What to say about werewolves?

[Chessie2]

Honestly, I had a huge werewolf obsession for a really long time. I'm just a big nerd, lol. Seriously though if you want to see a good documentary about werewolves there's "In Search Of History" one that covers it right well. It can be found on Youtube.

 

[Svrtnsse]

Honestly, I had a huge werewolf obsession for a really long time. I'm just a big nerd, lol. Seriously though if you want to see a good documentary about werewolves there's "In Search Of History" one that covers it right well. It can be found on Youtube.

I'll get on it in the morning. I'm so tired and confused right now that I forgot my other new book just launched today (Lost Dogs #6). Gonna need an actual break sometime soon.

 

[skip.knox]

What if it isn't a curse? What if the ability to shapeshift is either regarded as a gift (from the gods, from a wizard), or is a thing one can somehow earn or learn?

 

[Svrtnsse]

What if it isn't a curse? What if the ability to shapeshift is either regarded as a gift (from the gods, from a wizard), or is a thing one can somehow earn or learn?

Both of those options were actually added to the poll after I'd posted it.

Technically, from a setting, a god could give someone the ability to shift into an animal - or curse them with it if that's how they want it.

It should also be possible for a very skilled magic user to transform into an animal if they want to.

In my story, I refer to the shifters as therianthropes, but I used the term shifter during the takeover to try and avoid confusion. I thought about it a bit last night, and I think that by using a slightly different term like this, I can get away from some of the expectations that are tied to the more common names. Although I do use the word werewolf within the story as well.

Anyway...
A god could turn someone into a therianthrope if they wanted to, but they could also just give them the ability to turn into an animal at will.
A magic user could in theory teach themselves to become a therianthrope, but it seems to me like it would be too complex to pull off in practice. I also don't think it's something anyone would actually want to become - especially if they could instead just teach themselves to turn into an animal and be really strong.

 

[Ban]

What if it isn't a curse? What if the ability to shapeshift is either regarded as a gift (from the gods, from a wizard), or is a thing one can somehow earn or learn?

In the local folklore I've been reading, werewolves are often conflated with wizards. Instead of being cursed to be werewolves (though that happens as well), they instead voluntarily don the skin of a wolf and transform into a werewolf. These stories are often too short to go into further detail, but I find it an interesting approach nonetheless.

The wolf skin in question falls out of the sky more than once, with the werewolf's curse being over if the skin happens to fall in a burning fire. Folklore is great.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

I love this entire thread. Our therian in the Books of Binding, which are shape-shifters that include 34 different species (so far) including jaguar, rabbit, and anaconda, are a little bit different from the traditional were, but are also very similar. They have three forms; human, half-form, and full fur form, and they are basically animals that turn into people. They do not think like humans, even in human form, and depending on species can be either born or made. Born therian can tend to be a little more bestial than made ones.

I'm sorry I missed the takeover. We've got a con this weekend and I was away from the computer most of Thursday. I hope it went well!

 

[Svrtnsse]

I'm sorry I missed the takeover. We've got a con this weekend and I was away from the computer most of Thursday. I hope it went well!

It was good fun. Not many people taking part during the event, but comments kept dropping in after it was over.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

It was good fun. Not many people taking part during the event, but comments kept dropping in after it was over.

Yeah, they'll keep doing that for a day or two. Just keep an eye on it so you can reply to the latecomers. I should have turned you loose with our file of takeover games, but it looks like you had it well covered. I'm glad you had a good time!

 

[Chessie2]

Currently, I'm writing a scene where the heroine becomes a werewolf via a blood ritual. So there's another one for you.

 

[Kittie Brandybuck]

If i were a were-creature, i'd probably be a weremouse XD