Were war info for Soren: The were-war occurred about two years past (Baring DM approval/timeline). The werewolves of one of the world's largest clan/pack united under one alpha, and declared a war upon humanity. Werewolves burned cities to the ground, and the streets flowed with blood. The church and military took a while to gather themselves, as no one had believed gathering that many werewolves together behind a single purpose possible.

Your character can ask VanHelsing how that alpha gathered so many together. He might even tell ;-)

The turning point of the war was when the military made their first solid stand, and VanHelsing and his team of hunters killed the were-leader. Events after that are fuzzy, almost like the whole thing just lost cohesion and fell apart. Packs dispersed and vanished while others (read: very few) negotiated for the right to live within towns. VanHelsing's involvement in these negotiations is unconfirmed, and denied by the government.