'The Vampire Diaries' - Werewolf Refresher

The Vampire Diaries/Tyler/CW promo

'The Vampire Diaries' manages to do a nice job of sucking you into their supernatural world filled with very specific, deep mythology on the vampires, werewolves and witches. Sometimes I feel like I need a refresher course on what different characters/beings are capable of doing or how someone is connected to another or how they "came to be". Recently, I questioned my memory on the werewolf storyline and started scratching my head...so...

I stumbled across this tremendous resource at: http://vampirediaries.wikia.com/wiki/Werewolf (see-I'm giving credit where it's due:) If you want to see LOADS more of 'The Vampire Diaries' goodies (it claims to have 886 PAGES!!!!), go check it out. Otherwise, if you want the low-down on the werewolf "rules" of the show, read on. (I will leave the specific links within the article for convenience in finding out extra stuff.)

History

Not much is known about the history of werewolves except that they existed before vampires were created over 1,000 years ago. However, it was revealed that Mikael, father of the Original vampire family, unwittingly ignited a war between the species not long after turning his family into vampires; when Klaus transitioned his werewolf gene was activated, revealing he was not in fact Mikael's son; enraged by his wife's affair, Mikael slaughtered Klaus' biological werewolf father and his entire family, which began a raging blood feud between werewolves and vampires that continues to this day.

Psychological Characteristics

Werewolves are known to be aggressive strong and fast even in human form. Tyler Lockwood often had trouble controlling his temper. Those with the werewolf curse still latent can exhibit some supernatural traits which can be triggered by aggression, along with unusual physical strength for the person's given size but they cannot fully transform. Also werewolves have a higher body temperature than humans. When Tyler first activates his curse he states that his skin feels as if it's on fire. With the curse activated their eyes turn yellow while enraged, as Mason's eyes did when he stopped the fight between Tyler and Carter (Brave New World). Activating the curse is also painful. When there is a full moon after sunset they will transform into canine form, looking very much like a timber-wolf, although larger. They can also be distinguished from regular wolves by their displays of supernatural strength, speed, and overall size.
Werewolves have and will attack humans, but instinct and centuries of rivalry have hardwired them to hunt their prey of choice: Vampires. This especially began after vampires drove werewolves almost to extinction. So, if a werewolf finds prey, whether it's a human or a vampire, it will be mauled, ripped apart and devoured. In 1864, George Lockwood had attacked several humans and killed them, leaving horrific wounds on the corpses, (essentially ripping them apart) much worse than some vampires would have. This is evident when Henry tells Katherine that the wounds "worse than anything he had ever seen before." Despite this, with the cooperation of Katherine Pierce, who was running from The Originals, George was able to convince the Mystic Falls town council that vampires were responsible which lead to their round up. It is unknown if George continued his attacks there or elsewhere.

Food

Like normal people, werewolves can eat normal food if they choose to. However, because they turn into ferocious beasts during the full moon, they are flesh eating creatures. When they feed, it is absorbed throughout the body and they need to consume organs or body parts, but they do not have to feed in order to prolong their existence like Vampires. There is no known side effects in the absence of devouring victims in werewolf form. It seems that most werewolves do not get to feed because of the fact that most tend to lock themselves up during the full moon, or that before or after they make a kill, they're scared off before they get to chance to truly feed.
Werewolves have not been seen to attack each other in human or lupine form, but have been known to hunt both human and vampire prey while transformed under the full moon. Jules, for example, was seen to be horrified when she woke up to find she'd slaughtered a group of campers after attacking Rose. Werewolves seem to have an urge to attack vampires regardless of what form they are in, as witnessed in The Hybrid when a werewolf instinctively attacks the vampire Damon Salvatore instead of pursuing its first choice, Elena Gilbert, and when Ray (a newly turned hybrid) instinctively attacked Damon on sight.

Appearances

Werewolves in their wolf form have the appearances of an ordinary wolf, but with glowing yellow eyes and a much larger and brute-like appearance. The fur color of their wolf forms differ from one to another (e.g., Tyler Lockwood's fur color is dark brown, Mason Lockwood's is white and grey, Jules is light brown and hints of white. Werewolves appear the same as any other human the rest of the month, apart from the full moon.

Triggering The Werewolf Curse

A werewolf has to kill a human in order to trigger their werewolf curse to activate their powers, regardless of the fact whether the curse was activated accidentally, or it was intentional. After the curse is triggered their eyes will turn yellow and their powers will activate instantly.

Werewolf Transformation

A werewolf will only transform in to a wolf under a full moon. The first transformation is quite slow and the person is subjected to at least five hours of intense pain before transforming. After the first transformation it will get faster but still hurt.

During the transformation, the body of the person is twisted in an unnatural manner as bones reshape and shift to form a wolf skeleton, causing the person immense pain. Later, the person grows excessive body hair and becomes feral and huge eyes that glow yellow and fangs, then in minutes the werewolf will become a wolf. A werewolf returns to their human form in after a few hours. After the first transformation the werewolf will experience muscle aches. Older werewolves can control themselves to some extent on the night of the full moon.

Powers and Abilities

• Super Strength: Werewolves are much stronger than any Human. They are not as strong as a Vampire whilst in Human form but when it is a full moon they are more powerful than most Vampires. Rose, a 500+ Vampire was knocked down and over-powered by the fully transformed Werewolf Jules. Another case was when Damon Salvatore, a 100+ vampire could barely hold off the transforming, newborn, Werewolf Tyler Lockwood.
• Super Speed: Werewolves are extremely faster than any Humans and non-Original Vampires. Werewolves can use this ability in either Human or wolf form. Under the full moon, Werewolves can use their speed in wolf form to even swiftly chase down Vampires.
• Anger: When a Werewolf is furious, their anger increase all their powers and abilities for a short period of time, as well as can have an advantage over a Vampire.
• Heightened Senses: Werewolves have extremely keen senses of smell, sight, taste, and hearing.
• Night Vision: Werewolves can see in total darkness.
• Super Agility: Werewolves possess superhuman agility. They can move, jump, climb, and run incredibly fast without difficulty or exhaustion.
• Accelerated Healing: Werewolves possess superhuman regenerative abilities, meaning if ever injured, their bodies will heal near instantaneously. Silver will accelerate it even more.
• Endurance: Werewolves can take far more trauma than Humans can without much discomfort or injury. they can also exert themselves without much tire.
• Lie Detection: Werewolves are able to sense if you're lying or not.
• Werewolf Bite: The bite of a Werewolf is extremely lethal to normal Vampires but not to an Original.
• Full Moon: Werewolves' powers and abilities are enhanced and are at their peak during a full moon.
• Shapeshifting: Werewolves turn into wolves under a full moon, but they have no control over themselves.

Weaknesses

• Wolfsbane - When ingested, wolfsbane causes a werewolf to become severely weak and feverish. Although, If a werewolf's skin is exposed to wolfsbane, it can result in burning them.
• Device - Invented by Jonathan Gilbert (Enchanted by Emily Bennett), the Device was a weapon designed to emit a high-frequency noise that could only be heard by vampires and werewolves.
• Broken Neck - By breaking a werewolves neck, it results in instant death.
• Magic - Witches are able to curse and inflict supernaturals aneurysms that cause the blood vessels of werewolves to explode.
• Heart Extraction - If the heart of a werewolf is removed, it will cause instant death.

Myths

• Silver - They are not weakened by or allergic to silver, as Mason explained after Damon stabbed him with a silver knife. Mason said that the myth was probably started by werewolves. That's why Klaus can't be killed by the white oak daggers.

So, are you like me and just LOVE reading this stuff?! Can't wait till the next episode!!