Difference between revisions of "Werewolf"

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[[File:Werewolf_Pack.png|thumb|370px|A pack of wolfmen led by a larger werewolf.]]
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[[File:Werewolf_Pack.png|thumb|450px|A pack of werewolves showing two of their different forms.]]
  
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As in [[Shifters|the past]], werewolves remain the most powerful kind of [[Shifter-kin|Shifter-kin]], though they now bear a unique and horrifying curse. Their power varies with the type of werewolf the individual becomes, as well as the power of the individual himself. Regardless of this, they are among the most powerful and feared monsters in all of Midgard.
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Among the most feared of all monsters are shapeshifting beasts of emptiness and desolation, their howls heard by the full moon. This horror goes by many different names, but perhaps it is best known as the werewolf or the lycanthrope: a [[Men|man]] who bears the [[curse]] of lycanthropy. Not much is known of them, and they are incredibly rare, so much of the information included here could also be taken as speculation, as the levels of their power and the unpredictability and degree of their transformations have yet to be fully understood.
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==Types==
 
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Werewolves vary in size, power, and even in degree of wolfishness. They are unique on the individual level and also vary in appearance according to the level of power of the werewolf who infected them, but there are also different levels of wolfishness to which an individual may transform. The most powerful werewolves undergo an extensive transformation, becoming enormous beastmen with the head, legs, and tail of a wolf. More commonly, however, werewolves will transform less dramatically, gaining only a few wolfish features, including bestial eyes, fur, sharp teeth, pointed ears, and claws. Whatever degree to which a werewolf transforms, all werewolves are referred to as "werewolves," "wolfmen," "lycanthropes," and other, less specific names that are branded upon many different monsters that are not understood by men. Though not a separate "type" of werewolf, per se, there also exists [[The Six|the Six]], who retain full control over the degree to which they transform.
 
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==Appearance==
 
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Every lycanthrope’s werewolf form bears some resemblance to their human form.
 
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===Eyes===
 
  
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The coloration of the werewolf's eyes remains the same, though they turn far brighter than in their human form. Some eyes, such as shades of brown, will turn golden, orange, or even red. Though some eye colors undergo stranger and more dramatic changes, this similarity is one of the most certain methods to determine a werewolf’s identity.
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This article is taken from an ancient text, ''[[Of Man-Beasts and Those That Eat Human Flesh]]'', by an unknown author.
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===Clothing and Hair===
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==Names and Terms==
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There exist many terms for the monstrous werewolf. Such terms, from all across the lands, include werewolf, wolf-man, lycanthrope, lykanthropos or lycanthropos, plural lykanthropoi; this is an [[Old Achaean]] form, garwal or garwalf, varulfr or simply varulf, vǎrkolak, and garou. Although some may have previously been used to refer to a variety of shapeshifters, some terms now refer only to werewolves today, such as ''versipellis'' in [[High Imperial]], ''hamrammr'' in [[Northrim|Nordling]] tongues, and ''eigi einhamir'' also in Nordling tongues.
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==Curse & Nature==
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Cursed to become a monster by the whims of the moon, or - some say - the whims of their own hunger or rage, werewolves are capable of untold slaughter. They live among men, wearing their false human skin. But when the full moon rises, they are overtaken by their true nature, and they devour all in their path. Those whom they do not maul, they often swallow whole and even alive, so desperate is their gluttony. Their hunger is impossible to sate, and they will eat in a single night as many men as they can find.
  
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The clothing and hair style of the person in question may also aid in identification of them, though many werewolves - particularly the larger, more powerful ones - shed or tatter most, if not all, of their clothing during the transformation. Hair style generally remains more intact after a transformation than clothing choices. For instance, a werewolf's mane will retain braids and other hair styles from the human form, and facial hair can still be seen as slightly thicker fur around the werewolf's muzzle. Obviously, these changes are less dramatic in the more man-like of werewolves, resulting in more obvious similarities between man and beast.
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Some werewolves, it is said, can pass their curse on to others through a bite. Surviving the attack of a werewolf, however, is very unlikely. Should someone survive a werewolf’s bite, they may become a werewolf themselves on the next full moon.
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==Powers & Abilities==
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They have many powers in addition to their shape-changing, such as being impossible to kill and healing from all wounds. It is impossible to tell whether a man is a werewolf by merely seeing their human shape, though it is said their eyes may appear brighter than an ordinary man’s. Like many monsters, the only way to possibly kill a werewolf is with silver, one of the weakest metals. This is perhaps why werewolves seem invincible. Even with [[silver]], a mortal blow must still be struck.
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==Memory & Behavior==
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Some say that these man-beasts do not recall the atrocities committed while in their monstrous form. They awaken in the morning ignorant of their crimes. Thus, they continue their ordinary lives and trick those around them with their human appearance, instilling undue trust and behaving as though their soul has not been devoured and replaced by a wrathful beast. In spite of this, they are human no more, and they cannot be trusted; a werewolf will do whatever is necessary to preserve its own life, including lie. This leads to question whether the claims are true that they retain no memory of their transformations.
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==Appearance & Cunning==
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Werewolves are capable of many types of transformations. While they generally appear as men and behave as such, they may also gain animal features such as claws, sharp teeth, and some fur. On the full moon, they become much like wolves but with some attributes of men such as hands and arms, capable of performing actions as a man would. This is their greatest and largest form, much larger than any man and even most other monsters. Some werewolves may even take the shape of giant wolves, some the size of horses. Werewolves of all shapes may easily outrun the best of steeds. They are the fastest of beasts and never tire. They can leap city walls in a single bound, as they can jump so high one might think they had wings. They can communicate with others of their own kind without using words like men.
  
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===Size===
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The eyes of werewolves are sometimes said to glow like lanterns in the night. The truthfulness of this is disputed, for they are also known for their ability to come unseen upon their prey. In spite of their size, they are capable of making hardly a sound. They leave no tracks and have no distinctive scent. It is impossible to track a werewolf. They retain the intelligence of a man even when they become beasts and are overtaken by their rage. They are the ultimate predator. They may snarl, growl, roar, or howl, but they cannot speak like a man when they are in their bestial form.
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==The Six==
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There are many legendary werewolves of which we still tell tales, in particular [[the Six]], also known as the Lords of the Werewolves. They are impossible to slay and have devoured legions of [[Achaean Empire|the Empire’s]] [[Venatori]]. They are capable even of using magic, able to summon fire and ice and shadow and to bend the spirits of nature to their will.
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==Recent History==
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[[File:Bestiary_Tom_s.png|thumb|300px|The Beast of Illikon devouring a man whole.]]
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''An addition by Zacynthos of Arcadia, author and compiler of Emperor Doraius I's The Imperial Bestiary:''
  
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While all werewolves grow far larger and stronger than ordinary men during their transformation, there remains a variety of sizes and strengths among werewolves as well. If a man is short, he will grow much larger than an ordinary man when he transforms, but he will remain short in comparison to other werewolves. However, this also does not depend entirely on body size: a very powerful individual can also result in a larger werewolf form.
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Very recently, the city of [[Illikon]] came under siege by barbarians from Northrim, and one of the most heroic knights of the Northwest became a great werewolf of black and crimson. [[The Beast of Illikon]], as the monster has thus been named, decimated the attacking armies with its insatiable bloodlust. With a howl, it summoned the aid of many other werewolves and wolves, sparking transformations and thus loyalty even among the enemy, creating its own army of wolf-beasts.
  
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==Powers==
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Breaking the siege and escaping the city, this terrible werewolf now roams the land. Lycanthropy has once again returned to the Empire, perhaps greater than ever before. Whereas, in the past, what few werewolves remained in the world hid or fled into the wilderness, werewolves inspired by the Beast of Illikon now bravely arise to take their hunger and rage out upon innocents.
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All werewolves share these various abilities; however, as with most creatures, the level of a werewolf's power varies from individual to individual.
 
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===Physical Superiority===
 
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All werewolves bear strength, agility, and senses far superior to an ordinary man's. In both forms, werewolves are physically "better" than humans in every way, including strength, speed, and senses, although obviously these advantages are not nearly as extreme while in human form - but they are still present. Also, in spite of the claim made by some legends, werewolves cannot instantly sense whether or not another individual is also a werewolf.
 
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===Regeneration===
 
  
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Werewolves heal exceptionally fast in both forms, and they are legendary in their ability to shrug off most all wounds, though the latter applies doubly to their werewolf form. They can quickly recover from nearly all types of injuries, including those that would be fatal to an ordinary man, which has helped them earn their place among the most feared of all monsters. However, a wound inflicted by silver inhibits all of these healing abilities. The regenerative powers of werewolves are so great that they can only be killed through the use of silver.
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Dear reader, please do not imagine the act of hunting a werewolf. Though the Venatori are now few in number, it is a job for which only they are capable, and it will otherwise end only in death.
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===Intelligence===
 
  
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It is noteworthy that werewolves retain full intelligence after they are transformed. Though they do not speak, they are not mindless monsters, and they will not foolishly walk into traps or overstep their own incredible abilities.
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[[Category:Monsters]][[Category:Curses]][[Category:Wolf-kin]]
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===Howls and Other===
 
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Werewolves also have the ability to summon wolves to their aid with a howl, and it is said that the Six themselves can summon [[Varg|vargs]] and other werewolves in the same way. There are many other abilities that men have claimed werewolves possess in both or either form, but many of the specifics remain a mystery. Werewolves may have far more abilities than it seems, as most people who encounter a werewolf do not live to tell the tale.
 
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==Shifting and the Moon==
 
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The greatest god of the ancient wolf shifters was a lunar deity, and thus the gods apparently saw fit to enslave werewolves to the influence of the moon. If the moon is weak or hidden, werewolves may be able - in some cases, with some difficulty - to control the beast within, but if the moonlight touches them, their urge to transform increases. On nights of the full moon, the transformation is impossible to resist, even if the moon is not visible. Some very unstable werewolves will even give into the beast even during the day, usually in times of extreme emotional stress, such as rage. All werewolf transformations are extremely painful, and many say that witnessing - or even just hearing - a werewolf undergo the transformation from man to beast can be very traumatic.
 
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===Memory===
 
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When a werewolf returns to his human form, the man has little or no memory of what he did while in werewolf form the night before. Most werewolves remember nothing of their transformations, and many can go their entire lives without even realizing that they are werewolves. A werewolf that knows he is infected with lycanthropy will remember the terrible, unbearable pain of the transformation, but little else. Some might recall very vague visions and sensations from when they were transformed, but these are strange and difficult to understand, fading quickly after they awaken, as if it was all a dream.
 
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===After Death===
 
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A deceased werewolf will transform back to his human form come daybreak and remain that way as long as the body exists. Any dismembered body parts also shift back to human shape. For instance, fur skinned from a werewolf becomes mere human flesh, and a werewolf body part taken for a trophy will transform into a human part by sunrise the next day. It is, in a sense, true that the only real cure for lycanthropy is death.
 
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==Infection/Reproduction==
 
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===Bite===
 
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A werewolf's curse is spread by bite. Any human bitten by a werewolf who manages to live through the attack will become a werewolf on the next night of the full moon unless some action is taken to cure them (other races, such as [[Elf|elves]] and [[Dwarf|dwarves]], are immune to the curse). The infected individual will transform to the same degree of wolfishness as the werewolf who infected them. After an infected individual transforms for the first time, they can no longer be cured of lycanthropy.
 
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===Offspring===
 
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If a werewolf has a child with another infected individual, that child will be a born werewolf and will begin transforming upon reaching puberty. All born werewolves have heightened senses even while in human form, as well as improved strength and speed beyond that of an ordinary human, even more so than do bitten werewolves. Rumors claim that half-werewolves exist, but any truth behind this - as well as any properties of half-werewolves themselves, including whether or not they ever transform - remains a mystery.
 
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===Biting in Human Form===
 
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Although werewolves in human form have no special desire or instinct to bite others, if another human was for some reason bitten by a werewolf in human form, the bitten individual would suffer from odd blackouts and mood swings at night, as well as slightly heightened senses after sundown. These effects are temporary and can last anywhere from a few nights to several months, depending on the power of the werewolf and the severity of the bite. However, the full extent of effects from a werewolf in human form biting another human remain largely unknown, particularly as it may vary depending on the power of the werewolf itself. Some individuals may even contract lycanthropy and begin transforming.
 
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==Behavior==
 
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Werewolves are beings of a split personality: man and beast. These two personalities are separate entities sharing the same (transforming) body, and may even hate each other, depending on various factors. One personality has no control over the other.
 
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===Werewolf Form===
 
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Despite common belief, werewolves are not all inherently angry and violent creatures. Ultimately, werewolves vary in personality depending on the individual, just as humans do; some werewolves may be aggressive, while others behave more as ordinary wolves and prefer to be left alone. Whatever their personality, werewolves - although just as intelligent as humans - are driven by their animal instincts. They are neither good nor evil, but unpredictable and extremely dangerous beasts, and human has no control over their werewolf side. Also, it is noteworthy that werewolves will never eat another werewolf, no matter how hungry they may be. Like wolves, werewolves communicate with various sounds, the most famous of which is their howl. Unlike wolves, however, werewolves are capable of roaring; also, werewolves do not bark. Some werewolves live in packs, but lone werewolves are more common; werewolves that manage to find one another while in werewolf form will often hunt together, rallying around the strongest werewolf in the group, but since their human and werewolf personalities are split, the humans generally have disagreements, and packs often disband after daybreak.
 
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===Human Form===
 
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A man becoming a werewolf will have no bearing on the human's personality, besides how they react to the fact that they are a werewolf. Just as a werewolf's human side is dormant and has no control over his actions in werewolf form, the werewolf's beast side has no control over the man's actions while in human form. In spite of some tales, a werewolf in human form is no angrier or more violent than anyone else, whether he was born or bitten: their temperament depends entirely on the person in question. However, an individual who is emotionally unstable will be more likely to give in to his transformations, regardless of the moon phase.
 
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==Weaknesses==
 
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Like all descendants of the Shifters, werewolves are sensitive to [[silver]]. Anyone infected with lycanthropy or bearing lycanthropic blood will recoil from the touch of silver and become burned if it is pressed against their skin for too long. Wounds caused by silver take longer to heal, are far more painful, and are capable of being truly mortal wounds, whereas wounds inflicted with any other type of weaponry will eventually regenerate. Other than silver, werewolves bear no particular weaknesses. Rumors about werewolf sensitivity to plants like belladonna and wolfsbane are largely untrue, although it is claimed that plants may be used to mix potions that can help a werewolf control his lycanthropy for short periods of time. Whether or not these potions exist remains largely unknown, save by a select few very knowledgeable individuals.
 
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[[Category:Monsters]][[Category:Shifter-kin]]
 

Latest revision as of 18:27, 9 October 2022

A pack of werewolves showing two of their different forms.

Among the most feared of all monsters are shapeshifting beasts of emptiness and desolation, their howls heard by the full moon. This horror goes by many different names, but perhaps it is best known as the werewolf or the lycanthrope: a man who bears the curse of lycanthropy. Not much is known of them, and they are incredibly rare, so much of the information included here could also be taken as speculation, as the levels of their power and the unpredictability and degree of their transformations have yet to be fully understood.

This article is taken from an ancient text, Of Man-Beasts and Those That Eat Human Flesh, by an unknown author.

Names and Terms

There exist many terms for the monstrous werewolf. Such terms, from all across the lands, include werewolf, wolf-man, lycanthrope, lykanthropos or lycanthropos, plural lykanthropoi; this is an Old Achaean form, garwal or garwalf, varulfr or simply varulf, vǎrkolak, and garou. Although some may have previously been used to refer to a variety of shapeshifters, some terms now refer only to werewolves today, such as versipellis in High Imperial, hamrammr in Nordling tongues, and eigi einhamir also in Nordling tongues.

Curse & Nature

Cursed to become a monster by the whims of the moon, or - some say - the whims of their own hunger or rage, werewolves are capable of untold slaughter. They live among men, wearing their false human skin. But when the full moon rises, they are overtaken by their true nature, and they devour all in their path. Those whom they do not maul, they often swallow whole and even alive, so desperate is their gluttony. Their hunger is impossible to sate, and they will eat in a single night as many men as they can find.

Some werewolves, it is said, can pass their curse on to others through a bite. Surviving the attack of a werewolf, however, is very unlikely. Should someone survive a werewolf’s bite, they may become a werewolf themselves on the next full moon.

Powers & Abilities

They have many powers in addition to their shape-changing, such as being impossible to kill and healing from all wounds. It is impossible to tell whether a man is a werewolf by merely seeing their human shape, though it is said their eyes may appear brighter than an ordinary man’s. Like many monsters, the only way to possibly kill a werewolf is with silver, one of the weakest metals. This is perhaps why werewolves seem invincible. Even with silver, a mortal blow must still be struck.

Memory & Behavior

Some say that these man-beasts do not recall the atrocities committed while in their monstrous form. They awaken in the morning ignorant of their crimes. Thus, they continue their ordinary lives and trick those around them with their human appearance, instilling undue trust and behaving as though their soul has not been devoured and replaced by a wrathful beast. In spite of this, they are human no more, and they cannot be trusted; a werewolf will do whatever is necessary to preserve its own life, including lie. This leads to question whether the claims are true that they retain no memory of their transformations.

Appearance & Cunning

Werewolves are capable of many types of transformations. While they generally appear as men and behave as such, they may also gain animal features such as claws, sharp teeth, and some fur. On the full moon, they become much like wolves but with some attributes of men such as hands and arms, capable of performing actions as a man would. This is their greatest and largest form, much larger than any man and even most other monsters. Some werewolves may even take the shape of giant wolves, some the size of horses. Werewolves of all shapes may easily outrun the best of steeds. They are the fastest of beasts and never tire. They can leap city walls in a single bound, as they can jump so high one might think they had wings. They can communicate with others of their own kind without using words like men.

The eyes of werewolves are sometimes said to glow like lanterns in the night. The truthfulness of this is disputed, for they are also known for their ability to come unseen upon their prey. In spite of their size, they are capable of making hardly a sound. They leave no tracks and have no distinctive scent. It is impossible to track a werewolf. They retain the intelligence of a man even when they become beasts and are overtaken by their rage. They are the ultimate predator. They may snarl, growl, roar, or howl, but they cannot speak like a man when they are in their bestial form.

The Six

There are many legendary werewolves of which we still tell tales, in particular the Six, also known as the Lords of the Werewolves. They are impossible to slay and have devoured legions of the Empire’s Venatori. They are capable even of using magic, able to summon fire and ice and shadow and to bend the spirits of nature to their will.

Recent History

The Beast of Illikon devouring a man whole.

An addition by Zacynthos of Arcadia, author and compiler of Emperor Doraius I's The Imperial Bestiary:

Very recently, the city of Illikon came under siege by barbarians from Northrim, and one of the most heroic knights of the Northwest became a great werewolf of black and crimson. The Beast of Illikon, as the monster has thus been named, decimated the attacking armies with its insatiable bloodlust. With a howl, it summoned the aid of many other werewolves and wolves, sparking transformations and thus loyalty even among the enemy, creating its own army of wolf-beasts.

Breaking the siege and escaping the city, this terrible werewolf now roams the land. Lycanthropy has once again returned to the Empire, perhaps greater than ever before. Whereas, in the past, what few werewolves remained in the world hid or fled into the wilderness, werewolves inspired by the Beast of Illikon now bravely arise to take their hunger and rage out upon innocents.

Dear reader, please do not imagine the act of hunting a werewolf. Though the Venatori are now few in number, it is a job for which only they are capable, and it will otherwise end only in death.

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