Ash Hounds

People often wondered what became of the lava of the ash lands. Some of it was seen rolling through the forest at Archon’s battle, some of it seen at the Sisterhood Temple. Warped and animated to fight for that creature called Strange. They say the Ash Hounds are some of that same work, but others say they came in with the Pigmen army from the far recesses of the Nether. No one is really sure enough to say, but everyone is sure enough to know that they are something you do not mess with unless you want to get burned.

## Physiology

Side by side, the Ash Hound stands at the height of a man’s ribs. A beast of taut, coiled muscle, ferocious teeth, and sulfurous breath that hints towards its dangerous secret.The Ash Hound is predominately furless, aside from coarse wiry hairs on its head, chin, and upper neck, with slick black skin and an ash grey underside. Their claws, as well, are powerful and sturdy to enable them to paw through fallen rocks, burned ruins, pumice, and the peculiar netherrack in which they are often found. At first glance, it is a dog of nightmare, but nothing more than that.

However, what makes the Ash Hound a true terror is its kinship with fire and flame. Whatever its origin, whether Strange or the Nether, the hound boasts a resistance to heat and flame due to an oily residue on its skin, most comparable to that of a hardier version of the alchemist’s fire resistance potions. Their sleek black skin does not char or burn, but the oils catch flame and slowly burn to embers, then ash, over the course of around an hour. They will not be able to build up enough oils on their skin to do so for another three days. With this quality, they are able to walk through flame and come out as a properly fearsome foe. The pups, however, do not gain an adequate protection until they are roughly a year old and will stay far from the flames until then.

A typical litter of Ash Hounds ranges from 2-4 pups.

## Habitat

The Ash Hound is most commonly found near the Ashlands, burned thickets, and within the Nether. They will at times wander further into the woods to the southwest of the Ashlands, if they have been struggling to find food. If there is smoke in the air, they will sometimes travel for miles to find the source and to paw through the burned remains in search of charred food. They are unable to survive in cold climates, and rarely last longer than a week when placed in snowy environments.

When a female Ash Hound has a litter of pups, she prefers to linger in the forests southwest of the Ashlands, as the young have not yet built up the oily residue on their skin that protects them from the flame.

## Diet

The Ash Hound is a carnivorous predator, preferring its meat... cooked, in a way. The Ash Hound will often drag its pray into campfires, at the side of the Ashland’s lava pools, or into the nether to let it dry out. If there are no readily available flames, it will eat it regardless but still shows the peculiar preference. Most often, the Ash Hound goes will be brazen and bold as it attacks if it has the advantage of its flames. Without the fire, they go for easy prey that it can pick off, like the sick, the injured, and the young, with little regard for the species so long as it is confident that it can win a meal.

## Behavior

Ash Hounds are usually encountered in groups of two to five. They are social with one another, and as such, it is incredibly rare to find one entirely alone. They form small packs to hunt together and to take down prey, using clever tactics. With the oil on their skin burning, they will encircle prey if they are able to isolate it. In grassy areas and the forests southwest of the Ashlands, this is incredibly dangerous as the grass and shrubs are prone to igniting. Since their appearance, they have been frequently attributed to various forest fires as they wander the wilderness in search of food. If they cannot use fire to their advantage, they play more cautiously and focus on the weakest link and the easiest target.

They are lured by smoke, as the hounds associate this with a free meal of some unlucky soul, or mortals gathering around campfires.

## Lifespan and Aging

The Ash Hound’s lifespan is comparable to any canine, roughly between 12-15 years.