should werewolves be born or bitten?

[Kirk Hammett]

And those born might be bought up by wolfy parents so they have more knowledge on how to deal with it, less likely to die (ie if the bite can sometimes be lethal), they could be trained, and stronger, etc there could be pros and cons to being born or bitten.

[Curan]

I voted "all of the above". My Imagination about that doesn't include curses, evil spells, etc. It's a biological procedure caused by a genetical transformation initalized by a virus wich works as cloning vector.

Born Werewolves:
Whether a werewolf could be born is a question of
1. is the germ strand (I don't know the english word for Keimbahn) affacted by that genetic transformation
2. if not, is the embryo shielded by the antiseptic blockade of the mother's placenta.

In my imagination of the virus' properties the mother's placenta functions as antisepic blocade.
Othervise the germ strand is affected by an infection.

So, to what consequences do that lead us?

1. The breed of werewolves consists of werewolves, if the parents are werewolves while doing the act of reproduction.
2. If a pregnant woman is bitten by a werewolf the baby will be full human.
3. A werewolf could have been creaded. To be created doesen't mean puting werewolf's saliva in the mouth or on wherever on the victim. It's the same procedure as to be bitten, if the saliva is in contact to the victim's blood anyway. Created werewolves means biogenetic construction of the werewolf specific DNA and finding a fitting cloning vector to have an efficient instrument of the infection procedure.

[bloodwolf_345]

I have no real opinion on how a new Werewolf should be introduced, but lets say there is Inbreeding, there could be a slip in a gene, causing the child to be born in the gestalt/hybred form, without the shapeshifting ability.

Or born in the full wolf form with human intellect but unable to shape shift....

That is a possibility, however, in either case it would not stay out of the papers or tabloids. More so in the latter. The headline would read "Woman Gives Birth to Wolf Pup" Said child would not be left alone.

In the Gestalt/hybred case the headline could read "Wolfman born in Mississippi" Also not good for said child.

I have started many stories that have the main character be the Gestalt/Hybred form of a natural predator, eg. Panther, Fox, Wolf, Lion, Etc. All features of said animal would be present, including the tail.

[garouda]

I have no real opinion on how a new Werewolf should be introduced, but lets say there is Inbreeding, there could be a slip in a gene, causing the child to be born in the gestalt/hybred form, without the shapeshifting ability.

Or born in the full wolf form with human intellect but unable to shape shift....

That is a possibility, however, in either case it would not stay out of the papers or tabloids. More so in the latter. The headline would read "Woman Gives Birth to Wolf Pup" Said child would not be left alone.

In the Gestalt/hybred case the headline could read "Wolfman born in Mississippi" Also not good for said child.

I have started many stories that have the main character be the Gestalt/Hybred form of a natural predator, eg. Panther, Fox, Wolf, Lion, Etc. All features of said animal would be present, including the tail.

Unless the WWs had the good sense to have all their birthings in non-public situations. An ounce of prevention......

[bloodwolf_345]

I have no real opinion on how a new Werewolf should be introduced, but lets say there is Inbreeding, there could be a slip in a gene, causing the child to be born in the gestalt/hybred form, without the shapeshifting ability.

Or born in the full wolf form with human intellect but unable to shape shift....

That is a possibility, however, in either case it would not stay out of the papers or tabloids. More so in the latter. The headline would read "Woman Gives Birth to Wolf Pup" Said child would not be left alone.

In the Gestalt/hybred case the headline could read "Wolfman born in Mississippi" Also not good for said child.

I have started many stories that have the main character be the Gestalt/Hybred form of a natural predator, eg. Panther, Fox, Wolf, Lion, Etc. All features of said animal would be present, including the tail.

Unless the WWs had the good sense to have all their birthings in non-public situations. An ounce of prevention......

The papers would find out about it somehow or other

[garouda]

I have no real opinion on how a new Werewolf should be introduced, but lets say there is Inbreeding, there could be a slip in a gene, causing the child to be born in the gestalt/hybred form, without the shapeshifting ability.

Or born in the full wolf form with human intellect but unable to shape shift....

That is a possibility, however, in either case it would not stay out of the papers or tabloids. More so in the latter. The headline would read "Woman Gives Birth to Wolf Pup" Said child would not be left alone.

In the Gestalt/hybred case the headline could read "Wolfman born in Mississippi" Also not good for said child.

I have started many stories that have the main character be the Gestalt/Hybred form of a natural predator, eg. Panther, Fox, Wolf, Lion, Etc. All features of said animal would be present, including the tail.

Unless the WWs had the good sense to have all their birthings in non-public situations. An ounce of prevention......

The papers would find out about it somehow or other

Even birthings at home with WW midwives ?

[Apokryltaros]

Yes, how does one explain away the sudden appearance of a new baby and the sudden loss of weight?
A trip to the kennel?

[garouda]

Yes, how does one explain away the sudden appearance of a new baby and the sudden loss of weight?
A trip to the kennel?

The obvious answer.

One is not obligated to show one's baby to anyone if one does not care to.

There still is a principal of privacy.

[Apokryltaros]

Still, wouldn't it be rather hard to hide the fact that one is raising a baby after a while?

[garouda]

Still, wouldn't it be rather hard to hide the fact that one is raising a baby after a while?

That hardly means one is obligated to show ones baby to nosey neighbors.

[Apokryltaros]

Still, wouldn't it be rather hard to hide the fact that one is raising a baby after a while?

That hardly means one is obligated to show ones baby to nosey neighbors.

One IS obligated to show one's baby to social workers, pediatricians, and child-care service authorities you know.
There are a whole phalanx of people who would take an interest in knowing about one's baby besides nosy neighbors.
Plus, things get complicated when the baby grows into a child. Even if a child is home-raised and home-schooled, he or she still needs to take special state-issued exams to make sure that the child's education is at least on par with public schools, as well as to make sure that the baby or child has had all of his or her shots for all sorts of childhood diseases. Authorities and social workers are not going to buy "well, my child's lycanthropy will take care of any diseases and he'll learn all he'll ever need to know from my pack."
Generally speaking, when the authorities find out that one has a child or baby hidden away at one's house with the intent of keeping the baby or child secluded away from the world, so much so that he or she doesn't even so much as have a birth certificate or even proper vaccinations, the authorities have this nasty habit of seizing the child or baby and placing him or her in protective custody, while pressing charges of child neglect/endangerment and or abuse on the parent(s) or guardian(s).

[garouda]

Still, wouldn't it be rather hard to hide the fact that one is raising a baby after a while?

That hardly means one is obligated to show ones baby to nosey neighbors.

One IS obligated to show one's baby to social workers, pediatricians, and child-care service authorities you know.
There are a whole phalanx of people who would take an interest in knowing about one's baby besides nosy neighbors.
Plus, things get complicated when the baby grows into a child. Even if a child is home-raised and home-schooled, he or she still needs to take special state-issued exams to make sure that the child's education is at least on par with public schools, as well as to make sure that the baby or child has had all of his or her shots for all sorts of childhood diseases. Authorities and social workers are not going to buy "well, my child's lycanthropy will take care of any diseases and he'll learn all he'll ever need to know from my pack."
Generally speaking, when the authorities find out that one has a child or baby hidden away at one's house with the intent of keeping the baby or child secluded away from the world, so much so that he or she doesn't even so much as have a birth certificate or even proper vaccinations, the authorities have this nasty habit of seizing the child or baby and placing him or her in protective custody, while pressing charges of child neglect/endangerment and or abuse on the parent(s) or guardian(s).

I cannot dispute the delirious intrusiveness of the nanny-state.

So, question, aside from lone wolves, who frankly have odds of lasting that approach zero, how would the pack,or WW network assist the parents ?

[Apokryltaros]

I cannot dispute the delirious intrusiveness of the nanny-state.

Well, it's either that, or let little things like rubella, polio, malnutrition or rotavirus become the leading causes of infant death again.

[garouda]

I cannot dispute the delirious intrusiveness of the nanny-state.

Well, it's either that, or let little things like rubella, polio, malnutrition or rotavirus become the leading causes of infant death again.

Regardless, the werewolves have need to organize themselves for a life of discretion. And if, under some circumstances, they cannot safely reveal their offspring, at least for a while, do you think they would ?

[alphanubilus]

According to the actual lore, that is the lore not created by Hollywood, White Wolf, or any other fantasy deployed department, there aren't any cases by which a person obtained lycanthropy through the transmition of a bite. Rabies yes... Werewolfism... no. The disease aspect of werewolfism comes from the common belief that those who participated in its practice were mentally unstable and suffered from delusions that they themselves were transformed into wolves, his the mental illness lycanthropy, named after the Greek king who tried to feed Zues human flesh, Lycaon, and was thus doomed to spend the rest of his life as a wolf.

In the real lore, people obtained the power of transformation by either a curse, a pact, or by dark magic. In other words most of the people who became werewolves were murderous to begin with, and used the guise of a wolf to hide their crimes.

There are legends in Ireland where entire towns were turned into wolves, due to the flagrant blasphemy of a holy holiday. They would spend 7 years as wolves and become human for a day, and then turn back into wolves for another 7 years. From this story comes another tale, of a wolf who pounced upon two priests sitting next to a fire in the woods. The wolf pleaded with the head priest to come with him and give his dying mate the dying rights of the church. The wolf wanted its mate to die like a woman and not like a common animal in the woods. The priest reluctantly agrees and gives the she-wolf her dying rights, and upon doing so she turns back into a woman.

In old lore, there are tales of werewolves as being a race all to their own. While such cases are more, "I see these things that had bodies of men and heads of wolves!" than actual stories about them, they are still there.

If werewolves were real, their bite wouldn't be any more dangerous (virally) than a bite from any savage canine, and that is supposedly that you survive the encounter.

[Apokryltaros]

In old lore, there are tales of werewolves as being a race all to their own. While such cases are more, "I see these things that had bodies of men and heads of wolves!" than actual stories about them, they are still there.

If werewolves were real, their bite wouldn't be any more dangerous (virally) than a bite from any savage canine, and that is supposedly that you survive the encounter.

Do realize that the "Cynocephalans" were considered to be very distinct from werewolves, in that the former were people who had dogs' heads, while the latter were humans who were cursed to turn into wolves.

[strykeriuswolf]

i think that i would have to agree with Anubis, they are a rare breed....

Stryker

[Scott Gardener]

Still, he's right about the classic lore thing. The infectious bite is really from vampire lore. Werewolves became cursed sympathetic persons in 1930s and 40s Hollywood. Before that, it was done with magic, either as a curse, or more often, as a voluntary magic.

That's European werewolves, anyway. In other parts of the world, where wolves aren't villainized (or aren't even around at all), the story's a bit different. Still, wolf shifters that bite and turn others into more wolf shifters just hasn't come up a lot before 1935's Werewolf of London.

Now an African werewolf could could have come in from the tropics, but not a European lycanthrope. It's a question of migratory pat'urns. Wait a mi'ut? Suppose two werewolves carried the coconut across together? ....

[Apokryltaros]

Now an African werewolf could could have come in from the tropics, but not a European lycanthrope. It's a question of migratory pat'urns. Wait a mi'ut? Suppose two werewolves carried the coconut across together? ....

So, what's the flight velocity of an unladened Ethopian wolf?