Blood Hound

When the old gods destroyed themselves in a cataclysmic battle on a mountain, their essence showered everyone on the field, including the war dogs. Most canine bloodlines have since thinned to nothing, but a few purebreds survive, prized for tracking blooded heirs and for their toughness and loyalty. They look like big wolfhounds or mastiffs, set apart only by a bloodmark, a red patch in the coat.

Folk wisdom holds that the patch's shape reveals the bloodline's source, perhaps echoing the totem beast of the god in question, and that its location, size, shade or texture holds meaning a gifted breeder or diviner can interpret like tea leaves; most breeders find those finer signs unreliable. There is a 5% chance a hound carries an unusually strong bloodline and one extra minor blood ability, chosen by the DM to suit its derivation from this list: Iron Will, Detect Life, Courage, Poison Sense, Long Life, Resistance, Direction Sense or Detect Illusion.

Though battle-trained, hounds are usually met while tracking. A hound tries to corner its quarry and attacks only if attacked, ordered, or if it senses a threat to its master, which this semi-intelligent animal may misjudge. Its bite does 2d4+1. A hound sharing its master's derivation has morale 20 and fights to the death to protect him, stopping only on his command.

On command it can find the nearest blooded person or follow a specific scion. It automatically scents any blooded individual within one mile, or one who passed through within five days, barring rain. For a scion within five miles, or one whose trail within that radius is no older than two days, it has a 50% chance, +15% if the scion shares its derivation, +15% if it has a scent item from a specific target, and +10% more if the target has a great bloodline. Told to find any scion, it leads to the nearest one outside the party, unless a farther one shares its derivation, which it prefers. Hunting a specific commoner, it has just 50% within one mile. It can sense that something is wrong with a creature hidden by fey glamour but learns nothing more. Game notes: bloodline varies, tainted, strength 1d3; blood ability bloodmark; perception/glamour slight/none.

Blood hounds never live wild. Only three kennels breed them on the continent, though rich rulers may run their own. Pups learn alongside older dogs and train for four to five years before they can be sold. They are friendly to other breeds, but ordinary dogs are uneasy around them, which trainers believe comes from sensing the divine essence as something unnatural.

They live 16 to 18 years, longer if gifted with long life, and are usually born singly rather than in litters, adding to their rarity. Only a blooded person can own one; they cannot bond with commoners. On purchase the breeder performs an imprinting ritual, and so long as the master treats the hound well it stays loyal for life, even if stolen or sold. Only abuse, the master's death, or a transfer ritual between old and new owners breaks the bond.

At 2 gold bars or more, few own more than one, though wealthy rulers may keep a small kennel and some scions buy them purely for status. Uses range from guarding a home, seeking unknown heirs who might claim a throne, or traveling companionship, to hunting victims for bloodtheft. Hounds generally track rather than attack, though they fight well. Remember that blood-corrupted abominations are scions too and just as easy to find.

Travelers tell of wildblood hounds, a feral strain with sharp fangs that serves no master and runs in packs, hunting blooded prey for night feasts. Some suspect they can commit bloodtheft.