Werewolves

Legend says Werewolves were created when a group of Changelings took on a commission from the leader of a Roman legion to assist his soldiers as they headed north to fight the Picts. Given the size of the legion, the Changelings summoned a greater demon as a power source and while the ritual worked initially, mistakes were made when banishing the demon back to Hell. Escaping out of summoning circle, the demon took the opportunity to kill half the Changelings that had bound it, and cursed the spell. Instead of solely giving the soldiers bestial strength, they would instead transform into a wolf during the three days around a full moon, losing their Mundaneity and remain fully in thrall to the mindless nature of the beast.

Ahead of the first change, a number of cursed soldiers, feeling their bestial nature rising, panicked and tried to desert. Around 100-200 out of the 5,000 in the legion were successful, hiding in the forests around local villages. A few adventurous (or desperate) soldiers even headed North to be embraced by the Picts, who admired their wild nature. Several packs in Britain claim descendence from the deserter soldiers, chief amongst them, the Trossachs and the Cairngorm packs in Scotland, and the Pennine, Snowdonia and Exmoor packs in England and Wales. These became known as the Wulver packs.

However, the vast majority of the cursed men were executed by the Romans — aided by local Hunters — during the initial few changes. A small cohort of around 100 men was kept contained by their fellow soldiers and eventually were integrated into the Romulus Unit, where their added strength, stamina and fast-healing abilities were seen as an advantage during most of the month. During the full moon, they would be kept in silver chains, which dampened down their strength. The Romulus Unit was an active force up to around 400 AD, and after it disbanded, the Werewolves descended from its members kept its military traditions alive. The Dartmoor and Cotwolds packs claim descendence from the Romulus Unit.

Most Werewolves centre their lives around packs. In a Romulus pack, there will be an alpha who leads the pack, and the beta is their right-hand wolf. Wulver packs have a more flat hierarchy, with no alpha or beta member of the pack and typically follow a democratic decision-making process.

Werewolves can mate with Mundanes, and the chance of the child inheriting the Werewolf trait is roughly 50%. Typically the first change happens around puberty, however, those children who do not change at this time are given the opportunity or forced to take the bite at 16, depending on the pack’s philosophy.

Outside of the family structure, the accidental turning of a mundane can happen because of the loss of control during the full moon. Depending on the attitude of the pack, mundanes bitten by a Werewolf are either usually brought into a pack or hunted down and put out of their misery. Rarely, a bitten Mundane has been able to cope with the change and make their own way, choosing to stay outside Werewolf society.

Not all Werewolves choose pack life. Those who don’t, known as ‘loners’ typically are viewed as having a more animalistic nature than those in packs and are vulnerable to turning rogue and becoming a target for Hunters.

Alchemy

Throughout their history, British Werewolves packs have stayed on the edges of society, although this is fast becoming difficult as the wild woods of Britain dwindle. Being self-reliant and reluctant to let outsiders learn about their quick-healing ways, Werewolves developed a strong tradition of using herbal tinctures and alchemical concoctions to manage health conditions.

Most packs have home-brewed tinctures with closely guarded ingredients which give additional strength or protect against demons but a few are more widely used. One of the most exciting breakthroughs discovered during the early 1600s was a wolfsbane concoction allowing Werewolves to maintain Mundane sentience during the lunar cycle. A recent rumour is that a tincture has been developed allowing shifting into wolf-form at any point, not just during the full moon.

Inherent magic

Werewolves’ use of alchemy over many centuries has given them a greater understanding and control over their pheromones. Once per two hours, Werewolves can compel another character to feel the emotion of the Werewolf’s choosing such as sympathy, fear, or anger.

Werewolves come from a relatively insular society and their strongest relationships are found within packs.

Pack hierarchy is more rigid in the Romulus packs, with the authority of the Alpha, and then the Beta as the final law. Life in a Romulus pack is strict and spartan, very reminiscent of militaristic societies and traditions have a tinge of self-loathing and stoicism to them. Except for rare occasions, they lock themselves up every full moon with silver chains that burn their skin as they believe the monthly shift is a burden and a curse.

Life in a Wulver pack is more communal- perhaps too much so, in that everyone usually knows each other’s business. Wulvers tend to embrace the change every month and run together as a pack in the wild woods at full moon - although this is becoming increasingly dangerous.

Loner wolves are a little odd, perhaps even a bit savage in nature - preferring wolf form over Mundane form and tending to keep to themselves by nature. Pack Werewolves distrust and feel sorry for them, while loners dislike their pity, although the mistrust is mutual.

Regardless of the pack, Werewolves are tough- they heal fast, rarely feel the cold and have additional strength. Due to their curse, they have had to remain outside of Mundane society but maybe that is about to change in this new century. Life is becoming more dangerous as a wolf, as the world industrialises - and the packs need to decide how to adapt to this new paradigm.

Werewolves’ views towards the other factions are multi-layered and complicated. It depends on the pack but generally, they remain distrustful of Changelings, with Romulus packs, in particular, blaming them for the initial curse.

Vampires smell rotten and dead to Werewolves and while Romulus and Wulver packs usually keep a polite distance from each other due to differing philosophies, they have joined forces to fight against Vampire covens. But there have also been times when Werewolves have held their nose to work together with Vampires, usually to put an end to a fanatical Hunter family that has initiated hunts without good reason.

Wulver and loners, particularly the packs that embrace the beast, tend to despise Hunters, who will treat them as prey if they come across them in wolf form. Romulus Werewolves tend to be more sympathetic to Hunters, and even a few times cooperated and worked with Hunters to hunt down wolves who were drawing too much attention to themselves.

Wulver and loner Werewolves are generally not known for their fashion sense - they often wear clothes that are just a little bit ragged and worn, and ones that are durable and easy to put on after shifting. Due to their general rustic surroundings and time spent outdoors, most Werewolves own long cloaks with hoods. They choose simple fashions and often would be one or two decades behind on fashion styles. Ie. in the 1880s, some Werewolves might still be wearing clothes more reminiscent of the early Victorian period (or perhaps not- perhaps they've embrace fewer bustles!) Romulus pack members dress similarly but also wear clothes reminiscent of military-style.

All Werewolves will also wear a badge with their faction’s symbol.

What’s happened with them since the Accords were signed?


With their new protected lands established, the wolves have retreated to the safety of their National Trust. Isolated from mundanes and most other factions, they have taken solace in the close bonds of their pack and the knowledge that they are safe from harm in their lands. Throughout this period, the Werewolves very much can be said to have thrived in a golden age. The population has grown but luckily the magic that created this land has also provided for this fact, with a ready supply of prey to hunt.

However…the spell protecting those lands and providing this period of comfort is waning and this is a great source of concern. Will the same cost be demanded to renew the spell? Or will a dearer price be called for?

Not all packs have retreated from the world either: the Romulus pack are the guards and the voice of the wolves who speak on behalf of the packs if outsiders come calling. They are far more involved in the world. Possibly too involved, some may say, watching their newfound alliance with the Hunters developing.

Over the past fifty years there have also been occasional unsolved disappearances of wolves who have strayed too far from their pack - and there have been rumours that a group of Changelings are behind these disappearances, as payback to the life taken to achieve the National Trust.

Lastly, while the life of a loner wolf has always been hard, it has also become more challenging as the Hunters (and sometimes even fellow Romulus wolves), have shown limited mercy to any wolf who dares to hunt in areas with high mundane populations.

Themes we expect this faction to deal with:

• Werewolves as found family

• How far would you go to protect your pack / the high cost of deals to keep the ones you love safe.

• Who speaks for you?