Werewolf World Building

Lycanthropes are essentially categorized by Archetype, what their bestial form resembles, and their practices:

Trickster-Scavengers: Jackals, Coyotes, Foxes: What they lack in physical strength they make up for with intelligence and magical illusions. These are shapeshifters that operate like professional thieves and can disappear without a trace. Misdirection and evasion is their preferred tactic in the face of a superior foe. When on the attack they will use invisibility to close the gap, hit hard with weapons, and then retreat before any retaliation can be mustered. Trickster-Scavengers clans increase their populations not through an infectious bite but through natural mating with whoever reciprocates their fancy and recruitment of new members that arise from an incredibly infamous but well documented supernatural phenomenon: Non-lycanthropic parents may randomly conceive a Trickster-Scavenger depending on a combination of proximity to ley lines, alignment of stars, and most importantly, the phase of the moon.  T-S communication uses natural pheromones and artificial chemicals to give subtext to written messages. Their vocabulary is filled with loan words from communities that they like to interact with. Trickster-Scavengers love music and art and will travel as a circus or operate theaters that host other wandering performing groups.  Nothing is sacred to trickster-scavengers and so they will cleverly mock whoever claims to be in charge. Wherever there is freedom (or chaos), a T-S clan will be there to celebrate it (and steal whatever valuables they can play with and then fence later). 

Pack-Hunters: Wolves, War Hounds, Lions, Hyenas:  Strong, fast, and social, these are the standard variant that most people first imagine. What little magic they utilize is supportive or self-sacrificing, such as healing or giving their strength to others.  As their classification implies, P-H’s fight together although they will use “Lone Wolf” tactics in certain situations. On first contact, a young member of the pack will be encouraged to “Go First” against a potential enemy while the rest observes from a safe distance. When the pack is pursued by an enemy of greater strength, it is expected that the eldest will stay behind and fight to the death to protect their young. Predictably, the Bite from this breed of Lycanthropes can turn a humanoid into a new but not necessarily loyal member of their clan. The Bite is the best way that P-H clans can increase their population as natural breeding results in pups with birth defects such as an inability to shift shape, missing claws or teeth, and other health defects.  Pack-Hunters disguise themselves in intolerant society as eccentric mercenary soldiers, nomadic cattle herders, and reclusive stoic biologists. In nations where lycanthropes are not only tolerated but valued for their abilities, militaries will recruit whole packs of P-H’s and use them as scouts, shock-troopers, and even honor guard. Wolven Pack-Hunter clans are the most insular and keep their own traditions and language secret. Meanwhile their War Hound brethren will adopt the customs of their allies but find ways to subvert them for their own benefit. Were-Lion prides are always matriarchal with a Parliament of Huntresses giving commands to the Keeper of the Den who must manage the servants, the young, and the prides territory. Hyena shapeshifters are considered the natural world’s immune system as they have the unique ability to purify otherworldly corruption by simply consuming it. Because Undead blight, demonic ichor, and aberrant mutagens taste and smell delicious to Were-Hyenas (who, again, are completely incorruptible) their packs have gathered knowledge to summon demons and other entities in order to be served up as part of a traditional feast or as an emergency food supply. This knowledge has put them in the cross-hairs of cabalists who seek to steal their knowledge for personal gain and puritanical zealots who seek to erase all knowledge of evil.

Dire-Maimed: extinct dire animals combined with echoes of primal deities: The Maimed are a direct link to The First Pack (also called the Court of the Crowned Beasts) that was manipulated by the Gods of Civilization into their own extinction. A human or demi-human cut with a Fang of The First Pack will become imbued, disfigured, and possibly killed by primal energies.  These energies correspond to a force of nature such as Tempest, Plague, or Inferno, but there are legends that other forces exist. The arcane invocations Dire-Maimed can cast are powerful and destructive, but beneficial to the natural environment over time. Dire-Maimed are incapable of any form of natural reproduction as lesser beings cannot survive close prolonged exposure to the primal energies a D-M is constantly emitting.  When a pair of D-M come together, there are no survivors, witnesses, or offspring, which is similar to what would happen if a hurricane and an earthquake tried to mate. Responsible holders of a First Pack Fang will only accept volunteers that have proven themselves trustworthy to become a Dire-Maimed through a ritual that allows the original host to survive and still retain their original personality but never return to their original form. Irresponsible cults use First Pack Fangs as the ultimate terror weapon, scratching an enemy (or suicidal volunteer) who will then turn into a short-lived godlike berserker or explode with primal energy in a massive radius. The evil cult will then try to search the wreckage for the Fang in order to use it again. If a stable Dire-Maimed is still capable of communicating and controlling it’s power, it can leverage it’s condition into social influence, becoming a venerated if horrifying figure in society, similar to a dragon who uses their hoard to buy royal titles or positions in a government.  While the gods and their followers have censored ancient historical accounts, a dire-maimed lycanthrope inherits instinctual memories of their forbearers, so their testimony is highly sought after by anti-theistic sceptics.