Dire Hound
Direhounds are massive dogs the size of horses created by The Masked One. They originally came in two varieties- Ghosthounds, originally placed in Garadel, and Longhounds, originally placed in Ibith- but breeding programs have seen them diversify in the last two thousand years.
Direhounds work like big dogs in many ways, and actually spend the first years of their life as normal dogs- their puppies are normally sized, as are their juveniles. The main difference is that they just keep growing, and do so massively. They generally stop having growth spurts when they reach the size of small horses, but they never do stop growing. This eternal growth also dampens the effects of old age on their bodies- though they do still die with age like any other creature (largely from the effects of that endless growth).
The original strains of direhound come with their own quirks:
The longhounds of Ibith originally looked like Borzoi dogs- and most still do. The unique trait of these longhounds are their fey demeanor: despite rarely existing in The Feywilds, they stretch and adapt as if exposed to feywild corruption.
The ghosthounds of Garadel originally looked like greyhounds. Their unique trait is their ghostly presence: ghosthounds are naturally iridescent and glow with a soft light in the darkness, and magically can appear semi-ethereal.
While original-form ghosthounds and longhounds remain, interbreeding with other dogs, wolves, and coyotes has created a wide range of smaller variants. Breeders have also worked to make equally large alternative breeds, though these tend to be rare.
Direhounds remain most common in Ibith and Garadel, but have spread significantly to Southern Ekraht and have been imported in large numbers to the plains of Western Samvara as well.
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