The Imperial Library

Hircine, whose sphere is the hunt, the sports of Daedra, the greatest game, the chase and sacrifice of mortals; known by the names The Huntsman of The Princes, and The Father of Manbeasts.

The summoning date of Hircine is 5th of Mid Year. Hircine can also be summoned in his shrine, if the summoner offered a wolf or bear pelt. Hircine always accepts summon from the witches of the Glenmoril Wyrd Coven of High Rock, at anytime.

Circa 3E 430, Daedric Prince Hircine showed up in Solstheim, a disputed island between Morrowind and Skyrim. Roughly every a thousand years, Hircine comes to the island to perform a hunting game, known as Bloodmoon Prophecy among the Skaal (a local Solstheim Nordic tribe). His coming is always preceded by three signs: "Fire From the Eye of Glass", "Tide of Woe" and "Bloodmoon", when the young moon itself runs red.

As written above, Hircine is also known as the Father of Manbeasts, the Lycanthropes. The most common types of the Lycanthropes are Werewolf and Wereboar. The book authored by Varnard Karessen titled "On Lycanthropy" says:

In Black Marsh and southern Morrowind, werecrocodiles stalk the swamps. Black Marsh also shares with the Imperial Province and the wetter parts of Elsweyr the vile presence of werelions. Valenwood's werevultures are not found in any other province. The wereboar has found both the climates of High Rock and Hammerfell amenable. As I mentioned before, the werebear is the most common lycanthrope in Skyrim, and is also found in the northern parts of High Rock, the Imperial Province, and Morrowind. The werewolf can be found in every province. The seventh lycanthrope, which I have never seen but my trusted peers have assured me exists, is a wereshark that roams the oceans around Tamriel.

Just note that there are so many Lycanthrope types, but so far we can only record two, the Werewolf and the Wereboar. The rest of the Lycanthropy, well, cannot be found in any other literatures or reports. Even some folks regard this information as jokes, especially that Wereshark.

The hunger or the Bloodlust of the Lycanthropes is legendary. Unlike Vampires that can survive without blood for a period of time, the Lycanthropes cannot. They have to kill once they have turned to beast form otherwise they would die. Certain artifact can suppress this Bloodlust, but the artifact is very rare and difficult to retrieve.

Lycanthropy is a disease but it starts with another disease, a minor one, called "Sanies Lupinus" that usually transferred by another Lycanthrope. At this point, a standard cure-disease potion will remove the disease easily. The disease only drains a small number of fatigue, and is hardly recognized. After three days without cure, the disease evolves to Lycanthropy, the people turned to beast form and starts the Bloodlust.

When in beast form, the person's attributes (like strength, speed and endurance) are increased and his/her claws are deadly. The person also has total resistance to disease whether in human form or in beast form. In Iliac Bay, the Lycanthropes turn to beast form once per month, obviously this means they have to kill once per month. But in Solstheim, during the Bloodmoon, the transformation is done per day! Because of the presence of the Father of the Manbeast? I cannot say.

During the Bloodmoon, Werewolves, also known as Hircine's Hounds acted as the hunters while the inhabitants of the Solstheim were their preys. The most powerful person that can defeat the hounds is honored and would receive favors by the Prince himself, and he will face Hircine's aspect in one-to-one battle. Being honored to be the prey of the Prince himself. Very few survived this battle.

As mentioned above, one artifact can supress the Bloodlust, it is the Hircine's Ring. Sometime before the Warp of the West, this ring was reported resurfaced in the Iliac Bay. The ring makes the Lycanthrope wielder to turn to beast form or vice versa at will, and able to suppress the hunger. During the Bloodmoon time in Solstheim, the enchantment somehow was changed. The ring can make any person to turn to beast form at will but for Lycanthropes the Bloodlust is still there.

On a side note, the witches of the Glenmoril Wyrd Coven of High Rock is known as Hircine worshippers, they often perform a summoning for anyone that can pay the price. The witches are also able to cure anyone of Lycanthropy.

The infected person, with the assistance of the witches, must perform a ritual called The Rite of the Wolf Giver. It is a complex ritual of dark magicka, requiring the sacrifice of both flesh and innocence. And certain ingredients, which are petals of a wolfsbane flower and one bunch of ripened belladonna berries, are needed by the witches to concoct a potion for the rite.

When the time has come, in certain altar, the infected person must kill an innocent, take her heart and gives it to the assisted witch. The witch then pours the potion on the heart, and with a long, shrieking series of arcane words; the heart will start to pulse. The infected person must put back the heart into the innocent. The innocent will turn to Lycanthrope and the person must once again kill her. When the innocent dies in a second time, the infected person is infected no more. For more information please read The Story of Morrowind - Bloodmoon subsection.

There is a secret guarded heavily by the witches, a secret to cure Lycanthropy without the Rite of Wolf Giver. It uses a certain scroll or potion. But the witches will never offer this curing method to anyone. Most likely this brings Hircine's disfavor.

Other famous artifact of Hircine is the Armor of Saviour Hide. Legend has it that Hircine rewarded his peeled hide to the first mortal to have ever escaped his hunting grounds. This unknown mortal had the hide tailored into this magical armor for his future adventures. The armor was resurfaced in the Battlespire, during Mehrunes Dagon's invasion. One must wear a full set of the armor in order to wield the Spear of Bitter Mercy, a special spear that is needed to slay a certain Daedric leader. After the event, the armor pieces were scattered, and only the cuirass that can be found nowadays.

Divayth Fyr, an ancient Telvanni wizard and also an artifact collector, was once able to procure the Cuirass of Saviour Hide. It was hidden in his tower. When the Nerevarine came, the Nerevarine was told that he might freely take the artifact if he could. Divayth Fyr always says, "When you live for thousands of years, you need a hobby. Something you love, always sparks your interest. I collect treasures, and invite thieves to steal them. I'm a collector, and a sportsman. I collect enchanted items and ancient artifacts. Have quite a few Dwemer pieces. And, as a sportsman, I love letting thieves try to steal my well-guarded treasures. Only a few rules. One, don't hurt the inmates. Two, don't hurt my daughters. My Warden and guards can look out for themselves." The latest report shows that the Nerevarine indeed took the cuirass.

Some time during Oblivion Crisis, Hircine was summoned by the Champion of Cyrodiil. He desired the horn of the only Unicorn in the Cyrodiil. According some records, the champion finally brought the horn to Hircine, and Hircine rewarded the champion with the Cuirass of Saviour Hide. Detail conversation of the event can be read here.