A bit of fun…

Costuming

If you ever get a chance, stop by Verdun Manor in Forney, Texas and look at the creations there... Ysengrin has constructed some really incredible werewolf suits. There are also others interested in costuming, as this list of costuming suppliers shows:

Cinema Secrets

4400 Riverside Drive

Burbank, CA 91505

818-846-0579

Ben Nye Corporation

5930 Bowcraft Street

Los Angeles, CA 90016

213-839-1984

Cinemagic, Inc.

7492 Republic Drive

Orlando, FL 32819

407-351-3330

Bill's Trick Shop

6217 West 79th Street

Burbank, IL 60459

708-599-4949

Alcone Paramount Company

5-49 49th Avenue

Long Island City, NY 11101

718-361-8373

I get dental supplies from Burman Ind. you know for making those really convincing canine tooth caps.

Caution dental monomers require lots of ventilation. Burman Industries, Inc. 14141 Covello Street, Suite 6-A Van Nuys, CA 91405 818 782-9833 *Fax 818 782-2863 I just write and request catalogs.

Alcone Company

(718)361-8373

Burman Industries

(818)782-9833

Cinefex (magazine)

(909)781-1917

Cinema FX

9818)765-4995

National Hair Technologies (I'd think this ones kinda needed) (508)6862964

Special Effects Supply Co.

(801)298-9762

Makeup & Effects Lab

(818)982-1483

Polytek Developement

(908)534-5990

Sword & Stone

(818)562-6548

Quantel,inc

(203)656-3100

All of these are in the U.S.

You may want to get the July 1994 of Fangoria #134 which boasts "wall to wall werewolves"(Awsome cover!) You can back order from an order form in the back of thier issues. It can be obtained by ordering it from this address.

NorthWind here,

Was cruising around because I was bored and happened upon this web page for a company called Bone Clones. I'll paste some text from their page:

"BONE CLONES(TM) is a series of skulls skillfully cast from the best original skulls available for each of the animals depicted. The materials of the finished skulls are of the highest quality resin, to capture the best original detail and to make them resistant to chipping and breakage."

"Kronen Osteo's BONE CLONES(TM) skulls are used in comparative educational environments, at zoo and museum "experience" exhibits, by collectors, and have been used by special-effects companies in numerous film productions, including 'Congo'."

So basically they make casts out of actual animal bones and you get an exact replica. Some of the animals that they have include a Siberian Wolf,Maned Wolf,St.Bernard,Great Dane,Cougar,Siberian Tiger,Grizzly Bear, Clouded Leopard and some odds and ends like Lion and Tiger teeth. They even have Human skull casts. The extinct animal cast collection they have is also very interesting.

It includes a Dire Wolf,Sabertooth Cat,Tasmanian Wolf,American Lion and they just added Dinictus,a 60 million year old fossil. The prices range from $150 to $350. Most of the ones I listed are $150-160. In other words,pretty cheap. Definitely check out their web page for prices and pictures.

http://www.carmelnet.com/bones/

And to complete that costume, you need genitalia! For male ones, try: www.forest.com/actaeon/… you can get horse ones and prolly wolf ones too...in that rubber jelly stuff... soft, medium or firm.

What do I do if I meet a werewolf?

Count yourself lucky; you may the only one who has seen one in the flesh. :) Just in case, we have a handy guide for you:

Howls to the cyberpack! Graham and I were contemplating what a potential victim of a Werewolf might do to escape being a late night snack. Feel free to add any new ideas you might have. Enjoy!

1) throw a stick and shout fetch.

2) HOWL! Confuse the bugger.

3) Don't be there.

4) Be kind and nice to all canines, you should be anyway.

5) Don't be a vampire.

6) Don't be human.

7) Definitely don't be a cat.

8) Throw a Frisbee.

9) Be a Wereskunk.

10) Rub the Werewolf's belly and hope for a leg response.

11) Always carry some fresh meat to distract the beast so you can get away.

12) Give the Werewolf a very large, gravy coated, rawhide, chew toy.

13) Point one direction and say "Look it's Elvis!" and run the opposite way.

* Respect their territory. :)

* DON'T TELL ANYONE as a) they'll think you're a nutter and/or b) they'll dissect the poor fella...

* Windigowak: Point in the direction of the nearest well-stocked meat locker (it's nice and cool, and there's LOTS of food :).

* Remember who's the boss in the situation. (It ain't you. :)

* ASk them (if they shift to homid form) if lycanthropy is contagious (and if so, would they be so kind as to give you a little nip? :)

Top 10 reasons weres make good pets

10. Needs no pet license, walkies, or litter box

9. Sensitive friends unlikely to be allergic to werewolf

8. Werewolf can get outside job and pay part of rent

7. No special bedding required, unlike vampire

6. A good conversation starter at parties

5. Weapons carried by typical burglar ineffective

4. As long as you have neighbors, no need to worry about feeding

3. Easy to fool landlords who have a "no pets" policy

2. If landlord not fooled, werewolf can eat landlord

1. Never lose annual "Biggest Dog in Town" contest again

Top 10 reasons weres make poor pets

10.) The mailman is afraid to deliver.

9.) Keeps throwing out your silver jewellery.

8.) The shower drain is ALWAYS clogging with hair.

7.) Uses a whole bottle of conditioner to "de-tangle" after a full moon romp.

6.) Invites the pack over on Friday nights and they drink all your beer.

5.) The 6 month freezer order of meat is always gone in 2 weeks.

4.) Hogs the T.V. to watch nature documentaries.

3.) Howls in his/her sleep.

2.) Always gets blamed when the neighbor's cat disappears.

1.) KEEPS HOGGING THE COMPUTER TO LOG IN TO A.H.W.!!!

The Lexicon

Words from the Spring Thaw Howl -- Werebear

At the recent Spring Thaw Howl, there were a number of words that were introduced into the vocabularies of the folks there. They came from a number of sources, and have even begun to show up in various posts here on Alt.Horror.Werewolves. I was asked by many of the weres who were at the howl to write up this lexicon and post it.

Now, so that there can be a reduced level of confusion . . . here are the words and their meanings. If there are any that I have forgotten, or that were given an improper definition, please e-mail me so that I may correct them.

The format is simple. A pronunciation guide, usage, definition, and an example sentence.

MAD \MAD\ adj: wild, passionate "They were _mad scrumpin_"

MUNG \MUHng - to rhyme with dung\ adj: any material which cannot be identified. Usually a liquid, or semi-liquid. "When we added water to the dried remains of Kat's chili, it became a foul mung."

SCRUMPIN \SCRUMPIN - to rhyme with pumpin\ a.) v: to engage in sexual intercourse. "No one wanted to go near the tent for fear that they would interrupt _mad scrumpin_." b.) An alcoholic beverage often served in England. Often called, "nicking apples"

"Mind if I have some scrumpin?"

Scrumpin requires 2 editorial footnotes. It's most common usage is using the adjective mad, simply because sex is frequently impassioned, and therefore often mad -- it is almost never seen without mad, in fact.

I was recently introduced to a usage of the word that I was unfamiliar with, namely b.) and therefore it caused a moment of confusion. On IRC one evening, one of the participants was offering "Scrumpin" to anyone who wanted it. Several of the folks on the channel cheerily accepted it. I was appalled. Scrumpin in public? I stated as much, and was soon informed that Scrumpin is an alcholic drink, often served in England. The slang for it there is, "nicking apples."

Needless to say, that confusion was quickly cleared up. The use of mad to describe a.) is a good indicator of which the writer means.

SPOOGE \SPOOJ\ a.) n.: upchuck, vomit, hurl, the technicolor yawn, selling Buicks to Ralph. "I'm gonna spooge!" b.) slang. To ejaculate. "I'm gonna spooge!" Another editorial note here. Spooge is NOT a romantic word. In it's b.) incarnation it is VERY unromantic, and generally reserved for use in the locker room.

TWEE \TWEE -- to rhyme with gee\ adj: _irish slang_ feminine, delicate. "You are a twee little bastard!" The final editorial note is reserved for this word. It is VERY unkind to call a male twee unless you REALLY mean it. Even if someone has NO clue what the word means . . . it SOUNDS feminine. It is one of the few words that one can figure out the meaning PURELY from it's sound.

Well, there they are. I hope they provided some enlightenment.

I'm certain that future howls and special events will add to this list, and when they do, your faithful lexiconographer will be there to compile them.

Odds and Ends

How can I change into a were?

The group has collected a number of ways, outlined in legend and literature, held to effect the Change. There are no guarantees that any of this will work... especially if your heart's not really in it. Some of them are downright bizarre, and a couple possibly dangerous: Swim at your own risk.

There are quite a few different legends and theories on how one becomes a werewolf; at least as many as there are different werewolf legends-and almost every country in the world has some sort of shape-changing myth. Most of them, predictably, involve demonic possession or enchantment via witchcraft. Note: This section uses wolves as an example. Any other animal may be substituted, however.

 Be called by the wolf spirit.

 Transformation by the Gods (also appears in Greek myth of Lycan, hence the term "lycanthrope".)

 Have a vision of the wolf spirit on a dream-quest.

 Have a Dreaming that one is a wolf or running with wolves.

 Have a dream of the wolf spirit.

 Perform a ritual taught by one's animal spirit.

 Be cursed by a shaman.

 Perform a ritual invoking the wolf spirit. (There is a similar ritual in Khaos Magick involving hunting dogs where one mentally becomes a dog)

 Get bitten by a werewolf.

 Wear the enchanted skin of a dead wolf or werewolf.

 Drink water from a wolf's footprint.

 Eat dust from a wolf's footprint.

 Drink water from certain springs, especially in the Harz Mountains in Germany.

 Drink downstream from wolves.

 Possess and wear a moonstone (supposedly not all would do it, perhaps an extra enchantment was required?)

 Eat a wolf's brain.

 Sleep outside on a Friday night when the light of a full moon can shine on your face while you sleep. This one seems to have originated in Italy.

 The 7th of 7 consecutive daughters was supposed to carry the werewolf strain (from Germany).

 Pluck and wear a rare white marsh flower (the flower's name is supposedly lost, but this method comes from the Balkans so it is probably a species that either grows or grew there).

 Children born on the winter solstice or Christmas eve supposedly had a good chance of becoming a werewolf when puberty was reached.

 Get cursed by a powerful witch or wizard or god (eg Zeus doing so to Lycaon).

 Have sex with a werewolf and survive. (This is one of those methods that I believe is a recent addition, but many werewolves seem to vouch for it as being valid. I wonder why? ;-)

 Participate in the rituals of a secret society, such as one among the Nootka Sound natives.

 In shamanistic ritual, gain the wolf as your totem animal (or guardian or familiar or whatever applies to the tradition in question) and from this the ability to assume its form. This method would also proably include those who gain such a spirit through meditation or dreams. This is the source for many "spiritual werewolves".

I found this stuff while browsing our university and couldn't resist sharing it with you, although most of you old wolves already know this trivia. The source is A.Wuttke: "Der Deutsche Volks- und Aberglaube der Genwart", published in 1925, and I'll translate a part dealing with belts rumored to enable their wearers to change. It is, as the rest of the book, a compilation of several German folklore sources.

"People (men, women, even boys) change, mostly just for several hours, into wolves by wearing a wolfbelt on the naked body (sometimes also on clothes). [this belt is made of] wolf's leather or human skin, especially the skin of a hanged man, often adorned with the zodiac, and with seven tongues on the buckle [which must be put] into the ninth hole; if they want to return to their human form, they open the buckle."

Phew, I don't think I got the translation quite right. But those intent on manufacturing such a belt should have gotten the picture on how it is supposed to look like.

And when you're trying this at home, don't forget: one hit to your belly'd loosen the belt and leave you reverted and stark naked.

-Holger

Dementia

There are medical cases of dementia in which the victim believes he or she is a werewolf; and a disease called congenital porphyria whose symptoms are very similar to those ascribed to lycanthropy. Science seems to be catching up with it:

The following appeared in the London "Times" newspaper, Wednesday 31

May 1995.

Scientists hunt down the "wolfman" gene

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[by our science correspondent]

"Scientists have pinpointed the gene responsible for "Werewolf" syndrome, an extremely rare genetic condition in which patients are covered in dense hair. A team from Texas, which studied a family of Mexicans suffering from congenital generalised hypertrichosis, say that the precise identification of the gene could provide useful information about the normal distribution of human hair, and could eventually have significant application in the treatment of baldness.

Many of the victims of the condition have spent their lives performing in circuses. Four years ago, two Mexican boys aged 9 and 14 were banned from appearing in a circus in Blackpool after protests from child welfare groups.

There have been only about 50 known cases since the Middle ages. The scientists report in "Nature genetics" that they have isolated the gene responsible to the X chromosome. Members of the Mexican family volunteered to provide tissue samples, from which the rough position of the gene was identified".

Ergot

By MegaDog and his brother (who has a BS in Organic Chemistry)]

How many of you ever thought of your local bakery as a possible source of werewolf beliefs? Or of hallucinogenic drugs?

In medieval times, it could have been both.

Ergot [Claviceps purpurea] is a parasitic fungus that can be found growing on rye or other cereal grasses. Rye grass is by far the most widespread species parasitized, though wheat and barley are also commonly affected. The 'ergots' appear as a blackish-purple club- shaped growth [sclerotia] on the tops of the rye where the seeds are, and are referred to as "heads of ergot"; from these heads sprout the Claviceps purpurea fungal fruiting bodies. They have long stems with bulbous heads when seen under a strong glass or microscope. See reference [1] for more information.

Ergot naturally produces a wide range of chemical compounds, the ones of relevance here are collectively known as the "Ergot Alkaloids", and include ergotamine, ergosine and beta-ergosine, ergonine, ergovaline, ergostine, ergotine and beta-ergotine, ergocornine, ergocristine, ergocryptine and beta-ergocryptine. These compounds all have some degree of psychoactivity; indeed LSD was first synthesized from ergot compounds. Their other major medical effect is vasoconstriction [narrowing of blood vessels], which, if severe, can lead to gangrene of the extremities. Ergotamine has medical uses; for example it is frequently prescribed [often in combination with caffeine] as a therapy for migraine headaches.

Ergot was a widespread parasite of cereal grains in europe in the middle-ages, growing particularly well during excessively damp summers. The psychoactive components of ergot are *not* broken down by heat, so it is fair to assume that they would be present in bread baked from flour milled from ergotized grains. There was a significant outbreak of ergot-poisoning in France in the early 1950's; this outbreak gives a good insight into what may have been experienced in medieval times.

Symptoms of ergot poisoning include hallucinations [the 1950's French victims reported 'being chased or attacked by horrible beasts', 'terror of the dark', and 'feeling that my body was not mine'] together with tingling/burning sensations in the extremities & the scalp. These tingling sensations were known in medieval times as "St. Anthony's Fire", after the saint to whom sufferers prayed for relief.

It is not hard to imagine how an outbreak of ergot-poisoning, or, IMHO, more likely, an ongoing low level of ergotisation, could lead to the development of a werewolf-legend, the 'pursuit by horrible beasts' hallucination being probably the most likely cause, however the 'tingling & loss of sensation in the extremities' effect could possibly have been interpreted as shapeshifting? For those interested in more detail of such things, see references [2] and [3].

WARNING

~~~~~~~~~

If any of you are thinking of experimenting with Ergot at home, I would discourage this most strongly! To back this up, here is an abstract from a medical toxicology file I just happened to have to hand....

Ergotamine:

~~~~~~~~~~~

Acute effects:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May be fatal if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin.

Exposure can cause: Nausea, dizziness and headache, stomach pains, vomiting, diarrhea.

Other symptoms include:

Thirst, changes in blood pressure and heart rate, tingling in the extremities and confusion.

Chronic effects:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An Oxytocic; in pregnant women may result in abortion or fetal harm.

Can cause menstrual dysfunction and sterility.

Other effects include peripheral circulatory disturbances and gangrene. Possible mutagen.

References:-

~~~~~~~~~~~~

[1] "Collins Guide to Mushrooms and Toadstools" by Morten Lange and F. Bayard Hora. 1978

Description of characteristics of ergot, its distribution & life cycle.

[2] Fuller, John Grant,_The Day of St Anthonys Fire_, NY: Macmillan, 1968. This is a look at outbreaks of hallucinations and other bizarre behavior believed to have been caused by ergot infections.

[3] Matossian, Mary Kilbourne, _Poisons of the Past: Molds, Epidemics & History_, New Haven: Yale Univ Press, 1989. This book covers more ground, from the Middle Ages to witchcraft scares in Europe. She has charts, maps and graphs to illustrate her findings.

How can I exorcise a were?

-Rich A.K.A. Trafalgar of #ahww

All this time we have been talking about how one may become a werewolf....I am going to take a walk on the flip side of things for a bit. But before we get going, I must make the following statement:

<<<WARNING>> In NO WAY, shape form or manner shall I claim resposibility for what information follows, especially if you edeavor to persue this interest. The following post covers potentialy disturbing material and can and will cause physical harm. Caveat emptor, Your mileage may vary, and return your seats to their normal upright position....some material has been changed to protect the innocent. You have been warned.

That said and done, let's get to the meat. <Pulling a dusty volume from the shelf and paging through>

Common means for exorcising a werewolf:

A common thread among all exorcisms is that the person is believed to be possesed of some malevolent spirit. So many folks employ the use of some sort of potion and or prayer, or spinkling of holy water, and calling the person by their given Christian name.....<Looking up from the volume> Boring!

Here's one from legend.. "Cast a circle of 9 feet, and a smaller one only 4 feet in diameter. Place a series of candles at equal intervals, and place a wooden altar in the south. Within the inner circle, place the werewolf....(you are on your own to figure out how to get a hold of him/her) Build a small fire exactly opposite of the altar, and 1 1/2 foot away from the inner circle. Place a pot over the fire, containing 2 pints of clear water.

To this add:

1/2 oz. camphor

3/4 oz. ammonia

1/2 oz. hypericum

2 drachms sulfur

1/2 oz castorium

6 drachms opium (!)

3 drachms asafoetida

*(!)* <Higly illegal, and potentially lethal>

Mix thoroughly and then add a portion of mandrake root, 1 live snake, 2 live toads in a linen bag, and a fungus. (Guess any kind will do...mushrooms, that old pizza that needs a shave that has been in the 'fridge for an epoch) Bind togehter with red ribbon a wand of three sprigs, each from ash, white popular, and birch. (The magickal connotations could easily fill a volume, so I will refrain from explaining) <At this point it would be wise to employ the services of your D.O.C.> When the toads cry out from being immersed in the now boiling water, the mixture is ready. Take a cupfull of the searing liquid and douse the werewolf, as well as lashing him/her with the wand....exclaiming "Foul spirit release this persons' soul, return to the great unknown!" Repeat 3 times." (Lather, rinse, repeat..;) )

Some forms of expulsion use a boiling mixture of baneful materials, tar, and sulfur. If that does not get rid of a werewolf, it will certainly rid one of their hide.

That was legend....

Now What follows is mostly theory, and have yet to prove any of it. Look in any dictionary, Look for the word lycanthropy. Most likely you will find the same I have. The Greater Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary has this entry : "A kind of insanity in which the patient supposes himself to be a wolf." Go ahead, take a look, you may have an entry that sounds a lot like that too.

Lycanthropy *seems* to fall into several categories... "Infective Lycanthropy": The Hollywood version of the werewolf. This creature goes about, with an insatiable appetite for human flesh, and those that survive the attack become werewolves themselves. Basically, place your favorite story here. If there is an infectious vector, it has yet to be discovered.

"Wolfen": Probably the most dangerous phenotype there is. The lycanthropic condition is cause by some demonic expression of a creature through a host body. Outward shapes/manifestations vary, but usually the creature takes the form of a highly feared creature, and can be an expression of a deeply rooted fear or phobia. It can be placed either by magickal rite or curse...and similarly dispelled. Because of the supernatural nature of the creature, it is quite possible for the creatue to perfom amazing feats of strength and literally be bound by no known physical laws. (ie. changing to mist, and slipping through a crack under the door)

"Inherent Lycanthropy": Most likely the most common form of lycanthropy. In this case the "condition" seems to be hereditary. Passed on from generation to generation, and sometimes skipping one, it manifests itself after the person reaches puberty. Sometimes it is not a full blown case and certain behaviors are the only clues that this person may be an inherent. Most of the time it is the poor soul who gets locked away because he imagines himself to be a wild ravening creature, or wanders aimlessly, imitating the actions of the creature.

"Astral Lycanthropy": Perhaps the most misunderstood form of all. It is not the physical manifestation of a creature, nor is it a mental condition, but rather more akin to the Dream quests that a shaman may take. It is believed that the spirit of a person projects apart from the body, and takes the shape of one's totem animal/spirit. This is the most freeform of all shifters, because it is only limited to the imagination of the individuals mind.

"Magickal Lycanthropy": Like wolfen it entails the use of powers from outside one's self. But in this case the ability to shift forms is brought on by the use of elemental forces, or allowing one to be taken over by an entity... voluntarily. And although different regions tell different stories, they all have a common thread. Like the "rite of exorcism" depicted above..... Except the wording is different. All involved baneful materials, a clearing of some sort, and a chant.

Some are quite simple, like sleeping under the full moon on a friday night....drinking blood or water from a wolf's footprint....drinking from a river know to be frequented by wolves....

But by far the most interesting....

"The History Of Magick" -By Paul Christian 1870 A.D.

Book II

pp.450-451

"....Little can be reliably written on Voodoo, the African magick, and the reader must be referred to the few works that exist. One aspect of it however links with similar phenomena reported elsewhere and is worth note. West Africa has a number of animals said in different disrticts to be were or *wir*, that is to be a demon or human elementary transformations: there are the weretiger, the werejaguar and the werealigator. Now India also has a weretiger, and in Australia amongst certian tribes is the weredingo. In America there is the werecyote, and in Europe the evidence for the werewolf....."

It goes on to say "Ancient Egypt is said to have a werejackal, and nearer home the werecat is reported from Scotland".

What are "furries"?

A lot of participants of AHWW consider themselves "furries". What, exactly, is a "furry"? Well, let's take a look at what the FAQ for alt.fan.furry has to say: (thanx to lynx@netcom.com for permission to use this text)

* WHAT IS "ALT.FAN.FURRY"?

Alt.fan.furry is a newsgroup devoted to the discussion of all things "furry" and/or of interest to "furry fans". Of course, tangential discussions occasionally get into things that are very far from being distinctly "furry", such as copyrights, cellular radios, meks... =)

* WHAT IS A "FURRY"?

"Furry" when used as a noun seems to refer to one of two things:

a) An animal-like character known as a "furry"

b) A person who is a "furry fan"

The latter is easy enough (knock on wood) to define: A person who particularly enjoys stories, pictures, dolls, video games or whatever concerning "furry" creatures. Defining a "furry" creature is somewhat harder, though. There are several definitions depending upon which "camp" in furrydom, for lack of a better term, you might be in.

The basic definition for a "furry" is an anthropomorphized animal character. In other words, an animal character given human-like attributes, such as sapience and often a humanoid form. The term "furry" is a misnomer, as a creature does not need to have fur to be "furry" in this sense. Other terms sometimes interchangeable with a "furry" in this sense are "zoomorph", "morph", "anthropomorph" or (debatably) funny animal".

The core definition of a "furry" seems to include basically humanoid- formed creatures with animal faces, fur/scale/feathers/whatever, and often appropriate tails, wings, claws, etc., able to speak, and with a human-like personality, though quite often with "quirks" hinting at the real-life animal upon which the character is based.

A broader definition will sometimes include other odd creatures that simply have some sort of animal features in their makeup. Such would include mythical creatures such as centaurs, manticores, satyrs or harpies, all of which have human faces though more-or-less animal-like bodies. This broader definition might also include the human-like characters that appear in some Japanese animation that have an animal tail and ears, but otherwise look about as human as any other anime character.

One of the narrower definitions held by some is that in order for a character to be truly considered furry", the character must exhibit animal-like characteristics in behavior. Optionally, the fact that the character is an "animal" must be a major ingredient to the story. This is exhibited in a frequent criticism of "furry" stories by those who hold this view: Many stories, while featuring characters fitting the core definition of "furry" given earlier are criticized as being "humans in animal suits" if their behavior isn't distinctly animal-like in some way.

Not all AHWWers are furries, as well... but who can resist a good convention? *grin*

What are some other names for weres?

Here are some terms for werewolves in languages and cultures other

than english/american... This list is obviously far from complete, and I welcome any input..

werewolf- English

werwolf- German

Loup Garou- French

Oberroten- Russian

WeerWolf- Dutch

Varulv- Swedish

Mactire- Irish (pronounced Mactira)

Okami Otoko- Japenese

Shungmanitu Wicasa- Native American (one who is wolf)

This is a list of some of the names by which my clan (wendigo) goes in the Northeastern American continent. I thought it might be fun to share:

weendigo weeghtako weeghteko weendago weendegoag

weendigo weetego weetigo wee tee go wehndigo

wehtigo wendago wendigo wenigo wightigo

wiitiko windago windagoe windagoo windego

wi'ndigo windikouk wintego wintigo wi'ntsigo

wintsigo wi'tigo witigo witiko wittako

and wittikka

and then there are some that ignore the `w' sound altogether...

atcen atschen sheno djenu kokodhem

outiko and vinkiko

Werecode

WereCode v.0.5

Compiled by Blackfang <kirchfa@azstarnet.com>

Based on the Furry Code by Ross Smith <alien@netlink.co.nz>

General Modifiers

These symbols can be attatched to any of the standard codes (unless indicated otherwise)

to indicate some unusual or uncertain factor.

x?: You havne't decided where you fall in the category, but you know you're in there somewhere.

This replaces the normal suffix, i.e., S?

x~: An apporximation. Used when you don't feel the given choices adequately describe you.

x/: You fit more than one of the categories or choices given.

!x: Indicates a positive refusal to take part in the category. Unlike x?, which means you aren't

certain, this means you _are_ certain you want to have nothing to do with it.

x>: Indicates that you want to change your standing in this category. The part on the left is

your current status; the part on the right (the "lesser than" side) is the category you'd

like to be in.

x$: Use this code if this is what you do in real life. It doesn't have to be your only source

of income, just a signifigant one.

x#: This is none of your business. Use in place of the normal suffix when you want to keep the

information to yourself.

The Codes

P - Phenotype

Your wereside. What species are you?

Pc: Canine (wolf, dog)

Pv: Vulpine (fox)

Pf: Feline (cats)

Pi: Insectoid

Pr: Reptilian

Pa: Avian (birds)

Pu: Ursine (bears)

Pp: Pinniped (seals)

Pm: Mythical beastie

P?: I don't know what species my wereside is.

!P: I don't have a wereside.

If you have more than one equally dominant wereside, you can separate them with a slash. If you have more than one wereside with one more dominant than the other(s), seperate them by hyphens. For example: Somewere with an equaly prominent wolf and snow leapord side would use Pc/f. Somewere with a dominant seal side and a less dominant jaguar side would use Pp-f.

T - Transformation

What kind of transformations do you experience?

Tsx represents a spiritual or mental shift.

Tpx represents a physical shift.

Choose x from the following code:

su: Aura shifting. Assuming phenotype energy, resulting in a animal mood. Behavior and senses may be affected in a general sense.

sm: Mental shifting. Like an Aural shift, but generally much deeper. The wereside is more or less entirely in control.

sa: Astral shfting. Your shift involves going into the Astral plane.

sd: Dream shifting. You *are* your phenotype (or another phenotype) in a dream, or you change into an animal form.

ss: Spiritual shift. A "totemistic" shift: that is, an external spirit is channeled into your body.

pm: "Molecular shift." All or part of you body is instantaneously changed into an animal form.

pc: "Classic shift." All or part of your body gradually "morphs" into an animal form.

pb: "Biolocational shift." Your human body becomes comatose as an animal materialzes elsewhere.

pk: Magickal shift. The shift is brought on by some sort of magickal (ritual) means.

pp: Possesion shift. You send out your spirit to take possesion of or ride along with a real, live animal.

Degree of transformation. Use the largest shift you've experienced.

T++++: I've become the animal 100%. If the transformation is physical, I am physically indistinguishable from an animal of the same type.

T+++: A strong mix between human and animal, with emphasis on the animal: the classical mediaeval werewolf archeytpe.

T++: A mix between human and animal. Mostly human, but with some very definite animal features/characteristics.

T+: If I have any animal features, they're very slight (maybe thicker hair or longer canine teeth). My personality/senses may also have some animal quailty: a tendency to growl or bark, etc.

T: The shift only affects me emotionally. No detectable physical changes or any major changes in my behavior.

T-: No one else would have been able to tell that I had shifted.

T--: I'm not even sure it happened. I know its in me, but its buried deep....

T?: I don't know what kind of shifts I've had.

!T: I've never shifted.

T#: Its none of your business what kind of shifts I've had.

T(sx/px)&: Indicates that the shift was involuntary and unplanned.

If you experience more than one of these, connect them with hyphens. If you experience both spiritual/mental shifts and physical shifts, use the format Tsx|px. (That looks like an l on my console, but its really one of those vertical line thingies above the slash.

For example, a were who had shifted spiritually and in dreams, and physically once, might use Tss&/sd++++|pb+.

A - Art

Many weres like to express their weresides by drawing, especially art with weres or animals.

A++++: Art is my life.

A+++: My art appears regularly in zines and elsewhere, and people ask me to contribute to their sketchbooks.

A++: I have pictures in reasonably well-known zines.

A+: I draw regularly, and someone once said something that could be construed as a compliment.

A: I've shown one or two of my pictures to others, and they actually didn't throw up.

A-: Tried a few sketches in the privacy of my own home.

A--: Never tried.

A---: Never tried, never will.

F - Fursuits

What would it take to get you into a fursuit?

F++++: I've made plans to be buried in a fursuit.

F+++: I'll wear a fursuit at any opportunity, whether or not costumes are expected.

F++: I'll wear a fursuit anywhere costumes are uncommon.

F+: I'll wear a fursuit anywhere costumes are expected.

F: I might wear one.

F-: I'd wear one, but only if I really had to.

F--: Are you kidding? No way I'd wear one of those things.

Add an m after the F if you've made your own fursuit.

H - Howls

How often do you go to Howls?

H+++: I lost count of the number of Howls I've been to. Organized at least one.

H++: Been to many Howls, and plan to go to more.

H+: Been to at least on Howl, and plan to go to more.

H: Never been to one, but I plan to go to one in the near future.

H-: Never been to a Howl, but I'd like to.

H--: Not really interested.

H---: No way in Hel I'd go to one of those things.

H*: I'd like to go to one, but for one reason or another its impossible.

L - Legends

How close do you come to the "traditional" werewolf myth?

L+++: Thick hair, sharp canines, can't touch silver: I've got it all.

L++: When moonlight makes me want to go down on all fours and howl, I do.

L+: I feel the occasional urge to eat raw meat. :9

L: Never really noticed.

L-: Nothing about me matches the legends.

L--: I make a point of avoiding were "stereotypes."

R - Religion

Rx: Choose x from the list below:

Rb: Buddhist

Rc: Christian

Rh: Hindu

Ri: Shinto(ist?)

Rj: Jewish

Rm: Muslim

Rn: Native American

Rp: Pagan (non-Wiccan)

Rs: Shamanist

Rw: Wiccan

Degree:

R+++: There is nothing more important to me than religion. I observe all holidays and services...well...religiously.

R++: Religion is very important to me. I arrange my life, at least in part, around religious services/observances.

R+: Religion is fairly important. I try to attend services regularly.

R: I go to synagogue/mosque/church on occasion.

R-: I might go to church on Christmas or Easter.

R--: I only believe how I do because it's how I was raised.

R?: Agnostic

!R: Atheist

Place a tilde between R and the code letter to indicate uncertainy. If you've converted from one religion to another, you can put the letter of the orginal religion in parentheses after the current code number. Add w after the code if your belief system involves weres or other shapeshifters in some way.

For instance, my code would be Rw(j)~w+

(Use *s instead of +s if you volunterr regularly for some religious organization; if you get paid for it, of course, use the $ code.)

S - Shapechanging IRL

If you had the chance to physically become your phenotype, would you do it?

S++++: "All this is going to cost me is $1,000,000, my dog, and my firstborn child? Where do I sign?"

S+++: Probably, but I'd have to think about it first.

S++: Only if its reversible.

S+: Maybe, but I'm not going to be the first guinea pig (or what have you... ;D)

S: I'd have to consider it carefully.

S-: Thanks but no thanks. I'm happy with my body the way it is.

S--: Un-uh. Not for me. No way.

W - Writing

Have you ever written anything of note? If so, was it were-related?

W++++: Stephen King is an amateur.

W+++: I've sold a full-length book.

W++: I've sold something to a _real_ magazine. ;D

W+: I've sold something to a fanzine.

W: I've written a story or two that nobody else has read.

W-: I have a few rough outlines, but nobody will ever see them.

W--: Never written a word of fiction (IRS forms excepted).

W---: I'm illiterate.

(Use *s instead of +s if your story(ies) or book(s) are not were-related.)

rl - Real Life occupation

Unless you're some sort of aboriginal hunter-gatherer (or living at home), you probably have to work for a living. If so, what do you do?

rla: Art

rlbm: Business/management

rlc: Craft

rlci: Construction industry

rlct: Computers/imformation technology

rle: Engineering

rlet: Education/teaching

rlf: Farming

rlfb: Finance/banking

rlgp: Government/public service

rll: Law

rllw: Literature/writing

rlm: Music

rlma: Military/armed forces

rlmc: Media/communications

rlmh: Medicine (non veterinary)

rlrb: Retail business

rls: Science

rlth: Theater

rlti: Transport industry

rlvm: Veterinary medicine

rlat: Were-of-all-trades

rlu: Undecided (generally used by students who haven't picked a major yet)

rl-: No qualifications, no job. Life is good.

Add * after the code if you're trained in this field, but haven't actually

found someone who's willing to pay you to do it yet.

a - Age

Pretty straightforward, really. How old are you?

a++++: 60+ years

a+++: 45-59 years

a++: 35-44 years

a+: 25-34 years

a: 18-24 years

a-: 10-17

a--: Under 10 years

You can use a number instead of the codes to give your exact age (i.e., a22). You could also use a#, of course.

c - Computers

Just how familar are you with the centerpiece of the Information Revolution?

c++++: I'll be first in line to get a cybernetic interface installed in my skull!

c+++: RL? WTH is that?

c++: Computers are a big part of my life; I spend at least part of every day in front of one; I've even tried a little programming.

c+: Computers are a fun toy. I can even use some software without resorting to the manual.

c: Computers are really not much more than glorified typewriters, but they can still come in handy.

c-: I get nervous around anything more complicated than a toaster.

c--: Where's the on switch? Better yet, where's the off switch?

c---: They're taking over the world! Smash the machines! Up the Luddites!

If your rating is at least c, add one or more of the following letters just after the c to indicate your preferred operating environment:

a: amiga

b: BSD Unix

d: MS-DOS

l: linux

m: Macintosh

n: Win95/WinNT

o: OS/2

u: Unix (commercial)

v: VMS

w: Windows 3.x

d - Doom

Doom, Heretic, Hexen, Dark Forces, Duke Nukem 3D and the like are tremendously popular. What is it about running around with heavy-caliber weaponry shooting the crap out of everything in sight that appeals to us? Or does that question answer itself?

d++++: I work for ID: bow before my might.

d+++: I can solve every level in Nightmare mode with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind by back. I make 3 or 4 WAD files a day.

d++: I'm pretty good at these games. I can beat most levels easily; I've even played a couple of WADs I downloaded.

d+: Its a nice diversion on a lazy afternoon.

d: I've played some of these games; I must admit, I'm not that impressed.

d-: I've played these games, and to tell you the truth, I really don't like them at all.

d--: I miss Zork.

d---: Its exactly this kind of filth that's corrupting the moral fiber of today's youth. Why, back in my day...

e - Education

How far have you managed to crawl up the academic ladder?

e++++: Doctorate or the equivalent.

e+++: Master's degree or the equivalent.

e++: Bachelor's degree or the equivalent.

e+: Some tertiary education.

e: Finished High School.

e-: Haven't finished High School.

e--: Haven't started High School.

e*: Learned everything I know from The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Star Trek and Monty Python.

e**: Graduate of the School of Hard Knocks.

h - Relationships with other humans

How do feel about and get along with other humans?

h+++: Humans are the true masters of creation.

h++: Humans are responsible for most, if not all, that is good in the world.

h+: Without humans, the world would be worse off.

h: Humans are no greater or lesser than any other species.

h-: Without humans, the world would be better off.

h--: No other animal has caused so much destruction in the world.

h---: I'd rather be dead than be human.

i - Internet

The Internet and its various sub-media (usenet, e-mail, WWW, MUDs and MUCKs, IRC, FTP, and Gods know what else) have quickly become a leading medium of communication among more or less the entire technologically aware universe. How deeply have you dived in?

i+++: I'm a Webmaster/site sysadmin

i++: I spend most of my free time surfing the Web, and chatting on IRC.

i+: I browse the world regularly, and use many of the other media as well.

i: I have browser and a connection...I think.

i-: Not connected.

i--: Nothing more than a flash in the pan.

i---: The Internet is a dangerous, subversive, perverted abomination that needs to be banned from the face of the earth. My preacher even told me so.

Add w after the i if you have your own homepage on the Web. Make it ww if your page at least mentions weres.

k - Number of weres you know

How many weres do you know or have you met IRL?

k+++: I live with one or more weres.

k++: I used to/am going to live with other weres or I know many weres.

k+: I know at least one other were well or several weres slightly.

k: I've never met anywere IRL in more than passing, if that.

k-: I've never met any weres IRL, and I don't think I will.

k--: You can just stay away from me, you weirdos.

l - Lifestyle

What kind of housing do you have?

l++++: Married and living with one or more kids (ack!).

l+++: Married or living with your SO on a long term basis.

l++: Living with one or more were roommates.

l+: Living with one or more non-were roommates.

l: Living alone.

l-: Living alone. Try to get out once a week to buy food; all surfaces covered in computers, old pizza boxes and old soda cans.

l--: Living in a yurt in outer Mongolia with nothing around for miles except my sattelite dish.

l*: Still living with my parents. :P

l**: I'm not really sure where I live...my workplace seems like home to me.

l***: Homeless.

n - Newsgroups

How involved are you in usenet newsgroups, especially AHWW?

n+++: RL has nothing on usenet...and if it did, there'd be a newsgroup about it.

n++: Regular poster on many newsgroups; my next batch of posts come in before I finish my first batch.

n+: Regular poster on several newsgroups.

n: Regular poster on AHWW (or one other newsgroup).

n-: I read AHWW or some other newsgroup occasionally.

n--: One visit a month to usenet is a lot for me; I use Netscape for my news.

n---: I've forsworn all newsgroups forever.

(Use *s instead of +s if you don't read/post to AHWW).

p - Pets

If we can't get our species-change operations yet, we can at least get closer to animals by including them in our households.

p+++: I have a vast household of assorted furry/scaly/feathery creatures, and my life is organized to their benefit.

p++: Several pets.

p+: Two or three conventional pets, or one exotic one.

p: One conventional pet.

p-: No pets as of now, but I may enrich my life in the future

p--: I don't have any pets; my lifestlye/household/schedule doesn't allow for 'em. :(

p---: Filthy creatures! I won't have them in my house!

p*: I'd like to have pets, but my landlord/parents/roommates won't allow it.

p*: I'm allergic to animals.

(Use *s instead of +s if at least one of your pets is your phenotype)

r - Roleplaying games

How do you feel about Roleplaying games, especially White Wolf's Werewolf: The Apocalypse game?

r+++: When I need a break from roleplaying, I play at real life.

r++: Most of my free time is spent RPGing, and some of the time I should be doing something else, as well.

r+: A wonderful thing to occupy a Saturday afternoon...and Sunday..and maybe Monday...

r: It's something to do when there's nothing else to do.

r-: I might try it someday, but I'm not so hot on the idea.

r--: Role-players are sickos; there's no way I'd *ever* play them.

r---: RPGs are the works of Satan! Burn these tools of evil and corruption!

(use *s instead of +s if you LARP (Live Action Role-Play)

t - RL study of weres, etc.

How interested are you in werewolf (or other shapeshifter) legends from RL history or modern culture (movies, novels, etc.)

t+++: I'm a Professor of Lycanthropy at a major universtiy. :D

t++: I have an extensive library of were-related materials...which is actually redundant, since I've memorized them all anyways.

t+: I have preorders for new were-related books half a month in advance.

t: I have a couple books or movies, and I've checked out more from the library/video store.

t-: I read a novel or two about weres, didn't like them that much.

t--: I'd rather read something interesting, thank you very much.

t---: Ick, no thank you. Boring!

w - How many humans know about your wereside?

So, to how many humans (i.e. non-weres) have you managed to explain

yourself to?

w+++: Everyone I know knows the truth about me.

w++: Most of my family/friends know, and they didn't even disown me (entirely).

w+: I've told at least one person. I'd tell more, if only they'd listen...

w: I've never told anyone, but I could see it happening.

w-: Never told anyone, and I doubt I will.

w--: It would take a lot to make me tell someone.

w---: There's nothing in the whole wide world that would get me to tell something.

w*: I don't know anyone except weres.

s - Sex

Sx: Use this code to describe your your gender and sex life.

sf: Female

sm: Male

s+++: There's more to life? What is it, and what equipment do you need?

s++: I was once referred to as "easy", but I have no idea where that might have come from.

s+: I've had real, live sex.

s: I've had sex...oh, you mean with someone else?

s-: Not having sex by choice.

s--: Not having sex because I can't get any.

s---: Not having sex because I'm a nun/priest.

s*: I'm married, so I can get it whenever I want (in theory, anyways...)

s**: Where do you *think* these kids came from, huh?

Megadog has some suggestions for codes as well:

P - PHENOTYPE

Identifies what animal type you associate most strongly with.

Select x from the following:-

c - canine (Dogs/wolves)

v - vulpine (Foxes)

f - feline (All cats)

i - insectoid

r - reptilian

ro - rodent (mice, rats...)

a - avian (Birds)

o - Ovine (Sheep/goat)

e - equine (Horses etc)

u - ursine (Bears)

p - pinniped (seals etc)

m - mythical beast.

@ - Polymorph

T - TRANSFORMATION

The first letter sx denotes spiritual/mental shift, whereas px denotes physical shifts.

s0 - Have yet to experience a Shift of any kind.

su - Aura Shifting. Assuming the animal energy, resulting in a Wolfish (or other phenotype) mood. Behaviour and senses generally affected.

sm - Mental Shift. Generally a much deeper Shift than Aura Shifting. The Animal Side is more or less totally in control.

sa - Astral Shifting. The Shifter goes into the spiritworld (or astral plane) and Shifts there.

sd - Dream Shifting. The Shifter is a Wolf (or whatever animal) in their dreams, or where the Shifter changes physically in their dreams.

ss - Spiritual Shift. To those therianthropes who being a Shifter is a very spiritual thing, Mental Shift may be regarded as Spiritual.

pm - Molecular Shift. Instantaneous physical shift of the body.

pc - Classical Shift. The gradual metamorphosis from human to animal, that usually takes several minutes.

pb - Bilocational Shift. The body (usually) becomes comatose or in trance and a physical animal materializes, either in the vicinity or at some distance.

pk - Magickal Shift. The transformation is accomplished through a magickal ritual of some kind.

pp - Possession Shift. The therianthrope send out his/her spirit to take possession of a real, live animal.

& - Sense Shift. This is used to denote that most, if not all Shifting is done involuntarily and that the therianthrope has no or little controlover it. It could be placed either after T (ex. T+++&) or after a particular Shift form (ex. T+su/sd&)

Degree of Shift: extent (or otherwise) of your shifts may be indicated by use of the + and - modifiers between the T and the physical/mental shift variables previously defined.

G - GENDER and ORIENTATION

Since sex seems to be a preoccupation with some (all?) weres, this letter combination is used to identify your gender and personal sexuality or preferred sexual orientation(s). The importance of sex in your life can be indicated by use of the - or + qualifiers.

The first letter identifies your physical gender; choose from the following:

m - Male

f - Female

h - Hermaphrodite

0 - Asexual/neuter

Your sexual orientation should be selected from the following:-

s - straight (heterosexual)

g - gay

b - bisexual

l - lesbian

o - omnisexual

z - zoosexual

c - celibate

v - virgin

The above can be combined, together with the + and - modifiers, for example if you're a sex-obsessed male gay zoophile you could put G+++mgz, whereas a normally-sexed straight female virgin would be Gfsv.

R - RELIGION

Identify your religion (or absence thereof) by selection from the following R-attributes:-

b - Buddhist

c - Christian (anyone who wants to try and make sub-labels for all the denominations is welcome to it....)

h - Hindu

i - Shinto

j - Jewish

m - Muslim

n - Native American [is this a religion?]

p - Pagan (non-Wiccan)

s - Shamanist

w - Wiccan

! - Atheist

? - Agnostic

UnaSeal offers this list of Christian sub-demoninations:

ca- Catholic

eo- Eastern Orthodox

oo-Other Othodox

ba- Baptist

pb- Primative Baptist

sb- Southern Baptist

f- Fundamentalist (as a prefix)

mt- Methodist

ms- Missouri Synod Methodist

r- Reorganized, Reformed (as a prefix)

na- new age

ep- Episcopal

sd- Seventh Day Adventists

nd- non-denominational

a- Anglican (as prefix)

ame-African Methodist Episcopal

ac- Apostolic church

bbf- Baptist Bible Fellowship

bfw- Free-Will Baptists

i- independent (as prefix)

bi- Bible Churches

br- Bretheren

cb- Catholic Byzantine

e- evengelical (as prefix)

ch- Charismatic

dc- Disciples of Christ

cc- Church of Christ

cg- Church of God

lds- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon)

ecc- Ecumenical Church

ccv- Church of the Covenant

itc- interdenominational church

sf- Society of Friends (Quakers)

go-Greek Orthodox

jc- Jewish Christian

hc- Hindu Christian

bdc-Buddhist Christian

u- United (prefix)

al- American Lutheran

lcl- Lutheran Church of the Lutheran Confession

els- Evangelican Lutheran Synod

lms- lutheran, Missourri Synod

lws-Lutheran, Wisonson Synod

m- missionary (prefix)

sva- Salvation Army

mtp-metaphysical/aquarian churches

mnn-Mennonite

ra-Revivalist affiliation

ntc-New Testament Church

pnc- Pentecostal Churches

prs- Presbyterian

rsc-Religious Science

unf- Unification

unt-Unitarian

uty- Unity

sdb- Seventh-Day Baptists

wsl- Wesleyan

tti- Twelve Tribes of Israel

rst- Rastafarian

nca- No church affiliation

scn- Scientology

jw- Jehovah's Witnesses

wfc- Witnesses For Christ

cdp- Christadelphians

tsp- twelve-step program

occ- Other <unspecified> Christian churches

Example: If I wanted to designate an affilitation with the United Free-Will Baptists, I would probably designate it thusly--

R: c (fwb+u)

Note: The "prefix" was used as a suffix in this instance to eschew obfuscation.

Internet Resources

World Wide Web

There are literally hundreds of shapeshifter-related web pages out there. I’ll list a few here… if you know of any you think should be included, let me know. Since these pages are also the source for the plain text FAQ, the URLs are included as well as hypertext links.

The FAQ is also online at the AHWW Cyberpack Resources Center (www.therianthropy.com), Utlah's WEREweb (www.swampfox.demon.co.uk/utlah), and right here.

Lycanthropete (www.writewrights.com/lycanthropete), that 20-something college werewolf, has his own page. View the week's latest comic strip.

Kevin & Kell, that unholy union of predator and prey, has a web page! If you want a regularly updated page of Kevin & Kell, try this one: http://www.gmcclel.bossnt.com/kk/master.htm

Native Book Center - http://www.9to5.com/9to5/NBC

If you don't see your page here, or know of others to add, drop me a line... I know there are many that aren't on here yet.

Internet Relay Chat

To link to IRC, you must be running an IRC client on whatever platform you access the internet with. You can set that client to access the server directly, or access whatever server you like and type /server <server name> to reach the server. IRC is a lot of fun, but it can be quite addictive!

I'd like to list some IRC servers; but as far as I know there are none on 24/7 any longer. Various rooms pop up from time to time on DALnet, Efnet, and Undernet.

FTP

AHWW’s official FTP site was, for a long time, run by Lycanthrope (Larry Lyle). Circumstances forced him to discontinue it, but a new mirror site is up: ftp://gerulf.acsu.unsw.edu.au/pub/wolf/. There’s quite a bit of interesting stuff here, including Howl pictures and fiction by AHWWers.

Spyder also has an FTP site. In it can be found: wildlife photos (gifs and jpgs) in the Wilderness directory; Werecards (which can also be accessed off the web site) - there are only a few, I think I have more at home, and if yours is missing either email me a copy or drop it in the incoming area on the FTP site; Furrotica (if you don't know, don't ask.)The address is <ftp://ftp.xmission.com/pub/users/s/spyder/>

I also have some items, although I’m limited by space, at ftp://ftp.negia.net/users/katmandu.

ftp://tau-ceti.isc-br.com/pub/Images/ contains some furry artwork.

Also of interest is avatar.snc.edu - Home to furry art and artists.

Mud / Muck / Moo

Muds, Mucks, and Moos are online games and virtual worlds that can be accessed with a simple telnet program or clients that handle a lot of the tedious typing for you. Furrymuck may be of interest to AHWWers, and can be reached at furry.org 8888.

I think there are several ahww oriented corners at various MUCKS: I believe that one exists at Virtual Vegas and there's also another one in FurryMUCK: hopefully someone who knows more than I do will contribute to this subject.

Tapestries MUCK is becoming a bit popular for the mature audiences..<telnet://206.40.34.130 2069>

How do I make the chili?

When making truly evil chili, the important thing to keep in mind is that hotter is better. I don't mean temperature-hot, although that's important too (no one likes cold chili)... I mean take-a-bite-and-get-your-tonsils-kicked- out-a-couple-of- seconds-later hot. Spice is all-important. "Long live the spice!" Also, _anything_ can go in chili. _Anything_. Use your imagination and whatever's laying around- chocolate, beer, unidentified spices stuck to the rack, dead cockatiels, whatever. The proportions aren't all that strict, either.. if it tastes good, it is good.

The below proportions make enough chili for five people or two weres with healthy appetites: (TBS=Tablespoon, tsp=teaspoon, lbs=pounds, oz=ounce, 2+2=4)

Salt 1/2 TBS

Cayenne Pepper 1/2 tsp

Masa Flour 2 TBS (corn flour, like for making tortillas)

Cajun Seasoning 4 TBS *(see note)

Ground Beef 2 lbs

Tomato Sauce 8 oz

Kidney Beans 8 oz (1 can)

Water 2 cups

Tabasco big-ass bottle

White Onion 1 (chopped)

Garlic 1/2 clove (minced)

Also can be added:

Beer 1 can/bottle (Red-Wolf, of course!)

Dark chocolate, powdered

Spicy sausage 1/2 to 1 pound

Bell/Jalapeno peppers, chopped

Shredded cheddar

whatever else is handy

* Cajun seasoning is mostly salt, red and black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder... you can mix it up yourself or use commercial... commercial is easier.

Brown the ground beef and cook sausage (if using any). Drain fat. Use to make stinky tallow candles. Add salt, cayenne, flour (for thickness), cajun seasoning, meat(s), tomato sauce, beans, onion, garlic, and water in pot and stir together. Shake in as much tabasco as you think you can stand (add more cayenne if wanted). (Add beer and chocolate and whatever else too; except cheddar). Chili will look very watery... this is ok. Put pot over heat and bring to fast simmer. Simmer until chili is nice and thick... most of the water simmered off. This may take an hour or two if you're making mass quantities! Serve up in bowls with even more tabasco and cheddar. Prepare steam blaster to clean pot. Have lanolin-coated toilet paper near privy.

Note: If you're cooking over an open wood fire, smear liquid dish soap over the outside of the pots before doing anything with them. This way you can wash the soot off much easier when you're done.

Not recommended for those with gastric disorders exacerbated by spicy foods, small children, pregnant women, or untreated steel. EAT AT YOUR OWN RISK!

What are "werecards"?

A werecard is a sort of info-questionnaire; where you can answer questions about yourself and your therianthropy, if any. It's basically just a way of telling folks about yourself all at once, rather than answering a million little questions. It makes a good way to de-lurk. Here's a blank werecard…snip and fill out, if you like; and post the results to the group.

Human Name:

Were Name:

Phenotype: (e.g. werewolf, werebat, etc.)

Birthdate:

Birthplace:

Home Territory: (where you live now)

Dream Territory: (where you'd like to live, ideally)

Physical Description, Human:

Physical Description, Were:

Human Career:

Hobbies/Interests:

Favorite Movie:

Favorite Were Movie:

Favorite Literature:

Favorite Were Literature:

Favorite Art:

Favorite Were Art:

Favorite Saying/Quote:

Favorite Were Saying/Quote:

Favorite Personal Quote:

Favorite Song/Band(s):

Favorite Were Song/Band(s):

Favorite Season:

Favorite Holiday:

Preferred Prey:

Hunting Tips:

Preferred Method of Attack:

Favorite Non-Were Mythological Beastie(s):

Feelings Toward Vampires:

Feelings Toward Normal Humans:

Personal Lycanthropy: (This is probably the most important part of the card. What we're after here is a few paragraphs explaining what your lycanthropy means to you, how it fits into and affects your life, your goals, etc. Tell us about your first transformation / realization of your were nature. Describe the lycanthropy myth as you see it. And so on...)