This page serves as a source of information about werewolves as it is applicable to World 42 role-playing characters. Everyone is invited to add to this information.
A Brief HistoryEdit
One story tells us that when Lord Drakan invaded the Hallowland with an army of vampyres, werewolves, and other evil beings, he completely destroyed Kharyrll. When Drakan took over the Hallowland and turned it into Morytania, he gave the area where Kharyrll once stood to the werewolves as a reward for helping him in the war. The werewolves subsequently built a village there and named it Canifis.
Another story tells us that the werewolves conquered Kharyrll even before Drakan came to the Hallowland. The werewolves built their own settlement and named it Cave Canem. When Drakan invaded the Hallowland, Cave Canem was the first fortress that he took over. However, when the werewolves joined Drakan's army and helped him conquer Hallowvale, Cave Canem was returned to the werewolves and renamed Canifis.
Yet another story tells us that Kharyrll was destroyed by Saradominists after Zaros had fallen. It was left abandoned until the Fourth Age, when enormous groups of Misthalanian settlers entered Morytania to build villages there. One group built a village named Canifis at the place where Kharyrll once stood. However, when Lord Drakan saw what they were doing in his land, he cursed the humans from Canifis, transforming them into werewolves.
Drakan still rules the land East of the Salve today, and it is believed he may have found a way to send Werewolves over the river.
This section addresses details about werewolves that are widely accepted throughout the world 42 role-playing community.
- Werewolves in RuneScape can freely shift between human and wolf forms, though controlling it can sometimes be difficult. The freedom and control between transformations seems to come with age, and like a muscle or reflex, can be trained.
- Blooded werewolves are subject to the Salve Barrier, but can pass through with a ritual, or whatever means Fidelio used to cross frequently. When a werewolf child comes of age and kills an innocent person, they become "blooded", and in doing so they embrace Zamorak, which is what prevents their passage over the river. However, when a werewolf becomes blooded, they gain much more control over their transformations, albeit with the loss of the ability to cross the river Salve. There has only been one occurrence in lore in which a werewolf managed to resist the temptation of blood and escape Morytania entirely. Because of that, Gar'rth, the werewolf in question, was not affected by any form of consecrated ground.
- The only detailed instance in which a blooded werewolf can cross the River Salve is with the aid of a powerful vampyre, such as Tenebra or Vanescula. Otherwise, a werewolf such as Gar'rth who managed to forgo their blooding ritual would be able to cross freely. There is also the case of the general store owner, and the two Werewolves from the Legacy of Seergaze quest.
- Werewolves are in all cases creatures of Zamorak. Those that have not subjected themselves to their first blooding to become Zamorakian are still victims of his influence, as also evidenced by Gar'rth. Gar'rth is also the only known werewolf to have been able to resist his embrace.
- Werewolves, like most canine creatures, have advanced senses of smell and hearing.
- The blood of any given werewolf is black, regardless of their age or allegiance. It also has a distinctly pungent smell, even to humans.
- Many believe that werewolves are incapable of using magic. There has been much controversy over this, even with the vague hint that werewolves could possibly use magic by the Canifis Taxidermist. If werewolves truly are descendants of humans, which through the stories of their creation (both with Drakan and/or Zamorak), and they likely are; then they would almost certainly be subject to the same limitations non-lunar humans possess when it comes to using magic.
- As evident to the "borrowing" from other sources, Gar'rth is able to successfully power a scrying pool with the assistance of Tenebra, a vampyre. It is likely he would have been able to replicate the experience with the use of runes if given the opportunity.
- The typical werewolf is short-tempered with humans, as evidenced by the change of attitude in the NPCs in Canifis when one wears the ring of Charos when speaking to them.
- When stabbed with a wolfbane dagger, a werewolf cannot shift into his/her wolf form (and vice versa are immediately reverted to their human form if they were previously in their wolf form when stabbed). They also temporarily lose their acute senses. However, the symptoms of weakness seem to pass quickly when the wolfsbane dagger is moved away. The simple proximity if the wolfbane daggers that are blessed by Saradomin seems to make them sick.
- Werewolves are able to interbreed with other humanoid species such as humans, but it is difficult for them to do so. It is possible with vampyres as well, but this is more difficult than with other races, such as humans.
- Werewolves have a much longer life span than humans, although the ratio is not known. However, Roavar is over 400 and not considered old.
- When in human form, werewolves are able to show greater physical strength than a human.
- Children are very rare among werewolves.
- Werewolves pledge allegiance to Zamorak as soon as they take the life of an innocent, which happens in a mandatory ritual underwent when the werewolf reaches adolesence.
- Werewolves in RuneScape are a race, not an affliction. Their condition cannot be passed on to other races.
- Werewolves have thick, hard to pierce or tear hides in their werewolf form, which weaker metals such as bronze do not seem to effect much. Stronger metals, such as steel and mithril, make slashing and stabbing weapons more effective, this effectiveness is increased with blessed weaponry.
- The books by T.S. Church suggest that Werewolves are purely carnivorous and even Gar'rth, being only half-werewolf, states that eating bread makes him sick.
- Werewolves have an in-between transformation state in which their skin turns grey and they become very resilient. Their jaws become distended but they lack the fur and ears typical to werewolves. This is the only form that younger werewolves can change into, as their true form has not settled in yet.
- Holy water burns werewolves.
- Exorcism on werewolves that have refused to take innocent lives grants them control. Prior to that,the urge to abandon themselves to their bestial nature is difficult to fight.
- They are commonly believed to be nothing more then legends by most human civilizations west of the River Salve.
- Werewolves are only taught to speak the common tongue after they have underwent their ritual to embrace Zamorak. 
This section addresses details about werewolves that are still subject to speculation and discussion either because of conflicting information in-game or because use of the detail in role-play creates an unfair scenario (usually involving overpowering or another common role-play problem).
- It could be considered that the shapeshifting nature of werewolves could give them some regenerative properties.
- Werewolf shapeshifting happens almost instantly, as seen in the NPC werewolves in Canifis. (This is often considered overpowered.)
- It is sometimes thought werewolves live around 500 years, however, this is unlikely, as the owner of the hair and dog, Roavar, is over 400 years old and is not considered old.
- Due to many Neo-Lycanthrope roleplayers (new-age werewolf roleplayers, not players new to werewolf roleplay), the fact of werewolves rarely having children is starting to be shown a new light and werewolf offspring are becoming more common.
- It's possible that only blooded werewolves have red eyes. In the books, Gar'rth's eyes are noted to be fully black whereas Jerrod has black scleras and red irises. Eventually, however, every werewolf should have them as Jerrod states, given that the blooding ceremony is unavoidable for adolescent werewolves.
This section addresses traits that unexperienced role-players often bestow their werewolf characters but that aren't actually seen in werewolves on RuneScape.
- Werewolves do not have superhuman speed or agility as humans and are only as fast as an adult wolf when shifted, they can be stronger than humans, but not as strong as the full werewolf form.
- Many roleplayers think the term "Lycanthrope" is an Invalid use of nomenclature, but as seen with dialogue from the agility werewolf when the adventurer has the ring of charos, it's used by werewolves (or Lycanthropes) themselves.
- Werewolves CAN successfully mate with vampyres and humans, but the product is a very, very high infant mortality rate.
- Werewolves do not shift forms slowly, nor does it seem to be just a changing of the flesh; magic is somehow involved. When Jerrod transforms, a white glow and a flash is seen, very similar to a bright flash of moonlight.
- This is similar to how vampyres transform from their human guise to their full vyre form, in which they turn in form after being incased in a large swirling red ball of magic for a few seconds, this ball of magic almost resembling blood.
- Like vampyres, despite being restricted to Morytania, most werewolves sustain a healthy diet of human flesh and meat. In Church's novels, it's cited that Canifis is a good sized village presided over by Lord Malak, a vampyre lord from House Drakan. Beneath him, the werewolves live in slight poverty with a low birth rate, where the middle-aged and older hunters are in the best health. They hunt for the entirety of the village by transversing hidden paths known mainly to werewolves in Mort Myre and capturing traveling gypsies from their caravans.
- Apart from the wandering gypsy caravans in the swamps, a werewolf hunter also has the opportunity to prey on a pilgrim traveling between Burgh de Rott and the temple of Paterdomus. With the increase of Myreque activity, these pilgrims have become more and more common, likely to the delight of the werewolf hunters.
- Culture, language, and names in Canifis are based off of Russian culture.
- Werewolves are placed within a social hierarchy upon strength and intelligence.
- ↑ “He is not an evil man, I can tell that,” Brother Althric said earnestly. “This monastery is guarded against creatures of Zamorak, although that— alas— does not include his human servants.” “Gar’rth is not of this land, brother. He hails from Morytania.” Ebenezer whispered the words. “And neither is he human.” Brother Althric looked suddenly fearful. He hadn’t read the letter that Kaqemeex had sent and, to him, Morytania was very far away, its inhuman inhabitants regarded as legends and nothing more. “Do not worry , my faithful friend” Ebenezer said slowly, resting his hand on the monk’s arm to prevent him from acting rashly. “He is our friend. And like you said, creatures of Zamorak cannot gain entry here.”
- ↑ Her black blood flowed from a wound near her heart
- ↑ And immediately she knew why her two friends were so eager to arm themselves, for the blood on Gar’rth’s face was not red. It was black— the same black blood that she had wiped from her sword just two nights before.
- ↑ “Do you smell blood on the blade, Gar’rth?” she asked. “Is that what you recognised in the hall?” The blood of the werewolf had left a pungent scent that even she could detect, for she had not had a chance to clean her blade properly.
- ↑ Suddenly a familiar nausea swept over the werewolf. A wolfsbane dagger, he realized. The king must have one!
- ↑ “It took a long time for him to work out how to have a mortal child with his werewolf beast. There were many failures.”
- ↑ “Even if he were not, if he were born the lowliest of birth, I would still pursue him. For amongst our race children are rare.” His maw broadened into a twisted smile. “Our race is not as... prolific as your own, and every newborn is valuable."
- ↑ “Do you not pass on your curse to those you injure?” the peon elaborated. “Of course ! I had forgotten about the fairy tales that you humans whisper to one another before bedtime. You believe that if I bite you , then you will change at the next full moon.” He laughed mockingly. “It isn’t true. A normal human being cannot be infected in such a manner. Maybe a half-breed, but I doubt if your ancestors deigned to marry into any of my race— not after Saradomin’s armies drove us back and cursed the River Salve to prevent us from leaving Morytania.”
- ↑ Put away your rusted weapons—none of them can harm him.
- ↑ His skin had taken on the grey hue, its thickness turning away the thrusts of his desperate enemies
- ↑ And while each blow hurt him, none had cut him.
- ↑ Theodore knew only Kara’s (Adamantite) blade had been sharp enough to pierce the unearthly hide, but now they had Castimir at their side.
- ↑ “It is a yew composite bow, with a coating of tallow to protect it from the weather,” Lowe explained. “Would you care to try it?”
- ↑ “That would fell any werewolf,” Lowe promised. “With Doric’s adamant arrows, you need have no fear of such demons. Make sure you bring back a few pelts!”
- ↑ He hated bread. It bloated his stomach and often made him sick. But he had to have something to combat the pain.
- ↑ Some ran on two legs, their faces monstrously distorted in a hybrid mix...
- ↑ Doric did not want to examine the youth too carefully, for although he was no longer in his wolfish form, nor was he back to his human self either. His eyes were still dark pools devoid of hope, his jaw distended too far, his skin an inhuman grey.
- ↑ The nearest of his men ran to a fountain and filled one of the buckets abandoned by the monks. With a nod from his superior he emptied it over the werewolf’s dust-covered face. Instantly an agonized howl caused all but Sulla to back away. “It burns me!” the werewolf bellowed. “The water had been blessed by the priests of Saradomin.”
- ↑ The werewolf stood above the collapsed wall, covered in the dust that the stonework had left on him. Sulla’s men stood back, suspicious that he might require an infusion of human blood after the battle.
- ↑ One of Sulla’s men, angered by Kara’s taunting and tired of Gar’rth’s inaction had stepped toward the girl to beat the laughter from her. As soon as he strode within the range of Gar’rth’s chain, the werewolf leapt, dragging the man down as his teeth found his throat and the warm blood within. Jerrod could smell it, powerful, near irresistible. And he knew of the danger. He knew the power fresh blood instilled in his kind, even if it did not belong to an innocent.
- ↑ “No” he said. “It is not done, my friend. Gar’rth is too firmly under the influence of Zamorak for me to drive out the beast entirely. But we have restored his will once more, giving him control over his nature.”
- ↑ “It might never come to possess him again,” came the response. “We might have driven enough of it from him that he can always remain in control of his actions..."
- ↑ The temptation to resign himself to his bestial nature would be near overwhelming
- ↑ “Your kind are only legend!” he whimpered. A strong hand gripped his face, so hard that Bryant thought his skull would crack.
- ↑ “How is it, Jerrod, that you are able to speak the common tongue and Gar’rth isn’t?” “My people only learn it after adolescence, after their blooding and when their true form is set. Gar’rth is simply too young.”
- ↑ It was only his foe’s incredible speed that saved him from being impaled through the heart.
- ↑ He used his speed and hideous strength, clawing and sometimes biting.
- ↑ "...He's one of the best tanner's I've ever seen - and I'm over four-hundred years old!" When you inquire about Sbott, the Tanner.
- ↑ http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Roavar
- ↑ His eyes were still dark pools devoid of hope...
- ↑ His eyes were black pools of infinite darkness...