Blink dog

Blink dogs are magical canines kept by the Seelie as guardians and servants. They are an ancient animal species related to common wolves, but are nowadays encountered only in the untamed woodland realms of the fey.
Contents

Supernatural senses

All dogs -- and other canine species as well -- have the extraordinary ability to perceive the sounds and smells of Purgatory with perfect clarity. Also known as the Ethereal Plane, the mirror dimension of Purgatory is entirely imperceptible to most creatures, with only the faintest traces of sounds sometimes echoing into the mortal plane in the most silent of environments. Since Purgatory is the transitive plane by which souls of the deceased enter the Afterlife, canines have the ability to perceive such souls and thus be alerted to their presence. Dogs are known to be agitated near freshly dead bodies but also near haunted places where the restless souls of the dead wander as ghosts.

Domestication

Blink dogs are servants of the Seelie fey who use them as guardians and battle companions. This is not due to domestication but natural hierarchy -- as the foremost of the fey the Seelie are lords of all the natural world commanding fey and beasts alike. Blink dogs are perhaps the most trusted animal servants of the Seelie, for they are rarely if ever encountered in independent packs. Moreover, they tend to deny serving anyone else -- including druids and clerics of nature deities. Blink dogs are often seen fighting alongside the fey of the Summer Court in their many battles against the dark creatures of Samhain.

Magical talents

Blink dogs often have sorcerous powers, being able to produce rudimentary magical effects -- similar to the basilisk. Due to their bestial levels of intellect, spellcraft is a concept that is impossible for blink dogs to grasp, and due to their anatomy they are unable to utilize vocal and somatic spell components. Thus it would be wrong to say that blink dogs cast spells per se, but they can nonetheless wield magical energy with their mental intuition of it. Their signature ability is their namesake of blinking; blink dogs are known to phase seemingly in and out of existence, dissappearing in one place and then reappering seconds later in another. In truth, this effect is based on them magically transporting their body in rapid succession to and from the Ethereal Plane.

Misconceptions

Folk tales of peasants often falsely claim that blink dogs are fey. Another misconception is that blink dogs are extremely intelligent, being able to comprehend languages and verbally converse with their Seelie masters. Blink dogs are, in fact, only as intelligent as an exceptionally clever wolf or perhaps a dire wolf would be. They can be taught tasks, of course, but speaking languages is far away indeed from their mental capacity. Magical spells can be used to speak to them, and this is done by not only the Seelie but also by mortal druids and rangers.

OTHER NAMES
feyhound, cathainian jackal
PHYSICAL INFORMATION
Anatomy
Canine.
Average height
60 cm on average.
Average physique
Lightly built, medium sized canines, somewhere between a wolf and a fox.
Body tint, color and markings
Their long hair is usually a mix of earthy colors, striped or otherwise patterned; black, grey, brown, creme, amber and even mustard. Rarer colors include bright reds, oranges and blues.
Special characteristics
Long tail.
Perception and senses
Acute senses. Darkvision. Can hear and smell Purgatory.
LIFE-CYCLE
Reproduction and birth
Mammalian reproduction.
Growth rate and stages
Maturity by 1-2 years, can live up to 20 years.
Mortality and death
Mundane deaths.
ECOLOGY
Origin or ancestry
Creation of Amanor
Distribution
Amanor and Tír-na-nÓg
Habitats
Prefer forests