Predators
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The Predators (also known by their proper name, the Laukos) are a race of anthropomorphic wolf-like creatures, and may have served as the basis for the werewolf myth (although Predators are not affected by the phases of the moon). What differentiates them from the werewolf of legend is that while a werewolf is a human who gains the likeness and power of a wolf during the full moon, a Predator is born a Predator, and through a process even they don't fully understand, can change their appearance to that of a human.

Origins

The true origins of the Predators has been lost to time, but Cipher mage legend paints them as a subordinate race to the Cipher and Cipher mages, a race of vicious monsters tamed to serve their mage masters. Most Cipher mage families are aware of at least one tale involving wild Laukos, used to frighten children, but all Cipher mages are aware that the Laukos are far more than just fairy tale characters.

Physiology

Predators, in their natural form, are bipedal, furry, lupine creatures with large, pointed ears, long snouts and sharp teeth and claws. They are exceptionally strong and fast, with a keen sense of smell and hearing.

Their human forms are as individual in appearance as their true Laukos form, with some slight consistencies: a Predator with reddish fur would have head and body hair of the same colour in human form. The same goes for the colour of a Predator's irises.

Predators, in both human and Laukos form, have keen eyesight, but are all red-green colourblind.

The Predator's strength, endurance, and heightened senses are dulled to an extent when in their human form, but are still much better than a natural human's.

When in their Laukos form, Predators may have trouble speaking in human languages, and have developed a language of their own that they simply call Laukine. Similarly, many Predators have trouble making Laukine phonemes in human form.

Injuries are persistent across forms, although injuries seem to heal faster in Laukos form, and many Predators feel better about operating injured in their natural form.

For reasons unknown, some physical changes are persistent across forms, such as piercings, tattoos, and scars, while other changes such as dyed hair and hair styles will not transfer from human to Laukos form, they will return upon changing back to human form. Growth of human facial, head and body hair (as well as nail growth) appears to continue even when not in human form, so a Predator who has not changed forms to human in a long period of time may find their human form to have significantly longer hair and nails than when they last left that form.

Unlike physical appearance changes, age is persistent across both forms. Predators age at a similar rate to humans, but remain in the adult stage of their lives a good deal longer, with an average lifespan of 250 years. Predators are also largely immune to most human disease, but are susceptible to cancers and autoimmune disorders.

Predators are carnivorous by nature, but require a significantly larger caloric intake than humans.

The range of Predator intelligence is similar to that of humans, with some being smarter than others, with the addition of their finely tuned animal instincts. Predators are usually more aggressive than humans, but many have learned to control this to more convincingly pass as humans.

Reproduction

Predators reproduce sexually, but as the pregnancy progresses, it becomes riskier for a pregnant Predator to leave Laukos form without potentially harming the child or themselves. It is unusual for a pregnant Laukos to change to human form after five to six months due to the risk. A Laukos pregnancy lasts about as long and follows a similar progression as human pregnancy. Twins are more common among Predators than they are among humans, but single children as well as groups of three or more can occur. Just as in human pregnancy, the risks increase with the number of offspring being carried.

Laukos typically have reproductive cycles similar to other canines, with the majority going into heat around four times a year.

While Predators may engage in sexual activity in human form and with other humans, there have been no recorded cases of successful human-Laukos hybrid pregnancies.

Infancy and Maturation

Laukos are always born in canine form and remain relatively helpless for a few months. By around three to four months, the typical Predator infant will be walking competently on all fours, and by 18 months they will typically have become relatively competent in changing their form to human, although at this point the change will still require some concentration to maintain and they are likely to inadvertently shift back to Laukos form if they are startled or scared, or sometimes accidentally. This tendency fades with age, although a full grown Laukos who is severely injured or in imminent danger of death may find themselves reverting reflexively.

Changing Forms

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As mentioned above, changing forms for a Predator is a skill learned early in their youth, and eventually becomes as natural as breathing. It is not difficult for a Predator to maintain human form, and they have no trouble maintaining their forms while sleeping or during vigorous physical activity, although many Predators describe feeling anxious or even itchy if they have not been in their natural form for a long period of time.

The ability to change forms is a learned skill - a Predator who has been raised without contact with other Laukos will in all likelihood not be aware that they posses this ability.

Changing forms is a painful but quick process, and is accompanied by sounds and sights that many would describe as disturbing as the Predator's bones, organs and musculature grow, distend and change shape.

During the change from human to Laukos form, a Predator's skin would ripple as their muscles grow, fur sprouting all over their body. Bones snap as they are broken and twisted into new forms, and nails and teeth grow into sharp claws and fangs. The same happens in reverse when going from Laukos to human form.

It is hard for a Predator to maintain an incomplete form change, such as only lengthening teeth or nails, but it can be accomplished for short periods of time after much practice.

Clothing does not usually survive the transition from human to Laukos form, leading several Predators to prefer over-sized or stretchable fabrics for undergarments, or taking strides to ensure that their clothing is removed and protected before changing forms.

Social Structure

Naturally, Predators are very social creatures, and usually live, travel and hunt in familial packs, lead by an Alpha who is usually the primary parent or elder of the pack (although like human societies, there have been reported struggles for dominance).

Many Predator packs avoid urban areas, preferring locales near forests or woodland in which they feel more comfortable.

Predators do not rely on human flesh for sustenance, though many derive pleasure from hunting humans, as humans often enjoy hunting other game animals. Not all Predators are interested in harming humans, and many live amongst humans, choosing to live like them.

Predators do not dispute the accepted mythology of werewolves, and in fact are usually pleased by the fact that werewolf mythology enables them to keep their own existence a secret from most humans.

After the Shockwave, several Predators packs moved into New York City and the surrounding area, amidst reports of large animal sightings and attacks.

Many Predators are still kept by affluent Riven families as servants. The conditions of their servitude differs from family to family, with some servile Laukos kept purely for menial labour or protection, to others becoming valued members of a family unit. The Riven justify this as being the way it has always been.