I've heard the Lorian holiday of Mogloween is approaching, and it is a time when the spookies come out. I do not understand why they would prefer this time of the year to any other, but I may as well go along with it. In celebration of this bizarre and creepy holiday of horrors, I will begin a series of in-depth looks at the wolven variety of spooks, the lycanthropes. Being that I'm not suicidal, I started by tracking down the Loremaster. (Terrans will appreciate when I say he almost as hard to find as Waldo.) I figured he would have some insight to provide on such a subject. Thank goodness (or rather, considering his position, evilness), I found him, and didn't have to go get mauled to gain information. The discussion was disappointingly brief as he apparently had somewhere to be and he seemed distracted, pulling often at his lapel and staring into space. Despite this, I gleaned a surprising amount of information that I will share now.
There are four known Lorian varieties of lycanthropes (or lycans for short). While their origins at this time are mostly theoretical (and overly complicated for an introductory article), their present natures are relatively easy to discern. To the bane of creativity in favor of simplicity, I will refer to them as Type 1 Lycanthropy, Type 2, etcetera. Other than the fact that they are all werewolves and apparently see me as appetizing, all four varieties have one major thing in common: the parasitic nature of their “curse”. For those of you familiar with the beings described in the books of the Temple of Hope as “annunaki”, the concept will be familiar. Type 1 would seem to be very similar, as they are usually born with the “curse”, the special attributes don’t show up until puberty, and the mother will lose the “curse” to her child upon childbirth.
Type 2 originated with a method some Drakel or Silari supposedly used to create super soldiers. This lycanthrope is caused by a biological agent to turn human races into a different race of obedient pack minded soldiers, according to Falerin. I guess the problem with using “normal” humans was the lack of obedience. The passing on of this “curse” was explained in a somewhat rushed manner. Before moving on, all I got was that it could be passed on like a diffuse annunaki. It is also not passed on through birth.
Type 3 is probably the variety Lorians are most familiar with. It is believed to have mutated from the second strain when the lycan nature was attempting to heal from a disease and it wound up altering the agent that caused the “curse”. This is contagious and can pass to another with any exchange of bodily fluids. Saliva and blood from a bite would obviously be the most common means, suggesting highly that many of the Darkovian lycans are of this variety. Mothers of this type are rather problematic as the babies are often born already transformed and can easily endanger the life of the mother.
Type 4 has (quite thankfully) only ever been seen on Vandar. While I do not particularly despise them, I am very glad this variety only exists on their continent and not on Battleonia. Better them than us, and that sort of thing. This kind is like the third, but the disease is so virulent (Falerin believes the origins may tie in with a pneumonic plague) that mere contact with such a lycan can cause transformation. Even slapping them might work, though why anyone would slap a wolf-man is beyond me. It is thought that the people of Vandar have vigorously attempted to eradicate them with some apparent success.
Lycans: What Makes them Tick, er, Growl
by Genoclysm
