“ | For as savage as they are while addressing us in every derogatory name under the sun, no one can deny that they're the ultimate symbols of mountainous strength. Protectors and warriors that would soon kiss a werewolf than ever admit defeat, even if losing a limb or two. That's something I admittedly admire about them, and why they're one of our greatest rivals. A shame since we could've been allies. But grudges last far longer for immortals. | „ |
~ Miguel |
Werebears, also known as Gurahl, Ararush, and Berserkers by the Old Norse, are therianthropes, or Werebeasts, who transform into bears or half-bears. They were said to be among the most powerful of therianthropes, even more so than Werewolves.
Description[]
Like other kinds of therianthropy, the "arctanthropy" can be acquired either as a result of a curse or inherited from werebear parents. However, unlike with Werewolves a bite from a werebear does not result in the victim becoming a werebear as well. Instead, to become a werebear, a human must wear the pelt of the bear for five days and nights while surviving out in the wilderness by their lonesome and only then will the Earth determine their worthiness of becoming a Werebear. There are other, more brutal and blasphemous means of becoming a Werebear. On the Icelandic Isles, a supposed "bear cult" called Vildkaarls invented another, "controllable" way of becoming a berserker. After a complicated ritual involving psilocybe mushrooms and what seemed to be allowing wild bears to eat the cultists alive, the fierce warriors used to rise and spill blood in the name of their god.
Since bears are solitary creatures, werebears do not have a pack like werewolves do but they do have small yet closely-knit tribes made up of sleuths that are stationed across different parts of the world. Olaf, a werebear, states that a total of four tribes exist and dominate across the cardinal directions of the Earth, each one ruled by a different bear; the dominant bear of a sleuth is called an Ursa whilst a chieftain ruling over a whole tribe is called an Ursus. Werebears can also have more than one mate evidenced in Beörn having three wives although this is likely in response to the decline of their species.
Overtime, Werebears learn to gain more control of their transformation until they are no longer bound by the phases of the sun, in a sway similar to Werewolves with the moon. Werebears will also often show signs of extreme tiredness once they return to their human state, and need to consume vast amounts of food even in human form in order to remain energized throughout the day. The ballads of the Old Norse indicate a berserker transformed in the heat of battle cannot be distinguished from an actual bear. Only minute anatomical details - such as the shape of their tongues and teeth - reveal their secret. When in human form, both males and females are noted to be purportedly very large, robust, and bulky while sporting various Nordic tattoos.
Overview[]
Werebears originated from Otso, the god of bears. The first of these Werebears to emerge were a wedded couple named Rugalea and Ralva, who would gain Otso's power by wearing the pelts of his children after slaying them. Whether it be Otso or his war-like aspect Svalblod, Werebears are often depicted as untamable and ferocious beasts that no man or monster could withstand. In the end, Werebears were solitary individuals, preferring to remain in the quiet depths of the forests and mountains, reserving their wrath for those who would threaten their home and kin. In ages of old, they were not as hostile with werewolves as they are now, but nonetheless prefered that they did not bother them; although Olaf claims that they were open to forming bonds with some of the wolf tribes, a prime example being Karhu, the grandfather of Olaf, who was a good friend of Anax, Caspian's father.
What gave Werebears a bad reputation were the infamous Berserkers from Norse tellings although they emerged some time after the War of Beasts. The Berserkers emerged as a manifestation of their unbridled hatred towards the werewolves, particularly Azog for his role in nearly wiping out their kind during the war, and embraced the untamed primal savagery of the wild bear blessed by Svalblod whom the Berserkers adopted from the Finnish. In the aftermath, Werebears and Werewolves have an intensely hostile relationship to where they would kill each other on sight. This forced the elders of the two species to develop a very delicate truce where they would not encroach on each other's territory to avoid casualties.
Pure-blooded Werewolves, whom have existed since ancient Rome, have confirmed the existence of Werebears. Among them was Miguel, who currently serves the Order of the Silver Cross. When the Roman Emperor Trajan was in the midst of his conquest of Dacia in 101–106 AD, the Roman forces were being overwhelmed by fierce and powerful "bear-like" warriors that no spear or sword could put down, hindering his progress greatly. He requested the aid of Miguel and several other lycanthropes known as Ulfheðnar (wolf warriors) to defend Rome's border regions from these tribal warriors. Miguel personally fought several of these Werebears, narrowly escaping with his life on several occasions and only being able to slay a few, confirming that their strength was more than enough to challenge the power of an alpha wolf.
Despite their sheer ferocity and power, Werebears are very rare to the point where many hunters around the world either believe they had gone extinct after being hunted down by Witchers, or that they never existed in the first place. However, there was evidence to suggest that Werebears were actually around since archaeologists have discovered bone structure that appeared to mix between a bear and a human during excavations somewhere in the Northern mountains of Scandinavia. The bones and tools of Werebears being found in Scandinavia only further proves that these beasts were in actuality the Berserkers in the Old Norse myths. Some believed the bear spirit within their animal pelt would fuse with their own and grant the berserker the ability to transform into a Werebear whenever they were thrown into a frenzy.
Capabilities[]
Werebears are noted to be extremely powerful, more so than Werewolves and other Werebeasts with their only rivals being the Sibuor and the Khan. They are far tougher, fearless, and more relentless than even actual bears. Werebears are infamous for their ferocity, resilience, and physical strength as a single Werebear would plow through a Roman legionnaire without any concern for its own wellbeing as the artillery and weapons of the Romans would only serve as a mere nuisance. Miguel, who is one of the most powerful Werewolves on Earth, admitted that if he were to face off against a Werebear once again he would barely emerge unscathed.
It is shown that Werebears have special abilities like Werewolves and possibly other Werebeasts as well. Whereas Werewolves utilize the Munin Howl, Werebears such as Björn are shown to use what appears to be Nordic spiritual magic as the runic markings on his body illuminate, and granting himself either additional abilities or an increase in his natural abilities. It is unknown if other Werebears can utilize these abilities as naturally as Björn though it is safe to assume that it can only be harnessed by the more talented generations of Werebears similar to the usage of the Munin Howl with Werewolves. Regardless, the use of this power makes the Werebear even more dangerous and all the more difficult to defeat.
When pushed to the brink, Werebears can also enter a berserker state known as hamrammr, concentrating their raw anger and fury to perform destructively powerful attacks. When in a berserker rage, Werebears are unable to feel pain, their physical attributes are increased ten-fold, and will not stop their onslaught until their target is completely destroyed. However, this counts as a double-edged sword as Werebears will lose their rationality, attacking anything in sight like mindless animals. In addition, when exiting their berserker state, they collapse from sheer exhaustion. They are also able to heal from any wound received almost instantly, being on par with Werewolves and greater than other Werebeasts.
Werebears are extraordinarily powerful fighters, basically the epitome of pure brute strength. While perceived as somewhat sloppy and even sluggish, their blows are a guaranteed lethal strike with one example of Olaf utterly disemboweling and bisecting a werewolf, who was part of Azog's tribe, in a single swipe. Despite being more physically powerful than werewolves they are relatively slow compared to the latter. Descriptions of their fighting prowess paint them as invulnerable to pain, with their hide capable of shrugging off scores of arrows which bounce off of them and swords, spears, or ballistas not even remotely slowing them down. A single werebear was able to not only hold off a pack of fifteen werewolves but actually overwhelm them until they were forced to retreat after their numbers were reduced to ten. Their weakness is unknown but supposedly, like werewolves and lycanthropes, they are particularly vulnerable to silver and oils that harm cursed creatures.