The world of Fairendale is abundant with shape shifters and Were people, but if you’re like most readers, you might be wondering what exactly is the difference between shape shifters and Were people. So here are some vital differences that set these two magical beings apart.
1. Shape shifters can shift into their animal form anytime they want; Were creatures are bound by the moon.
While Were creatures are generally only permitted to wear their animal skin on the full moon, shape shifters can wear theirs as often as they like. Of course there are rules about how long they can remain in their skin, and if they remain too long, they risk becoming their animal form entirely—permanently. For example, Mira, the Fairendale castle cook, is a shape shifter who can transform into a bear. But if she remains a bear for too long, she risks becoming a bear permanently and will never be able to resume her duties as cook of the castle—or, more importantly, assure Calvin, her assistant, that he is loved.
All shape shifters are aware of this danger; they contain with them an instinctual clock that begins ticking the moment they don their animal skin.
Were creatures do not really shape shift; they become their creature for a certain period of time—full moon to sunrise. Many Were creatures do not even know they’re Were creatures; when the full moon comes, they assume that they, like everyone else in the village of Eastermoor, sleep through the night, when, in actuality, they are prowling as panthers, bears, snakes, spider–even, it has been rumored, a chimera.
Most of these peaceful Eastermoor residents would not like to know they are Were creatures, and so the secret remains, and the full moon transforms them thirteen times during the year, with no one the wiser. Yet.
2. Shape shifters are given their gift at birth; Were creatures are turned into Were creatures.
One is transformed into a Were creature by the bite of another Were creature, while shape shifters are born with their gift—though many do not know they have the gift until adolescence (this is for practical purposes; one might imagine an infant or a toddler accidentally abusing the gift if they knew of it—and who wants to chase an infant snake and urge him to turn back into a pink-cheeked, glowing baby? Not only would it be challenging, but people would likely whisper that you had gone mad. No one wants that.)
Being a Were creature is believed to be a curse, whereas being a shape shifter is considered a gift. Shape shifters can do much good in the land, but it is rare to hear of a Were creature who accomplished good.
3. Shape shifters retain control over their minds; Were creatures do not.
Because shape shifters are usually sorcerers or sorceresses who have a powerful gift and are chosen to be shape shifters, they control their faculties. They can think as themselves and do things as themselves and can, most importantly, stop themselves from doing what their animal skin urges them to do.
On the other hand, Were creatures can do nothing of the sort. They have no control over their mind or their actions, which is what makes them so dangerous. If the village of Eastermoor, where the Were creatures congregate, did not have its protective enchantment in place, Were creatures would terrorize the village on a full moon. It would be an unfortunate catastrophe, much like the Fire Mountains that wiped out the village of Ashvale.
The loss of faculties—the loss of humanity—is what makes becoming a Were creature a curse, rather than a gift.
4. Shape shifters have limited numbers; Were creatures can be as populous as grains of sand.
Were creatures are not limited by number, and if the village of Eastermoor’s enchantment were to one day fade, I would be telling a different story. As mentioned before, Were creatures make more Were creatures by a single bite. The only way to avoid becoming a Were creature is to avoid a bite, and how does one go about doing that?
Shape shifters are limited in number, because shape shifting is a gift—a rare and valuable gift. Shape shifters form a small circle of people who are fighting on behalf of the realm of Fairendale. Protectors of a sort. They are limited in number because they are so powerful; Were creatures are nuisances—no, more that that: they are dangers.
5. Shape shifters fight for the light; Were creatures are too often drawn toward the dark.
Because their presences are seen as gift and curse, this is the way of things. Most shape shifters fight on the side of good, for the things that will restore the realm to its full glory and beauty—though there are always exceptions, of course. Shape shifters, after all, are only human.
Were creatures are, by their very being, creatures of the dark. Dark magic originally created them—as a curse, no less. So they cannot exactly be faulted for their dark natures; it is woven into their blood and bone and flesh.
But there are always exceptions to Were creatures, too. Perhaps that is some consolation.
You might be wondering where on the continuum the Beast, from Fairendale Book 9, The Girl Who Awakened the Beast, falls. Fortunately—or unfortunately however you like to look at your world—he is neither shape shifter nor Were creature. He is simply under a curse that will last for 100 years—or whenever his true love finds him and breaks his curse with a passionate duel (with swords, of course) that ends in a kiss. So he will not shift back and forth from former prince to Beast; he must simply remain a beast until a warrior woman—or girl—comes to save him.
Have no fear: it likely will not take 100 years. There are many brave females in our story, and they are sure to find him sooner or later.
(Photo by Janko Ferlič on Unsplash)