PACK LIFE EXPECTATIONS ,
Since this is an original shifter roleplay pumped up on steroids with a ton of creativity, we are sure you have a ton of questions about how pack life in general works. Below you will find our guidelines which will hopefully answer most if not all of your questions. If you are still confused about something feel free to contact an admin. If you are wondering, we took inspiration from Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause, The Silver Wolf by Alice Borchardt, and the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs.
GENERAL SHIFTER BEHAVIOR ,
Oddly enough, a shifter's life is fairly normal. They are identical to humans in every way, shape, and form except for the fact that they can transform into a wolf-like creature. A pup will be unaware of his dominate gene until he is at the age of puberty. At that time a pup will begin the early stages of shifting. Their senses may suddenly peak, their teeth may become feral, they may begin to sprout hair all over their body. Once these signs occur the full shift into wolf form will take place at the next full moon - and the wolf will wake up. Most describe this as another consciousness, some name it - ex: "Brother Wolf" - but it cannot be described as anything other than two beings sharing one body. The wolf could not exist without the human, but the human could not exist without the wolf.
This is the only time in a lycan's life where they will be forced to shift by the moons light. After their first initial shift a werewolf may change between their skins (human and wolf) at will. The lycans in our story do not imprint. Love and dedication take time to develop, they are not instant. Instead we have mating. No, we are not talking about sex. We are talking about mates. To take a mate is to take that partner for life. It is a much stronger bond then that of marriage. A marriage can be broken. The only way to separate mates is to kill one. We are not saying that mates are forever loyal because lycans are still partly human. They make many mistakes. We are however saying that mates are partners for life and cannot be switched, so choose wisely.Β
The pack hierarchy is important and the ranks are to be obeyed. The alpha has the right to punish any lycan who breaks the rules. Think of it as employment. The boss is in charge and if you screw the pooch then you could get fired; but instead of being let go, in the shifter world you could lose your life. A family environment aka a pack is the instinctual goal of a shifter, just like marriage and reproduction are the goals of humans. Yes, lycans do want kids. Yes, they want wives or/and mates. Yes, they want big houses and they want to be successful. Damn, they want a lot. Basically, they have the moral goals and values of regular boring humans.Β
GENERAL SHIFTER DIETS ,
Since a shifter is practically a human they can and will eat just about anything humans do. They may eat breakfast, they probably eat lunch, and who the hell ever skips dinner? Seriously now, come on. Wolves like McDonalds just as much as the next person. A lycan will have the same reaction to raw meat that a human would when in their skin; however when a shifter takes the form of a wolf (skin is to human as fur is to wolf, aka when they take their fur form) that is a different story. They have the hunting instincts of a wolf yet they still posses the brain of their human self. In other words, a lycan would know exactly what they were doing if they were to attack a friend. When in wolf form, they simply prefer the chase of the hunt and the taste of their kill. It is not uncommon for a lycan pack to establish a set date when the members come together in order to hunt. It's thrilling to them.
DEATH DO WE PART,
The rumor about lycans living to be over 200 years old is a myth. A shifter has the usual human life span. They could live until they are ninety or they could be killed in a car accident tomorrow. Fate and destiny do not overlook the wolf people. They are all apart of the life circle, there is no changing that. True, a shifter does have tougher skin even in human form however that does not mean a bullet will simply bounce off their chest. A lycan can die if they are shot in the head or the heart. A lycan can die if they are stabbed in the heart. A shifter will burn and they can drown. Basically, if something can kill a human it can kill a shifter. Of course there is one exception to that rule. For some reason, many of the blood diseases that humans can transmit or posses do not spread into the lycans' blood. For that reason, they are immune to most but not all. When dealing with their own blood, lycans almost always use their healers instead of a hospital or clinic. If blood does not have to be taken then a shifter will resort to human health care.
WHEN IN WOLF FORM ,
When a lycan chooses to shift several things occur. First of all shifting is not painless. The stories of werewolves changing form as if they are breathing is not accurate to an extent. Yes, it is simple for them to shift between forms, yet it is not without searing pain. Think of ripping flesh making way for fur, bone structures altering in order to withstand the new body form, sensations firing. Oh no, shifting is not without pain. It hurts tremendously although it's the type of addiction pain they need. Use drug addicts as an example. They are hurting their body tremendously but it doesn't matter all they care about is their fix. Second, their fur form is that of a wolf. There are no giant killer wolves who hunt vampires, no wolves that walk on two legs, and no hideous monster wolves. They look like regular old wolves that you would expect to find in national parks - they just weigh what they would in their skin. A 200 lb man would be a 200 lb wolf. They are colored as real wolves would be colored. Keep in mind that not every wolf is pure black or pure white. Most wolves are a range of blondes, white, greys, black, tans, ect. Their eye color is usually blue or gold - one can tell a shift is close when a shifter's eyes bubble gold.
They remember everything they do while in fur form and they have some control of their bodies, but when in their fur it is usually the wolf who is running the show. Most of the time, the human and the wolf share the same goals. When they do not, madness usually takes - that is why wolves who do not shift regularly run the risk of madness.Β
Wolves are very adamant about their hierarchy. Their first instinct is to submit to the more dominant wolves who possesses a rank. They are also very playful creatures. They are social and like to be around others. They bite, nip, playfully wrestle, spar, growl, snarl, kill, lick, crave raw meat, and long to run like the wind. It is recommended that you read up on the nature of wolves or at least visit a wolf roleplay where they provide guides.Β
Predatory is not strict about all the hierarchy standards of wolves. We just touch on the basics. However, while in wolf form however your character cannot speak as a human would. In fact they will rely on pure body language to interact with others. As the roleplay progresses links will be provided for examples on how to do this. The only exception to this is the alpha, but he can only talk to the pack, not the other way around, and then communication is done in images and memories, in feelings and instincts, not words. As always, if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to pm an admin.Β
SHIFTER PREGNANCIES ,
Shifter mothers are not as common as one may think. It is notary, exactly, because lycan packs are everywhere. It is, however, far easier to have a child with a human mother then a female that has the urge to shift. Why is this? Continue reading. As is imaginable, an embryo cannot withstand the structure or species change of the mother's body. It is far too much stress in the first trimester. A shifter mother must resist the full moon for proximately three months. If they cannot resist and do change within their first trimester the baby will not survive and the shift will directly result in a miscarriage. As the baby develops and grows stronger in the second trimester shifting for the mother is possible, however at the baby's risk. If the baby does not have the lycan gene and the mother changes (a human baby cannot sustain life in a wolf uterus) the chances of the uncommon second trimester miscarriage or the morbid still birth increase up to 90%. If the child does have the shifter gene, it is very possible. Shifter mothers, especially those with human partners, are immensely strong because majority of them have to resist nine full moons because they don't want to risk harming their child. That in itself is a rare occurrence because after not shifting for so long, the risk of madness is great - and a mother that succumbs will have to be put to death. There are no known rogue women who have survived a human / shifter pregnancy. Usually, the ones who survive are under the care of an alpha, who controls pack bonds well enough to stem the madness before the mother succumbs.
Nothing is certain for a human child without the gene may not survive a shift. Because the gene is recessive, if both parents are wolves, the child will be a wolf. However, a human / lycan mating can never be completely trusted to bring a lycan child.
Overall, a shifters' pregnancy is just like any other. The mother will have food cravings, she will be grouchy, morning sickness may occur, and she will need multiple check ups with her healers. When the mother gives birth it will obviously be in their skin, hopefully at a hospital. On an additional note, we don't want ten random pregnancies popping up. You'll need to speak with an admin if you want your character to remain pregnant and potentially have a child.
