From rumors of men growing fangs and turning into wolves under the light of a full moon, to tales of mystical shamans shapechanging into massive bears, the idea of a human beings transforming into animals has been around for as long as anyone could remember. But just as it is said, all legend is bound somehow in truth…
Theme Overview
An anomaly was discovered in the human genome years ago by a group of scientists working for Tylon, Inc. This peculiarity, once triggered, would cause an incredible alteration, transforming the subject into an anthropomorphic hybrid of human and animal. These hybrids, thereafter dubbed Zoanthropes, manifested a notable increase in physical capability while maintaining human awareness. This revolutionary discovery, however, was kept hidden from the world at large.
Upon further examination of the Zoanthrope's potential, the executives of Tylon became completely devoured with ambition. Through the years, the corporation began kidnapping as many test subjects as it could find for research and testing purposes. Tylon had no intentions of turning their research over to any government, though. The experiments remained in secret, and the Zoanthropes were put through more invasive genetic testing. Eventually, they were subjected to brainwashing to turn them into perfectly obedient soldiers.
Though Tylon saw considerable success in its endeavors, their grand plans were not meant to be. Some Zoanthropes managed to escape captivity, and rumors began to circulate. Before long, Tylon's reproachful methods eventually led to a full-on attack by other, free Zoanthropes. The battle was a furious one, but in the end, Tylon was destroyed. The remaining captive Zoanthropes were either freed, rehabilitated, or in some cases killed in the altercations. Whatever the case, they would never be used to achieve Tylon's goal of global domination.
Needless to say, the sudden mini-war between humanoid beasts and Tylon, Inc. drew vast amounts of attention from the media. Shapeshifters were no longer a myth or mystery, but a startling, inescapable fact. Though certain members of Tylon, Inc. had been demolished with its head administration behind bars, the damage of their secret research had already been done.
It began with confusion and mistrust. Society at large was not ready for the ideas of people being able to suddenly turn into physically enhanced monsters. Paranoia spread like wildfire when some Zoanthropes came out from hiding and publicly revealed their abilities, and it soon became persecution, with Zoanthropes dubbed as a threat to humanity. This exacerbated the fear into full-blown terror across the globe, leading to confirmed Zoanthropes finding themselves outcasts from society.
Things took a turn for the worst when governments worldwide attempted to quell the citizens. Zoanthropes were the target of mass social injustice, up to and including the execution of Zoanthropes even those just suspected of having Zoanthropy. Others were institutionalized for protection and treatment, whereas others were accused of assisting Tylon, Inc. in its plots, and therefore imprisoned. It seemed the only way to avoid this gross mistreatment was to hide their abilities and try to coexist with humans under the radar. Other Zoanthropes were outraged and began fighting back. Before long, the inequality erupted into an unofficial war between humans and Zoanthropes, hostility ever on the rise.
Five years since the fall of Tylon, Inc., and the conflict seems worse than ever. One particular organization of Zoanthropes seem to've had enough of the abuse. The Zoanthrope Liberation Front (or simply ZLF) was formed, waging battles against military and police forces to strike back against the humans. The word is that the ZLF does not permit for 'neutral' Zoanthropes, and attempts to kidnap and coerce any trying to hide from the conflict, jading the morality and motivations behind the movement. In response to the emerging ranks of Zoanthropes and the ZLF, a counter-organization was formed, with the members calling themselves Hunters, with the purpose of killing off Zoanthropes.
So it is now that the world has been divided into four parts. The governments fight to maintain control of the masses and prevent chaos. The Hunters fight to rid the world of Zoanthropes. The ZLF fights for the rights and freedom of Zoanthropes around the world, and the civilians are simply trying to find a way to exist in the conflict. With each passing day, more pressure amasses on all sides, awaiting a finalizing resolution…
Zoanthropes
The progress Tylon, Inc. made delving into the genetic structure of Zoanthropes was fortunately recovered for the most part, and has helped greatly in understanding the phenomena. First and foremost, they discovered that Zoanthropes are essentially human, but with a peculiar gene blended into their DNA. This extremely recessive gene is all but impossible to detect, short of one specifically searching it out. As for the nature of the gene, it carries a heavy amount of genetic data pertaining to a separate member of the animal kingdom.
The gene's existence and makeup baffles contemporary science completely, and the world is at a loss to explain its side-effects. When triggered, the gene somehow overrides nearly everything else, resulting in a massive alteration to the subject genetically. The primarily shift is in form and musculature, but it has been known to sometimes also manifest traits distinctive to the animal in question, such as camouflage for a chameleon. A subjects height and weight could shift considerably when the gene triggers, or in some cases, it may remain the same. The various things that happen when the gene is triggered are highly unique to each individual, making it nearly impossible to understand Zoanthropy in full.
Science has fortunately revealed that Zoanthropy is not contagious. Unlike the popular tales of werewolves creating a breed of their own through bites and scratches, Zoanthropy is not a disease and therefore does not pass from one individual to the next through contact or a mixing of DNA. In some cases, Zoanthropy has shown to be hereditary, though it's unknown what prevents the gene from passing in other cases. The gene can, however, be synthesized to a degree and made 'artificial'. This is considered horrific and wildly unethical in the scientific field, however, and has produced erratic, chaotic results for the most part.
It should be noted that most cases of Zoanthropy are unknown to the individual until something triggers the gene unwittingly, such as intense, uncontrollable emotion or extreme duress, shifting the person into a 'beast' form. That said, it can also be channeled out through great amounts of concentration, assuming the individual already knows the gene is present. Regardless, learning to control the gene is usually the top priority for any newly discovered Zoanthrope, and fortunately is not difficult. Once a subject has learned how to manipulate their Zoanthropic gene, they can more or less use it at will. Once transformed, the individual may maintain the form for as long as they so desire, and cognitively switch back to their natural, human state. Both processes occur very rapidly in only a matter of seconds.
Some have puzzled over why Zoanthropes don't simply remain in 'beast' form indefinitely, but the answer is fairly obvious. First and foremost is that confirmed Zoanthropes are already socially ostracized, if not publicly hated. Second, if the government isn't readily inclined to incarcerate or execute the Zoanthrope, Hunters are a constant threat. A third reason is that the 'beasts' have no convenient language form. Simply because one is a Zoanthropic wolf doesn't mean they know how to communicate in any canine language, nor do most 'beast' forms allow for human languages to be enunciated. Because of these reasons, most Zoanthropes very rarely, if ever, remain in their 'beast' forms longer than necessary.
As for the species of Zoanthropes possible, it seems virtually limitless. Every species of the mammal variety seems a ready candidate, but research shows that crustaceans, insects, or even sea life could be a potential. It's important to understand that the subject's birthplace or origins have little to no bearing on what animal species their gene carries. It's easier to understand it as a genetic lottery than anything that science has yet to calculate.
As it stands in society, Zoanthropes are very tentatively considered people. They're primarily regarded as dangerous, unpredictable, and untrustworthy, with the ZLF doing nothing to help this image. They're technically given the same rights as everyone else, but such things as due process and personal safety are flagrantly ignored Zoanthropes are basically second-hand citizens, met with little to no patience or fairness. Some communities differ and treat Zoanthropes as equals, but these are exceptionally rare. It's more common to see just a handful of police officers willing to act on behalf of a Zoanthrope, and then be shunned by the rest of the community for it.
Factions
There are several factions on Bloody Roar MUSH, from the every day Civilian, to those who work within the Government, to those who hunt the Zoanthropes, or those who wish to liberate them. Additional information can be found here.
