Primal Crusades is an urban fantasy setting revolving around the struggle between the denizens of Earth, and their few but powerful Witchblooded, the Were defenders of the vestigial world of Gaea that are able to shift into various beast forms, and the Hellions trying to parasitically consume the world.
Basic Facts:
• Gaea itself is a metaphysical realm separate from Earth. It is believed to exist on a spiritual plane, and there are many theories as to what exactly it is. A plane rather than a planet, more of a ringworld, Gaea is spiritually tied to Earth's Moon, and when the moon is full, the greatest connection to Gaea is achieved. It is for this reason that the full moon so affects Weres. It does not force them to change, but instill them with what is called the Passion, which manifests differently for each Were. Some find themselves extremely sexual, others inspired artistically or conversationally, some find themselves extremely animalistic and choose to spend the time around the full moon in their animal form, or following the habits of their animal self such as sleeping, hiding from the world, or herding with others.
• Weres do in fact have a sensitivity to silver, although it can range from a fascination with it, to an allergic reaction to contact with it, to lethal response. As time has passed, the less severe the pull has become. No one knows why Weres have a connection to silver, but it cannot be denied.
• Weres are not biologically related. They can arise in any family if their soul is tied to Gaea. Many families will have a single member that is a shifter, while others may have multiple shifters each who turn into a different creature. It cannot be passed down to one's children, and in those cases where one's child happens to be a Were, the species is almost never the same. Gaeans (those Weres that hail from Gaea itself) are a different matter. On Gaea, the Weres are solely hereditary. Same species must breed together to have offspring, although some species are occasionally able to interbreed - like varying species of dogs, for example. In these cases, the breeding can be done in any stage of shift, but once a pregnancy has begun, it is incredibly dangerous to shift forms in case the child is lost. The form that one's mother was in during the pregnancy is the form the offspring will be born into, and will remain the most comfortable form for the offspring to remain in. It is for this reason that a number of the denizens of Gaea are more animalistic than their Earth counterparts. On Gaea also exists species that are not native to Earth, such as Dragons, Phoenices, Griffins, Kirins and the like.
• Gaea itself is a metaphysical realm separate from Earth. It is believed to exist on a spiritual plane, and there are many theories as to what exactly it is. A plane rather than a planet, more of a ringworld, Gaea is spiritually tied to Earth's Moon, and when the moon is full, the greatest connection to Gaea is achieved. It is for this reason that the full moon so affects Weres. It does not force them to change, but instill them with what is called the Passion, which manifests differently for each Were. Some find themselves extremely sexual, others inspired artistically or conversationally, some find themselves extremely animalistic and choose to spend the time around the full moon in their animal form, or following the habits of their animal self such as sleeping, hiding from the world, or herding with others.
• Weres do in fact have a sensitivity to silver, although it can range from a fascination with it, to an allergic reaction to contact with it, to lethal response. As time has passed, the less severe the pull has become. No one knows why Weres have a connection to silver, but it cannot be denied.
• Weres are not biologically related. They can arise in any family if their soul is tied to Gaea. Many families will have a single member that is a shifter, while others may have multiple shifters each who turn into a different creature. It cannot be passed down to one's children, and in those cases where one's child happens to be a Were, the species is almost never the same. Gaeans (those Weres that hail from Gaea itself) are a different matter. On Gaea, the Weres are solely hereditary. Same species must breed together to have offspring, although some species are occasionally able to interbreed - like varying species of dogs, for example. In these cases, the breeding can be done in any stage of shift, but once a pregnancy has begun, it is incredibly dangerous to shift forms in case the child is lost. The form that one's mother was in during the pregnancy is the form the offspring will be born into, and will remain the most comfortable form for the offspring to remain in. It is for this reason that a number of the denizens of Gaea are more animalistic than their Earth counterparts. On Gaea also exists species that are not native to Earth, such as Dragons, Phoenices, Griffins, Kirins and the like.
