Werewolf

"*Werewolves are a noble breed. They are savage and powerful and cruel and beautiful in more ways than most people can understand. They are a part of the earth, as real as the grass or the sea. They, like us, are creatures of a higher order. They do not answer to the laws of man, because they are not men. They are wolves.*"
―Elijah Mikaelson explaining the beauty of werewolves to his nephew, Chance
**Werewolves**, also known as **Lycanthropes**, **Loup Garou**, **Hominus Lupus**, the **Children of the Moon**, self-referenced as the **Garou**, or even just **Wolves**, are a supernatural classification of shapeshifting human-like creatures who have the ability to transform from an ordinary human appearance to a lupine shape. The term itself is a hypernym, used to refer to many different beings who can change their form to adopt wolf-like characteristics. Like their ancient rivals, the vampires, werewolves come in many different shapes, each breed has their own origins unique to themselves, with some being the result of a curse, magical enhancement, or even, evolution.

## Description

In the supernatural community, being a Werewolf is considered a gift, but it is a gift that has a cost—because a Werewolf's powers are derived from the moon, the full moon will cause their abilities and emotions to be so heightened that many lose control of themselves, which can cause death and destruction if not handled properly. For this reason, all newly turned Werewolves need to be trained in order to resist the urges that the moon forces upon them, which will allow them to remain in their human form unless it's absolutely necessary to change.

A Werewolf is strongest when in a pack with one Alpha (who is the leader of the pack) and at least three Beta Werewolves total, which constitutes a basic pack; in most cases, there is usually a defined hierarchy within the pack. The Alpha draws power from their Betas, and vice-versa, which makes them stronger, more mature and more effective in battle. Werewolves without a pack are known as Omegas, who are generally regarded as weaker and easier to defeat and/or kill than their Beta and Alpha peers, who have packs to back them up, though this is not always the case; an Omega could be the sole surviving member of a pack that was decimated, a former Alpha who has been abandoned by his Betas or a Beta abandoned or kicked out of their former pack, or, in the rarest of cases, are lone wolves purely by choice.

There are enough Werewolves in existence that the community even has its own culture, which includes legends and folk tales passed down through the generations, mystical rituals for certain events, and societal protocols for how to deal with intense situations, such as how to respond to the death of one of their fellow packmates.

### Physiology

#### Appearance

In human form, they are indistinguishable from ordinary humans, but are usually very attractive and well-built. They have a much higher body temperature than humans do, allowing them to withstand very cold weather and makes it difficult for them to become overheated. Camera flashes and some video recording devices cause werewolves eyes to glow, making them nearly impossible to photograph. They can apparently learn to control this effect so as to appear normally in photographs. In addition, their eyes seem to reflect light like a regular canine with eyeshine.

In their werewolf form, an individual's appearance often depends on what breed they belong to. Usually, their bodies change rapidly, changing into a perfectly fitting definition of both hunters and predators. Their nails increase to sharp, long claws, fangs increase in size and eyes resemble those of a wolf rather than of a human. It must be said that there are various degrees of transformation, depending on the class, skill, and power of the wolf in question, with the strongest becoming more animalistic and inhuman as they change.

Omegas are the most human looking, displaying only a change in eye colour, a lengthening of the claws, and an elongation of their fangs. Further transformations of this form consist of a widow's peak and heightened brow, an alteration of body or facial hair including sideburns on their cheeks, a lengthening and sharpening of their ears, as well as the ability to run using a combination of their hands and feet. Betas exhibit a much more obvious change, becoming taller and bulkier, fur spreads across their body which usually maintains a human stance, but experienced betas can advance even further to become more lupine. Alphas have the highest degree of transformation, allowing them to become larger and more bestial than even the strongest betas, displaying gigantic fangs and horrific claws; long, powerful arms; thick skin and bones; heavy fur; and a large wolf tail for balance and body language. Some Alphas can take this a step further and become more wolf-like, appearing as a gigantic prehistoric dire wolf-like creature.

Evolved werewolves i.e., the ones who can fully shift, take on the form of a natural wolf, though they are said to be either extraordinarily beautiful or horrifically terrifying to look at. They can also be distinguished from regular wolves by their displays of supernatural strength, blurred speed, and size which is comparable to fully grown humans. Some are also a little larger than wolves, with Logan Salvatore stating that Damian Corvinus was twice the size of an ordinary wolf, but it is unknown if this is accurate or just Logan exaggerating his size, however, it has been mentioned that Damian and his father are bigger than usual.

The fur colour of wolf forms differs from one to the other (e.g., Tyler Lockwood's fur colour is dark brown, Mason Lockwood's is white and grey, Jules' is light brown with a hint of white, Damian Corvinus's is pure white, and Hayley's is white and brown).

The skin of a werewolf is very similar to an actual wolf's, being pale under the fur but extraordinarily resistant to damage; weapons made primarily for thrusting (such as spears and bayonets) with wolfsbane, or high-calibre ammunition with wolfsbane seem to be the only things that can reliably pierce a werewolf's hide.

#### Transformation

A Werewolf's transformation, also known as the Change or the Shift, is different for each wolf. The manner of their transition depends on the breed, classification, and power level of the werewolf in question. For Cainites, all of whom can naturally achieve a total shift, they will only transform into a wolf under a full moon. The first transformation is quite slow, and the person is subjected to at least five or six hours of intense, bone-breaking pain before the actual transformation. After the first transformation, the experience does not last nearly as long, but it is still painful and something many werewolves come to dread. Angelus mentions that embracing the transformation rather than fighting it as most werewolves do, would make the process faster. Due to the nature of the Cainite strain, these wolves cannot access their powers on any night other than the full moon and are incapable of learning control. Only hybrids and the odd special case, such as Damian Corvinus, have any hope of controlling themselves.

During their transformation, the body of the Cainite in question will twist unnaturally as bones reshape and shift to form a wolf's skeleton, causing the person immense physical and psychological pain. Later, the werewolf grows excessive body hair and becomes feral. A werewolf returns to their human form after a few hours, sometimes sooner, sometimes later. After the first transformation, they will often experience muscle aches and migraines.

Werewolves also feel everything more sharply in their animal form, especially familial ties. Ansel, for example, would wake up from his transformation closer to his son's village after each full moon. Since he was brought back to life he would wake further from Klaus and New Orleans, drawn to his grandson, despite not even knowing he was alive. This shows familial ties in their werewolf form prioritizes the younger generation over the old.

#### Reproduction

There are several known ways to become a Werewolf. The two most common ones are being a born a Werewolf or to be bitten by an Alpha Werewolf. In incredibly rare occasions, the claws of an Alpha can turn a human into a Werewolf if they scratch the human recipient deep enough, though it is considered less effective than the Bite. Myths have also stated that drinking rainwater from the pawprint of a wolf can change a human into a lycanthrope. However, these methods are not guaranteed to be successful; children of Werewolves have been known to be born completely human, and in many cases, the Bite has actually killed their human recipients rather than transformed them into Werewolves. Also, in one known case, a daughter of a Werewolf, Malia Tate, inherited her mother's Werecoyote heritage rather than that of her father, and in other cases, several former humans who were turned by an Alpha Werewolf have become other kinds of shapeshifters, such as a Kanima in Jackson Whittemore's case and a Werejaguar in the case of Kate Argent. It is also possible for a werewolf to be turned through a spell, but this is incredibly rare and requires a great deal of magical power.

It should be noted that Original Werewolves are unable to infect others with their bite, even if they are Alphas. This is due to the fact that their lycanthropy is naturally occurring and not the result of a mystical virus.

### Psychology

The emotions of a werewolf are far different than the emotions of humans. Like vampires, werewolves feel much more deeply than most people do, and possess heightened libidos and appetites. They are known to be aggressive, blunt, impulsive, and easily angered. This does not make them evil in any way, they are however, predatory creatures driven by primal instincts, as such, control is a highly respected virtue. Werewolves are born and bred to be possessive, territorial, extremely protective, stubborn, and hot tempered, which are all especially true for males. They prize traits such as loyalty, especially to the pack. According to Damian, a wolf never makes a promise he can't keep.

For some reason, many born werewolves are known to be shy, introverted and even reclusive at times when they are confronted with people who belong to neither their family nor pack, having trouble socializing with individuals outside their immediate support group. The opposite can be said of bitten wolves, as they tend to become extremely confident and outgoing once receiving the bite. Born wolves also tend to be highly affectionate with those they care about. Due to their innate wolf aspect, they often demonstrate more animalistic personality quirks, such as play fighting, nuzzling, and low inhuman growling when mad or frustrated. This is usually prominent enough to unnerve humans who are not used to being around werewolves. As such, they learn how to limit their shows of affection while in public to human standards. Bitten wolves usually have a harder time adjusting to this new behaviour.

A werewolf's circle of friends is small; they are not easy to get to know and are often viewed as very private individuals. If given the choice to stay at home with a few select people or going out with a crowd, they'd stay home with the ones whom them consider to be their pack. They are not easily intimidated and seldom care what others think of them. Because of their "keep to myself" tendencies and their stoic attitude, they are often viewed as unfriendly and cold. In reality, werewolves are very loyal to the select few they accept into their circle. They don't talk a lot, but when they do, you'd better listen. They have good instincts and are known to be people watchers. They are often considered moody and dark, and don't care to explain themselves, but beneath that outer shell is someone who will never turn their back on you.

In their shifted form, werewolves are known to be extremely predatory. For young and inexperienced wolves, they are driven by pure instinct, incapable of rational thought and excising absolutely zero control over their impulses. They eventually learn how to restrain themselves with time.

#### Cody Of Loyalty

Werewolves are very similar to witches when it comes to their own kind. Unlike vampires, werewolves have an unwavering sense of loyalty, and will often bond with other werewolves they meet. They form packs and work with each other as sort of an extended family. The bond of loyalty between werewolves is so strong that while changed under full moons, the only beings they do not usually attack are other werewolves. This code does seem to extend to Klaus's hybrids, as well. It's possible that another reason why Klaus's hybrids were so loyal, aside for the Sire Bond between them, was because of their werewolf heritage.

They are taught from an early age to never back down from a fight. A wolf is not supposed to act without his Alpha's sanction, no matter the circumstances. They are supposed to ask for *permission*, not for forgiveness. If their Alpha is killed, they all *feel* the loss and no matter what they personally thought of the Alpha, it still *hurts*. The pack becomes lost, wallowing in grief, unable to listen through the grief to whatever outsiders might say.

#### Lunar Psychosis

According to Emma Tig, **Lunar Psychosis** is a very rare occurrence among werewolves in which the werewolf's mind is in flux, trapped between their wolf and human state. When a werewolf is affected by this, they have a harder time bridging the gap between the two states and to access their memories as they normally would. This only happens after a premature reversion from wolf to human, when something causes the body to shift back before the full moon is over, typically something caused by extreme trauma. Given that a werewolf prematurely returned to their human state, left unattended, there is a danger that they could revert back to their wolf form. In order for a werewolf to overcome the issue, their mind needs to be surrounded by all the things that are familiar to them so that it can connect them to their humanity, and not their lycanthropy.

Given the Crescent Wolf Pack's ability to control their turns at will, they had access to both sides of their minds and developed an elixir to access the division between the two sides. According to Damian, the elixir is a family recipe stemming from Dean's side of the Crescent Pack and has a copy of the recipe in his possession. The instructions for the elixir are as follows:

* Heat deep cast-iron pot or cauldron over open flame. Test heat by sprinkling water over pot; water should evaporate before touching the metal.
* Muddle Valerian Root with sea water in cauldron, simmer until reduced.
* Submerge silver in reduction at a ratio of 2:1, keeping only pleasant thoughts in your mind. Stir well, allow silver to fully oxidize. If you see corrosion, you've gone too far.
* After peeling protective wax coating from eye of newt, you have approximately one minute before corneal membrane begins to shrivel. Using granite mortar and pestle, pulpify eye of newt and gradually add to elixir being careful not to splash the pot. Do **not** use marble mortar and pestle or the corneas **will** ferment!
* Gently stir elixir twice clockwise and thrice counter clockwise, repeated for three minutes, with intense focus and calm demeanour. When all bubbles are cleared from the surface, elixir is ready for consumption.

#### Werewolf Side

According to Jacob, the werewolf side is a part of him but also its own creature. It runs on instinct and doesn't care about the trappings of the human world. It cares about the things that predators care about: hunting, feeding, and mating. The wolf has no inhibitions; it indulges in whatever it wants and takes pleasure wherever it finds it. When injured, it does not feel the pain as much as the human does when it transforms back.

#### Human Side

When the wolf side doesn't have the restrictions, the human side does, the human side appears to hold the weight of the duality. Being the wolf is dangerous, intoxicating, the highest high; if the person is not careful, if they don't control themselves, they can lose the part of themselves that makes them human. When they are in human form, they never truly let go of their wolf side.

### Characteristics

Werewolves are immune to all human illnesses, even chronic ones like cancer, asthma, epilepsy, etc. Bitten wolves are completely cured of these afflictions, and even lose any scarring they may have. However, pre-pubescent werewolves can retain scars if they are severe enough. Because of their healing factor, werewolves are unable to become drunk, high, or intoxicated in any way shape or form, unless it is by imbibing a magical drink or narcotic. As an extension of their regenerative abilities, they age at a much slower rate than humans once they reach maturity. As a child and teen, they develop at a normal speed until puberty has passed. Due to their increased metabolism, is very hard for a werewolf to gain additional weight, as such there are no obese or unhealthy werewolves. Parenthetically, werewolves build and maintain muscle much easier than humans do, especially males, but even the women are highly athletic and perfectly formed. Because of their supernatural physiology, most werewolves are extremely attractive and perfectly; women are all slim, svelte and incredibly beautiful, and the men are all handsome, muscular, and well-endowed.

Werewolves, like other shapeshifters, are at the mercy of the full moon and can lose control of their temperament. However, the different full moons can have different effects on werewolves.

* During the "Worm Moon," a werewolf can be brought back to life with wolfsbane and blood from an Alpha if the body is still intact. However, the werewolf will be physically weak for some time as shown with Peter Hale.
* The Supermoon, or perigee syzygy, effects werewolves heavily, as the normal full moon activity is amplified, and self-control is much harder to maintain. This is because the moon is much closer to earth than normally.

## Mating

Traditionally, sexual intercourse is done for the specific purpose of bringing young ones into the world. But, in the human world, this is difficult to do, so sexual intercourse (like human nature) is both recreational and for creating offspring. Mates can be chosen, except for soulmates who are pre-destined. A werewolf's reproductive system is also slightly different from an ordinary human's as it is naturally made for breeding, in order to enlarge the pack and make it stronger, males and females are provided with superior stamina, which makes the coupling last longer and the chance of pregnancy rise. Heats, ruts, long lasting ejaculation and an above-average amount of semen comes as a consequence.

Just like regular wolves, some, but not all, werewolves have cycles of heat, in which they have a strong desire to mate. This usually only happens with the females, but with most werewolves, the men can have their own mating cycles, known as a Rut, which usually only occur once or twice a year, usually in the wintertime. This heat cycle normally lasts five to ten days. It is much more common for male Alphas to experience a Rut, but non-alphas also have them.

Werewolves, like many creatures of the Secret World, such as vampires, are polygamous. While it is perfectly normal for there to be monogamous unions between werewolves, polygamy is usually encouraged among packs, usually as a method of strengthening bonds, augmenting their power, and increasing pack numbers. Alphas especially, both male and female, almost always take on more than one spouse, be they human or supernatural. It is even common for pack heads to form alliances through arranged marriages or purely sexual unions.

### Imprinting

Main article: Imprinting

**Imprinting** is a mechanism by which werewolves, and other werebeasts, select potential mates. Imprinting can occur any time after a wolf's first Change, marking their entry into adulthood, which is known as the Mating Age. When a male werewolf finds a potential mate, his body releases a purring mechanism from his voice that has the power to encourage, or seduce, the mate in question to want to be closer to the male. The mate in question has to be close to the male, emotionally and physically for the Imprint to work successfully. A werewolf's mate does not have to be a fellow werebeast in order for the Imprint to work, as many wolves take on humans or even other supernatural creatures, such as vampires and witches, as their mates. For a werewolf who has found their True Mate, Imprinting is immediate and involuntary.

## Culture

### Overview

There is a relatively strong culture among the international community of Werewolves, particularly those who are born into the species, which, for most, includes the belief that their lycanthropy binds them all together as a family. For this reason, peaceful packs often see each other as siblings, regardless of their blood ties, and older, more experienced Werewolves tend to take it upon themselves to protect and teach those who are recently turned how to adapt to their new lives; for example, Derek Hale told Scott McCall that they were now brothers after Scott had been bitten by Peter Hale. In a similar vein, the sight of the dozens of Werewolves from Satomi Ito's pack who had been killed by a modified form of canine distemper brought the typically unemotional Derek to tears out of sadness for the loss of so many fellow Werewolves.

Despite the camaraderie between Werewolves of all bloodlines, they are still a predatory species, and battles among and within packs for either political or territorial reasons are not uncommon; this was evidenced by the conflict between the Alpha Pack and the Hale Pack in which the Alphas attempted to convince Derek to join them. However, alliances between packs to fend off a common enemy is also a frequent occurrence, particularly when it involves Werewolf Hunters.

For example, the Hale Pack, Deucalion's original pack, Ennis' original pack, and Kali's original pack all gathered in Beacon Hills to determine how they would react to the Argent Hunter family going after the Werewolves in the region in the late 2010s. Because of the threat the Werewolves face from the Werewolf Hunters, all Werewolves are trained to know what to do if they are confronted by Hunters—fight their way out, hide somewhere away from the rest of the pack so as to not lure the hunters to their den, and heal. This puts enormous pressure on the individuals in the Werewolf community to do everything possible to learn control over their transformations, so they don't risk exposing themselves to the human population and Hunters alike.

There are several rituals used by Werewolves that are unique to their species that can be used for various effects. One is a memory manipulation ritual that is typically only performed by Alphas, due to the amount of control and experience necessary to do it without paralyzing or killing the person whose memories are being accessed. To perform the ritual, the Alpha (or, in some rare cases, an especially experienced Beta or a part-Werewolf Chimera) stabs the back of the target's neck with their claws, piercing their spinal cord and making a metaphysical connection to their minds.

In most cases, this ritual is used to search through a person's memories and see specific events so that the Werewolf performing the ritual can experience a particular memory through the target's eyes, especially in cases where the target has been through a trauma and cannot reliably recall what happened on their own, or when their true memories have been mystically manipulated in some way (as in the case with Isaac Lahey after he had been attacked by Deucalion and Kali. This can also work in the reverse, as well, with the Werewolf performing the ritual to share their own memories with the target, such as when Peter Hale shared his memories of the Hale House Fire with Scott.

However, some especially skilled Alphas can also use this ability to suppress or entirely remove memories, such as when Talia removed her brother Peter's memories of his daughter Malia Tate's existence, or when Talia removed the memories of the Nemeton's location in both Derek and Peter to ensure they would not return to the powerful tree. Because of the amount of risk involved, this ritual, regardless of their intent, is usually performed on supernatural creatures with healing abilities who can recover from the damage much more quickly than regular humans. However, the ritual has, on several occasions, been done to Banshees, though in Lydia Martin's case, this caused her to become temporarily catatonic, since the person who performed it on her was an inexperienced Chimera who did not perform the ritual correctly.

Another ritual, which, unlike the previous ritual, can only be performed by Alphas, is one that can transfer their Alpha "spark" to a dying Beta in order to heal them, at the cost of their own Alpha powers. When performed, the Alpha absorbs the Beta's pain to the point that the ill Beta absorbs the Alpha's extra spark of power, allowing them to enhance their pre-existing healing factor to a high enough level that they can overcome their illness or injury. This ritual has only been demonstrated once in the series, when Derek gave up his Alpha powers to heal his younger sister Cora from the mistletoe poisoning inflicted upon her by Jennifer Blake. It is possible this ritual can also be used to voluntarily transfer Alpha power to another Beta in a method similar to a king or queen abdicating a throne, though this has yet to be confirmed in canon.

Finally, there is one last ritual that can allow a Werewolf to communicate with the spirit of a deceased Werewolf, though this is a risky ritual that is not commonly done. To do this, a Werewolf needs the claws of the deceased Werewolf in question, along with another Werewolf who is willing to push the claws into their cuticles to act as the conduit. The assisting Werewolf will then pierce the back of the other Werewolf's neck with the claws of the deceased in a modified form of the memory-sharing ritual, which will mystically form a connection with the deceased's spirit inside the main Werewolf's mind. Derek Hale performed this ritual with Peter Hale's assistance and Talia Hale's claws, which allowed him to talk to his mother, who informed him that the Hales not only lived in Beacon Hills, but they protected it.

### The Garou Nation

The **Garou Nation** is the unified society of the earth's werewolf population. It is comprised of many Tribes and thousands of packs scattered across the globe. Most werewolf tribes keep their distance from each other, rarely ever interacting outside of the odd, often accidental encounter. As such, the Garou almost never come together outside their respective species. On those extremely rare occasions that they do in fact gather, usually to discuss an important crisis, they are led by a body of Elders known as the Grand Caern, each member of which count as one of the oldest and most powerful werewolves on the planet.

### Classification

#### The Pack

The majority of Werewolves typically organize into a pack, due to being social creatures who also benefit from the additional power they gain from the support of their packmates. Werewolves form packs with their own unique hierarchical structure. Typically, members of a pack are related by blood or have been bitten by other members of the pack, almost always an Alpha, but this depends on the particular breed of the werewolves in question. This is not always the case, however, and some wolves can join a pack when they are not related. Some packs, on the other hand, are more like cults and are bound together by a common belief.

The race experiences its own internal bigotry, and this is often exemplified in the membership of packs. Some packs refuse to accept mutts into their midst, or only recruit wolves belonging to a certain breed.

* Ulfric/Luna
* Sköll
* Hati
* Bolverk
* Geri
* Freki
* Fenrir/Freyja
* Lupo/Lupa
* Eros/Erato
* Emissary
* Munin
* Rogue

**Ulfric** is the title held by the male leader of a werewolf pack, almost always an Alpha, and **Luna** is its female counterpart. If a pack consists of more than one Alpha, then they fight for the title, with the strongest coming out on top. Ulfric, or Luna if is a female, is also given to the primary mate of the pack leader, even if that mate is not an Alpha, or even a werewolf, just so long as they are officially the true pack master's mate.

A **Sköll** is the primary enforcer of a werewolf pack. The Sköll and Hati of the pack both enforce the will of the Ulfric and Luna and protect them. Like many other traditional Garou words, the name comes from Norse mythology. There is usually only one Sköll to a single pack, but in the case of especially large werewolf gatherings, then there may in fact be a few more.

**Hati** is the title of secondary enforcer of a werewolf pack, often assisting the superior Sköll in his or her role as chief arbiter of the pack master's will.

**Bolverk**, meaning *worker of evil* or *doer of evil deeds*, is one of the sacred Garou words and another name for Odin. To the Garou, Bolverk is a person (wolf) who metes out punishments that the Ulfric does not feel comfortable giving. Most packs do not use this title anymore, as most Ulfrics and Lunas choose to do their own dirty work. Choosing a Bolverk could even be seen as a sign of weakness.

The **Geri** is the werewolf's pack second-in-command, serving under the pack master. Like most of the other traditional words of the Garou, the name comes from Norse mythology, in this case from Norse God Odin's wolves. Sometimes, the Geri is simply as the leader's Second or Right Hand.

The **Freki** is the rank right beneath the Geri of the Pack and is the third-in-command of the group.

The male or female heir to the Ulfric and/or Luna, usually their eldest child. If there are no children to inherit the role, then the Geri will also rank as the Fenrir or Freyja, depending on their gender.

The majority of pack members; **Lupo**(male) or **Lupa**(female). This is the most common rank within a pack hierarchy.

The **Eros** (Male) and **Erato** (Female) are the two members of a werewolf pack designated with serving as the other pack members' emotional, physical, psychological, and *sexual* relief. They are named after the Greek God of Lust, Eros, and the Muse of Erotic Poetry, Erato, respectively.

These are highly revered positions and require absolute maturity and respect from every member of the pack. They rarely involve themselves in political games, and instead devote their lives as companions for their fellows, be that romantic or purely platonic. They are usually the most attractive members of the pack as well as compassionate, though some are a little colder and more reserved. They tend to have many lovers and never, ever get married. It is forbidden to force them into sexual acts, a crime which is punishable by death according to Pack Law, nor can they ever be physically harmed by one of their packmates lest they risk exile. They do not care about sexuality or gender, providing their services to anyone who needs them. When a young wolf reaches the age of sixteen, which is the start of the Mating Age for their kind, it is tradition for them to begin a sexual relationship with either Eros or Erato, or in some cases both, if they are pansexual. The same goes for newly admitted members of the pack, regardless of whether or not they are born or bitten. So long as everyone is at least sixteen years of age and fully consensual, no one minds. Because of their lifestyles, they tend to have many children, which are raised by the entire pack. Despite popular belief amongst hunters, they also provide emotional gratification and reassurance. They often act as older sibling or parental figures to younger pack members and are always ready to help in whatever way they can.

The Eros for the Corvinus Pack is currently Mike Delfino, and the Erato is Cassiopeia. A future Eros or Erato-in-training is referred to as **Eranthe**, regardless of gender.
An **Emissary** is a Druid advisor to werewolf packs. The Emissary's job is to give advice, serve as a confidante and keep the wereanimals connected to humanity. Traditionally, only the alpha in the pack knows who's the emissary for their pack.

The **Munin** are the departed spirits of past werewolf pack members that were consumed by the pack to preserve their memories for times of need. The name comes from Norse legend where Munin was the name of Odin's raven. Munin means "memory".

In ancient times, when a pack member died, the other members eat him or her (partially or altogether). The dead wolf then joins the Munin, whose spirits act as guides, providing wisdom and sometimes power through those who possess the rare ability to channel them. Thus, the dead are not truly gone as long as the pack remains. Occasionally, a member of the pack is excluded from this ritual either by accident or by design and this results in their memories being excluded or lost to the pack.

In modern days, pack members often just retrieve the claws of their deceased comrades. They can tap into the memories of the dead by embedding the claws into the spinal column, though this is more dangerous and less accurate than if they were to eat the dead wolf.
**Rogues** are werewolves who do not belong to a pack. There are many reasons why a Werewolf may not have a pack, such as being kicked out or abandoned by their former pack, being the sole survivor of a pack who had been killed by Hunters or other supernaturals, or, in rare cases, having chosen solitude over the security of a pack.

##### Behaviour

In their wolf forms, werewolves show the general behaviour of their titular animals, though they retain their human intelligence, memories and character, up to and including showing their human eyes. Pack members are also telepathically linked with each other, enhancing their coordination during hunts and fights but allowing little or no privacy at any time. However, an especially powerful werewolf can learn to limit what their thoughts reveal. The heads of two different packs are able to communicate telepathically, and can control what thoughts they share, while the subordinates of different packs don't show this ability.

##### Dominance

Dominance is a key element in werewolf social organization. The pack is structured in a clear hierarchy, and pack members move up or down by winning or losing challenges against other pack members. Pack standing is established by being dominant over other wolves. Dominance is established by challenging and either fighting or backing down other pack members. Dominance fights are rarely to the death and sometimes are psychological battles. If the werewolf being challenged does not wish to fight, they simply acknowledge the challenger's dominance, and the confrontation is over. The victor rises in rank and assumes the spot vacated by the defeated.

To ask for protection, a wolf can petition a dominant by brushing up against the dominant. If it is granted, the dominant will touch the submissive which then signals to any other lycanthropes in the area that he or she will protect that petitioner from their enemies/pursuers. When a werewolf asks someone for protection, they are admitting the other is dominant to them. If the wolf is given this protection, they are in effect fully under the command of the person giving the protection. All other wolves will either simply acknowledge this protection and move on or challenge the protection.

* A dominant pack member may issue any order to submissive member, provided that the dominant does not order the submissive to do anything anyone even higher in the pack hierarchy hasn't forbidden. In most packs this would exclude anything illegal.
* A pack member may offer or receive "protection" to or from another member. A pack member must accept all challenges on behalf of any person to whom he or she has offered protection.
* Non-werewolves, such as Maribel Deschamps and Jessica Parker may be classified as "dominant" to certain members of the pack but may not typically be considered "alpha" or full members of the pack. Non-wolves who have been granted some specific role within the pack (usually an Emissary) are an exception.

## Full Moons

Because a Werewolf gains their power from the moon, full moons (and especially on supermoons, when the full moon is even closer to the Earth than it normally is) are when they are at their strongest. However, this also means that their animal instincts and heightened aggression are at their peak as well, which makes them much more likely to lose control and harm or kill someone by accident. This makes Werewolves vulnerable to exposure and also makes it easier for them to be captured or killed by Hunters, which is why Hunters do the majority of their hunting on full moons when Werewolves are most likely to make a mistake. Due to this risk, most werewolves are trained to control themselves on a full moon, typically by using an "anchor" to help them remain connected to their humanity.

An anchor can be a person, a relationship with a person, an emotion, an object, a mantra, or even just a Werewolf's own sense of self. For example, Scott McCall's anchor was his relationship with Allison Argent until several months after they broke up, when his anchor became his own willpower; Derek and Peter Hale's anchors involve focusing on their anger, rage, and hate; Isaac Lahey's anchor is the memory of his father before he became abusive; and Liam Dunbar focuses on not transforming by distracting himself with music on his iPod, though his friendship with Mason Hewitt has also been shown to help him regain control.

Werewolf packs may also have their own methods of training their Betas to maintain control over their lycanthropy. For example, Talia Hale used a sacred object to the Hale family, a Triskelion medallion, in combination with the mantra "Alpha, Beta, Omega" as a tool to help her daughter Laura gain control, and attempted to use it for Derek as well, with little success in the latter case. Similarly, Satomi Ito's pack recites a Buddhist mantra to help them stay human-- "Three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, the truth." To them, the meaning of "the truth" is the fact that Werewolves themselves are inherently violent creatures, and they must remember this truth in order to keep themselves under control to prevent unnecessary violence against others.

Until Werewolves gain full control of their transformations on full moons using their anchors, they are typically restrained in some way to prevent them from running wild and attacking people. Ideally, this involves locking the wolf in a secured room, like a boiler room, which has a strong enough construction to withstand the Werewolf's heightened strength, which has been even more enhanced by the moon's effects. Another method involves tying them up with large amounts of heavy chains, though this is still not always strong enough to keep a full-moon-crazed Werewolf at bay and is not ideal for long-term use.

Werewolves who already had anger issues prior to being turned, such as Liam (who was diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder before he was bitten by Derek) can often have a much harder time learning to control their shifts than the majority of Werewolves because a Werewolf's anger is already heightened to begin with, and it is usually the trigger for an involuntary transformation. As a result, Liam took around eight months to finally learn control over his shifting on full moons as a result of his pre-existing anger issues, while other shapeshifters such as Scott, Isaac, and Malia only needed two or three full moons to finally get a handle on it.

Supermoons, or full moons that are especially close to the Earth, only make Werewolves even stronger and more bloodthirsty and aggressive than on normal full moons; they can feel the effects strongly even during the day when exposure to moonlight is at a minimum, increasing the amount of time during this moon phase that a Werewolf must work to resist the moon's influence.

Conversely, a lunar eclipse will suppress a Werewolf's powers for the duration of time when the moon is in the earth's umbral shadow, which usually lasts between ten and twenty minutes. During this time, a Werewolf will essentially be human, making them vulnerable to Hunters or anyone else who may try to take advantage of their lack of powers. Jennifer Blake, also known as the Darach, attempted to use a lunar eclipse to kill Deucalion, a self-proclaimed Demon Wolf who ordinarily was far too strong for even her immense powers to defeat.

## Differences

* Original Werewolves
* Cainites
* Loup Garoux
* Lycans
* Hakken
* Hexenwolf
* Vargulf

The Original Werewolves, also known as Truebloods, are named such because they are the first race of werewolves to exist. They are the oldest and most esteemed wolves in supernatural history, having evolved naturally alongside Homo Sapiens, but whereas the latter claimed descent from apes, the Truebloods evolved from wolves who were empowered by the essence of Gaia. Because of this, they enjoy an intimate bond with nature and some of them can exhibit magical abilities derived from this connection.

The Originals have abilities unique to them as a sub-species. For example, they can control their transformation at will, hibernate for incredibly long periods of time ranging from decades to millennia, awaken dormant werewolf heritage in a human by biting them, control and influence ordinary canines, commune with the spirits of their dead ancestors, and occasionally wield their own unique brand of magic. One especially powerful Trueblood was even capable of taking the appearance of people he had devoured, but this in an extremely rare and dangerous skill. Unlike Lycans or Loup Garoux, Truebloods are unable to turn humans into werewolves with a bite, as you must be born an Original. The only exception to this is when an Original bites a Wolf-Kin, a person who they have sensed to possess some degree of ancient werewolf DNA within their genetic makeup, which can be awakened through the bite. This is not the same as turning completely ordinary humans into a werewolf.

Like many other werewolves, the Truebloods' transformation capabilities vary, but they have five established forms, which include:

* **Homid**: The Homid form virtually indistinguishable from that of an ordinary human being; in this form, the werewolf can travel through cities and crowds without being discovered.
* **Glabro**: Those in Glabro form still retain most of their human features - mostly - but while drawing on a portion of the werewolf's true power. Stronger, faster and more resilient than Homid, the Glabro form is still just a shadow of the werewolf's true killing power.
* **Crinos**: This is considered the true battle form of the Garou, the form they take when no solution save violence will do. A hybrid of human and wolf, infused with the superhuman strength of this warrior race, the Crinos Garou is one of the most efficient killing machines in the world. Humans suffer such terrifying ancestral memories when witnessing an angry Crinos that they often break down into hysterics, forcing themselves to forget that such a monster exists.
* **Hispo**: The Hispo is the massive wolf of nightmare, a throwback to prehistoric days when the dire wolves were the size of ponies. It is a form designed to hunt – and to kill.
* **Lupus**: This is the term used to describe the true "wolf" form of the Garou, allowing werewolves to hunt and live among wolf packs, or to call on the speed and superior senses of the wolf. Many a hunter has come to a horrible end after wounding a werewolf that he mistook for an ordinary animal – or the mate of a Garou who has chosen to live as a wolf for a time.

Truebloods cannot breed among themselves to preserve their lineage; their blood is too potent, and the result is almost always a deformed Worgen. To continue their bloodlines, werewolves must mate with humans, wolves or other supernaturals. However, there are the odd occurrences of special females being able to bear the child of another Trueblood. These women are known as "Wolf Brides."

### Wolf Brides

**Wolf Brides** are rare female Truebloods who have both the ability to transform and can even produce ordinary werewolf children with their male counterparts, without having to worry about bearing Worgen offspring. They are also more powerful than the average Original Werewolf, retain greater control of their abilities and mental faculties even in wolf form, can tap into a primal form of magic derived from their connection to Mother Nature, and can also have children with other types of werecreature who inherit both their parents' respective strains of therianthropy. This was the case with Alice Labonair, a Wolf Bride who mated and had a son with Hayden Petrelli, a man who was both a Wereleopard and a Werejaguar, and this is what allowed their child to be both a wolf and a leopard.

### Worgen

The **Worgen**, also known as the **Wolf People** or the **Wolfmen**, are a rare mutant breed of Garou, specifically Truebloods, which are the offspring of two Original Werewolves who have broken Pack Law and bred with each other, for either love or lust. The Worgen are born without a human form and most a monstrously savage and uncontrollable. Occasionally, an unnaturally intelligent Worgen may be born, but this is astronomically rare. It is illegal amongst the Truebloods to produce a Worgen, as their instincts make them notoriously difficult to tame. However, some packs do intentionally sire Worgen to serve as guard dogs or elite enforcers, but many packs either kill Worgen at birth or abandon them in remote locations, which can eventually lead to the rise of an entire Worgen colony if they are allowed to flourish.

**Cainites** are a race of werewolves descended from Cain, the Father of Murder. For this particular breed, Lycanthropy is an inherited genetic condition due to a curse, and a person can only be a werewolf if they are born to at least one werewolf parent; they cannot be turned by a bite or scratch. Furthermore, the werewolf gene must be "triggered" by taking the life of a living person or supernatural being, such as another werewolf. This can either be intentionally or by accident, in order to gain access to their enhanced physical abilities, though this comes at the cost of transforming into a wolf during every full moon. Untriggered werewolves, however, can kill vampires without activating their curse.

When in their wolf form, even the weakest Cainites are shown to be vastly stronger than Alpha-level Lycans. They are infamously brutal and strong. Unfortunately, they cannot control themselves, nor can they use their abilities anytime other than the Full Moon, unless they are a hybrid or have access to an enchanted moonlight item such a ring or a bracelet of some kind. Otherwise, they are completely human for most of the month. They can also sense others of their kind, both in human and wolf form.

Their physiology is near-identical to other werewolves, especially their Lycan cousins. In their wolf form, however, they are described as having wicked fangs, a larger size, and a much more feral and predatory appearance. They are depicted as being cougar-or leopard-sized wolves with some bear characteristics in their build and with paws and similar to that of a bear or lion. Their forelegs also almost look like human arms. Each werewolf has a distinct form, which differs mainly in fur. Orange, amber, or yellow appear to be the most common eye colours for Cainites, though grey, black, blue and red have also been seen.

A Cainite's transformation is a painful one. They will only ever shift under the Full Moon and express little to no control over themselves. The first transformation is quite slow, and the person is subjected to at least five or six hours of intense, bone-breaking pain before the actual transformation. After the first transformation, the experience does not last nearly as long, but it is still painful and something many werewolves come to dread. Klaus mentions that embracing the transformation rather than fighting it as most werewolves do, would make the process faster.

During the transformation, the body of the person is twisted in an unnatural manner as bones reshape and shift to form a wolf's skeleton, causing the person immense physical and psychological pain. Later, the werewolf grows excessive body hair and becomes feral. Their irises turn golden-yellow, their sclera turns black, and their teeth elongate into canines before they finally transform into their wolf shape. A werewolf returns to their human form after a few hours, sometimes sooner, sometimes later. After the first transformation, the werewolf will experience muscle aches.

### La Luna Sanguinis

According to Cassian, the Cainites had a ritual thousands of years ago by which, on a blood moon, they would hunt and purposefully trigger their curse by killing a human, willingly enduring the pain of their transformations in exchange for the strength they gained as warriors. This ritual was meant to be a rite of passage, where young werewolves embraced their nature rather than shying away from it; this is in stark contrast to many modern-day werewolves, who do whatever they can to avoid triggering their curses and having to deal with the pain of their monthly transformations.

The **Loup Garoux** are among the most powerful, vicious, and infamous werewolves to have ever existed. They are an extremely rare breed cursed to become a wolf-like demon, usually during the Full Moon. These creatures are the most common example of so-called 'Demon Wolves'. They come in two categories: the Bitten and the 'Blessed'.

   The Loup Garoux transformation is usually the result of a curse cast by someone very powerful, like a phenomenally talented witch or sorceress, or perhaps some divine entity like a Faerie Queen. The other way for an individual to become a Loup Garoux is by drinking rainwater from the pawprint of a wolf on the night of a Full Moon, which is such a rare and occurrence than there have only ever been a few instances of this happening in history. The most famous case would be that of La Bête du Gevaudan. These are two of the ways by which a Loup Garoux of the Blessed' variety may come about. It should be known that 'Blessed' is just what the Beast refers to his curse, and it is not something to be enjoyed like he does.

When a member of the first category bites a human, then that person will become another type of werewolf. These infected Loup Garoux are afflicted with a hellish virus that transforms them into dangerous, infectious, and savage beasts totally incapable of thought or reason. They are in many ways similar to the Worgen, especially because of their inability to regain human form while they are still alive, as they only revert to their original appearance upon death. These wolves have white, black or cobalt eyes and always seem to be foaming at the mouth, like a rapid animal.

Loup-Garoux are the only werewolf tribe known to be vulnerable to silver.
**Lycans** are perhaps the most well-known of all the lupine tribes. They hail from Greece and are the descendants of the former King of Arcadia, Lycaon, who was cursed by the Gods after he tried to trick Zeus into eating the flesh of a dead human, thus making him commit the act of cannibalism. Lycans were born from the sons of Lycaon who were afflicted with the werewolf curse by their father Lycaon as a means to have his legacy survive through his surviving sons. It is said that Lycans were the first werewolves to learn in how to retain their human form and can shift between wolf and human form at will. They spread across the continent and founded their own kingdoms, with said kingdoms even having human settlers while several became werewolves. The sons of Lycan were at times even worshipped as a demigods or lupine deities given that their curse is divine in nature and were able to harness and utilize the curse to their own benefit.

The **Hakken** are a special breed of Japanese werewolves. Their origins are unknown but is believed that they may be an offshoot of the Lycan race, created when their ancestors departed Greece and made their home in Japan. They are known for being very civilized and are bound by a strict code of honour, having long ago infiltrated Japan's class of elite warriors, the Samurai. They are among the most respected werewolves in the world. The secret packs of Japanese wolves' help keep Hakken populations from declining, but the vast majority of Hakken often lead extremely human lives. They still follow a warrior code clearly derived from the Samurai code of Bushido, adapted for a werewolf’s thoughts and deeds. The Hakken organize themselves in clans based on family lineages, and in battle they adorn themselves with their clan's crest. The few lupus Hakken are the only members of this breed who retain a traditional pack structure.

Without the pressure of a family expecting them to hold to ancient (and, to a kinfolk, nonsensical) traditions, they are free to be more spontaneous. Within their own clans and packs, Hakken settle disputes in single combat like other European wolf packs, usually with swords but only the Hakken are known to use other form of one-on-one competition, like poetry or storytelling contests.

Though the Hakken consider Japan to be their homeland, a substantial minority now make their homes in other nations around the Pacific—primarily in China, South Korea, and the West Coast cities of the United States. Despite undergoing several vast changes throughout the centuries in regard to their culture and physiology, they remain to be a part of the typical lycanthropic strain whereas they too can access the Munin Howl but utilize it based upon their own beliefs that stems into Japan's culture and religious practice. Most Hakken consider other werewolf tribes to be little more than murderous barbarians who have spurned their place in the world.

A **Hexenwolf**(or **Hexenwulf**, pl. **Hexenwulfen**) is a person transformed or being able to transform into a wolf-like beast through the employment of a magical talisman provided by another being. To transform, a person makes use of a talisman, which can be put on and activated by certain magic words, instantly transforming its wearer. The talisman is usually a wolf-hide belt, but sometimes a ring or amulet. It is usually first acquired by a person making a deal with a powerful sorcerer, demon or devil, and receiving the talisman in turn.

When using the talisman, the person is physically transformed into a huge wolf-like beast. At the same time, the talisman provides an anchor for a "spirit of bestial rage" from the Spirit World, which wraps itself around the human personality. The spirit provides an insulation to keep the person's spirit from being destroyed, as well as helps control the physical wolf-body. Through this protection, the person's human intelligence and reason remain intact; at the same time, the person loses their human inhibitions, making them prone to act on their conscious and unconscious desires without doubts. This is at least partly brought about by the presence of the spirit, which would be too strong to control for most people; the spirit would influence the wearer, suppress their conscience, and even control them more fully. The Hexenwolf's personality, although initially protected from the transformation's effects by the presence of the talisman's spirit, will continually erode and be destroyed over time. The use of the talisman's power is further described as highly addictive.

A **Vargulf**, meaning "Rogue Wolf" in Norse, is a physically deformed and mentally unstable werewolf who has completely lost control and given into the Wolf's primal urges. Unlike typical werewolves, a Vargulf will kill its prey without eating it, and they never roam in packs, instead preferring to act alone or with a companion of the opposite gender. A Vargulf will eventually die from the disease or insanity possessing it.

Vargulves are utterly deranged individuals, driven mad for a wide variety of reasons. Their appearances vary, but are usually depicted as demonic, unnatural, brutal, feral, wild, and totally mad. Some of them are even described as looking like zombie werewolves due to their sickly and sometimes fragile looking physiques, but despite their looks, they are still incredibly powerful and dangerous. When a Vargulf has past the point of no return and can no longer regain their humanity, they become completely feral, even when in human form. Sometimes, their hair turns white and then falls off, leaving completely bald, their teeth become black and jagged, their skin pales, and their bodies warp and twist to show a variety of physical malformations, and that is just what they look like in their human skin, but their animal form is even more terrifying and nightmarish.

Even their transformation is unholy. When a person turns, the body up to and including the surface and all layers of skin begin to transfigure into a wolf body that literally rips out of them. Their eyes pop out and replaced by that of a wolf, their teeth are pushed out by razor-sharp fangs, and their voice may briefly become inhumanly deep and distorted as their vocal cords shred and reform.

When a Vargulf bites a human or an already existing werewolf, then that person will become a Vargulf like them.
## Powers & Abilities

A werewolf possesses a number of physical and passive powers, and the strength of their individual powers are generally based on their rank, though it can also be influenced by other factors. In terms of the werewolf hierarchy, Alphas are the strongest, followed by Betas, and then Omegas at the weakest end of the spectrum. An Alpha Werewolf also typically possesses additional powers not seen in the lower ranks.

* **Super Strength**: Werewolves possess superhuman levels of strength that allow them to break through chains and deadbolt locks, punch through brick and marble walls, and throw grown men across a room with ease. Werewolves have been seen using their strength to snap a person's neck with one hand, flipping overturned vehicles back on their wheels, and bending rebar with their bare hands to use as weapons.
* **Super Speed**: Werewolves can run much faster than even the most athletic human beings, being able to keep up with vehicles such as motorcycles that are driving at top speeds. They can also run on all fours (hands and feet) in both human and in Werewolf form.
* **Super Agility**/**Reflexes**: Werewolves possess supernaturally enhanced agility and reflexes that allow them to leap very high and across large distances, jump from several stories up and land lightly on their feet, and perform a multitude of acrobatic, gymnastic and martial feats such as flips, handsprings, and spinning kicks. They can also process moving objects much better than humans can, allowing them to catch projectiles in mid-air and dodge speeding bullets before they can be hit. Their use of this power is usually instinctive, and newly turned werewolves have been seen performing impressive gymnastic routines with no training.
* **Super Durability**: Though werewolves can still sustain open wounds like any other creature, they are much more durable to blunt force trauma than the regular human, allowing them to be thrown through walls and fall from tall heights without fatal injury. They can also endure a great deal more physical damage for a much longer period of time than an ordinary human, as werewolves have been known to fight through dozens of gunshot wounds, stab wounds, burns, and broken bones that would normally incapacitate a regular person.
* **Super Senses**: Werewolves, like their wolf counterparts, have extremely sensitive senses of sight, hearing, and smell. They can see in total darkness and across large distances with great clarity, track scents for up to several miles and can hear whispered conversations across great distances and from outside of buildings with ease. Using their sense of smell in particular they can interpret the chemo signals that indicate identity and emotional states, a skill that, with practice, can be developed to the point of a supernatural sense of empathy; it has also been revealed that werewolves can even sense sexual desire through scent. These abilities help Werewolves fight at night, hear approaching enemies, and locate missing people by scent. A werewolf's true eyes can also be used to see mystical or supernatural phenomenon that cannot be perceived by human eyes, such as a Nemeton, or a Kitsune's aura.
* **Accelerated Healing**: Werewolves possess an extraordinarily enhanced healing factor that allows them to heal from most mild to moderate wounds within moments. They have been shown to heal quickly from gunshots, stab wounds through the chest, abdomen and extremities, and broken arms, legs, and spines, though most cannot heal from a broken neck; while varying among different ranks of Werewolves, broken bones can usually heal instantly after they've been reset, and depending on the severity, stab wounds and gunshots can usually resolve themselves in minutes to hours based on how deep the wounds are and whether or not vital organs were damaged in the process. Werewolves are also immune to the majority of human illnesses and conditions such as colds, cancer, epilepsy, asthma, etc. For this reason, they cannot get high on drugs or drunk on alcohol—because the "high" is technically caused by the substance inflicting some kind of damage on the body, the Werewolf can heal this damage faster than the effects can be felt. The only toxic substances that Werewolves are not immune to are wolfsbane, mistletoe and the modified canine distemper virus that was specifically designed to kill supernatural creatures. They are also vulnerable to the paralytic effects of Kanima venom, though, with concentration, their accelerated healing ability will allow them to process through the toxin and overcome its effects much more quickly than a normal human.
	+ **Longevity**: Because a werewolf's rapid cellular healing prevents them from contracting any human illness or condition and replaces aging cells at a constant rate, Werewolves have a tremendously extended lifespan. It is unknown what the average life expectancy of a Werewolf is, but the oldest known Werewolf is Satomi Ito, an Alpha Werewolf who is over 110 years old and who maintains the physical appearance of a woman in her late 50s to early 60s. As a result, it can be assumed that Werewolves could potentially survive decades into their 100s so long as they are not injured or killed first.
* **Shapeshifting**: Werewolves have the ability to change their features to adopt more inhuman and wolf-like characteristics. The degree of transformation depends on the power and potential of the werewolf in question, with some only able to achieve very limited alterations such as glowing eyes, fangs, claws, a ridged brow, pointed ears and large sideburns, others are capable of reshaping their bodies more drastically. With practice, werewolves can learn how to only transform a few selective features as needed, such as only extending their claws to cut something, their fangs to bite something, or simply making their eyes glow to enhance their eyesight or display their supernatural nature.
* **Pain Absorption**: Werewolves have the ability to absorb pain from animals, humans, and other creatures through tactile contact. This is usually done by touching the person who is in pain, or the injured body part and drawing the pain into themselves, which manifests as the Werewolf's veins darkening as their body processes it. Initially, a werewolf can only essentially "take the edge off" of a person's pain level, but with practice, they can eventually learn to take it completely.
* **Memory Manipulation**: All werewolves technically have the ability to perform a memory-sharing ritual, but it is most commonly performed by Alphas due to the level of control and practice required to avoid harm or death towards the target. By sticking their claws into the back of a person's neck, they can view the person's memories, share their own memories with the target, or even suppress or remove memories entirely.
* **Animal Instincts**: Werewolves are apex predators, and, as such, they can assert dominance over other animals such as dogs, cats and deer. They can use this ability to force them to be quiet or leave the area, or to stand down if they are acting aggressively. As a result, these animals can often be frightened by the presence of werewolves. They also have natural animal instincts that allow them to think as true animals do, though some werewolves are more in-tune with these instincts than others.

### Unique Powers

* **Merging**: Alpha twins have shown the ability to merge into one Super-Wolf. However, this ability was unique to the twins themselves as no other Alpha has this ability.
* **Healing**: Alpha werewolves can perform a ritual to heal others, but at the cost of losing the spark of power that makes them Alphas to begin with, demoting them back to Beta or Omega status. Some wolves can heal others without losing their spark, but this is an unusual power, demonstrated only by Cassiopeia, Erato of the Mikaelson Pack, who often links it to sex.
* **Power Granting**: Alphas of some breeds, such as Lycans, as well as Evolved Werewolves, have the ability to turn regular humans into werewolves by biting them with their fangs (or, in some rare cases, by scratching them very deeply with their claws). However, this transformation is not always successful, and depending on the condition of the human, there is a risk that they could die instead of becoming a werewolf. It is also possible that an Alpha bite or scratch can cause a human to turn into a different kind of creature, such as a Kanima or Werejaguar.
* **Power Sharing**: Some werewolves have the ability to share power through their blood - a rare gift which very few werewolves have. It is primarily a born talent, although it is possible for someone to learn it. Apparently only a born wolf has the potential to learn such a skill.
* **Alpha Roar**: Alphas have the ability to roar so powerfully that they can scare away weaker creatures and force Betas and Omegas to submit, to transform into their werewolf forms, or to return to their human forms. This roar can also empower the members of their pack, allowing them to fight through torture, serious injuries, or other painful experiences enough to access their powers, which are often weakened or inaccessible when the Werewolf is in extreme pain.
* **Healing Disruption**: Alphas possess a mystical energy that causes injuries they inflict on lower-ranking supernatural creatures with accelerated healing abilities to take much longer to heal than a normal wound would.

## Weaknesses

While incredibly powerful, werewolves possess a number of weaknesses which can be exploited by humans and other creatures.

* **Wolfsbane**: Wolfsbane, also known as aconite, is an extremely toxic herb for Werewolves, though different strains have different effects. Most forms of wolfsbane will kill a Werewolf if the infection it causes reaches their heart, though there are ways of expelling the herb from their bodies, such as ingesting ashes of the strain in question, literally burning the wolfsbane-infected wound, or surgically excising the vapor from their chests.
* **Electricity**: Werewolves are incredibly vulnerable to electricity, which, for unknown reasons, seems to interfere with the nature of their abilities. For this reason, Hunters have been known to use cattle-prod tasers to incapacitate wolves in order to capture them and will hook them up to car batteries with electrical wires in order to torture them. Lower voltages will simply prevent a wolf from transforming or healing, while higher voltages can easily knock out or even kill a Werewolf.
* **Letharia Vulpina**: *Letharia Vulpina*, a species of lichen known as "wolf lichen," is a neon-green moss that has been used for centuries to poison wolves, foxes, and coyotes by mixing it in with their food. Though this lichen does not appear to be fatal to Werewolves, Werecoyotes, and Kitsune, it does seem to weaken them considerably for several days until it wears off.
* **Modified Canine Distemper Virus**: An assassin in the Deadpool named The Chemist invented a modified version of the canine distemper virus that can weaken and kill Werewolves. Those who are exposed to this virus will begin to sweat before slowly losing control over their transformations, either because they can't transform into a Werewolf or because they can't transform back from the Werewolf form into their human one. It then starts to cause them to begin bleeding black blood from their noses, ears, mouths, and nailbeds, and to develop darkened veins around their eyes, mouth, and temples. From there, the Werewolf is then stricken completely blind, after which point, they will only have minutes to live. Fortunately, it has been discovered that ingesting wild purple reishi mushrooms are both a cure and a vaccine for this virus.
* **Full Moon**: Though being a Werewolf is considered a gift in the supernatural community due to the increased strength, speed, durability, and stamina, and healing abilities that it provides, it also comes with a price, which is that the Werewolf becomes extremely feral, bloodthirsty, and easy to anger on the full moon, when they are at the height of their power. For this reason, Werewolves must be trained to control themselves on full moons in order to prevent harm and exposure to bystanders and to avoid the wrath of the Werewolf Hunters who patrol wooded areas during the nights of the full moon for just such a loss of control.
* **Intense Emotions**: The transformation into a wolf can be easily triggered by intense emotions such as anger, fear, stress, or any other sensation that increases the heart rate, which, especially for newly bitten Werewolves, puts them at risk of losing control and can result in harm to innocent civilians, exposure to the human world, and can also put the Werewolf at risk of being killed by a Hunter as punishment for anything they did while transformed.
* **Loud Noises**: Because of a Werewolf's very heightened sense of hearing, they can be incapacitated by noises at extremely loud decibels, as well as sounds at ultrasonic and subsonic frequencies. Examples of the former cases would be a Banshee's scream or microphone feedback, and examples of the latter would be the ultra-sonic emitters used by the Argent Hunters to disorient and lure a werewolf into a trap, or the subsonic music used by the Deadpool assassins that made Malia and Scott behave as though they were drunk.
* **Lunar Eclipse**: During the phase of a lunar eclipse where the moon is completely covered by the Earth's umbral shadow, Werewolves will be cut off from the source of their powers and will be subsequently reverted the state of a normal human for the duration. Though this phase typically only lasts ten to twenty minutes, it is still a very vulnerable period for Werewolves, which makes it an excellent opportunity for hunters and less-powerful supernatural creatures to attack, as a Werewolf will be unable to access their enhanced strength, shapeshifting, and healing abilities.
* **Mountain Ash**: Rowan wood, or the ashes that result from burning it (known as mountain ash), are effective barriers against the supernatural, including Werewolves. If a building is surrounded by rowan or mountain ash in an unbroken circle, a Werewolf will be unable to enter it, nor will they be able to leave it if they are in the building when the circle was created. For this reason, many Druids, Banshees, Chimeras, and other humans who are "in the know" and can safely handle mountain ash use it in order to protect themselves or to create traps for Werewolves and other supernatural creatures.

## Trivia

* Aside from vampires, werewolves despite werecats and demons the most out of all supernatural creatures. They have had a tumultuous history with witches, but a large number of their interactions have been positive, leading to a degree of mutual tolerance, and the occasional alliance, between each other.'