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Know your Lore : Lycanthropes
gillrmn
Member Posts: 7,800 Arc User
At first I thought about adding it to Lore thread, but this is in no way a intro but specifically about "advanced lore things" those who already have a general idea of 4e. PM me if you want any particular advanced lore thingy and I will add.
I think these tidbits require separate discussions so i am adding new threads for them - which I will link to Lore thread in index for when these go to oblivion.
If a mod thinks they need to clean up, feel free to pile the threads wherever you like
Lycanthropes
Three types of Lycans exist in this world. They are classified according to the dogma they follow.
Selunite Lycans
For any lycan lover, Selunite Lycans are bad news. Us selunites are very strict about lycanthropy and think of it as a curse - just like spellplague. The lycans who worship Selune almost never took on their beastial form - only as the very last resort and last stand in most desperate of situations.
Basically their dogma is - Lycanthropy is evil so never use it.
They find it their moral obligation to purge any Lycan from this world. Most vicious hunters of Lycans are Lycans themselves - the Selunite Lycans.
However, even when vicious, Selunites are obliged to do everything in their power to either cure or help the Lycan control this curse. Recent events have most of the temples and shrines of Selune destroyed or ransacked hence Selune also has hardened her stance in general. So it is not unheard of Selunites who would kill Lycanthropes who have lost the control in order to stop the curse from spreading to normal people.
Silvanus's Lycans
They accept savagery part of Lycanthropy as a natural state of the world. His teachings present a middle line between two extremes of Selune and Malar. Selunite Lycans who basically deny the beastial part of themselves and Malar's Lycans who enjoy it.
According to Silvanus, control of Lycanthropy and abilities of a Lycan should go hand in hand.
Malar's Lycans
These Lycans think that Lycanthropy is a gift from Malar and giving in to bestial nature is true salvation. They fight humans and think of them as a seperate race. They usually have hereditary worship of Malar by previous Lycans in their family line. They are in the forefront of battle ever ready to unleash their fury to hunt or fight.
Basically the monster werewolf.
Other Lycans
Other Lycans are very rare in settings, and rarest as player characters - for example were-serpents worship Shar (and her group - Zehir, Sseth etc) and have a different ideaology.
~~~~
Is it a race or a curse?
Both. Lycanthropy is hereditary. Also the disease of Lycanthropy after been bitten by a Lycan - like rat's filth fever - is allowed to develop to third stage, a person can become a Lycan.
This process is very slow and it is very rare that the immunity of body against the disease cannot overcome the disease of Lycanthropy.
After final stage, one can still use a ritual to cure the affliction of Lycanthropy as long as the victim is willing and has not given to the urge to Lycanthropy completely.
The Vellosk werewolves can more easily release their werewolf form because objects like their totem can increase the effect of the curse. Forsaken do not have access to the totem so they find it comparatively harder to release the form.
Sources:
Dragon 394 and some official campaigns by WotC
In blue: - can't find a source, from a friend who believes it is true.
<credits: thanks Yvonne for her notes and list of sources (not on forums yet)>
Any questions can be post below.
I think these tidbits require separate discussions so i am adding new threads for them - which I will link to Lore thread in index for when these go to oblivion.
If a mod thinks they need to clean up, feel free to pile the threads wherever you like
Lycanthropes
Three types of Lycans exist in this world. They are classified according to the dogma they follow.
Selunite Lycans
For any lycan lover, Selunite Lycans are bad news. Us selunites are very strict about lycanthropy and think of it as a curse - just like spellplague. The lycans who worship Selune almost never took on their beastial form - only as the very last resort and last stand in most desperate of situations.
Basically their dogma is - Lycanthropy is evil so never use it.
They find it their moral obligation to purge any Lycan from this world. Most vicious hunters of Lycans are Lycans themselves - the Selunite Lycans.
However, even when vicious, Selunites are obliged to do everything in their power to either cure or help the Lycan control this curse. Recent events have most of the temples and shrines of Selune destroyed or ransacked hence Selune also has hardened her stance in general. So it is not unheard of Selunites who would kill Lycanthropes who have lost the control in order to stop the curse from spreading to normal people.
Silvanus's Lycans
They accept savagery part of Lycanthropy as a natural state of the world. His teachings present a middle line between two extremes of Selune and Malar. Selunite Lycans who basically deny the beastial part of themselves and Malar's Lycans who enjoy it.
According to Silvanus, control of Lycanthropy and abilities of a Lycan should go hand in hand.
Malar's Lycans
These Lycans think that Lycanthropy is a gift from Malar and giving in to bestial nature is true salvation. They fight humans and think of them as a seperate race. They usually have hereditary worship of Malar by previous Lycans in their family line. They are in the forefront of battle ever ready to unleash their fury to hunt or fight.
Basically the monster werewolf.
Other Lycans
Other Lycans are very rare in settings, and rarest as player characters - for example were-serpents worship Shar (and her group - Zehir, Sseth etc) and have a different ideaology.
~~~~
Is it a race or a curse?
Both. Lycanthropy is hereditary. Also the disease of Lycanthropy after been bitten by a Lycan - like rat's filth fever - is allowed to develop to third stage, a person can become a Lycan.
This process is very slow and it is very rare that the immunity of body against the disease cannot overcome the disease of Lycanthropy.
After final stage, one can still use a ritual to cure the affliction of Lycanthropy as long as the victim is willing and has not given to the urge to Lycanthropy completely.
The Vellosk werewolves can more easily release their werewolf form because objects like their totem can increase the effect of the curse. Forsaken do not have access to the totem so they find it comparatively harder to release the form.
Sources:
Dragon 394 and some official campaigns by WotC
In blue: - can't find a source, from a friend who believes it is true.
<credits: thanks Yvonne for her notes and list of sources (not on forums yet)>
Any questions can be post below.
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