Author's Note: These Side Stories are exactly that. They are things that don't fit within the main Yssha's Tale narrative, but that have attracted Cyclone Sword's or my attention enough to want to write them. They can and probably will vary wildly in narrative style and length, and are in no particular order (unless you count "as they occur to us" as a form of order). There's also no posting schedule. It's all very informal, and if there's something you'd like to see us go into, feel free to contact us by PM.

Interview with Faal Mungrohiik

Report of an interview between Senior Imperial Scholar Lorgren Calidus and Master Mage Sorcalin, also known as Faal Mungrohiik, The Werewolf.

I had been offered transport by dragon from the Imperial Academy in Cyrodiil to Alinor City, where Master Mage Sorcalin was assisting the Military Governor, General Hargan. On my arrival, I was taken to the office he was using in the Palace. As a side note, the city was being cleared in preparation for rebuilding when I arrived, but the extent of the devastation was still clear.

I bowed when Master Sorcalin and I exchanged introductions. "Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed by an Academy scholar, Master Sorcalin. This is truly a unique opportunity, and we appreciate it."

We seated ourselves in comfortable chairs, and he offered me some wine before he answered. "Since I'm the only werewolf who's free to be public about it, and there are a lot of misperceptions about lycanthropes, I felt an obligation to agree."

"Can you tell us how you became a werewolf?"

He nodded. "A little background first, if I may?"

"Certainly. We would be happy for anything you care to tell us."

"Thank you." He smiled - and it was a very pleasant expression, not the kind of snarl most would expect from a werewolf. "I was born not far from here, back when Alinor was still called the Summerset Isles. I had a bad case of wanderlust as far back as I can remember, so as soon as I made Expert level, I left." He chuckled ruefully. "I'd prepare better, these days, but back then, I was young, and not thinking ahead the way experience eventually taught me to. I had my Expert robes, a staff, my favorite dagger, and some gold - around two hundred, if memory serves.

"I'd planned to work as a mage for hire, but while I did get jobs, the work wasn't as steady as I had expected. I normally didn't take animal-extermination jobs, but when you're down to less than twenty gold - " He shrugged, and I winced in sympathy, having been in similar circumstances more than once.

"At any rate," he continued, "the Jarl of Solitude asked me to clear some wolves from Wolfskull Cave. When I got close, I saw more dead animals than even a large wolf pack would be likely to drag home for the cubs. Still, I needed the pay, so I went in to see what I had to deal with. Unfortunately for me, instead of a large pack of wolves, it was a small pack of werewolves, led by an alpha male with an impressive number of scars. That's when I knew I was in serious trouble."

He paused, and I thanked the Nine that I'd never been in such a situation. I have been an academic for most of my fairly long life, and I am more than happy that all my adventuring has been vicarious. "And then?"

"We fought, of course. And I won." He paused again. "At least I thought so at the time. When I regained consciousness, the werewolf I'd been fighting was dead, and I was alone and healed. I wondered at that, but wasn't about to go looking for the rest of the pack. When I returned to the Jarl, he apologized for sending me in alone, and that he'd been so wrong about the enemy's identity. I got my payment, and a very nice bonus.

"It wasn't until later I realized something was wrong, or at least different. Everything seemed more intense, somehow. I could hear conversations from distances that should have been impossible, even with these." He grinned, touching the tips of his elven ears, and I smiled.

"It was the smells, though, that actually told me what had happened. I'd heard how a dog could tell far more with his nose than a man or mer could with eyes and ears combined, and I found myself able to tell ... ah, private things your readers might prefer to be unaware of."

My curiosity was intense, but even my academic instincts flinched from asking for more details about that, so I changed the subject.

"When you realized what you had become, what was your reaction?"

He sighed. "I transformed the first full moon after I was bitten. I felt the full blood-lust, and awakened over an elk I'd killed. I was full, so I'd fed in were form, and ... I can't say it revolted me, since I'd killed and butchered plenty of game in my life, and at times, I had even been hungry enough to eat some of it raw. But I was ... ashamed. Magery, you understand, being means in full control of yourself, and I wasn't, any more. It was terrifying."

He scowled. "Have you ever been afraid of yourself, Scholar? Because I was, then. I hated and resented what I'd become, and was terrified of what I might do to anyone who crossed my path while I was transformed. I wanted to kill myself, except for one thing ... and that was ending up in the Hunting Grounds, which was even worse. So I ... hid my shame. The self-discipline I learned in mage training made that possible, and I became quite good at stealth, and finding places to hide during the full moon."

He chuckled briefly. "I also delved into alchemy, devising potions that would knock me out for a full night. I'd still transform, but my wolf would be unconscious, as well. I also studied everything I could find about Hircine and werewolves, looking for a cure, and the rest of the Princes as a way to avoid suspicion about why I was studying Hircine. And I made sure to stay away from cities, towns, and other groups of people unless it was absolutely necessary, of course."

I frowned. "I don't think I understand. You seem to be saying that Master Sorcalin and Faal Mungrohiik are separate individuals who use the same body."

"It's a bit more complicated than that, but essentially, yes." Master Sorcalin paused, clearly trying to think of a way to explain better. "Hmm. You know the Dragonborn absorbs the souls of dragons she kills, and can communicate with them?"

"Of course. It's like that, but you don't have to kill the wolf?"

"Again, not exactly. She doesn't transform, of course; it's more an analogy in that my wolf spirit and I can communicate the same way." He paused again. "The spirit doesn't talk to me like the dragons do to her, with full sentences. But he can ... project feelings very well, and since we've been together for over two centuries, we've grown to understand each other quite well. Hmm. Maybe it would help if I explain that control and communication go through stages as the wolf and host adapt to each other."

"Yes, please do!"

"All right. It's easier for a werewolf who's in a pack from the beginning, because the older pack members help out, but most aren't lucky enough to get turned by, or even close to, an established pack. That means they have to spend at least the early days alone. At first, the host has no memory or control while he's transformed. Later, he'll start to remember bits and pieces, but he still has no control. Clear so far?"

"Yes - this is fascinating! Please, go on."

"Assuming you live long enough, you'll start remembering most of the time while you're transformed. Depending on your wolf's personality and strength, you may be able to gain control for brief moments, and you'll start to notice urges and feelings coming from your wolf - fear, hunger, curiosity, other, um, urges. Most people who survive the first year end up at this stage."

"But you have more than momentary control, from all the reports I've seen."

"Yes, I have full memory and almost complete control while transformed. Unfortunately, very few people live long enough to reach this state."

"Very unfortunate," I agreed. "If more werewolves had your degree of control, they would be far less feared and hated." I thought back to the third stage he'd described. "So you're saying werewolves have different personalities?"

"Oh yes, certainly. Just like any other animal, werewolves each have their own identity, and if you spend enough time with them you can see the differences. In fact, their personalities greatly influence the transformations. Some think before acting while others charge straight through. This means that the exceptionally strong ones and the older and/or smarter ones survive the more difficult situations. A young werewolf will most likely not think twice about fighting, thinking he's far stronger than he actually is."

He looked rueful. "It's an easy mistake to make, though, because you feel so much stronger, and I almost got caught that way myself, a couple of times. An older werewolf, though, has learned to weigh the odds and decide whether it's a smart thing to fight."

"Are other werewolves intelligent? Can they understand human speech?"

"Yes, some very highly intelligent, because they learn from past experiences just like we do. My wolf is over 200 years old, and that is one thing that makes him as dangerous as he is. And yes, as long as the human, mer, or beast host knows that language, so does the wolf."

Does that mean the wolf spirit and its host share knowledge?

"Yes and no," Master Sorcalin said thoughtfully. "At the beginning both minds stay away from each other as much as they can, but after either some years or a lot of experience they can start picking up each other's thoughts."

"Are all transformations as painful as the first, or does it get easier with each one?"

The first dozen or so transformations will always be very painful, but with time it does indeed get easier. It also helps to learn to accept it rather than fight it, but for many people that is far from easy. I had some difficulty with it myself, at first. Now it's faster and less painful for me than for other werewolves."

Before I could ask why, he removed a ring - silver, with a wolf's head in place of a gem - from a pocket of his robes and showed it to me. "This is the Ring of Hircine."

I must have looked shocked, because he grinned. "It won't bite you, Lorgren. It was given to me after an incident during the Oblivion Crisis. I'd been helping some Legionaries close one of the Gates as a volunteer, but things didn't go well - we were attacked by more Daedra than I could count. Pretty soon they were mostly dead, but I was forced to shapeshift to fight the rest. I stood my ground for a short while, but I finally had to run.

"I either passed out or died from my injuries, and woke up in the Hunting Grounds with Hircine himself standing over me. He told me he'd been watching me since the moment my blood mixed with the blood of the werewolf I told you about fighting. He also said he'd taken great pleasure in watching me go from prey to hunter with the Thalmor after I refused to join them shortly after I'd earned Master status, then showing my 'great strength' against the Daedra."

I shifted in my chair, not certain whether to be frightened or awed. "You ... you are Hircine's Champion?"

"I have that honor, yes." He looked at me with a glint of wicked humor in his eyes. "Interested in becoming a member of my pack?"

"Ah ... thank you for the offer, but no." I tried not to show my discomfort at that prospect, but don't know how successful I was. "Can you tell me precisely what the Ring does?"

"For one who earns it, it gives improved physical condition and less pain during the transformation, as well as making the change quicker. Those who took it rather than earning it will suffer random transformations that can happen any time and can last up to 24 hours. In such a case, the Ring cannot be removed, unless the finger is cut off, and if the person dies, he or she will be sent to the Hunting Grounds as prey."

I nodded. "Taking it without Lord Hircine's approval sounds like a very poor choice indeed." I thought for a moment. "From your story, you became a werewolf by being bitten, and I know if one contracts Sanies Lupinus and isn't treated in time, he will become a werewolf. Could that be what happened?"

He shrugged. "It could have, I suppose. I have no idea how long I was unconscious."

"Are there other means of becoming a were?"

"Of course. Hircine can grant it as a blessing to his devotees, or a hunter who impresses him. The chances of him granting it to a mortal, though ... well, I've never heard of it happening. His followers can grant it as well, by a special ritual. Another way is to drink a were-creature's blood. That, like the other two I just mentioned, is immediate, and with this method, the first transformation happens within moments, and is unusually intense. In very rare cases, it can be hereditary, laying dormant for sometimes generations, only to spontaneously reassert itself later."

"What about the beastfolk? Can they become werewolves?"

"Khajiit are as susceptible as men and mer, but I've never heard of one accepting a wolf spirit willingly, and if one thinks he's been exposed, he'll head straight for a shrine or apothecary. If any of them actually wanted to go were, it'd probably be as a werelion. I have several Khajiiti friends, but until recently, only a few knew I'm were."

"And Argonians?"

"They can, but it's rare. Argonians have an incredible resistance to all kind of diseases, even those like lycanthropy. However, an Argonian can still contract it if he accepts it willingly or gets it from Hircine himself. Obviously, most Argonians are as opposed to lycanthropy as any other race, so there are very few of them wandering Tamriel. They do cope with it better than other races, since all of them wanted it at some point. As far as I know I'm currently the strongest werewolf alive, but that could easily change if Hircine decides to personally make an Argonian werewolf."

I nodded understanding, but given the reported size and strength of Faal Mungrohiik, I had doubts that even an Argonian werewolf could surpass him.

"You mentioned packs of werewolves. How common are they, and how big can a pack get?"

"Fairly common. Believe it or not, werewolves are as gregarious as dogs or people. As for size, that depends on the Alpha and the amount of food the pack has in its territory. The nicer the Alpha is and the greater the amount of food, the higher the chances are of encountering a big pack. But most of the time, the number's around 5 pack members."

"Is it true that Werewolves and Vampires can't stand each other?

"There have been cases in which they haven't gone in for a straight kill, but those are few and very far in between. I think it's because they see us as unpredictable savages while we see them as leeches that kill so they won't lose their mind to the bloodlust. In other words, both see ourselves as the superior race. It might also be because of some feud between our Daedric Princes."

"Is there any way to know if a werewolf is nearby?"

"Most animals can smell them, so if they start acting nervous, that's a possible indication." Master Sorcalin chuckled. "Of course, they get nervous about other large predators, too, so it's not definitive. Argonians, Khajiit, and other werewolves can smell lycanthropes as well, and so can some humans or mer, if they're close enough, even if we're not transformed. To humans and mer, werewolves often have the smell of a wet dog."

"How do normal wolves behave toward werewolves?"

"They may follow and sometimes can communicate a bit with a transformed werewolf."

"Why are there werewolves that don't seem to transform back into human?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I think it's either a major power imbalance with the wolf spirit very strong and the host considerably weaker, or the host has simply given up on fighting. I can't say I was ever tempted to surrender the mer side of me, but it's easy to see how someone could feel that way."

I nodded. "I can understand that. Is there any cure for those who don't realize they've become infected until after they transform?"

"A few, but nothing easy. The Glenmoril Witches have - or had, if Ysmir killed them all - potions and scrolls that do the job with few or no side effects, but they worship Hircine, and aren't likely to offer those cures, or any of the other ones.

"You can use the magic contained in the head of a Glenmoril witch to make your wolf spirit appear outside your body, then destroy it.

"The witches also have a rather nasty ritual you'll probably find repugnant. They'll sacrifice an innocent, infect the victim with lycanthropy from the werewolf who wants to be cured, and resurrect the sacrifice. The 'patient' lycanthrope has to kill the victim a second time, which will permanently destroy his inner beast."

I grimaced. "You're right. I really don't like that one. But are there any more?"

"Yes. The first one isn't likely to happen except by accident, though. I mentioned the hereditary lycanthropy. Infecting someone who's got dormant lycanthropy causes the condition to 'transfer', making the dormant one active, and curing the one who did the infecting.

"Finally, lycanthropy can be supplanted by vampirism, but not by a normal vampire, since we're immune to disease. But a pure-blooded vampire, like a Daughter of Coldharbour, can convert a lycanthrope into a Vampire Lord, replacing Hircine's gift with that of Molag Bal."

"All things considered, that last doesn't sound much like a 'cure'," I said with a shudder, and changed the subject. "As we both know the fur of a wolf can vary greatly. Is there a reason why a werewolf is always black?

"No, because not all of us are black. Most of us hunt at night, though, so everyone who sees us without nightvision will see us as black. Like standard wolves, though, we have diferent coloring. We can go from light grey to almost pitch black, with the extremely rare case of cream-color. Not pure white, though, at least that I've ever seen."

"Is there any reason you usually hunt at night? I would think it easier to find game during the day."

"Two, actually." He grinned. "How would you feel if you saw a werewolf on the hunt?"

"A very good point," I admitted. "Since there seems to be no way to tell, at a distance, what stage of development he's at, I'd either prepare to fight, or run."

"Don't run," he advised me immediately. "That's prey behavior, and even a Stage Four is likely to at least start chasing you. Stand your ground. If he breaks off, you're fine - otherwise, fight like a Daedra's after you. If you think there's one nearby at night, you could also try using small fires to hurt their eyes due to night vision. It might not work, but it's worth a try."

"Um ... all right, and thanks for the advice. The other reason you hunt at night?"

"Our night vision almost as good as a Khajiit's, combined with an excellent sense of smell. That makes it fairly easy to get close to a meal without being spotted until it's too late. For them, of course."

I laughed. "That makes very good sense, when you have to kill your dinner yourself rather than simply visiting a food vendor for it. Now, if I may, one last question. Normal weapons won't do much good when fighting werewolves, but Silver and Daedric weapons do. Why?"

"I don't know. Those two materials have always been effective against us and other creatures like ghosts, phantoms, and liches. There's a possibility that Daedric is so effective because it's just that, Daedric. A werewolf is of Daedric origin, so that might be why. But I have absolutely no idea as to why silver is so effective. Sorry."

"It isn't a problem." I stood. "Thank you again for the interview, Master Sorcalin. It has been most informative, and will certainly be a valuable addition to the Academy's library. I will happily send you a copy."

"I'd like that, thanks." He paused, grinning. "How are your artistic skills?"

"Rather good, I've been told. Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking you might like an illustration or two for your report, if you think you can handle seeing me transform."

I hadn't dared even hope for such an opportunity, and now it was being offered! Needless to say, I accepted eagerly. "I would appreciate that very much, Master Sorcalin - I have seen a transformation before, but it was at a distance."

"Brace yourself, then. Let me know when you're done, and I'll change back." With that, he began the change, and moments later I was looking up at a tall and obviously powerful werewolf wearing a dragonscale cuirass.

I made half a dozen drawings from different angles, with notes so I could polish them at my leisure. I'd have liked to do more detailed studies, but I got the impression the werewolf wouldn't be that patient, so as soon as I was certain my notes were adequate, I told him I was done.

When he shifted back, Master Sorcalin came over to look at my work, then he grinned at me. "Field sketches and notes, hmm? That was considerate of you. My wolf is patient, for a wolf, but inactivity bores him if it goes on too long."

"He's certainly not the only one who feels that way, though it was much worse when I was younger. Thank you again for the interview, Master Sorcalin. I should have your copy of the report to you, with illustrations, in two weeks or less."

He bade me farewell, and I left to return to the Academy, thoroughly pleased with the results of my trip.