Okay so to continue to try and keep this blog alive and RUNNING!!!!! I'm going to add little bits and pieces of our campaign and things about my DnD OC.
Akali Hemming is a 'wolfborn' - aka a homebrew race that you can't find in the player's handbook.
When starting this campaign, I wanted to have a character that was reflective of my interests (in general and in exploitable, angsty ways), so I did a Google search and came across this.
Whoever started/is editing this page has laid the groundwork for a wolfborn, and the DM and I have altered the meaning and lore a little more to our liking/campaign.
Q: So... what is a wolfborn?
A: A wolfborn is an individual who is born from a lineage that includes werewolves. In human form, they look 100% human and indistinguishable from humans. Unlike werewolves, they are both cursed and blessed with the ability to change their form willingly.
However, they are treated and hunted similar to werewolves. Basically, they are 'kill on sight and ask questions later.'
In our campaign, they are often burned at the stake or, if they are young, have their hearts torn from their chests in an effort to 'purify' them before possibly being reincarnated.
Some wolfborn are raised in their human forms while others are raised in their wolf forms, and it will vary based on their upbringing.
Akali was raised in her human form.
Q: But Akali doesn't LOOK human?
A: She doesn't! And that has to do with a number of different factors. The first being that, as we were building our characters during session zero, everyone (including the DM) encouraged me to give her some features that aren't completely human to help distinguish her when I claimed that she looked human.
So I went with that and made her look half-elven. And she would claim to be a half-elf until someone caught on.
But then I decided that in wolfborn lore (in our campaign), when a wolfborn doesn't look completely 'human,' they have been afflicted with/have endured what is called 'moon madness.'
Q: So what is 'moon madness?'
A: In our campaign, 'moon madness' or 'moon fever' is what happens when a wolfborn doesn't spread time between their human and wolf forms. Essentially, if they fail to alter between both for extended periods of time, when they change into their wolf form, they will get 'stuck' and slowly begin to lose their sense of rationality and sense, and revert to a state similar to that of a werewolf. Their ability to change back varies with their ability to do so. Akali was found and raised by a human woman since she was almost a newborn, and only learned of her lineage in her formative years. She never had the desire or drive to change until her adoptive mother, Lydia, died. At that time she was 15 years old and, being a teenager who is already riddled with fluctuating emotions and distress, was unable to effectively process her emotions, and subsequently changed for the first time.
But because she lacked any knowledge and guidance of what it means to be a wolfborn, she was unable to cope and slowly began to lose herself until she encountered her first companion, Ronan.
Akali's father (currently un-named by the DM and myself) has apparently been in this state for a number of years
Q: Are wolfborn immune to a bite from a werewolf then?
A: Until recently in our campaign, we've decided 'no!' A wolfborn is not completely immune to being bitten by a werewolf. Werewolves and wolfborn are few and far between, so an encounter between the two is very, very rare. But, if a wolfborn is bitten by a werewolf, then they may unwittingly change form regardless of a full moon, sometimes in the most.
Instead, the only times you may be able to detect when a wolfborn will shift is a change in demeanor. A wolfborn who may typically be reserved or timid may become irritable or aggressive. In our campaign, if a wolfborn has recently been bitten, they have to perform a 'constitution' saving throw with disadvantage to stop the change until they might have a degree of control when they change (aside from the full moon, where it's basically mandatory).
