The Hounds of Houndsbane
The region known as Charnel Flats is known, among its many perils, for a breed of super predators unlike anything seen on Earth before. These creatures, which resemble enormous, mutated wolves or coyotes, stalk the empty, desolate wasteland of the Flats and hunt on its fringes. They are infamous for devouring human survivors, leaving a bloody mess behind along with their enormous paw prints and talon scars in the ground to tell the tale. These creatures, called Hounds by those who know of their existence, are rumored to be the creations of the Ash Gods themselves, specifically the mythic individual known as Houndsbane, the God of Aberration. An extremist sect of the cult known as the Ash Zealots is devoted to the worship of Houndsbane and considers his Hounds to be arbiters of divine judgement. They make camp near known hunting grounds of the Hounds and perform human sacrifices by chaining live victims for the Hounds consumption.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Hounds are massive, canine animals with enlarged skulls, jaws, and eyes. Hounds have heads up to half the size of their bodies. Consequently, all of their primary sensory organs are enlarged and enhanced. Their jaws are biforcated and capable of separating. Hounds are capable of swallowing objects larger than their skulls, and have even been observed swallowing human prey whole. Their jaws contain a series of long, curved fangs designed for tearing and piercing, not chewing. Their teeth are designed for killing prey, which is then torn apart by their talons and swallowed in chunks. The neck is wide and short, and the body is barrel chested, with the majority of the body mass forward of the hips. One stomach is located proximally in the body, closer to the neck, while a second stomach is located further down. The primary stomach contains potent acid for breaking down chunks of food, while the secondary stomach digests the matter and distributes nutrients to the body. The tail is usually furry and almost as long as the body.
Hounds can run on four limbs at average speeds of up to 80 miles per hour, making them faster than the cheetah, the former fastest known terrestrial species on Earth. They have been observed standing upright on two limbs, but do not walk bipedally. Their back paws are large and sturdy, almost resembling hooves. The back legs are thick and muscular for bursts of speed and long jumps. Hounds can spring over 30 meters in a single leap from a standing position, and up to 20 meters vertically. The front paws are smaller and flatter, more closely resembling the paws of other canine species. Unlike other canines, however, the front paws possess four enormous, retractable talons, with a smaller fifth claw located distally on the foot. These talons regularly fall off and regrow as they break from use. The front legs are smaller and leaner, for manuverability and attacking prey.
Ecology and Habitats
Hounds are primarily found in the wide open, desolate wastes of the Charnel Flats. However, they are also common in the dense, petrified labyrinth of the Dead Forest, suggesting that they are highly adaptable to their given environment. They are believed to have originated from the Construct on the edge of the Flats, as they are found in greatest abundance in its immediate vicinity.
Behaviour
Hounds are aggressive, territorial, and violent. They feed on both carrion and live prey, and will supposedly always hunt when they encounter other living creatures, regardless of how much time has passed since their last feeding. Whenever two Hounds encounter each other, they will fight to the death. No recorded instance of a pair of Hounds interacting in any way other than lethal violence is known, suggesting that mating is either a deadly or nonexistent activity among the species. This reinforces the myth that they are the creations of the Ash God Houndsbane, the God of Aberration.
Additional Information
Domestication
Despite the fact that Hounds would make an ideal hunting pet and guard animal if domesticated, no attempt to domesticate Hounds by humans has ever been successful. Their volatile, violent nature and tendency to kill any and all other life forms in their immediate vicinity makes them far too dangerous to even attempt to capture. However, members of the religious sect known as the Houndsbane Zealots have figured out how to predict their behavior and feed them, a highly significant religious ritual to their faith.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Hound claws fall off very frequently, sometimes in whole. Their strength and sharpness makes them ideal tools and weapons for human survivors. Scavenging Hound claws is a dangerous but coveted enterprise, with the claws bartering at very valuable rates. However, finding a Hound claw indicates that one is within their hunting territory. Given the exceptional sensory capabilities of Hounds, this is almost always a death sentence.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
The Hounds of Houndsbane are primarily found in the desolate region known as the Charnel Flats, where they are the undisputed apex predators. They are thought to originate from the Construct on the western edge of the Flats as they are found in greatest concentrations within this area. Whether canine creatures such as the Hounds can be found outside of North America is unknown.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Hounds have massive, bulbous eyes capable of seeing for miles, even in the dim light, haze, and constant ashfall of Ashrain. Their paws are highly sensitive and the bottoms of the pads contain specialized sensory receptors almost like taste buds, allowing them to pick up even the faintest trails of prey in the ash blanket. The olfactory organs are the largest sensory organs in the skull, occupying nearly 25% of the brain's sensory capacity, allowing Hounds to sniff out prey even in the choked atmosphere of Ashrain up to distances of ten miles or more. Hounds also have long, pointed ears which move independently, allowing them to triangulate the source of sounds with exceptional precision.
Scientific Name
Canis gigantus
Origin/Ancestry
The American Jackal, Coyote, Prairie Wolf
Lifespan
Unknown
Average Height
4-5 ft
Average Weight
450-600 lbs
Average Length
14-20 ft
Geographic Distribution
Related Organizations
Related Myths
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