Werewolves~

Lycanthropy: The condition of being of both spirit and flesh.

The legend of the Werewolf conjures up many images in people. The transformation into something less than human, the howl, the black claws, the savagery, everything that man fears about nature is personified in the werewolf. Many things have become twisted over time, however, many myths have taken the place of fact.

It is known to the Werewolves through ancient stories that in the past when all continents were one, Pangaea, the spirit world, the Shadow, and the physical world, the Material, crossed and blended. Spirits and man and animal walked together in a world of hunters and glory. Father Wolf, guardian beast of the balance between Shadow and Physical, fell in love with Luna, goddess of the moon and Queen of the Shadow realm. His heart overflowed when she went to the earth to be with him, and they had children. These children were the First Pack of Uratha, the very first werewolves.

Luna gave her children the spirit's tongue and the power to change, Wolf gave them the power and instincts of a hunter. They taught their children well, and soon more Werewolves came into being as guardians of the Bordermarches along with their father. Luna returned to the sky to gaze lovingly at her children, and all were content. Well, not all. Some didn't like the new Werewolves, mighty spirits and tribes of man alike were slain or banished by them in retaliation. Soon, things changed.

Father Wolf grew old. He was a great and powerful spirit beast, but he was no god or immortal. His coat grayed, his fangs dulled, his wit slowed. His children feared for their survival and pitied their aging father, but the world was a hunter's world, and someone new would have to take up the reigns as Guardian. The Uratha conspired to kill their father, they were the most well suited to do so. Every spirit has bans, after all. Pain spirits can't learn healing magic, silence spirits can't sing, and Father Wolf could not strike down his own pack. They killed their father and his death-howl shook the entire world. His howl caused Luna to weep and rage and Curse her children, humans and spirits alike to fall to the ground crying, and finally the worlds of Spirit and Matter were sundered apart, parallel but separate for all eternity.

The Werewolves were all ejected into the world of the physical, like animals. Rejected, hated, Forsaken. The Uratha have called themselves the Forsaken for as long as they can now remember, thanks to the crimes of their forebears. Still, they police the Spirit world and perform the duties they were meant to, dwelling with humans and dealing with spirits. This is the reason they are part flesh and part ephemera, both human and wolf. Appointed by blood with a purpose, but hated and feared by both spirit and man, the Werewolf hunts forever.

Uratha travel in packs based on area, hunting down supernatural threats and taking them out. Werewolves are not passive creatures, they live active human lives and their dual-natured Uratha life at the same time. On the other hand, Uratha are, themselves, hunted by spirit, man and the murderous werewolves called the Pure. Worse yet, their loved ones, friends and families may be targeted: an Uratha's worst fear.

Werewolves are beings of instinct and even in their human forms they are often filled with energy of some kind, be it nervous, angry or joyful. They feel emotions very keenly, smell and taste and sense everything with more ability and fervor than most humans. When an Uratha falls in love, they love endlessly and with a burning passion. When they are truly angry, they may unknowingly hurt or kill their loved ones. Among the Forsaken regret is a common sentiment.

The greatest foes of the Uratha are the Pure, those werewolves who descend from the three werewolves who refused to attack Father Wolf. Their hatred for the Forsaken Uratha knows no bounds, Pure are taught from their first change that the reason they don't live in paradise is all thanks to them. Pure attack Uratha and their families out of pure hatred and spite, and commit atrocities to both man and spirit in their search for vengeance.

Myths and Facts

Lycanthropy is contagious by bite: Myth. The story of the werewolves being created by bite comes from the method by which young werewolves are identified. Werewolves try to retrieve future Uratha before they go through their first change so they may guide them through the frightening experience. To do this, they must taste the young one's blood and see if it is werewolf or not. Targets for the test bite are judged based on their intensity, instincts and attractiveness to spirits.

Werewolves change under the light of the full moon: Mostly myth. Each of the 5 primary phases of the moon has werewolves who transform under them, this decides their role as an Uratha, but no phase of the moon forces them to change form at all. Instead, their Auspice Moon, the moon they change under, grants them additional power.

Werewolves can be killed only by silver: Fact, they can heal wounds almost as fast as they receive them. Silver, however, creates burning wounds that can't be healed immediately. These wounds must be healed naturally, slowly. Some other types of damage, such as Spirit powers, vampiric disciplines or certain types of Magic, also must be slowly healed.

Wolfsbane repels werewolves: Mostly Myth. Only when prepared with proper ritual can wolfsbane can keep Werewolves at bay.

Werewolves lose their human intellect when they transform: Mostly Myth. Werewolves never lose their intelligence when they transform, and can rationalize normally in all forms but one. The terrifying yet majestic Gauru form, the man-wolf hybrid so popularized in movies, is driven on more instinct than thought. While an Uratha maintains their intelligence, rational thought is lost somewhat amidst a sea of raw emotion and, often, rage. Uratha will not attack anyone they do not wish to, however, unless they truly lose control and go into Rage.

Uratha, families and packs.

How do Werewolves come into being? The answer is simple breeding, the same as any human. Werewolves are still people, they fall in love, get married, have children, and there is a 25% chance that one of those children will be a Werewolf. And even if they're not, they will be wolf-blooded, Kinfolk. Kinfolk can carry on the blood of the wolf and later on their children may become Uratha.

Werewolf childhoods are turbulent affairs. Their werewolf parent, if they have one, is sometimes missing for weeks on end, comes home perhaps harried or injured. People sometimes try to get in the house, howling in the night. Scary things move in the dark, but mommy or daddy are there to protect you. A Werewolf parent is the most devoted, loving, protective parent one could hope for, if prone to violent mood swings.

Some Uratha give their children up to foster homes or orphanages to distance them from their werewolf heritage, to keep them safe. These children grow up uninitiated into the world of animal instinct and human passions and spirit mystery, and are often shunned and confused when young. Strange things happen to them, as spirits hate them instinctively. Things break around them, everyone will get sick but them, then they will get sick when nobody else is, the weather seems to spite their holidays and other unpleasantries. They are often petulant and irritable as well. All this smooths over somewhat, but intensifies, when the First Change occurs.

Two werewolves are absolutely forbidden from having children. The offspring of two Uratha is always, without fail, a spiritual monster. The Unihar, Ghost-children, are 3/4 spirit and only 1/4 human, creating a maddened, intelligent monster wolf spirit that immediately recedes into the spirit world on birth. When the Unihar reaches adulthood, they become the fiercest enemy any Werewolf could fight, and they always hate their parents most. No one can say why. As such, Uratha are forbidden from pairing together. Arguments are made for homosexual pairs or if one partner is sterile, arguments which are settled on a pack basis instead of as a race.

Packs are generally informal groupings of local Uratha, who come together out of necessity and form lasting friendships and partnerships. They often adopt a Totem, a spirit they bind to their meeting place and which gives them spiritual power.

Shapeshifting

The Werewolf's most obvious and famous trait is their power to change form between man and wolf. This power, along with the other Werewolf abilities, is gained during the First Change, an event that happens during or just after puberty, when the body reaches maturity. The First Change is unlike the other transformations, it is very painful and jarring as the child's physical and spiritual halves finally join into one. Muscles reform and bones break down and shape until the Uratha is in their Gauru, hybrid, form. Transformations after that one, however, are instincual, and much easier to bear. They are not base physical deformations, but spiritual shifts of form that take mere seconds. The Uratha blurs into transformation, and a few moments later is whatever form they desire.

Partial and carefully controlled transformations can occur as well. Baring wolf fangs or growing claws instinctually when angry is a problem for some Uratha. Also, in all forms the werewolf can speak the First Tongue, an ancient language all Uratha know instinctively.

The 5 forms of the Uratha are:

Hisshu: The Human form.

Dalu: Near-human. Dalu form is larger, more muscular, has more hair and is tougher, but can still pass for human, barely.

Gauru: Wolf-man. The legendary warform of the Uratha, Gauru form is huge, adding 3 to 4 feet of height and several hundred pounds of pure muscle. Thick wolf fur grows all over the body, the face elongates into an elegant wolf muzzle, filled with sharp fangs, claws grow on the hands and feet and Rage fills the user's heart. Any mortal who lays eyes on the Uratha in this form goes into Lunacy, they flee in fear and force themselves to forget what they were running from. Human speech is very difficult in this form, usually coming out in clipped, harsh growls. They cannot use complex tools such as guns, computers or anything more difficult to use than a common doorknob. If fighting in this form under the werewolf's Auspice Moon, they gain additional power and control.

Urshul: Near-wolf. The Urshul form is a gigantic beast of a hound, comparable in size to prehistoric saber-wolfs, often coming to 4 feet at the shoulder.

Urhan: Wolf. A normal wolf, be it red, gray, silver or black. They look identical to normal wolves, but for the sparkle of intelligence in their eyes.

Morals, codes and ethics.

Werewolves strive for Harmony between their two halves, human and spirit. Those who violate the laws of either half risk losing Harmony until they go mad and become completely inhuman. True elders among the Uratha are considered high Harmony, new werewolves are mid Harmony and truly villainous monsters such as the Pure are very low Harmony. The werewolves as a people follow The Oath, a code of ethics that Luna put down for them ages ago. The Oath is sung at every pack meeting to begin it, to remind the Uratha of who they are.

Urum da takus!: The wolf must hunt. Werewolves must honor their father by maintaining the balance between the physical and spirit worlds, hunting down intruders, banishing possessing spirits and preventing humans from doing anything to aid evil spirits in any way.

Imru nu fir Imru!: Werewolf shall not slay werewolf. Werewolf numbers must remain high to preserve balance, murder for ANY crime is forbidden. This protection does not extend to the Pure werewolves, though, who are not considered to be of the people.

Sih sehe Mak; Mak ne sih!: The low honor the high; the high respect the low. Elders must respect new packmates, the young must listen to the elders.

Ni Daha!: Respect your prey. The Uratha must be responsible hunters and stewards, showing reverance to the spirits and humans they may have to kill.

Uratha Safal Thil Lu'u!: Uratha shall mate only with human. To mate with other Uratha is to create accursed monsters.

Nu Hu Uzu Eren!: Eat not the flesh of man or wolf. Cannibalism grants great power to the Uratha, but at the price of their soul.

Nu Bath Githul!: The herd must not know. Humans suffer terribly from the Lunacy, so Werewolves must be kept in secret, even if it's a painful one to keep.

Auspice

The moon an Uratha is born under is known as their Auspice, and it governs their place in the pack.

Full Moon: Rahu, the Warrior. All Uratha are fighters, but the Rahu are the true warriors of the people. They are the first into the fray, and the ones who are most occupied protecting the ones they love. They are excellent at reading their enemies.

Gibbous Moon: Cahalith, the Visionary. The Cahalith are the historians and priests of the Uratha. They tell the ancient stories and continue worship of Luna. They are dreemseers.

Half Moon: Elodoth, the Judge. Elodoth are temperate people, able to calmly analyze a situation and choose an appropriate course of action. They are excellent at solving disputes, especially when a spirit is involved.

Crescent Moon: Ithaeur, the Shaman. Ithaeur are the spirit masters of the Uratha, when an exorcism is called for, they are there. They are often the healers and guides of werewolf, human and spirit alike. They are masters of werewolf ritual magic.

New Moon: Irraka, the Stalker. Unpredictable Uratha, Irraka are prized for their cunning and ability to deceive. The most subtle of all werewolves, Irraka can watch events on either side of the veil between worlds at will.

Tribes

The Auspice is only half of a Werewolf's legacy. The other half is the Tribe they choose. Packs are sometimes all of one Tribe, but are just as often mixed affairs. Werewolf tribes aren't opposed to one another, but they do have differing ideals. Uratha society, in fact, hinges on the Tribes to work together with their unique specialties and goals in mind for the good of all.

Blood Talons: Suthar Anzuta. "Give no surrender that you would not accept." The Blood Talons strive for the image of the disciplined warrior, carrying in it's ranks martial artists, vampire hunters and soldiers. Any who belong to the Blood Talons are warriors with honor and mettle.

Bone Shadows: Hirfathra Hissu. "Pay each spirit in kind." The Bone Shadows are travelers of the spirit world. No one knows more of it's secret paths and the ways of the spirits than they. Bone Shadows are often somewhat eccentric or even frightening, but at their core are wise and understanding, never unwilling to teach another.

Hunters in Darkness: Meninna. "Let no sacred place in your territory be violated." The Hunters in Darkness are the Uratha that focus most on the places far away from the homes of man. Most werewolves stay close to the cities to protect the humans from the spirits that encroach on them, but it is in the wilderness that the veil between worlds is thinnest, and so the Meninna fight to protect those out of the way sacred places from spiritual intrusion.

Iron Masters: Farsil Luhal. "Honor your territory at all times." The Farsil Luhal are truly wolves of the city. The city is, after all, more than just a place. It is home to many, a representation of hope and stability and at the same time it can be suffocating and small compared to the wide world, but it is safe. The Iron Masters embrace technology and the spirits inherent in the pattern of the city and are often the first to react to a danger to their family, to preserve this safety.

Storm Lords: Iminir. "Allow none to witness or tend to your weakness." The most fiercely individual of all Uratha, the Iminir are the leaders of werewolf society. More pack Alphas are Storm Lords than not, and they display dominance but fair judgment over their packmates. They have the power in their societies, but also bear the weight of many decisions and are bound not to lean on others, even in their times of greatest need.

Spirits and Gifts

The Uratha's interactions with the spirit world give them an edge in the physical world as well. By communing with the various spirits, they can ask favors of them called "Gifts." Werewolves specialize in persuading certain kinds of spirits and so build up different kinds of favors from them.



We have written about the werewolves of Ossory before, but after discovering some new information we couldn’t resist writing about them again.

There are several stories in particular that frame the majority of Irish folklore regarding werewolves. In Northern Ireland it is said that there were tribes of wolf-men living in the wild that ancient Kings would call on to aid them in battle. Other tales claim that creatures, half wolf, half man, wander the forests, sometimes preying on cattle and sheep, other times protecting the people. And an even older myth tells the tale of three werewolf women yearly emerging from a cave to slaughter sheep during a Harvest Feast, and who were finally lured with music and massacred.

The most well known legend of werewolves in Ireland, however, was recorded by Giraldus Cambrensis, also known as Gerald of Wales, a clergyman and royal clerk to the British King in the 1100s, assigned the task of observing and recording political and socio-economical events. In his work exploring Ireland, Topographia Hibernica, he depicts the Irish as being savage and primitive with repugnant orthodox piety. He does, however, do us one justice: he records a tale of two werewolves of Ossory, which a priest had personally encountered, and Giraldus was requested to give counsel.

As a side note, the wolf was the totem of Ossory, and for good reason. It is said that long ago, Ossorians had the power to change into a werewolf at will. Once changed, the werewolf’s human body would remain lifeless at home until the wolf could return to it and thus resume his human form. It is also said that if you were to harm the wolf form, corresponding wounds would be found on the human form; thus you could always tell if a man was indeed a werewolf.

Yet, interestingly enough, Giraldus’ record was not of this Ossarian legend, but of another: a curse had been lain on a family to which they, although Christians, were condemned to wander as savage wolves for seven years. In his record, a werewolf was pleading with a traveling priest to come and perform the rite of viaticum on his dying wife, who was also in wolf form. The priest concedes and goes on to tell his experience to the local bishops who call Giraldus for counsel. Giraldus is unable to make the appointment but sends a letter instead. Eventually, the werewolf tale reaches even the Pope, who gives his seal on the account.

There is also an intriguing Irish folklore that Natalis, a monk living in the early 5th century, cursed a prominent family for unknown reasons. The curse? Each member of the family was doomed to become a wolf for seven years.

As far as my research can tell, there is a fascinating correlation between these two historical references to werewolves that has yet to be investigated. Is Giraldus’ account of the Ossarian werewolf couple somehow related to the original curse imprecated by Natalis, nearly 600 years earlier?

In any case, the legend of the Ossarian werewolves has deeply founded roots, including a historical account by the Royal Clerk. Yet when and how the werewolves came to be is still a matter of folklore. You’ll have to sort it out for yourselves.