Wolf-Shifter

Known Wolf-Shifters

Daire Clement

Clinton Daniel

Silas (Dark Fae, probably deceased)

Levi King Harrell (pack leader, deceased)

SHIFTING- Shifting is short fo shapeshifting, although the terms transforming, morphing, changing, and turning into can also mean the same thing. There are many forms of shifting and, with it, many interpretations of what shifting is, exactly. To me, it's like the merging of the body and the soul, whether it's spiritual and/or physical.

PHENOTYPE- A person's phenotype is considered the animal form their body assumes when they shift. It can be any animal, atiger, fox, bear, dolphin, eagle, or whatever. It doesn't always pertain to wolves exclusively, wolves are just the most common (like with me). It's also not too uncommon for a person to have more than one phenotype.

SHIFTERS- A shifter, as you may have already gathered, is a person who can shapeshift. Calling a shifter a "were" also works because it can be short for werewolf or whatever phenptype it is that they have. It's that general and for that reason some shifters may prefer to be called weres. Like being called a shifter, it implies only that they have the ability to change their shape into an animal form.

There are three main types of shifters: lycanthropes, therianthropes, and polymorphs. Of course there are others, but to keep things simple I've narrowed it down to these main three...

LYCANTHROPES- also known as werewolves, are people who have the ability to shift into their wolf phenotype. They can become a full-fledged four-legged wolf, or a werewolf.

THERIANTHROPES- Therianthropy covers all animal forms, including wolves, so a lycanthrope can be considered a therianthrope. However, since lycanthropy specifically deals with wolves, therianthropes are generally thought of as people who transform themselves into other animal forms. Therianthropes include weretigers, werefoxes, werebears, etc.

POLYMORPHS- The difference between a polymorph and the other two types os shifters is that polymorphs not only have many phenotypes, but they can appear as a mixed hybrid of all their phenotypes combined into one. An example of a polymorph would be a person who could shift into a creature that is part human, tiger, and eagle, a weretiger with wings perhaps. Mmm, wouldn't that be something?...

TYPES OF SHIFTS- Okay, now what I'm going to do here is use my lycanthropy to help me explain the different forms of shifting. Just keep in mind that the following can apply to any one of the many phenotype, not just wolves.

SENSE SHIFTING- Sense Shifting can occur with any of the other shifts or it can happen all by itself. It's simply a heightening of the senses.

DREAM SHIFTING- A Dream Shift occurs when a lycanthrope becomes a wolf or werewolf in their dreams. The change is often involuntary, which means "it just happens". Lycanthropes usually have less control over what they do in this form of shifting because, unlike Lucid Dream Shifting, they are unaware that they are dreaming. A Dream Shift still happens in a normal dream, the only exception is that the dreamer can shapeshift.

LUCID DREAM SHIFTING- The difference between Lucid Dream Shifting and Dream Shifting is that with Lucid Dream Shifting the lycanthrope is aware that they are dreaming and therefor the change is usually voluntary. They know that they ae dreaming and shapeshift by true will and desire. As with regular lucid dreams, Lucid Dream Shifting experiences are just as vivid, sensual, and very realistic, the closest thing you can get to a Physical Shift.

PHYSICAL SHIFTING- Physical Shifting occurs when the lycanthrope's real and physical body actually undergoes the transformation from human to wolf, or werewolf, the state somewhere inbetween.

ASTRAL SHIFTING- An Astral Shift occurs when a lycanthrope enters a spiritual trance, travels out of body to the astral plane, and shifts there. Sometimes, it's hard to tell the difference between Lucid Dream Shifts and Astral Shifts, lucid dreams being just as real, but Astral Shifts are sometimes associated with "psychic" experinces as well, such as : dream sharing, telepathy, clairovoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis. Astral Shifts are also said to be more spiritual in nature.

MENTAL SHIFTING- Mental Shifting, as the name implies, deals with the mentality of a lycanthrope. This, of course, varies from person to person, but there seems to be a common thread. The most common is an ability that I too have experienced. It is the ability to shut out all human sapience, that constant dialogue playing in our heads, human thought. Then, our senses becomes acutely heightened. It's a lot like what the Army calls "Condition Orange", only our instincts and reactions are more lupine.

AURA SHIFTING- Aura shifting consists of shaping one's aura. It's mainly done by instinct, but it can be shaped by will. It often happens when the shifter finds themself in a dangerous environment. They'll shift, looking very much the same but their soul has changed shape, for added protection. Much like how auras have different colors, it can be shaped into an anthropomorphic shape as well.