I’m glad you could travel with me through
this forest path under the light of the full
moon.
Awwooooo
What type of creature was that?
Probably a wolf, off in the distance.
Listen close though, I believe something large
is rushing towards us, large as a bear.
You’ve heard the rumors of monsters that
change, becoming aggressive under the light
of the full moon.
Almost human in appearance these animals hunger
for meat.
Not to consume though.
These “wolves” want only to kill.
Lycanthropy is a curse, a disease, and sometimes
a gift..
Once infected a person will shapechange between
their humanoid appearance to that of a particular
kind of animal.
Their normal appearance will be no different
than others of their race, except for minor
details.
Perhaps longer nails, sharper teeth, more
back hair.
Under certain conditions they can transform
into an animal and be indistinguishable from
others of that species.
However there is a third form that invokes
fear in the victims, the hybrid form resembling
a humanoid with the head and other traits
of its animal counterpart.
There are many types of were-creatures.
Werewolves are best known in the forests of
Faerun.
In more modern cities wererats are a common
problem.
The werebears protect forests and the splendors
of nature.
Weresharks, werecats, werebats, wereboars,
weretigers, and werecrocodiles are all curses
that could be passed on with a simple bite.
There are rumors of even more were-animals
but that’s from an earlier time.
You may be bitten, and in a months time change
under the light of the full moon as your lycanthropy
takes over.
However in the world of Dungeons and Dragons
there are other ways were-creatures can be
created.
You could be born with this affliction, or
gift, however you see it.
Lycanthropes who contracted their condition
as party of a hereditary trait.
If two lycanthropes breed with one another
a true form is born.
Two werewolf parents could have a true werewolf
child.
Sadly this condition is incurable, it is no
longer a curse or a disease but written into
the fabric of your being.
You can no more remove lycanthropy from yourself
than you can remove the color of your eyes.
Then there are the afflicted victims of Lycanthropy.
A true lycanthrope that bites another can
pass on the condition.
This method isn’t truly understood.
Something in their saliva, or blood that mingles
with yours can pass on this trait to you.
It’s not guaranteed either, you may be bitten
by a wereshark, live to tell the tail and
never shapeshift into a wereshark.
Some believe there is power in lycanthropy.
These people want to be infected, but there
are other ways to obtain this power.
You need not seek out a werewolf to maul you.
Magical items exist in Faerun that can change
you.
In this form of lycanthropy you won’t be
able to transfer the condition to others through
bites or scratches.
But, perhaps, it will be something you have
more control over, changing into a hybrid
form at will.
Unless it’s a cursed item, which transfers
an undesirable effect onto the recipient.
Under this condition you may not have control
of how and when you transform.
Despite this most lycanthropes view their
transformation as a gift, even when it is
clearly a curse.
Most were-creatures were humans or elves,
but some orcs and goblins lycanthropes existed
in Faerun.
Most all affected by lycanthropy hide this 
condition from others.
It’s always better to play dumb when farmer
Henry’s cattle goes missing.
Killed by a hulking werewolf.
Never admit it was you that did the killing…
There are those that try to cure the condition,
which is possible if you aren’t a true were-creature.
Belladonna, or wolfsbane is a poisonous herb
known to cure lycanthropy if taken early.
After being bitten you have little more than
an hour to ingest Belladonna to not contract
the disease.
If under a curse the remove curse spell might
free you of being a were-creature.
If you’re a true lycanthrope and looking
to be free of your heritage, well nothing
short of a wish spell will free you from that.
It is said that the god Malar created were-creatures.
Barbaric human tribes that worshiped this
evil deity were blessed by him, if you can
call it that.
They became animalistic, predatory, much like
the animals they admired.
Malar, the deity of the hunt, bestial savagery
and bloodlust became the god of evil-lycanthropes
everywhere.
Encouraging them to spread the disease to
others, as a blow to civilization.
The People of the Black Blood were a pack
of werewolves living in various forests of
Faerun.
Although a loose group it was rumored they
were three thousand individuals strong.
Worshiping Malar, living in packs not un-similar
to wolves.
Of course good aligned lycanthropes believe
their abilities came from the moon goddess
Selune.
Bestowing this gift to a group of young human
orphans to help them survive in the dangerous
wild.
Werebears are commonly good, with werewolves
and werebors being more of an evil alignment.
Were-creatures can regenerate from most wounds,
but are vulnerable to silver or magical weapons.
Werewolves are the most common of lycanthropes
found in Faerun.
It should be noted that not all shapechangers
are were-creatures.
Doppelgangers, Yuan-ti, and even vampires
can change at will but they are under no curse
of Lycanthropy.
Of course this information won’t help you.
See the creatures that have been circling
us are my kin.
We’d like to expand our pack, and once cursed
you’ll no longer be welcome in Daggerford.
I do apologize, I lose control as the bloodlust
sets in; and from what others tell me this
will hurt, a lot.
