Dalu is one of the forms used by the Uratha.
Overview[]
In Dalu form, the ears elongate approximately an inch upward and grow more concave to better channel sound, and the eardrums become more sensitive. The ear canal also widens, changing to amplify sounds across a wider range of pitches; a werewolf in this form can hear dog whistles. The top of the nose lowers slightly and becomes harder to separate from the upper lip, and the nose itself gains three or four inches in length and around two in width. The nasal passages increase significantly in volume, dramatically increasing the werewolf’s sensitivity to odors. Also, the vomeronasal organ increases slightly in size, making the werewolf more responsive to both wolf and human pheromones. The lowering nose accommodates the eyes, which increase in dimension by about 25%. The pupils grow correspondingly larger. This provides a very small amount of increased visual perception, not nearly as drastic a change as the olfactory and auditory increases. The larger pupils also make the near-human form proportionally more sensitive to light and easier to blind; though the werewolf’s regenerative abilities will prevent bright light from causing any lasting harm, loss of sight can be a deadly weakness. The irises also grow and gain a slight gold tint, and the whites of the eyes become somewhat darker.
The body hair present in this form is similar to the hair color of the werewolf’s human form, not the wolf form. The werewolf’s arms gain between two and four inches in length. Fingertips elongate an almost unnoticeable amount. More importantly, the keratin of the nails themselves thickens noticeably, making them harder to break. This doesn’t allow them to do lethal damage, but an open-handed slap can drag cruel furrows down a person’s cheek. The nails of the toes change similarly.
The Dalu form is somewhat more proficient at speaking the First Tongue, though still imperfect, and the ears can hear all the ranges used in the ancient language. This form also introduces new problems for communication: the near-human’s false vocal cords cannot help but vibrate somewhat when the werewolf tries to say something using the true vocal cords, introducing an unmistakable growl to anything they tries to say. With a successful Manipulation + Expression roll, this growl can be passed off (to mortals) as a very husky voice, something caused by an illness or the influence of a foreign upbringing. The werewolf’s instincts, already strong, grow stronger. They are more likely to take a direct approach to solving a problem, making use of their increased strength. They also becomes more reactive to their senses, mostly because their smell and hearing is so greatly improved. This might cause the werewolf to strike out at the sound of a footstep behind them or eat without regard for the consequences when presented with a fragrant meal, but only if they are already leaning in that direction. The temptations only become more tempting, not controlling. Food-related instincts are similar to those of a human-form werewolf; that is, the werewolf still does not desire overly aged meat or purely raw food.
If, for whatever reason, a werewolf chooses not to wear the human form at all, Dalu form is the necessary choice for communicating complex ideas or messages. This form is also the obvious choice for inflicting serious damage (or surviving serious injury) while remaining a hominid but avoiding the dangers and collateral damage of Gauru.
References[]
- WTF: Werewolf: The Forsaken Rulebook, p. 170-171
- WTF: Blood of the Wolf, p. 35-36
