Hounds of Uskara

Wolves, dogs, and other canines are not native to Uskara. In fact, no carnivores were native to Uskara for a long time. The word “hound” holds its usual connotations, but it also means, “hunter” or “predator.” That is because the hounds were the first predators on Uskara.

During the Second World, the trickster god Ez crashed into this reality from another, and provided his benefice: predation. The giants who ruled in that time cared little for the beasts that filled their earthly creations, seeing them almost as pests that creeped in on their grand design, vestiges of a primeval First World they had conquered. A predator is an elevator beast that yes, eats the blood of others, but due to the Rule of Blood that means they gain a bit of the essence of what they consume, and thus become stronger, more cunning.

Thus the first predator was the warg, sometimes called a dire hound, closest thing to what we would call a wolf but they are pointedly not pack creatures. They were truly monstrous creatures, closer to the Tolkien conception of a wolf. They seemed to spread their “predatory infection” by bite, creating new breeds of hounds. Many of the apex predators of various parts of the world are hounds descended from these: the hyenas of Ornassus and the tigers of Seotan are feliform hounds, the raptors of Zafara and the gryphons of Sulgard are avian hounds, the sharks of the Lazurias and the orcas of the Alburias are piscine hounds, the smilodons of Perdita and the thylacines of Algoboa are marsupial hounds.

Hounds are not the only predators. After Ez’s gift, other species became to fill similar niches without necessarily being infected by the warg bloodline. In Uskara, genetics and thus evolution do exist, but they are distinctly Lamarckian rather than Mendelian in character, and the ecology reflects this. Further, the influence of various forms of magic and divinites on the world, especially the Urdena of the corpse-god Nogad spawning all sorts of monstrous cross-breeds and mutations, means the ecology is much more varied and fantastical than is easily imagined. However, hounds are the lords of all predators… and also the species most often targeted to be tamed and domesticated, turning them into dogs.

There are three dog species most commonly described: the lions of Ornassus, the basilisks of Zafara, the keythongs of Sulgard. Dogs, compared to wild hounds, bond with their masters extremely well, and are bred for this kind of loyalty. Unfortunately, this means they lose a lot of their natural predatory cunning. They are not necessarily unintelligent, but they are… well, dog-like.

Lions were domesticated tigers (imported from Seotan) who lost their coloration and developed a mane (a common trait among domesticated hounds), symbols of prestige among the Ornassi and due to the elevation of Mitra considered sacred. They have actually been gifted now with sustenance from the sun, essentially photosynthetic, meaning lions are by and large no longer predators (though sometimes opportunistic omnivores in the wild or when desperate). Lions are also used as companions and mounts by the steppe cultures of the Chimur and Marach. You will find them outside of Cimmeria in Sulgard as well, but they are mostly sacred rather than working animals now, and rarely used for the same purposes.

In Sulgard, the most commonly cultivated dogs are keythongs, which are the descendants of domesticated griffins bred for hunting and companionship rather than as mounts. They have sharp raptorial beaks and piercing avian eyes, but their bodies more resemble those of lions save for their fore talons, and their mane of bristly feathers. Said feathers can be ejected like quills like that of a manticore, though are non-venomous, and provide a measure of protection. There are various breeds of keythongs, but like all hounds they are a highly intelligent and dangerous working animal used for hunting and war. Some keep them for pleasure, but they are temperamental, combining all the traits of falcons, lions, and wolves. While they are famously loyal, such that they are a common heraldric device, and are perhaps the most gregarious of the dog breeds, it’s still not a great idea to let your keythong mingle with unfamiliar company unsupervised.

The basilisk is a many-legged sinuous hound with reptile and avian characteristics from Zafara, somewhat similar in body-plan to a tegu or monitor lizard but much faster due to its legs, and most importantly warm-bloodedness. Its cockscomb-like mane lends some to think it related to the cockatrice, which is actually a creature of magical origin, and for this reason some assume it too has petrification abilities, which it does not. It is, however, quite venomous. It is favored as a domesticated hound compared to the far more agile raptors in part because it is lower to the ground and easier to train, though of the various domesticated forms of hounds, it is far more solitary and territorial by nature, and can be violently protective of their bonded master.

There is one more hound we should refer to that is a dog, but they are vanishing rare. Famously along with their horses, when the elves arrived in Sulgard, they were accompanied by dogs that resemble greyhounds. These “true dogs” as the elves call them were the only thing resembling the domesticated dogs of our world. Most perished during the Stellar Rosades of the Fourth World, but a few breeds are kept by the highest nobility, especially in Palladia. In Brecheliant, the Archduke is said to show their generosity sometimes by gifting one of their prize “borzoi” to their favorites. Scholars call these canine hounds (as opposed to feliform, avian, etc. due to their elongated canine teeth compared to other hounds. Most Sulgardians associate the sleek form of the greyhound with Brecheliant, as it features in their heraldry, but many assume it to be extinct.

Kobolds are most commonly called “dogfolk”, but they are actually descended from the first breeds of lions, which are mostly unrecognizable to the lion breeds today. They are the only beastfolk race to arise from a dog kindred, as most did not arise until at least the Fourth World, when the collapse of technology and civilization led many to try and rely more on the land and its flora and fauna.

The word “dog” originates from Moresain, as translated through Sarumite, and expanded everywhere else. It is used for every domesticated hound breed, but it also has a somewhat intentionally insulting connotation. “Dogsbodies” for instance is a term for servants who do the worst and most uncleanly of duties.