Dewayo
Related to: Hexenwolf
Names: Dwayyo, Dewayyo
Habitat: forested regions of Maryland
Size: up to 6 feet tall when standing on hind legs
Diet: carnivorous; hunts wild game
Reproduction: facultative monogamy (seasonal)
Society: mostly solitary
Lifespan: undetermined The Dwayyo (or Dewayo) is a human bound within an animal’s body. It is believed that the transformation takes place consensually. Early settlers have recounted how viscous and incredible these encounters could be. Records from the mid-late 1900's describe a creature that is similar to a bipedal wolf, aggressive towards humans, and of a predatory nature.
Once human, the Dewayo is a type of Dogman—a category of organism that transforms between wolf and man (or a halfway state) through magical means. For the Dewayo, however, the transformation is permanent and comes with a cost: they must hunt down and feed upon Snallygasters for the rest of their life, or perish. Those who choose to become a Dewayo give up most of their humanity and the ability to dwell beyond the Maryland border, but gain everlasting life as long as they adhere to Dewayo restrictions and requirements.
Dewayos do not generally attack humans—and less than five healthy Dewayo have ever attacked them at all—but prey on creatures that pose a danger to human communities or wild game and domesticated livestock. It is theorized that Dewayos' treatment of people may be due to what humanity remains inside. Wild, often brutal animals, Dewayo feast on raw flesh and gnaw on fresh bones.