Werewolves or Lycanthropes (also known as Lupanthropes) are ordinary humans who can transform into a wolf or a wolf-like hybrid, often during a full moon. This transformation is usually involuntary and accompanied by a loss of control and an increase in primal aggression and physical prowess. The legends have been a part of pre-human history for centuries, with full of stories and continents. These lycans typically revolve around humans who transform into wolves, often linked to curses, magic, or divine punishment.
Lycanthrope mythology[]
According to very old legends, werewolves used to be regular wolves, who were the guardians of men. Even though they loved men, they envied them and their ability to walk and speak and do all the things they never could.
So wolf stood up, and became man, and mimicked them, and behaved like them, but it wasn't enough. They became so jealous they prayed to the moon and to mother nature, asking her to grant them the ability to be human (this is where the moon myth comes from). Finally, they got their wish and thus, the werewolf was born. A creature who could take the shape of both human and beast, and be both in harmony. They're sometimes called Canes or Lyman
After a while, man became jealous of the werewolf's strength and abilities and cast them out, which is why now the werewolves no longer associate with humans. Thousands of years passed, and humans forgot about the wolves and began hunting and killing them for meat and for pleasure. This angered the wolves and caused them to attack, but realizing that the abilities they wished for came with a price, caused the humans who were bitten to become like them. They also realized that their children were born human. Every gift must come with a price.
The wolves retreated more into the wild, cutting themselves off completely from human society and man grew to be the dominant creature on the planet.
Now in modern days, the werewolves continue to stay hidden in the wild, living as both man and beast. Some live closer to civilization and even in it, in secret. And some wolves (even the ones we see in the wild) don't even know they have the ability to shift into a human. Some do, some don't, but all are connected to each other.
Differences Between Werewolves and Wolves[]
- Can walk upright like a human, as well as on all fours
- Their body is built more like a huns and matches their anatomy for both male and female
- Can speak human tongue clearly (their voice does not change with the transformation). This is harder but possible in their feral (wolf) form
- Paws have a more human hand shape to them and they can grab, point, gesture, even play a musical instrument!
- When standing (bipedal like a human), they can easily reach up to 10 feet tall
- Very strong muscular structure, and obviously bigger than regular wolves (even on all fours)
- Their faces can have character and personality. For instance, regular wolves can't wink, frown or smile
- Werewolves can take the form of a normal every day sized wolf (fural form) to blend in, though they are still larger than an average wolf
- They would be more aggressive in feral form.
Differences Between Werewolves and Humans[]
- Can heal extremely fast
- Cuts, scrapes and bruises heal within hours, very small cuts such as paper-cuts within minutes
- Large gashes, gunshot wounds and serious stabs heal within a day
- Unfortunately, loss of fingers and limbs do not heal
- Has super strength; can easily lift a small car and toss it, jump very high, and run fast (even in human form)
- Heightened senses; hearing, sight, smell, etc.
- Incredible night vision, even while in human form
- Ages normally, like a human, does not have immortality
- Cannot be killed unless the brain is disconnected from the body, the heart is physically removed from the body or burnt with fire
- May have urges to hunt or eat meat sometimes.
Werewolf Myths[]
- Silver, crosses, holy water, etc., cannot harm a werewolf so if you want to survive silver won’t do a thing neither does holy water and crosses, some werewolves are Christian that is why those won’t work
- Werewolves have control over their shifts, the full moon has no effect
- They are not mindless monsters controlled by lust for blood or have savage animal instincts like in the movies, they are simply humans with the ability to shape shift into a wolf or werewolf. Their human mind has complete control of the wolf. (Although blood can trigger desires, they are carnivores, after all)
- Werewolves don't have gory transformations like the movies, the transformations are quick and sometimes painful, unless they do it often. The longer you go without shifting, the more painful the transformation is
Puberty/Wolf Maturity[]
Those who were born as werewolves don't reach full 'wolf maturity' until they reach puberty, which is somewhere between the age of 11 and 14. When they reach that point, their body starts to change rapidly, their urges to transform start to show more and more, almost uncontrollably. At this point, they may only be able to partially shift, showing maybe only fur and fangs.
Just like normal teenagers deal with hormones and changes, werewolves deal with them as well, only they are intensified. The desire to mate, changes in voices, changes in physical size, and of course, the desire to hunt and feed (which can be easily controlled by ones will).
As soon they become aware of the source and understand to control it, they finally are able to change completely to a werewolf (both their fural and anthro form).
Packs[]
Werewolf packs live in groups together, usually in small rural areas. They can be any number from 4 to up to 100 with a hierarchy. The majority of werewolves live and blend in with normal humans, but they do not separate too far from each other. They have jobs, go to school, pay taxes, and live like normal law-abiding citizens (for the most part). But some packs of werewolves live absolutely traditional, meaning they never shift to their human skin. They live in their feral forms all the time, dwelling in the mountains and forests with real wolves. This practice is long but extinct, but there are still werewolves out there who prefer to avoid the costly lifestyle that comes with being a human.
Packs are composed of several status' of leadership. Alpha male, beta male, the mid-rank, and omega. Each part is significant and important in the success of the pack.
Mating[]
Traditionally, sexual intercourse is done for the specific purpose of bringing young ones into the world, and only the alpha male and female have the children in the pack. But, in the world of humans, that is difficult to do, so sexual intercourse (like human nature) is both recreational and for creating offspring.
When wolves mate, they can do it in any form (anthro, feral or human), though most prefer to do it in human form. And of course, its as normal as anyone would think it is.
Just like regular wolves, werewolves have cycles of heat, in which they have a strong desire to mate. This usually happens only with the females, but with most werewolves, the men have cycles of heat too, which occur once a year, usually in the winter time. This heat cycle normally lasts five to ten days.
Breeding/Pregnancy[]
Females can get pregnant in any form. Just like real wolves, they can have a small litter (usually two or three, but no more than four), which are born human.
When it comes to the actual birthing process, some find it it is best to do it in human or anthro form because of the size of the children. Birthing is painful (especially with multiples) as it is with humans, but werewolves cannot die during childbirth, so the fear of getting pregnant regularly and having large families is eliminated.
Pregnancy for a female werewolf is shorter than the 9 months a human would normally have. Werewolves grow rapidly in the first few years, so the gestation can be as short as 3 months or sometimes longer depending on how many babies the female is carrying.
If werewolves and humans breed, the werewolf gene can sometimes transfer to the unborn child, but it is rare. This can be dangerous if the female is human. If the child does get the werewolf gene, then her pregnancy will be the 3 month gestation (like a werewolf's), which can harm both the mother and the baby. A human's body isn't equipped for such a quick gestation, so a miscarriage is likely to happen. And also like werewolves, the possibility of having multiples increases, which puts the human mother at even more risk, but it is almost impossible for a human female to successfully birth multiples.
Children/Pups[]
They are loved and adored by all the members of the pack. They are born human and they are raised like normal humans, but still respected and loved like part of the family. They discover the ability to shift later in life (around 3 years of age), but don't reach full wolf maturity until puberty.
Unlike human children, werewolves pups (or werepups) grow much faster than humans, in fact, they grow 5 times faster than humans, but slow down when they get to be the size of a toddler. From there, they age normally.
Even though they aren't the real parents, the entire pack has say in how a child is raised.
There also other creatures like the weretiger, werecoyote, werejackal, and werecat.
Gallery[]
Lycanthrope Transformation[]
The werewolf transformation is a supernatural metamorphosis in which a human changes into a wolf-like creature, typically triggered by the full moon or intense emotional states such as rage or fear. This transformation is a hallmark of lycanthropy, a condition that imbues the afflicted individual with heightened physical abilities, primal instincts, and animalistic traits.
Stages of Transformation[]
- Pre-Transformation Symptoms: Prior to the full physical change, the individual often experiences intense physiological and psychological symptoms including fever, chills, muscle spasms, and heightened senses. The skin may tingle or itch as the body prepares for the shift, while emotional turmoil escalates.
- Initial Physical Alterations: The transformation begins with drastic changes to the skeletal and muscular systems. Bones elongate and reshape, particularly in the limbs, while muscles bulk up to support the new form. The hands and feet begin to morph into paws, complete with claws replacing nails.
- Facial Restructuring: The face stretches forward, the jaw expanding into a pronounced snout lined with sharp teeth. Ears migrate upwards, becoming pointed and covered in fur. The eyes often change color, glowing with a fierce, animalistic light.
- Fur Growth and Tail Formation: Thick fur rapidly grows over the body, starting from the head and back, providing protection and camouflage. A tail emerges as part of the wolf anatomy, aiding balance and communication.
- Sensory Enhancement: Heightened senses accompany the transformation, including enhanced smell, hearing, and night vision. These traits make the werewolf a formidable hunter and survivor.
- Final Form: The fully transformed werewolf stands upright or on all fours, depending on the lore, blending human intelligence with wolf instincts. It possesses immense strength, speed, and resilience, along with a primal urge to hunt.
Reversion[]
The transformation is typically reversed as the full moon wanes or after the emotional trigger subsides. The reversion process is often painful and exhausting, leaving the individual vulnerable and disoriented.
Variations[]
Different myths and stories depict variations in the transformation process, including partial shifts, voluntary transformations, or transformations induced by curses or magical rites. Some lore emphasizes the werewolf’s struggle to retain their humanity, while others portray the transformation as a loss of self to the werecanine within.