The Worgen “Curse”
This one had me thinking all month. Most of my time is spent studying the worgen and the curse as it is, not in how it could have been, so I had to consider other material. Both in World of Warcraft and from Hollywood. Lycanthropy has always been somewhat different in every rendition, from Teen Wolf where it makes Micheal J Fox a highschool rockstar, to American Werewolf in London where it completely ruins his life… in the last five minutes of the film. And then of course harking back to the folklore, in which it was depicted as more of an ability used by witches or serial killers.
As for World of Warcraft’s worgen curse, and how it could be more “curse” like if done differently, these come to mind.
The Curse in Lore
In World of Warcraft, Blizzard has chosen somewhat of a mix, and it has been a curse upon some and a blessing upon others, often depending on how the character got it, if they wanted it, and how well they manage it or accept it. Characters like Sven Yorgen, Tobias Mistmantle, Alpha Prime, Genn Greymane, Ivar, Gervase, Anatoly, Eadrik, and more all have taken the curse differently, and I love the adaptability Blizzard has shown.
Now… if I were to look for ways to make the curse more of a “curse”, a few ideas come to mind. Worgen are already beset by predatory urges, that’s canon, so that’s not an answer. There is no cure, and worgen are driven to their true forms when they are driven to anger or concentrate with a force of will (see above^), so that’s already canon as well.
Concept: Shorter Lifespan
A couple easy answers would be Lifespan and the Mindless State. We still do not know what worgen lifespan is, whether they age as humans or as elves, or are immortal or not. Some theorize they may be immortal, since Wolfheart shows Genn does not feel the aches of age at all in his true form, and leaps across the battlefield with as much youth and strength as the youngest of his men. After all, the trolls (the shortest lifespan) evolved to Kaldorei (one of the longest) thanks to Elune, and it is Elune’s power at the source of the worgen curse. However, there are others that theorize the opposite, that to become a worgen is to be doomed to the relative lifespan of a wolf, which lives up to eight years in the wild. If this were true, it would certainly be enough to be considered a curse, if not even a death sentence to races like Humans and Kaldorei that would have lived much longer.
Concept: Inevitable Mindlessness
Again with the “less time to live” concept, there is the Mindless State. As it stands with worgen, the mindless state is a panicked bestial state of fight-or-flight similar to a rabid animal, that some may lose themselves to if they are not careful. With worgen, it is more or less treatable and does not effect everyone. With forsaken… however… the mindless state is inevitable. With the undead, the mindless state refers to the brain rot that eventually occurs, growing worse over time until the forsaken is either put down or is left to shamble aimlessly. Applying such a “time is limited” concept to worgen, much like the forsaken or Merida’s mom-turned-bear in Brave, the worgen curse would definitely be considered a curse.
Roleplay, Curse Management, and Racism
Now as for roleplay, the worgen curse can still be a curse and a point of inner turmoil if you wish. There is the regret of what you may have done while going through the initial shock and panic of your first change, as well as the perpetual call of the wild that may be a curse to an aristocrat or vegetarian. It is also shown to be more difficult to manage by those with great inner turmoil, like Sven Yorgen or Halford Ramsey, so a character fighting with PTSD on top of the curse would have quite a time. Not to mention… there is also the great racism towards worgen, all throughout lore and even today. In Wrath of the Lich King, a whole village of people were killed by the Alliance once they were revealed to be worgen, Lord Godfrey decided to commit suicide rather than follow a worgen as his king, Revil Kost the priest loves rats more than people and considers worgen the vilest of creatures, and the Carevin family in Darkshire spews suspiciously Scarlet Crusader sounding propaganda while paying adventurers to hunt worgen. Playing a worgen for several years, I have had the opportunity to experience how these little tidbits of human racism on worgen have effected the playerbase, and it is fascinating to witness the change in behavior one a character - or a player for that matter - realizes you are a worgen in human form. For a Gilnean noble type character who cares about his image, this strike against them may be all they need to consider it a curse.
In conclusion… I would say the worgen curse is great how it is, and I would not personally change it. The way it is set up, the curse is what you make it. To quote one of my favorite family films… it is not the power of the curse, it is the power you give the curse. It appears to be different for every character, a curse to some and an answered prayer to others.