Werewolves

Overview
A Werewolf (also known as a lycanthrope, wolfman, wolfwoman, skinwalker, children of the moon) is a human being that has the ability to shape-shift into a large wolf-like creature. This is caused by the effects of Lycanthropy; a mystical curse that turns a person into a werewolf.

Lycanthropy
Lycanthropy (also known as the Werewolf's Curse) is a supernatural disease created from an unknown origin that transforms its victims into vicious, uncontrollable wolves: Werewolves. The infection is in the saliva of a Werewolf, one bite from a transformed or a transforming werewolf will turn its victims into werewolves and will be left with a lifelong scar.

Once the disease infects its victim, the person will have to wait until the next full moon when the person experiences his or her first transformation. Once a werewolf fully transforms, he or she will no longer remember who he or she is, as their conscious mind is no longer in control, instead their body is taken over by the Beast, a feral "wolf-spirit" parasitic entity which was transmitted into their soul when they were first bitten. This entity then bonds to their soul, gestating for a period of no less than twenty days and no more than fifty, before being 'born' on the night of a full moon.

Most younger werewolves, upon resuming human form, will be left confused and will have no memory of what he or she did while transformed. Over time, a werewolf may learn to balance the needs of their human soul and wolf spirit, giving them the power to transform at will and retain some control over their wolf-form. A wolf spirit can never be truly tamed though.

Infection
Each werewolf was originally human, before becoming infected with the werewolf curse when they were scratched or bitten by a transformed or transforming werewolf. Upon being infected, the person will be left with a lifelong scar. This is not the only means by which one could turn into a werewolf, but it is the most common. If you are infected, you will go through a heavy fever and be very sick for about two weeks, followed by a period of a remarkable rebound and recovery, often described as "the best health of their life."

Transformation
After a person is infected with the werewolf's curse he or she will transform at the next full moon (provided at least twenty days had passed since their infection, giving the wolf spirit enough time to gestate). On every full moon after, a werewolf will experience an excruciatingly painful transformation from human to wolf form. The forced condition usually lasts several hours, usually reverting by the next morning when the wolf's hunger has been satiated or exhausted, with the infected waking the next morning, naked and covered in sweat and dirt, and usually quite bloody.

A Beast will not relent control of the body during a full moon until it has been satiated or exhausted. As it can take hours to wear down a transformed werewolf and its strength and claws can rend steel easily, the best option for preventing an infected person from killing is to feed it - unless you happen to have a reinforced silver cage handy. A Beast will not be satiated until it has eaten fresh meat. While a werewolf can consume most of an entire deer in a single feeding, we've found that a werewolf whose human form is akin to an average size man can be satisfied with three whole chickens.

As mentioned previously, werewolves can learn to shift at will, but this requires training and emotional control. And while the Beast can be coaxed into returning control to the human mind when not under the effects of the full moon, it can be relaxed with much less effort if calmed down with a fresh meal.

Born with the Werewolf's Curse
If a child is born with a werewolf parent, he or she may be born with the werewolf's curse at birth, which will manifest around the child's seventh birthday. There is a 25% chance that the child of one lycanthropic parent will be born with lycanthropy. This is likely a certainty if both parents are lycanthropes, but I don't have the required data. Even should a child not be discovered to be a lycanthrope, they may be carriers of a dormant form of the infection as there are reports of lycanthropic children being born to non-infected parents but who have an infected grandparent.


 * Note: There are no known cases of children (from newborn to pre-adolescent) becoming infected due to a werewolf bite. It appears they have an innate immunity or the wolf-spirit cannot bond to the soul of such a young human. So if one encounters a child werewolf, it can be assumed the child was born with that condition.

Diet
Werewolves are carnivorous creatures. A werewolf must eat meat. Even in their human form, a werewolf will crave meat. It would be impossible for any werewolf to survive as a vegan. In their beast form, a werewolf must eat fresh meat, preferably that it has killed itself.

Lifestyle
Werewolves do not stay in one place for long, otherwise, they may run the risk of standing out for not aging or connected to too many livestock deaths or murders. Not to mention that their wolf spirit's influence on their human behavior tends to cause others to be unsettled by their presence. Many werewolves live in packs controlled by an Alpha. Werewolf packs tend to become territorial and become hostile toward other supernatural creatures encroaching upon their territory.


 * Note: "Alpha" is a term of respect, it can designate the werewolf's infector or its pack's leader. A werewolf will always remember the scent of its infector and infectees.

Powers and Abilities

 * Lycanthrope Physiology: The potency of a werewolf's powers wax and wane during the lunar cycle (being at their most potent the closer it is to the full moon and at their weakest near the new moon).
 * Immortality: While werewolves may continue to age for a time after they've been bitten, most tend to stop aging somewhere between the age of twenty-five and forty-five. Regardless of when they stop aging, werewolves possess bodies that are not affected by common disease or ailments associated with aging (such as joint pain or poor eyesight).
 * Regenerative Healing: Werewolves regenerate rapidly, recovering lost limbs or removed organs within a day of rest. This is their only ability more powerful in their human form.
 * Supernatural Senses: Werewolves are supernatural creatures thus their senses are attuned to perceive ghosts and astral beings.
 * Werewolf Transformation: Experienced werewolves can force a brief transformation at any time, including during daylight hours, Younger, inexperienced have little to no control or even awareness in this form while experienced werewolves do limited self-control while transformed.
 * Cursed Venom: Werewolves' bite secretes an infectious venom.
 * Enhanced Resiliency: Werewolves cannot be harmed by conventional weapons. Only a silver bullet or magic can pierce a werewolf's flesh.
 * Enhanced Running Speed: Werewolves are incredibly fast with great reflexes and agility. Werewolves can run at around 100 MPH for hours on end without exertion. Under a Full Moon, some werewolves have been known to even break the sound barrier (~700 MPH) in very brief sprints (but enough to cover three city blocks in the blink of an eye or dodge a few bullets. Under a New Moon, a werewolf's top sprinting speed is between 200 to 300 MPH. Werewolves can also jump incredibly high and are capable of climbing at speeds roughly equal to their running speed.
 * Enhanced Senses: Werewolves have incredibly acute senses of sight, smell, and hearing even outside of their transformed state. When in their wolf form, werewolves can see part of the infrared spectrum and detect the heat signatures of objects or people in total darkness. They can smell other living creatures within a mile (when upwind) and follow a scent regardless of terrain. Werewolves can hear the sound of a heartbeat within 100 feet in a quiet environment.
 * Enhanced Strength: Werewolves are immensely powerful beings. In their un-transformed state, werewolves possess Classes 0-2 Enhanced Strength. The strongest werewolves have been noted as having Class VIII Enhanced Strength while transformed under the Full Moon and Class IV Enhanced Strength under a New Moon, but most average werewolves range from Class II to Class V.
 * Magic Fangs and Claws: Werewolves' claws and teeth can rend just about anything: fabric, wood, cinder block, and even steel.
 * Intimidation: When angry, werewolves can show off their glowing eyes, fangs, claws by partially shifting.
 * Immunity to Vampires: Werewolves are immune to vampiric infection. Regardless of this, most vampires find werewolf blood to be intoxicatingly delicious.
 * Animal Respect: Animals don't attack a werewolf. Wolves and other canine creatures even bow down before werewolves, even in their human form. This may point to some potent connection to the Red.

Velma's Guide to Killing Werewolves

 * Silver: You better bring silver if you want to kill a werewolf. The touch of silver is uncomfortable for werewolves. Prolonged contact (more than two or three seconds) will leave a nasty rash. A werewolf bound in silver chains will actually begin to burn when the chain touches the skin, searing their flesh and filling the room with a horrific stench. Weapons made from silver (the purer, the better) will leave lasting wounds on a werewolf which their impressive regenerative abilities will struggle to heal.
 * Magic: Though a werewolf can heal from magic easier than silver, magic attacks can be almost as effective as silver in dispatching a werewolf as magic's unpredictable nature does stall the werewolf's regenerative abilities enough to deal a fatal blow if the heart or brain is targeted with a sufficiently powerful attack.
 * Wolfbane: While not itself fatal, exposure to wolfsbane or an alchemical tincture made from wolfsbane will slow down the healing processes of a lycanthrope. The affected skin will develop a rash that will itch for weeks. However, if the aforementioned tincture is injected into a werewolf's system while in human form, it will cause the werewolf to suffer intense hallucinations and paranoia. This might be useful for interrogating a werewolf to giving up the location of its pack and will prevent an experienced werewolf the clarity of mind to transform into their wolf form. However if the werewolf isn't properly contained when the mixture is injected, you're bound to have a very irrational and angry opponent on your hands. A wolfsbane tincture administered to a werewolf already in wolf form will lock them into wolf form until an antidote is injected.
 * Note: There are other types of were-creatures, such as the werecats, werebears, and more.

Trivia and Notes
Missing Data

Links and References

 * List of Werewolves