Wendigos

General Overview

The hunger inside that drives all people to want more and more out of life is represented most fully in the state of being a Wendigo. Once mortal men and women who through ritualistic cannibalism have become carnivorous higher beings. A practice once commonplace in ancient times of caves and an endless expanse of wild now dwindling in the cement and chrome modern time of civilization.

Driven by a form of self-worship, where their own existence has become something sacred that they feel surpasses the mere wants and needs of others.

Now they hide in plain sight and have become incredibly gifted at luring their victims in. Wendigos are hunters in every sense, and they know how to put their prey at ease and lull them in like an angler fish and its hypnotic lights.

Physical Description

Wendigos look like normal people, most of the time, but there are some subtle differences. Most notably, their eye-teeth are often sharper than normal and their fingernails come to a slight point.

Eventually, after several years, the Wendigo will be able to shift into the "Wendigo Face". The Wendigo face is a shape that a Wendigo can learn to take as they age and gain power with each feeding. A beastly monstrous emaciated form, gigantic in size, covered in fur, hoofed feet, large claws, their face that of a stag's skull complete with large branching antlers.

Abilities

Quasi Immortal. Technically immortal, are immune to effects of aging and sickness so long as they consume flesh.

• By consuming a human (or humanoid being) they are able to take on that being's strengths for a limited period of time.
• They also grow in physical strength as they feed and even, if they choose, size.
• When well fed they exude a subtle aura of dominance that tends to cause weaker willed people to become susceptible to them.
• It needs to be well maintained but as long as they feed regularly they will not age. With regular feeding they become harder to hurt as well as heal rapidly.
• Superhuman senses
• Night Vision
• Older and more powerful Wendigos can take on the beastly form that represents the abomination they've become: Giant, fur covered beasts with cloven feet, claws and a head like a deer skull.

Strengths

Wendigos have incredible strength and speed by even superhuman standards. Interestingly besides the expected limb strength and athletic prowess associated with superhuman abilities, Wendigos also are noted for superhuman jaw muscles and teeth strength. They're able to use what appear to be normal human teeth to accomplish acts of barbarism associated with the largest and most viscous of animal predators.

Wendigo senses are exemplary, especially when on the hunt.

Weaknesses

Being so solitary leaves them open to attack, especially since most other denizen groups work together and have good reason to distrust and feel threatened by Wendigos.

One of their major weaknesses is that they are prone to mindlessness if they become hungry enough. If they go too long without feeding their cool and collected facade, not to mention their own self-control, will quickly give way to a ravenous beast.

Also their Wendigo-face may be something of a curse: It's rumored that eventually if a Wendigo lives long enough that this terrifying visage will slowly become their ONLY form.