Re: An Innocent Quest
Sure I can do that in no time flat, but first you'll have to tell me if there's any unusual things of this world and such? I mean I could do the skinwalker style thing but there's other options. In fact, I'm in the mood to write a bunch!
Walfen: Descendents of those mortals caught by the hounds of the Wild Hunt, rather than being torn apart by the erlking and his riders, many end up quite pregnant and sometimes changed by the contact. It became a common enough occurrence within the confines of the Sidhecall Forest that most mortals began avoiding it, but not before a sizable breeding population of canine like children were born.
Since then, the Walfen have colonized the outskirts of many wild regions, having a natural skill at blending in. There, they build villages and make lives for themselves, trying to resist the call of the hunt that echoes in their bloodlines. To lose oneself to it and turn to the wilds as a hunter is considered to be quite the mark of shame, and most Walfen take incredible pains to present themselves as paragons of civilization. Still, they can't resist the call entirely and thus rarely remain for long in cities, and their villages usually carve off groups into colonies looking for a new home when they get too big regularly.
Walfen, due to their fae influence do not need to sleep. Rather they enter into a trance that's familiar to those of elf blood. some theorize that the trance is in fact entrance to a shared fae dream, where the walfen's souls run wild and hunt to their hearts content.
Walfen are primarily herms, due to their mixed circumstance of the fae hounds being all male predators, the walfen are built as both predator and prey. Still, in going with their resistance to the call, walfen take rape very seriously, seeing it as a massive breach of their code and resistance. Though it doesn't help they all tend to have that urge when they gain dominance over others in battle.
Lacking natural weaponry of any sort most Walfen naturally turn either to the weapons of the hunter, the bow, or the blades of civilization, the sword, to defend themselves with. While many use other weaponry, these seem natural to them.
Your average civilized walfen is well dressed, groomed, soft spoken, generally dressed somewhat on the prudish spectrum and takes every pain to seem civilized to the point of almost feeling like they're putting on airs. Still, they are a driven people, and generally eager for acceptance from the civilized societies around them.
When under stress however, the walfen's other side can come out. Predatory, aggressive, dominant, the determination to be civilized transforming into a determination to pursue their object of focus to the ends of the earth. And with the Walfen's enhanced speed and natural stealth talents, a Walfen lost in the throes of their fae like passions becomes dangerous swiftly. While not berserk like a werewolf, until a walfen calms down, they are prone towards more savage behavior and will often need to be forcibly calmed until it passes.
Those walfen who become uncivilized permanently often become loners out on the fringes of societies or fully into the wilds, becoming survivalists with a bent towards the hunt. Some may become as though wild animals, sometimes literally if their nature taps into the primal energies of the world and become druids, but most still seek acceptance in the form of a pack that can earn their loyalty and a drive to protect others.
The vast majority of Walfen are Neutral. Constantly caught in an inner war between the wild whims of the fae and the authoritative trapping of civilization, the walfen maintain the balance best they can. Good and Evil aren't really common concerns for them. Sometimes they can be pretty unpleasant, other times kind but rarely are reliably either. Still, exceptions abound and a Walfen can be of any alignment.
Walfen have a deep fondness for team sports. Favoring any game that involves chasing or catching a thing, it acts as a vent for their more wild tendencies, yet held in check by rules and controls. Those more wild still keep predilections to sports, though they can be more bloody. a popular game amidst wild walfen is Blood Pig, a fairly barbaric game involving several squealing hogs, two pits each with a rabid wolverine and a lot of tackling, punching and throwing of a wild pig.
Sexually, the duality comes out again for walfen in many cases. Walfen have fairly large libidos and most of their cloth designs are built with hiding their erections in mind. Fortunately, their canine anatomy ensures that initial erections are small since true engorgement only occurs once buried in a partner. Walfen are very virile, usually having large balls, and generally getting knotted by one ensures one carries a walfen pup or two, as the species breeds true with any civilized species or canine, though lying with animals is another major taboo for them. Walfen generally keep one wife and maybe two consorts each, making for extended family lines. Incest is frowned on but not nearly to the degree that other species find it as their fae blood being concentrated seems to defend from any defects, though it does tend to lead to increased canine traits sometimes. Multiple breasts, more fur, or more canine female parts are the most common mutations, though rumors abound of tribes of degenerate walfen who've interbred so much as to become intelligent wolves, though some thing that's just superstitious explanations for Worgs and Winter Wolves whom wild walfen sometimes form packs with.
I can do other writeups too. Versions born of Hound Archons, or an alternate of the worgs and winter wolves who were given a blessing/curse to be humanoid. Extreme genetic offshoot of gnolls. Etc.