Powers and Weaknesses

POWERS

A werewolf is blessed with many powers that aid them as hunters of creatures in shadows. They also have few limitations, but none that would too greatly hinder them. If anything, those weaknesses are only used to bring about human limitations, not place them below their prey.

The first weakness of a werewolf is Silver. Silver causes increased damage to a werewolf that it cannot regenerate as quickly as its other wounds, creating a wound that behaves as if infected. Over time, the wound heals, usually two days to bring it to a degree wherein Regeneration can kick in. A werewolf is only affected by pure silver; no alloys, compounds, or plate-coatings will create a serious effect. They may be a little more than a minor annoyance, but not significantly so. Silver also only hurts when a werewolf is struck with it; an enemy couldn?t simply put a silver necklace on a werewolf and kill it. The werewolf would feel minor discomfort, but no real pain or damaging effects. Wielding silver as a weapon is a mortal sin in Uratha law, attacking or wounding another werewolf (even one of the Pure) an even more serious one.

Another weakness of the People is the **** Rage, the Kuruth. A werewolf who is greatly injured or insulted (note that greatly is a matter of opinion to the individual werewolf) has a chance of automatically turning to Gauru form and going berserk in a savage rage. In this form, a werewolf cannot control his actions and must attack the nearest living thing or flee from combat if he is injured enough. Entering Kuruth also strengthens the hatred and contempt that the Pure and spirits hold for the Uratha and drives the individual werewolf further from their respect.

The most constant power of a werewolf is Regeneration, the ability to heal wounds rapidly and stay up for the fight. A werewolf automatically heals minor injuries (minor cuts, bruising, etc.) in a matter of minutes, and with a little effort, can heal more serious injuries at the same rate. Regeneration does not depend on form, another reason that even a Hishu werewolf stays away from living a ?normal? life. Imagine cutting yourself on accident in a crowd, only to have the wound rapidly stitch itself right in their view!

The most well-known power is that of changing shape. However, a werewolf does not have to keep this between human and the giant bipedal lupine creatures we all are fond of. There are a total of five forms that a werewolf may assume.

The first form is called Hishu, and it is the human form of a werewolf. In this form, a werewolf has nothing to fear about being noticed as a werewolf. There are no telltale markings that identify a werewolf in Hishu form, although they are more swayed by their emotions. Most werewolves are lithe and athletic, even in Hishu form.

The second form bears the name Dalu, the near-human form. In poor lighting, almost everybody would believe that this is a real human, just hairy and very muscular. A Dalu werewolf can track with more facility than a Hishu werewolf. They also can fight well, combining improved speed and strength with any fighting styles a werewolf may have learned in Hishu form.

The third form is nightmarish Gauru, the wolf-man form that is portrayed in most movies, albeit incorrectly. In this form, a werewolf has become the ultimate predator, losing himself to instinct and fury. A werewolf takes this form when in a **** rage or to go toe-to-toe with a powerful adversary. Any fighting styles learned in Hishu do not apply here, a Gauru simply slaughters with impunity. A werewolf can only take Gauru for a limited time, however, but stronger werewolves can take it up for longer. If a werewolf is in a **** rage, he cannot shift out of Gauru until all threats are either eliminated or fled from, so no time limit exists there. Unless in a **** rage, a Gauru still recognizes his pack mates. He can still speak, but haltingly and only in short statements, and even these require great effort.

The fourth form is the Near-Wolf, Urshul. At this point, the werewolf becomes an excellent tracker and very fast. He also loses his opposable thumbs, so only his claws and fangs can be brought to bear. A werewolf in this form can no longer make any human speech, but can use ?wolf-speak? and the First Tongue.

The final form is Urhan, the Wolf. In this form, the werewolf changes into a feral canine beast of exceptional, but not impossible, sizes. The werewolf always assumes the form of a feral dog that exists in its native lands. A werewolf from the Rockies might resemble a timber wolf, for example. Meanwhile, an African-American werewolf may resemble a Cape Canaveral Hunting Dog in Urhan form.

The most useful powerful ability of a werewolf is to inflict Lunacy, a supernatural fear of the unknown. When in Dalu, Gauru, or Urshul form, a werewolf causes all onlookers to panic. A person with a weak will may eventually recover from the incident, but they will reject any notion that they saw anything truly unbelievable. People with stronger wills still try to rationalize what they saw unless they are exceptionally strong, and those people are a danger to the Uratha?s code. The code plainly states that no werewolf can reveal to humans about their society and existence. So, Lunacy shouldn?t always be counted on.

Probably the most obvious ability of a werewolf is to track. This ability can be used for nearly any purpose, tracking friends, enemies, or special areas by scent and auditory means.