The Three Orders of Therianthropes

Therianthropes are humans who can transform themselves to resemble normal animals or monsters. The term “lycanthrope” is actually a misnomer, coming from the roots lycos (wolf), and anthropos (man). However, since werewolves are the most common therianthropes, the term lycanthrope has gained much more popularity, and more common usage. The condition of being a lycanthrope, is called lycanthropy. 

A First Order Lycanthrope is someone who is cursed to be a lycanthrope either by use of a magic item or other magical means. They do not produce lycanthropes from their victims.

A Second Order Lycanthropes are those which are made when wounded by a First Order Lycanthrope. This refers to those who are infected by lycanthropy. Second Order Lycanthropes do not produce lycanthropes from their victims.

A Third Order Lycanthrope are those to whom lycanthropy is a genetic trait. Also known as true lycanthropes, they breed with other lycanthropes and produce offspring that are lycanthropes. Anyone that they wound can become an infected (Second Order) lycanthrope

The Hawthorns and the Select of Lythari

A group of hunters established by the Continuum in the Third Age, the Hawthorns are Druids who dedicate themselves to the eradication of undead, and especially vampires. 

At the start of the Fourth Age a dissenting group of Hierophants broke off from the Continuum and established the Aeternium. It sought to create a group of vampire killers from elves who were taught how to shapeshift. The Select of Lythari was born, but their gift of shapechanging went terribly wrong when some of the Select had an adverse reaction to consuming vampire blood. They went feral and became known as therianthropes... able to reproduce and create more of their kind, but also able to attack and infect others with therianthropy.

Therianthropes have been reported who are werewolves, weretigers, wereswine, werespiders, weresharks, wererays, wereravens, wererats, werepanthers, werelions, wereleopards, werejaguars, werejackals, werehyenas, werefox, werecrocodiles, wereboars, werebears, werebats, werebadgers, and others.