of recently deceased as well as funeral care. Similar to some other Lycanthrope religions Anubinism is often lead by a specific sub species namely Lycanis-Anubis. These instances of Lycanis-Anubis are referred to as Abnubites and are considered to be spiritual leaders of Anubinism. Much like other religions Anubinism claims to be the oldest form of Lycanthropic religion being able to trace its conception back to the myth of Anubis gifting humanity the knowledge of embalming. Though this seems to be simple religious rhetoric there seems to be some truth to this.

Abnubites could be considered master morticians, being able to embalm and mummify any body with ease. Where they excel the most however is in the field of mummifying Lycanthropes in their canine form. Normally if a Lycanthrope dies it will revert to its human form, Abnubites however have mastered a way of forcing a Lycan corpse into its canine form. This is considered to be the most honourable way to bury Lycan dead and is practiced in Arcadianism also. Even more bizzare however is the Abnubites ability to create instances of Lycanis-Mortis, as previously mention Lycanthropes have no access to the arcana meaning they cannot cast magic. This makes Abnubites unqiue in that they seem to be able to perform feet’s of necromancy though as to how this is exactly done has been kept a closely guarded secret.

Followers of Anubinism revere the dead like holy figures, this even extends to human dead with many practitioners of Anubinism selecting careers in funeral care. It is not uncommon to find Abnubites along with their followers restoring a recently desecrated burial site. Unfortunately as with all religions there remains a select few that are extreme in their beliefs, often in Anubinism this displays itself with practitioners forcefully reclaiming stolen artefacts from museums or hunting down bands of grave robbers across the globe. Though this is an understandable sentiment given their religious beliefs having instances of Lycanis-Lapaster breaking and entering national museums to reclaim stolen artefacts is dangerous for all involved. Luckily in modern day the majority of artefacts that Anubinists wish to reclaim are either lost, reclaimed, or too well guarded for instances to attempt a raid.

#### Lycic Druidism

Lycic Druidism is a form of Celtic Pagan belief that worships the Fey of the Otherworld although with some tweaks to add Lycan specific Deities. Unlike other forms of Lycan Religion Lycic Druidism is an informal spiritual belief with no defacto leader, though many of its practitioners will refer to members of their local druid cult as their spiritual leader. The way in which Lycic Druids practice their religion varies from cult to cult though most commonly the veneration of nature is placed highly in their agenda. Lycic Druids claim to worship the fey otherworld as a whole, with some feeling as if they are personally a messenger of the Fey. This could in fact be true as it is not unknown for Fey Deities to bestow Lycanthropy on their followers.

Further unlike other Lycan religions Lycic Druidism is predominantly practiced by Serkik Lycanthropes, with many of these Lycanthropes first being a thaumaturge or leader within their Druid cult. Fortunately due to the nature of their worship Lycic Druids pose no threat to the world as a whole though will violently defend their personal cults hallowed ground.

Due to their isolationist nature and them simply wishing to worship the fey Lycic Druidism is considered to be a Class 3 Anomalous Religion.

#### Lycanic Shintoism

Lycanic Shintoism is a Lycan centric version of traditional Japanese Shintoism. Though orginally heavily inspired by Japanese culture and religion though due to the large influx of smaller packs across Asia the modern version of Lycanic Shintoism is a mix of Asian religions and culture though with a Lycan twist. With Lycanic Shintoism there are many sects that are often geographically confined to certain countries across Asia. With what is considered to be the True Shinto Lycans being found in Japan where as dominations such as the Taoist exist solely in China. This mix of different Lycan and Human cultures has caused Lycanic Shintoism to become polytheistic accepting that many of the deities across Asia exist all be it under a Lycanthrope lens.

Often iconography that invokes the thought of ancient china or the Japanese shogunate adorn many Lycanic Shinto temples. The common appearance of wolves is a must in this iconography with many pieces of ceremonial jewellery being adorned with canine images.

#### Wolf Dance

Wolf Dance is the term used for the unified native North American Lycan religions and is comprised of around 18 different Lycanthrope tribes that all practice Wolf Dance in their own way. Though the practitioners of Wolf Dance are still unified on certain spiritual matters, for example all members practice ancestor and spirit worship as well as holding small pantheons made up of deified common animals. They also unsurprisingly make heavy use of wolves within much of their religious iconography, the inherent fact that they are North American Lycanthropes is the why they practice their spiritual beliefs under one name.

### Lycanthrope - Human Interaction

It seems as if Lycanthropes have always been at humanities side, perhaps as a protector, a ruler or a monster, the only thing we know is that thier history is as long and storied as ours. Due to the willingness of many Lycanthropes to simply participate in society Lycanthropes are effectively self containing. This has allowed Lycanthrope populations to explode in modern times being able to hide in plain sight without fear of lunatic witch hunters coming to slay them. Most people have either had an interaction with or been within the presence of a Lycanthrope and been none the wiser, it is possible that some people may have grown up with child hood friends that happen to be Lycans. Unlike the old days where Lycans were being actively persecuted in modern times they are simply left alone, free to live their lives. Gone are the days where a were wolf stalks red ridding hood through the under brush, now they work nine to five jobs and pay taxes.

Though of course with any creature humanity doesn’t understand there are always of us who wish to obliterate the confusing entity. This has troubled Lycanthropes for years and has resulted in a massive level of distrust and animosity between many Lycanthrope and human communities. Up until the 1900s many Lycanthropes considered our two species to be in eternal warfare, though with the advent of the first and second world wars man and Lycan grew closer than they had ever been. Fighting side by side in the trench’s with another being, even if they can turn into a wolf will make you fast friends. After the wars many Lycanthropes felt a new feeling of acceptance they had never previously felt, due to both the AXIS and Allies making use of Lycanthrope soldiers. This new acceptance in anomalous society was later shown in the UN-ASC passing the Lycanthrope Civil Agreement Act in 1985, a set of laws focused on promoting human - Lycan cooperation and cohabitation for the benefit of both species. As expected the resistance to humans placing laws upon their kind did not go down well leading to a period between 1986 and 2008 known as the Lycan Unrest.

##### Lycan Unrest 1986 - 2008

The Lycan Unrest was a period of civil disturbance performed by Lycanthropes due to the creation of the Lycanthrope Civil Agreement Act. This Act forced Lycanthropes to conglomerate into political entities beholden to international law, these laws were targeted at promoting religious and racial freedom among Lycanthrope kind. Though as with any change to the status quo there were some who simply wanted to resist. During this time a number of smaller Lycan supremacy packs formed a group known as FLA (Free Lycan Army), though the FLA started out as a Lycan civil rights group it was quickly usurped by far more extremist individuals leading to its designation of an Anomalous Terrorist Organisation in 1986.

The FLA committed multiple terrorist attacks that ramped up in severity as the years ticked by. At first members of the FLA simply exposed their canine form to large crowds in order to reveal their species and start a war though these incidents were contained. The threat of a global war that would only result in Lycanthrope extinction terrified the UN recognised packs that began to take matters into their own hands. Between 1989 and 1997 there was an exponential increase in Lycanthrope instances recorded across the world, many of these instances involved Lycan on Lycan combat and unintentionally exposed and unprecedented number of civilians to the hidden world. By 2000 the FLA was already committing terrorist attacks using their canine forms, they accomplished this by having their members enter social groupings in order gain trust of local communities before laying a trap in which other Lycans would assault the victims. These attacks ramped up in severity with the first being attacks in isolated areas and some of the last being in broad day light as to cause as much damage as possible.

This blatant disregard for Lycanthrope kind soon began to turn against the FLA however with more and more packs both recognised and not sending resources to fight against the FLA. This came to ahead when in June 1987 the heads of many Lycanthrope packs agreed to create an internal police force known as the International Lupus Custodi. This new internal police force was instrumental in foiling the FLAs Millennium plot, in which members of FLA across the globe planned to attack extremely public spaces during the televised countdown to the new year. Fortunately some members of the FLA had a change of heart and exposed the plan just days before it could be enacted. After this foiled plot the FLA receded into obscurity and was rarely seen for the first three years of the new millennium, however in 2004 a new wave of FLA attacks surfaced.

This new wave of FLA attacks was specifically targeted at human and Lycan officials with FLA members making great use of improvised explosives and fire arms in order to sow distrust among all sides. These attacks were only occasionally successful put still proved enough of a problem for a new hidden operation to begin. Operation One Moon was a strategic course of action undertaken by both Lycanthrope packs and Anomalous Security Agencies. The operation was focused at removing pro FLA propaganda as well as reducing the FLAs capacity to operate in secrecy. Controversially this allowed Anomalous Organisations to randomly test individuals Lycanthropy, leading to a multitude of civil rites breaches with only fuelled much of the FLAs later actions.

The attacks of the FLA throughout 2004 to 2008 involved multiple attempted breaches of anomalous security sites and assaults of large packs gatherings. This all came to ahead when on the 7th of October 2008 the FLA attempted to raid an anomalous containment facility in the United Kingdom, fortunately members of the Lupus Custodi from pack Wolfshall were investigating in the local area of the facility. This allowed reinforcements to be called from across Europe to surround the large FLA force that contained a large portion of its leadership. This event is known as the Siege of Frankland and involved the Ministry of Anomalous Defense, the Lupus Custodi, UN-ADCOM, and of course the FLA. After their primary attack members of the FLA entered the security facility the FLA members then released any and all anomalous entities they found leading to a Class 1 containment breach. Many of these contained entities were Lycanthropes which only added to the FLAs forces, others such as the instances of vampire that were contained within the facility also joined the FLAs forces. This lead to a large scale confrontation in which the allied forces attempted to retake the facility though were kept at bay.

Following the first attacks the battle dragged out into a long siege which was finally broken after 19 days by a special forces team of UN-ADCOM agents were able to enter the facility unseen and reactivate the containment fail safe. The facility was then stormed by heavily Armored troops from the Ministry of Anomalous Defense, the Lupus Custodi, and UN-ADCOM. The resault of this battle was a near total destruction the FLA along with the capture of all of its leadership. In the modern day the FLA is a fragmented rabble that rarely pulls off a successful attack, though some of its members have sworn to fight on until the sun fades away.

*This of course was not the first global Lycan - Human incident as centuries before the witch trials and inquisitions that took place resulted in many similar occurrences, namely the Salem Purge.*

#### The Salem Purge

The Salem Purge refers to the systimatic extermination of entities across the globe by organised by the Abrahamic Triumverate in the late 1600s. In most cases this was done under the pretence of defending the innocent from the demons of Satan though In most instances these “demons” turned out to be innocent Lycans and Thaumaturge. Just like the droves of Thaumaturge that were executed simply for being magical the Lycanthropes too suffered a similar fate. Previous to the Purge Lycanthrope populations were on a steady rise though after the purge they were decimated. The self containing nature of modern Lycanthropes are a result of the fear that built in the anomalous community at the time.

#### **Historical Lycanthrope Figures**

Unsuprisingly there are many figures throughout human history that have been proven to be Lycanthropes, figures such as King Lycaon or Remus have been proven to have been Lycanthropes using Thaumaturgy. Though there are some more well known figures such as the patron saint of travellers Saint Christopher. It is thought that there has been a large amount of Lycanthropes throughout history that have simply been washed away due to security issues posed by their nature.

#### Modern Lycan Intergration

As it has been stated throughout this entry Lycanthropes have been at humanities side since the begging. This has lead to Lycanthropes being in positions from all walks of life, from homeless bums to multimillion dollar CEOs. Unsurprisingly many anomalous security agencies such as the Ministry of Anomalous Defense have constant stream of employed Lycan staff. The same can be said for certain special operations units throughout the militaries of the world. This intergration has proved both a blessing and a curse as some factions that have access to these Lycans may choose to use their powers for evil. Fortunately in most instances Lycanthropes are as level headed as you or I though the occasional madman will always arise.

It should be stated that there is a large portion of the Lycanthrope population that participate in Human - Lycan relationships, this is understandable given the natural human appearance of Lycanthropes but has lead to many incidents of distrust and excommunication in certain packs. Once more this willingness to play the part of being human and use it to the fullest extent is what has cemented Lycanthropes as a species equal to man.

##### Lycanthrope Social Issues

Understandably enough there are certain social issues that have arrisen over the years due to this close nature between our species, certain terms and depictions of Lycanthropes are considered highly offensive in some circles. For example referring to a Lycanthrope as a mutt, a dog, a were wolf could be considered highly offensive. Like wise making jokes at the expense of the Lycan in relation to them being a Lycans is also considered to be highly offenseive, using terms like fetch or heel may invoke an aggressive reaction. Instances of prejudice toward Lycanthropes are less common than they once were though are still a pressing issue, agents in anomalous security and defence agencies will have to partake in a Lycanthrope awareness and understanding training course such as the UN-ADCOMS Lycan Intergration Course.

There are also certaind depictions of Lycanthrope that are considered offensive, these often a revolve around grossly misinterpreted for straight up offensive depictions in media. The most offensive of which is considered to be depictions involving Lycans turning into literal wolves such as in your favourite vampire romance or Lycans that resemble the “wolf boy” of 80s thriller movies. In most instances Lycanthropes will verbally degrade fans of such media as being complicate in Lycan prejudice. Depictions of Lycans being transformed under the full moon is equally offensive though this is due to the implications of its origin being Remes Disease.

### The Arcadian Olympics

Perhaps one of the most amazing sights to behold in the hidden world is the Arcadian Olympics, a heavily Lycanised version of our regular display of sportsmanship. The Arcadian Olympics sometimes also referred to as The Arcadian Games takes place every 9 years in the city of Lycosura in Greece. These Olympics consist of a variety of events including running, acrobatics, and tests of strength. Unsuprisingly the majority of the games is conducted by Lycanthropes in their canine form. Some more Lycan centeric disciplines such as Hunting, Tracking, and most bizarrely Theatre. The Arcadian games can trace its origin to 1781 during the Lycan cultural revival though has been practiced in some form since 1221. Over 17000 Lycanthropes participate in and run the events of the Arcadian games. This is the single largest regular gathering of Lycanthropes and is heavily monitored by the UN-ADC to ensure the safety of all parties.

### **Lycosura and Arcadia**

First depicted in the Greek myth of King Lycaon of Arcadia the city of Lycosura stands firm as a bastion for all Lycanthrope kind, boasting the highest density of Lycans on Earth. Officially being named megalopoli the city of Lycosura has stood in Arcadia since 371BC and orginally predominately consisted of Lycans though today has an incredibly diverse population. This city is shadowed by the nearby Mount Lykaion, a place of holy pilgrimage for many Arcadian Lycans. Though on the surface much of Lycosura seems to be like any other Greek town or city one of keen perception may be able to spot many of the signs of the cities true residents.

The country side of Arcadia is littered with an abundance of church’s and other places of worship that offer the perfect respite for many a Lycan on their pilgramige. Small villages and farms are scattered across the slopes of Mount Lykaion, being all almost entirely owned by native Lycanthropes. The city of Lycosura is considered to be the capital of not just Lycan kind but also the anomalous religion Arcadianism. There is large Anomalous Security Presence in Arcadia over seen by the UN-ADC using power facilities as a cover for their operations. This is to ensure the safety of all parties that visit and live in Arcadia due to the large amount of Lycanthropes that are resident to Lycosura and the surrounding areas. Many of the local human residents are a wear of their neighbours true nature and will often participate in Lycan festivals and gatherings. Arcadia also boasts the Arcadian Olympics grounds located roughly 3km from Lycosura and is capable of seating 20000 Lycan visitors though many more pack into the stands when the games are on.

Though anyone can freely travel to Arcadia their presence will be near constantly monitored in order to prevent a breach of security. Fortunately information leaks are incredibly rare in Arcadia as a set of common laws for Lycans ensures the secrecy of their species. Though Lycans in Arcadia are free to transform when they wish it is strongly suggested and often socially enforced that they do not roam open day light in their canine form. Some Lycans however see Arcadia as Lycan land and thusly wish to promenade about it the way they see fit, this has lead to many incidents in the past though fortunately non to agregious. Many of the government positions in Arcadia are unsurprisingly held by Lycanthropes with many of the local laws being in place to specifically benefit Lycans. The human residents of Arcadia seem to not mind this however with many citing that they no longer see Lycans as anything other than humans who like wolves. Though I’m sure many of you would have the same feelings if there was a pack of Lycanthropes living in your town that the government refused to get rid of.

I would be foolish to not mention the significance of Mount Lykaion in Arcadia, with its domineering peak watching over the land its no wonder as to why this place is revered. In Arcadian culture and religion leaders of packs must ascend to the peak of Mount Lykaion to ask for blessing from the god Lykaios(Zeus). Many leaders from across Lycan kind have participated in this ritual with many seeing it as representing the birth of the Lycan species.

Lycosura and Arcadia are home to many Lycanthrope lead organisations such as the Lycanian Guard and the Lycan Pack Senate. All of the UN recognised packs as well as many of the unrecognised ones hold seats within this Lycan Pack Senate with the goal of furthering their packs ambitions. Though this doesn’t function like a government the LPS is recognised by the UN as a political entity granting it an honorary seat at its councils. The Lycanian Guards headquaters also graces the country side of Arcadia with a comprehensive training school and regiment of stationed Lycans at all times. Many of the Lycanian Guard trained here go on to be officers, traveling the world training members to protect their local packs.

The modern Arcadia was officially founded and recognised on the 7th of October 1975 following tense and heated diplomacy as a result of the Greek governments collapse.

### Lycan Politics

Lycan Politics may seem convoluted and absurd to a human outsider though it is layered with meaning from start to finish. The main political entity of Lycanthropes if known as the Lycan Pack Senate, a Greco/Roman inspired system of democracy. A total of 121 packs hold a seat on the Lycan Pack Seante with their members gathering tri annually to discuss issues plaguing their packs and the species as a whole. Many of the representatives these packs send are selected in a variety of ways with some being democratically elected and others gaining the position through trial by combat. There is no single leader of LPS with all members sharing an equal amount of power, though this sounds ideal it often leads to in fighting among members. Though during times of great hardship the LPS may elect to raise one of its ranks to the position of Lykaion, or King of the Lycans. How individuals are selected for this role is a closely guarded secret and enforcement upon the terms of this position are brutal. Many a Lycan King has been torn to shreds by their senate for over stepping the boundaries of their position. It’s this near psychotic behaviour that ensures no one Lycanthrope shall raise above the rest of the seante. Often Lycan Kings do not get to retire from their position with almost every instance being eventually torn to shreds by the senate for some seemingly minor infraction. It seems as if this may be a tactic in order to the protect the senates power, with them able to elect a Lycan King to essentially take the fall for any problems that may be about to arise.

Within most Lycan packs there will be smaller sub packs made up of a local group of Lycanthropes. The leader of this group will regularly commune with their regional pack leader, who will intern regularly commune with their national pack leader so on and so forth. How these positions of leadership are earned vary wildly from pack to pack with some earned by birthrite and others elected. Most respectably though Lycanthropes from all packs will respect members of these positions if their pack is in good standing, regardless of how these leaders gained their postions. This almost blind willingness to follow these hierarchies is an inherent trait among the majority of Lycans which has of course lead to past issues. Lycanthropes also put a strong emphasis on family ties and relations which has lead to some packs being completely excommunicated due to their ancestors actions centuries ago.

As a whole Humanity keeps a allied relationship with Lycanthrope kind with the cooperation of our species being a must in order to prevent a cataclysmic disaster.

### Lycanthrope Naming Convention

As with all cultures Lycanthropes have an interesting and diverse portfolio of traditional names. Names like Fen, Wulfgang, Benjamin, Romulus, Lupa, and Connor are all considered to be traditional Lycan names. Unsurprisingly all of these names have some relation to wolves in myth or name. This is a near universal rule for Lycanthrope names which is to be expected considered the reverence of canines found across the Lycan world.

### Lycanthrope Works of Media

Much of the media produced by Lycanthrope heavily depicts myths and legends related to their personal faith. Of course depictions of wolves, the moon, and ancient civilisations are common images to see adorning pieces of classical pottery. Much of Lycanthrope artistic inspiration comes from the renaissance with paints such as “Lycan Veranda” being reminiscent of works by some of the finest artists of the time. Unsurprisingly much of the media produced by Lycanthrope artists is considered to be anomalous and is strictly controlled by anomalous security laws. Some works however do slip through the cracks, depictions of Saint Christopher in which in many historical artworks is depicted as a Cynocephaly. In modern times however many depictions of once well known Lycanthrope figures and artworks have been altered to be less anomalous in nature with previously Lycan characters being replaced with human ones.

Much of Lycanthrope media is trying to capture the essence of and invoke great empires, kingdoms, courts, and tribes throughout history. With Packs such as Loublesse and Ritter Wulfskraft being taking heavy inspiration from their ancestors who were members of the same groups they wish to recreate. The most striking in all packs specific iconography is of course the heavy use of wolves, with almost any available creation of Lycan hands being adorned with these canine companions.

### Lycanthrope Origin

The actual origins of Lycanthropes as a species is hotly contested though most agree that the species existed before the myth of king Lycaon in some capacity though the exact date of first appearance is unknown. This being said there are some origins that explain the large number of Lycanthropes in our modern world. If legends are to be believed then the majority of Lycanthropes in the modern world have came from three separate events.

The Myth of King Lycaon in which he was turned into a Lycanthrope for earning the scorn of Zeus is considered to be the first verified mass conversation of humans into Lycanthropes. Though this is hotly debated as no first hand documents or accounts of this period exist with much of the information we know being passed down by the generations of Lycans. What we do know is that King Lycaon set the foundations for the modern day Arcadia as a bastion for Lycanthrope kind with much of the traditions across Lycan culture referencing his Myth.

The founding of Rome is the second largest verified mass transformation of Lycanthropes. According to Lycan sources the follows or Remus during his betrayal of his brother Romulus were cursed by the She Wolf Lupa. Though the validity of this is of course in question the religion of Sheeism proves that there may be some truth to this Myth. The idea of a she wolf mother figure seems to be once more universal in Lycan culture perhaps hinting at their true origin in ancient times.

The final supposed origin is that of the Cynocephaly kingdoms of the ancient world. Again hotly debated the Cynocephaly Kingdoms were a collection of city states supposedly encountered in India around the fifth century BCE. Though no ruins found have been proven to be linked to these kingdoms the idea that a true Lycanthrope empire has had resounding effects on the species as a whole. It is known that a few large packs of True Lycans did exist in antiquity though if any had the capability to form a vast kingdom is unknown.

### Lycanthrope Diseases

Unsuprisngly there a large number of Lycan specific diseases that afflict the Lycan population. Though most of these are just Lycan variants of existing human and canine diseases. Though there are two that are considered to be entirely unique to Lycanthrope kind, namely Remes Disease and Lycan mange. Both of these diseases pose a significant threat to not just Lycans but humans as they are able to jump the species barrier with ease.

#### Remes Disease

Remes Disease is a degenerative brain disease that effectively reduces its victims into nothing more than mindless animals. Though its origin is unknown it is claimed by some religious Lycanthropes that Remes Disease is a curse inflicted on those who disappoint Lycan Gods. Remes Diseases is primarily blood borne though can also be transmitted via saliva, shockingly enough this disease is transmissible from Lycan to Human.

Remes Disease primarily affects the brain as well as the therianthropic abilities of Lycanthropes, in early stages this is displayed in lapses of memory, judgement, and reduced cognition whilst in their canine form. Unfortunately most Lycanthropes do not notice these symptoms as such things are fairly common in Lycanthropes later in life. What is disturbing is that as Remes Disease progresses it begins to cause Lycanthropes to transform into their canine form whilst they sleep. This often results in Lycanthropes roaming in the dead of night in a trance like state. Further progression of the disease will cause Lycanthropes to become incredibly aggressive, most likely caused in order to spread Remes Disease further. Eventually Remes disease will cause Lycanthropes to lose all control and memory of their canine form, this often displays itself in incredibly aggression against any non-Lycan. As I’m sure you can imagine having Lycanthropes roam the shadows of the night with no more sentience than a common wolf poses a multitude of issues. The final stage of Remes disease will permanently trap Lycanthropes within their canine form, with only the mental ability of a non anomalous wolf, this stage is also displayed in extreme aggression towards any other living creature. Often this leads to a these Remes inflicted Lycans resembling matted over grown beasts as their new animal mind has neglected their prior grooming habits.

Remes disease can also infect humans causing similar effects, most shocking of these is causing Lycanthropy in non anomalous humans. If an unfortunate human were to survive an encounter with an infected Lycanthrope then there is a strong probability that they shall themselves become a Cursed Lycanthrope. This is where many stories of Lycanthropy being transferred from host to victim comes from. The way Remes disease effects humans is slightly different to how it effects Lycans, an afflicted human will be forced into a canine form whilst they sleep. When they awaken they may find themselves else where though they will have no memories of the prior nights events. Unlike Lycanthropes when a human is afflicted Remes Disease they will never become permanently trapped within a canine form. Instead the frequency at which their nightly transformations occur increases exponentially, when first exposed transformations will be limited to around one every three months. In one instance a human male afflicted with Remes for three years was transforming into a canine form every night.

Fortunately for humans there is a cure and for Lycanthropes there is a medication that can help control the progression of Remes Disease and prevent unintended transformations. This medication is often used in its raw form Acontium or better known as Wolfs Bane. Though it does not halt or prevent the majority of symptoms Wolfs Bane is able to complete prevent or undo a Lycanthrope transformation. By being able to forcefully remain in their human form many afflicted Lycanthropes are able to effectively combat the disease though they always run the risk of missing taking their daily dosage. For humans this medication cures the disease entirely though this is only after an intensive course and rehabilitation as most afflicted humans are left with long lasting psychological and physiological damage due to their transformations.

Though this disease is manageable the danger of it running out of control, leading to a complete reveal of the Lycanthrope species is why Anomalous Organisations and Lycan Packs place controlling this Disease at the top of their priority. As one may expect this disease has been weaponised by terrorist organisations in times gone by.

The primary medication used to combat Remes Disease is Romicillin and is most often formatted as pills though liquid versions do exist. This medication is almost entirely produced by a Lycan run and UN backed company Arconta. Fortunately Reomicillin is incredibly easy to produce in the modern world and can even be used in its rawest form Aconitum.

Remes disease is rarely controlled by any human organisation instead being almost wholely monitored and controlled by Lycanthrope packs. Though a large amount of support is given by organisations such as the WHO and UN in distributing medication. The WHO-ADC (World Health Organisation - Anomalous Disease Control) has designated Remes Disease as a High risk anomalous illness and have supported studies into a complete cure for Remes Disease since 2001.

#### Lycan Mange

One of the less common ailments in the modern age Lycan Mange displays itself as open sores and malting hair. This disease is contracted by Lycanthropes in their canine form being in close proximity of non anomalous creatures suffering from non anomalous mange. The inherent power of a Lycanthrope means that any disease they contract will be within them no matter what form they are taking. It is believed that perhaps the Lycans transformation or regeneration is what causes non anomalous cases of mange to develop into a species jumping variant.

As some may know mange is caused by a parasitic mite infection, these mites either adapt to their new arcane environment or the arcane environment changes the mites. These new mites become an anomalous entity known as Trilycista that are categorised by their ravenous hunger. These mites causes a massive amount of sores and open wounds as well as causing large amounts of hair/fur loss. This infestation will eventually result in the individuals demise as the Trilycista progressively consume their host burrowing ever deeper into the body.

Fortunately non anomalous mange medication does destroy the Trilycista in less severe cases although individuals afflicted for years can only hope to ease their suffering. The longer Trilycista remain within thier Lycan host the more resilient it becomes to non anomalous medication. The resilience of the Trilycista in human instances will not become more resilient and will remain at the state that it was when orginally transferred. Though this allows minor outbreaks to be easily contained the larger outbreaks of Lycan mange that come around in waves pose a significant threat to public safety. The WHO-ADC (World Health Organisation - Anomalous Disease Control) have classed Lycan-Mange as a high risk anomalous disease and regularly provide assistance in countering out breaks.

## Lycanthrope Combat and Containment

Strong, Smart, and effectively invisible Lycanthropes can pose a massive threat toward human life. Fortunately after of years living side by side our species have became intertwined making Lycanthropes a self containing entity. Lycanthropes are a whole are considered a low risk entity though in single combat they are devastating. Our only saving grace is that just like us its only those select few lunatics that act upon their dark thoughts, with the majority of Lycans finding acts like murder abhorrent. It’s this quintessential human part of Lycanthropes that makes them one of the smartest and well integrated anomalous phenomena of our world.

Though of course there may come a time when a Cursed Lycan, in a bestial trance may attempt to hunt you for sport. Fortunately unlike our ancestors modern technology has rendered much of a Lycanthropes abilities useless. With standardised silver ammunition, “Wub” Gas, and modern vehicles the threat a posed by a Lycan to a well organised ADS agency is minimal. Though man to man if you will a Lycanthrope will always win, armed with their powerful claws and fearsome jaws an unarmed individual would not stand a chance. Fortunately in many ADS orangsiations such as the Ministry of Anomalous Defence combatting Lycanthropes has been nailed down to a near artistic form. In the MAD this is known as Riders Doctrine, which details a combat strategy specifically for defeating Lycanthropes that has been used since 1604. Riders Doctrine places an emphasis on exploiting the apparent advantages or removing advantages possessed by a Lycanthrope in its canine form.

#### Riders Doctrine

Lycanthropes appear to be powerful due to their canine adaptations whilst in their canine form. Though these new and improved senses can be very easily used against them. Though fortunately in the modern day Riders Doctrine does have to be used often due to the advent of “Wub” Gas in 1939. WB Gas or “Wub” Gas as its affectionately known is a derivative of CS Gas packed to the brim with Acontium. WB Gas when inhaled by a Lycanthrope will force them out of the canine form, leaving them merely a naked choking human. WB Gas has been used as an effective tool to incapacitate rogue Lycanthropes and was instrumental in lifting the Siege of Porton Downs.

As you may have suspected not everyone has access to WB Gas with it only being authorised for use when a entity being hunted is confirmed to be a Lycanthrope. This means many Agents and Free Lancers from across the anomalous community find themselves under assault from a Lycanthrope without this vital resource. Fortunately there are still ways to defeat a Lycan by taking advantage of their new highly tuned senses. Using household items such as deodorant, perfume, or other highly potent substances you can effectively incapacitate a Lycanthrope. This is due to a Lycans highly advanced olfactory system being overwhelmed, similar non anomalous memes are highly effective at targeting this weakness. Though more difficult to exploit a Lycans auditory system can be used against them to devastating level. By making use of excessively loud noise or creating ear piercing frequencies only a Lycanthrope can hear is an effective tactic to keep Lycanthropes at bay.

Due to the nature in which most rogue Lycans are encountered many individuals will not have access to high powered speakers or copious amounts of perfume. This is where we will try to negate some of the Lycanthropes physical advantages using a small amount of human ingenuity. First and foremost one of a Lycans most dangerous advantages is the reach of their arms, this means that attempting to fight a Lycanthrope with nearly any melee weapon will result in your demise. This can be easily overcome however by making use of bayonets or easily constructed spears. A well organised group of men armed with spears will easily be able to overcome a Lycanthrope with little to no causalities. Though of course Lycanthropes are fast and strong too meaning that if an organised attack falters for even a moment it could result in a massacre.

A Lycanthropes speed and agility allow them to reposition with ease, being able to bound over rooftops or climb atop trees to hunt. This can be exploited however as much of Lycanthrope hunting is based off of being able to quickly move and stalk. Luring a Lycanthrope into a wide open space or the tight corridors of a building are smart tactics to help defend from attack. Fortunately with modern vehicles most will be able to flee a Lycan attack though be warned as a Lycanthrope can rip an unarmored vehicle to ribbons in moments. Another way to exploit a Lycanthropes speed and agility is by using their own momentum against them, a Lycan travelling at top speed will struggle to come to a complete halt. Using bolas or causing Lycanthropes to charge into solid objects are effective tactics to incapacitate Lycanthropes.

The strength of Lycanthropes poses a serious hazard to their prey with them being able to tear through metal and wood making almost no where safe. Though often the bestial rage Lycans feel during their attack can be exploited, by making use of well Armored vehicles or concrete structures one may be able to cause a Lycanthrope to instead put the full force of its swing into a solid object. Due to the incredible strength of a Lycanthrope this will often result in broken bones or crippled limbs. With the overall increased strength and weight tripping a charging Lycan with a bola or tricking on into falling from height will nearly always result in an incapacitation. This larger size and weight can also be exploited by simply crawling into places the Lycanthrope can not reach, areas like air ducts, chimneys, and the likes are incredibly effective at reducing a Lycans killing ability.

Of course as a Lycanthrope has regeneration its near impossible to stop one with conventional weapons. Of course making use of classic monster killing tropes such as decapitations or impalements through the heart work flawlessly. Though often one first has to best a Lycanthrope in order to enact these killing blows. Fortunately in the modern age we have access to Standardised Silver Amunition which is capable of interrupting the Lycanthropes regeneration abilities. With this silver amunition rogue Lycanthropes are quickly terminated when engaged though often it takes multiple direct hits to vital areas to slay a Lycan. We also have access to Silver Concentrate Gas, a dirivitive of CS Gas laced with copious amounts of silver. Simply having the silver particles of this gas touch a Lycans being will interrupt and sometimes entirely stop a Lycanthropes regeneration. Another effective though banned method is to use fire, this is considered to be incredibly cruel though it is highly effective at dealing with rogue Lycan packs. Of course in the modern day the simplest option to deal with a dangerous Lycan is to simply tranquillise it and attempt to treat its form of Lycanthropy.

Dealing with Astral Lycanthropes often requires the powers of a Thuamaturge due to the Astral Projections involved. It is incredibly difficult to discover the identity of Astral Lycanthropes though by making use of Thuamaturge we can often track the source of Astral interference. Unlike other forms of Lycans an Astral Lycanthrope is immune to all physical interaction whilst in their canine form, fortunately magic can be effective. A Rogue Astral Lycanthrope is considered to be a level 0 priority entity due to its abilities, with no way to contain their power or prevent their actions its highly recommended that such Lycans be terminated.

Thanks to long term cooperation and mutual understanding these tactics rarely have to be used in the modern day. With the majority of Rogue Lycanthropes being dealt with internally by the Lycanian Guard. Occasionally though some rogue Lycans slip through the net or are too dangerous for the Guard to deal with which often leads to Anomalous Agency intervention.

### Kaion Doctrine

Kaion Doctine is another widely used and effective Lycanthrope security tactics designed by the UN-ADU in 1991. Kaion Doctrine places an emphasis on preventing Lycanthrope incidents as a pose to reacting to them. Kaion Doctrine was instrumental in helping to create the Lycanian Guard. Kaion Doctrine required a large degree of cooperation from Lycan organisations though upon seeing the Doctrine many previously anti-human packs soon found themselves joining their brethren on the side of the UN.

Kaion Doctine specifically targets Lycan Extremism and Benifical Lycan Human interactions. Much of this was done using organised educatIon reforms with UN spending an estimated 382 million dollars on funding Lycan specific schools and scholarships. These schools were also staffed by certified Lycanthrope teachers mixed with specialist staff from the UN and local anomalous organisations. It’s during this doctrine that Anomalous Security personal had to be by law undergo a Lycanthrope Understanding and Integration course. This Doctrine also heavily impacted Lycan specific healthcare with the UN heavily funding factories run by Arconta Pharmaceuticals in order to produce Romicillin on mass. This assistance in the treatment of Remes Disease was instrumental in building the relationship between our species to what it is today.

Another large part of the Kaion Doctrine focussed of rehabilitation of extremist Lycanthropes though the success rate of this was only 3% was most released going on to re offend. The battle to combat the rise of Lycan Extremism was the single biggest threat to world stability faced by Anomalous Security Agencies in 50 years. Fortunately through multiple projects targeted at improving the quality of life of all Lycanthropes, as well as the formal recognisiton of Arcadia as Lycanthrope nation eventually won the hearts and minds of most Lycans. In the modern day Lycan Extremism is at an all time low and this is chiefly thanks the Kaion Doctrine granting a large degree of freedom to Lycan kind.

The Kaion Doctrine ensured that Lycanthropes would not be treated like a malicious foreign entity but instead as fellow citizens of the nations they reside in. It’s this doctrine that helped formalise many modern Lycan charities such as the Wolfs Cross and Remes Research. The large degree of independence given to Lycans almost allowed them to create their own enclaves within modern countries, this settled much of the species grievances as they had land that was truly there’s.

## Lycanthrope Depictions

As I’m sure you can see from reading this entry into the Albion Archive that Lycanthropes may have been slightly misrepresented within common media. With many depictions instead using bastardised versions of their species its no wonder many of our favourite movies cause a great degree of offence in Lycan communities. Many depictions of Lycans show them as cursed mindless beasts, or humans doomed by their greed or hubris, Of course these depictions all have a modicum of truth, and much of the information contained within this entry is publicly available, all be it though a tinted lense. It’s often hard to create a convincing Lycanthrope for media, their culture, their abilities, their entire essence varies wildly from place to place. Most aggregious of these depictions is when Lycanthropes turn into literal wolves, many Lycans consider this be offensive for a multitude of reasons. Offensive representations of Lycan group structures is also considered to be highly offensive.

Most often of all though its the depictions of how individuals obtain Lycanthropy that is most offensive. With the looming threat of Remes Disease many Lycans consider them to be offensive. Specifically instances of transmissible Lycanthropy tend to be the most offensive. This paired with bizzare “Wolf Man” depictions often leads to these pieces of media becoming swiftly hated by the Lycan comunity.

For a full list of Lycanthrope depictions see here.

## Conclusion

Lycanthropes are a complex and diverse species of entity, blended among our population seemingly since the begging our species have fought against and beside one another across all of history. A noble group of Therianthropes who simply wish to live their lives how their gods intended that have stood beside us in the most dire times. It is no wonder as to they Lycanthropes have captured the attention of so much myth and legend. Tales of the King of Arcadia and exploits of the Ritter Wolfskraft have been echoed in hushed tones throughout Anomalous communities for decades. The massive degree of integration between our species has allowed us both to thrive and live in a far safer world. We have most likely all met a Lycan in our time and im sure they were as pleasant as you during your interaction. Lycanthropes are a trusted ally of humanity and our futures together upon this small rock in this single realm will be shaped by one another.

Thankyou for reading and I hope you enjoyed Albion Archives entry on Lycanthropes, if you enjoyed this entry you will soon be able to purchase it from our book store to help support our work.

***Document Written By B.D.Bowater***

For a list of Legendary / Named Lycanthropes from myth and legend see here.