Singing Sand Dog
Deep within the shadows of The Shrieking Sands, several packs of mangy dingoes wander the desert aimlessly. Once proud hunters in a wetland teeming with life, these dogs are now ghoulish and cursed. While they're still acknowledged as wildlife native to Gracia, their insatiable taste for rotting meat leads them to bouts of violent madness. They're carnivorous, consuming whatever meat they can find. Some may think their scavenger nature is a boon to the scarred landscape, but the singing sand dogs also carry a relatively unknown strain of Mummy Rot known as the Sidian Scourge.
After Mount Halidale's last known eruption several centuries ago, the singing sand dogs were quick to adjust to the apocalyptic landscape. Their usual hunting grounds were incinerated, their former prey reduced to ash. Straddling the line between life and death on a constant basis led them to develop a less than desirable taste for rotting meat. Corpses of the former inhabitants of the Sidian Bog were now the meal of choice. After decades of feasting on these bodies, the singing sand dogs were cursed with disease and eventual undeath, becoming the main carriers of the zoonotic scourge.
Singing sand dogs earned their name for their unusually harmonic sessions of howling. In the Sidian Bog's prime, these dogs would sing to one another often, especially as the sun set. It was a peaceful ambience, joined by beautiful bird song and crickets in the later hours. Even in undeath, the dingoes are known to sing. Their melodic barks are aged and ragged. Their musical sessions at sundown are a horrific fright to those who are unfamiliar with the Shrieking Sands and its history. The locals give the singing sand dogs a wide berth when traveling through the desert.
While they're not known for openly attacking those within their territory, extended periods of time without carrion to feed off of leads to temporary episodes of insanity. Dingoes struck by this rabid nature are dealt with by paladins of the area due to their tendency to wander into the nearby farmlands and wreak havoc. Travelers are encouraged to stay away from the singing sand dogs, even when they seem relatively calm. Due to their carrier status for the Sidian Scourge, interacting with them closely can lead to the spread of this disease.
Singing sand dogs are an endangered species. The majority of their litters after Mount Halidale's eruption either died or were picked up by locals looking to breed them with domesticated species. With no effort to conserve these wild dogs centuries ago, the remaining packs of singing sand dogs are all that's left. They're incapable of reproducing, but no protections have been put in place due to their status as scourge carriers. Active extermination of the remaining population hasn't been advised and foreign orders of druids are hoping they can restore the Sidian wetlands and its survivors.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Singing sand dogs rarely ever leave the Shrieking Sands and tend to stay within the mountainsides around Mount Halidale. They can be found within the ruins scattered throughout the desert, but they never linger in one place for too long.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Despite their undead condition, singing sand dogs have a fairly decent sense of smell. They're also able to detect any living creature within 60-feet of them, as well as determine the current condition of that creature. This allows them the ability to determine whether or not to after a target in times of famine.
Conservation Status
Critically Endangered
Geographic Distribution
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