Urshul form completes the transition from human to wolf. In most respects, Urshul form is the same as the Urhan form, just bigger. The muzzle is outsized and dominated by teeth, reducing the volume available for the nasal passages. The ears are actually somewhat smaller than those of the wolf form — or at least not as greatly enlarged as the rest of its body — and end up being no more acute than those of Gauru form. To a very limited degree (something like a 10-degree arc), they can point themselves toward important sounds. The eyes are somewhat larger than those of the wolf form, but afford little advantage. Urshul is the first form in which the eyes are fully lupine, including the tapetum lucidum. The vomeronasal organ is somewhat larger, and consequently more sensitive, in this form than it is in the wolf form. Werewolves in this form are better able to pick out the scents that make up a large part of wolves’ communication even while the werewolves are less able to express themselves through the scents.
The near-wolf form’s legs are outlandishly muscled, especially the hind, giving Urshul the edge it needs to dash at incredible speeds and the stamina necessary to continue the chase for hours. The neck muscles are similarly large, providing the strength to rip flesh from hamstrings and throats. The collar bones, ribs and spine are reinforced in order to give the leverage necessary for tearing with the mouth and for a small amount of additional protection. The claws, like those of Gauru form, are perfectly suited for giving good purchase in nearly any terrain.
Communication is difficult in the near-wolf form. It cannot speak human languages at all, and its ability to use the First Tongue is about as limited as that of the near human form, though differently impaired. The near-wolf cannot form the words well enough to let them be affected by the properly shaped throat and mouth cavity, but the near-wolf form can clearly understand the language. Urshul form is similarly crippled when communicating with other wolves. Only those wolves who are exceedingly familiar can make more than basic sense of the form’s awkward scents and posturing. Real wolves can become this familiar with a werewolf, but strange wolves, already intimidated by the form, would be severely confused if a werewolf in Urshul tried to communicate with them. Instincts are strong in the Urshul form. They carry the same feelings of direct resolution and immediate confrontation as those of the near-human form, but the urges are more powerful. A werewolf in Urshul form is likely to openly growl and snap at those they perceive as enemies, and they feel territorial disputes incredibly keenly. Part of the reason that the Urshul form is poor at communicating with other wolves is because the form’s instincts are devoted to very specific ideas, like combat; the form lacks the reflexive gestures available in the wolf form. Still, a werewolf with a great deal of experience communicating with a pack in Urhan form can, with effort, consciously carry these motions over and make their intentions clearer — but only to a point. The near-wolf desires the same foods as the wolf: meat, preferably still bleeding and hot from the chase. The near-human is still a form for hiding and for deliberation, but the near-wolf is a form worn to resolve physical conflict quickly and in the open. The near-wolf form is also of good use during the hunt; though Urhan form is a better tracker, Urshul form has the speed advantage when it is time to run the prey into the ground.
Reference List[]
- WTF: Werewolf: The Forsaken Rulebook, p. 172-173
- WTF: Blood of the Wolf, p. 37-38
