Supernatural Species Guidebook

[Scratch]

Low Sun is home to any number of mythical and paranormal creatures, ranging from the obvious – werewolves, vampires, and the like – to the fantastical. Our only limit on allowed species is that it should fit in with the world – so outlandish monsters may live far outside of human civilization, or have a human form to disguise themselves.

These rules are strict, you might say. What if I want to... Go for it! These are just guidelines for some common character types - things that might be most familiar to denizens of this universe. You're absolutely welcome to make changes, as well as create your unique supernatural character entirely.

We highly recommend playing out any potential plots in-character, but if you just can't abide being a vampire who only goes out at night, come up with something to make it work. Find a black market dealer to procure you a daylight ring; hunt down a wizard to cast a spell to make the sun harmless. Changes and additions to these guidelines are welcome - say, your vampire can also turn into a bat - just detail them out in your character profile, or shoot a mod a PM if you'd like to make sure they'll be approved.

Thin Spaces: While some creatures are earth-born and made, there are some areas in the world where the reality of our universe has grown... thin. Supernatural creatures may pass easily here from one realm to the next, but hapless non-magical humans may also feel their influence and pull. If your creature does not have such mundane origins, they may also use these strange places and gaps in our world to travel or to hide. Eerily silent sections of wilderness or abandoned places... Thin Spaces occur where magic seeps in from other realms and runs strong, and may provide some origin or protection for your character.

Contents

Werewolf Handbook
Vampire Handbook
Other Species Guidelines

[Scratch]

Werewolf Handbook

there are many takes on the werewolf myth -- this is simply the most common version on the forum.
you are welcome to make adjustments.

Werewolves are Low Sun’s most numerous species. To the untrained eye, they are impossible to distinguish from humans, but may shift into wolves of varying sizes and builds, governed by the moon, their emotions, or even pure willpower.

General Information

Wolf Appearance: Wolves are most often naturally-colored, though they can vary greatly in pattern. Tiger stripes? A-okay. Bright pink? Unlikely, but it could happen. They may be bipedal or quadrupedal, and usually max out at around 200 lbs in either form - though rare exceptions have been documented. Shifting between the two forms is not often seen; most werewolves are limited to one, though as many as three or more distinct forms are thought to exist.

Bipeds should not have human-like hands or dexterous fingers, though they may have an opposable thumb for rough gripping. Neither quad- nor bipeds should have a distinct advantage over the other in combat, though wolves that fall outside of the normal ranges may.

Human Appearance: Your character's human form should look predominantly human; her wolf form can be as monstrous or as realistic as your little heart desires (but should still read as 'werewolf') so long as it fits the guidelines. Wolf-men are not strictly part of the werewolf myth and so should be created like any other type of character; the same goes for "reverse-werewolves," or wolves who shift into humans.

Mentality and Culture

The mental state of a werewolf in his wolf form may vary, but is most often feral. Thoughts can be be disjointed and driven by an animal mind; your character may or may not remember what they did as a wolf. These are creatures of action and instinct. Try not to just play a human in wolf form, though you certainly can! Characters with ample shifting experience may have advanced memory and control, but each take on the curse is individual.

Body language, eye contact, and perceptions of hierarchy and structure are usually highly important to packs. Even many lone wolves will have some knowledge of these unwritten rules (though they may not care to adhere to them). More modern, business-like groups often appear stricter, with a heavy emphasis on ranking and the human invention of dominance; older and smaller packs may operate more on a natural family unit, and not one of inherent struggle or conflict. Some packs may fall anywhere in between. Where your character stands in these unspoken ranks, and their opinions on these varied systems, is often important when meeting other werewolves. A young wolf without a mentor to guide them in these steps can be at risk.

Unlike vampires, werewolves have very little "culture" outside of a natural affinity for grouping together. They are often created by violent accidents and not planned, and so do not possess the same "sire" mentality of their undead counterparts. Turning a human without their consent is often the highest crime a wolf can commit in a pack, but even this can vary wildly in terms of rules and society. Each group's take on how their pack functions is varied and individual, and it makes cross-pack interactions potentially dangerous. You never know who you might risk accidentally offending.

The Change and Shifting

Werewolves can only very rarely pass on the curse genetically; they may only produce human offspring, and this is almost always restricted to males (creating some very powerful lineages). Pregnant werewolves will miscarry the night of their next shift. Following infection, the aging process of a werewolf slows dramatically; rough estimates should shoot for aging around half as fast as a human. Your character will still age, but appear youthful longer.

Characters most often become a werewolf by being bitten by an existing one (with few exceptions for those born a werewolf). While a small bite has a chance of spreading the infection, the most sure-fire way of turning a human is to maul them. Needless to say, most humans don't survive this attack. Following infection, and presuming an individual lives, their first change will take place on the night of the next full moon. They will become increasingly irritable and unstable the week prior to this event, and the first shift is long, torturous, and painful. Many don't live through it.

Shifting will continue to be agonizing, and must be done each full moon; loss of temper or intense pain may force a shift, depending on the level of control your character possesses, but they can otherwise change at will. Transforming may take several hours for a new wolf, which can be shortened through age and experience, but should always take some amount of time - unless, say, you have a spell or plot to speed things along. A decades-old werewolf, it is rumored, may no longer have to shift with the moon at all.

Control and stability often comes with age, but there are no guarantees. In general, recently turned werewolves are the most volatile and unpredictable, while the older were have mastered the art of feeding the wolf: give the animal what it wants, keep it satisfied, and you might just get to pretend to be normal.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Even as a human, werewolves possess an unnatural amount of strength; as a wolf, this is only improved. Speed and senses are also heightened in both forms. A human can smell out other wolves as well as pick up on the scents of emotions; a wolf's senses are as strong as their animal counterpart's.

Werewolves can heal injuries abnormally fast. This effect is increased in their shifted state. While an injury may still require medical attention, it is easier for werewolves to shrug off the effects until a time that they can be healed. You may not regrow lost limbs, eyes, etc.

Wolfsbane is extremely poisonous if ingested, and contact to skin will cause an intense allergic reaction. It is, however, fairly uncommon, and characters may be unaware it exists. The scent of the dried plant is often repellant enough to keep werewolves away from a location, though it is also broadcasting a certain obvious signal. Laced in food or drink, however, it is odorless and undetectable.

Silver in any form piercing the skin - a knife wound, a bullet - is the werewolf's greatest weakness. It will slowly poison and even cripple them until removed, and the wound left behind is much more difficult to heal; a werewolf injured with silver will not simply shrug the damage off. They will feel it. For serious injuries, survival is unlikely.

[Scratch]

Vampire Handbook

there are many takes on the vampire myth -- this is simply the most common version on the forum.
you are welcome to make adjustments.

Vampires are solely creatures of the night – on Low Sun, the undead won't be sparkling in the sunlight or generally drinking animal blood. These pale individuals may not have as easy a time of blending in as werewolves, but they certainly make do, and have a rich history of slipping through the cracks to remain undiscovered.

General Information

Vampires are rarely discernable from the general human population. Perhaps a little pale if they haven’t fed, or noticeable for only going out at night, they are still well adapted for fitting in. Vampire characters should look predominantly human; no slit pupils, pointed ears, or bat wings. Their canine teeth may be noticeably pointed, but are often retractable to keep from being too suspicious. They may extend when the vampire is particularly hungry or close to a potential meal.

Being undead, vampires cannot produce children, and do not need to breathe, eat, or drink - though they can certainly pretend, and enjoy it, if they need to maintain the illusion of being a living, breathing human. All of their nourishment comes from blood alone.

Vampires gain great strength with age, but also tend to retreat from the spotlight. Most vampires running about are no older than 200; the others simply pull their strings from the sidelines, hidden. The aging process stops the moment the vampire 'dies,' and your character may look that age for the rest of their considerable unlife.

Vampires have a rich species culture and usually maintain strong relationships between sires and their charges. Though the 'sire' mentality - that of individually selecting humans to, in effect, become your vampiric 'children' - is slowly falling out of style in the new world, it still holds true for a majority of the undead. Bringing new vampires into the world is still considered a weighty responsibility by most.

Blood and Feeding

Vampires must feed – and must feed on humans – to stay at their physical peak. They can deteriorate quickly and usually satiate themselves with a meal a day. The blood of an intoxicated human will have the same inebriating affect on the vampire. Animal blood is a piss-poor substitute for human blood. Vampires living on animal blood will be weaker, have worse vision, and less energy; often times, the lust for human blood will overwhelm them regardless.

Going without feeding will cause a vampire to begin to waste away before succumbing to a wild, feral bloodlust. Should he not be sated, this state may become near permanent - and then he will enter a coma from which he cannot rouse himself. Bringing a vampire out of this state is considered extremely dangerous, but it is possible to rehabilitate them.

When feeding, the victim does not need to be killed, as the vampire only needs to draw a portion of blood to survive; deaths are far more likely with fresh vampires who become blood-drunk and cannot stop themselves. Killing humans is frowned upon (for the obvious reasons) and in most vampire societies, is considered extremely taboo. How feeding is looked at usually varies by the individual, but can be either sensual or savage, an act of lust or the culmination of a predator’s hunt -- and this influences how the victim feels as well. Necks and wrists are favored locations, but some vampires will go to much greater lengths to hide their tracks.

Becoming Undead

Humans are turned into vampires over a process of several days, during which the sire feeds upon the victim to slowly drain them dry. In the final step, the new vampire feeds on his or her sire's blood, and the transformation is complete. Rushing this practice usually only ends in the death of the victim; draining the body dry in one attempt is dangerous. This process has been known to be effective, however, on victims who are injured and otherwise dying, but this outcome is rare.

New vampires are extremely weak and vulnerable; they will require care, and the support of their sire - or another individual - for their first few feedings. Following this recovery period, they start to come into their own, but must be watched until their bloodlust is identifiably controlled. It is for these reasons that vampires often have closer bonds than their supernatural cohorts.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Vampires have the potential to be stronger and faster than both mundane humans and human-form werewolves. They have incredible night vision and an enhanced sense of smell that, while weaker than a werewolf's, is particularly attuned to the scent of blood. These abilities all improve with age. Garlic, the traditional repellant, acts like a strong allergen and irritant. They are magically barred from entering any space considered someone's home without an invitation inside.

Compulsion is subtle form of mind control that is most effective on humans, and only occasionally successful on werewolves or other vampires. Even witches and magical humans will have some amount of resistance to compulsion. It is most often employed to make a victim forget about a feeding. The more it is used, the more a victim’s brain will unravel; the more averse the victim is to the suggestion put in place by compulsion, the less effective it is likely to be. Older vampires may compel their victims far more powerfully.

Vampires will heal a good amount of damage over time, and almost immediately if they have a potent enough supply of fresh blood. They may not possess the effortless healing capabilities of a shifted werewolf, but they can prove much more difficult to kill, as they can return to full health from almost any near-dead state so long as they can feed. Magical blood is said to regenerate their body quickest, and older vampires will heal fastest – burning fresh, magical blood in their veins, a centuries-old vampire can be a formidable opponent.

Sunlight burns a vampire on contact; no hats or umbrellas are going to save your character. Prolonged exposure to the sun will kill them. Without intervention or willpower, vampires will enter a catatonic state for the daylight hours and are only active at night.

A stake to the heart or beheading are the only other ways to kill a vampire for good. This does not mean a vampire cannot take damage or is anything like immortal - if a vampire gets seriously injured and has no blood supply, they will stay that way until they become catatonic or are otherwise dispatched. For some, that's even better than dead.

[Scratch]

Alternate Species and Characters

More than humans, vampires, and werewolves roam the world of Low Sun. From mythological beasts to magically-inclined witches, nearly any character type is possible to play within this universe. Below you may find the guidelines for creating these types of characters, and some tips for getting them approved.

General Information

Examples of characters you may create include, but are not limited to:

• shifters or skinwalkers
• witches
• demons
• zombies
• mythological creatures

Shifters are humans with the ability to transform, usually at will, into one species of animal. Skinwalkers are based in Navajo legend with a similar power, but are usually cursed or taught, not born – in some stories, the skinwalker must wear the hide of the animal they are seeking to shapeshift into. In either case, the legends can be modified to suit your character’s need, but only in rare cases will a character be allowed to shapeshift into multiple species at will. This shifting is short, usually painless, and not very similar to werewolves; it is not tied to the moon or emotions. Characters spending too much time in an animal form may become permanently stuck. They possess a vulnerability to silver, only moderate advanced strength, and no other generalized powers or weaknesses.

Witches, warlocks, and their ilk are humans with magical powers. The full extent of this is up to you, but we encourage characters will some weaknesses, and expect some effort to be made to keep them from being all-powerful. A focus object, for example, may be required for them to cast spells – or perhaps they are limited only to spells with ingredients, or of a certain elemental type.

Demons may follow general Christian mythos, or any variation. The term “demon” often applies to any large variety of characters, so they need not hail from hell; their powers and influence can vary, but we recommend a weakness to holy water or objects, salt, or iron. Whether or not you’d like to make your demon a creature from hell or simply an entity possessing a human form is up to you; there is a lot of freedom in characters that may fall into this category.

Zombies may be bitten, resurrected, or cursed, and in any case are driven by a hunger for brains. Bitten zombies have the least self-awareness, but may graduate to pathetic sentience in time; resurrected zombies may have the most memory and personal identity, but are often bound to the individual who brought them back to life. Cursed zombies can fall anywhere in between, based on the level of the spell used to turn them. Zombies may possess inhuman strength and feel little pain, but they are also decomposing bodies and must be carefully preserved.

Mythological creatures include most species not listed above, but are otherwise found in lore and stories. You largely have free rein with this category.

Creation Guidelines

Create a character that is balanced for play. While there may be exceptions – we all love plots and drama! – no one is going to want to play with a Superman-strength demon who tears humans apart on a daily basis, or a dragon who's eighty feet tall and eats entire cities. Provide some weaknesses, whether they are physical or based on his or her personality, if you worry your character is too strong.

With that in mind, make sure your character blends in! This means that while a demon may be evil, he should, again, not tear humans apart on a daily basis... unless you want to make some enemies. Supernatural entities want to remain unnoticed in this universe. Perhaps your character is fae, and slips in and out of other worlds at will?

Alternate forms are welcome and encouraged, but every character should have a main “human” form, or a way to blend in or appear human. Your demon can grow horns, your witch may have a mutant bat form, but for the majority of the time they should look like people - they have a glamour, or wear a lot of hats. Exceptions can and will be made for characters who avoid society or remain otherwise hidden.

Provide a list of any powers, strengths, and weaknesses your character may have.

Be willing to describe any relevant mythological information about your chosen character. A witch may not need this, for example, since there is no universally accepted “witch lore,” but if you’re going to play something like a golem, we’d appreciate some insight into the mythos backing your character. With that said: no copyrighted species, though you can always come up with your own.

The sky’s the limit! Other than these guidelines, you are honestly encouraged to create whatever sort of strange monster your little black heart desires. Be creative, be reasonable, have fun.