Canids

Canids

**Canids** are dog and other canine based Synths created by ARCDA. After Preternaturals, they are the second most common form of Synth, with a wide variation of sub-breeds and appearances.

## **History**

#### **Concept and Creation**

Unlike Avios and Preternaturals, there are no official variant or type differences between newer versions of canids and older versions. There are always updated versions with newer batches, but no official differences between the eldest A generation Canids and the newest AC generation Canids.

##### **Preternatural Cousins**

Because Canids were so easy to produce and easy to alter, they along with other mammaloid Synths such as Chiros, Pards, and Monkeys, Preternaturals had a lot of their original base genomes taken from Canids, making them cousins in relative terms.

However they also sought after the empathetic and drive for teamwork that canids exhibited as these were more useful than aggressive and independent traits, which often lead to high risk behaviour and conflict within teams.

### **Uses**

There are generally three categories that Canids are used for.

* Military Use, Detection and Guarding
* Crisis Response and Rescue
* Therapy, Care, and Nursing

Generally, Core uses male Canids only. Female Canids are rare in Core, but are found more commonly in Atlas in the Synth nurseries, usually more because if they were allowed into the field as Elites, the commanders and majors of many Core bunkers believe that the could cause an uprising and overthrow their leadership within a week. (This can be seen in Asena Canis where her pack more readily follow her command over Rex's)

## **Biology**

### **Genetics**

Genetically, Canids are based upon canines and so a lot of canine traits have been mimicked both physiologically and genetically to produce better and better Canids.

Canids have an increased bone density, hyper efficient hearts as well as quick healing capabilities, and a digestive system that isn't highly reliant on synthetically produced foods, allowing them to eat whatever is available. Newer Canid variants also have increased muscle repair.

#### **Physical Traits**

* Canid tails are shorter than Pard tails, and often go down to past their knees, where as Pards reach lower and are more ankle length. Canid tails are designed to have different fur colours, curvatures, textures and markings to help distinguish different individuals and batches. Dog sub-breeds have curled tails with longer softer fur, foxes are longer with coarse fur, jackals/Coyotes are narrower and shorter.
* Ears are usually triangular shape though some Dog sub-breeds have slightly floppy ears.
* All canids have fur, the covering of it can vary between different sub-breeds and ages of canids. What can be classed as 'hair' is not the same texture as human hair but more like dog fur, with thicker strands.
* All canids have whiskers on their eyebrows, cheeks, and chins, though some with more Anubis headed appearances have whiskers around their mouth and nose, often mistaken for sparse beards.
* Like Avios and Chiros, they walk on the balls of their feet with their ankle off of the ground, which aids in quicker lighter movements. The underside of canid feet have thick paw pads, and often don't need to wear shoes.
* Eye colours for Canids cover a whole range from black, brown, orange, yellow, green, blue, red, grey.

### **Internal Biology**

**Bones**

Canids have some of the densest and heaviest bones among Synths. They are hard to break but are easy to repair as they produce a lot of bone marrow.

**Blood**

They can transfuse between sub-breeds and transfer with Preternaturals. Their immune systems are among the best and their healing rates are far superior to Pards and Avios, as Canids rarely get sick.

**Brain**

Their brain has a special region that is dedicated to processing scents. They also have a large part of their brain dedicated to communication as they are highly social and highly empathetic. Many Canids are actually very good linguists.

**Growth and Regeneration**

Canids grow exceptionally fast. With the comparison of human growth terms, Canids can grow from birth to the maturity of a 5 year old within six months. After this they begin to slow in aging with a 5 year old Canid looking more like a 15 year old human, and a 10 year old Canid looking like a 20 year old human. There is some variation with growth rates amongst breeds and batches.

When healing, fur will regrow over old injuries very quickly, however repetitive injuries can cause major deformities and shortens their life expectancy.

### **Physical Abilities**

**Senses**

Canids have a hyper sensitive nose, and are capable of picking up on multiple different scents. Their eyesight is superior to a humans, and they can see in low light. It's not full colour vision at night, but it is enough that they can see relatively well. As most Canids have whiskers, they often are able to detect changes in the wind direction and speed which helps them in following scents, but it also helps with detecting changes in temperature to find living bodies.

**Strength**

Canids are renowned for their strength. They can carry their own body weight with relative ease. Because of this, this often leads to them being Tanks in Elite groups.

**Endurance**

With only some exceptions in Preternaturals or long-hauling Avios, Canids have exceptional endurance and can march for days without stopping.

## **Psychology and Behaviour**

Canids show a lot of dog-like behaviour in that they love to play and socialise, often sticking together with team or pack mates.

## **Canid Variations**

### **ARCDA Canids**

Canids have different appearances depending on their ages. Older Canids appear more animal looking, hairier with longer and more protruding jaws. Their fur texture and general appearance is often determined by what they are based upon.

***Dog***

* These have the widest breed-based variation amongst Canids. As they are made to be more general purpose, with varied uses such as Crisis Response, Nursery workers, Trainers, and Porters, they are made to be empathetic and intelligent, as well as social and cooperative.
* They lack the hardiness and strength of Wolf-Canids, but are equally as fast and adaptable, and often more sociable and easier to work with. Often a key feature of Dog-Canids are their curled tails as they are generally based on working Dog breeds such as malamutes, huskies, spaniels, Doberman, mountain dogs and shepherds.
* Risio also produce Dog-Canids, though theirs are more aesthetically designed.

***Wolf***

* Wolf-Canids were designed specifically to be Ruby Elites. Their variation is limited as Core feels that their design is perfected already.
* They are tall and broad shouldered, with short tails that reach the knees. Their ears are usually triangular shape and point upwards but are very mobile. Usually they will exhibit the Anubis-Head trait a lot more than other Canid types.

***Fox***

* They have larger ears than most other Canids and more slender tails. As they are also usually smaller than most other Canid types they are almost pre-designed to be Sapphire Elites as they are stealthy, quiet, and patient.
* A subtype of Fox is the Dhole.

***Coyotes***

* Narrow headed, slender, and small, these Canids are built to be tougher than the Fox Canids but just as stealthy.
* Their low-light vision is fantastic as is their hearing. Though they were made to be either Ruby or Sapphires, they tend to stick to being Topaz and Emerald elites as they often lack the cooperative skills to be Rubies and the patience to be Sapphires, regularly being part of Hunter Units.

#### **Anubis Head**

Anubis Head is a term used for a very particular look that can be found amongst some canids where they have more of a jackal-dog like face with longer ears and a much longer snout with side slits along the nose. This is a random mutation and can occur even within batches of identically made Canids.

**Examples**: Mykonos.

### **Hasekuran Canids**

***Hasekuran Canids*** are based more upon wolves, jackals, coyotes, and wild dogs.

## **Canid Characters**

**Dog-Canids**

* Raoul Hunter - Elkhound
* Palmer Hunter - Golden Retriever
* Big Dog

**Wolf-Canids**

* Asena Canis
* Anthony Scarlett
* Caesar Canis
* Featherhead
* Lieutenant Mykonos

**Fox Canids**

* Prince Carnelian

***Minor Characters***

* Raoul's Tracker Squad
* Asena's Pack

## See More

* Synths
* Preternaturals
* ARCDA
* Avios

## Trivia

* Hasekuran created Canids are much more muscular than ARCDA Canids and much more deadly, but lack the speed and endurance of ARCDA Canids
* Canids can have a huge range of variation from being nearly completely dog-like and walking about on all fours, to almost completely human in appearance.

## References

 Storm Series
 Synths
 Other