Werewolf (Lycan) Development

[Alaundria]

Haha, yes, showing my age I suppose xd One of my favorite movies of all time.

Blackbird, Bravo! I think that fleshes out the magic quite well.
However, I have my objections on a few things...

I do agree that spiritual magic is an should be DANGEROUS.
Certainly there needs to be some limits to their power, and using magic should not go without consequences, but I feel, on two things specifically, that the penalties for using spiritual magic seem to outweigh the benefit, and could be a little more slack.

The first being healing. Though I agree that putting someone who is ripped to pieces back together again is implausible, I don't believe it is going too far to allow them to close a gash or heal a minor burn without it giving the healer a nosebleed or a migraine. More severe wounds would need to be healed over time (the injured individual could stay at the healers overnight, and she could heal him in stages, coming back every few hours after her energy has built back up again).
I'm not sure that you meant for the consequences of healing someone to sound so harsh, but it seems that to heal even a minor wound, the healer would have to put his or her own safety on the line, making it almost unreasonable to use magic to heal in the first place, because you could easily have two casualties instead of one. And if healing someone with spiritual magic could permanently injure that person, unless their injury was life threatening, why would you even try?

The second is enchanting. If you have an enchanted blade in battle, and you are having to focus your energy on KEEPING the blade enchanted, I would imagine that that would hamper your ability to fight, and waste precious energy and concentration. You would be better off just not having it enchanted at all. Rather, I think it should be something that can be cast on the blade and forgotten about for 45 minutes, at which time the enchantment would wear off and you would have to re-enchant your blade again. The actual act of enchanting it can be draining, but keeping it enchanted should not be so taxing.

Do Lycans have a form of "pack telekinesis" through which they can communicate? I thought I had heard someone mention it before, and I was thinking about incorporate it into my myth, but I want a yay or nay before doing so.  

[Chibi-Teddo]

I would be for the idea of a certain level of telekinetic communication within the group. Not so much direct mental speech, but more sensational. A Lycan will sense when a pack member is nearby, and whether they are in distress or not. Elder Lycans can perhaps send out simple commands to nearby pack members. Perhaps it could be linked to their elemental acuity, because the telepathy is based on their connection to nature. This would mean that they either can't use it at all or it has a very short range in an unnatural environment, like in a building.

On the subject of magic(k), I believe spiritual magick should be the kind of thing that is only realistic to use when you're left with no other options. I believe that anything more than a cantrip should have a decent chance of failure, backfiring, or worse. Some lycans can be more acute at it through tedious practice and discipline, but it still caries the risk. Generally ritual magick is used to a much larger extent, both because it has fewer restrictions and it carries little risk. Therefore, if you wanted to heal someone, ritual magick would invariably be the way to go. I do agree with Alaundria on the enchantment aspect, however. But perhaps it could carry a different restriction, example: since the spiritual energy is focused on the item, it cannot be drawn upon for anything else. This thus prevents the lycan from relying on spiritual magick while the item is empowered. Furthermore, if it is destroyed or heavily damaged, the lycan carries the risk of taking mental and spiritual damage from the shock of having the spiritual energy ripped from them. In most cases, however, it is regenerated over time.  

[Mr. Blackbird Lore]

In the matter of magick... I concede that it did sound to be more a nuisance than a blessing to heal with Spiritual Magick, and almost rightly so. I am of the same mindset of Teddo in this matter: Spiritual Magick, more often than not, comes second to Ritual Magick. RM is much easier to perform and there is much less danger of injuring one's self. The trade-off between the two is casting time: RM does take a couple of seconds to initiate, whereas SM can be immediately put in effect. I have developed a solution to both matters that I hope you find a bit more fair. For ease of use I will label the practice "Spiritual Sacrifice." In the matters of enchanting, healing, and shielding (which will be further explained in a moment) Lycans perform a Spiritual Sacrifice: the caster "expels" a specified amount of Spirit for the specified task. Now the only hazard is judging how much Spirit is appropriate for the task you wish to perform. Over time, the Spirit expelled will repair a wound, imbue a weapon with supernatural enhancements, or whatever other task the caster put it to. This can also lead to sub-avenues in the areas of SM: Lycans have the freedom to study these three areas and just how much Spirit is required for different lengths of time. Different Lycans could be better at judging healing, enchanting, or shielding.
Shielding: This is when a Lycan sacrifices Spirit to create a barrier or debuffer against physical assaults. The shielding can cover an entity (ie, a Lycan's body) or it can exist in free space, existing as a faintly glowing, smoke-like whirl. Any and all objects that make contact with this barrier will react as if they had made contact with any other unyielding physical object. These barriers require more energy depending on the amount of space they take up: larger Lycans will have to expel greater amounts of Spirit to defend themselves; larger free-floating barriers also require more energy. Over time, these barriers gradually deteriorate, and if they are cast upon a Lycan, he/she will steadily begin to take more and more of the impact. The more force (think Newtons, children) an object has when making contact with a barrier, the more Spirit will also be depleted. Bullets would be a prime example; be considerate when deciding just how much Spirit to sacrifice for shielding.

Sound good? Also, I devised the idea of shielding mostly to counter the fact that Vampires have guns: no Lycan should charge a properly armed Vampire without shielding and expect to come out okay. That's what we call a suicide run. It's true, there will be heavily armored Lycans, but will we always be prepared? Obviously, this is still up for debate.

And on the Telekinesis, I think it fits in perfectly: the Lycans are naturally attuned to the world around them, and that would include their own species. Animals seem to have a natural empathy for their own race; it makes sense that this is simply an enhanced version of that: we can sense each other, our moods, and our state of being. Simple ideas and signals can be sent, because there are no words when it comes to thought; yes, you can think of a word, but true thought is ideas, feelings, and a billion subtle nuances. This is transference of that pure thought. Sounds beautiful; I'm jealous.  

[Master Strategist Kess]

Shouldn't spiritual magic use...spirits? In theory they are connected to Gaia, or the earth. Once more, going off the myth that I am use to, they can step from the material world into the spiritual world, which there are several of. They can call on spirits to aid them when in need, but if you call on a spirit too strong, or you call on one too often, you have a really pissed off spirit. Their magic comes from Gaia, or the earth, that's inherit to them, and calling upon spirits is basically calling in supernatural reserves. The spirits keep the world rotating, so you enlist a spirit of luck, and you can get someone to become cursed.

Also, do they have a finite life span? In the game they were human or wolf, and at a point they have their first change to realize they are werewolves. The finite life span gives them a reason to fight hard, and honestly the werewolves didn't generally live to a natural death anyway. Their life style is just too violent. Also, what they call the Crinos form, is a nine plus foot killing machine that's 500lbs to a ton.

Is this a modern game? If it is, why not urbanize the werewolves more? I'm sure there would be some who would end up being in the city. They would either tire of their old ways, or they'd believe they could help more in the city, generally a vampire domain in the first place.  

[Ronyo Storm]

We haven’t said anyone couldn't be a urban werewolf. Just the people who want to play the Lycan side are enjoying the shaman like idea of the werewolf. My idea of a werewolf has always been the six to seven foot hybrid form; with speed, strength, agility and cunning. My journal is still up with three chapters on my take on werewolf ideas, but I'm always up for just about anything werewolf. However I do like the old medieval idea better than the futuristic or even modern one. I've seen too much modern werewolf stuff on TV to through me off, but I am always able to adapt. Plus I’m excited with the ability to combine my two favorite ideas into one super one; the druid and the werewolf. blaugh

edit: now 4 chapters, hehe.  

[Mr. Blackbird Lore]

Kess, I know exactly what you're talking about: Necromancy. No, the word Spiritual is simply an adjective used to describe the type of magick: that is magick energy that is derived from the Lycan's own reserves. Think... Hm, what would be a good example?... Well, for lack of a better analogy, Yu Yu Hakusho had a "system" quite similar. But let me stress that it is only similar to a degree; I'm not trying to copy the show's way of doing things or anything like that. Ugh, put simply: The way the characters use their own Spirit to fuel their abilities is what the Lycans must do for this form of magick. Wow, I made that a LOT longer than it needed to be.  

[Alaundria]

Geez, Ronyo, you post those things faster than I can read them razz . When do you find time to write that much!

Ok, I accept that approach to spiritual magic. And I agree with Blackbird that what you describe sound s a bit like necromancy. I personally feel that necromancy should have nothing to do with this world. BUT, perhaps what you are getting at is more of a "communication with the ancestors"? A bit like the people who practice shamanism in our own world profess to do? I can see The Lycans doing that.

The Lycan do have a finite lifespan. They are also much more peaceful than most Werewolves are portrayed to be, though they still train to be strong warriors.

And yes, I will stand firmly by the Victorian/ medieval/ steampunk setting till the bitter end smile If it comes down to it, we can have a poll (yes Teddo, another poll, Nevermind, I see you are one step ahead). I shall very grudgingly play in a modern setting if that is the result.

I have a ton of random snippets of ideas I want to throw out here, but it is very late and cant stay up to type it all ,so I will leave you with this random bit.
I think a good name for the world would be... Nayne.
I don't know if the Vampires would call it that or not, but at least it could be the Lycan name for their homeland.  

[Master Strategist Kess]

I'm not suggesting necromancy. That's defiling the natural order. I'm talking about summoning spirits. Not dead souls of humans, but actual spirits. The idea that a rock, chair, TV, tree, etc has a spirit, and werewolves can communicate with these. There's a spirit that looks over luck, love, hate, war, and they can be summoned. They were never human, and they are neither evil nor good, they simply look over their domain. A spirit of war naturally wants there to be big epic battles. He does not take into account the fact people will die, he simply desires his domain to be used. Generally, werewolves would go to animal totems, praying for the animal spirit they feel closest to to guide them.

And anyone can call out the spirit of a chair. It likely just makes sure the chair stays in as good as condition as the spirit can do, along with keeping stock of the chair's history. However, the spirit's quite worthless, unless you want to convince it to make the chair stronger. Calling on the spirit of war is difficult, and if you're not willing to provide him with a war, he'll likely take your blood and go home.

Anyway, that's what I mean. Definitely not suggesting necromancy razz

Edit: In the game I played, actually the moon you were born to decided your class. There was a warrior, trickster, shaman, storyteller, and...one other group that I think had to do with secular thought, while the shaman is mystical thought.  

[Chibi-Teddo]

I'd prefer not to get involved with THAT kind of spirit. Things would get too complicated, people would have vengeful chair spirits following them... things would get messy.

I do believe it would be socially accurate to hold ancestral spirits in high regard amongst the lycans. You know... they pray to them for strength, etc. Just religiously, though.  

[Master Strategist Kess]

Awww...spirits are fun. Ahem, anyway, I won't be playing a werewolf anyway, so okay razz  

[Mr. Blackbird Lore]

Well that's perhaps THE biggest misconception people have with Necromancy: that it only involves human spirits and zombies and such. This is quite untrue. They call upon all forms of spirits, from the deceased to spirits that have been worshiped for centuries. Again, like you said, one must be cautious when calling upon spirits, for stronger spirits might very well overwhelm you and take your body hostage. I always found that to be a great basis for characters: a possessed Necromancer. Makes for interesting internal and external dialogue. They also practice meditations to visit the Astral Plane, which can then be used to do just about anything, or so they say. I once knew a Wiccan (kinda still do) whom also was a practitioner of Necromancy; she liked to lavish me with stories about how she often had Astral sexual intercourse, and was currently the mother of fourteen astral children, aged anywhere from a year to eighteen... which was funny, because she was only sixteen at the time. Her excuse? "I've been living much longer than sixteen years."
Apparently, she was partly to blame for the Black plague, and did not enjoy her time living as a fish. Wewt for reincarnation.

And now I've totally forgotten where I was going with this.... And I don't think it really matters.

OH OH! I was just trying to say that what you were referring to Kess is a practice that is in existence with Necromancy, and is not necessarily involved with summoning deceased human spirits, although that is something they claim they can do.  

[Master Strategist Kess]

Um...necro=dead; mancy=divination through. My friend deals with spirits, but I've never heard him refer to it as necromancy. Also, if the spirit isn't dead, then it's very poorly named. But my friend's away, so really I have little more to go on, except that's really poorly named if it is the case.  

[Mr. Blackbird Lore]

Well, I have been told and read that Necromancy is quite simply the manipulation of death energy. You manipulate it to summon spirits, to communicate with them, and all that other jazz while in that trance-like state. Hopefully I didn't mislead you yet again; I seem to have a habit of doing that. And I wouldn't be able to tell you if these "older spirits" were from dead people. I've simply heard reference to them. But a prime example would be something like Beelzebub. If I remember what I read correctly, he is one of the many spirits they like to call on. Would you consider that a dead guy's spirit? Eh, I'd say that's debatable.  

[Alaundria]

Heh, you two seem to be in the middle of something deep. I'll wait till tomorrow to comment on it smile  

[Master Strategist Kess]

Isn't Beelzebub considered the son of Lucifer, or sometimes Lucifer himself? I think words just fail us. Not just like in this situation, but overall (strange day). Anyway, from the sound of it, spirits are being kept out.