Inugami

Inugami are nocturnal canines which roam mountain passes, forested roads, and similar locations. They intially resemble mundane dogs and wolves in all but their ferocity; for their are much more dangerous than their mortal counterparts. Like other magical beasts, they are capable of assuming a humanoid form after accuring sufficient magic power with age.   Their humanoid form often possess canine traits and features such as canine ears and a large, fluffy tail. Most are of an average human size, a little taller due to their perky ears that are about the size of a hand's fist. Their tail extend from their spine, slightly above their bottom. It's usually about the length of an arm, just barely touching the ground with the tips of their fur when pointed straight down. Those traits can vary though, with some specimen sporting long, sloppy ears or really short tails.

Basic Information

Anatomy

An okurinu has two forms—that of a typical wolf/dog and an authentic humanoid.
Their canine form has the same dimensions and appearance of natural wolves.
An okurinu's humanoid form will resemble a typical hauflin, homin, elf or amazoness. Occasionally it will retain a canine attribute usually a tail which extends from their spine, slightly above their bottom. It's usually about the length of an arm, just barely touching the ground with the tips of their fur when pointed straight down. However, humanoid okurinu do not typically sport wolf ears, wolf eyes, unusual coloration, or any other unmistakable markers unless they intentionally do so.

Biological Traits

Enhanced Endurance: Okurinu's have naturally high endurance, as their blood circulatory system appears to be more efficient than hominins. Most are easily capable of outrunning other beings of similar size and, even though they are not the fastest runners, tribal packs often chase down their prey until it's too exhausted to flee or fight back anymore.
Low Dexetrity: On the other hand, Okurinu often lack the dexterity required to perform very precise and detailed work. Whether this is directly linked to their slight disability of seeing tiny things or not remains unclear, but okurinu naturally struggle in fields where a very high precision is vital such as surgery or clockwork. It requires an okurinu a lot of additional training to overcome that handicap. It rarely matters in everyday life though, as okurinu can perform regular dexterity-based activities such as using a gun or driving a vehicle with just the same efficiency as humans.
Theobromine Sensitivity: Okurinu metabolize theobromine (found in chocolate) more slowly and can succumb to theobromine poisoning. Although small amounts are usually not much of a problem, consumption of larger doses can result in kidney failure, posing a potentially lethal threat. Dark chocolate is especially feared, as it's concentration of theobromine is so large that even a tiny sample can prove deadly.

Genetics and Reproduction

Okurinu that reproduce with their own kind (either okurinu or natural wolves) make puppies who gain intelligence faster and at a higher level than natural wolves.
Okurinu who reproduce with humanoids in this way will have hanyou offspring that typically appear as their humanoid parent but will have select okurinu abilities.

Ecology and Habitats

Forests and grasslands

Dietary Needs and Habits

Okurinu are carnivores with their diet consisting primarily of meat. They can consume fruits and vegetables, but they do so generally only in small amounts to supplement their diet, as their digestive system isn't adapted to process large amounts of plant material. Okurinu have an inability of their digestive system to properly process grapes, raisin and theobromine, which is commonly found in chocolate, tea and cola.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Worldwide

Average Intelligence

Sapient

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Canine Hearing: Okurinu are known to be much more susceptible to sounds, capable of hearing frequencies of up to 50,000 Hz, compared to the 20,000 Hz a human is able to hear, and they are capable of picking up lower volumes as well. However, this comes at the price of being more vulnerable to extreme noise and ultrasound.
Canine Sight: An Okurinu's eyes are less capable of picking up small details than a human would, but they are very good at perceiving movement. Their eyes can detect and accurately identify a moving object from almost a kilometer away, a precious ability to survive and thrive in the jungle. The size of an okurinu's pupils is also larger than that of a human, making them naturals at playing the 'big puppy eyes', but also allowing them to see well in low light environments. Even though they lack the perfect night vision of some other species, their eyes are well rounded for both night and day.
Canine Smell: Okurinu can detect specific persons, objects, substances or even places, locate their origin and track with nothing but their nose. Some may even be able to detect lying, sicknesses or tumors by which hormones/smells they excrete.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Okurinu are very social beings. They often form large packs, usually consisting of family members, but also including people they hold close. They are more open than many other species and, in some cases, are even willing to welcome other races as pack members, as long as they grow attached to them. A pack is usually formed of 2 to 40 members, although there have been sights of much larger communities.

Scientific Name

Canus lupus obake

Origin/Ancestry

Inugami

Lifespan

300 years

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Average Height

canid-80–85 cm (32–34 in) humanoid- 170.7 cm (5 ft 7 in)

Average Weight

canid- 43–45 kg (95–99 lb) humanoid- 68.6 kg (151.2 lb)