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Werebadger (werbɐd͡ʒɹ)

Bestiary February 2023 Prompt 6. Nocturnal

Werebadgers are Werebeasts and Literomancers with a totemic relationship to Badger, Honey Badger, or Wolverine. They are most commonly associated with House Meles.

Basic Information

Anatomy

In human form, werebadgers are indistinguishable from normal humans, though some possess features that reflect their animal side, such as striped hair, a turned up nose or broad and thick features that remind one of badgers. In badger form, they are only distinguishable from normal badgers by their superior intellect. In either form, there is no scientific way to distinguish them from normal members of the species, as the therianthropic ability is totemic, not scientific.

Some werebadgers, just like other werebeasts, can partially shapeshift, adapting elements of one form while in another form. For instance, a werebadger in badger form might shift a paw to a hand or partial hand in order to manipulate objects, or a werebadger in human form might shapeshift only their nose, to benefit from a badger's amazing sense of smell, or their fingernails to long, powerful claws for digging or natural weaponry. Totemically, all werebeasts can sense one another with their normal senses.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Badgers are omnivores, so eating habits do not vary much between forms.

Behaviour

Werebadgers have a tendency to be... well, stubborn; or perhaps, determined. When they have made up their minds about something, they tend to stick with that view, and their approach to solving problems is to take them on directly and just keep pressing against the problem until it comes apart or goes away. They are often masters of hyperfocus and just keep pressing on at whatever they have decided to do. "Badgering through the breaks" has become a trope among literomancers.   Badgers are nocturnal, and werebadgers tend to be most active in the dark hours of the day. They have a reputation for staying up and getting up late, and being impossible to wake up (and growly once disturbed.)  
Let sleeping Badgers lie.
— Literomancer proverb

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Badgers are found in much of North America, Great Britain, Ireland and most of the rest of Europe as far north as southern Scandinavia. They live as far east as Japan and China. The Javan ferret-badger lives in Indonesia, and the Bornean ferret-badger lives in Malaysia. The honey badger is found in most of sub-Saharan Africa, the Arabian Desert, southern Levant, Turkmenistan, Pakistan and India. Wolverines live primarily in isolated arctic, boreal, and alpine regions of northern Canada, Alaska, Siberia, and Fennoscandia; they are also native to European Russia, the Baltic countries, the Russian Far East, northeast China and Mongolia. They have been sighted as far south as Utah and Yosemite in North America.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Werebadgers have an incredible sense of smell in their badger and half-badger forms.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

The Badger language has no word for "problem." Instead, it calls them "solutions that are not yet realized."   Like wererabbits, werebadgers prefer to dwell underground when possible.

History

Werebadgers have been known to be shapeshifters in many cultures for a very long time. Indeed, this trait is intrinsically associated with badgers, from Indigenous American folklore, to Celtic folklore, to African and Japanese folklore.
This article is a work in progress, and may be subject to changes.
 
This article is part of a series related to streaming the Game of Tomes. For more information, see Streaming Game of Tomes.
A badger in modern military gear, carrying a rifle
Werebadger by Sable Aradia with Artbreeder
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Scientific Name
Homo belua meles
Conservation Status
Werebadgers are an endangered species. Since the animal a therianthrope turns into is totemic and may even change in a werebeast's lifetime, many simply do not have a badger's disposition. Thus, few therianthropes choose the path of the badger and even some of the cubs are turning to other totem spirits. And for their part, the badgers aren't exactly "calling out" for help, or even admitting there's a problem. A few of the Meles boars have begun reaching out, quietly, as not to disturb the rest of the cete, to sows...err, women of the other clans to aid them (see The Mother of Badgers plotline)
Related Ethnicities
Erin.jpeg
Erin Meles by Sable Aradia with Artbreeder
A badger king with an impressive gothic iron crown
King Darth Nikolas by Sable Aradia with Artbreeder

Totems

Badger

Badger is a creature of contradiction. German folklore depicts them as a cautious, peace-loving creature who represents a love of home, family, and comfort. But they can be vengeful and savage, exacting disproportionate revenge for minor slights. They can also be a somewhat cruel prankster, pulling off jokes reminiscent of Loki. However, they are also thought to be a kindly benefactor to those who show kindness to them, going out of their way to repay generosity and compassion. To some, they are an omen of death.  

Honey Badger

Honey badger has absolutely no fear. They are a fierce, savage opponent, resistant to poison, willing to attack the most vulnerable points in a fight, and they absolutely do not give up. They will take on any opponent, no matter how much bigger or tougher it might seem. They are more of a loner than most of the other Badger Totems.  

Wolverine

Wolverine's temper is the stuff of legend. They are a trickster-transformer who shapes the earth and helps the people, as well as entertaining them with their socially inappropriate misadventures. They are known for their strength and tenacity, but they can also be abusive and antisocial in their stubbornness and their pranks. They are a successful gambler, and seeing them is a sign of good fortune to come. If they set their mind to something, they will do it, no matter the cost.  

Current Werebadger PCs:



Cover image: American Badger by Gary M. Stolz, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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