Q: What is the correct term? Werewolf or lycanthrope?
A: Lycanthrope I suppose. One day someone decided to lump us all into one word. Werecat and Werebear don’t sound as badass, I gather.
Q: Werebear?
A: Yes, it’s not as surprising as it sounds. Bears are neither in the canine or feline family, and why should they be left out of the gene pool?
Q: Why aren’t they as well known as the others?
A: Bears like to keep to themselves, and in the wilderness. Thusly, they don’t procreate and bite as much as the other breeds. It’s kind of sad really. I imagine within the next century they’ll be completely gone. There’s only three or so that I know of.
Q: Do all Lycanthropes run around in packs.
A: Packs for canines, Prides for felines, and no. They usually don’t. Most of the packs around today were started long ago and were kept together by family bonds. Each member would produce one or two offspring to carry on the ranks. Nowadays anyone trying to gather a bunch of lycanthropes will often find themselves in a power struggle. I’m not saying it isn’t possible, but it takes one damned determined fool.
Q: Why are most werewolves male?
A: Usually because the females are born without the ability to shift. It’s a genetic anomaly that I can’t properly explain. It has something to do with the mutation of the X and Y chromosomes. They’ll have feral senses and abilities, such as enhanced strength, smell, instincts and the like. Many of them choose to live apart from the supernatural community and attempt to live normal lives. Though there are few that remain with their brethren.
Q: and Werecats? Is that the same reason why most of them are female?
A: Yes… Feline lycanthropes have the same type of genetic anomaly.
Q: Is this why you are unable to shift.
Q: Do
lycanthropes need to shift on the night of a full moon?
A: Not really, but many feel the urge to is intensified.
Q: What happens if they resist a shift?
A: It’s different for everyone really. Some just get angrier and angrier until they have no choice and the beast within makes it for them. Some get sick, some get agitated. It’s not a really uniformed experience.
Q: Is it like in the movies?
A: Jesus Christ. It’s nothing like the movies. And yes, it may be obvious, but I feel the need to tell you that I’m disgusted by your question.
Q: But… how does a lycanthrope’s beast form appear?
A: Like a larger version of it’s natural self. Like a really fucking big wolf, feline, what have you. Have you ever seen a transformed bear? Some Yankee hick came across one in the woods. There are pictures of it plastered all across the internet. It’s disgusting and sad. And that wasn’t even as big as they can get. From what I’ve researched he was just average sized. And that bugger could stand up and look over a single story house.
Q: So… no humanoid beast looking thing?
A: I’ve heard that a type of “hybrid” for can be achieved but it’s neither desirable nor useful. Any type of partial shifting could be quite painful and even deadly if attempted by an inexperienced shifter.
Q: How do you kill a lycanthrope?
A: How do you kill anything? If you mean silver bullets and holy water, those aren’t any more effective than regular bullets and tap. They won’t work on vampires either. They can be killed by usual methods, though it’s a lot harder. Even in their human forms they have the senses, strength, and speed of wild animals. They also heal faster too, so shooting one and leaving it to die is probably the worst thing you could do.
Q: Why?
A: You’ll have a very sore and very pissed lycanthrope on your doorstep a week or two later.
Q: How does one become a lycanthrope?
A: Well by birth mostly. Then there are those that are bitten, and it’s nasty, I tell you. They get terribly ill and have a raging fever. The pain and sickness would be intense for the first week and the week after it sort of dissipates. Then they have their first Change, if they don’t die. Many who are bitten are bitten by some psycho and left alone. Then they either become the next man-eating psycho, or they commit suicide.
Q: That’s horrible.
A: I know. That’s why the Aldenville pack took it upon themselves to regulate the rogue population. They don’t want the secret getting out, and they sure as hell don’t want a group of rampaging idiots biting everything in sight.
Q: Do they eat people?
A: Heaven’s no. I mean, a rogue might. A sad disgusting and misguided rogue would do such a thing. For the most part they hunt deer and such whenever they’re changed and are looking for a bit of excitement. Humans are never a target. Predators don’t usually hunt other predators. It’s much too dangerous.
Q: Are they Immortal?
A: No not really, but it’s damned hard to kill one and they live for a long time.
Q: Do they age?
A: In dog years. No, stop laughing, I’m being serious. It’s like every fifty human years is twenty lycan years. But how they look depends on if they were born with the gene, if and when they were bitten… Their lifestyle also factors into it as well. If they live a somewhat un-stressful life and they’re not trying to slowly kill themselves like I am, a 100 year old lycanthrope may appear to only be 40 years of age.
Q: Cool.