December 20, 1889

Dear Researcher,
I must say that I have been hesitant to send letter in response to your ad. But the idea of perhaps giving others further understanding of those with my condition will bring more peace and safety for all. Do you have any questions? I'm sure you have already realized that I've never done anything like this before.

From,
Mr. Oak

@"Juliana Binns"/Ophelia Devine

  

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Magic by MJ!

December 21st, 1889

Dear Mr. Oak,

I am delighted that you did decide to write. As you mentioned in your letter, shedding more light on the current situation surrounding lycanthropy in this country is the only way we can hope to improve that situation, and these are the goals of my research. Should you choose to participate I hope you will be pleased by the results and can see that our aims in this way are quite well aligned.

I must mention here that your participation in this research is completely voluntary; if at any point one of my questions makes you uncomfortable, you may choose not to answer it without affecting the compensation scheme laid out on the enclosed page. Your privacy and safety are my chief concerns, and none of the information you share with me will ever be published in a manor that connects it back to you. That being said, if you so elect you may choose to specify that any particular details you share with me are not available for publishing (even in an anonymous format), and, of course, you may always elect not to answer a question as well.

With that out of the way, these are the questions with which I usually begin. Feel free to answer with as much or little detail as you find necessary:

1) To the best of your recollection, what were the circumstances under which you first became afflicted?

2) What was your initial reaction to this situation? Did you know immediately after being bitten that you were affected, did you discover it at sometime in the following weeks, or during the next full moon?

3) What was your first full moon experience like? How has the experience changed with time?

4) How long have you been living with lycanthropy?

Sincerely,
M

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules

December 22, 1889

Dear Researcher,
I made the rather foolish choice to be out in the woods on a full moon. A family member was with me. She saved my life that night, but she had not gotten there in time to stop the bite from occurring. I am forever grateful for her bravery and intelligence.

I knew that night, though most of the incident is a blur. Two of my family members know more details, though I would prefer not to drag them into this. I have not lived with lycanthropy for very long. My first full moon was terrifying. I don't remember much from the change. I remember pain, and the day leading up to the night. But never what was happening before morning.

I do not run wild in the woods, for certain. I would never risk the safety of others if I could help it. I have a place that is enchanted so that I can't get out. Those I trust must let me in and out, before and after the full moon.

From,
Mr. Oak

  

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Magic by MJ!

December 27th, 1889

Dear Mr. Oak,

Please forgive my delay in responding; I always find myself distracted during the holidays and wanted to give your letter and my response my full attention. I imagine you also had plenty to keep your mind occupied, particularly as you mentioned such kind and supportive family members in your last letter, and I hope they brought you much comfort over Christmas.

The first payment is enclosed, but if you would indulge my follow-up questions I would be much appreciative.

The family member you mentioned who intervened the night you were initially attacked: do you know what, exactly, she did to drive the werewolf off? Was it a magical intervention, a physical one, or something else?

Did you sustain other injuries besides the bite during the event? If so, to what extent, and did these occur significantly prior to the bite, as wounds unto themselves, or were they consequences of the same interaction that lead to the bite?

I can appreciate your desire not to involve your family members, but I cannot help but notice you mentioned two who knew details of the night you were initially attacked. Were both present during the event, or did you (or your other family member) make the decision to tell them after the fact? If the latter, what lead you to confide in them? What was your decision-making process like leading up to that conversation?

Regarding your current full moon situation: what sort of enchantment do you employ? Is it placed on you, or on the room or area?

Have you found this arrangement to result in collateral damage to yourself during the full moons, or not?

It takes a good deal of bravery to share your story with anyone, much less a stranger. Thank you for choosing to do so with me.

Sincerely,
M

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules

December 30, 1889

Dear M,
I do not remember what my family member did to drive off the werewolf. We were alone when she saved me. I was alone while attacked. I had several other scratches. Not nearly as bad as the bite. Thankfully that is in my side rather than somewhere noticeable. I think a majority of the scratches were from my impact to the ground. Upon the attack, the fellow werewolf had tackled me.

Only the family member who saved me was there. My other family member has years of experience with another werewolf. Was married to him, in fact. She knew what to do.

The main enchantments are placed on the room itself. There are quite a few, as I had grown to discover upon further investigation of this room. To be safe, I am spelled as well as a precaution as the night arrives. I have included a list of the various spells on another paper in this envelope.

I do find myself with several injuries after the full moon. Though I have a dog and the companionship helps. I think a fellow canine brings kinship to the animal instincts that overcome me during such times. Though my dog is getting older and I will soon need a new companion for the long nights. Our family has a trusted healer. I shall not name names, as this is a discreet arrangement and I would hate for any trust to be broken.

From,
Mr. Oak

  

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Magic by MJ!

January 2nd, 1890

Dear Mr. Oak,

How fascinating! In over six years of research I have very seldom seen any family connection to lycanthropy, the way that you have described. Did the man to whom your family member was married (shall we assign him a nickname, for ease of referral?) have anything to do with the circumstances under which you were bitten? Was there some sort of shared hobby or familial tradition which might have put the two of you higher at risk for affliction (say, hunting some sort of nocturnal forest-dwelling creature)? An occupation which put you into these sorts of situations regularly?

I can confidently state that the scratches were caused from the ground, if you are uncertain — I have an abundance of evidence to prove that wounds made from either the teeth or claws of werewolves do not heal properly, and so if you are not still scarred they could not possibly have come from your attacker.

Thank you for the spell list — it is quite informative.

Your comment about a dog is an interesting one, and the effects you describe are fairly well supported by other research. Was this a companion you owned prior to being bitten, or had you heard about the potential benefits of dogs on werewolves from an outside source and decided to procure one for that purpose?

You are quite fortunate to have this sort of relationship with a healer — that is another quite unusual boon for someone in your situation. May I ask, does this person assist you due to a social obligation (eg, a family or friend) or do you pay them for their services and discretion?

Sincerely,
M

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules

January 5, 1890

Dear M,
We may refer him as R. He had passed quite some time before I had become infected. I was actually exploring the place that I now use as my own full moon hideaway when I was bitten. It used to be his. As was the dog. I'm sure he hadn't realized just how much of a companionship the dog would provide when it was left to me.

From what I am told, it was R's siblings who had originally taken him to such a healer when he was bitten. An unbreakable vow was made. This was before I was even born, so I cannot give many details. The actual vow made certain that the healer couldn't speak of any of my families secrets unless it was only with people of my surname present. That condition was the main thing that was made very clear to me, in order to protect the healer.

From,
Mr. Oak

  

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Magic by MJ!

January 7th, 1890

Dear Mr. Oak,

Forgive the clarification, but I believe I may have gotten lost in your narrative between letters. You described the setting for your full moons as a room with heavy magical enchantments placed on it. When recounting the circumstances under which you were bitten, you initially said you were out in the woods on the night of a full moon (and later made references consistent with this, to wit "my impact to the ground"). In your most recent letter, however, you state: "I was actually exploring the place that I now use as my own full moon hideaway when I was bitten."

These statements appear, from my perspective, to contradict one another.

M

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules

January 10, 1890

Dear M,
My apologies for the miscommunication.

The place in which I hide is located on an estate surrounded by wooded area. I had been overwhelmed by the discovery, in need of fresh air, and I wasn't sure if there was anything else on the property. It was foolish of me to be out there, I know. I just wanted to feel closer to my fath family member.

From,
Mr. Oak

  

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Magic by MJ!

January 12th, 1890

Dear Mr. Oak,

Very well.

The wording of this Unbreakable Vow is quite strange. You must have an exceptionally uncommon surname, first of all, for your family member to believe a condition worded so loosely would protect such a dire secret. Your family must also be either very small or very tightly knit and trusting for him to have believed any family member with this last name would be equally receptive to news of his affliction, including those who may join the family later by marriage and have no blood connections whatsoever. It also excludes any women in the family who marry, which is a peculiarity. Why not provide a list of acceptable family members instead, or even make the healer swear to only speak of it in the presence of the werewolf himself? It seems exceptionally strange to me that he would resort to an Unbreakable Vow — magic which kills as punishment for mere slips of the tongue — but that he would do so in such a careless manner.

It almost suggests that he was anticipating that someone else in the family would become afflicted and created this Vow with the healer specifically for this scenario. Do you think that likely?

M

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules

January 15, 1890

Dear M,
Ma'am, with all due respect, have you ever had a sibling be attacked right before your eyes? Have you ever been in a situation that, if even the smallest of things went wrong, could have ruined your life, and the lives of the ones you love most? I cannot imagine what they went through that night. Only that three traumatized siblings had fought for their lives. I will never blame R's sister for making a difficult decision like making such a vow.

From,
Mr. Oak

  

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Magic by MJ!