Lion

*Your beast thinks with his stomach, as usual...*[src]
Robert

**Lion** was a French hunting dog belonging to the de Rune family.

## History

### Background and Early Life

While not the only dog used by the de Rune family for hunting, he was the preferred companion of Amicia de Rune, likely due to the long-standing estrangement between her and her family.

### Death

*He was a good dog.*[src]
Robert consoles his daughter, Amicia

In November 1348, Lion accompanied Robert de Rune and Amicia on a walk through the woods near the de Rune estate, happily playing, barking, and following scents. After Amicia completed the "knight's challenge" he caught the smell of a wild boar and lead Amicia to it, who struck it with her sling but failed to kill it. The boar soon ran off with Lion and Amicia in pursuit. Lion had a habit of outrunning hunters, and thus Amicia lost sight of the dog for only a moment. Then she found the boar, not only dead but stripped of its meat down to the bone. She knew Lion could not have done that, and also noticed he had stopped barking.

Searching further, she heard his pained whimpering, and found Lion alive but mutilated and half of his body draped into a dark hole. She caressed his head lovingly before the ground rumbled and Lion was pulled into the hole by rats and was never seen again. Robert, horrified, drew Amicia back from the hole and the two returned to the estate, with Robert determined to start a hunt to find the cause of the problem. Amicia was heartbroken at the loss of her beloved pet. Robert consoled his daughter, telling her that "he was a good dog".

## Physical Appearance

Lion appears to be a large dog with long legs, a heavy snout, and floppy ears. His body is covered in white and brown fur, a white stripe on his face and snout, and a dark patch along his back and rear end like a saddle. His eyes are brown, the color common to most dogs. His fur is short and he has a thin, medium-length tail.

## Personality

*Hey! I'm trying to tell her something!*[src]
Robert, irritated by the dog's ceaseless barking

Lion was a good hunting dog with a keen nose, but seemed to have little discipline, simply going where the scent led him and losing contact with his hunter in the process. He also liked to interrupt people who were talking with barks to get them to play with him.

Despite his deficiencies, Lion was a well-loved family pet.

## Relationships

### Amicia de Rune

Amicia is shown to be very fond of her hunting dog and faithful companion, Lion, and it is implied that she played with him a lot during her "hunts". She grieves for him following his gruesome death.

Later, if the player chooses to do so, she offers a prayer for Lion at the chapel inside her home.

### Robert de Rune

When Lion died, Robert consoled his daughter and displayed genuine affection for the dog.

## Trivia

* Hunting dogs like Lion were used as part of the persistent hunting strategy of pursuing and harassing prey over long distances to tire them out, with many hunting dogs bred specifically for long-distance endurance and keen senses. The dog kept pace with prey on foot and harass them to prevent them from recovering stamina or hiding, while their howls helped the hunters keep track of their location and thus the prey's as well. Dogs were rarely dispatched alone but rather in packs, particular for more dangerous prey such as boar.
* Lion's breed is indeterminate, but he features resembling a cross of a hound and a spaniel.
	+ A currently existing breed, the Hungarian Vizla, can be traced back to the mid-1300s, was used as a running hound and very much resembles Lion in shape (although the breed exclusively has rusty brown-colored coats).
	+ Vizlas have very good temperament and are prone to strong attachments, making them very loyal and endearing family dogs, again showing similarities to Lion.