THERIANTHROPES
(Were-creatures)

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Therianthropes [theer-ee-an-throp] are humanoids who turn into bestial monsters every full Moon of the Beast in Zatrikion. The cause of this transformation in these unfortunate individuals is the infliction of a curse. This curse is what differentiates them from shifters.

When the change overcomes them, a therianthrope is a nightmarish monster, blurring the lines between its humanoid body and that of a hideous, animal-like beast. Bipedal, savage and bloodthirsty, there is no compassion, no control, all it wants to do is tear bodies limb from limb and fight.

Therianthropy, while a curse, spreads like a disease. It can be spread one of two ways:

Most often, a "therian" begins life as a normal humanoid who subsequently contracts the curse after being wounded by a "therian." These are known as infected therianthropes.

When a character contracts therianthropy through a therianthrope’s bite, no symptoms appear until the first night of the next full moon. They do not turn until then. Often people bitten by therianthropes have no idea they have contracted the curse. A detect curse will reveal the affliction but a remove curse will not rid one of the horrible curse.

The other, less common way is for a mother to pass down the curse to her unborn child. Therianthropic mothers bear children with the curse. These children are known as natural therianthropes.

Therian Beast Form:

Beast Form: A therianthrope WILL take the form of a bipedal beast with prehensile hands and animalistic features on the full Moon of the Beast. This form is a monster, with powerful claws and fangs. This is not a cuddly furry. This form is an angry, savage, raging beast who has no regard for love or friendship, it cannot target hated enemies or resist from destroying cherished loved ones. Regardless of a character's natural alignment, as a therianthrope, it takes on the alignment of chaos. The creature's savage desires are nearly impossible to overcome. This form cannot speak, cast spells or use mind attacks. It doesn't matter if a therianthrope is a natural born or an infected, 18 years old or 150, the curse is the complete loss of control on the Full Moon of the Beast.

Gear: This change does nothing to the therian's gear. This means anything worn either drops to the ground or is destroyed by the transformation.

An infected therianthrope that has mastered its condition can change into a hybrid form at will. This mastery can only happen after the character has had the curse for a year or longer.

Even when mastered, it is still subject to the savage emotions of the beast and cannot speak or cast spells. Like a caged lion, the beast still wants to rage free. Willpower alone keeps the vicious monster held within when in beast form except on evenings of the Full Moon of the Beast when it is beyond the cursed person's ability to control.

Natural therianthropes have a different issue. Infants, toddlers, children and into the teens, natural therianthropes are at the mercy of their emotions and when upset or angered, they often change into their beast form without conscious thought. A great deal of time from parents is often devoted to either controlling their emotions or embracing the beast within, depending on if they live within a community and are hiding their curse from the populace or if they living within communities of all therianthropes that believe the wild, uncontrolled beast is something to be embraced.

It is the second groups that present the most danger to the populace and the ones that are sought out for destruction by concerned citizens and many temples.

Therianthrope Lifestyle:

Confine the Beast: If a therianthrope doesn't want to be captured by evil mages and priests to be used as guards, suffer a worse fate or be killed outright, they usually learn quickly to restrain themselves during the Full Moon of the Beast.

Because they are so strong, they must invest in magical cages that can withstand their supernatural strength. These cages and their locations are usually a very guarded secret because once locked in, they are trapped and vulnerable, until dawn the next morning when they return to their humanoid form. This is a less costly venture than having the curse cured and the only option available for those born with it or after the rise of the third full moon.

Certain temples, such as the Temple of the Sun and some of the Moon Temples, will have safe, magical caging available for therianthropes deep under their structures. Unfortunately many do not use this option, afraid of others knowing about their condition.

Therianthropes in Zatrikion have the following advantages:

Damage Reduction: Therianthropes are more difficult to wound in their humanoid form and have incredible constitutions. In their monster form, they are nearly impossible to kill. This means that normal weapons, like daggers and arrows, cause only a minimal amount of wounding upon a therianthrope's skin. This isn't a complete immunity to non-magical weapons. But rather, a cut caused by a dagger might only be half as bad on a therianthrope as it might have been on a normal human. Silver and magical weapons do an appropriate amount of damage.

Increased Body Stat: Only on the evening of the full moon of the Beast, the cursed therianthrope fights at one level above their normal body stat.

Increased Strength: The curse gives a therianthrope an increase in strength in all forms. But the beast form in particular is incredibly powerful, able to even break normal chains and bend bars. This doesn't increase a therianthrope's ability to hit (in other words, the stats don't change). But it does increase the amount of damage it can do (something that has to be narrated in role play).

Increased Senses: While in beast form, the therianthrope gains low light vision and improved scent and hearing, depending on whether he is werewolf, were-beaver, were-eagle or were-tiger.

Therianthropes in Zatrikion have the following disadvantages:

Silver Toxicity: Therianthropes are particularly vulnerable to silver. Because silver is an element of purity, the 'unclean' curse that has taken over these beast shifters is particularly sensitive to the element. Merely coming in contact with silver will burn a therianthrope's skin, and a wound caused by a silver weapon will burn and bubble causing additional damage that will not regenerate, only natural time will heal those wounds. Priests and Priestesses of the Temple of the Sun or one of the Moons, are the only ones that can heal wounds inflicted by pure silver. If silver makes it to the heart or brain, death is instantansous.

Curse of Therianthropy: In Auvrynon, a world that has multiple moons, it is the cycle of Korai that affect therianthropes. (Thankfully, this moon follows the cycle of Earth's Moon. The therian character should change at night on a real life full moon and change back at dawn. Central Standard Time.) On that night, the afflicted character involuntarily assumes beast form and forgets his own identity. The character remains in monster form until the next dawn.

This is the curse, and it cannot be changed, altered or ignored.

Curing Therianthropy: Only characters that have been infected by a therianthrope attack can be cured. Those born as natural therianthropes cannot.

The only way to cure a character using natural means after they've been bitten is before the first full moon. During that time, a character must eat a sprig of fresh belladonna (wolfsbane). However, belladonna is toxic and should be given under the strict care of healer. If not done properly, a character can lose strength, fall into a coma, and eventually perish. (In role play terms, this is up to the players involved.)

Those that hunt therianthropes or live near places like Tanglewood often carry belladonna with them in the event of an attack.

After this first month has passed, the curse has taken hold, and there is no hope for a cure through belladonna and one must seek out the services of a Priest or Priestess from the Temple of the Sun or one of the temples to the moons such as the Temple of Amael. Certain priests have been successful in curing the infected person of the curse with powerful spells if done before the rise of the third full moon of the Beast after being attacked. These spells are very expensive and often above the means for commoners to pay.

Therianthropic Undead: Any attempts to turn a therianthrope undead will destroy the corpse and make not only raising dead impossible, but ressurection as well. A bite from a vampire, if left untreated, can be deadly to a therianthrope.

Aging: Therianthropes are not immortal. They are not ageless. They continue to age at a normal rate for their natural, unaffected race, although because of their high constitution and regenerative powers, they will often live to a very old age.