Werewolf

A werewolf (also called lycanthrope) is a fae species who can shift to varying degrees into a bipedal wolf-like creature with increased body hair, claws, fangs and glowing eyes in between his human form. Much alike wolf-shifters, they have control over their ability to transform and can use their enhaced senses and habilities.

Introduction
Werewolves come in three different types, contrary to the many breeds and species of wolves exist. There are only three known types of werewolves: omegas, betas and alphas. Unlike wolf-shifters their werewolve form doesn't reflect any human heritage but just their human features. Needless to say all werewolves don't look the same, as human beings don't either.

Werewolves are social creatures and mostly operate within packs. Packs are made up of one alpha (male or female) and a group of betas. The alpha is the one who leads and makes all decisions that the entire pack follows. It's true also that werewolves become physically stronger and more powerful once they join a pack. Of course, a pack membership is voluntary but failing to join leaves the werewolf weaker (see omega below). Like most other shapeshifters, werewolves have a general affinity neither for the Light Fae nor the Dark Fae.

Becoming a werewolf can heal scars and cure chronic illnesses like asthma, epilepsy or even cancer. Also, camera flashes and some video recording devices cause werewolves eyes to glow making them nearly impossible to photograph. But they can apparently learn to control this effect. Although the extreme arrogance and bestial nature gives them the appearance of stupidity, werewolves are actually quite intelligent.

Origins

 * A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope (from the Greek λυκάνθρωπος: λύκος, lykos, "wolf", and ἄνθρωπος: ,anthrōpos, "man"), is a mythological or folkloristic human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse or affliction (e.g. via a bite or scratch from another werewolf). Early sources for belief in lycanthropy are Petronius and Gervase of Tilbury.

Lycaon

 * According to myth, some Greek citizens believed they owed their lives more to Prometheus than to the gods of Olympus. Lycaon didn’t just refuse to honor the gods, he challenged them. He invited Zeus to a banquet where he tried to serve him the flesh of a human being. Angered, Zeus blew the place apart with his lightning bolts and then punished Lycaon and his sons by turning them into wolves. Lycaon sought out the Druids to help turn him back to human. The belief was that the ancient druids knew how to shape-shift. They couldn't make Lycaon and his sons human again but they did teach him how to shift back and forth. And so the druids became important advisers to the packs.

La Bête du Gévaudan

 * La Bête du Gévaudan (French for: The Beast of Gévaudan) is a name given to man-eating wolf-like animals alleged to have terrorized the former province of Gévaudan (modern day département of Lozère and part of Haute-Loire), in the Margeride Mountains in south-central France from 1764 to 1767. The beasts were consistently described by eyewitnesses as having formidable teeth and immense tails. Their fur had a reddish tinge, and was said to have emitted an unbearable odor. They killed their victims by tearing at their throats with their teeth. The number of victims differs according to source. De Beaufort (1987) estimated 210 attacks, resulting in 113 deaths and 49 injuries; 98 of the victims killed were partly eaten. An enormous amount of manpower and resources was used in the hunting of the animals, including the army, conscripted civilians, several nobles, and a number of royal huntsmen.

Druid or Emissary

 * "Druid” in Gaelic means “Wise Oak”. Druids act as advisors, emissaries, to the werewolf packs.This connection formed in ancient Greece after King Lycaon and his sons were turned into wolves by the god Zeus. The Druids had shapeshifting abilities and, while they could not undo the curse, they taught Lycaon how to shift back and forth between human and wolf.

Darach

 * Whereas Druid means "Wise Oak" and indicates a dedication to philosophy and religion, Darach means "Dark Oak" and denotes a perversion of the Druid's beliefs.

Types of Werewolves
There are three known types of werewolves, and this changes along with the status of the werewolve in his pack, or family.

Alpha
An Alpha is the leader of a pack of werewolves. It is the strongest, most powerful and so far the most lethal variety of Werewolf. There are two important facts: a beta or omega can become an alpha by killing an alpha. ''A beta or omega can become an alpha through strength of character or force of will alone. These are called “True Alphas” and are very rare.''

Beta
Betas are members of a pack and, because of this association, they are considered stronger than omegas. They do not seem to have any special abilities beyond those mentioned below.

Omega
An Omega is the “lone wolf”; existing without a pack and without an alpha. They have all the werewolf abilities mentioned above but are considered weaker than other types because they are not part of a pack. Werewolves can become omegas by choice or be forced out of a pack by the alpha or by circumstance.

Powers and Abilities
Werewolves possess superhumanly acute senses that are comparable to those possessed by certain animals. Werewolves are able to see objects with greater clarity and at much greater distances than an ordinary human. Their sight is enhanced to the point that they can see with this same level of clarity in almost complete darkness, been in part a result of being able to see into the infrared and ultraviolet portions of the spectrum. Werewolves physical appearance also displayed animal-like mutations, including sharper-than-normal teeth with two pronounced canines and retractable claws where ordinary humans have fingernails and toenails. Their teeth and claws are strong enough to rend substances as durable as steel.

'NOTE: These abilities are common to all three types of werewolves. Even in human form they possess all of these abilities. Some werewolves have shown the ability to sense illness.'
 * Heightened Senses: Werewolves can smell, see and hear far better than humans.
 * Accelerated Healing: Werewolves heal quickly from most injuries.
 * Enhanced Agility: Werewolves can jump, run, climb and react faster than humans.
 * Enhanced Strength: Werewolves are much stronger than humans.
 * Pain Transference: Werewolves can absorb and alleviate pain from other people/creatures.
 * Memory Transference: Werewolves can transfer (give or take) memories by inserting claws into nape of an individual's neck.

Special Abilities

 * An Alpha’s bite can transform a human into a werewolf. The bite usually only has two outcomes - transformation or death.
 * Alphas have the ability to hide their scent from other werewolves.
 * Alphas have limited telepathy and mental control over the betas that they create.
 * Bites, scratches and other wounds inflicted by an Alpha will not heal as quickly as other injuries.

Eye Color

 * An Alpha's eyes glow red.
 * Yellow is the most common eye color among Betas.
 * Some Beta’s have blue eyes as an indication that they have taken an innocent life.

Wolfsbane

 * The effects of Wolfsbane vary depending on the type, amount and delivery method. It can cause hallucinations, weaken, render unconscious or kill werewolves.

Mountain Ash

 * When used properly, Mountain Ash can form an impenetrable barrier to keep supernatural creatures in or out.

Lunar Eclipse

 * Werewolves are powerless during a total lunar eclipse.

Minor weaknesses

 * Inexperienced werewolves are at the mercy of the full moon. Under its sway, they lose control and their homicidal tendencies increase. This can be controlled through force of will.
 * Hecatolite can block the effects of the moon and disrupt the natural cycle of transformation.
 * Bites, scratches and other wounds inflicted by an alpha will not heal as quickly as other injuries.
 * The steady application of low amperage electricity will keep werewolves weak and in human form.

Feeding
Werewolves do not appear to feed of humans in any special way. Their special feeding seems to just be hunting wild game. Though, Dark or Light Fae could hunt humans on occasion, even against their will (see weaknesses above).

Known Werewolves

 * Ryder Lynn