About the Harbingers of Change universe
You weren’t bit by a wolf, and your parents don’t howl at the moon. But somehow you’re a werecreature now, and that means fear … of the things out there that hunt your kind, and the chance that you could hurt someone by accident.
What’s going to happen to you? And what are these voices that keep thanking you for listening to them? Only one way to find out …
The Harbingers of Change universe is licensed CC-By-SA by Jared Spurbeck, aka Tachyon Feathertail. The Cynocephali were created by Caroline Faust, aka Yurodivy Kiranov, and are also CC-By-SA. Read on to find out how you can write your own stories set in this world!
Stories set in this world
How to write a story set in this world
- Read this document all the way through.
- Write your own story inspired by it!
- Include a note saying your story is licensed CC-By-SA, and crediting Feathertail for creating the Harbingers of Change universe. A link to this page would be handy! Credit Yurodivy for creating the Cynocephali if you use them in your story.
- OPTIONAL: If you don’t want people to use your fursona in their stories, include another note saying your fursona belongs to you and can’t be used without your permission.
- OPTIONAL: If your story abides by Virmir’s PG Rating and does not contain age-regression, cross-gender TF, or graphic TF scenes, contact me so I can link people to it.
Got a story you’d like me to link to?
Your First Change
Congratulations! You’re now a werecreature. Not necessarily a werewolf, mind … there are more kinds of werecreatures than that. Any real-life animal is a candidate for werecreature-ness, and possibly some mythical ones are as well.
So what’s your First Change like? Well, it depends on which form you first shifted to! You have more than one form now, see … that’s what makes you a werecreature. Besides your human form, you now have …
- Kemono form — A human with animal ears and a tail, or other superficial features like whiskers or slitted eyes. Usually has animal senses, but not much else. Can pass as human if you’re very careful.
- Anthro form — A “furry” version of yourself, like an animal walking upright with a more or less human build. Usually has digitigrade (reverse-jointed) feet, but can’t run on all fours. Capabilities-wise, somewhere between “yourself with fur” and a real-life member of your were species walking upright.
- War form — Extremely powerful. Six to nine feet (two to three meters) tall, and weighs more than your human and animal selves combined. Good at fighting, fleeing, and pursuing. Not so good at manual dexterity, or talking in other than grunts and growls. Able to run on all fours!
You can also shift to full animal form, of course. In this form you look just like a normal member of your species, although you might have strikingly-colored fur. Also, you can talk normally in animal form, while you can’t in war form without a lot of effort and practice. Don’t spend too much time thinking about how that works.
Caveats about the war form
War form is where most of the werewolf legends come from, including their invulnerability. A werecreature in war form, even a smaller one, can sustain injuries that’d knock most humans or animals flat. What’s more, they heal rapidly, even regaining lost blood.
On that note, injuring a werecreature in war form leaves little to no visible evidence. Even if you get blood on your sword (for instance), it will evaporate within seconds. No one’s really sure why. Using silver weapons doesn’t change anything, and won’t make them heal any slower … it just stings if it touches a wound, like rubbing rock salt into it. It’s still noteworthy as the one real deterrent to werecreatures, since they aren’t used to feeling pain in war form and they might think twice about attacking someone who’s armed with silver.
Because of how dangerous it is, shifting to war form is like drawing a gun on someone, or at least waving one around. Other werecreatures immediately become tense if they see it, and may have to fight down their anxiety to keep from assuming the war form themselves. Humans, especially ones who don’t know what werecreatures are, panic.
How this all plays out
So what’s your First Change like? That depends on the animal and form you change into.
Changes into Kemono form tend to catch people by surprise. You may not realize you’ve changed until people start staring, or you look at yourself in the mirror. You won’t even notice you’ve grown a tail unless you sit on it … somehow your clothes will change to accomodate it. Some people quickly learn how to change back, but their animal features will keep catching them off-guard when they lose focus.
Like with Kemono, a change into Anthro or full animal form is also the kind of thing that happens when you aren’t thinking about it. You might be intensely focused on work and snap out of it to realize that you’re a furry; or you might just wake up one day as a tiger. What happens next may depend on how quickly you learn to control your appearance!
A change into war form is triggered by adrenalin. You go into fight-or-flight mode, and your form shifts to accomodate. These changes can be dramatic! They have serious consequences, though. Not only are you a danger to others in this form, but you’re going to have to find clothing immediately afterwards.
Another caveat regarding war form
Think twice before having your were commit murder. If people died every time there was a First Change, there’d be a lot fewer werecreatures around.
Your character is still him- or herself. You just had a moment of panic. Police officers need counseling after shooting and killing armed criminals on the job; soldiers have PTSD after coming home from warzones. Something inside of you dies when you murder a sentient being, and being part-animal is not going to change that. There will be consequences, and you will not like them unless that is the story you’re trying to tell.
Obviously, if your character is a sociopath this caveat does not apply to you. Just watch out for the Cynocephali.
The who to what now?
Along with the legends of werecreatures, people in dark ages Europe told stories of Cynocephali (see-no-SEPH-uh-lee) — men with dog’s heads, or so they say. Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, was a “reformed” Cynocephalus, and whole armies of them were said to exist in the Orient.
They say dogs are man’s best friend, and with the Cynocephali weredogs that definitely holds true. Those who are part of the Order of Saint Christopher roam the world looking for werecreatures having their First Change, and they are uncannily good at finding them. They might not show up right away, but they almost always appear within a day or two.
Most Cynocephali aren’t a part of the Order, but even those who aren’t tend to integrate better than most werecreatures. Cynocephali are common, perhaps the most common weres, and they get a lot of help adjusting to their new lives. Those who are a part of the Order are even better organized, with chains of command and frequent reports and get-togethers. They know how to handle distressed werecreatures, and ease their transition to normal life … and they also know how to stop angry werecreatures without killing them, using the Tokens given them by the Harbingers.
Tokens? Harbingers?
These are the last two big concepts here, so pay attention.
The Harbingers are invisible voices that will deliver a message to you. You’ll be hearing from one pretty soon after your First Change. It may be male or female; its voice may be loud or quiet. Some people hear them in the wind and rain, speaking with the voice of the whole earth. Others hear them on the radio.
Harbingers are always polite. They never intrude; if you’re busy with something, they won’t contact you. One of the most important jobs for a member of the Order of Saint Christopher is to teach a new were to listen for them. This is because what a Harbinger says will usually help that were to clean up whatever mess was caused by his or her First Change.
You’ll first hear it address you by name. After that it will tell you something you don’t already know; what happened to the people you attacked or fled from, where your friends you got separated from are. It will usually give you a warning: “This thing will happen unless you do something.” Finally, if you’re still paying attention, it will close by thanking you for listening.
The villains of the piece
Why would you not listen to them? Maybe because you’re skeptical or distracted. Or maybe because you’re fed up with them. Maybe they’ve started making requests of you, and you’re sick and tired and no longer paying attention. Or maybe you don’t care what happens to the people around you, and you aren’t concerned with their suggestions for how to minimize violence and property damage.
At any rate, the Cynocephali have made a career out of listening to the Harbingers, which is why they always show up when they’re needed. They’re also given Tokens, or objects blessed by the Harbingers. Sometimes they’re something they already own; sometimes they’re objects they’re told where to find. Either way, their powers are useful and usually minor … although it’s said that Joyeuse and Excalibur may have been actual tokens.
There are other forces besides the Harbingers out there. They have their own powers and agendas, and may even have their own Tokens. Not all of them are friendly, to humans or werecreatures … and some of their powers are flashier, and more overt. Just because their followers can’t hear the voice of the Harbingers, though, doesn’t mean they’re not speaking to them.
Wrapping things up
That should be enough to get you through your first five minutes or so as a werecreature. Maybe even an entire day. But there’s a lot out there to discover, both good and bad. And I’ve only begun to touch on it.
Let me know what you find in your own adventures. ~.^
You weren’t bit by a wolf, and your parents don’t howl at the moon. But somehow you’re a werecreature now, and that means fear … of the things out there that hunt your kind, and the chance that you could hurt someone by accident.
What’s going to happen to you? And what are these voices that keep thanking you for listening to them? Only one way to find out …
(Insert standard worldbuilding intro here!)
Your First Change
Congratulations! You’re now a werecreature. Not necessarily a werewolf, mind … there are more kinds of werecreatures than that. Any real-life animal is a candidate for werecreature-ness, and possibly some mythical ones are as well.
So what’s your First Change like? Well, it depends on which form you first shifted to! You have more than one form now, see … that’s what makes you a werecreature. Besides your human form, you now have …
- Kemono form — A human with animal ears and a tail, or other superficial features like whiskers or slitted eyes. Usually has animal senses, but not much else. Can pass as human if you’re very careful.
- Anthro form — A “furry” version of yourself, like an animal walking upright with a more or less human build. Usually has digitigrade (reverse-jointed) feet, but can’t run on all fours. Capabilities-wise, somewhere between “yourself with fur” and a real-life member of your were species walking upright.
- War form — Extremely powerful. Six to nine feet (two to three meters) tall, and weighs more than your human and animal selves combined. Good at fighting, fleeing, and pursuing. Not so good at manual dexterity, or talking in other than grunts and growls. Able to run on all fours!
You can also shift to full animal form, of course. In this form you look just like a normal member of your species, although you might have strikingly-colored fur. Also, you can talk normally in animal form, while you can’t in war form without a lot of effort and practice. Don’t spend too much time thinking about how that works.
Caveats about the war form
War form is where most of the werewolf legends come from, including their invulnerability. A werecreature in war form, even a smaller one, can sustain injuries that’d knock most humans or animals flat. What’s more, they heal rapidly, even regaining lost blood.
On that note, injuring a werecreature in war form leaves little to no visible evidence. Even if you get blood on your sword (for instance), it will evaporate within seconds. No one’s really sure why. Using silver weapons doesn’t change anything, and won’t make them heal any slower … it just stings if it touches a wound, like rubbing rock salt into it. It’s still noteworthy as the one real deterrent to werecreatures, since they aren’t used to feeling pain in war form and they might think twice about attacking someone who’s armed with silver.
Because of how dangerous it is, shifting to war form is like drawing a gun on someone, or at least waving one around. Other werecreatures immediately become tense if they see it, and may have to fight down their anxiety to keep from assuming the war form themselves. Humans, especially ones who don’t know what werecreatures are, panic.
How this all plays out
So what’s your First Change like? That depends on the animal and form you change into.
Changes into Kemono form tend to catch people by surprise. You may not realize you’ve changed until people start staring, or you look at yourself in the mirror. You won’t even notice you’ve grown a tail unless you sit on it … somehow your clothes will change to accomodate it. Some people quickly learn how to change back, but their animal features will keep catching them off-guard when they lose focus.
Like with Kemono, a change into Anthro or full animal form is also the kind of thing that happens when you aren’t thinking about it. You might be intensely focused on work and snap out of it to realize that you’re a furry; or you might just wake up one day as a tiger. What happens next may depend on how quickly you learn to control your appearance!
A change into war form is triggered by adrenalin. You go into fight-or-flight mode, and your form shifts to accomodate. These changes can be dramatic! They have serious consequences, though. Not only are you a danger to others in this form, but you’re going to have to find clothing immediately afterwards.
Another caveat regarding war form
Think twice before having your were commit murder. If people died every time there was a First Change, there’d be a lot fewer werecreatures around.
Your character is still him- or herself. You just had a moment of panic. Police officers need counseling after shooting and killing armed criminals on the job; soldiers have PTSD after coming home from warzones. Something inside of you dies when you murder a sentient being, and being part-animal is not going to change that. There will be consequences, and you will not like them unless that is the story you’re trying to tell.
Obviously, if your character is a sociopath this caveat does not apply to you. Just watch out for the Cynocephali.
The who to what now?
Along with the legends of werecreatures, people in dark ages Europe told stories of Cynocephali (see-no-SEPH-uh-lee) — men with dog’s heads, or so they say. Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, was a “reformed” Cynocephalus, and whole armies of them were said to exist in the Orient.
They say dogs are man’s best friend, and with the Cynocephali weredogs that definitely holds true. Those who are part of the Order of Saint Christopher roam the world looking for werecreatures having their First Change, and they are uncannily good at finding them. They might not show up right away, but they almost always appear within a day or two.
Most Cynocephali aren’t a part of the Order, but even those who aren’t tend to integrate better than most werecreatures. Cynocephali are common, perhaps the most common weres, and they get a lot of help adjusting to their new lives. Those who are a part of the Order are even better organized, with chains of command and frequent reports and get-togethers. They know how to handle distressed werecreatures, and ease their transition to normal life … and they also know how to stop angry werecreatures without killing them, using the Tokens given them by the Harbingers.
Tokens? Harbingers?
These are the last two big concepts here, so pay attention.
The Harbingers are invisible voices that will deliver a message to you. You’ll be hearing from one pretty soon after your First Change. It may be male or female; its voice may be loud or quiet. Some people hear them in the wind and rain, speaking with the voice of the whole earth. Others hear them on the radio.
Harbingers are always polite. They never intrude; if you’re busy with something, they won’t contact you. One of the most important jobs for a member of the Order of Saint Christopher is to teach a new were to listen for them. This is because what a Harbinger says will usually help that were to clean up whatever mess was caused by his or her First Change.
You’ll first hear it address you by name. After that it will tell you something you don’t already know; what happened to the people you attacked or fled from, where your friends you got separated from are. It will usually give you a warning: “This thing will happen unless you do something.” Finally, if you’re still paying attention, it will close by thanking you for listening.
The villains of the piece
Why would you not listen to them? Maybe because you’re skeptical or distracted. Or maybe because you’re fed up with them. Maybe they’ve started making requests of you, and you’re sick and tired and no longer paying attention. Or maybe you don’t care what happens to the people around you, and you aren’t concerned with their suggestions for how to minimize violence and property damage.
At any rate, the Cynocephali have made a career out of listening to the Harbingers, which is why they always show up when they’re needed. They’re also given Tokens, or objects blessed by the Harbingers. Sometimes they’re something they already own; sometimes they’re objects they’re told where to find. Either way, their powers are useful and usually minor … although it’s said that Joyeuse and Excalibur may have been actual tokens.
There are other forces besides the Harbingers out there. They have their own powers and agendas, and may even have their own Tokens. Not all of them are friendly, to humans or werecreatures … and some of their powers are flashier, and more overt. Just because their followers can’t hear the voice of the Harbingers, though, doesn’t mean they’re not speaking to them.
Wrapping things up
That should be enough to get you through your first five minutes or so as a werecreature. Maybe even an entire day. But there’s a lot out there to discover, both good and bad. And I’ve only begun to touch on it.
Let me know what you find in your own adventures. ~.^
Awesome stuff. A quick worldbuilding question: Is the existence of werecritters known among the normal residents of the world? On the one hand, it seems like it would be very difficult to conceal a condition that causes you to sprout ears and a tail when you’re not focused and that causes you to turn into a killing machine when you’re scared. On the other hand, the main characters of the story certainly seem surprised by it, which suggests that it isn’t common knowledge. There’s magic (in the form of tokens), which could help to cover up minor breaches. And of course, there’s the unknown ‘adverse parties’, who seem to have their own powers, and possibly their own reasons to keep things quiet…
KickahaOta: The Cynocephali have human allies, mostly their friends and family, and it would probably follow the other werecreatures do too!
As for why it’s not common knowledge…people tend to either repress their memories of seeing werecreatures, or try to come up with a “reasonable” justification of the event, telling themselves that it was (to use an example from the story) just a mad dog. And yes…the intervention of Harbingers and the use of Tokens would also help to cover things up!
Nonetheless, I’m sure some events could slip through, and this world would have its share of crazy people who think shapeshifters exist.