====== Werewolf Physiology ====== ===== Mercy Thompson Series ===== ====Moon Called==== [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #1: [[Moon Called]] * have a distinctive musk-and-mint scent⁰³ * some people will tell you that werewolves can only shapechange under a full moon⁰⁴ * werewolves, even in human form, do have the strength they're credited with in the old movies⁰⁹ * a werewolf won't freeze to death sleeping outside, however bad the weather¹¹ * werewolves can take as much as fifteen minutes to shift shape—and shifting is painful for them¹² * werewolves aren't the most friendly animals anyway, but if they've just shifted, it's a good policy to leave them alone for a while¹³ * most of them felt that becoming short-tempered and occasionally furry was a small price to pay for extraordinary strength, speed, and senses—not to mention the fringe benefits of a body immune to disease and old age²⁴ * there are no drugs that work on werewolves²⁴ * werewolves, fully changed, weigh upward of two hundred and fifty pounds²⁷ * werewolves heal too fast²⁷ * drugs don't work on werewolves; their metabolism is too high³⁴ * super strength; super healing⁴⁰ * werewolves usually have markings that are more doglike than wolflike⁴⁷ * for all their size werewolves still resemble their gracile cousin the timber wolf more than the mastiff or Saint Bernard who are closer to their weight⁶¹ * when weres run, they move with a deadly, silent grace; they aren't really built for running, they are built for fighting⁶¹ * werewolves are tough⁶⁵ * werewolves heal incredibly fast⁸⁶ * werewolves needed a lot of food⁹² * werewolves are very densely muscled; they tend to have a difficult time swimming even if they want to, because, like chimpanzees, they have too much muscle and not enough fat to float⁹⁶ * are very good at sensing arousal; not just smells, but elevated temperature and increased heart rate¹²⁹ * arousal in werewolves tends to bring out the fighting instinct in all nearby males¹²⁹ * a lot of werewolves can smell a lie¹⁴² * cells repaired themselves and removed damage of age, disease and experience¹⁶⁸ * werewolves can run faster than greyhounds¹⁷⁸ * werewolves' front legs are built more like a bear's or a lion's than a timber wolf's¹⁹⁸ * werewolves use their claws to rip and tear flesh¹⁹⁸ * the average life span of a werewolf from his first Change until his death is ten years; most werewolves died in dominance fights with other wolves²⁰¹ * because of their high metabolisms, werewolves usually feel warmer to the touch²⁵⁰ ====Blood Bound==== [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #2: [[Blood Bound]] * servant of the moons phases⁰² * when werewolves finally admitted what they were, the scientists immediately started looking for a virus or bacteria that could cause the Change⁰³ * cannot be mistaken for wolves; much bigger and a lot scarier⁰² * have strength; semi-retractable claws and inch long fangs¹⁵ * werewolves can be very long-live creatures²³ * werewolves don't like the heat²³⁷ * heal fast, but their bones still break and a punch still hurts⁹⁴ * werewolves aren't immortal, just immune to age; time is their enemy anyway; after so long, nothing matters anymore and death looks better than living another day¹⁰⁸ * even werewolves need sleep¹¹⁴ * werewolves heal incredibly fast; they are strong, graceful; never grow old¹³¹ * a werewolf's shoulder is articulated more like a tiger or bear than a wolf, giving them lateral motion and the ability to use their impressive claws¹³² * with some of the bigger males, the effect can be almost grotesque¹³² * when they move they look gracile and strong, just not entirely canid¹³² * a wounded werewolf is dangerous, the wolf nature superceding the human control—and a werewolf is a very nasty creature²¹² * werewolves heal very fast once they're able to change²⁴¹ ====Iron Kissed==== [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #3: [[Iron Kissed]] * werewolves are tough⁰³ * make having a private conversation difficult⁰⁵ * can smell a lie at a hundred yards¹¹ * most werewolves are attractive; it goes with the permanently young-and-muscled look⁴¹ * werewolves like things a little cooler⁹⁸ * are fast¹¹² * never seen a werewolf that was out of shape or fat; the wolf is too restless for that¹⁵⁷ * can jump down entire staircases²⁰⁷ * werewolves can't swim; they have too little fat; they're too dense to float²⁰⁹ * werewolves can take a lot of damage²¹² * werewolves can't talk in their wolf shape²¹³ * werewolves in their wolf form, are not always angry—just as a grizzly bear is not always angry; it only seems like it²¹⁴ * don't die of old age²²¹ ====Bone Crossed==== [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #4: [[Bone Crossed]] * supernatural strength¹³ * werewolves have very good hearing³⁰ * werewolves don't die of old age the way humans do, it can kill them just as effectively³⁷ * most werewolves carry dark glasses or wear hats that can shadow their eyes⁵⁵ * werewolves don't like the heat²³⁷ ====Silver Borne==== [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #5: [[Silver Borne]] * they have a distinctive odor¹¹ * most werewolves are attractive regardless of bone structure; perfect health, permanent youth, and lots of muscle are a pretty surefire formula for good looks¹¹ * werewolves take a lot of food to keep themselves fueled up²⁵ * a werewolf pack can feed off any of its members, borrowing energy³⁹ * they can't swim; their bodies are too dense⁵⁰ * werewolves all have different relations with their wolves¹³⁹ * think of werewolves as conjoined twins; some are quite separate, barely sharing anything at all with their wolves; just two entities under the same skin—they all start out this way¹³⁹ * when their human side is able to take control, wolf and man work out a balance; just as their human soul loses part of what it was to be human, the wolf loses part of what it means to be wolf¹³⁹ * werewolves tend to lose their human halves when badly injured, but they can be recalled to themselves by a mate or by a more dominant wolf¹⁶⁸ * no painkillers work on werewolves for long¹⁷⁰ * werewolves deal with germs better than people do¹⁷⁵ * nifty werewolf superpowers of healing¹⁸³ * werewolves are pretty immune to the cold¹⁸⁴ * werewolves, even the same werewolf, will heal wounds at different rates depending upon a number of things²³⁰ * medicine among werewolves is, in many ways, much simpler—if more brutal—than for humans²⁴² ====River Marked==== [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #6: [[River Marked]] * werewolves can't swim; their muscle mass is too dense to be buoyant, so they sink to the bottom like anchors⁴⁷ * werewolves are seldom out of shape⁴⁸ * werewolves are quick; not cheetah fast, but faster than timber wolves or dogs⁴⁸ * werewolves don't age at all⁷³ * infection wasn't a concern with werewolves¹⁷⁸ * medical procedures you have to work quickly on a werewolf; they heal pretty fast¹⁸¹ * werewolf teeth are sharp enough to make an impression²⁰⁶ * a werewolf can stay wolf for a while; a couple of days, no trouble; a few weeks, not so good, but most of them will be okay afterwards²⁶¹ * months were possible—one or two; after that, he would be all wolf with no human²⁶¹ * smoothly muscled²⁸⁰ * werewolves are tough³⁰⁹ * being a werewolf halts and reverses the aging process⁴² ====Frost Burned==== [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #7: [[Frost Burned]] * muscle-bound werewolf¹¹ * always thought that werewolves were invulnerable to drugs; SDK Cocktail: Silver Nitrate, DMSO, Ketamine²⁰ * most of the wolves that got hit with stuff were fine; but new werewolves are more vulnerable²⁰ * able to boost their metabolism²⁰ * baring the threat of infection, which isn't an issue for werewolves³⁴ * a werewolf's scent changes when they are in human form, becomes diluted⁷⁸ * hard to land quietly on a hard surface with werewolf-sized claws⁸¹ * unless you are a werewolf, bare feet can't do much damage⁸² * smelled of musk and mint that said werewolf¹⁰⁴ * werewolves never died of old age because they didn't age¹⁰⁶ * werewolves are different when they are in their wolf shape, less human and less caught up in human manners¹³² * conservation of matter is a funny concept when expressed by a werewolf; who knows better that magic makes science blink than a 170-pound man who turns into a 250-pound werewolf * older werewolves didn't make a lot of noise when they ran²²⁶ * the colder the better for a werewolf²³⁹ * even in human form, werewolves have strong jaw muscles²⁴³ * werewolves are good runners, but even a werewolf can run only so fast in their human form²⁵⁷ * werewolf fangs are more impressive than vampire fangs³¹⁰ * werewolf claws are a good weapon³¹⁹ ====Night Broken==== [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #8: [[Night Broken]] * too much testosterone⁰⁷ * werewolves don't age physically⁸⁸ * werewolves smell like musk and mint¹²⁴ * can smell emotion, can smell when something is off¹²⁴ * werewolves have retractable claws that don't dig into the dirt unless they are running—almost like a cougars's¹²⁸ * a lot faster than any human¹⁵⁸ * werewolves don't have extra fat on their bodies; they burn calories in the change from human to wolf and back, and they burn calories moving because a werewolf doesn't have the proper temperament to be a couch potato¹⁷⁶ * werewolves were edgy around moon time; edgier²⁹⁰ ====Fire Touched==== [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #9: [[Fire Touched]] * don't lie to a werewolf; they can tell⁰⁵ * werewolves were two-hundred pounds of fang and claw who mostly healed nearly as quickly as they could be hurt²¹ * werewolf jaws do fine with rending and ripping³⁷ * werewolf claws are like those of a grizzly⁵⁸ * werewolves heal fast, which was good up to a point—but if a bone wasn't set correctly, it would heal just as it was; then it would need to be rebroken⁸² * are not fragile creatures²⁶⁴ * werewolf shoulders are built more like those of a bear or a cat; it meant that they were excellent climbers³¹⁶ * magic resides in werewolves; it produces their condition but the werewolves themselves could produce and use magic³³⁶ ====Silence Fallen==== [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #10: [[Silence Fallen]] * werewolves bounce back from a little thing like a car wreck a lot faster than humans¹⁵ * distinctive musky mint scent⁵⁷ * had huge claws that give them traction like the bigs catd do⁶⁰ * dual-natured²¹⁰ * werewolf blood was enticing and addictive to vampires²⁶ * alcohol would give a werewolf a momentary jolt, then the effects dissipated¹⁷¹ * even a werewolf could get drunk by drinking Everclear, the 190-proof version, fast enough¹⁷¹ * vampire bites heal as slowly on a werewolf as any wound on a mortal²⁸⁸ ====Storm Cursed==== [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #11: [[Storm Cursed]] * advantages of speed and strength that being a werewolf bestowed¹⁰ * werewolves either regenerate lost limbs or they die, exception: [[Sherwood Post]] ⁵⁶ * could smell goblins¹⁴³ * werewolves have to eat a lot; and "hangry" just doesn't describe what happens to a werewolf when he is hungry²²⁷ ====Smoke Bitten==== [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #12: [[Smoke Bitten]] * werewolves, all of them, are hard-muscled because the wolf is a restless creature¹¹⁶ * werewolves don't float—they sink; too much muscle, not enough fat; or maybe it was something about the way their magic worked¹⁶³ * werewolves have lots and lots of big sharp teeth²²⁸ * werewolves couldn't talk in their wolf form²²⁸ * werewolves don't feel the cold as much²⁷² * they need fuel for shapeshifting²⁷² =====Alpha & Omega Series===== ====Alpha & Omega Novella==== [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #0.5: [[Alpha & Omega Novella]] * being a werewolf gives you greater strength and endurance¹⁷³ * werewolves shouldn't let themselves get so thin—it could be dangerous to those around them¹⁸⁵ * you have to eat more as a werewolf to maintain your weight²¹⁰ ====Cry Wolf==== [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #1: [[Cry Wolf]] * giving first aid to werewolves was fraught with danger; pain could make a wolf lose control³⁰ * best not to startle a wounded werewolf; even one in human form³⁴ * never seen a feverish werewolf³⁴ * werewolves seldom scar on the outside¹¹⁸ * werewolves whose human and wolf were almost entirely separate—usually didn't survive long; either they attacked someone older and stronger than they or they were killed because they had no control over the wolf¹³¹ * werewolves are very fast¹⁸⁴ * cold doesn't bother werewolves²⁶¹ ====Hunting Ground==== [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #2: [[Hunting Ground]] * senses, werewolf sharp; werewolf reflexes⁰¹ * some werewolves talk as if they and the wolves they shared their skins with were one; some werewolves had nothing wolfish about them, even in wolf form, than a nasty temper and a need to kill things that ran from them⁴⁶ * to function, most werewolves have to make their wolf obedient if not completely subservient; after a while, the wolf spirit is reduced to a part of the man's spirit; an unthinking, violent part full of instincts and desires but no true thoughts⁶¹ * werewolves are denser than humans¹⁰⁶ * injured werewolves, when not attended by more dominant wolves, tended to be violent²³⁷ ====Fair Game==== [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #3: [[Fair Game]] * werewolves were, as a whole, young, healthy, and muscled¹¹⁸ * werewolves can be whatever color¹⁵⁴ * werewolves could control themselves when they ran as wolves—though they tended to be hot-tempered²²⁸ * all werewolves had to change during the full moon, but most of them could change whenever they wished it²²⁸ * mostly werewolves were immune to drugs and alcohol; their metabolism just ran through it too fast²³⁹ * drugs might not work right on werewolves, but enough drugs could knock her out for a few minutes²⁶⁴ ====Dead Heat==== [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #4: [[Dead Heat]] * werewolf DNA is just like human DNA; you can't tell the difference unless the sample is taken when in werewolf form—//then// it's different⁰⁶ * there's no way to use a blood test to see if someone is a werewolf or not⁰⁶ * a werewolf didn't mind the cold³² * werewolves have two natures; the human part and the wolf part⁶⁰ * the wolf isn't like a real wolf—it's a lot more angry than that⁶⁰ * being a werewolf is not a panacea to death⁸⁰ * well-fed werewolves are easier to deal with than hungry ones¹⁴⁰ * werewolves could live forever, but on average lived far shorter lives than their human originally could have expected to¹⁴² * it wasn't healthy for a werewolf to stay in wolf form for very long²⁰⁴ * werewolf bodies were not exactly designed to climb ladders²³³ ====Burn Bright==== [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #5: [[Burn Bright]] * there wasn't a werewolf on the planet fast enough to dodge a bullet⁵⁵ * werewolves can climb trees; like a grizzly, they could climb as far up as a tree would hold them⁶⁴ * werewolves were tough but not indestructible⁶⁹ * werewolves could probably stroll around carrying a VW Bug from the bumpers and not show much strain¹¹² * werewolves smell of musk and mint¹⁵² * all the werewolves had a bit of multiple personality disorder—the human half and the wolf half sometimes existed in a state of conflict¹⁷⁷ * a werewolf doesn't need to worry about poison²¹⁶ * hunger tended to destabilize even the most controlled werewolf²⁵⁴ * it was usual for an out-of-control werewolf to eat his victims²⁵⁴ * wrestling with werewolves was complicated by the fact that weight didn't hold a werewolf unless his opponent was the size of an elephant, maybe; joint locks still worked though²⁶¹ ====Wild Sign==== [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #6: [[Wild Sign]] * hyperfit look most of the werewolves acquired⁰³ * werewolves can live a long time⁰⁸ * werewolves can smell lies²⁶ * werewolves are immortal³³ * even a werewolf had limits²³⁴ * werewolf endurance and speed²⁷² * werewolves couldn't swim³¹⁴ ======Mercyverse Short Fiction====== ====The Star of David==== [[Mercyverse Short Fiction]]: [[The Star of David]] * being a werewolf seems to settle physical age at about twenty-five²⁴⁶ * being agitated wasn't smart if you were a werewolf²⁴⁶ ====Roses in Winter==== [[Mercyverse Short Fiction]]: [[Roses in Winter]] * werewolves have very good reflexes²⁸⁴ * no one could afford to have a werewolves who couldn't be trusted²⁸⁷ * werewolves were not hounds, they did not need to make noise when they hunted²⁹⁵ * can't be killed by a little cold³⁰⁰ =====Werewolves & Fertility===== [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #1: [[Moon Called]] * female werewolves cannot have children; the change is too violent to allow the fetus to survive⁸⁰ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #2: [[Blood Bound]] * female werewolves can't have children; their pregnancies spontaneously abort during the moon's change⁴⁷ * human women can have children with werewolves, but they can only carry to term the babies who have only human DNA⁴⁷ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #3: [[Iron Kissed]] * women don't survive the Change as well as the men for some reason; the women who do cannot bear children⁹⁵ * they're fertile enough, but the monthly change at the full moon is too violent and they abort any pregnancies when they shift from human to werewolf⁹⁵ * werewolves can mate with humans; but they have a terribly high miscarriage rate and higher than usual infant mortality⁹⁶ * the only children who survive are completely human⁹⁶ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #12: [[Smoke Bitten]] * male werewolves could father children; but female werewolves could not carry them¹⁰⁸ * the moon's call ensured that all werewolves had to change¹⁰⁸ * the change from human to wolf is violent, too violent for a fetus to survive the first trimester¹⁰⁸ * surrogate; maybe someone who wanted to become a werewolf¹⁰⁹ * if there is a reproductive specialist willing to work with werewolves; there would be a long line of werewolves who want children¹⁰⁹ [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #0.5: [[Alpha & Omega Novella]] * werewolf women can't have children; the change is too hard on the fetus; they miscarry in the third or fourth month¹⁹¹ [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #3: [[Fair Game]] * female werewolves couldn't carry babies to term; the moon called and they changed to wolves, the violence of it too much for the forming child¹¹⁶ [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #4: [[Dead Heat]] * werewolf DNA is just like human DNA; there's no way to tell if an embryo is human, genetically, or werewolf⁰⁶ * there's no way to tell which embryo is werewolf, human, or some combination of the two, there's still a good chance of spontaneous abortion, the same problem human mates of werewolves have⁰⁷ * the issue of what happens to a human woman who carries a werewolf baby for nine months; will she become a werewolf⁰⁷ * werewolves should consider a surrogate who wants to be a werewolf⁰⁷ * it would eliminate problems if such a pregnancy does make her Change, if the child is a werewolf instead of human⁰⁷ * no one knows if carrying a werewolf baby and giving birth would infect the mother; or if so, when⁰⁷ ====Blue Jay Woman==== [[Blue Jay Woman]]\\ [[Moon Called]] * when she became pregnant she used the knowledge of magic her father had given her to keep from changing at the full moon⁸⁰ * has some magic of her own; managed to carry [[Charles Cornick]] to term but so weakened by her efforts that she died soon after his birth⁸⁰ [[Iron Kissed]] * she was from a family that was gifted with magic native to this land and not Europe as most of our magic-using humans have⁹⁶ * she was able to hold off the change every month until Charles' birth; weakened by her efforts, she died⁹⁶ [[Alpha & Omega Novella]] * her father was a person of magic and he helped her when she told him that she needed to stay human until Charles was born¹⁹¹ * so every month, when [[Bran Cornick]] and [[Samuel Cornick]] hunted under the moon, she stayed human¹⁹¹ * she grew weaker and weaker; she was killing herself¹⁹¹ * she held out until Charles' birth; weakened by the magic of fighting the moon's call, she did not survive it¹⁹² [[Dead Heat]] * werewolves weren't genetic; Blue Jay Woman was a Flathead, one of the Salish tribes, a wisewoman with magic of her own⁶⁰ * werewolf woman can't have babies, but she did anyway⁶⁰ =====The Effects of Silver===== Chat Transcripts * werewolves scar with wounds caused with silver Chat 2007-06-24 [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #1: [[Moon Called]] * dart of experimental drugs; combined silver nitrate with DMSO and Ketamine¹¹⁴ * Ketamine has been used as a recreational drug but started out as an animal tranquilizer¹¹⁴ * Silver Nitrate is used to develop film; a convenient way to get silver in a solution¹¹⁴ * DMSO—Dimeythyl Sulfoxide can carry other drugs with it across membranes¹¹⁴ * take DMSO and mix it with a silver nitrate; the silver is carried through the werewolf's body, poisoning as it goes so that the Ketamine goes to work without interference from the werewolf metabolism that would normally prevent the drug from having any effect at all¹¹⁵ * some werewolves were more sensitive to it than others²⁵³ * prolonged exposure to silver increases sensitivity²⁵⁸ * silver ammo makes wounds that don't heal fast; there is a chance of bleeding out²⁵⁹ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #5: [[Silver Borne]] * silver is harder than lead, and the bullets sometimes blow right through and leave the wolf sick, in pain, and alive⁵⁰ * silver shot works a little better, but unless rigged just right, it can take a long time to die⁵⁰ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #6: [[River Marked]] * silver bullet doesn't mushroom like a lead bullet does¹⁷⁹ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #7: [[Frost Burned]] * painful; silver hits werewolves like that²¹ * werewolves and silver do not mix¹³¹ * their body rejects silver¹³³ [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #1: [[Cry Wolf]] * silver's bad for werewolves²⁰⁰ [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #5: [[Burn Bright]] * silver didn't mushroom like lead; it was too hard; silver bullets, then, were not as deadly to werewolves as legend would have it⁷¹ * the wounds they made were more like the wounds from arrows than from lead bullets: a neat an tidy hole⁷¹ * werewolves mostly healed human slowly from such wounds—but as long as the hole wasn't in the wrong place they survived⁷¹ * the silver bullet that killed [[Hester]] behaved more like a lead bullet than a silver one; it hadn't mushroomed exactly; instead it opened up like a flower with sharp-edged petals⁷¹ [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #5: [[Wild Sign]] * silver is purifying—which is why it works on werewolves²⁵⁸ =====How to Kill a Werewolf===== [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #1: [[Moon Called]] * werewolves are hard to kill²⁹ * shot in the back of the head from less than six feet away⁶² * suicide is difficult for werewolves⁹⁵ * even silver bullets don't always defeat the wolf's ability to heal itself⁹⁵ * decapitation is effective⁹⁵ * drowning works very well; werewolves are very densely muscled; they have too much muscle and not enough fat to float⁹⁵ * massive allergic reaction to silver; combined silver nitrate with DMSO and Ketamine¹¹⁴ * most wolves died in dominance fights with other wolves²⁰¹ * you have to take out the spinal column if you want to kill a werewolf without silver²⁵⁹ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #5: [[Silver Borne]] * werewolves are too tough to die easily⁵⁰ * there aren't many ways for a werewolf to commit suicide⁵⁰ * self-decapitation just isn't all that easy⁵⁰ * silver bullets have some difficulties; silver is hard than lead, and the bullets sometimes blow right through and leave the wolf sick, in pain, and alive⁵⁰ * silver shot works better, but unless rigged just right, it can take a long time to die⁵⁰ * the most popular choice is death by werewolf⁵⁰ * drowning is the next popular choice; werewolves can't swim; their bodies are too dense; even a werewolf needs to breathe⁵⁰ * most werewolves die before they have spent a decade as a wolf; fight for dominance²³⁵ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #9: [[Fire Touched]] * hard to kill a werewolf but 560 foot drop from the Lampson crane might do it²³⁵ * would die if they had to go for food and water for an extended period of time²⁰⁵ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #12: [[Smoke Bitten]] * werewolves are hard to kill³⁶ [[Mercyverse Short Fiction]]: [[Silver]] * a werewolf could suffer a great deal before he died¹² =====The Change & Shifting===== Chat Transcripts * most disabilities would be healed by the Change Chat 2008-04-05 [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #1: [[Moon Called]] * werewolves can take as much as fifteen minutes to shift shape¹³ * the most prevalent of the cautionary tales werewolves tell each other is what happens the first time a werewolf changes if he doesn't know what he is²⁰ * any person bitten by a werewolf doesn't turn into another werewolf; it takes an attack so vicious that the victim lies near death to allow the magic of the wolf to slip past the body's immune system²¹ * in the US, most werewolves are brought over by friends or family²¹ * there are occasional attacks by rogue werewolves; it is one of the duties of a pack to kill rogues and find their victims²¹ * no drug in the world that would undo the Change²⁴ * few werewolves considered their state a curse after the first few months²⁴ * the change is not easy or painless at the best of times, and it was worse without the aid of the moon's call⁴⁶ * some werewolves can change relatively quickly with practice⁴⁶ * shifting is not easy or painless at the best of times, and it was worse without the aid of the moon's call⁴⁶ * sometimes the shift helps werewolves heal faster; usually the shift from human to wolf but the other way works as well⁹⁵ * most people don't survive the Change if they're already too sick¹⁰⁴ * usually when a wolf lives through the Change but doesn't survive his first year, it is because the human cannot control the instincts of the wolf¹¹⁰ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #2: [[Blood Bound]] * when werewolves finally admitted what they were, the scientists immediately started looking for a virus or bacteria that could cause the Change⁰³ * Johns Hopkins had a whole team devoted to the issue⁰³ * werewolves are made, not born; to become a werewolf, you need to survive an attack so vicious that you nearly die—which allows the werewolf's magic to defeat your immune system⁴⁷ * females don't survive the Change as well as males¹²⁴214 [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #3: [[Iron Kissed]] * the change is very painful, especially if they wait too long to change at a full moon and the moon pulls the change from them¹⁷ * werewolves, with one exception, are made, not born⁹⁵ * a human who wants to change must be savaged so badly that he either dies or becomes a werewolf and is saved by the rapid healing that is necessary to surviving as a hot-tempered monster among other such beasts⁹⁵ * the change is a slow process and it hurts; if they are tearing up clothing as they change, it just hurts that much worse; makes them grumpier than usual—so mostly they take their clothes off first²⁰⁸ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #5: [[Silver Borne]] * most werewolves have all the change they can deal with the first time they become wolf; other kinds of change are tough on them²⁵ * for a werewolf the change is slow and painful⁵⁷ * werewolves whose wolf had superseded the man often occurs with the newly Changed wolves; they are vicious, unpredictable, and dangerous even to the people they love⁶⁵ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #6: [[River Marked]] * [[Bran Cornick]] requested the wolves refrain from changing where others could see; the werewolves were beautiful—but the change is horrific²³⁴ * werewolves are moon called; they have to change during the full moon, and it is harder for them to control the wolf during that time²³⁴ * a lot of werewolves only shift during the full moon—two or three days a month²³⁵ * the shift is painful and takes a lot of energy²³⁵ * shifting more than a couple of times a week was beyond a lot of wolves' abilities²³⁵ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #7: [[Frost Burned]] * a werewolf's skin is pretty sensitive when he is changing¹⁹ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #9: [[Fire Touched]] * most werewolves take a while to change—ten minutes or even fifteen or twenty³² * its freaky looking³² * it's hard for a werewolf no to change when something's trying to kill them³² * a werewolf in midchange isn't helpless, just not as good in a fight because he's distracted; not a likely to be able to control himself³³ * werewolves had to strip to change³⁰⁷ * werewolves in the middle of shifting could and did protect themselves, but they couldn't do it well until they were fully in either form³⁰⁷ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #11: [[Storm Cursed]] * around ten or fifteen minutes it would take for the werewolves to change²³ * its not easy to get Changed to a werewolf; you'll be in no doubt about it if ever it happens to you⁴³ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #12: [[Smoke Bitten]] * when a werewolf takes his wolf form, the first thing to change is his eyes²²⁸ [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #0.5: [[Alpha & Omega Novella]] * there are rules³¹ * first is that no person may be changed against their will³¹ * second is that no person may be Changed until they have been counseled and passed a simple test to demonstrate that they understand what that Change means³¹ * a werewolf took a lot longer than five minutes to change back to human form¹⁸⁸ [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #1: [[Cry Wolf]] * something horrible about seeing someone's arms and legs twist and bend—and there was that stomach-churning part in the middle where there was neither fur nor skin to cover the muscle and bone²⁶ * usually when a wolf Changed someone, it was drawn back to the new werewolf for a while; some genetic imperative to make sure that an untaught, uncontrolled werewolf wasn't going to draw too much unwanted attention²⁰¹ [[Mercyverse Short Fiction]]: [[Silver]] * the first transformation from human to werewolf is harsh under the best of circumstances⁰⁷ * most people attacked brutally enough to be Change die⁰⁷ [[Mercyverse Short Fiction]]: [[Seeing Eye]] * surviving the Change was nowhere near a certainty¹³⁹ [[Mercyverse Short Fiction]]: [[The Star of David]] * shivery, icy pain slid over his bones while fire threaded through his muscles, reshaping, reorganizing, and altering what was there to suit itself²⁵⁸ * experience kept him from making noise—it was one of the first things he learned: how to control his instincts and keep the howls, the growls, and the whines inside and bury them in silence; noise can attract unwanted attention²⁵⁹ * his lungs labored to provide oxygen as adrenaline forced his heart to beat too fast²⁵⁹ * his face ached as teeth became fangs and his jaw extended with cheekbones²⁵⁹ * his eyesight blurred and then sharpened with a predatory clarity that allowed him to see prey and enemy alike no matter what shadows they tried to hide in²⁵⁹ [[Mercyverse Short Fiction]]: [[Roses in Winter]] * October was the month of Change at the [[Marrok Pack]]²⁸³ * strangers came to [[Aspen Creek, Montana]] to be Changed²⁸³ * the inductees—the Marrok's word for the humans who wanted to become werewolves, filled the Marrok's home to bursting²⁸³ * the wolves and, in some cases, the human relatives who had come to support the inductees, took over the small hotel in town²⁸³ * the Marrok required anyone who wanted to be Changed to come two weeks beforehand; he told them it was so he cold make sure they knew what they were getting into²⁸³ * it also gave him one last chance to talk them out of it²⁸³ * the Marrok's rules about Changing had save countless lives—and probably the werewolves as a species—but it had not been without personal cost²⁸⁸ * no child survived a werewolf attack to be Changed: exception [[Kara Beckworth]]²⁹⁶ * the Marrok built a pole barn about thirty years ago because he did not like Changing people in the school auditorium; too much blood and misery leaves a mark on a place³⁰¹ ====Werewolf Different Forms==== [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #3:[[Iron Kissed]] * [[Adam Hauptman]] * like one of the between forms a werewolf takes on when he's changing²⁵⁵ * more complete than that, as if the between form had become finished and useful²⁵⁵ * covered from top to tail with black fur and his hands looked very functional—as did his teeth-laden mouth²⁵⁵ * stood upright, but not like a man; his legs were caught halfway between human and wolf²⁵⁵ * huge claws²⁵⁵ * voice was guttural and oddly accented from speaking out of a mouth meant for howling rather than talking²⁵⁶ * roared more like a bear than a wolf²⁵⁶ * dropped to all fours and pulled the power of the pack to change; only took five minutes; either it was easier to change from a transitional stage, or the pack sped his way²⁵⁷ [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #11: [[Storm Cursed]] * [[Sherwood Post]] * his body caught halfway back to human; stuck in a bizarre mismatch of human an wolf limbs and features that looked incredibly painful and completely unsustainable¹¹² * caught-between-change shape of his mouth; words mangled¹¹² * couldn't change his whole body quickly enough for his purposes; just changed what he needed¹¹⁷ * a few of the older werewolves can do this: [[Asil Moreno]] [[Bran Cornick]] [[Sherwood Post]] [[Mercy Thompson Series]] #12: [[Smoke Bitten]] * [[Adam Hauptman]] * his face a nightmare version of a werewolf's face²²⁸ * massive lower jaw was undershot and more like a bulldog's than a wolf'; but it was wider than the upper jaw, too; the whole muzzle was too long for the width of his face²²⁸ * teeth would have done credit to a T.rex; they were black²²⁸ * his eyes were entirely human²²⁸ [[Alpha & Omega Series]] #3: [[Fair Game]] * dangerous to stay half-shifted, though some of the most dominant wolves could do it for a while²³⁹