Quote from Mae on August 8, 2023, 11:20 pm

Hunter Diaries:

Questions of an Apprentice Werewolf Hunter, by John Camber

Q: How do you recognize a werewolf when it looks human?
A: A young werewolf hunter will spend years learning from his mentor how to recognize a werewolf in both its forms. In human form, a werewolf is recognized by:

1.) The color and pattern of its eyes. "It is said that the most viscous werewolves have unnaturally colored eyes, and that even werewolves with a regular or human eye color have a strange pattern in the colored region of the eye. The color of a werewolf's eyes is also helpful in recognizing individuals during a hunt, as most werewolves have the same eye color with slight hue variation between forms."
2.) The thickness and texture of its hair. "Werewolves are said to have thicker, wiry hair than most ethnic groups. The hairline has been observed to infringe on the eyebrow region in both the male and female of some werewolf groups."
3.) The smell it gives off. "A werewolf has a subtle scent difference than humans. It takes an experienced werewolf hunter to recognize a werewolf's smell."
4.) Its attitude and behavior. "A werewolf is inclined to random and aggressive behavior, not too unlike a bipolar disorder, but with slight differences."
5.) The size and shape of its premolars. "It has been observed that werewolves have smaller, sharper premolars than humans."
6.) A sixth sense feeling.

Q: How do you recognize a werewolf when it looks animal?
A: Once a werewolf hunter has gained experience and honed his recognition skills, its quite easy for him to spot a werewolf in either one of its two forms.
In animal form, a werewolf is recognized by:

1.) Its pawprint. "A werewolf's pawprint is sometimes better described as resembling a bear paw rather than a wolf paw due to its wider pad and longer fingers."
2.) The number of digits on its paw. "Most werewolves with some exceptions have five fingers on both the front and back paws."
3.) The shape of its forehead and shoulders. "Unlike a regular wolf, a werewolf has a forehead and a brow region, shorter than ape but taller than a bear. Unlike a bear, however, its shoulders are more broad than narrow."
4.) Its hackles. "Most werewolves with few exceptions have a 'mane' or elongated hackles that begin at the forehead and end behind the shoulder blade."
5.) The location of its knee and length of its tail. "A werewolf's knee is lower than both a bear and wolf, and often appears bent even when standing erect in both fore-footed and two-footed positions. Sometimes, a werewolf will also have a longer or shorter tail than the typical wolf."
6.) Its hunting pattern.

Q: How do you track a werewolf and start a hunt?
A: Once a werewolf has been properly identified, it can be followed and tracked like any person or animal. Ideally, a werewolf hunter will keep his presence unknown to the werewolf until the active stage of the hunt. "It is important that a werewolf hunter continue to seek for distinguishable signs of a werewolf throughout the hunt - such as those listed above, as well as other signs such as residual hair left where the werewolf has changed its form."

Q: How fast does a werewolf actually heal?
A: --------

Q: Do you really need a silver bullet to kill a werewolf?
A: No. A werewolf is prone to take damage from an ordinary bullet the same as any flesh. "Some have speculated that there is something in the werewolf's blood that reacts negatively to the introduction of refined silver, but few have scientifically evaluated it."

Q: What is the most sporting way to kill a werewolf or end a hunt?
A: A good hunt will last until just before dawn on a full-moon night. A sporting hunt is usually several days or weeks long, with a hunter able to track his query in long pursuit between forms unknown. A werewolf will go into hiding or backcountry in the active stage of the hunt (beginning a few nights before a full moon) at which time the hunter can begin driving it. A good hunter will keep his prey moving until just before sunrise on a full-moon night, when ideally he will land a critical shot.
"If done properly, the werewolf will not have enough energy to resume its day-form and the wound will instigate a 'self-destruct' pattern in its biology."

Q: Why are werewolf trophies so hard to preserve?
A: A werewolf does not decompose like a natural creature. It reaches a stage of putrefaction almost within hours of its death. It is believed that a werewolf is able to change its form based on the rapid secretion and consumption of proteins which is also responsible for its rapid deterioration. In the viscous process of decomposition, nearly nothing can be preserved.