A newish way of looking at a werewolf.

[Anubis]

What makes us, us? our memories!

A guy gets bitten, and when he transforms for the first time he forgets everything. I'm talking about complete amnesia. Only thing he know after that, is the skills that he needs to survive like walking, breathing, etc. The guy is so confused about what is going on, then add the natural predatory insticts the guy basicly goes feral after a short time. He starts pretty much attacking anything human and possibly other weres.

I guess it maybe possible to jog a werewolf memory, but will it fully make him "human" in personality again or will the time being comepletely feral do some psychological harm to the guy and will he never be the same man again?

[Baphnedia]

That makes a bit of sense for the 'classical' werewolf. Can't say much more than that at the moment. My head is fuzzy - I've got a werewolf on my mind...

[Werewolf Warrior]

yeah well authors put that stuff in to freak out the readers.

[Vagrant]

Would this lead to sect of weres which are essentially gnostic engineers? Head-hackers, I suppose ... after a fashion. Or more simply; practitioners of various forms of hypnosis, if I'm describing this more plainly and less ... Morrisonly. Would there be different methods for going about this, and would there be wereolf groups who wish their feral bretheren to remain feral?

For me, what's interesting about this concept isn't the werewolf itself, but how existing werewolves will react to new werewolves who're suffering this condition. The new werewolf might be feral, but they'd also be very vulnerable, and possibly a pawn for many different key-players to utilise.

It would make for an interesting gnostic battleground though, what with perhaps those who're seeking to free werewolves of any new understandings forced upon them, and perhaps those goals would occasionally intersect with those who wished to keep weres feral. The myriad types of werewolf and werewolf clans (grouped packs?) that could arise from this is fascinating to consider.

[heartlessfang]

"turning humans by force and using them as pawns by keeping them feral" is kinda what you're saying? Sounds kinda dastardly, and good basis for a story! fu fu fu fu........

[Vagrant]

That was one aspect of it, yep. If turning a human creates a blank slate, especially a blank slate that's suggestible and open to psychological programming, then there're going to be groups who'll exploit that and create their own militant were groups. In such a Universe, lycanthropy could've been introduced via an entirely natural means; but the human (and even weres that were human) is an opportunistic hunter, often taking the easiest way to an end, even if the means aren't particularly ethical -- or ethical at all, even, for that matter.

Corporations could have their own wereolf police, there could be rebellious sects of werewolves, each teaching their own particular view, and there could be those who simply wish to restore some semblence of free will to a creature whom they feel has been thouroughly taken advantage of.

Edited to add...

One might ask where they would actually acquire the "human resources" to subject this to. There are plenty of sources they could use; homeless people, criminals meant for death row, members of developing countries that don't exactly have great information/law services in place yet, "plane crash victims" if we really wish to delve into conspiracy theory stuffs, and so on. That would make for a rather messed up World indeed.

[heartlessfang]

MWA HA HA HA HA! It gets the creative juices flowing!

[Scott Gardener]

The thought has crossed my mind. I've contemplated picturing The Beast of Brey Road as a werewolf who upon getting afflicted with lycanthropy lost it mentally. Maybe something went wrong, such as losing his human form entirely.

[wolfward]

yeah well authors put that stuff in to freak out the readers.

Gotta agree with this Werewolf warrior...I can't see why on earth you would get amnesia if you shifted....I have heard this theory before and have dismissed it accordingly...as I will now.

[RedEye]

There have been theories offered about how the change lets either the Wolf Mental Download or the Overload of Wolf emotions and responses can cause a sort of "shutdown" of the normal human mind in a newly crossed Werewolf. Essentially it's like sleepwalking, only with fur and sharp teeth involved.
Yet, with help, sleepwalkers can remember what they did while sleepwalking; for the most part. It usually has a "dream" sort of feeling, like it didn't happen in real life.
Yet the human mind is a crafty and resilient thing; and most sleepwalkers gain memory and control over their somnambulistic episodes over time.
That's the key: Time.
While a n00b Werewolf might not remember what they did or who they did it with, eventually the human mind will gain control and take over.
A pack keeping n00bs as throw-away "animals"?
You want story stuff; how about a Werewolf starting to remember and then gaining control over him/her self while the "Puppy Masters" are unaware of it? That's a story line...

[Khuwwa]

I think it could definitely happen, as one human will have a different way of dealing with a traumatic incident than another.

Some who've been bitten could probably regain their memory faster, and also gain control of themselves faster.

Some wouldn't handle it as well, and might be permanently scarred from the ordeal. They might lose their sense of self and become a cold killer.

And as for those who might exploit it... well that makes for some interesting ideas for sure!