How could you tell someone is a werewolf?

This is the place for discussion and voting on various aspects of werewolf life, social ideas, physical appearance, etc. Also a place to vote on how a werewolf should look.
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Post by RedEye »

Actually- there might be one sure-fire way... It would require either an X-ray machine or a skull...

Werewolves are usually always bipedal. Wolves are quadrupedal.
There's a hole in your head called the Formentum Magnum (sic). Its where the spinal cord exits the skull and is the base for the atlas and axis vertebra. What's important is: in a Human(oid) the hole is at the base of the skull, and points down to the toes. In a Wolf, the hole is at the back of the skull and points to the tail.

A Werewolf would have a Wolf's skull, with a Human Formentum Magnum (F.M.).
A wolf skull with a downward pointing F.M. would have to be a Werewolf.

One little problem: to do this test, you'd have to either have a dead Werewolf or at the very least a rather drunk one.
Either way, they'd be in Wolf-mode. I suspect that since you'd already have the Wulf on the X-ray table...the question would be answered...

Oh well...It sounded good... :roll:
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Post by Rosiewolf »

That is good. And I would have to agree with the point that a werewolf wouldn't really want to go and get a X-ray. Unless they wanted to get caught. But what about a female werewolf giving birth to their offspring? They would have to do that at home, but then there wouldn't be any government records of that child, so it would be hard for them to go into society and get a job, or education.
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Post by RedEye »

What makes you think there wouldn't be "Werewolf Midwives?" As for the legal stuff, it's so automated that the Midwife could do it all from the Wulf's home.
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Post by Rosiewolf »

Oh, that would make since. But it would take more than one day just to get it all done. That would be one smart werewolf midwife. I would have to say, that werewolves (well I suppose some, I don't really know what a werewolf would do in this situation) are intelligent if they have to go through all this trouble. But don't you think that the government would notice something?
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Post by RedEye »

Should a "hidden population" of Werewolves actually exist; of course the Government would know...and trade denyability for service.

The government wouldn't want all the upset and political damages caused by "discovery" to happen, so- the Were's stay hidden; and the government gets the occasional "specialist" for "Impossible" jobs.

Y'know-that makes scary good sense, doesn't it?
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Post by Defensorem Lupus »

I have to agree, with enough determination, power, and money anyone can achieve or hide anything they want. The govt. and business and any other groups and/or organizations have all three or at least two, it just depends on the situations and circumstances and if anyone wants to be known or not. This is a general statement.
The wolf is neither man's competitor nor his enemy.
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If the wolf is to survive, the wolf haters must be outnumbered.
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Post by Rosiewolf »

RedEye wrote:Should a "hidden population" of Werewolves actually exist; of course the Government would know...and trade denyability for service.

The government wouldn't want all the upset and political damages caused by "discovery" to happen, so- the Were's stay hidden; and the government gets the occasional "specialist" for "Impossible" jobs.

Y'know-that makes scary good sense, doesn't it?

Yeah, that does make sense. I mean, the government doesn't tell us a lot of stuff anyway. But don't you think that they could always suspect killings that are never solved or that look like "animal killings" to be the werewolf's fault?
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Post by RedEye »

You seem to be using the "Deadly Werewolf" model. Look at it from the
"Hidden People" and "Self-Controlled Werewolf" models.
In that setup, they would still have the healing and immunity, as well as the speed; but are simply people with something extra. They hide because they are afraid of us, and the Government "helps" them, in return for a few "Special Services" that only they could perform and get away with.

They'd be Homo Sapiens var. Lupens, while the rest of us are Homo Sapiens var. Simiens; two divergent types of Humanity.
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Post by Defensorem Lupus »

They'd be Homo Sapiens var. Lupens, while the rest of us are Homo Sapiens var. Simiens; two divergent types of Humanity.
RedEye this makes a lot of sense, I never saw it as that way. If, "according to evolution", ape involved into man then why not wolf involved into man, only that they can retain their wolf form.
The wolf is neither man's competitor nor his enemy.
He is a fellow creature with whom the earth must be shared...
If the wolf is to survive, the wolf haters must be outnumbered.
They must be outshouted, out financed, and out voted.
Their narrow and biased attitude must be outweighed by an attitude based on an understanding of natural processes.
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Post by Kavik »

MrDragon811 wrote:
They'd be Homo Sapiens var. Lupens, while the rest of us are Homo Sapiens var. Simiens; two divergent types of Humanity.
RedEye this makes a lot of sense, I never saw it as that way. If, "according to evolution", ape involved into man then why not wolf involved into man, only that they can retain their wolf form.
That's fine if the werewolf is a purely biological organism, and has no possibility to transfer the condition to a normal human via bite or intimacy.
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Post by Defensorem Lupus »

That's fine if the werewolf is a purely biological organism, and has no possibility to transfer the condition to a normal human via bite or intimacy.
True, but that is the reason why it is all theory and plus we are dealing with evolution here, anything is possible. But then again there are holes and missing pieces to everything. Nothing is 100%.
The wolf is neither man's competitor nor his enemy.
He is a fellow creature with whom the earth must be shared...
If the wolf is to survive, the wolf haters must be outnumbered.
They must be outshouted, out financed, and out voted.
Their narrow and biased attitude must be outweighed by an attitude based on an understanding of natural processes.
-Dr. L. David Mech
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Post by RedEye »

Actually, that taxonomic naming would apply to any Werewolf, as in:
Homo: Man or Manlike
Sapiens: Thinking being. Sometimes as Homo Sapiens sapiens; or the Man who thinks he thinks.
var. : Variation of, or appearing as;
Lupens: Wolflike.

I cheated the system a bit, as Lupens is Latin; and most people would use Lycos (Greek for Wolf), bit there is a game with Lycans in it.

Now the good part: ANY Werewolf would be described as Homo Sapiens var. Lupens...even Lon Chaney's "old Brillo-face" wolf-man.
The Homo Sap. var. simiensis name is appropriate for the "Normal" humans who aren't Werewolves.

And the word that best describes them both is Humanity. I gotta get that damn book published!
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Post by Defensorem Lupus »

Well like I said before you have something going there RedEye, the initiation of a new thought. Could it be possible that a "normal" human that gets bitten by a werewolf turns into one because of some sort of evolutionary process? Or were they always like that? Maybe I am thinking to much into it . . . . :(
The wolf is neither man's competitor nor his enemy.
He is a fellow creature with whom the earth must be shared...
If the wolf is to survive, the wolf haters must be outnumbered.
They must be outshouted, out financed, and out voted.
Their narrow and biased attitude must be outweighed by an attitude based on an understanding of natural processes.
-Dr. L. David Mech
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Post by Blue-eyes in the dark »

RedEye wrote:Should a "hidden population" of Werewolves actually exist; of course the Government would know...and trade denyability for service.

The government wouldn't want all the upset and political damages caused by "discovery" to happen, so- the Were's stay hidden; and the government gets the occasional "specialist" for "Impossible" jobs.

Y'know-that makes scary good sense, doesn't it?
my this would make sense if by the slightest chance that lupine people truely existed that they would be documented citzenes and we would never know just because they were being well hidden by our so truthful government. :roll: gosh if that was true i'd be on my way to looking up such families to ask about how they've existed all these years without really any real chance of exposer.
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Post by Rosiewolf »

MrDragon811 wrote:Well like I said before you have something going there RedEye, the initiation of a new thought. Could it be possible that a "normal" human that gets bitten by a werewolf turns into one because of some sort of evolutionary process? Or were they always like that? Maybe I am thinking to much into it . . . . :(
But can saliva really make a human being how the ability to change into a different form?
Back on topic. I would really like to find out if the government really does this though.
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nit-picking

Post by LunarCarnivore »

RedEye wrote:Werewolves are usually always bipedal. Wolves are quadrupedal.
There's a hole in your head called the Formentum Magnum (sic). Its where the spinal cord exits the skull and is the base for the atlas and axis vertebra. What's important is: in a Human(oid) the hole is at the base of the skull, and points down to the toes. In a Wolf, the hole is at the back of the skull and points to the tail.

A Werewolf would have a Wolf's skull, with a Human Formentum Magnum (F.M.).
A wolf skull with a downward pointing F.M. would have to be a Werewolf.
wait... the general concensus here say ww's go on 2 OR 4 legs in gestalt and in the positions alot of people draw them, a were would need some sort of sliding FM, mor a slot then a hole. that being said, you find on of those, you got yer ww :o
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Re: nit-picking

Post by RedEye »

Wolf-man-24 wrote:
RedEye wrote:Werewolves are usually always bipedal. Wolves are quadrupedal.
There's a hole in your head called the Formentum Magnum (sic). Its where the spinal cord exits the skull and is the base for the atlas and axis vertebra. What's important is: in a Human(oid) the hole is at the base of the skull, and points down to the toes. In a Wolf, the hole is at the back of the skull and points to the tail.

A Werewolf would have a Wolf's skull, with a Human Formentum Magnum (F.M.).
A wolf skull with a downward pointing F.M. would have to be a Werewolf.
wait... the general concensus here say ww's go on 2 OR 4 legs in gestalt and in the positions alot of people draw them, a were would need some sort of sliding FM, mor a slot then a hole. that being said, you find on of those, you got yer ww :o
The problem with a "slot" is that part of the brain fits through that space into the spinal canal. Brains, contrary to common opinion, don't deal well with being "twisted", as they would be in such a skull. The reolcation of the head could be accomplished by modifying the atlas vertebra and opening up the spinal canal in bot the atlas and axis vertebrae. This would allow the head to remain vertical without regard to the location of the body. As of now, there are bony growths that keep that from happening on the back of the spine...in humans.
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Re: How could you tell someone is a werewolf?

Post by Figarou »

Rosiewolf wrote:This is a question that has always popped into my head. How do you think that you could tell someone is a werewolf, if you got to know them?

Image



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Post by Avareis »

Or a special handshake. I'm sure they'll have some sort of greeting, secret password.....DUCKIE. They lick you on the face or have a predominately hairy body to begin with...Yeah. Though, if they start humping your leg, I suggest getting out of there before you find out if they really are werewolves.heheheheheh...
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Post by RedEye »

In my novel Wulfen Blood, the People used several ways to identify themselves.

1> Handsign. Similar to "Gang Signs", Handsign is a variant on the Manual Alphabet used by deaf-mutes (AMSLAN). The letters L-P-U-S are flashed by the right hand, quickly. To someone not practiced, it looks like you're working out a cramp in your hand. Other words are used as well; and it's fast; very fast: you need to be fluent to even see it, let alone read it. There are also ritualized hand movements: The questioner extends their hand palm-down, and the responder either (a) extends hand palm-up (submission) or (b) covers the extended hand with their own (dominance). A Smooth would adopt the submissive handsign, while a Wolf would take the dominant handsign.
There are usually a series of these signs, and the recognition can be broken by either deliberately replying wrong, or turning the thing into a handshake.
There are also body-signs: Flashing fangs or showing an ear by brushing at the hair (my Were's aren't totally Smoothskin in appearance). Brushing the lower jaw outward says "Wolf", while a downsweep over the lips says "Can't talk now", while "pawing" with the toes of the shoe says "let's get out of here".
They are all simple and easily ignored movements; but they allow a newby in an area to make contact with someone.

2> Visible Markings. Usually left at bus, train, and some airports; the symbol of the Kindred (Werewolf-Smoothskin alliance- the letter "A" without the bar, and "shaking hands" at the top of the "A", the left "arm blue and the right arm white). These stickers might be posted next to an ad for some business that also acts as a contact service, or have a number written on it referring to some commonly used item. In "Harry and Charles" the number at a truck stop referred to a mile-marker on a specific highway; that led to an underpass and an ad-hoc truck parking area. The number could be changed by simply taking that 3/4" sticker down and replacing it.
The Kindred sticker might also be next to a phone number in a phone booth, or a booth in a bar. These stickers can be as small as half an inch and be legible to eyes looking for it, while other eyes slide over it as "clutter". Stuck on a street-sign post, who would see it-other than somebody who is looking for it? It might even be included in throw away ads, like the X-tian "fish" symbol. People just don't see things they aren't looking for.

Now, as to making contact with a Werewolf (or someone you think might be one): it's simple. Be a friend...maybe for years. Show the person you are real and trustworthy. Werewolves are Social; they get it from their combined heritages: both Wolf and Human are Social creatures.
While they have to be very careful as to who they let into their "Secret", they will do so with people they trust with their lives-and their mate's life and their children's lives as well.
You might be tested. Your reactions to certain things would be watched and gauged. You might even be told you're nuts; that there are no such things as Werewolves. If you remain steadfast, eventually, you'll know.

That's how I do it in the stories. I use common human traits and figure out how a Werewolf would manage it. So far it's worked, in the stories, at least...
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Post by LunarCarnivore »

I love the sticker thing, thats friggin genius! :o sadly tho, stuff like that calls for a united group society. In my stories, werewolves USED to be a society, but have broken down. but there is on simple way to spot a wolf among the herd, piss him off. newer wolves shift under high emotion especially anger. a more experienced wolf, just take a dna sample, pay off some bio student at the nearest university, and the lycanthropic gene shos up as wolf dna intermingled yet dormant (in human form).
thats wat i got to say. :shift:
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Post by Kavik »

I tend to discount a werewolf network larger than a single pack, because the alpha mentality would prohibit cooporative efforts. Dens, Packs, even "Septs" I can swallow, but anything too broad in scale would collapse and siffer exposure when a disgruntled alpha disagrees with the majority rule and refuses to back down on his or her own schemes. IMO, anyway.
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Post by RedEye »

That is dealt with thusly: Some years back, the Alphas decided it was in their own interest to band together, as the increasing sophistication of both Police equipment and Surveillance equipment made the historic "turf wars" too dangerous to conduct anymore.
So, they first made up a cooperative network of Packs, each under it's own Alpha, or "First"; and settled control of things on people who had no stake in Werewolf politics; the Kindred. The Kindred were alloted the right to arbitrate territorial differences, and the "Firsts" had to agree or be shunned (as a danger to the Secret).
That eventually led to a democritization of Werewolf society, as the Wulfen decided that if Smooths could do things together as a Society, so could they. After all, they spend most of their lives pretending to be Smooths, so why not learn from them?
Today, there are multi-Pack councils that run the show and things have never been better. The "Tithe" or "First's share" was large enough to cover expenses and invest. There are some very wealthy Packs out there as a result.
Tomorrow....Hello, friend. :wink:
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Post by Kavik »

RedEye wrote:That is dealt with thusly: Some years back, the Alphas decided it was in their own interest to band together, as the increasing sophistication of both Police equipment and Surveillance equipment made the historic "turf wars" too dangerous to conduct anymore.
So, they first made up a cooperative network of Packs, each under it's own Alpha, or "First"; and settled control of things on people who had no stake in Werewolf politics; the Kindred. The Kindred were alloted the right to arbitrate territorial differences, and the "Firsts" had to agree or be shunned (as a danger to the Secret).
That eventually led to a democritization of Werewolf society, as the Wulfen decided that if Smooths could do things together as a Society, so could they. After all, they spend most of their lives pretending to be Smooths, so why not learn from them?
Today, there are multi-Pack councils that run the show and things have never been better. The "Tithe" or "First's share" was large enough to cover expenses and invest. There are some very wealthy Packs out there as a result.
Tomorrow....Hello, friend. :wink:
That sounds like a decent way to handle this, though I question how effective censure would really be. real world wolves have a similar system, except that they kill the lone wolf to ensure the survivability of the pack. We are talking about werewolves here, not werebunnies, so I'm guessing those alphas that get shunned would be threatened with death as well.
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Post by RedEye »

If an Alpha or "First" gets shunned, so does his entire pack! In such a case, the shunned "First" will soon lead a 'pack' of nothing. Werewolves are gregarious by nature, needing contact with their kind for their mental health and stability.

You want a "Blood-thirsty Werewolf monstser?" That would be a First who has lost his pack and is literally "not there" to other Werewolves. The dual needs for companionship and social contact, inherited from their Wolf and Human base genesets, will destabilize a shunned Werewolf's mind.

In a City of moderate size there might be as many as six "Packs" of up to twenty members each, all within commuting distance. Retaining a Pack is a First's principal function. If he isn't up to standard, his pack members can vote with their feet and go elsewhere.
This keeps Firsts on their toes. They only keep position by literally being the best Werewolf for the job.

Large cities (using Los Angeles as an example) might have ten Packs, and perhaps a half dozen "Hunts" (half a dozen non-family Were's banded together). That's a lot of Werewolves! I use Los Angeles because it is comprised of many smaller cities that have been absorbed into the main city of L.A. They also find a lot of work in Hollywood as stunt-doubles and stunt-men and women. Where there is a densly packed population, you'll find a disproportionate number of Werewolves.
It's easier to hide where people are overloaded and unaware, due to crowding. Plus, for some reason, they like Smoothskin people as social contacts (while keeping what they are secret).
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