Prologue - The war of the lycanthropes

The Lycans and Werewolves are two different species of wolf man but they carry a common past. The ancient legends speak of a king named Licaon who lived in Greece, southern Europe, more precisely in the city of Arcadiae who would have been cursed by Zeus for committing unholy and cruel acts. It is said that he was a sadist, who murdered the visitors of his castle and used to serve his meat to guests at the dining table.

One day Zeus himself would have disguised himself as mortal and visited the Licaon’s castle, when he sat at the table, he found out that human flesh was served to him. He would then have cursed King Licaon, making him turn into a wolf every night. Unable to keep control over his body, he wandered hunting and eating raw meat, without sleeping or resting. Due to the weight of the curse and the stress it caused him, he had a few years to live, but her wife gave birth to two children before his death. She prayed to the Moon to deliver her children from that evil, was in part attended by the Goddess, who had no power to extinguish but softened the karma of her children.

As the curse of Zeus was extended to the offspring of Licaon, his sons were born carrying this burden. The eldest son was like his father, had a rude and violent behavior. When he reached the age of sixteen and began to transform, he was able to transmute, when he wanted, into a beastly creature, half man, half wolf. He started walking on two legs and his body was full of fur, he had sharp claws that could tear apart any prey with ease and very sharp teeth, his appetite and fury had no end. This beast came to be known as Lycan, which would later be as their descendants would also be known.

The youngest son was a calm and very intelligent boy, lover of arts and culture. He turned into a wolf, like his father, but it wasn’t every night,only on full moon nights. He could not control his metamorphosis,when the transformation took place the beast prevailed over man, causing him to go out hunting and slaughtering victims.

This and his descendants were called by the people of Werewolves. The brothers fought for their father’s kingdom until their last days, and their offspring continued to struggle facing the search for power. Among these wars, entire villages and kingdoms were decimated and many innocent people died, this only caused the curse to extend and endure to the present day. Over the years, the origins of the conflict have become legends, but animosity between species continued. The two descendants spread around the world, forming clans and packs everywhere, they were called several names, varying according to the region in which they were established.

The Alpha Lycan of each clan should be someone very strong and powerful to the point of maintaining order and people under full control, him and the council of elders. On the battlefield they were ruthless and unstoppable, possessed strength, agility and uncontrollable fury. The Lycans lived in a simple way, with an almost tribal organization, they honored the traditions and followed the old customs, passed down from generation to generation and they became beasts when they wanted, and it was necessary, without the influence of the moon. Because of that, the Lycans were considered inferior by werewolves, who saw them as beasts who had a savage behavior.

Werewolves also organized into clans, but usually preferred to live in packs, which were smaller groups of individuals. They had a more urban and contemporary lifestyle, adapting well to the space and time in which they lived. A werewolf was a being of his time, not giving much importance to old traditions and beliefs, the only custom they kept was the belief in the Moon Goddess, who had saved them from certain death imposed by Zeus. Both groups worshipped her and followed her precepts. His social pyramid was also similar, the leader was always an Alpha wolf, and his wife a Luna, then came the Betas and finally the Gamas, these lived on the fringe of society and were usually servants or even slaves.

The command was passed by inheritance of blood or conquest, they could be born an Alpha, and pass that mantle to your children or become one, if you beat the leader of some group in a dispute. An Alpha, especially of the Lycans, was a leader, a king, a father and a brother to the members of his pack, was the mirror of the clan and depended on him its maintenance and survival, he, usually advised by the elders, made the important decisions and his word was law.

It had been a few generations since the Lycans no longer had war as their main objective, most Alphas were more concerned with their group’s subsistence and with maintaining their way of life. Agriculture and animal husbandry, as they did, was an uncertain business in the modern world, which was increasingly dominated by technology and agribusiness. The Ebrar clan had long settled in the region of Canada, setting up their village near forests and great icy mountains. The weather was cold, but they learned to take care of the herds, facing the low temperatures. Their homes and their village were simple, but they were fully adapted to that lifestyle.

The current Alpha of the mountain’s clan was a Lycan named Aram, he was a very strong and respected leader, despite his young age, being in his thirties. He had his beloved wife, who was destined for him by the goddess Moon, cruelly murdered by a pack of werewolves due to rivalry between species. That day he was destroyed as a man, leaving only the beast he harbored within, and this beast thirsted for blood and hunger for the flesh of his enemies. His existence became meaningless, and he lived only to seek revenge.

He had managed to kill almost the entire werewolves pack responsible for the attack, but a few members managed to escape and he eventually lost their trail. When he returned to his clan, Aram failed to free himself from pain and anger, he became a mediocre leader, unaware of the demands of his people. Choosing to stay alive can be much harder than dying, so he just complied with the basic demands and became the shadow of the Alpha he once was.