Zuo Si's mind instantly recalled that when he and Apke had dinner a few days ago, the other party described the distribution of various forces in Calim Port.
One of them mentioned something about lycanthropes.
As the name suggests, this is a special group of people who can transform into each other between human and beast forms.
However, unlike the natural transformation of druids, they are often cursed or infected with a supernatural curse called "lycanthropy".
And this terrible curse is extremely contagious.
Once bitten by a lycanthrope, no matter how minor the injury is, the curse will enter the human body along the wound and permanently transform the person into one of its own kind within a short period of time.
Most importantly, this transformation is almost irreversible.
As long as you become a lycanthrope, you will remain a lycanthrope for the rest of your life, and you will even pass it on to your descendants.
It is precisely because of this amazing contagiousness that as long as a lycanthrope keeps biting ordinary people, he can quickly form a huge and uncontrollable tribe of lycanthropes, posing a huge threat to surrounding villages and towns.
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In the continent of Faerûn, most cities are extremely repulsive to lycanthropes and prohibit them from approaching places where the population is concentrated.
Some extreme rulers will even issue decrees. Once it is discovered that a lycanthrope does not need trial, he can be captured and burned without mercy.
Calimport is a city that is relatively tolerant of lycanthropes, and there is no large-scale hunting and killing of lycanthropes.
But similarly, lycanthropes are not protected by any law.
They are not even qualified to be slaves, and are just struggling to survive as a special group of marginalized people.
The social status is estimated to be worse than the "untouchables" at the bottom of the caste in a large South Asian country.
Among them, the ratmen are one of the largest and relatively well-organized groups of lycanthropes.
These large rats, which are almost as tall as normal people after transformation, account for 80% of the total number of lycanthropes. It is said that there are thousands of them in the sewers.
As for other lycanthropes, such as werewolves and cat people, the number is only around a hundred to dozens, or even less.
Zuo Si was undoubtedly very interested in the curse of beast transformation, so after thinking about the potential risks for a while, he immediately ordered: "Bring them over."
"Ah? What? Are you sure!"
The waiter holding the stick in his hand was stunned for a moment.
This is the first time in his life that he has seen someone willing to let these dangerous "abandoned people" get close to him.
Even the soldiers couldn't help but persuade: "Master, they are all dangerous."
But Zuo Si shook his head indifferently: "It doesn't matter. They are just some children who have not received any professional training. I don't think they can pose any threat to me. On the contrary, I think they are all quite interesting research subjects.
”
"Well, I hope you're right."
The soldier decisively chose to obey the summoner's will and waved to the frightened children: "Come here! The master wants to summon you."
I don’t know if it is because they are too hungry that these children have lost their vigilance, or if they have long been accustomed to being ordered around.
In short, no one chose to escape or resist. They just followed the soldiers into the hotel, stood in a circle in front of the table, and stared at the leftovers that exuded an attractive fragrance.
A younger child couldn't help but want to reach out to grab food several times, but was stopped by the eyes of the oldest girl.
Obviously, they are together, and may even come from the same lycanthrope tribe and clan.
In order to confirm this, Zuo Si took the tableware he had used aside and said bluntly: "You're welcome, eat. All the food on the table is yours. After eating, I have some questions that I need you to answer.
Answer."
"Thank you!"
The eldest girl lowered her head and bowed awkwardly, then picked up the plate and distributed the fish and oysters one by one to the younger companions behind her.
The bread is also carefully torn into small pieces of about the same size, and the broth is passed around after each person drinks a spoonful to ensure that everyone can drink it.
Although every child looks very hungry, they gorge themselves even more when eating.
However, the entire process of sharing meals was orderly, without any confusion, and there was no fighting between each other.
There is no doubt that this basically confirms that these little beast-turned-human beings called "abandoned people" in front of us are definitely from the same clan.
Only a strong bond established through blood relationships can make all members unite and help each other even when they are hungry and cold.
Although there were a lot of leftovers on the table, it was obviously far from enough to fill the bellies of eight hungry children.
After a while, they stuffed everything they could eat into their mouths like a whirlwind, including the soup at the bottom of the plate, which was so clean that they almost didn’t need to brush it.
The girl in the lead licked her lips without finishing her thoughts, raised her head and stared at a pair of big black eyes, as if waiting for Zuo Si to ask questions.
She knows very well that for a lycanthrope like herself, there is no free lunch in the world.
Even those paladins who claim to uphold kindness and order rarely show even a trace of sympathy for lycanthropes.
Therefore, whether it is food, safe shelter, or clean drinking water, you must pay the corresponding price if you want to obtain it.
"What's your name?"
Zuo Si first asked a relatively irrelevant question.
He could see that these children were generally hostile to the outside world.
Especially the older ones, their eyes reveal a ferocity that belies their age.
At this time, it is best to find a way to lower the other party's wariness.
Otherwise, it will be difficult to get any useful information.
"Fangers, my name is Fangers."
The girl said a name that didn't surprise Zuo Si at all.
Of course, if it can also be regarded as a "name".
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Because this word means - fang in common language.
However, considering that lycanthropes are a group living on the margins of society.
Living in a dark sewer.
It is impossible to have the opportunity to receive an education.
One of them is considered illiterate.
It’s not strange to give your child a name that’s more like a nickname like “Fang”.
In fact, there are many powerful thieves in Calimport who change their names to homophones of certain words.
For example, "Feed (disappeared)" and "Sellers (silent)" are used to show one's attainments in the professional field.
Although he had not been in Faerun for a long time, Zuo Si had already seen many strange names and was already used to them. He just nodded lightly: "Okay, Fangus.
Tell me, what kind of lycanthrope are you and your tribe?
Why would you run the risk of being driven away or even killed to come to the ground to look for food?"
The girl lowered her head, seeming to be thinking about how to answer these questions.
After about two or three minutes, her thin body suddenly began to expand.
Because he has been out of the sun for a long time, he has sickly pale skin, and a large amount of black hair quickly sprouts. His mouth protrudes forward crazily, growing a row of canine-like fangs.
The hands and feet at the end completely turned into the shape of claws, and a furry tail even grew out of the back of the butt.
Werewolf!
Zuo Si just took one look and immediately recognized which type of lycanthrope the girl in front of him was.
No wonder all the children were so orderly when they were sharing meals just now, with the younger ones obeying the older ones.
Werewolves, like wolves, have a strong sense of community and internal hierarchy.