Vampires and Werewolves
Vampires
Vampires are the creation of a god commonly known as the Grasstearer, as part of its feud with its twin. Surviving records indicate that Grasstearer targeted those humans who had lost or were doomed to lose everything due to the ongoing conflict, inducting them as its foot soldiers in exchange for a form of immortality.
Vampires are incapable of turning the still-living - in order to become a vampire, one must die. It's unclear what exactly counts as being dead, as modern advances in medicine provide methods of resurrecting those considered "clinically dead", and generally speaking nobody is volunteering to find out. Nevertheless, the fact remains - the living cannot be vampires. The most common cause of new vampires is botched feeding attempts, but they may also be created intentionally, and it's thought that during their first century or so, the vast majority of organically-born vampires were created intentionally in agreements between dying people and those already turned.
The medium for vampirism is blood - or at least, a substance something like it. Attempts have been made in antiquity to distinguish it from human blood; a common by-name at one point was "black ichor". However, the previous name was often conflated with "true ichor", the blood of angels, and "fae ichor", the vital fluid of fairies, and was inaccurate in colour to many forms of vampire besides. Thus, it is common practice to refer to the substance that runs through vampiric vessels as "blood", even though it more closely resembles distilled magic than any sort of vital fluid. Vampire blood is extremely potent, but, as stated, requires the ingester to die before it can take effect. Once the ingester is dead, however, only very tiny quantities of vampire are required to begin the turning process - records abound of people turning from aerosolised blood or even when no blood was observed to be present, though it could plausibly have been spilled.
It was mentioned above that the most common cause of new vampires is botched feeding attempts. While higher vampires are generally skilled enough to attain blood in a clean manner (from prey or otherwise), lower vampires are prone to biting off more than they can chew, preying on humans who might fight back. Ironically, humans biting back are common; from such a point, it is generally guaranteed that the human, if exsanguinated, will be back and generally pissed off within the week.
Vampires, as a general rule, require (non-vampire) blood. What sort of blood, and the quantity, varies drastically from type to type; lower vampires are generally capable of surviving on lower quantities of blood, or nonhuman blood, but are more severely affected when deprived. On the other hand, higher vampires have higher blood requirements, but are weakened rather than put in life-threatening circumstance when deprived. Vampires cannot sustainably feed off angels, demons, fairies, mers, or the undead.
While vampires generally do not age after turning, there are some exceptions; notably, vampires who would otherwise undergo further growth, as with children or teenagers, will continue to grow until reaching full maturity.
Turning
Upon death, a vampire-to-be enters an intermediary turning stage. This is the final stage in which vampirism can be reversed, and lasts 16 hours and 39 minutes. Beings within this stage are termed "Flickers", as they tend to flicker in and out of visbility. They are, otherwise, generally indistinguishable from base humans.
While one is a Flicker, the body is transformed and altered to compensate for their newborn vampirism. Thus, Flickers tend to experience adverse symptoms such as mood swings, impulsivity, lethargy, delirium or confusion, insomnia, unexpected sensory overload, and concussive symptoms. These are inversely proportional to the amount of blood consumed - that is, the less blood present, the more prominently these symptoms tend to present. For this reason, Flickers created intentionally or found wandering are generally housed in secure areas designed to be as comforting and safe as possible - most vampires of any advanced age and polite standing have at least one room that is either specifically for this purpose, or easily convertible for such use. While not necessarily distressing, Flickers also have a tendency to chew on metallic objects regardless of composition.
Flickers do not display many vampiric weaknesses, mostly being susceptible to the same things humans are. One key exception is sunlight or UV light - this prevents Flickers from vanishing, and slowly reverts the transformation process over a period of time equivalent to that spent transforming. (It should be noted that this reverting process also unheals wounds, and thus tends to leave the Flicker in an unpleasant situation unless they have access to medical aid.) Flickers also display a slight instinctive aversion to garlic and faith-infused objects, although this may be overridden by their impulsivity or willpower in much the same way as a lactose intolerant person decides to consume dairy.
Lower Vampires
Vampires who do not have sufficient inherent magic to be classified as higher being are classified instead as "lower". They tend to be (but are not always) younger, and are almost always less than 800 years old (or 700 years from turning). Lower vampires, while nowhere near as powerful as their higher counterparts, are still notably stronger than mundane humans. Nevertheless, they are by no means unkillable, and a well-trained and prepared human can generally deal with them with only moderate risk. While the vast majority of vampires are Lower, they also make up the vast majority of vampire deaths - not just because they are easier to kill, but because the vast majority of cases of "immortality-sickness", as it's often called, appear first after a century of life, and then after another four.
Echoes
The Echo (archaically "Echo Person") is the first and weakest of the true Vampires. After successfully surviving as a Flicker, one solidifies as an Echo. One may be an Echo for a maximum of 200 years.
Echoes look quite similar to humans, with younger ones often nearly indistinguishable. Their primary fangs, formed from the upper canines, become thicker and larger over the years, often the teeth around them as they do so. (It is a common joke that all 150-year-old Echoes have bad tempers on account of this being the average age at which their fang growth starts causing issues with their wisdom teeth.) Under the full moon, Echoes appear translucent - this may lead them to be mistaken for ghosts. Hungry or injured Echoes appear pale or ashen, as if drained of blood - while this isn’t necessarily something that makes them look inhuman, it does often make them look more ill than they truly are. In addition, Echoes put on muscle much easier than humans do (when properly supplied with blood). Tellingly, Echoes are generally invisible in mirrors.
Echoes have a slight cloaking ability which allows them to mask those vampiric traits that they do display - this is more of a misdirection than an actual glamour, but grows in strength over time. In terms of detection, Echoes are generally easiest to notice around a century since turning. People who have been informed of what an Echo looks like below the cloak can sometimes, though not always, gain the ability to see through them permanently.
Echoes can become somewhat invisible at night, varying from entirely invisible during the new moon to translucent but definitively visible during the full moon. They can also transform into creatures closely resembling bats, although these “bats” have six limbs rather than four on account of their wings being entirely new structures rather than formed from the arms. The vocal skills they are named after vary from being to being, and are affected by those present before turning - the most skilled are capable of near-perfect mimicry and can throw their voices in entirely impossible ways, while the least skilled can at least carry a lovely tune when they aren’t drunk.
Echoes require small amounts of mammalian blood at rest, generally less than a litre per week, although their magic burns through their reserves quite quickly, easily doubling or even tripling their intake. The closer the source is to being human (phylogenetically speaking), the more potent it will be. In addition, Echoes require normal human quantities of food and water - although they can survive on lower quantities, this requires extra blood in exchange and thus is generally impractical. If starved of blood, Echoes begin to age at a rate of roughly 10 years per year of starvation. This process is irreversible.
Echoes display the most weaknesses of any vampire. They are extremely vulnerable to fire, burning as if made from oil, and are prone to burning under the sun or UV light, burning much like a very pale person even when protected by copious amounts of sunscreen. They are repelled outright by silver and faith-imbued objects (although not necessarily objects of faith), and can be burned as if by a hot object if forced to touch them. They have an aversion to garlic, which causes gastric distress and allergenic symptoms. They are as susceptible to drowning and disease as a human might be - indeed, historically the greatest killer of Echoes was the Black Death, or bubonic plague. While they display an aversion to fast-flowing water, they can be forced across it and it is by no means a concrete stop. In addition, Echoes are quite vulnerable to general assault and exsanguination - this vulnerability slowly declines as they age, beginning at normal human levels and slowly becoming more superhuman.
Blood-Birds
“Blood-Birds”, referred to colloquially and hereon out as “Birds”, are named for their ability to transform into unusually bloodthirsty birds (or occasionally dinosaurs, although this trait is exceedingly rare). They come into being after either 200 years as an Echo, or if an Echo consumes all the blood of a stronger vampire. (It should here be noted that intentionally murdering vampires for their power is usually considered grounds for being hunted oneself). Birds may stay in their states for varying amounts of time before transitioning to the next; these numbers are detailed under the corresponding vampires.
Birds appear significantly more vampiric than Echoes. Their primary fangs stop growing; instead, their secondary pair, composed of the bottom canines, begin to grow out. These do not get thicker or bulkier like primaries, but instead simply become longer and sharper, much like those of a snake. Birds can retract both their primary and secondary fangs, but not indefinitely. In addition, their skin becomes permanently bloodless, making pigmentation such as birthmarks, moles, and freckles, appear more obvious (if more greyish in colour). Their blood ceases to be red and humanlike, instead turning to a dark, almost black liquid - this is the origin of the term "Black Ichor". The heartbeat also slows down from normal human rates to something like 20-30 BPM at rest. Birds are the first vampires to display unusual pigmentation of the iris - this pigment may be red, orange, violet, or dark/black, and is quite a subtle overlay on the existing colour, generally only being noticeable to those familiar with the Bird, or in those with very light coloured eyes.
While Birds can still transform into "bats", their avian forms appear generally natural, although they do not automatically know how to fly using their transformed arms and thus have a tendency to crash while learning. Their cloaking ability strengthens - mundane humans now find it impossible to see through without the aid of a magical or faith-infused object, or a mirror. Their reflexes are also increased - this is more to do with neural restructuring, though, than any real magic. Birds also begin to exhibit mild illusory or psychic powers at this point - these will strengthen with age and vary from Bird to Bird. Emotional reading or manipulation, imperceptibility, basic illusion, or charismatic sway are all quite standard.
Birds require an average of two litres of blood per week - that is, one whole person, or some amount of several. Birds are capable of subsisting off avian blood as well as mammalian - however, it is hardly potent enough to be efficient. They no longer require food or water, nor will it sustain them - although many like to eat and drink simply because food is nice. A Bird starved of blood begins to crumble into dust at the same rate as an Echo ages - however, this process can be halted or reversed by blood provision.
Birds lose the Echo vulnerabilities to sunlight and garlic, and their weakness to fire reverts to a normal human level. They rarely contract transmissible diseases, although they are still vulnerable to things like heart attacks or alcohol-induced cirrhosis. Birds are still able to be damaged by mundane means, although it is much harder than with an Echo. Their aversion to faith-based objects also wanes as it becomes a damage multiplier rather than a threat in and of itself (though silver remains capable of causing burns). Drowning remains a threat, although Birds can hold their breaths for much longer than Echoes can, and thus it is less of a threat than previously.
Higher Vampires
At a certain point, a vampire's power becomes potent enough that they are fuel enough to trigger another's transformation; thus, they are categorised as High Beings. While not strictly of the class of beings designated "Higher", the comparative "higher" is often used in conjunction with the comparative "lower" when speaking colloquially, or solely of vampires.
High Vampires do not naturally change with age, although there is a possibility for further evolution.
Sirens
Sirens are known for their hypnotic, enthralling, or charismatic magics that belie already supernatural physical strength. They are born from Bloodbirds who have never been harmed by garlic, silver, or faith-infused objects - thus, they are quite rare, and their ages may vary from a couple of decades to a couple of centuries.
Sirens cease growth of their primary fangs and do not have the opportunity to grow secondary fangs in the first place. Instead, they grow a second row of retractable, serrated teeth from the upper jaw - these are generally agreed to be designed for combat rather than feeding. They gain muscle very easily, and their bodies tend to become stronger and sturdier as a result of their transformation. This is not to say that they are necessarily muscular in appearance - they are hardly indisposed to putting on fat, either. Sirens also possess wings, batlike or birdlike, that melt into the skin when not in use; as a result of these wings they have an extra set of pectoral muscles. Occasionally, they may also display claws rather than nails, or webbed phalanges.
The unusual nature Sirens leads to them often being conflated with either fairies or mers. They become more powerful, physically and magically, when their lungs are filled with liquid, although this tends to be uncomfortable at best; still, this doesn’t stop many from moving into rivers, lakes, or the ocean. They are impervious to most harms, and regenerate quickly from damage, with things like fractures healing completely in a matter of minutes to hours. In addition, their magical skills tend to take on hypnotic or charismatic elements, bending perceptions and wills to a powerful extent. Oddly enough, Sirens have problems breaking promises, and this tendency only gets stronger with age. While younger Sirens often simply experience an unwillingness to break promises, older Sirens often do not remember that breaking promises is an option in the first place.
Sirens require a standard two litres of blood per week, one if perpetually underwater. When starved of blood, their magics weaken; however, this is accompanied by a distinct difficulty controlling their hunger which can paradoxically make a hungry Siren more dangerous than a sated one.
Sirens are the most durable of all vampires. They are completely immune to fire and mundane objects, and the tried-and-true method of drowning only serves to make them stronger and more annoyed at you. Silver ceases to be a guarantee of harm, too, and instead becomes like any other faith-infused object - a multiplier of damage, but not inherently harmful in any way. They are also completely immune to acquired disease (although those conditions present upon initially turning persist). While Sirens can be harmed by faith-infused weapons, the only way to guarantee their death is to decapitate and completely exsanguinate them - a process made difficult by their ability to continue fighting (albeit generally with questionable accuracy) without a head.
Scyllae/Vampires
There is much conversation as to what this form of vampire should be called; some favour the archaic Scylla, while others feel such a name is pompous and stupid, and that the general term "vampire" is sufficient, as these represent the most stereotypical image of a vampire. They come into being after 500 years as a Blood-bird, thus ranging in age from about 500 to 800 years.
Scyllae have highly developed secondary fangs, and also acquire tertiary fangs. These may vary in number and position; however, they are always symmetrically distributed across the left and right, and are retractable somewhat. The pigment overlay in their eyes begins to glow somewhat, especially when they use their magic or if flashed with light; the exception to this rule is those whose pigment is black, as their eyes instead become darker still. This results in a wide variety of eye colours, from scarlets to azures to deepest browns, united by their jewel-like quality.
Scylla magic is characterised by powerful illusory, psychic, or agility-related powers. They have horribly fast reflexes and tend to be unusually fast on their feet, as well - doubly so if this is part of their magical enhancement. They can also turn into amorphous clouds of shadowy mist. Scyllae are, however, barred from entering private places, requiring one invitation per assigned "level" of privacy. (For example, entering someone’s bedroom might take two invitations - one for the home itself and one for the bedroom specifically.)
Scyllae require a flat two litres of blood per week. As with Sirens, deprivation makes them weaker, but does not kill them. Scyllae do not experience hunger-madness.
Scyllae are immune to fire, and while they can be damaged by mundane weapons, they are somewhat resistant to it in addition to being extremely difficult to hit in the first place. Silver is a guaranteed damage booster, though not dangerous in and of itself - faith-infused objects work similarly. Like Sirens, Scyllae do not gain new diseases. They are, however, vulnerable to drowning as Birds are. They are almost completely immune to decapitation, as their heads turn to ash before they’ve even hit the ground and a new one grows in its place. Thus, it’s generally better to use faith-infused objects, chuck them in a lake, or shoot them with silver bullets.
Odysseys
“Odysseys” are named for the journey it takes to create them: two hundred years for a Bird or stronger to sustain a Foil, or the same amount of time on the Foil’s part. The transfer of magic between the pair slowly alters both individuals' magical profiles, producing paired vampires that aren't quite High, but don't really fit the mould of Lower either. It should be noted that a single vampire is not limited to pairing with a single human.
Odysseys born from Sirens lose their extra row of teeth and their wings. Those with undeveloped primary or secondary fangs also begin to grow them out again over time. Their skin is brighter and less bloodless as their Black Ichor reverts to a red, bloodlike substance - too red, perhaps, but red nonetheless.
Odysseys lack the ability to turn into mist if born from Scyllae, and their magical power becomes overall somewhat dulled in comparison to Sirens or Scyllae, though more potent than a Birds’ by all metrics. Most notably, they retain a psychic link with their paired Odyssey/s - this begins as a simple emotional connection, but permanently deepens to something more like a telephone line if the pair feed on each other regularly.
Odysseys have a blood requirement of 2L per week - 25% less per paired Odyssey they reciprocally feed with. It should be noted that Odysseys, when starved of blood, will lash out at both humans and vampires.
Odysseys are vulnerable to everything Birds are, with the exception of faith-infused objects (to which they display no aversion), fire, and disease. They are, however, vulnerable to drowning to a distinctly human degree.
Half or Proto-Vampires
There are several forms of being that aren't exactly mundane human but aren't really true vampires either. Children born from a human and a vampire notably persist in this form indefinitely until death, but the consumption of larger quantities vampire blood also alters the human body to a temporary extent.
Dhampyrs, or Half-Vampires
Dhampyrs are varied in appearance, as they appear as a less pronounced version of their parent’s vampire type, albeit without clearly magical features such as fang retraction or wings. They do not tend to be bloodless, as they are very much alive, although a sickly look is not uncommon in those who, for whatever reason, have low levels of blood circulation.
Dhampyrs are slightly more resilient than the average human, and they regenerate slightly faster, though not to a degree that is clearly inhuman. They are otherwise quite ordinary.
Dhampyrs tend to crave blood. Such hunger is not indicative of any critical need, and it is entirely reasonable for a dhampyr to go their entire life without consuming any blood. That is not to say, however, that consuming blood won't affect the dhampyr; should they consume the sum total blood of a single human, they will be reborn as a Flicker. The same will happen if the dhampyr dies a violent death; however, deaths of old age, disease, fire, or drowning will instead lead the dhampyr to die as any other human would.
Foils
The name “Foil” is derived from the type of sword, although it is often more romantically compared to the literary term implying narrative reflection. All humans whose bodies contain enough vampiric blood to cause physiological effects can be called “Foils”, but the term can more generally be used to denote those who receive blood as a one-off or irregularly.
Foils can be created from non-mundane humans, such as Magic-Spinners and Werewolves; however, these will retain the magical qualities they already possessed, and may experience adverse reactions if they have magic that specifically counters vampiric ones.
Foils display an increase in strength and speed while the blood remains in their system, as well as increased durability and night vision. Aside from this, they display no unusual traits.
Heels
A “Heel” is a Foil who receives blood frequently enough that it begins to semi-permanently alter their magic and constitution. Generally speaking, a few years of continuous consumption is enough to begin the change. Heels are so named due to the fact that they are often assumed to be both a vampire’s weakness and one of their staunch defenders.
Aside from their Foil abilities progressively strengthening, Heels display a minor, RADAR-like aversion to garlic and faith-based objects, and later a vulnerability to fire. Their ability to go unnoticed also increases, peaking at the cloaking abilities associated with Echoes. Heels are also functionally immortal, essentially freezing in time, although they can very much still die, and they do not regenerate nearly as well as vampires do.
Without frequent blood provision, these abilities will revert in a period of time equal to one-tenth of the period in which the Heel received blood. This reversion also comes with mild withdrawal symptoms, such as lethargy, cravings, and muscle weakness. Such symptoms vanish once the time period is over.
Ports
So named after the steady homeland to restock and take shore leave, “Port” is a long-term Heel to a more powerful vampire - a Blood-Bird, or one stronger. One is generally defined as a Port after about a decade.
Ports often begin to exhibit minor psychic capacities, or else become strong enough to easily match an Echo in power. Notably, Ports hold minor psychic sway over their “sire” - not nearly enough to do anything spectacular, but enough that Ports are rarely not closely trusted allies. When cut, they bleed a potent mix of human and vampire blood. This mixture is highly prized for magical purposes, as the two elements are bound together in a way sticking the two in a blender just doesn’t match. Ports are outright repelled by faith-infused objects.
At this point, the need to consume vampire blood is reduced dramatically as it begins to properly integrate into the body. It can take years for a Port to revert back to a mundane human, and once-monthly top-ups generally suffice to maintain their magical abilities and prevent withdrawal (although, of course, they can always be made more powerful with more blood).
Ports take on some minor bloodlessness and have unusually sharp (though not in any way elongated or enlarged) canines. They are otherwise quite ordinary in appearance.
TBH
Werewolves in General
Werewolves are the creation of a god commonly known as the Stonecrusher, as part of its feud with its twin. Surviving records indicate that Stonecrusher targeted those humans who felt closely their inability to affect the ongoing conflict, inducting them as its foot soldiers in exchange for strength and power.
Lycanthropy is conferred by saliva, but requires the body to undergo some form of damage in order to take affect. The amount of damage required is at its lowest at the full moon, where a simple bite is enough in and of itself; off-moon, much more severe injury is generally required, often to the point of being life-threatening. Werewolf saliva can persist in the body for up to a month, resetting at the end of each full moon. Thus, lycanthropy may be attained in a number of unusual ways:
`- Everyone else in the house is a werewolf and it's hayfever season and none of them are covering their sneezes properly
- Drank out of someone else's mug
- Licked on an injury by a rogue five-year-old
- Too much time spent around someone who spits when they talk
- Too enthusiastic kissing
- Too enthusiastic biting
- Look if you're going to have relations with a werewolf maybe just accept that if you get hurt you're also going wolf
- Unpleasant TikTok trends
It should also be noted that werewolf bites are painless, though not lacking in sensation.
Werewolves have a tendency to seek out companionship - this is not particularly different to human beings, although those who might have earlier been more inclined to hermit-like behaviour will instead find that they do, in fact, require some companion in their presence, even if said companion is an actual real-life dog/cat/goldfish who really doesn't talk that much. Depending on the precise type of werewolf, some will also exhibit a strong drive to turn those around them; this drive requires discipline to manage, but is not entirely insurmountable.
While werewolves do not have an innate need to consume humans, they do have an inherent prey drive that will generally cause their first priority upon the full moon to be hunting down anything that looks edible; in the absence of readily-available animals, they will instead break into any area that contains food. Once full, werewolf behaviour varies from type to type, and by personal temperament; some will act like particularly weird dogs, while others are intensely territorial and will chase anything that moves.
The majority of werewolves are very sensitive to both aconite and silver, though in very different ways. Aconite manifests as a severe allergic reaction; the exact severity may vary, as some can get away with skin contact with only hives, while others cannot touch it without encountering anaphylaxis. As a result, werewolves have an instinctive aversion to aconite while in wolf form, although they need to learn about their allergy while in human form as they do not display such an instinct. Silver, on the other hand, is essentially werewolf heroin with added internal bleeding, in that very small quantities will act as a stimulant, while large amounts will kill them stone dead. Werewolves are capable of handling silver, but generally only for short periods of time.
Unlike vampires, werewolves are not naturally immortal, although they may gain immortality through various means. The most common forms of werewolf immortality derive from magic-spinners and then from consuming Higher (here used formally and correctly) beings.
Lower Werewolves
Much like vampires, werewolves can be divided into Lower and High/er variants. The form of a Lower werewolf often appears more impressive than that of a Lower vampire, but they lack much of the adaptive magic of vampires, thus placing them on an even kneel.
Werewolves - the Baseline
Unlike vampires, who ascribe the umbrella term to one of the most powerful of their class, the term "werewolf" is freely used to describe the first and weakest form of lycanthropy. On full moon nights, these beings transform into large creatures, around the size of a wolf, although their form may resemble any canid. While resembling a real creature, this form has several traits that set it apart from natural creatures; its aforementioned size is one, but the legs will often drop to a plantigrade form at rest, and the werewolf will also display a tendency to walk upright on its hind legs for short periods. Werewolf eyes are also noticeably human, if not in shape then in colour. Generally speaking, werewolves are not unusually aggressive, behaving anywhere between an ill-trained housepet and an ordinary wild animal. Feeding - on animals, humans, or any form of dead meat - generally calms their behaviour considerably, although an aggressive individual will naturally act aggressive even in wolf form.
Werewolves have slightly increased healing times and strength/agility; they also display markedly more sensitive vision and smell. Werewolves of all type have the ability to identify other werewolves by smell; with practice, this skill can be honed to the ability to identify individual werewolves, pick out related individuals, identify who turned who. Most werewolves can also easily pick out other beings by smell, although this takes a little more practice.
Werewolves with vision problems (such as colourblindness) or anosmia will retain these after being turned.
Dire Wolves
Named after a now-extinct, very large species of wolf, Dire Wolves arise from werewolves who kill and consume ten or more humans across their lifetime. Standing at the height of a small horse (or large pony) when transformed, Dires have "sharp" features and often appear unkempt, with bloodshot eyes. Unlike baseline werewolves, Dires display some degree of intellect while transformed; however, this tends less towards sapience and more towards being very, very good at tracking down prey. Dires are also quite territorial, though they are also social creatures and will act friendly towards animals they have encountered before in human form.
Off-moon, Dires retain their social tendencies, and while they may not necessarily appear extroverted, they bond closely to humans or animal companions they might have. Dires have a strong turning drive that pushes them to bite those they are close to, both on or off moon, unless said person is already a werewolf. It should be noted, however, that this drive does not cause any impulse to attack.
Dires tend to have unusually good comprehension of spatial perception, especially when it comes to converting nose to space; this does not, however, necessarily transfer to increased skill at moving through 3D space. While records of Dires displaying more acute vision have been made, as of yet it's unclear if they truly do experience more enhanced vision, or if their intelligence while transformed simply makes them more prone to picking out minor details.
High Werewolves
Shifters
Shifters are an unusual sort; they constitute a branch of lycanthropy separate from the mainline, and resemble vampiric transformation more closely than werewolves do. Only werewolves of the baseline variety can become Shifters; they are born from the presence of both Siren blood and aconite within the bloodstream at the same time. This potent combination causes the werewolf to be altered markedly, as well as triggering a short period of severe gastric distress.
Shifters are more closely influenced by the moon than any other werewolf; this is because, beginning at the waxing half-moon and ending with the waning, they exihibit varying canine traits while not fully transformed, peaking at the full moon with the compulsory transformation. These traits start with prominent ears, teeth, and tail, but slowly grow to encompass the entire body, much like a "furry". Notably, shifters can also transform off the full moon during this time period, and retain the most intelligence of any form of werewolf. These is one firm downside to this ability, though; shifters experience fever, exhaustion, and often (though not always) nightmares on the new moon, much like a transient but nevertheless often bedbinding illness.
Shifters are aided by their canine traits while not fully transformed; thus, their eyesight, smell, and hearing become more acute as the full moon draws closer. Shifters noticeably become much more aggressive (as wolves) and generally mentally exhausted (as humans) if left completely alone; this effect can be lessened with animal or human companionship.
Dire Wolves
Named after a now-extinct, very large species of wolf, Dire Wolves arise from werewolves who kill and consume ten or more humans across their lifetime. Standing at the height of a small horse (or large pony) when transformed, Dires have "sharp" features and often appear unkempt, with bloodshot eyes. Unlike baseline werewolves, Dires display some degree of intellect while transformed; however, this tends less towards sapience and more towards being very, very good at tracking down prey. Dires are also quite territorial, though they are also social creatures and will act friendly towards animals they have encountered before in human form.
Off-moon, Dires retain their social tendencies, and while they may not necessarily appear extroverted, they bond closely to humans or animal companions they might have. Dires have a strong turning drive that pushes them to bite those they are close to, both on or off moon, unless said person is already a werewolf. It should be noted, however, that this drive does not cause any impulse to attack.
Dires tend to have unusually good comprehension of spatial perception, especially when it comes to converting nose to space; this does not, however, necessarily transfer to increased skill at moving through 3D space. While records of Dires displaying more acute vision have been made, as of yet it's unclear if they truly do experience more enhanced vision, or if their intelligence while transformed simply makes them more prone to picking out minor details.