Memory Alteration

[Kelpten]

I was thinking; in many stories involving a colosal clandestine comunity, it's inevitable that someone will eventually descover the secret of their existance that can't hold their tongue. So should werewolves have some way of altering the memory to keep their secret? It could be magical, as in Harry Potter (book's in 13 days!) or a form of hypnotism like in Fruits Basket. Or some other idea. It just seems more plausible if they'd kept their world secret for this long.

[Aki]

They wouldn't need it, and it's too convenient for my liking, so I think no.

There are plenty of ways of making people keep their mouth shut. Doubly so if you or your group has a reputation. As werewolves, there's quite the reputation for violence and gruesome death of those who oppose them. A few threats would go a long way.

If not, there's always making the loose-lipped fellow a werewolf so keeping quiet about it is in HIS best interest as well as the pack's. Or, well, there's always killing the bloke. "Wild animal attack", heheh....

[JoshuaMadoc]

Personally, i wouldn't, at all, like the idea of the death sentence to anyone and everyone who knows about werewolves, for whatever reason. I just feel that that concept would make them as low as mafia gangs and excessively prideful samurai.

[Aki]

Personally, i wouldn't, at all, like the idea of the death sentence to anyone and everyone who knows about werewolves, for whatever reason. I just feel that that concept would make them as low as mafia gangs and excessively prideful samurai.

Death sentence would be an absolute last resort, but if someone is so determined to tell that all other methods fail, and not only that, has solid evidence that'll make people think they're more than some wacko, the pack has little choice, y'know?

[Rhuen]

I hate memory erasing, its a terrible cliche and is basically no better than a Deus Ex Machina (something improbable done at the last moment with no pretense that it could happen that saves the day).

Its just a lazy way out of a situation really. what do we do with the witness, "MIB memory erase". The rogue secret agent, "memory erase device". its over done. I especially hate it when its done to a character after their big fantasy world quest as it means all the lessons they learned, all the growing they did during the adventure is gone and the whole thing served no personal purpose for them.

[RedEye]

In Wulfen Blood and Wulfen Honor; there are a class of Were's who serve as priests and healers for the rest (I do hope my agent will get it sold...),
and these Servants do "cloud minds" when necessary.
This isn't an "every time" situation...
First, they will try to befriend the discoverer and get them to realize that they aren't dangerous, and are in hiding to protect themselves from the more populous Smooth Humans, thus creating an ally.
Occasionally, they will "Cross Over" the individual, thus giving them a reason to keep the secret. This is usually done before the person discovers that being a Were' is about as much fun as being a Methodist...unless there is a romantic involvement (then it's as much fun as being a married Methodist). <no slam on Methodists--I was one>
There's Compassionate Crossing; to save lives (among established friends called Kindred).
Finally, there is the case of someone harming a Were' or a member of their Kindred. Then the Servants muddle memories enough to make them forget the Were's but remember the harming-for the Police.
The best way for them to stay invisible is to act just like anyone else-call the Cops (after a bit of memory adjustment).
Someday-I'll get published. (sigh)

[Scott Gardener]

How would the memory erasing trick work? I'd recommend avoiding it if it gave werewolves yet another weird superpower that had nothing to do with wolf-ness. Not as bad as wall-crawling or Howling II's Darth Stirba lightning bolts, but still an exotic power none-the-less.

[RedEye]

It really isn't memory erasure: it takes the simple fact that most people don't belive in Werewolves and goes from there- basically using strong suggestion. Once the suggestion is strong enough, the Wulfen encounter becomes dreamlike and is treated as such, or usually forgotten.

As for the Servants; they are modelled on the Celtic Druids, as in being chosen by the Wulfen Goddess, Lunara; and having Lunar-Colored fur and skin, while posessing both some psychic and psychological abilities.
Lunara was, btw, a Human Shamaness who attracted the attentions of Haru, the deity of the North Wind, who just happened to be a Wolf (no surprise there). Add in some of the Amerind "Gift-giving" by her suitor and his discovery by his lover, Lu-naru (her original name) becomes the "Mother-Beloved" of all Wulfen after she assumes her lover's mantle and semi-divinity. She is physically the original Werewolf; and all her "children" (over 100 generations) are Wulfen, as well as those who Cross Over ( become Were's). There is some magic involved as well, it's that sort of story. I've been careful to keep the Were's as Wolf-like as possible, while using the "Hidden Population" as a vehicle for their existence. In today's society, it's actually easier to be ignored than in the past, as long as you don't "act the part".

Usually, though, what happens is that someone just has to leave town for another "pack" of the People. Call it a "job opportunity"...
It's difficult to prove that someone's a Werewolf, if they aren't around- and everybody else involved is acting embarassed by the accusations of a single individual.

Like I said, I hope it gets sold. The Agent likes it, but is as slow as molasses. I think I may need another agent...

[Midnight]

Like I said, I hope it gets sold.

You're not the only one... it sounds interesting and I'd like to pick it up from the bookshop once I get a chance.

[Terastas]

I'm with Aki etc. in that it just seems like a cheap plot device. For some with loose lips, they could handle him four ways.

1) Kill him.

2) Make him a werewolf.

3) Keep him under house arrest with no phone or Internet.

4) Tell him some really wild stuff so he'll look like just another nutjob.

"No one's to know about it except the senior officers, scientists, and a single conspiracy nut that no one will believe."
~Harry S. Truman, Futurama

[Rhuen]

now fogging a memory on the other hand, such as they can't remember the exact location of a den, how far it was, specific names, and pathways/directions. I am less against (seeing as I have had magical characters use this before) Its not an erased memory but makes the mind unable to focus on the details.

[RedEye]

Indeed! If a memory is "fogged" enough, you doubt it really happened.
Once doubt starts, is quickly becomes a dream, and forgotten.
It works that way in real life; so why not fantasy?

[Terastas]

Maybe if a werewolf worked in a hospital or pharmacy and had access to some kind of drug that could induce memory loss, that would be acceptable. I just really dislike resorting to magic whenever possible because, as has been said enough times already, a werewolf just happening to have a necessary magical ability seems like a cheap plot device.

[Rhuen]

Maybe if a werewolf worked in a hospital or pharmacy and had access to some kind of drug that could induce memory loss, that would be acceptable. I just really dislike resorting to magic whenever possible because, as has been said enough times already, a werewolf just happening to have a necessary magical ability seems like a cheap plot device.

Well if its a skinwalker or a worlock type of werewolf, which means an overly specialized sorcerer, then a few minor spells, seeing as they perfected and used all their focus on this one transformation and its variants, might be possible, like memory fog.

But if its a strickly biological werewolf I don't see any reason for it being able to alter someone's memory.

[Scott Gardener]

The Werewolf: the Apocalypse role-playing game had a phenomenon known as "the delirium" that helped maintain werewolves' secret. People who saw werewolves were typically so scared out of their wits that they refused to believe what they saw.

[RedEye]

Good point there: A Werewolf just after shifting always made me think of someone just after they woke up: Hair every-which way, red eyed, dragon breath... Yeah, they would be frightening. Later, though; after combing and brushing up...much less so.