HELLHOUNDS
Hellhounds are black doglike creatures with red eyes. They are associated
with demons and found almost exclusively in Hades. They are intelligent.
Hellhounds are fleet and have keen senses. Like demons, they speak demonic
language. They are entirely fireproof - specifically, heatproof and
noncombustible. Some hellhounds can learn to cast fire spells. Other than
that, they have no special abilities.
Hellhounds are a created species designed by a group of demons (all believed
dead by the Great War timeline). Each hellhound will form a mindbond to one
demon at a young age.
1. Appearance
A hellhound is a black dog with fiery non-luminous red eyes. They may be any
size from labrador retriever up to grizzly bear. Size is generally
proportional to strength and power, but not to intelligence. Fur is almost
invariably short; ears are pointed, never floppy; tails are straight and
seldom plumed.
After these basics, there are many possible mutations. A hellhound may be
born with a third eye, or a snake's tail, or even three heads (the famous
Cerberus being the only example of that particular mutation).
These mutations are nothing like mutation in DNA; each one was programmed in
specifically (see Species History), and when a puppy is conceived there is a
small probability it will show just one of the possible mutations.
2. Abilities
Hellhounds are, to all intents, heatproof and fireproof: they will not burn,
their tissues won't be damaged by fire, their body chemistry isn't affected
however much their core temperature rises, and so on. This includes
combustion caused by magic.
Hellhounds speak and understand demonic language and also normal dog
communication.
Their senses, agility and stamina are on par with normal hunting and
coursing dogs, with one exception: they see in colour (though a skewed range
because their corneas are red).
They cannot shapeshift or have their shape altered by demonic methods.
3. Species history
As intimated above, hellhounds were created by a group of ancient demons,
none of which is thought to have survived until the Great War era. This
means, taking into account demons' uncommunicative nature, that there are no
demons left who will admit to remembering where hellhounds come from.
Hellhounds were created from normal dogs imported into hell. After a
selective breeding project was abandoned -- demons are very impatient -- a
group of geneticists combined dog DNA with demon genetic material.
Carbon-based lifeforms' genetic material is nothing whatsoever like demon
DNA. Manipulating other lifeforms' genes is an extremely advanced skill.
Combining one with the other is ludicrously difficult.
Against flabberghastingly huge odds, viable lifeforms were eventually
created through this process. They were mentally unstable and had various
other problems, some of which were ironed out. The stability issue was
eventually glossed over by introducing a characteristic that forces each
hound to bind to a demon in a subordinate role. This suited the purposes of
the designers, who wanted wonderful (and, above all, obedient)
pet/companion/bodyguards.
Hellhound mindbonds are built on the standard demonic system, but skewed.
For more detail see Mindbond (Demon).
4. Breeding
Hellhounds reproduce quite like normal dogs. This was a deliberate feature
and originally intended for keeping track of new births.
Hellhounds are not romantics. Hellbitches come into season about once a year
for a few days. (This generally makes them even more irritable than usual.)
The female will select her mate more or less at random, usually with a
growled "Hey you". Mating takes place with much snarling and biting, after
which the female forgets about the male pretty much immediately.
Approximately one mating in three results in pregnancy; hellhounds are not
very fertile, probably because of all the genetic tampering (see Species
History). The gestation period is around five months. Normally only one
puppy is born; on rare occasions there may be twins. A hellbitch can't
physically carry more than two pups to term.
The pup's eyes are open by the time it is born, and it can stand within
minutes. Pups are generally weaned and ready to leave their mother by the
age of two months. Usually a hellbitch will not breed again for one or two
menstrual cycles. Hellhounds are not naturally maternal.
Although they are weaned early, hellpuppies have a relatively long childhood
They take about six years (by human standards) to reach adolescence,
although their brains develop more quickly, and it'll be four more years
before they are physically mature. It takes a while for body to catch up
with mind. This too could be seen as genetic-engineering negligence.
5. Name and pedigree
Hellhound names are a sort of mini-pedigree, in the format Hellhoundname
by-Fathername-out-of-Mothername. An example would be Chokedamp
by-Pepper-out-of-Shriker.
They can be abbreviated, as in Chokedamp Pepper-Shriker. This is a matter of
preference but can irk some hellhounds, especially ones proud of their
lineage.
Hellhounds with braggable lineage may include grandsires' names, or even
great-grandsires', as in Chokedamp sired by
Pepper-by-Barkley-Brandog-Bau-out-of-Rhymni-Siaw-Brath daughter of
Shriker-by-Morty-Big Grim-Giver-out-of-Hellgast-Nuby-Zayin Alpha Release.
Beyond this, it gets silly and you need brackets.
See also: Demonic Names
6. Notable hellhounds
Baskerville (not purebreed)
Boil
Brimstone
Cerberus
Chokedamp
Firedamp
Nenki
Shriker
See also:
Himmelhunde
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