Loup Garoux

The loup Garoux are a species of werewolf although not classified as a magical creature. They are able to assume wolf form at any given time, unlike the Lycanthrope. The main difference between Lycanthrope and Loup Garoux is the appearance: Loup Garoux look like the average wolf but slightly taller. The wolf form come in many colors such as black, brown, white, gray, and peach. The Loup Garoux look no different then the avverage human when in human form; they have no specific nationality, hair color, eye color, or skin color.

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Instincts

The Loup Garoux also have wolflike instincts that develop in the teen years, during a three-week period called the Instinct Development Stage.

Stage 1: Mental Preporations

      Week: 1
      Days: 1-3
      
      

On the first day of Instinct Development the wolf will be more iritable then normal. On the second day, growing pains or general body pains occur. This time allows the wolf form a rather dramatic growth spurt from lanky puppy/young wolf size to full-grown-wolf size. All this worsens on the third day.

Stage 2: Mental Changes

      Week: 1/2
      Days: 4-9

      

Mood swings and depression occur in days 4 and 5 then extend through the 7th day, when the memory-lapse starts. This lasts through the 17th day. On the 8th day the wolf seems to lose all empathy, kindness, etc. Paranoia occures on the 9th day, when one may start accusing family members or packmates of stealing or cheating and stuff like that.

Stage 3: Physical Wolf Form Changes

      Week: 2
      Days: 10-11
      
      

On Day 10, shifting becomes uncontrollable; the wolf has no power to decide when it will change or for how long. On Day 11, the wolf experiences bursts of wild behavior such as growling, biting, and howling (sometimes becoming violent), without control or knowledge of these actions.

Stage 4: Body's First Reaction to Instincts

      Week: 2-3
      Days: 12-15

On Day 12, the wolf will leave (or try to leave) home until around the 18th to 21st day; this varies from wolf to wolf. Hunting becomes more intense; not only will a wolf kill the prey but will tear it apart in a frenzy. Rage begins on the 14th and will continue halfway through the 15th day.

Stage 5: Body Coming Off Instinct Height

      Week: 3
      Days: 15-19
  

Confusion sets in late in Day 15 and eliminates the rage from Day 14. The wolf will try to figure out 'why this is happening', 'what's going on', and 'why it left home in the first place', and will feel lonely. On the 16th day the Loup Garoux is unable to change from wolf to human. On the 17th day it is unable to shift from human to wolf. Being in the wilderness with the body going through all these changes the immune system has pretty much been out of order, so when it comes back the wolf will almost always get sick, mostly influenza-like symptoms. Wolves call this 'Shifters'-Flu'. On the 19th day, wolves will almost always return home.

Stage 6: Bodies Return to Normality

      Week: 3
      Days: 20-21
      

Day 20 is when the real wolf comes back out, and when human emotions return. They can make conversation and love and feel and be like they used to be. On Day 21, things go completely back to normal, and the wolf can shift shape at will with no complication.

So this is the werewolf equivalent of Puberty, considered normal among Loup Garoux. Kids are excused from school with no penalty for these 3 weeks and parents don't normally worry about it if they are wolves themselves. For Humans, this is a drastic change and horrible. Wolves don't mind.

Religion

O.K. This is all made of of assumptions and [nonsense] I just made up so bear with me! There was a priest that met with the Wolf Clan; his name was Seiren [Something] (he has a name I wrote down somewhere) and he traveled with the Clan for a while studying their strange connection with their lupine companions. At the battle with the Snake Witch Queen he is a witness of the transformation of the humans into Loup Garoux and the combining of the humans with their wolf companions. His belief is that Cilean's extreme power is a blessing from God and she was sent to create the race for some future good. He believes that the vast loyalty between Clansman and wolf extends to the Loup Garoux and that they are meant to be protectors and companions of man (this is overlooked, much like saying Jesus hates Jews). Seiren believes that the Loup Garoux when they die become something like an archangel, which protects humanity. Now this was all written down in his studies and called the 'Loup Garoux Theory'. When he died the journal was read aloud and eventually formed a religion; and as the Catholics have saints the Loup Garoux have the 'Holy Pack' or 'Great Pack', a group of deceased Loup Garoux who died serving god or doing something amazing for the common good, honored for their sacrifice, that protect their living relatives. That's the base of their religion pretty much: the journal of a dead priest. ;P