#nessierp

HISTORY.

The first of these beings were born from humanity's first brushes with magic, when humankind had just started to form civilizations thousands of years ago. Their histories are human histories, for the most part, given that to live as a werecreature is to walk two paths at once: person and beast. Of the five forms, we know that at least two — the wolves and the hyenas — originated from curses from outside influences (or, in the case of the hyenas, self-imposed), but the origins of the other three are largely attributed to witches with unique bonds to transformative magics that drifted apart from witch ways to forge their own.

IN LYONESSE.

Each kind of werecreature comes from a different walk of life and oftentimes an entirely different part of the world. The wolves were the first through the gates, but the nahuales and tigers followed soon after. It wasn't until the 19th century that any bears or hyenas were documented in the city.

The nahuales' connection to magic was what brought the first group of them to Lyonesse, hailing from Central America but intrigued by the possibilities of dimensional travel that the gates presented. It wasn't long before the mage leader of that group became interested in a more permanent presence in the city in the early 14th century, leaving a few trusted members of his family — the ones who would later stake their claim on New Aztlán — to learn more about the supernatural beings they had never previously interacted with.

The wolves did not initially demand a council seat when they began to immigrate to the city, chased out of their villages by angry humans — no, instead a pack tried to start a new settlement on the far side of the Morroi forest without notifying the council. The colony was disbanded by the council after many negotiations with the leadership of the pack, though there is reason to believe threats were levied against the wolves because of the dangers of exploring and occupying land so far from the safety of the gates. It was at this point that the wolves gained a seat on the council.

The tigers, hyenas, and bears do not have a strong enough presence in the city as of yet to have much interest in political power. They mainly keep to themselves.

FACTS.

SHARED ABILITIES.

PHYSICALITY.

All werecreatures possess enhanced senses and superhuman strength and speed, even in their human forms. Many individual werecreatures can go toe-to-toe with other powerful species, such as the fae or the vampire, depending on their control of their abilities. A lone opponent rarely has a chance against more than one werecreature.

SHAPESHIFTING.

Beings of dual natures, werecreatures have a human form and a beast form. Their ability to transform themselves between the two comes with certain conditions, depending on the specifics of their lineage (see individual lore sections for more details), but one constant remains: the transformation of man to beast and back again. Some can partially shift, gaining more noticeable predatory traits (i.e. fangs, claws, glowing eyes, colorations and hair patterns). An intentional partial shift is not an easy feat, and usually only experienced werecreatures or those of significant power can accomplish and maintain such a thing. Younger and less trained weres may partially shift in response to traumas, unexpected stimuli, or overwhelming emotions.

HEALING.

All werecreatures have a greater control over their physical systems which allows them to magically change forms, but this also extends to controlling other body processes — most notably, healing. Though their healing abilities are not as strong as dragons or vampires, many can concentrate their energy into rapid healing from severe injuries. This can give them the time they need to seek medical attention or bring them back from the brink of death, but will run out of steam depending on therity of the injury. It's an imperfect process.

INTERSPECIES RELATIONS.

Werecreatures have a natural affinity for other shapeshifters, though this notably does not extend to the trickster fae who tend to shapeshift into other humanoid forms. Though they are not naturally opposed to vampires, vampires have a mistrust of them that has exacerbated tensions between the species at different points in history.

In general, the more reclusive or solitary weres are wary of other beings, even in the city. That being said, weretigers have had certain... misunderstandings with yōkai in the past, as have werebears with the nahual shifters of the Americas.

MYTHS.

These things do not apply:

All werecreatures are forced to shift on the night of the full moon. That's a werewolf thing. Short end of the stick, huh?

The bites of werecreatures are toxic to vampires. Nah, but they'll still hurt and cause significant damage.

They're the natural predators of vampires. Someone really should be, but werecreatures may or may not have significant beef with their local covens.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

CAN A WERECREATURE GET DRUNK/HIGH?

Alcohol and drugs must be consumed in large quantities to affect a werecreature because of their heightened metabolism. Their effects also burn off much faster than they do in humans. Magical substances can affect werecreatures much more easily than normal substances, but they still have a stronger tolerance to their effects than humans do.

NAHUALES & WEREPANTHERS.

FACTS.

Nahuales are a mortal species with an extended lifespan (~250-300 years) with a deep connection to ancestral magics, including those of transformation and mediumship. They are classed as werecreatures for their ability to shapeshift from man to jaguar. They cannot be differentiated from non-magical jaguars when transformed. Their power comes from a spiritual connection to the worlds around and beyond them, a severed tie in magical practice between the nahual and the witch.

Only those born with a certain daysign, according to the tōnalpōhualli, are born nahual. According to nahual spiritual belief, the daysign acts with a person's tonalli — one third of a mortal's "soul" — to determine their characteristics and destiny. Because of this, being born to a nahual does not guarantee that the child will inherit the gift, as it always depends on daysign — and astrology is sacred to these beings to such a degree that natural mating cycles have evolved to favor the births of those with nahual signs. A mortal may be born without the ability to transform but still be destined to become a nahual; they must be bitten. Those who are bitten and not meant for the gift will die.

NOTE: Because of this species' mythos and significance in modern spiritual practice and cultural studies, nahuales must be portrayed by face claims with some indigenous roots in Mesoamerica.

ABILITIES.

NEPANTLA.

Sensitive to the comings and goings of magic, nahuales have the power not only to sense places of power but to traverse liminal spaces. The nepantla is a place neither here nor there — neither shadow nor shining. Chaos is in constant lurch around all living things, but it can get caught here and there, folded over itself, confused. It is these spaces — dimensional portals, djinn entrapments, ruptures in time, the cosmic branches of all world trees, those worlds which are not for mortal eye to behold — which can be accessed with easy by the nahual, drawn to their energy but unaffected by their capricious magical natures. Some say this makes nahuales the lightest of all creatures on their feet, hardest to detect when they are unwilling to be found. Others consider this a mark of just how dangerous they can be, a reason to stay away for fear of being drawn into the twilight neitherworld.

MEDIUMSHIP.

It is said that a nahual never dies. Linked together through time and past death, nahuales can communicate with their ancestors. This mental link develops over time, and will be stronger in some than others. They are extremely vulnerable when reaching out with their tonalli to the dead, and they can only communicate with other nahuales in this manner lest they risk their own lives.

SHAPESHIFTING.

Unburdened by the curse of the wolves or hyenas, nahuales are free to shift when they please, though they may be compelled to transform by offensive magic or intense emotional responses. Their extra connections to magic make them the fastest werecreatures in shifting from one form to the next.

WEAKNESSES.

MORTALITY.

Nahuales are susceptible to human disease and fatal injury, though their longevity is in part bolstered by their healing abilities. Excessive trauma and prolonged illness can still kill them, as can magical attacks.

TZITZIMITL.

Named for bonemonsters of the stars from Aztec myth but known by many names, the tzitzimitl manifests first as trouble with vision before worsening into blindness. It is caused by long stays in the nepantla. Time passes differently there with every voyage, so the risk of overstaying is one that cannot be understated. After the onset of the blindness, the nahual will begin to lose other senses until they become trapped and convinced that they are being burned alive. The worst time to travel the nepantla is during a solar eclipse, as it is almost certain that a nahual will suffer the tzitzimitl immediately upon their return. Cures for this illness are yet unknown.

WEREPANTHERS.

Werepanthers (also called werepumas or werecougars, as their form more closely resembles a cougar than a jaguar) are descended from nahuales but have a more tenuous connection to their ancestral magics due to colonization and the eradication of native cultures in the Americas. As such, they resemble other werecreatures who have lost all of their magical abilities save the power of transformation.

ORGANIZATION & SOCIETY.

Nahuales strongly prefer to live among humans and tend to be very open about their true natures with other beings, in contrast to many other species that prefer to keep their existence secret. Because of this, and the rarity of new nahuales, they do not have a rigid social structure outside of those imposed by humans, such as nuclear or extended families that live in the same home and small social circles. They often occupy places of importance in their communities and make excellent leaders. In Lyonesse, they have integrated themselves with all kinds of supernatural structures.

Notable astronomical events bring nahuales together for festivities or simple communal observance, as these are moments when the spirits of the ancestors are the most active — the dead may compel the nahuales they have communicated with to seek out their still-living loved ones, which leads to larger gatherings.

WEREWOLVES.

FACTS.

Werewolves are a mortal species with an extended lifespan who have the ability to shapeshift from man to wolf. Essentially, their first shift begins to slow down to their aging, allowing them to live up to 150 years of age. Once a werewolf reaches 100, they begin to age more quickly and feel less of a need to shift to their wolf form. Most werewolves that pass away of natural causes have stopped shifting completely for at least 15 years or more.

With regard to their origins, werewolves are a species that are either born or turned. No cursed wolves have been created since at least 1879. Born werewolves experience their first shift around puberty, usually between the ages of 13 and 16. Despite being born a werewolf, those that are born still experience the sickness that comes with the days leading up to their first shift. Born werewolves are more naturally inclined to have better control than turned werewolves.

Werewolves are easily distinguishable from normal wolves, being much bigger than any normal wolf. Their fur can be any natural wolf coat colors, regardless of their human form's coloration.

ABILITIES.

SHAPESHIFTING.

The full shift can be enacted at will, except on the full moon. It’s usually a quick but uncomfortable or even painful process. Alphas are usually the fastest at their shifts, but it isn't entirely unheard of for lower ranked wolves to be able to shift from man to wolf in the blink of an eye. Significant injuries will make the shift more dangerous and painful. Transformations that are forced (i.e. the full moon, alpha command, or magic-induced) are extremely painful to the individual, but intentional shifts can eventually become less painful. Many wolves choose to shift well before the full moon to avoid a forced shift.

WEAKNESSES.

THE FULL MOON.

The full moon is a shackle that werewolves can never escape, forcing their kind to transform for the duration of every full moon for the rest of their lives. During the night of the full moon, the majority of werewolves (including all but the most powerful alphas and betas) are more beast than man, increasing the risk they pose to creatures of all species. On the days leading up to the full moon, werewolves are often restless and irritable.

SILVER & WOLFSBANE.

Both substances can be fatal to a werewolf if ingested/injected or through prolonged exposure. Wolfsbane can induce vomiting, dizziness, general weakness (shifting becomes near impossible), and in some rare cases, drive a werewolf mad. Silver burns on contact and is most commonly used in restraints. Older werewolves are more likely to develop some resistance to wolfsbane and silver.

MORTALITY.

Werewolves can survive most injuries that would kill a human, thanks to their healing ability, but would not survive the most traumatic, such as fatal damage to the heart, decapitation, explosion, etc.

LOSS OF A MATE.

The unexpected death of a mate can drive a wolf so deep into despair that they become gravely ill.

MAGIC.

Werewolves are very susceptible to magic, especially magic that ties to the moon and rituals that are completed during the night of the full moon.

THE TURN.

To become a werewolf, one must be bitten during the week of the full moon. The higher the attacking wolf is in the pack hierarchy, the better the chance the individual has of surviving the transformation. This transformation happens on the next full moon, but the victim will endure a long and strange illness for the entire month between. Those bitten have a high chance of the transformation killing them or driving them insane.

ORGANIZATION & SOCIETY.

Werewolves congregate in pack structures like their natural kin. Packs are often full of related wolves, depending on their history and the amount of territory they occupy. However, regardless of blood relation — pack is, in most situations, family.

ALPHAS.

Packs are led by an alpha pair. Alphas can be of any gender, as the position is determined by power and ability rather than by any specific biological factors. Magic, stemming from the original curse, is what gives the alpha ranking its authority. Female alphas are highly revered in werewolf culture. Alphas are identifiable by the bright, illuminating glow of their eyes when partially or fully transformed; it is also easy to identify an alpha amongst other wolves of their pack due to the social deference they command.

When it comes to succession to alpha status, such a title is usually bestowed based upon respect rather than strictly inherited. Should an alpha die before naming a successor, the alpha rank is conferred to the next strongest wolf in the pack, usually one of the betas. Pack elders are often involved in this decision should the previous alpha face an untimely demise.

BETAS.

Known as the seconds in command to the alpha, betas are responsible for helping enforce the alpha’s rules. They can be any gender. Their main concerns are pack security and safety as well as ensuring the alpha's orders are followed.

None of the betas have power over another, though many will defer to older and wiser members of the pack.

PACK ELDERS.

Elders have been with their packs for a very long time, guiding and caring for the younger generations. Soemtimes they're parents or adoptive family of the core pack members (alphas and betas) — other times there's no specific familial tie; either way, they're always gramps or auntie or baba. Respect for the elders is expected, though they may not have any official position of authority and they may not even still be turning members of the pack. The respect they are owed doesn't come from social pressures so much as it comes from the roles they typically fill in the pack as connections to pack ancestors and caretakers of the young.

LONE WOLVES & ROGUE WOLVES.

Lone wolves are rare, and do not thrive outside of pack life.

Rogue wolves are outcasts, labeled as such for an infraction among their pack and/or the werewolf community (putting others in danger, disobeying their alpha, intentionally biting humans to change them, etc.). Wolves may also be described as rogue if they have gone mad from wolfsbane exposure or from forced transforming. These wolves, reduced to predator instincts and mad with rage, are sentenced to death in Lyonesse. A local alpha, pack elder, or in extreme cases, the council all have the authority to carry out the sentence.

MATES.

Wolves take partnerships very seriously, as any mated pair may eventually break off from a pack to build their own. The mating bond is equivalent to marriage within a pack; in fact, in Lyonesse mating carries the same legal connotations and recognition as marriage as of the 1925 Ritual Partnership Act.