Jem'Hal Sight Hound
Sleek, fast and powerful, Jem’Hal Sight Hounds originate, as their name suggests from the Jem’Hal Desert in Bar-Sunar Province. Originally a wild breed, they were domesticated by the Jem’Menar people who recognised their aptitude for tracking and hunting, traits which now make the dogs popular far beyond their native home.
Whereas some animals are bred for meat, fur or milk, Jem’Hal Sight Hounds are bred for themselves. They are regarded as high value animals and are exported across Kelbonnar destined to be pets and also working dogs in the hunts of the gentry of the Empire of Turelion.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Jem’Hal Sight Hounds are a form of dog, and are therefore similar in basic shape to most other canines found across Kelbonnar. Like other sight hounds, they are tall, slender animals, with long pointed muzzles. They are more heavily built than greyhounds, their nearest relative, and have strong jaws, allowing them to be effective hunters as well as sprinters.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Like other dogs, Jem’Hal Sight Hounds are carnivorous creatures by nature, but they can be fed a varied diet as long as there is a good quantity of meat in it. Domesticated specimens are often much healthier than their wild cousins, as diligent owners and breeders will often feed them vegetables and grains in addition to meat, which provides them with far larger quantities of vitamins and minerals than they would be able to get from the available resources of the Jem’Hal.
A note to the prospective owner: though Jem’Hal Sight Hounds are not picky with regards to what type of meat, or the cheapness of the cut they will eat, they do become quickly conditioned to enjoying finer foods i.e. to not feed them prime cuts of meat unless you intend to only ever feed them as such, or they will get fractious and disobedient.
Additional Information
Domestication
Like most other dogs, Jem’Hal Sight Hounds have adapted incredibly well to domestication, and there are now far more of them in the kennels and homes of the Empire than there are roaming the wilds of the desert. They were first domesticated by the Jem’Menar people of the Jem’Hal desert, who provided the basis of the breeding lineage that now predominates amongst the domesticated animals.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Though they have found a place in the homes of the wealthy as pets, Jem’Hal Sight Hounds are still very much used as working dogs, who accompany hunting parties across the world. Their expense means that they are generally used for sport hunting, but the Lodge of Imperial Hunters does maintain kennels, which include Jem’Hal Sight Hounds amongst their occupants, in each of their provincial capitals, for use in hunting and tracking bigger, more dangerous game.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Originally, the hounds were only found in the area of the Jem’Hal Desert on the continent of Austal, but now they are exported across the world and can be found on every continent.
However, as they are dogs that originate from desert environments, they do not cope well in colder climates, and those that own them in regions where the winters are harsh, or where the general climate is more temperate, must provide them with specially designed jackets so that they do not suffer in the cold.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The hounds have excellent hearing and sense of smell, which some claim to be the best of all dogs in Kelbonnar. However, their sight is decidedly average, thought to be a relic from the fact that their quarry in their desert home was generally very well camouflaged, meaning that the hounds had to rely on their other senses to track them.
Lifespan
About 15 years in captivity, wild specimens are thought to survive on average less than 10 years.
Conservation Status
Jem’Hal Sight Hounds are not considered to be endangered or rare creatures by any means, as they are widely bred and exported across Kelbonnar. However, the wild population of the hounds is a shadow of its former self, with fewer than ten groups, with a combined total of no more than 200 individuals thought to be still roaming the Jem’Hal Desert as their ancestors did.
Average Height
They can grow up to a metre (c.3ft) in height to the shoulder.
Average Length
They can grow up to 1.5m (c.5ft) in length from nose to tail.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
The fur of Jem’Hal Sight Hounds tends to come in variants of sandy browns. It is common for individuals to have darker strips running across their bodies, which is thought to help conceal them in the desert sands. The fur of a hound’s belly tends to be darker than that of their backs.
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
Comments