Were-Hunters
The Beginning
Lycaon, King of Arcadia, had a beautiful wife and two sons. Not knowing his wife was of the Apollite people (cursed by Apollo), he watched helplessly as she died horribly at the age of twenty-seven. Realizing his sons would meet the same fate, he attempted to circumvent the curse. Gathering as many Apollites as he could find, he began using arcane magic to change the people, trying to find a way to fool the gods. Using these magicks, King Lycaon began splicing the essence of the Apollites with that of predatory animals, creating the first Were-Hunters. His experiments succeeded in circumventing the curse. Instead of living only twenty-seven years, they now lived for close to a thousand. Choosing the most powerful of the animals on which he had experimented, King Lycaon blended his sons with a dragon and a wolf. For defying the will of a god, the Fates demanded that Lycaon kill his sons as punishment. When he refused, the Fates cursed the new race saying, "They will spend eternity hating and fighting until the day when the last of them breathes no more." Whenever Lycaon blended an Apollite with an animal, he ended up with two new separate beings: one with an animal's heart and one with a human's. Thus the Katagaria and the Arcadians came to be. Those directly descended from King Lycaon took the surname of Kattalakis.
Katagaria:
The Katagaria are the animal-hearted Weres. Born as an animal, they can only become human at puberty when their magical powers are "unlocked." The Katagaria are very mistrustful of the Arcadians, because they believe humans are often deceptive. Katagaria follow the law of kill or be killed, preferring to attack when they feel threatened as opposed to waiting to be attacked themselves. The Katagaria only kill to defend themselves, their pack, or their territory. The Katagarian Strati are a sort of soldier that seek out Rogue Arcadians, but will not engage an enemy unprovoked. On the other hand, there are some Katagaria who are unable to reign in the hedonistic impulses of their animal soul and succumb to maddness. These Katagaria are referred to as Slayers. It is a common Katagarian tradition to mount their first kill on the wall of their home. It is also polite to refer to the Katagaria by their animal selves, though referring to them by the term Were is extremely insulting.
Arcadian:
The Arcadians are the human-hearted Weres, born as humans and can only become animals and harness their magical powers at puberty. The Arcadians feel that the Katagaria need to be closely monitored and controlled as to prevent them from being emotionless animals capable of killing without reason. Arcadian soldiers, Sentinals, usually travel in groups of four, and make it their main duty to track and kill Slayers. Only a few Sentinals are born to each patria and they are chosen by the Fates. Sentinals can be recognized by a geometric design covering one side of their face. The design is a birthmark that appears at maturity, though most prefer to use their powers to hide them.
Info:
Whenever a Were-Hunter is injuried, knocked out, sleeping, or dead the turn into their base forms. Katagaria = animal form, Arcadian = Human. One of the results of King Lycaon's experiments gave the Were-Hunters a 1000 year lifespan. Both Arcadian and Katagaria Were-Hunters age mature at a different rate from humans. Childhood lasts until they hit puberty in their 20s (prior to puberty, Were-Hunters are unable to shapeshift or use magic). From age 20 to 40, a Were-Hunter is in their teenage phase. Age 40 is considered the beginning of adulthood. Were-Hunters spend the majority of their lives appearing young and only begin to show signs of age as they get in the latter quarter of their lives. Even a Were-Hunter in his later 900s will appear no older than his mid 50s. Were-Hunters remain physically capable and active until death. Until they hit puberty, Were-Hunters cannot change from their base form. For Arcadians that is human and with Katagaria it is animal. Were-Hunters who cannot master this ability by 40 are killed by their pack. When Were-Hunters shift from animal to human they end up magicly clothed. It is easiest for a Were-Hunter to remain in their base form during the day. Weaker Were-Hunters will have trouble maintaining their opposite form in the light.
The full moon amplifies the magic power of a Were-Hunter. For young and untrained Were-Hunters, it can be hell, forcing them into animal or human form. Most Katagaria have trouble maintaining their human form until nightfall. In turn, it is easier for Arcadians to turn animal at night. Part of this is due to the mostly nocturnal nature of the beasts they descended from, and part of it has to do with the cosmic forces of the moon—the leftover curse from their Apollite ancestry. On any given day, it is easiest for a Katagari or Arcadian to remain in their birth form, but the moon—and the forces that surround it—can amplify a Were's powers, for better or worse. Were-Hunter sanctuaries and safe houses exist throughout the world in every time period. These safe houses are places where Arcadians, Katagaria, Apollites, and sometimes Daimons can gather without being hunted. Sanctuaries are a place of neutrality, a safe haven for fugitives and drifters. No one is permitted to spill blood. Starting a fight within a sanctuary will get you banned for life if the host Weres are merciful enough to let you live. The Chthonian Kon, Savitar, gives out the licenses for sanctuaries. Anyone wishing to open one will need to ask him. Violating the common laws can result in one's license being revoked, temporarily or permanently. When visiting Sanctuary, you will often hear requests for the bartender to "Hold the human hair". As Were metabolism is very high thanks to their animal ancestry, Sanctuary always has on hand a full complement of liquor strong enough to make any human completely drunk with one shot. The experienced staff at Sanctuary has been instructed not to dispense this alcohol to humans. The menu is varied, but specializes in Cajun and carnivorous delights (exotic entrées available upon request). All meats are served fresh from the kill that morning with a loving smile.
Another rule of note:
The Weres share the psychic abilities of their Apollite cousins in varying degrees, but only the Katagaria can willingly give up their powers to another Were or bestow them upon a human. It's not a much-talked-of practice and it is rarely ever done, since most Katagaria Were-Hunters are understandably reluctant to completely surrender their magic to another unless it is a case of extreme circumstances. Never, ever let a Daimon kill a Were-Hunter if it is at all within your power to stop it. When a Daimon claims a Were-Hunter soul, the Daimon absorbs their powers until that very strong, very virile soul dwindles inside them. You do not want any Daimon to have that sort of leverage. He'll take that upper hand, and he'll smash you flat with it... right before he kills you. Pregnant Katagaria are Daimon magnets due to their soul strength and power. An unborn child is a Daimon delicacy as it is, with its unlimited soul-sustaining power.
List of animals (more can be added)
- Lion
- Dragon
- Falcon/Hawk
- Tiger
- Wolf
- Bear
- Panther
- Jackal
Powers:
Teleportation
Telepothy
Shields
Telekiness
Shifting into an animal or human Were-Hunters heal faster than humans but they're not Wolverines.
They can take quite a bit more punishment than humans, but fatal injuries will end their lives. On average, most Were-Hunter injuries heal within two or three days. Weres are immune to every kind of disease save the common cold and cancer.
Weakness:
They have a weakness to anything electrical.
Depending on how powerful it is and what it is it can kill them by force shifting them between human and animal over and over again until it stops, or if Ash stops it, or they die.
Common Cold and Cancer and their mate.
