Lunabestia

## **Lunabestia Information**

Lunabestia twists the body and soul of the user to be more akin to that of a beast, via using rittic. There are different “strains” of Lunabestia that exist in different places. Carried by different groups and different people, these strains allow the existence of different werebeasts under the curse itself. The beasts created by Lunabestia are naturally savage in nature, although this savagery is only active when they transform into their beast forms. Most strains of Lunabestia allow its user to remain somewhat in control of themselves while they have their beast form active. Preventing them from becoming rampaging monsters, this is dictated by the user’s will. All werebeasts are incapable of wielding weaponry and items outside simplistic things such as sticks or clubs. The current strains that have plagued Aurilia since Lunabestia’s inception are listed below. Note that strains must be attained icly, starting as one of them is out of the question. Once a person has contracted one strain, they cannot attain another. Meaning that a werewolf cannot contract the werebear strain and become a werebear instead.

In order to become a user of Lunabestia you must be bitten by another beast, or ingest any part of a werebeast’s body. Such as blood, hair, or other. As stated above the type of strain you attain will depend on what beast’s DNA you ingested. However, there's only a 1/10 chance of succeeding. Those cursed with Lunabestia can still use magic, however the moment they use the curse their ability to cast is lost. Unable to be used in any way whatsoever until the curse is no longer in effect. That means things such as the strength increase for the Euloric Arts would fade away. Mages who have lycanthropy also have their casting ability lowered a level, meaning that a Fiskan could only cast at the level of an Errant. An architect could only cast at the level of an Oracle.

There is no more than one stage in Lunabestia. This stage provides two forms to its user, the first is half-beast, which allows the user to take on partial beast features, only gaining half of their form’s full strength. This partial transformation allows them to suppress their urges. The second form is full-beast, turning the user into a werebeast of its respective strain. They gain their full strength at the cost of control, becoming far more animalistic in this form as opposed to half-beast. Half-beast causes the user to adapt partial beast features, meaning a werewolf would become slightly taller, gain more hair, and have a shifted face that is more akin to a wolf. They would also gain the claws, and teeth of their strain.

Contrary to popular belief, Lunabeasts do not suffer from fire. Nor do they fear it, as there are tales of fire being used to wave off lunabeasts they're all lies. Thus meaning that using fire on a Lunabeast as a means of deterring them or stopping them is not possible.

**In order to acquire Lunabestia you must contract DNA from one of the full-form beasts icly.**

**To attain full form lycanthropy your beast must exist for 1 OOC month, during that time you're expected to log happenings. Being inactive and not doing anything as your lycan will prevent you from attaining full form regardless of time. Doing significant things with your lycan will also increase your chances of getting full form approved.**

## Strains of Lunabestia

Note that to acquire these strains you have to come into contact with a full beast infected with it.

### **Werewolves**

Werewolves take the form of a 7-foot-tall, 250-pound bipedal wolf. In their normal forms, they are often unkempt and unshaven, usually with long hair, thick eyebrows, and a thick beard. They can generally be described as doglike in terms of behavior, being both territorial, boisterous, and easily excitable, often to the point of mania. While the circumstances of being a werewolf do tend to lead themselves to aggression, while uncommon, it is not unheard of for a werewolf to be largely docile. In their wolf forms, they are unable to speak in anything but howls, barks, grunts, and roars, which can be understood *only* by other sufferers of Lunabestia. Another thing that is important to note is the werewolf’s natural weakness to silver. It’s toxic to them and can cut through their bodies with far more ease than other materials. In terms of physicality, werewolves are several steps above the average human in terms of everything. Their bite can dent plate armor, break bones, and tear limbs from their places. They can run at a pace twice as fast as the average person but are not able to outrun a trained horse. In terms of brute physical strength, they’re able to uproot trees, punch holes in wooden houses and tear doors off of their hinges. They can see in abject darkness without issue, and they possess claws capable of breaking chainmail. Their stomachs are also altered by Lunabestia, as they can eat raw meat without trouble, and become resilient (but not immune) to poison. Werewolves are often forced into large packs due to their scorning from society. These packs mirror the power dynamics of normal wolves, with the strongest lycan often being the head of the pack.

Overall werewolves are twice the speed of an average human, strong enough to shatter through housing and uproot trees, have senses keen enough for detailed tracking, and are capable of crushing mid-grade plate with their jaws. Werewolves heal faster, their bodies begin the recovery process at a faster pace, although their wounds don’t heal at the moment. The process is merely accelerated. Werewolves can also see in the darkness, having night vision that makes night look as clear as day. The werewolf curse causes its users to often group together, especially if infected by the same wolf. As the curse causes them to feel safer and more confident when around their pack.

Half-form werewolves are capable of running about as fast as a peak human-being. The strength boost they recieve is minimal, and they're only capable of moving around weight just a few pounds heavier than what they were capable of before. Making it useless, their senses however, are far amplified. Allowing them to track with great efficiency, they also retain their night-vision. They have no healing boost in half-form, and are capable of regenerating limbs out of form over the course of a few months.

### **Werecats**

Werecats are often 6’8”-7’ tall, and carry a weight of 180-200lbs. Whilst in their normal forms, they have slit eyes that seem to reflect light. Alongside this, they have sharpened canines and are known for being very clean even by normal standards. Werecats are very cat-like even out of form, thus they believe themselves to be above others, causing these shifters to have a large ego. Werecats are normally sadistic creatures, ones that would stalk their prey and kill it just for fun above necessity. It’s quite common for werecats to have a short temper as well. Werecats are equally incapable of coherent speaking and thus rely on low growls and hisses to communicate with other werecats. A werecat’s physiology places them above most races in terms of strength and durability. However, strength is not their strongest trait. As at best they can find themselves capable of tearing through thick leather to chainmail. Their bites are capable of crushing flesh and bone with effort, and their claws are retractable. Although the most staple trait of the Werecat is their speed, they are above any of the other Lunabestia strains. They make up for their lack of strength with their speed, being capable of outrunning trained racehorses. As their speed is comparable to some of the fastest land animals on Aurilia. Lastly is their keen eyesight, they may not have the same senses as werewolves or werebears but their sight is far superior. As they can pick out small details from over a kilometer. Just as werewolves they carry a weakness to silver. Werecats travel alone more than often, they prefer to be solo hunters. Often even being hostile to other werecats unless they are familiar.

Werecats are capable of cutting through thick leather, moving faster than a trained racehorse, and reacting to quick actions. They can tear through bodies without much effort, and their jaws are capable of crushing skulls with effort. Werecats have extremely good eyesight and are capable of picking out details from even a kilometer away. This vision includes night vision. Alongside this werecats heal slower, wounds take longer to recover causing werecats to be wary of taking damage. A werecat's curse seems to root around the user's vanity and pride, allowing them to detect others who they feel are superior to them. Regardless of who they are.

Half-form werecats move as fast as the average tiger, and gain no boost in strength. Their senses are only slightly amplified, and their claws are capable of tattering through thick leather at best. Their sight is still quite amplified, and they can pinpoint details from a decent distance away. However not a Kilometer as a full-form can.

### **Werebears**

Werebears are the tallest of the werebeasts, averaging 7’5”-8’ in height. Werebears out of form are far more scruffy, and hairier than werewolves. They’ve been known to not only have long hair and thick beards but even their forearms and calves are covered in thick bouts of hair. The curse of a werebear often leads its affected to be very solemn and quiet people, outright ignoring others unless interacted with. These creatures are very dangerous to encounter, as assuming they’re provoked they’re far more vicious than other werebeasts. A werebear’s solemn personality is a cover for its monster-like nature. Lastly, werebears seem to carry a certain type of Authority over the other werebeasts, besides other werebears the other beasts will likely obey the command of one. Werebears have claws and extreme jaw strength like most werebeasts, however, they’re far slower than both werewolves and werecats. Their speed is about compared to a domesticated dog. With werebears being the least agile of all the werebeasts, as for their senses. They’re on par with werewolves, if not a little above. The most obvious ability of a werebear is their increased strength, they’re stronger than any other werebeast. Capable of plowing through thick stone walls, at their strongest. With their jaws capable of collapsing steel helmets with the skulls inside. These beasts are a force to be feared to armored and slower fighters. Just as the other beasts werebears also have a weakness to silver. Werebears prefer to hunt alone similarly to werecats, however, they can be around 2 or 3 other werebears. As they do enjoy the companionship.

Werebears are strong enough to break through thick stone at their full strength, have extremely keen senses, and are about the same speed as an above-average human. Their jaws can go right through plated armor without much effort. Werebears heal the fastest, as slashes and other flesh wounds visibly heal on their bodies, however, broken bones take far longer. Though they're capable of regaining limbs in a day should one be severed. The curse of the werebear cannot be spread more than once by 1 werebear. Assuming someone is infected by a werebear, unless that person dies the werebear cannot make another. Alongside this if a werebear manages to cut through the flesh of another werebear they infected, they can drain their curse. An ability that seems exclusive to them. Werebears can also not utilize magic or weaponry the same as other lunabeasts, they can use magic on the lowest level of the magic type. Alongside this they cannot wield weapons in half-beast or full-beast.

Half-form Werebears gain no boost in speed, and gain a minor boost in strength. One that allows them to break through up to 2in wood with ease, their senses are slightly amplified. Lastly their healing, a half-form werebear gains a minimal boost to their body's healing. Similar to that of a half-form werewolf, however a severed limb would instead take only 1 month instead of many.

#### **Origins**

It’s said that in Aurillia the night of the full moon was one to be feared, as the many beasts that would make that day the day of their hunt. These beasts were not any normal animals, no it isn’t that simple. These were the hosts of Lunabestia, the animals that stood on two legs, the sentient races of Aurillia turned no different than the countless vicious creatures that roamed the lands. There are many different strains of Lunabestia, and with their beast-like nature, their origins are surprising. Long ago, after the cataclysm, many noble houses and royal factions were attacked by bandits and rogues. Due to how to spread thin the soldiers of the kingdom were, not many of these houses had help, and as such there was one man. A man who managed the money depositories of the Aurillian empire’s noble factions, a dignified hunter. His house was hit the hardest, and he lost everything, his family, his home, his wealth, and even parts of himself. His very soul burned with hatred so large it imprinted onto his being, and as such Lunis came to him. Lunis’ face of hatred asked the man if he wanted to act on his hatred, and the noble agreed, he asked for the power of a beast. So that he could tear them all down like prey. Hatred agreed to this, on the condition that the treasures the Noble valued so much became poison to him, and the Noble accepted the condition. Thus making silver deadly to those who have the curse, placing it on similar grounds with vampirism in sharing a weakness. Becoming the first to inherit Lunabestia, the man-wolf. Due to the full brightened moon of the night, he was cursed, the curse itself became tied to the moon’s light. The curse is the Runic word “Lunabestia,” Unfortunately for the people of Aurillia, the tale of the hunter is not an uncommon one. There are countless myths revolving around a desperate hunter or a scorned tribal agreeing to a cursed deal that damned them to share their form with a beast. With this considered, it’s important to note that Lycanthropy is something of a misnomer, as those suffering from Lunabestia can take three forms. All forms, however, still bow to the might of the full moon. The first, most commonly, in the form of the Werewolf.