The least painful way to become a werewolf is to get a bad batch of lycanthropy serum. However, if you're afraid of needles, you can become infected by a werewolf in wolf form. Lycanthropes are not contagious in human form and not every kind of lycanthropy is equally contagious. You can get cut to pieces by a weretiger and not get it. A werewolf can barely cut you and you get furry. Almost none of the cat-based lycanthropy are as contagious as wolf and rat. No one knows why. It just the way it works.

Shapeshifting -

When you become infected with lycanthropy it usually takes weeks, or at least until the first full moon for the first shape change. The first change is very violent and you will experience some memory loss. The first few full moons will be almost complete blackouts. This is a temporary condition.
You should have control over the shift unless it is the full moon. The more powerful you are, the more you will be able to control the shift. The closer to the full moon it is, the harder it will be to control your "beast." Usually you will stay in animal form for eight to ten hours, then collapse and change back to human form. It takes a lot of energy to shapeshift early. Weres usually spike a temperature right before they change, like a human before a seizure.

Perks, Powers and Drawbacks -

Your strength and speed will be greatly enhanced. You will be very hard to kill and heal quickly. Sometimes without medical attention you can scar though. Many injuries can be healed quickly by shapechanging.
Be prepared to hurt when seriously injured, because anesthesia doesn't work well on you. Your body metabolizes it too quickly. Wounds made by silver heal slower and silver can kill you. A vampire wound is alot like silver, it can kill and most heal from those wounds as if they were human. Wounds made by the teeth or claws of another lycanthrope also heal slower, but not as slow as silver or vampire.

Pack Structure –

- Lukoi - Once you've become infected, you need to join a pack. Usually someone in the pack will sponsor you through the first few months till you get the hang of things. Your new werewolf family calls themselves the Lukoi.

- Dominance - Your standing in the pack willl depend upon how "dominant" you are. You establish your dominance by challenging other pack members. Dominance fights are rarely to the death and sometimes are not physical fights at all. If the werewolf being challenged does not wish to fight, they simply acknowledge your dominance, and thats that. The highest ranking pack member is the Ulfric, or wolf king.

- Ulfric - If you want to be the Ulfric of your pack, you need to be a dominate alpha male (or in rare cases a dominate alpha female). You become Ulfric by killing the existing Ulfric. Fights for the leadership are always to the death.
- Fenrir - Once you state your challenge, yyou will be known as Fenrir, challenger. Assuming everything goes well and you kill the old leader, you then get to choose your lupa.
- Lupa - The lupa is an alpha female who wiill be your mate. Alpha couples usually bind for life, so pick a good one. You will probably choose to marry each other in real life, not just in the pack.
- Freki/Geri - You will also need to choosee your second-in-command, or Freki. There can be two seconds, Freki and Geri. The Freki is slightly above the Geri.
- Skoll/Hati - There are also two enforcerss. The head enforcer is called Skoll and the second is called Hati.
- Bolverk - Be good or the Bolverk might geet you! Bolverk is the title for what amounts to someone who does the Ulfric's evil deeds. It can be anything from trickery, to lies, to murder.

The Munin - The Munin are spirits of the dead werewolves. They exist in sort of a racial memory bank. These memories can be accessed by lukoi who have the ability to speak with them. It a very rare ability.
You become part of the munin by being eaten by the pack when you die. When a pack member is killed, the rest of the pack feeds on the dead body. The dead are not really gone as long as the pack remains. Yummy.

Sex with Humans -

You must remember that you're much stronger than a human. If you get carried away you can seriously hurt or even kill a human partner. In fact, the lukoi refer to sex as the "killing dance." And doing the "wild thing" can release your beast early. Not shifting is considered holding back. Rather shocking for the poor human who doesn't know what you are! And often fatal.
Normally your sponsor will teach you about the dangers of sex with humans. If this is not possible, you may be assigned to a Eros or Eranthe who will act as sexual surrogates.

Were-Etiquette –

- Say Hello - A formal greeting between lukkoi is like one friendly wolf greeting another. You rub your cheek along the other person's cheek, then bury your nose in the hair behind their ear.
A submissive greeting in public is a soft kiss, fingers lightly holding their face. In private you run your tongue across their lower lip.

- Get Help - To petition another pack membeer for protection, you move in close without actually touching them. If your petition is accepted, the pack member will touch you. If they don't touch you - run!

Truth in Death - If one werewolf kills another in a hand-to-hand fight, all the loser's possessions will belong to the victor. Shapeshifters always change back to their human form in death. Always.