Werecreatures

## Overview

Most people on Womura - and indeed most people on Earth - believe that werecreatures only turn on the full moon. On Womura at least, this isn't quite the case - they turn every night and for the most part keep their higher faculties, and only during the full moon do they go feral. Werecreatures are the first people you would look for if you had questions about farming, herbalism and other such nature-based topics, as they are very in touch with themselves, each other and the environment. Just be careful - their bite is just as bad as their bark.

## Description

Werecreatures come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and are usually either very secretive or very dangerous, so averages on height and build cannot be made for the entire race; however most people have come to note that the more "social" subrace called werecanines (wolves, dogs etc.) are of athletic build and middle height. The rest of the description will be of werecanines due to their greater presence and lack of data pertaining to any other subrace.

Their human forms are scruffy with thick, often unruly or tufted hair, that tends to be shoulder-length or longer. Males often have beards and body hair unless they rigorously groom themselves. Their skin is often pale yet flushed due to the cold climate of the Fyrn islands, paling further the closer to the south pole they live. Their eye colour range is similar to humans' but, like dogs' eyes, shine white when light is reflected off them. Their ears are pointed but not to the same length as elf ears.

Their hair colour reflects that of their fur when in their beast form, which is typically very thick to protect against the harsh winds, though elderly werecreature fur is thinner. The head of a werecreature's beast form is that of the animal off which it is based, but looks "meaner" with a more furrowed brow and a perpetual grimace, which is especially the case for werewolves. Their muscles, hands and feet (or rather footpaws) are large, and their digits are tipped with vicious claws, their jaws lined with mean fangs. Werecreatures are not, however, innately mean.

## Culture

### Physical

They do groom themselves like humans, but their hair growth is faster and so they don't care to put much time into cutting or shaving as it just grows back anyway. For this reason it's not uncommon for werecreature women to be seen with body hair and/or stubble and nor is it culturally reprehensible.

It's also not uncommon for werecreatures to bear some sort of emblem related to their pack on their person - a pendant on a necklace, a brooch, or even a tattoo for more diehard members. For example, Björn Vikström has a tattoo of the Vittm­ån (Whitemoon) pack emblem: a wolf's head bracketed by leaves and berries.

Werecanines like to gather in packs, with an alpha

### Spiritual

Generally werecreatures believe in the gods and goddesses related to nature or natural things, and beyond that, they believe the animal off which they are based have a special sort of bond with them, some even calling it a guardianship.

### Mythical

Werecreatures often believe in the elvish myth that there is a great oak tree that marks the place of the Guardian of Earth's death and that sustains all life in Womura. They also believe that all of the subraces were originally from one ancestor that could shapeshift into various beastly forms, but then used arcane means to split his different forms amongst his children.

### Environmental

Werecreatures are undoubtedly the most environmentally-aware race in Womura. They don't leave any sort of waste. Sewage is used in compost (the stink masked with a simple spell) and they only use just enough material to get whatever the job is done, with no leftovers. This includes food, though if there are somehow leftovers they eat it at some other time or use it in compost.

While werecreatures are adept at farming both crops and livestock and fend off any potential predators of their cows and chickens, they also partake in regular mass-hunts for the sake of population control more than anything. These hunts are usually for deer, boar and other larger creatures, but squirrels and rabbits have been known to mysteriously disappear after a full moon.

## Magic

Werecreatures are as magically powerful as humans, at 1kFx. However, this is subject to fluctuation based on their proximity to nature; industrial settings such as any dwarven city will seriously hamper their ability to perform magic. That's why they like to carry around small potted plants or keep travelling pets when they know they're in for the long haul through a heavily developed area.