Lupines

Introduction

A wolf-like race of beings that live in the less populated areas of Lore.

History

Descendants of a long forgotten breed of dragon.

Biology

Lupines in general have a total of 3 forms: Human, Were, and Lupus. The true form of a Lupines is their human one as all Lupines stem from the joining of a great draconic wolf and an ancient human. They can all shift between these forms at will, not requiring a full moon

In their Were forms, Lupines’s reveal their dragon heritage the most with their features.

• Shark: Rows on rows of sharp teeth
• Alligator: Often Lupines will make a low hissing sound, as well as sometimes transport their young in their mouths due to how puny pups tend to be.
• Hyena: The bone crushing strength of their jaws and the wide grin many tend to have.
• Lizards: Long tongues and the ability to scale steep surfaces without much problems.

Lupus is a form that best resembles a giant wolf and is generally used during traveling. There have been reports of people accidentally mistaking a sleeping pack for hills after they decided to take a rest during a migration.

Lupines cannot bite people and turn them into a Lupine. However, there is a special kind of magic involved with Lupines that is a bit of a protection spell that they can cast when they imprint on a soul mate.

Lupines tend to have a large appetite with a leaning towards meat and can stomach raw. Due to their size, it’s common for them to consume things whole. It’s not unusual for a Lupines to store something in their stomach for safe keeping only to belch it up later.

Lupines branch off into Canines which are more dog-leaning in appearance. They lack certain abilities and the more dragonlike qualities of a Lupine, often having just the ability to transform into a simple dog.

Wolf’s bane is a Lupine's kryptonite, weakening their immune system and muscles. The higher the amount the more devastating the effects are. Silver gives Lupines a rash as they are universally are allergic. It isn't necessarily deemed a weakness as much as it is an annoyance, especially in cases of trying to find jewelery to wear.

Lupines genes are strong which means when a human and a Lupine reproduce, their offspring will have Lupine features and abilities. Even the child of a half-Lupines and a human will maintain their more Lupine parent's abilities.

Half-Lupines are rarities however as many humans tend to stir away from Lupines due to a widespread belief that they are simply wolves masquerading as humans.

Transformations
For Lupines transformations aren't really painful. It's more like it can be sore on the body if you don't stretch before hand. There tends to be a few minutes of awkwardness before one is ready to go similar to if you sit up too fast.

First time transformations are certainly painful just because the body isn't used to it yet. Lupines often transform around 3 or 4 years old once they've learned how to walk and talk and can comprehend things.

Half-Lupines have a more difficult time shifting between forms and tend to remain in their true form much of their lives. Only during full moons can they transform with ease and most of the time they can only reach their were form.

Heat Cycles
Lupines are hit by a discomfort that lasts 3 to 7 days. It’s similar to a human period but not limited to those with a uterus and blood is replaced with the symptom of a high fever. Due to this, Lupines really like ice cream and crunching ice, especially since their teeth are immune to that fucking pain you get if you bite into a popsicle.

Pregnancy
Lupines often have more than one kid with being an only child is more of a rarity. Mothers can have up to 6 kids at a time with 7 also being deemed a rarity.

To pull such a feat off, Lupines have three forms, their humanoid, their werewolf, and then giant wolf form. At the beginning of pregnancy, the body of a Lupines begins to change and shift inside as it determines how many kids a mother is about to have. This calculation is important because once the belly starts expanding, it becomes crucial to shift into a form that makes lift less of a waddle fest.

Often, if there are just two kids, a Lupine will often remain in their humanoid form the entire pregnancy. At three, some slight shifting may occur as the baby begins to show and the mother will transform into a partial were form. Past three and the body will automatically turn into the werewolf form as more babies begin to show. For the remaining duration of the pregnancy, this is how the mother will remain up to when it’s time to give birth.

During the delivery, the mother remains as a werewolf to make birth easier on their body. This is because the babies remain small rather than transforming along with their mom. So Lupine birth often tends to be a lot easier and less painful than us humans…at least that’s the case when a mother is due to have 4+ kids. Less than that and they’re stuck in our hell of hours of pushing and screaming.

During the recovery period, Lupines revert back to their original forms and spend a solid month working on regaining their energy as remaining in a separate form for so long can be stressful on the body alongside birth itself.

Customs

Beliefs
Many Lupines believe in the Olim Gods, Sun and Moon, though there is a high respect for Moon thanks to her gifts of the night and the ability to transform.

Eclipses are viewed as the days the bonds of soul mates are the strongest. They’re celebrated similarly to Valentine’s day.

Behaviorisms
Lupines don’t follow the “alpha, beta, omega” patterns stereotypically attached to werewolf creatures. Lupines greatly dislike strangers touching their tails and ears or patting their head. Those are seen as close circle gestures, especially when it comes to tail contact.

Typically, tugging and biting a tail are things little pups do to each other during rough housing, so it is viewed as a childish act even between those with close bonds.

Imprinting
Romantically entwined Lupines tend to imprint on one another. This is established once both halves feel complete trust in each other. Those who have imprinted on each other are referred to as Soul Mates. One major side effect of imprinting is the involved party being more aware of the other’s feelings.

The stronger the bond between Soul Mates, the stronger the effects of imprinting are. Mates can even sense where the other is and if they are in pain.

Due to imprinting being meant as a permanent gesture, undoing the imprinting, also known as unlinking is very painful. There are frequent cases where Lupines die from unlinking, similar to how Bookmarked can die from heartbreak.

The effects of imprinting work even if the recipient of the bite isn't a Lupine.

Weddings
Instead of the bride and the groom, there is the Sun and the Moon. Soul Mates confirm their unity through the Solu dance. This dance is meant to represent the Sun and Moon’s constant orbit around each other and their relationship. It consists of the “Moon” wearing a cloak that conceals them through a majority of the dance. The "Sun" is decorated in bright yellow and orange flowers.

The Mating Dance goes as so: The Sun holds a plate of flowers and the Moon holds a jar filled with water. In the middle of the circle is an empty bowl, representing Olim. The two circle and twirl, careful not to spill any contents as the circle grows smaller and smaller. Once they stop their spinning, they should be face to face with each other. They then take a step back and bow over the bowl. This is meant to be mutual respect.

The hardest part of the ritual comes when the couple must dance together, still holding their items. Once this dance is done, the moon is uncloaked and the two share a kiss. The two then pour the flower and water into the bowl, representing the creation of Olim. Finally, the Sun and Moon can truly dance together, hand in hand.

Child Care
During the period mothers are recovering from birth, it’s customary for others to take care and watch over the babies as Lupines live in close families.

It’s common for an entire village to lend a hand when a Lupine becomes a mama due to just how tight knit the community tends to be.

Raising children is a lot similar humans save for the portion of life where toddlers are taught how to hunt and work on handling their abilities to avoid accidents in the future. This is often disguised as playing with plush toys and doing hide and seek. Lupines often transform around 3 or 4 years old once they've learned how to walk, talk, and can comprehend things.