The purpose is the same: create rules for werewolves as worldwide Supernatural Superpower (like vampires and fairies courts and White Council). Recommended for DF-setting, as much as for (IMHO) Buffy-verse (considering the description and effects of abilities, but not mechanics as is).
The origin: Nobody knows who is Fenris and where he came from. Nobody knows was someone who created him or his he was born naturally in the deep of Nevernever. He is one of the strongest spirit ever, the incarnation of pure destruction and he is alone more powerful than all gods of Scandinavian pantheon - that's enough normal wizards and others creatures need to know. Now Fenris sleeping somewhere in Nevernever (in ancient times it was cornered there by one of the archangels) and unconsciously generates small wolf spirits. In not not-so-ancient times (around Neolithic age) when humanity was just beginning to learn the art of magic, the little group of shamans created the ritual which let them to summon this spirits and to engage them in a strange symbiosis - in contrast to usual obsession, it was exactly symbiosis, not the parasitism. More than that, they find the way to make another people like them - rough and cruel rite which consists in bringing the victim to a state close to death, when the mind is weakened and the body can take a wolf spirit on a par with the human soul. Those who survived, become the werewolf. The time didn't keep the details of first ritual, but one thing is certain - the importance of the Moon in her metaphysics, occult role. That's how werewolves were born.
The werewolves' society:The werewolves are the strongest, the most well-organised and most widespread beastchangers in the world. Although they are not solid organisation (every pack keep some autonomy) and usually they are not pro-active, they made other factions to respect them. Speaking about their philosophy, there is two big movement - Traditionalists (who hey prefer to live in the lap of nature and rural areas, prefer to trust the beast within and less connected with human society) and Progressive (they like urban ares, well versed in technology and policy and they try to be more humans then wolves). The open Open hostility happens, but rarely - usually werewolves are quite apolitical. There is many neutrals and even mixed packs. Their relations to people are complicated - they not so evil as vampires, but not so kind as wizards. They more like faeries.
The basic unit of their society is a pack. It's not just bunch of friends or mob of gangsters, but complex spiritual fellowship. There is some diversity in organization's features of every pack, but some rules is couple for all:
1) "The leader is strongest, but not vise versa". The stronger, smarter and strong-willed werewolf take the better place in pack hierarchy, and it make him or her more powerful. But the leadership it;s not what you can take by brute force. You need to be popular for that, not only for humans but for their wolves too.
2) "There is the bound". Relations in the pack could be complex, and problematic and even unhealthy, but they always include some personal
affection. All members of the pack have some sympathy to each other, even if they don't released it.
Despite (2) any pack is quite big community (a few dozens of people). So, inside it there is some groups, the members of which is closer to each other then to any other packmates. Actually, this groups is form any fact, and when pack became too big, some of them leave it to be basis of another one (in my headcanon that what happened with Alphas).
The hierarchy and templates:
1) The Scions - not actually werewolves, but people who have werewolves-ancestors in 1-2 generates. Many of them aren't actually connected with werewolves, some of them even don't know about supernatural world. But they still have such abilities and can be turned in werewolves much easy and safely.
They actually like lycanthropes - but without Strength but their Recovery doesn't affected form:
Powers:
-Pack Instincts [–1]
ŠŠ -Echoes of the Beast [–1]
ŠŠ -Inhuman Recovery [–2]
Minimum Refresh Cost: –4
2) Regular werewolves.
Powers:
-Supernatural constitution (long life)
-Pack Instincts [–1]
ŠŠ -Echoes of the Beast [–1]
-Supernatural Recovery [–4]
Catch: silver [+3]
Human Form [+1] affecting:
-Beast Change [–1]
-Claws [–1]
-Inhuman Strength [–2]
-Inhuman Speed [–2]
Minimum Refresh Cost: –8
3) Gamma - the leader of one of the groups inside pack.
The same as regular werewolf but with additional options. Gamma can put Speed or Strength in human form, or he can develope Speed or Strength to supernatural level, or can take Inhuman Toughness [–2] (which is always only in wolf form).
4) Beta - the hand of Alpha. The same as Gamma but his abilities take new level. So, if he or she take Inhuman Strenght in human form, he can also take Inhuman Speed, or increase Speed to Supernatural, or take Inhuman Toughness, etc.
5) Shaman. There is only 2-3 shamans to all pack. Their abilities - as for Gamma, but they also can chose Thaumaturgy [–3], or can take Rituals [–2] and any magic ability (like Ghost speaker, or Mana Static or even Insight Emotions) for [–1] refresh.
6) Alpha - his stuts as for Loup-Garou, but he has only Supernatural Recovery and Toughness, his changing completely controlled, and the cathch for him is usual silver.
P.S. The only young and inexperienced werewolves depend on Moon phase. But all of them suffer when cath the wound by silver weapon.
