Night of the Werebeps

A plague has struck Silkkassa and is spreading fast. Elkh are gaining wolfish features and, most frighteningly, gaining an appetite for other creatures. Their terrifying faces cause them to be immediately ostracised from village living and wild herds alike, but that's not even the most tragic aspect of this illness! Elkh cannot digest meat, and with no appetite for plants, they will waste away and die if left untreated.

Fortunately, the amazing scientists of Reheva have pinpointed a cause AND a cure! 

The cause?

WERE FELVITS!

Something has caused certain wild felvits to change. Unlike in elkh, the Lupine disease is not fatal in felvits, but the animals become aggressive and seek out other creatures of any size to attack. Their bite is what transmits the illness. There's no known cause of the change in these isolated pockets of felvits, but investigating aitielkh say there is a smell lingering on them that they recognized from Afra's capture. It seems it is only affecting wild felvits, though pet felvits could be at risk if they come into contact with infected wild felivts. So far, it seems that the bite of an elkh does not transmit the illness.

...but this mystery must wait for another day to be fully solved. For now, there are lives to be saved!

The Lupine Potion

Growing near Reheva, the Rainbowleaf Lupine is toxic when eaten alone, but in the hands of a pharmacist, it becomes medicine. The carefully extracted properties of this plant can be made into a decoction which can stabilize the Lupine condition, saving the recipients life and leaving them with only lingering mild symptoms that appear during a full moon. 

The Lupine Trait

As a trait, Lupine gives elkh a wolf-like face. It is optional to add this to the masterlist art, and similar rules apply as to Kelpie's Curse; you can add a secondary image with the "were" form, make it the primary image, or not add the were form image at all and just have the trait. It is up to your taste if your elkh has this appearance all the time, or if it only shows during the full moon.

Required:
-wolflike eyes (still in same position)
-padded wolf nose
-sharp teeth

Optional, to taste:
-Add shagginess to the coat/mane 
-Add "gnarliness" to the antlers

Post-remedy, some elkh are able to return to village life without much issue. If their condition only manifests during the full moon, they may simply make themself scarce at that time. Others may continue to try to live normally with their new features and risk social ostraciszation due to their terriying appearance (other elkh see only the face of their mortal enemy). Acceptance of this condition may take time among elkh, and the struggles may have lasting effects on everyone's feelings. Some elkh may even abandon village life for the wild, and may find companionship in forming groups with others who share their condition.

PROMPTS

There are two prompts available this month only:

-Night of the Were-Beps
Create art or prose to earn a Lupine Potion.

-Night of the Werefelvits
Create art or prose to earn a Werefelvit companion.

See WORLD >PROMPTS >Limited Prompts

Bepotelkh Lore of the Month

Crime is generally very minimal in Silkkassa and Miatias because everyone's needs are met fairly comfortably as far as food, water, and shelter. Those who engage in petty crimes are generally ignored unless they are doing some real damage, including physically harming others (some amount of theft will be covered/reimbursed by the crown). It is generally expected that if there is a thief around, the victim will find a way to fight back or catch the culprit themself. But if someone resorts to violent crime, that's when the Royal Guard may step in to escort them to rehabilitation (whether bep or human). They will live in a certain wing in the castle while they undergo counseling, enjoying provided lodging and meals as well as time in the royal gardens (more remote locations will have their own housing for this process rather than making the trip to Kei; same for Miatias). This process is voluntary and there is no heavy security keeping them there. However, the other option for repeat offenders who refuse to face their struggles is exile from the village, so rehabilitation is generally preferred to being on ones own after being so acclimated to life in civilization.

Sometimes, social issues may still cause individuals to abandon society. The lupine condition is a great example of this. Other elkh are naturally repelled by the face of lupine beps, so these individuals may have difficulty socializing or working if their condition is prominent. Feeling spurned, they may either resort to crime to survive (or simply to lash out), or they may choose exile themselves. One may find bands of rough-and-tumble exiled humans or elkh outside of villages, making their own way in whatever way they can.