Lycanthropy

[This trait falls under the Low-Level Resriction clause, and must be acquired at the most basic level.]

Legends and whispers of lycanthropy have persisted since the earliest recorded ages of the Old Worlds, existing more frequently in folklore and oral tradition than in verifiable history. Accounts of the curse describe it as a profound affliction that seizes the very soul of the individual it inhabits, gradually corrupting their form and compelling them to prowl under the cover of night. Those touched by the curse are said to undergo a grotesque transformation, their bodies contorting into bestial shapes designed for predation, violence, and excess. The inhuman howls of such creatures are reported to echo across forests, mountains, and settlements, instilling terror in all who encounter or even hear them.

The term ‘Lycanthropy’ refers specifically to the most commonly documented manifestation of the curse: the wolf-like form. However, historical texts and hearsay suggest that the affliction is not limited to wolves alone; a variety of beasts may emerge from those cursed, each tied to particular vices, natural instincts, or local mythologies. In some cultures, it is said that the bestial form mirrors the true nature of the soul it has infected. Upon transformation, many of these individuals reportedly lose the trappings of their human consciousness, surrendering to their corrupted forms. In this state, they are driven by gluttony, wrath, and other base and animalistic impulses, acting upon the darkened call of their beastly nature until the first light of dawn restores, or at least suppresses, their sapient faculties.

Origin of Trait

Though veiled in mystery, the origins of the trait tie back to the deity, Ombra. Devout of the faith, the original lycans, a tribe of moon worshipers in the wild proclaimed to know the words of their mother like no other. It was with this they turned on their own people, and began to slaughter their own followers in mass, neighboring groups who too paid homage to the Night Mother in their own ways. Ombra, seeing her tranquility broken, and her night used to promote savagery and despair amongst her followers put a stop to it so she could still indulge in her prayers. No longer would they be men at night, but rather savages, continuing their glutton for flesh and damned by the mother who once sheltered them. Over time, the first generation of these creatures died, and new ones were transferred. Ombra took them under her fold once more, but it was too late, and the curse would continue to spread, and its origins lost.

Acquisition

The curse is spread through blood contact between the recipient and the werebeast, specifically while they are in bestial form. This often happens by accident, and is how it was spread in the earliest days of the curse. Only a single drop of lycanthrope blood is required to transmit the curse. Once having acquired the curse, it will incubate within the body and soul for a period of [1 OOC Week], where the afflicted will experience night terrors and animalistic impulses until, at last, the lycan transforms. The curse cannot be cured through magical means, and though an alchemical cure is rumoured, it is unknown to most.

Seven Day Transformation

• Day One: The first day is the most subtle day, as the person only feels agitation along the wound site as well as a headache.
• Day Two: On the second day, the cursed person finds themself with an aching body, specifically around the wound site or wherever the blood was transferred with the lycanthrope and themselves. The wound site at this stage begins to throb with pain, albeit not unbearably so.
• Day Three: At this point, the person finds themselves hungering for meat and often turns away from fruits and vegetables. Upon eating anything other than meat, it upsets their stomach to the point that they throw up. The person begins to dream of attacking friends and family members, overcome in a haze of rage. The symptoms of Day Two persist as well.
• Day Four: The cursed person will become pale in the face with clammy skin and a weakened body, having a -1 malus to to their speed and strength ranks until the transformation period is over. Their voice will become hoarse with a canine-like growl to their breath. Day Two and Three symptoms persist.
• Day Five: The cursed person now finds that their hair is becoming thicker, hair starting to grow on their knuckles as well as over parts of their arms and legs. Hair makes itself prevalent inside their wound at this point. Day Two, Three, and Four symptoms persist. They experience the impulse to hunt and are generally agitated.
• Day Six: The wound site in particular will have quite a bit of fur or thick hair growing around it. Their ears become slightly pointed and their eyes become more canine-like, often reflecting back light. Their teeth become sharper along with their nails. At this stage, they also find themselves feeling healthier in the presence of the night sky and especially the moon itself. Whilst not in the presence of the night sky, the cursed person experiences severe stomach pain and severe pain at the wound site where they were cursed. They also experience Day Two, Three, Four and Five symptoms.
• Day Seven: The cursed person has symptoms of Day Two, Three, Four, Five and Six. In addition to this, they will undergo a painful transformation as soon as night hits. This is their first lycanthrope transformation and as such is violent and tends to rapidly spiral into a hungry rampage. After this transformation is complete, all symptoms of the transformation period leave the lycanthrope.

Races that can contract Lycanthropy:

• Humans
• Elves
• Fey
• Orcs
• Goblins
• Skrayln
• Halflings
• Danakov
• Dwarves
• Dryads
• Satyr
• Half Elves
• Draxgar
• Half Orcs
• Leonin

Physical Changes

Lycanthropes exhibit only subtle physical differences during daylight hours. In their sapient form, changes may be scarcely perceptible. A slightly thicker growth of hair, sharper teeth, or eyes that shimmer with unusual intensity. These variations, however, are inconsistent and rarely sufficient to betray the presence of the curse. The individual continues to age normally and bears no extraordinary abilities in the daylight hours, blending entirely with ordinary people.

However, at night or in the dark, the beast calls to them in the corners of their mind, drawing primal urges and bidding them to join the eternal hunt. It is this when they succumb to the curse, and take on the form of the beast. Their frame grows larger, often reaching up to 8ft tall, and clothes they once wore shed off and split if not carefully fashioned to handle the outbreak. Once in this state, they form large snouts and hunched backs, taking on the fur of the animal of their spirit. These animals are commonly wolves, bears, or other large monstrous four legged mammals. This appearance remains constant for the person upon their first change, and does not change afterwards. Scarring is transferred over from beast to normal form and vice versa, but nothing else is to be the same, rendering them scarcely recognisable to friends and loved ones. The beasts have gangly yet muscled appendages, being far stronger than that of a normal person. Their senses enhance, granting better sight in the dark, keener smell, and acute hearing to better embody the hunt.

The transformation itself is excruciatingly painful. Bones snap and crack to expand into the form of the beast, skin stretches and fur grows as the pain sears through their body. The change itself is entirely magical, and holds no specific bodily changes inside the form of a normal person. Once in beast form, the organs of the creature are the same, and in similar locations, however moved and enhanced to be more feral in nature. The paw-like hands and feet of the form lose much of their dexterity, preventing the use of most weapons or tools. Their pupils become slitted and changed, their eyes robbed of any sapient recognition. Ears rest atop their head like that of an animal, and overall they resemble little to nothing of their human forms. Their skin is tougher than leather, often coated in a thick fur, and are resistant to piercing or slicing save with silver or holy weapons.

The soul of the lycanthrope has an odd crackling segment; an almost tumorous lump which represents the soul of the animal which has manifested within it, and is theorized to represent a fusion between a sentient and animal soul. Once in the form of the lycan, the Animal Soul takes possession of the body, while the sapient form is maintained by that of the person. It is a constant struggle between the two forces for ownership and to change into either form. Because the animal soul ultimately has dominion over the lycan body, magic or aurum-based casting is made impossible in beast-form. Though a number of races can contract lycanthropy, racial traits do not translate to beast-form other than minor aesthetics, e.g. wings or immunities.

Mental Changes

While the most profound mental changes occur in beast-form, the sapient form is not exempt from altered thoughts. The most notable of which is an urge to eat raw meat when hungry. The favored choice is usually raw flesh, and even more than that, those who have had the pleasure of tasting such wish to fulfill their cannibalistic desires and consume those of their people. This of course can be suppressed by the person, and some even try to stray from eating meat all together to distance themselves from base desire; though such a desire never truly leaves them. The instinct to behave in such a way as to appease the animal spirit is constant, and can manifest in a variety of ways, often resulting in unstable and unsociable behaviours. These instincts become stronger the closer they come to changing, until the beast ultimately overwhelms the sentient spirit.

In the form of the beast, they lose all their civil senses. Though they will remember all they do in this form, they are unable to truly control their actions. The form of the beast has two impulses above all else: hunting and survival. The beast will do nothing that specifically endangers itself without reason, and still seeks to take the logical route of hunting down their prey, usually being able to skirt and kite to grow near. These beings are able to switch between bipedal and quadrupedal, being bipedal when wishing to attack, but quadrupedal when seeking the speed of their appendages. Their only task while in this form is to kill, and they seek no pleasure elsewise. All connections and relationships, outside of that which is sometimes formed with fellow lycanthropes in a pack mentality, are foreign to the beast, and they would kill friends and loved ones if they offered a quick meal. They are not capable of communication without a high level of control, and even then, they are only able to express themselves in grunts and single, garbled words.

Control

In general, lycanthropes have very little control over their curse, and often turn at inopportune or stressful moments in the early stages of the curse. However, some element of control may be gained as the person adjusts to life as a lycanthrope. Control is never totally reliable, however, and the beast spirit is a consistent presence no matter how long the lycanthrope persists.

Control refers to the degree to which a lycanthrope can avoid attacking their non-lycanthrope friends and allies while in beast form. At any time, a lycanthrope is either in control or feral. If a lycanthrope is in control, they are able to choose whether or not to attack each present target. A feral lycan gives over to their animal instinct and is forced to attack the most vulnerable nearby target (DM discretion, otherwise judged by the target with the lowest Strength) whether friend or foe. To determine their state, the player rolls a d20 at the beginning of each turn (Or at every emote, if the lycan is attempting to resist attacking in a non-combat scenario). They must succeed on a DC of 11, or the lycan becomes feral. A lycan must remain feral for at least 6 turns before they can attempt to roll for control again.

After every 3 months of consistent RP levelled at attempts to control the curse, +2 is added to the d20 roll up to a maximum of +8.

Mechanics

• OOC player consent is required to transmit the curse. Lycanthropy is acquired by blood contact.
  • Lycanthropy does not manifest before the age of sixteen if they were infected at a young age, upon the sixteenth birthday the lycanthropy trait will be active. However before said age is reached, the mental changes present in lycanthropy are also present in the child, being more active than they would otherwise. Lycanthropy can sometimes be passed from parent to child.
• Transformations may be initiated by choice. If this is done, the transformation lasts until the lycanthrope is once again exposed to sunlight, unless they are forced back by other means. A lycan MUST change at least once per OOC week. If a week has elapsed since their last transformation, the lycanthrope will be forced into a feral state the next evening until sunlight. They cannot roll to escape the feral state of a forced transformation.
  • Transformations are excruciatingly painful, causing bones to break and skin to bend and fur to sprout. A transformation takes one turn to complete.
  • Lycans will remain in their form until sunlight unless the cursed is knocked unconscious, killed, or turned back by alchemical means. Under any circumstance, they change out of their form in a single turn.
• Lycanthropes are weaker to holy damage and silver weapons, sustaining +5 to damage rolls against them. All injuries and scars transfer between forms. Against mundane damage types, lycans take half damage. Though vulnerabilities persist to their normal forms, they have no resistances unless in lycan form.
• Those in the form of the lycan have enhanced sight, smell, strength, and predatory senses. They are Strength Tier A+ and Speed Tier A.
• Creatures that mirror the lycan’s form, i.e. wolves for lupine lycans, bears for ursine lycans, etc, will not seek to harm them unless they are first harmed or threatened.
• Lycanthropes are unable to use abilities, aurum systems, or cast magic, even if they gain some control of their forms.
  • Passives are not present whilst in the lycanthrope form in any way, as the volatile form rejects all other modifications made to it.
• Lycanthropes can form packs with other lycanthropes. In this case, pack lycanthropes will not attack one another in beast form.

Feral

• Lycanthropes must roll a d20 immediately after transforming to determine whether they fall into a feral state. Their level of control determines their modifier, but they must succeed on a DC of 11 to avoid the feral state. A newly turned lycan is unable to avoid a feral state for the first few transformations, and must remain feral for the entire duration.
  • After every 3 months of consistent RP levelled at attempts to control the curse, +2 is added to the d20 roll up to a maximum of +8.
• A feral lycan is unable to distinguish between friend and foe, and will attempt to attack targets it sees as prey. This is the most vulnerable nearby target (DM discretion, otherwise judged by the target with the lowest Strength).
• A lycan must remain feral for at least 6 turns before they can attempt to roll for control again.

Control

• Claws: The lycan’s claws are tough as steel, and deal 3d4+Strength damage per hit. Successful strikes also inflict bleeding.
• Bite: A lycan’s jaw is strong and its teeth sharp. Once in its grip, it is difficult to break free. A bite deals 2d8+Strength damage per hit and renders the target grappled. In addition, if blood has been drawn from the lycan, a bite is the most common method of infection.

Variants

There exist four lycanthropy variants, each with their own special abilities. Variants cannot change after infection, and are mostly but not always determined by the variant that infected them.

• Lupine lycans, or “werewolves”, can produce a howl heard in a mile radius once per transformation. This howl will summon 2d3 mundane wolves to aid them in battle, as well as members of their pack.
• Ursine lycans, or “werebears”, have advantage on strength rolls and may, three times per transformation, choose to take advantage on hit rolls.
• Vulpine lycans, or “werefoxes”, have slightly more advanced senses of hearing and smell than the average lycan, and can sense magic similar to a passive “Arcane Eye” spell.
• Feline lycans, or “werecats”, always land on their feet and do not take damage from falling. Additionally, if they fall on top of a target from a height of at least 2m, they may deal 2d10+3.

The Realm of Ephimoria • Beyond the Fracture