ǁKo Wild Dog
The teamwork and hunting techniques of ǁKo Wild Dogs are legendary alongside their endurance, not particularly fast but instead wearing down their prey. These are an extremely gregarious species which form strong social bonds and permanent packs, growing depressed and dying of "broken heart syndrome" if separated from each other! Packs can range from 2-27 individuals though the average is 4-9 with one dominant pair. They are otherwise cooperative, extremely successful when hunting together.
Every pack has at least one member with Maralith's Imprint, a key ability allowing them to communicate telepathically. All other ǁko have mental manifestations of Rylmar or Mpertem, making use of these abilities for maintaining the morale of the pack on a long hunt or to the detriment of their prey. The second ability of each wild dog tends to correlate with their habitat but don't always, these canine surprisingly flexible.
Every pack has at least one member with Maralith's Imprint, a key ability allowing them to communicate telepathically. All other ǁko have mental manifestations of Rylmar or Mpertem, making use of these abilities for maintaining the morale of the pack on a long hunt or to the detriment of their prey. The second ability of each wild dog tends to correlate with their habitat but don't always, these canine surprisingly flexible.
Racial Magic
As these canines are a widespread species, adapted to many biomes across Alkelbulan, they are capable of inheriting an equally wide range of Racial Magic. Some are common to specific regions while others vary from pack to pack or even individual to individual. Each wild dog can inherit two of those listed here.
First Ability
Maralith's Imprint |
Able to mark a number of targets as members of their pack. Those marked can communicate via telepathy and can sense each other's location no matter how far apart they go. Only the caster can remove their imprint from a target. Each individual pack has their own mark unique to their caster! |
Rylmar or Mpertem's Aura |
Those with Aura are able to summon, generate and instill emotions related to either Mpertem or Rylmar. They can do this either by creating a general area which instills these emotions in targets or they can target specific individuals. |
Rylmar's Manipulation |
Those with mental Manipulation are able to control, manipulate, intensify, supress or otherwise affect emotions relating to Rylmar as long as its already occuring in whatever intensity. |
Mpertem or Rylmar's Eye |
Eye casters can see emotions, thoughts and memeories relating to Rylmar. They can also glean more information by staring into a target's eyes and some are able to instill emotions related to their aspect by the same method. |
Rylmar's Sense |
Those with a Sense are able to sense and feel any emotions relating to Rylmar as they occur around them. They can glean further information by touching a target. |
Rylmar's Binding |
Binding allows the caster to either restrict a target's access to emotions, memories and thoughts related to Rylmar or they can instead bind the same to their mind, leaving them unable to escape or forget that emotion or memory. |
Rylmar's Apathy |
Apathy allows the caster to stifle or completely cut off a target's ability to feel, remember or think about thoughts, memories and emotions related to Rylmar as long as their ability is active. These emotions will continue to build within their mind, crashing back into them once the effect is over. They can also use this ability on themselves, target individuals or create a general area of effect. |
Second Ability
Rithaldis's Eye |
Those with Rithaldis's Eye are able to see radiant energy and able to see using radiant energy, whether these are photons, sunlight or radiation. Packs living in or near the Shamsi Desert can inherit this ability, using it to avoid highly radioactive regions of the desert as they do not have immunity. |
Rithaldis's Venom |
Those with Venom can afflict radiation poisoning via bite or scratch, injecting it like a venom. They are also immune to damage from this venom. Wild dogs living in or near Shamsi can inherit this ability but there are those who migrate into Kasar Wuta too, preying on animals which have no resistance to solar magic. |
Emryl's Sense |
Can feel the world around them via temperature, feeling the precise heat of everything around them. The hotter the temperature, the more they can sense. They are also immune to damage from this aspect, essentially heatproof. Most often inherited by packs in Gaarreen Ho'aa or Shamsi. |
Emryl's Shield |
Totally immune to all Emryl magic and cannot be harmed by this aspect, completely heatproof whether this is natural or magical Most often inherited by pakcs in Gaarreen Ho'aa or Shamsi. |
Kalitho's Movement |
Capable of walking, stepping or moving on bright lights and rainbows, on visible light. They can even turn into and/or merge with lights around them, travel as light does, and reform elsewhere in brief instances. These bright lights are solid footholds but they can also be restrained using Kalitho magic! These packs are most often found in Nyasi za Rangi but these are one of the most widespread of the wild dogs, found throughout their range. |
Kalitho's Will |
Capable of producing lights which amplify the magic of others upon contact or extend this effect into light already present. This can greatly increase the energy in allies and make their magic far more powerul! These packs are most often found in Nyasi za Rangi but these are one of the most widespread of the wild dogs, found throughout their range |
Flithmar Manipulation |
Those with Flithmar's Manipulation are able to manipulate and reshape flames present in their environment. Mostly used for fighting and evading or redirecting wildfires away from itself and its pack. They aren't immune to fire but they can repel, redirect and control flames. Packs with this manifestation are most common to Kasar Wuta but might migrate along the fringes of Shamsi or Nyasi. |
Flithmar's Movement |
Those with Movement are able to walk, step or move on or through flames as a solid foothold. They can even turn into and/or merge with flames around them, travel as fire does, and reform elsewhere in brief instances. They are immune to damage from flames, completely fireproof, but can be restrained using Flithmar magic. Common to Kasar Wuta. |
Shil's Eye |
Able to see despite or through smoke and ash and see even microscopic particulates in the air. They can also breath despite smoke, the particles repelled away from their face by their magic. Common in Kasar Wuta and Emi Toubou. |
Shil's Touch |
Able to incinerate materials via touch. The longer this touch lasts, the more intense this effect and the further it permeates. Common to Kasar Wuta and Gaarreen Ho'aa, most wild dogs will inflict this via bite. Most common to Kasar Wuta but there are occasionaly individuals with this ability in surrounding regions. |
Rylmer's Movement |
Able to walk, step or move on or through storms, usually a specific type (sandstorm, thunderstorm, etc., these storms a solid foothold. They can even turn into and/or merge with storms in their environment, travel as this storm does, and reform elsewhere in brief instances. They are immune to damage from storms but can be restrained using Rylmer magic. They can move freely through regions with stormy weather, unimpeded and unharmed by the storm and in fact far more mobile. They can step on the intense rains, snow, wind, etc. Wild dogs with this ability are native to KwaZulu. |
Anatomy
Bulky and solidly built while also lean and tall with large ears. They are easily recognized by their vivid and unique coats. Their skulls are shorter and broader than other canids and their fur consists of stiff bristle hair with no undercoat. Each has their own individual color pattern, able to recognize each other from more than 300 feet away! Most of this is on their body and legs, their faces mostly black and brown.
Original Ancestor
African Wild Dog
Lifespan
Coloration
Size
Tail—11-16 in (27-41 cm)
Habitat
An iconic beast of Alkelbulan, these canines can be found along the edges of the Shamsi Desert and are spread throughout all regions south of here, especially in KwaZulu. They are at home in savannahs and arid zones, avoiding forests and thick vegetation. They need wide open spaces without obstructions to hunt but may chase prey into scrub, woodland or mountains. They are only occasionally found in Shamsi, usually during great migrations amid the wet season.
Diet
These are a hyper carnivorous species, packs known to kill even three animals in a day. They are one of the few diurnal predators of Alkelbulan alongside the Cheetah, hunting mainly ungulates in feats of stamina and cooperation. They compete with Hyena and lions, the latter killing them outright while hyenas steal from their kills. Common prey include kudu, gazelle, impala, bushbuck, wildebeest, warthogs, springbok, duiker, dik-dik, Sahra Hare, various antelope, zebras, insects and rats. Individuals are also capable of hunting rodents, hare, cane rats and porcupine.
When hunting, these canine approach stealthily at first before pursuing prey at around 41 mph. This chase lasts from 10-60 minutes on average and can stretch for 1.2 miles. Amid this chase, they will bite the prey repeatedly on the legs, belly and rump until it can no longer run. Smaller prey is usually pulled down and torn apart but they will switch tactics depending on what they are pursuing. As an example, wildebeest are rushed into a panic, these canines isolating vulnerable individuals. Antelope usually flee in circular arcs but ǁko wild dogs will cut across their path to disrupt their defenses. While medium prey can be killed in 2-5 minutes, large prey like the wildebeest can take from 30-60 minutes or longer to wear down. Usually those with touch, venom or movement manifestations bite and handle difficult maneuvers while those with mental magic support their pack mates or cultivate hopelessness in their prey.
When hunting, these canine approach stealthily at first before pursuing prey at around 41 mph. This chase lasts from 10-60 minutes on average and can stretch for 1.2 miles. Amid this chase, they will bite the prey repeatedly on the legs, belly and rump until it can no longer run. Smaller prey is usually pulled down and torn apart but they will switch tactics depending on what they are pursuing. As an example, wildebeest are rushed into a panic, these canines isolating vulnerable individuals. Antelope usually flee in circular arcs but ǁko wild dogs will cut across their path to disrupt their defenses. While medium prey can be killed in 2-5 minutes, large prey like the wildebeest can take from 30-60 minutes or longer to wear down. Usually those with touch, venom or movement manifestations bite and handle difficult maneuvers while those with mental magic support their pack mates or cultivate hopelessness in their prey.
Competition
They compete heavily with lions and hyenas. Lions will wipe out entire packs if they can, not even eating them. ǁko wild dog populations are low where lions are abundant. A pack might fight back against a lone lion, sometimes successful but fatalities usually occur. Hyenas make a habit of trying to steal from their kills, lone hyenas attempting to make off with peices and occasionally getting mobbed. The ǁko wild dog is an apex predator but eagles may take their pups.
The Pack
Living in tightknit packs with strong social bonds, they have separate male and female dominance hierarchies. Females are led by the eldest female while the dominant male can be older or younger. 
Unlike other species, males will usually stay with their natal pack and females will instead disperse. Males usually outnumber females 3:1. Dispersed females seek out another pack, often expelling resident females. This actually reduces inbreeding. Solitary males arent often admitted into new packs by contrast.
Very communicative species, utilizing sounds like twittering, whining, yelping, squealing, whispering, barking, growling, gurling, rumbling, moaning, hooing and sneezing. The sneeze is actually air forcibly pushed through the nose and they use this in a peculiar means of voting! They rally together before a hunt, voting on when to depart by sneezing. If initiated by the dominant pair, three sneezes is enough to depart but from anyone else, closer to ten are needed. They are also known to regurgitate food for their young or other pack members and the pups eat from a kill first.
Very communicative species, utilizing sounds like twittering, whining, yelping, squealing, whispering, barking, growling, gurling, rumbling, moaning, hooing and sneezing. The sneeze is actually air forcibly pushed through the nose and they use this in a peculiar means of voting! They rally together before a hunt, voting on when to depart by sneezing. If initiated by the dominant pair, three sneezes is enough to depart but from anyone else, closer to ten are needed. They are also known to regurgitate food for their young or other pack members and the pups eat from a kill first.
Life Cycle
Breeding season runs from April to July, one dominant male and female monopolizing reproduction. Females in heat are accompanied by a single male who keeps away other males. Pregnancy lasts 69-73 days and there is usually a 12-14 month interval between pregnancies. An incredible 6-16 pups are born to each litter, an average of 10!
Other litters are eliminated by the dominant female because their pack wouldn't be able to feed so many puppies. The mother will stay with her litter while the others hunt, not allowing anyone to approach them until they can eat solid food at 3-4 weeks. Pups begin to resemble adults at 7 weeks and abandon the den at 8-10 weeks, following adults when they hunt. At one year, they are treated as adults.
Other litters are eliminated by the dominant female because their pack wouldn't be able to feed so many puppies. The mother will stay with her litter while the others hunt, not allowing anyone to approach them until they can eat solid food at 3-4 weeks. Pups begin to resemble adults at 7 weeks and abandon the den at 8-10 weeks, following adults when they hunt. At one year, they are treated as adults.
Mythology
These canines are respected by the Saan and Masryeen peoples, the former viewing them as the ultimate hunters. In a Saan myth, there is a tribe transformed by the deity representing Lunil into ǁko wild dogs and sent to attack his enemies. Whether this tribe is real or not is unknown to outsiders. It is also common practice for Saan shamans to take on a ǁko dog as their familiar.
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