Lycans Den

Shifter pride flag. You're welcome lol

I got the idea for it after wishing there was a way to find other shifters like other communities have. Then I remembered pride flags exist, and they're so ubiquitous (I've seen them for communities that aren't LGBT+) that nobody would bat an eye if a shapeshifter used them in their profiles. So here, a shifter pride flag.

Any shifter can use it! For flag usage, I define a (shape)shifter as: a person who can alter their physical body and/or reality so that they resemble another creature or entity not of their original form. This change may be partial or full, may involve slight physiological changes all the way up to actual genetic alteration, and may include changes to one's surrounding environment as well as their physical body. It sounds convoluted but I defined it this way in order to be inclusive of supernatural shifters like the faoladh and benadanti, who did not physically transform their human bodies but still took on another form and/or shifted in another realm. I am also being inclusive of shifters who claim other origins for their shifting abilities, or who feel that shifting may or may not involve the genetics of other species. I am also being inclusive of any and all forms of shifters, as shifters historically came in a variety of forms and had different ways of acquiring said forms.

Color meanings below!

Black: The cover of darkness is when most shifters choose to change. Black here represents the secrecy associated with shifting and being a shifter. Soft White: The moon has long been associated with werewolves and other supernaturals, and this stripe touches upon the mythology surrounding werewolves, supernaturals and the moon. Magenta: A typical color used to represent the unknown, magenta shows the penchant for the supernatural many shifters have. Dark Red: Known for its association with blood, dark red here represents the human body, and the mortal nature of most shifters. Green: Nature and natural colors. This represents a shifter's connection to the outside and animal world, and their baser instincts.

This picture:

Is not referring to isolating yourself as a human. It's from the Avian FAQ about living with wings, and is not in reference to being a shifter, or even the group in general. It's about the changes one would need to make once they physically grow wings.

Avians differ from shifters in that they generally believe that their wings grow onto their bodies, and cannot be removed once in place. They don't go back and forth like shifters, they're in one form for life. As a result, many believe that if you do grow wings and wish to keep the secret hidden, you'd be living alone or on a farm somewhere, where people can't get you - the alternative is to be in society with wings, and then everyone would know about you. They don't self-isolate in the group, they prepare to isolate physically (as in, away from everyone) once they get their wings.

I now have enough experience with shifting to make a list on the dangers of the outdoors! This isn't everything you could encounter, but this is a pretty good basics list for anybody wondering about the dangers of being out in nature as a shifter (or even as a human!)

This list isn't supposed to make you anxious or paranoid by any means, but is supposed to warn you about the potential dangers outside and how to handle them. The chances that you'll get lost or stuck out in the wild are small, but it's good to know what to do if something like that were to happen.

▪︎Tell people where you'll be.

Don't go out in secret. You don't have to tell people not in the know, but you shouldn't be sneaking out without telling anybody where you'll be. If something were to happen to you you'd want someone to alert the authorities early and fast, and sneaking out without telling anybody works against you. Tell a shifter friend, tell a human friend you'll be exploring X area, but regardless of who you tell let someone know where you'll be.

▪︎Take note of your surroundings.

When outdoors and in an isolated area, try to make a mental note of where you are and who's around you. Don't tune everything out, especially when you're exploring a new area for the first time. Pay special attention to odd parts of the landscape that stick out - if you get lost you can use these things to help you get back to where you started.

It can help to learn about the native plants and wildlife in your area. You don't need to become an expert (unless you want to) but knowing about what is growing all around you can help you navigate your surroundings with ease. This information can be useful even on quick journeys, and help you identify when you're near dangerous animals, plants or landscapes.

Avoid suspicious individuals. Some people have bad intentions in isolated areas. If someone appears to be acting a little too interested in you for no apparent reason, appears to be coyly following you or seems to be trying to herd or lure you someplace, head back to an area with people and get out of there.

▪︎Carry backup.

It can be dangerous in heavily forested, isolated or wooded areas, especially if you're a visible minority. When traversing these areas you should always have some sort of backup defense or weapon, just in case. This may seem silly, because if you're a shifter shifting should be enough to stop someone... but you don't want to only rely on shifting to protect you. After all, a human can still overtake most animals provided they have the right weapons.

This also goes for tools and necessities. Bring a backup charger for your phone if you're going to be out most of the day. Bring food and snacks if you're trekking somewhere new. Keep a swiss army knife on hand. You don't need to pack like you're going to climb mountains, but you should have the appropriate backup supplies should something go wrong that day.

▪︎When in the forests as a human, wear orange.

Animal hunters (such as trophy and food hunters) often camouflage themselves within the surroundings, which can put you at risk if you're also sneaking around the area. When shifting in a hunter-filled area, wear something orange (whether a collar, bandana, or a vest) so hunters can see you and avoid you. Even if you look like an animal, an orange piece of clothing surrounding you will let them know that you're associated with humans in some way and shouldn't be killed.

You can follow this rule as an animal, but note that it may look odd depending on what you are and where you live - a wolf with orange on won't attract much attention in Canada, but a cheetah might, and may get reported as a possibly escaped exotic pet. Be careful with how you go about this while physically shifted.

▪︎When stuck, call for help.

Got stuck in a trap? Lost and need assistance? If you can, call for help. If you have your phone on hand, use it. If not, call out for someone or wait for someone to come and find you.

When lost you should try to stick to a particular area until help arrives. Don't go wandering off when people could be searching for you- you could be delaying your chances of being found. Make a shelter out of whatever is available to you, and be particular about what you eat, if you eat anything wild. Meat should be properly cleaned and cooked well to reduce the chances of food poisoning or parasites, and you should only eat plants you know for sure won't poison you.

If shifting to catch food, be very careful about how you do it. Remember, animals often get hurt or injured when hunting, so if you must hunt choose weak prey. Try to avoid carrion unless necessary, as that also caries a risk of disease. If you must scavenge, look for something recently killed. If you're grazing, make sure to pick flora that seems healthy - many places that seem clean can be teeming with all sorts of pathogens or human chemicals, and some plants may be toxic to shifters.

If you're not too lost or must wander off, use your animal senses to help you find civilization. Odd, out of place smells or sounds may be indicative of industries or people being nearby. Don't disregard human pollution - if you see more bottles, trash, or discolored water near one place than another, that is a good sign that humans frequent that area, and by following the trash trail you can get back to society.

Lastly, if you are lost don't stress out. Stress can weaken your immune system and ruin your motivation to escape your situation. Don't focus on the negatives, keep a positive attitude and take things one step at a time.

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Much of the shifter community holds to genetic ideas of shifters because we know genes and heredity exist. Magic and spirituality are not scientifically verified, and we know it's not a virus because everyone would be able to shift if that were the case. It is also extremely dangerous to imply someone can become a shifter, because then we have people getting into dangerous cult situations similar to the ones everyone worries about.

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Much of the shifter community holds to genetic ideas of shifters because we know genes and heredity exist. Magic and spirituality are not scientifically verified, and we know it's not a virus because everyone would be able to shift if that were the case. It is also extremely dangerous to imply someone can become a shifter, because then we have people getting into dangerous cult situations similar to the ones everyone worries about.

Similarly, there are unhealthy standards in therian and otherkin packs (and even communities) too. I've seen many otherkin and therians insist that because they're otherkin they can just hate on humans, that if you don't bully and grill people to prove they're nonhuman they're fakes and the community is going to be ruined (x), therians claiming that that since they identify as animals they can mate with them (which is ILLEGAL) and that this needs to be accepted (x), or that all otherkin will become themselves physically after some rapturous event (which is glorifying suicide) (x). All communities have unhealthy standards and while this doesn't excuse any that the shifter community might have, it doesn't mean that otherkin and therian ways are automatically healthier, or that the ways of shifters are always toxic.

Get fucking real. Your not special. Your begging to be something your not is sickening and pathetic. Your not above anyone and you have found no enlightenment more than looking up at the sky and realizing its blue.

Your a human with a non human identity? Some sort of attempt at otherness. An alienation that separates you from the truth. If we are all created then what sick joke to make otherkin and therians.

Those innocents just listen to the graymuzzles bc they have no other lead basically. I wouldn't call them "not special" bc that implies that shifters ARE special. We're not special either and we even know we aren't. That's the first rule of accepting that you're a shifter.

.. I also don't wanna get into the whole thing of us shifters having better "blood" because that's just.. sounding like eugenics talks to claim that anyone not a shifter is below and immediately shouldn't exist. Especially with the line "if we are all created, what sick joke are alterhumans"

It's like..dude. You gotta humble yourself and realize that talk like that isn't okay? It doesn't change how they look at us, hell talk like that makes us look even worse. If you want to get your anger out, maybe don't try telling alterhumans that they are mistakes and/or lower than shifters?

Few, if any of them are actually trying to be 'special'. If they were, they wouldn't be saying they experience dysphoria or want to be physically nonhuman, they'd probably be just outright making stuff up or claiming wild things without a hint of distress or groundedness. A person claiming they experience distress because they wish they were a dog physically but have to work a 9 to 5 job hardly comes across as being 'special'.

Plus, some shifters are also otherkin or therian. Are they suddenly trying to be special by claiming to want to be nonhuman while also being nonhuman?

I don't really feel bad or want to change anything i've said. It wasn't really meant to be heard I suppose but I guess thats the internet.

I've met types that seem to think they're above me. When I tell them i'm a shifter they look down on me. It's reoccuring since I was young maybe 8 or 9 when I first started showing signs. Otherkin just seem different to me. I was mostly interacting with the werewolf community back then maybe it's different now I havent bothered to try.

I've never been able to relate well even to wolf therians. My experience is more 'gritty' maybe a better word is disgusting, than theirs typically. I notice they always talk about pack life, hunting, alaskan or European forests. But not things like rolling in shit and waking up naked a mile from your house in the sand.