Werecreatures

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**Werecreatures**, also known as **Therianthropes**, **Therians** or **Zooanthropus**, are humans who are able to transform into a specific animal. The transformation into animals seems to be painless eventually, but can be painful at first. It also has a physical effect on the person whilst in human form.

Werecreatures are the rulers of Lyssia that can change into various animal forms. The males are known as **Werelords** and the females are known as **Wereladies**. Werecreatures usually mate with other Werecreatures, but on some occasions they will mate with a human. The offspring will usually inherit the shape-shifting ability.

The paternal line is the main factor in inheriting Therianthropy, but on very rare occasions the maternal line will become the dominant one; Casper is so far the only known Werelord who inherited his Therianthropy from his mother, the werehawk Lady Shah, while his father, Count Vega (Earth 1), is a wereshark.

## Overview

The main difference from regular humans (other than the shape-shifting) is the capability of rapidly healing wounds that would be fatal for a normal person, although if enough injuries are sustained, they could die. Injuries from a fight among Werecreatures can also be fatal, and the death is immediate if they're decapitated or stabbed in the heart.

The biggest weakness to all Werecreatures is silver, an injury cannot be healed immediately, a well aimed blow can be fatal and not even the strongest skins are immune to getting pierced. Silver restraints prevent Werecreatures from transforming, and if they try they could severe their limbs or even get decapitated. Silver is so deadly to Werelords that during the reign of Wergar, it was outlawed, its mining being punishable by death and possession of silver items could be punished with a life in prison. The Catlords of Bast don't share the same thoughts about silver, King Leopold allowed some elite soldiers of the Lionguard to own silver-blessed weapons.

## Origin

The origin of Werecreatures is currently uncertain. At least one pack of werewolves' origin is described in their tribe's legends of Spirit Warriors, as one day a man left his body in spirit and was forced to share the body of a wolf nearby after his own body was stolen by another spirit. Then he was able to transform back into human through the wolf. His children and descendants were afterwards able to shape-shift into werewolves too, and would do so whenever danger threatened them, their families or the tribe. However it is not known if this myth is true or not, and whether other Werecreatures were originally people who left their bodies in spirit form and shared the body with an animal. Some other tribes share similar legends, while others have none.

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Being a Werecreature seems genetic in most cases, inherited even from only one side of the family. However, weretigers are known to also be able to pass the species on with a scratch or a bite. None of the other Werecreatures do this, although their distant cousins Children of the Moon do. In some species a particular trigger is needed for an individual to begin phasing, such as anger or the presence of a vampire nearby. The first phasing also tends to occur at around puberty, or in one's teens or early twenties. If the transformation is not triggered by this age, the trait will usually skip by that generation.

## Appearance

The appearance of Werecreatures can vary. However they are born as humans and have the capability to phase into their Wereform after they have reached adulthood. The transformation is shown to be quick, for any Werecreature, and each person can shapeshift into only one type of Werecreature, as the capability of doing so is inherited. A hybrid has once been shown to form when two different species of Werecreatures mate to create a new species of Werecreature. However, on another occasion one species turned out to be dominant, and was the one which passed on to the next generation. This could have been because one gene was more dominant than the other, or because one parent was an Alpha while the other was not.

The human form appears mostly normal, but they tend to be particularly strong and muscular, even without any effort to put weight or musculature on. Many species are also immortal while they phase, stuck appearing in their mid-twenties. If they are younger than this in phasing, they will age rapidly to reach this physical age. There is a tendency for werewolves to be of Native American descent, although it isn't essential, and werelions tend to have blonde or ginger hair in their human form too.

In their Wereform, a Werecreature usually resembles the natural creature, but is often larger. Their coloring is usually natural, too.

## Werecreature Gifts

Werecreatures have been shown to possess several superhuman gifts. When transforming into their Werecreature form, some creatures have certain qualities than no other form of shapeshifter will have. Werewolves have shown the capability of communicating telepathically within their pack, as well as Werelions, but on a weaker scale. Werebears have shown the capability to curl up into a ball in order resist physical attack, and the ability to hibernate. All Werecreatures have shown the capability to pass on their species through a bite or scratch as well as through genetics.

All Werecreatures, however, have enhanced speed, strength and senses, which are further enhanced in their were-form but also still displayed in human form. They can also often heal rapidly, and have a high resistance against illness and different drugs. Some Werecreatures have a higher than normal body temperature, which gives an immunity to cold and wet conditions.

Within Werewolves and Werelions, most packs and prides have a designated hereditary leader, termed an Alpha. This Alpha can command the others, over-riding their will, making it actually physically impossible to do otherwise. The only person who could defy these commands would be a rival Alpha within the pack, and this is rare.