Races of The Elder Scrolls - Lycanthropes

Lycanthropes

Lycanthrope is an umbrella term used to refer to various transformations forced upon people by the disease, Lycanthropy. At night, Lycanthropes become humanoid animals, the most common being Werewolves, though Wereboars and Werebears also exist. Rarer, stranger forms of Lycanthropy are also reported, including Werecrocodiles, Werelions and even Weresharks. Lycanthropes have heightened attributes such as strength, agility and stamina, though their exact strengths and weaknesses might depend on which type of creature they transform into. Bloodlust forces Lycanthropes to kill and devour humans to keep the transformation active and to restore lost health. Lycanthropes have appeared in The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Lycanthropes are the servants to the Daedric Lord Hircine, and will serve him for eternity in his Hunting Ground upon their death.

It is possible that a second type of Lycanthropy, or at least Werewolves, exists; in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the individual's transformation is a power that can be utilised once per day. A group of warriors known as the Companions take rest in Jorrvaskr, an old mead hall that Whiterun was built around. They take the form of a werewolf but only after a ritual where they merge their spirit with that of the beast world's and become part of the circle. The circle is a defined group of Companions that possess the ability of willing transformation. It is unknown if this difference in transformation criteria is actually a difference between types of Werewolf, or a retcon of Elder Scrolls lore. There is another group known as the vampire hunting Dawnguard in the Skyrim Add-On who offer the willing lycanthropy transformations.