Werewolf

A **werewolf** is a demon that takes the form of a wolf, a predatory animal, albeit bestial form(s) and having a human guise. They are often described as being more powerful and dangerous than vampires, having superior strength, speed, regeneration, and resilience. Most werewolves rarely attack humans in the present day thanks to demon hunters looking for them, proving that they are better suited for coexistence with mankind.

## History

### Before *Blackbird*

Before Lemar Wolfblood or Blackbird, werewolves were plentiful. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, werewolves and vampires fought each other to near extinction. This allowed humanity to dominate the planet without much obstruction. To this day, werewolves remain prevalent, mainly due to them switching from eating humans to animals and keeping a low profile so as to not attract unwanted attention.
According to Blackbird’s records and archives of knowledge on every species of demons, lycanthropy itself can be traced back to Ancient Greece. According to mythology, a tyrannical king named Lycaon and his people in the city of Arcadia practiced cannibalism. One day, the Olympian King Zeus posed as a royal guest and was invited to a feast by the tyrant. Lycaon had an innocent slaughtered and their remains were given to Zeus on a silver platter, enraging the thunder god who punished Lycaon and everyone else present by turning them all into bloodthirsty half man, half wolf creatures.
In *Episode VI*, Lemar learned from his father Jürgen that after Lycaon and his cronies became wolfmen by Zeus, they spread lycanthropy amongst the Arcadians before the Great Deluge. Lycaon delved into black magic which allowed him near-unmatched regeneration and could also transform or manifest on him ‘mist-like’ form which gave him nigh-invulnerability and invincibility, proclaiming himself the “God/King of All Lycans” since he was the ancestor of the entire werewolf race. Afterwards, Lycaon’s only werewolf child along with his grandchildren were known as **Purebloods** who were born with lycanthropy, able to shapeshift, at will, from human to man-wolf hybrid, to giant wolves. Lycanthropy was spread by either attacking humans or breeding with mortals to create several generations of Purebloods. To attract as little attention as possible from all demon hunters, most Lycans ate animals as an alternative to humans for sustenance, contrary to vampires who remain dependent on human blood containing the essential life-force they need. Thus, werewolves were better suited to coexist with humanity while vampires cannot.

### *Blackbird*

From *Episodes I*, *II*, *III*, *IV*, and *V*, .
In *Episode VI*, .
In *Episode VII*, .
In *Episode VIII*, .
In *Episode IX*, .
In *Episode X*, .
In *Episode XI*, .
In *Episode XII*, .
In *Episode XIII*, .
In *Episode XIV*, .
In *Episode XV*, .
In *Episode XVI*, .

## Characteristics

Lycanthropes mostly appear human, but they have one thing in common: their eyes turn a bright golden yellow upon their initial transformation. When they transform, their bones will break and reform, their flesh will tear apart, and thick hair will sprout all over their bodies, covering it in a near-impenetrable hide. Their usual appearance is a demi-human, wolf-like creature with the head of a wolf, a prehensile bushy tail, canine digitigrade legs, and a soft but thick coat of fur accentuating the lycanthrope’s more powerful and sexy physique. They burn cholesterol when they transform, but returns when they turn human again. Fur color and patterns vary between individual lycanthrope, but the three most common colors are gray, black, and brown, but those like Jürgen Wolfblood are snow white in their bestial forms.
A werewolf’s ‘true form’ is a large wolf, about the size of a stallion, and in this state their physical capabilities are amplified to an unknown limit, surpassing even high-tier vampires. They are carnivorous beasts, requiring living or nonliving flesh as their only food source. Even though humans remain the staple for their diet, they nowadays eat animals as an alternative so as to not attract any demon hunters.
When it comes to reproduction, werewolves procreate the same way as humans and regular wolves. There is an estrus cycle in she-wolves which lasts from spring to summer. In this state, they will engage in lustful behavior so they can inevitably find a potential mate to satiate their heat. Only humans and other werewolves can impregnate werewolves, but for other species they simply satiate their heat cycle until it ends at the start of autumn. Once pregnant, a she-wolf is a mate for life for the human or werewolf who impregnates them.
Much like humans, werewolves rely on each other as a group, or **Pack**, depending on it for their survival lest they become insane and ravenous, devouring any living thing in their path. Lycans are known for their advanced strength and speed, predatory instincts, regenerative abilities, and insane durability. One becomes a werewolf by either their lycanthropic heritage or by surviving any and all injuries inflicted by a preexistent werewolf. They are also one of very few demons capable of mating with humans as much as each other, creating bloodlines lasting generations and even forming secret societies.

## Types of Werewolves

There are four types of Werewolves: **Omegas**, **Alphas**, **Purebloods**, and the one and only **Divine Werewolf**. This species, much like humans and regular wolves, are in a hierarchal operation, and are sapient enough to create small societies that live alongside humans without their knowledge.
Omegas are the typical and most common lycanthropes who involuntarily turn on the night of a full moon, or twice every month, and lack any self-control when they are in their bestial form. Humans become omega-level werewolves by surviving any and all injuries inflicted by a preexistent lycanthrope of the same status or a higher-tier, or if it is a curse placed upon them by supernatural means, i.e. magic, like Lycaon of Arcadia for example.
Alphas are werewolves who have either used magic and**/**or biologically time and place. They also retain complete self-control in their human and bestial forms, and practice ‘partial-transformation(s)’ at will like sprouting fur and even a large bushy tail. They can also manifest other wolf-like characteristics at will like eyes, ears, and fangs without completely changing into their bestial forms. It is unknown if this is due to magic or their natural biology.
Purebloods are biological werewolves whose lycanthropy remains dormant from birth until a certain age, granting them the same shapeshifting abilities as Alphas but with the same aggressive tendencies as Omegas, as seen in Lemar’s and Jade Green’s interactions. They are of a different class of their own as they are more powerful than their Alpha or Omega compatriots, and have a natural resistance to white magic.
Divine Werewolves are lycanthropes like King Lycaon or his direct descendants Jürgen Wolfblood, and to an extent his son Lemar, are revered as such and can not only turn at will from human to beast, but also into a sentient, ghostly white ‘mist’ that makes them intangible and invincible. This allows one to evade attacks and ‘erase’ any physical damage they receive and restoring their vitality and health during combat.

## Powers and Abilities

* **Lycanthropy**: Werewolves are demons that shapeshift interchangeably from their human guise to a half-human, half-wolf hybrid, to a large wolf the size of a stallion. They can also manifest visible wolf-like features and behavior while in their human form, amplified by intensive emotions like rage, lust, aggression, etc. Their physical abilities surpasses humans, and sometimes beyond high-tier vampires in their natural state.
	+ **Transformation/Partial-Transformation**: Typical Lycans turn from human to a half-human, half-wolf human hybrid based on lunar phases. Purebloods, however, can turn at will anytime, anywhere which makes them far more dangerous and unpredictable combatants. Divine werewolves can turn, at will, into and/or manifest a cloud of ghostly-white ‘mist’ of otherworldly properties that is intangible and invincible to attack.
		- **Claw/Fang Retraction**: Lycanthropes possess retractable claws and four canonical fangs that are used to tear flesh and metal with ease.
		- **Mist Form**: Divine werewolves like Lycaon, Jürgen, and Lemar can turn, at will, into a cloud of sentient, incorporeal ‘mist’ which makes them invincible and intangible to attack. They cannot, however, attack while in this form, meaning they must have some corporeality to deal damage.
			* **Mist Shield**: Jürgen and his son Lemar—being half (divine) werewolf—used their ‘mist’ abilities to shield attack while still being in their humanoid forms.
			* **Elasticity and Flight**: Using their ‘mist’ abilities, Lemar and Jürgen could extend or distort, at will, their physical shapes to evade attacks while enhancing their own. They can also use their ‘mist’ form/abilities to achieve flight, and at great speeds.
* **Regeneration/Semi-Immortality**: Werewolves are legendary for their regenerative abilities, allowing them to recover from injuries that would otherwise kill mortals. This extends to slowing down their aging once they reach their physical peak, allowing them to live beyond humans, but not eternally like vampire. Their regenerative powers also extend to pathogens, disease, and gases which kill mortals. For example, Jade Green was able to recover from a bullet wound to the head and a fatal gunshot wound to the stomach in mere seconds. Werewolves can also survive dismemberment and from intensive burns to nonvital areas of the body. Decapitation, however, is an injury they cannot survive, making it an instant kill. They can also die by getting set ablaze, i.e. nullifying their regeneration. Magic can be used to repair themselves at a faster rate, or for Divine Werewolves they can turn into ‘mist’ to instantaneously repair even fatal damage at will.
* **Predatory/Killing Instinct**: Lycans have predatory instincts, living and hunting in packs. For Purebloods, they possess complete self-control and sapience in their bestial forms, making them one of the most powerful and dangerous demons in the Blackbird Universe.
* **Extrasensory**: A werewolf’s senses and cognition are far more acute than mortals. Their nose alone allows them to track and hunt down specific targets over long distances, even if they have been worn out over time. They can detect the faintest heartbeat and breath, the rustle of clothing, and the movement of insects flying in the air with their preternatural hearing. They can also see in near-total darkness, and can react to bullets midflight, even at pointblank range.
* **Super Strength and Speed**: Lycans possess strength and speed beyond mortals and most other demons like vampires. As mentioned in *Episode VI*, werewolves move faster than the mortal eye can perceive, and they can crush bone and metal with ease. They vary in size and weight, and that their strength is not affected by either their humanoid or bestial forms.
	+ **Enhanced Jaws**: Werewolves possess powerful jaws which can easily break bone and crush metal, like tearing most conventional and unconventional weapons apart like when Green was able to tear the barrel of Lemar’s Desert Eagles with her teeth.
* **Unnatural Agility and Reflexes**: Lycans have unrivaled agility and speed, giving them an advantage over mortals like dodging bullets, even automatic gunfire, or traveling at multiple directions.
* **Enhanced Resilience/Durability**: Werewolves are resilient and durable compared to mortals and vampires, and cannot be killed by conventional means.
	+ **Tough Skin**: In World War II, Lycans were revealed to have skin so tough that it resisted against Cody Harris’ monomolecular wires which can slice cleanly through steel with ease.
	+ **Resilient Fur**: Their fur is like Kevlar, able to absorb projectiles and thrust-based attacks, with only blessed silver or other unconventional weaponry were able to circumvent it.
* **Ultimate Stamina and Endurance**: Werewolves rarely get exhausted, fighting for hours or even days without slowing down. They can endure more pain and physical punishment than humans, thanks to their natural durability and ultimate regeneration. Only a killing move or by inflicting a significant debilitating injury can stop them, let alone defeat them.

## Weaknesses

### Blessed silver and holy weaponry

Silver, as long as it is blessed with a prayer, can kill demons including werewolves (unless they are a transcendental one). Along with vampires and ghouls , holy weaponry is very effective against lycanthropes as it could slow down their regeneration or even nullify it completely.

### Lack of self-control

Omegas lack any self-control once they are in their bestial form. These are the most common type of lycanthrope which involuntarily transform only three nights every month based during a full moon. The lack of self-control and the beast surfaces is a staple to teaching humanity self-control and morality. If a demon hunter exploits a Lycan’s lack of self-control, they can be slain if said person or people have the correct tools to do such a task.

### Decapitation and dismemberment

Typical and even high-tier werewolves will die if the head is severed from the body. Dismemberment of the rest to its body is a sufficient way to temporarily immobilize them, especially if it leads to decapitation. Werewolves, however, can only be harmed by blessed silver or other types of weaponry.

### Fire and magic

It is mentioned that fire can negate a werewolf’s ability to regenerate, and they can be killed if they are completely set ablaze or if a vital area is set ablaze. It is also revealed that magic could affect a werewolf’s regenerative powers to the point that they could die, but most werewolves are resistant to its effects, as seen with Jade Green or Jürgen Wolfblood.

### Wolfsbane

In *Episode XII*, wolfsbane is dangerous to werewolves, but it is not fatal without adding magic to it. Transcendent werewolves like Jürgen Wolfblood or his hybrid son Lemar, to an extent, are completely immune to wolfsbane, with magic or not. It is also one of the ingredients to making the Twilight Virus created created specifically in an attempt to kill Lemar by Dr. Igor Frankenstein and the Phoenix Organization.

## Known Werewolves

* King Lycaon (mentioned only, primordial/transcendent/divine)
* Jürgen Wolfblood (Transcendent)
* Lemar Wolfblood (Vampire-Werewolf Hybrid, Transcendent)
* Jade Green (Pureblood)

## Trivia

* When asked what happens if a werewolf injures a vampire and vice versa, Lemar said, “Lycanthropy and Vampirism are like oil and water, they don’t mix. In battle, two outcomes occur: the first one is that a vampire could familiarize werewolves, which is incredibly rare; and the other and more likely outcome is that a werewolf will tear and eat the vampire like prey with no detrimental effects.”
* Unbridled coitus and lust has been a staple for animalistic, and oftentimes demonic, behavior which is represented in lycanthropy, as Jade Green puts it: “…letting the Beast go, letting go of control, something which destroys humans, but not us [Lycans] as we are anything but natural…”
* The author David S. Rodriguez says that he was inspired by countless iterations of lycanthropy and pop cultural references. He personally says: “Werewolves to me are a symbol for our greatest strength and our deepest weakness, a tool for good and evil. When Lycans become bloodthirsty beasts then lycanthropy is a curse, but if used to combat malevolence without succumbing to its temptations, then it is a gift left to be desired. Werewolves can he antiheroes or villains, depending on the storyteller, and personally I love to use them as sapient bloodthirsty beasts who want nothing more than to exist.”

## Works Cited

* Delahoyde, Michael A. “Werewolves.” *Washington State University*, Web. 4 Oct. 2012, https://public.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/werewolves.html. Accessed 10 July 2019.
* “Werekin.” *Hellsing Wiki*, FANDOM powered by Wikia, Web. https://hellsing.fandom.com/wiki/Werekin. Accessed 28 March 2019.
* “Werewolf.” *Supernatural Wiki*, FANDOM powered by Wikia, Web. https://supernatural.fandom.com/wiki/Werewolf. Accessed 28 March 2019.