Lycanthrope History
Since time immemorial, the people of Ivalice have known of those strange people who can transform from men and women into beasts. They are known by many names; the Helias Nomads, Skinchangers, or Fiend Children. They are the ones who have mastery over their own forms, albeit tied to the moon; they are the Lycanthropes.
In the early hours of history, it was a band of humans roaming the wasteland who first worked out the principles of Blue Magic. Through years of toil and struggle to survive in their harsh environment, they realized that beasts and even fiends seemed to have a much easier time of it, and so sought to copy their gifts. After decades of learning, passed by parent to child only by word of mouth and what they could record on animal skins, they eventually learned of the secret; and not only this, but they taught it freely to others; eventually, without realizing, it was taught to an Esper in service to Fenrir. The Esper and his patron were so impressed, that they taught to the humes in return, granting them the knowledge of shape-changing.
Over time, the band grew, eventually splitting off into numerous tribes and war bands. Fenrir's influence grew subtly over time; generations later, shape-changing magic had become common-place amongst the tribes The Lycanthropes settled into groups, identifiable by what animal they preferred to transform into, each tribe having their own; and in each case, the animal in question would always be an exceptionally strong and powerful version of the normal ones found in the wild. Though many of them continued to teach Blue Magic, by decree of Fenrir the teaching of shapechanging was taboo; at the time it was an ability he had granted only to the Lycanthropes.
By the time of the great war between Spirits and Lucavi, the roaming tribes were many; and all of them stood forth to battle with the enemies of the Spirits on behalf of their patron. Aided by summoners, many of them left Ivalice and helped defend Pangaea in a critical battle to defend that plane against the onslaught of three of the Lucavi. Many tribesmen fell; and when the battles were finished and the Lucavi imprisoned in their eternal confines, Fenrir's blessing fell upon the survivors; no longer would they need to learn to shape change. Henceforth they would be granted that talent, at birth. The blessing walked hand in hand with a curse, however, as in the closing moments of the battle the Lucavi had cursed them, tying their strength to the moon; as the moon waned, so would their strength, and silver would always prove their bane.
Though the talent of shape shifting had at the time been granted only to the tribes, they were not the only ones who had sought the ability. A group of Elven mages, jealous that humes had learned of powerful magics that they had not, had spent years trying to duplicate the feat; they had learned Blue Magic, certainly, but the knowledge of shape-changing had long eluded them. Eventually, inevitably, their came a breakthrough. The Elves, too, would shape-shift and prove that no simple humes would best their race on the field of magic.
The retribution of Fenrir for this trespass was swift; though by now the spirits had all suffered imprisonment of their own, at the hands of the Occuria, and so the punishment visited upon the Elves was not so terrible as it might have been. Fenrir was forced to act through an Esper once more, and his agent could not bring forth the power to annihilate an entire Elven Glade as the spirit might have done. Instead, the Esper brought her own brand of justice to the Elves. As the hume tribes had been cursed by the Lucavi, so the Elves would endure their own curse, leveled against the entire Glade and not just the mages; they would shape-shift into fiends. Behemoths, Lobos, Cuar, Horses, and other monstrosities would be their aspect; and their tie to the moon would bear the opposite to the humes. As the moon waxed, their power would wane.
As the newly formed Elven lycanthropes scattered, the Humes soon came to relize what had happened; and seeing their great taboo broken, they sought to punish the Elves for their transgression. Though no great nations or spiritual entities would be involved, the sands of Ivalice would once more soak with the blood of bitter foes in a conflict that would rage for the better part of twenty years. Ultimately, neither side had the strength to destroy the other without suffering the same fate for themselves. In the sight of the abandoned Glade where it the Elves had first sought to prove themselves superior they met with tribal leaders of the Hume tribes, and offered surrender in return for amnesty. An agreement was forged that thenceforth Humes and Elves together would simply be known as the Helias, or the Lycanthropes; and that wandering tribes would always contain one group of Hume Lycanthropes and one group of Elven Lycanthropes. The unification took place with tacit approval from the imprisoned Fenrir; though the Elves had trespassed, they had proven their ferocity during the war and earned a measure of forgiveness.
For the best part of a century afterward, the combined Lycanthrope tribes hired themselves out as mercenaries; across the lands of Ivalice they became known as one of the best ways to solve problems with a neighbor, and indeed it sometimes became necessary to hire them just to make sure your enemies could not. This proved to be a heyday, albeit only a brief one; as empires grew around them and military forces strengthened, the Lycanthropes could not keep up. Though martial prowess would always be taught, the Lycanthropes put aside warfare as a way of life, and set to a new means to make their way across an increasingly civilized Ivalice.
Thanks to the influx of Lycanthropes from the Elves (who refuse to acknowledge there former brethren), the tribes had unwittingly gained vast knowledge in more gentlemanly matters, such as commerce. The focus of Lycanthrope society gradually shifted away from being claws and teeth for hire, and towards other interests; shipping and transportation being the most public, as they continued to wander the wastelands. Some turned their martial skills towards performance, as well; a trend that gained popularity as people paid money to see Lycanthrope performers. Under the table, the Lycanthropes could (and would) provide other services; everything from fortune telling and monster hunting, and even thievery or assassination. Everything had a price, and no Lycanthrope tribe would refuse to sell a service if the price was worthwhile.
Lycanthrope culture developed from warlike tribes, into traveling circuses. They moved in caravans, carting about their equipment and tents and various tools of the trade. Being performers, they took great care of their bodies; tattoos and jewelry accented their looks to the individual's taste, and they dressed in brilliant colors. Men often wore loose, flowing trousers; women would wear the same, or else skirts, and both men and women would wear as little above the waist as they could get away with; this served the more practical point that transformation was limited to their bodies, and not to their possessions. Most Lycanthropes who learn to fight learn to do so with either their natural gifts, or with magic; though there are the occasional few who take routes such as the Knight or the Engineer.
By the time of the Larsan Folly, the Lycanthropes were far less affected than those races that clung to the forests or cities, and saw far less of the ravages of the Mists. Therefore they were among the first to recover, and the services they provided become more of an essential than a luxury to many; they knew it of course, and the prices went up substantially. In the time since the folly they have normalized again, but most of the tribes have already made substantial fortunes; albeit at the cost of their welcome with many. Long considered suspicious for their shape-shifting, particularly into fiends, their financial success at the expense of others has earned them a black mark in the eyes of many. Still, they remain perfectly content to move from city to city, and put on their circuses and traveling beastiaries while offering any service that money can pay for. The caravans have flourished; and some tribes have even become rich enough to replace their wagons with airships, small fleets of vessels all with sails of brilliant colors; not a single one white or black. So when the Lycanthropes come to town, go to the circus and enjoy the show; but me mindful of your coin purse, and your back.
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