Werewolf Guide - Biting

"That werewolves have the ability to bite a human being and transfer their condition to that person has long been known by human and werewolf alike. Humans believe that new werewolves are created from the survivors of werewolf attacks that occur during the full moon. The truth, however, is much more interesting and complicated than they could ever have imagined.

People have a habit of picking up bits and pieces of the truth and coming up with their own version, elaborating and filling in the details as they go. In early times it was noticed that some people did indeed gain the ability to shapeshift after being bitten by a werewolf, and since these attacks usually happened at night they were paired with the moon, a powerful symbol of nocturnal mystery. As werewolves became more rare people forgot about the close association they held with them in the past, but the myths remained.

Although any werewolf has the ability to pass on the condition with a bite, there are restrictions that make it a very slow process. A bite can be effectively delivered at any time, day or night, but the werewolf must plan in advance to give it.
Once a werewolf gains the ability to change into wolf form there are many instincts that will soon develop to guide behavior. One of these is the knowledge of the ritual that is required to make a bite have the ability to transfer shapeshifting to a human. The werewolves have their own mythology to explain why it must work this way. They believe that their ancestors were powerful shamans who discovered the ability to shapeshift using magic. They shared this gift with the rest of the world, but they built the ritual into it so that the werewolves would always remember who they had to thank for their abilities.

The ritual requires the mixing of three special ingredients to make a very unpleasant potion, which must be swallowed.
The first ingredient must be something that represents mankind. Since humans from most cultures around the world create some form of alcoholic beverage to enjoy, alcohol makes for a very effective symbol.
The second ingredient must be something that represents the animal side of the shapeshifter. The most common choice is the hair or wool of an animal species that humans raise as livestock or hunt for food, symbolizing that the werewolf will find himself in competition with humans.
The third ingredient is a statement written on a piece of paper expressing the werewolf’s desire to pass on his ability, and which animal species he wishes for the person he bites to become. A shapeshifter can change people into species other than themselves, but this requires an immense amount of extra effort and concentration, so it is not often done. The statement can be written using any combination of materials (including natural materials such as leaves and charcoal). If the werewolf does not have the ability to express the statement in a written language, pictogram-like drawings will suffice.

Once these ingredients have been collected they must be mixed together thoroughly. The potion’s effect will only apply to the mixer. It cannot be shared or mass-produced. When the potion is ready it must be drunk slowly, and in a calm, concentrated state of mind. It can be put aside for future use, but it is most effective when consumed immediately.
As you can imagine, swallowing a scratchy mixture of some kind of alcoholic drink, hair, and pulpy paper makes concentration difficult. It often requires some trial and error before the werewolf can get it right every time.

After the werewolf has finished the potion, he will enter an altered state of mind. Thoughts become cloudy, and there is an overwhelming urge to use the bite as soon as possible. It must be used with care however, since each time the potion is taken it will allow the werewolf only one chance to change a human. After the first bite, no one else will be affected.
In wolf form a werewolf that has taken the potion will develop eerily glowing green eyes until the bite has been used. In human form there are no unusual changes.
After the bite has been given to a human the werewolf will feel mentally exhausted for a while, and will not be able to go through the ritual again for a period of several weeks to months. Since the only other way for a person to become a werewolf is by being born as one, this puts a limit on how fast the werewolves can increase their population size.

Other species of shapeshifters from werefoxes to weretigers use a similar ritual, suggesting a common origin of the ability in many different parts of the world.

The reasons for biting humans are as varied as the personalities of the werewolves themselves. Some, loving their condition, wish to share it with others so that they can experience the same wonderful feeling it brings. Some hate what they are, and since the condition is irreversible they lash out at the world by making more people become like themselves, in hopes of sharing the misery that they feel. Still others believe it is their mission to change as many humans as possible into werewolves, so that their kind can eventually become more numerous and powerful than humankind.

Although throughout much of history biting humans was an acceptable practice, especially when werewolf population numbers were low, it has been discouraged in more recent times. In America, which is policed by a large dominant pack that has dedicated itself to protecting both wolves and humans from the actions of rogues, it is a crime to bite a human unless that human has requested it. Since that almost never happens, bites are by default viewed as an act of violence that changes the human victim against their will into something that they might not want to be. On top of that, there are often problems with adjusting to the condition that make werewolves who gain their ability through a bite more dangerous than those who are born with it. A werewolf who earns himself a reputation as a biter will be hunted down and executed by specially trained assassins that work for the pack. A warning may be delivered first, but no one who refuses to follow the rules can be permitted to live. Order and safety must be preserved at all costs.”

Can you tell I love werewolves?
This is the third installment of my Werewolf Guide, which describes the version of werewolves that I came up with years ago and that I believe would be the most fun and interesting to actually exist. Most of this is completely made up, but I did take a few ideas here and there from mythology and the movies.

Other chapters:
Basic physical features of werewolves- [link]
Non-wolf shapeshifters- [link]
Rogues- [link]
Capture and restraint- [link]
Terminology- [link]
Psychology- [link]
Physical appearances- [link]
South America- [link]

I try to think of how werewolves would work psychologically as well as physically. They are not immune to the same kinds of myths and misconceptions that humans have. Even they do not fully understand how their condition works, and fear and misunderstanding of each other often guides their interactions. Above all else they are obsessed with hiding the secret of their reality from humanity, and they will destroy anyone who they believe is a threat to that security. What was once viewed as a natural and positive thing is now a crime punishable by death.