#lythari are 'true' lycans

[blackrosebookstore]

Katrina Valerius

Basic::

Katrina is a half elven witch and the daughter of a Lythari Lore-Master. Her mother was the last scion of the Valerius line. Well, of the direct lineage. The Valerius line has been bonded to dragons for centuries as well as being gypsy nobility of a sort. She like her fore-mothers is a vampire hunter. Her mother died in labor leaving her to her father to raise. She was raised within an elven village deep in an old magical forest. The Lythari are a race of shifters, true lycanthropes of a sort. Each can take a single animal form. Unlike werewolves they only have the true animal form and not a mixed form. Katrina has two forms because of the magic that runs in her. Cat and wolf... 

Lineage Possibilities::

There are two stories of the origins of the Valerius line. One is that they are descended from one of the Horned Lords and the other is that Freya took a mortal for a lover and they are thus descended from her blood and charged with protecting the balance. Traditionally in this universe Freya is the Patron of Hunters and a goddess of nature and beauty as well. She is unbound by any male and thus considered a Virgin Goddess in this particular universe. In her softer Aspect, she is a Peace Goddess and promotes the various races playing nice together. Katrina is a vampire after a certain point although she remains a hunter as well. I can play her either after she's been turned or before. There are three lifetimes on one particular world that involve Katrina. Once she was the child of Kaeldron Moonflower (Lythari) and Serephenia Valerius (Human), another as the child of Sonya (vampire) and Lucian (Lycan), and a final one as the daughter of Dracula and his third bride who was a Valerius witch. My inspiration for this character comes from all sorts of places. It's a weird mixing of worlds and realities. I can set her up though in a new way if needed. As to age, that's variable of course. I can try her at any age though she'll probably remain somewhat youthful no matter what. Her sire from her first lifetime was Mathias Cronqvist who is the son of Dracula. Dracula is the child of Lucifer and a mortal woman. Lucifer being the consort of Lilith who is Mother and Queen of the vampires makes the children of his line nobility among the vampires. As Dracula's daughter, she is a dhamphir and a witch as her mother is. She is his firstborn child by his Valerius bride.

Allergies/Weaknesses::

Katrina is allergic to garlic and has been since she was little. She's also strongly allergic to silver. After she becomes a vampire, she develops the sunlight issue and the problem with holy relics and water and the like from Lawful Good pantheons. Although all good aligned things will deal some damage. As a vampire, Katrina only feeds from her sire or other powerful people who give her permission. After all, there is a rule about asking first at least among the vampires she belongs to. Not all clans ask before taking but hers does. Yes, a charmed person who gives permission still counts. Her Dhamphir version as Dracula's child is allergic to pork and iron along with direct sunlight. The iron allergy is due to being Fey Kissed. (See Book of Erotic Fantasy for a basic idea of what a Fey Kissed is)

Powers::

Katrina is one of my less magically gifted characters. She tends toward fire magic, hearth magic, and charm magic. Although I suppose she could theoretically pull of more impressive spells and the like if she had the ingredients for a complex spell. Katrina is a Vessel capable of channeling Gods although she primarily only is possessed by Lilith and occasionally Hecate. She is blessed and under the protection of Freya, Hecate, and Lilith. 

Science Fiction Realities

 Katrina is a Hunter which is the police force for those who feed on others. She comes from a traditional hunting family although she is a half Daemon. She is allergic to pork and iron. She is a gifted Psi and an empath. She has a decreased ability to block psychic invasions although she has an increased range of sensing and is very powerful as a witch and psi.

[littlegalerion]

Recently was working on some custom Expedition cards, specifically for a werewolf class. After realizing that half the cards were buffs that benefited your party in some shape or form, it got me thinking more about werewolf socialization, in DnD and in Elder Scrolls. Sadly werewolves in DnD are very different from TES, but in TES at least I have a bit more room with them as the bloodlust isn't as bad.

Poor DnD wolfies. I'll definately need to create an "evil" lycan character at some point for sessions.

Anyhow, some werewolf socialization/romance headcanons for TES woofers.

- A Pack consists of both a werewolf's blood family or of those they've personally bitten, then bringing into their ranks. Often lycans opt out of interacting with people in general, so it isn't uncommon that they start a family with another packmate.

- For lycans that have a spouse outside of the pack, it's usually frowned upon if the pack is kept a secret. It's seen as disrespectful as, under Hircine's word, the pack is your family first. With blood family it's understandable to hide- you can't choose who brought you into this world. But you can choose who you brought into your world, and if you chose them, then they should have no issue with your pack mates.

- It is a BIG no no to take a spouse from another pack, even if there is no friction between your two packs whatsoever. You either leave your pack and join theirs, or they leave and join yours. There are no "star crossed lovers" allowed. A pack is a unit, meant to have strong ties so that their hunts are fluid and successful every night. How can your packmates trust your head is in the game if your heart lies within another pack?

- Usually marriages between two packmates consist of the couple leaving for the night to hunt together, alone, in an unfamiliar territory. No worries, your packmates have already scouted the area, once the couple has decided where they want to hunt. So no threats of Silver Dawn. Everything else the wilds have to offer in terms of danger still remain. The couple hunt together, and in the morning bring back as much as they can carry. This provides a "Sunrise Feast", symbolizing the dawn of a new life together which their packmates celerabete with them. After that, rings are exchanged, if even desired.

- When packmates do have children, be it with another packmate or with a partner outside of the pack, the pack is non hostile towards them. Unless they are the offspring of two packmates, it's highly suggested they do not interact with the pack until in their teens. By "not hostile" it's more so that the pack isn't angry nor do they consider the child a threat to sapping away their packmate's attention. They genuinely hope the child grows to one day accept Hircine's blessing, and join their pack. But...it isn't wise to have a child waltz in around whelp and seasoned lycans. I think the one questline in Skyrim can answer why.

- If the child is born by two packmates, it's accepted into the pack earlier. I mean, what choice would they have if both parents live with the pack 24/7. In order to keep the baby safe, seasoned members, including the alpha, of the pack often accompany the parents, and form a very strong godparent bond to the child. They force it on themselves, physically and mentally. They have to see the child as theirs, in terms of territory, for fear their bloodlust could gain an inch. They take the slightest wrong glance at the child by any pack member as a threat and will give that individual a thrashing. Nothing that bone breaking, but bad enough that they'll feel it for a week. It may seem extreme, but enforcing the mindset that the baby is a part of their territory and pack is a necessity that HAS to be constantly reinforced on the daily. It's for the baby's safety.

- This kind of behavior goes on for a while, until the child reaches preteens, but sometimes it dies out sooner than that. It all depends when the child shows a more pronounced nature, and displays interest and active support to the pack. In which case, they pack begins to see them as a member naturally. But still, the seasoned members keep careful watch.

- I know the big question: When is the child bitten? Well, the answer you would think would be "Right away, as soon as they could survive the bite." Like how the assassin in the ESO DB was forced to drink lycan blood by her family at a young age? Well, perhaps in the more ruthless packs, but not among proper packs that actually want to stay in existance for more than four seasons before the Silver Dawn find them!

- In a structured lycan pack, children are bitten or allowed to drink lycan blood once they reach their teen years. This is done through a ceremony to Hircine, where the teen must be old enough to hunt on their own, bring back an impressive kill, and present it before Hircine. This proves their worth as a potential lycan hunter, and Hircine will then allow his hounds to give them a bite, or let the teen drink of lycan blood.

- Typically it is the parent or alpha who gives the bite. If going for the blood route, it is always the alpha that donates their blood.

- To be a true lycan, a true hunter and beast of the wild, NEVER forget that what Hircine has given you was a choice you made. To force it upon another individual who could potentially soil and disgrace the blessing is a whelp's mistake. Any grown lycan knows better. For those born with the gift, well, then it wasn't something you chose, but it definately chose you, as such things are rare. But most any structured pack would welcome in such a rarity, and prove what a blessing it is. Regardless, no child is forced to take the gift. Pressured and expected to? Yes. But never outright forced.