Lupin Breeds

Doggerman: This black-and-rust Old Egoth breed originally specialized in guarding palaces and military barracks. It can often be found working as a career soldier, an officer, a professional bodyguard, or in a secret police caste. Many found permanent employment with Helmguard guilds or the Silver Dragon Knights. Its natural senses are not as keen as those of hunting breeds for example; however, it has sharp memory, observation, and deduction skills.

Maremma, Rustic (Narvaezan): Dubbed the Serene Master of All He Surveys, this tall, snow-white lupin is as brave as it is amiable. It draws its origins from sheep-raising clans whose members were praised for their guarding and fighting skills near the northern Rustic Mountains. The maremma are very hard to surprise. Furthermore, this lupin’s visual senses allow it to notice details that could give-away the presence of hidden foes (footprints on the ground, grass and shrubs disturbed, a branch bending unnaturally, an abnormal rustle of leaves, an odd shadow, a sudden movement in a crowd, someone staring, etc).

Mastiff, King-: Generally of great strength and dignity, this lupin can be a most formidable guardian. The king mastiff generally devotes its life to a master or to a cause. As a result, the mastiffs determination in combat remains unequaled among lupins. They served the Old Egothian humans in their wars before it's fall. Today many still serve in human lands as soldiers or knights, ready to charge once more into the breech.

Pit-Bull, Honorground (Torreón): This breed early on made it a specialty to fight in Old Egothian arenas as professional gladiators. A few individuals earned their modern breed name after becoming illustrious toreadors in the bull-fighting arenas of Honorground. These pit-bulls are excessively aggressive, proud, impatient, and unpredictable by nature. Other than professional arena fighters, pit-bulls unfortunately often end up as hired-hands, thugs, and other shady characters. These lupins are so ferocious that they sometimes go berserk. Recent rumor has it that pit-bulls have strong gnollish bloodlines, but there is no proof of such.

Shar-Pei, High: Another illustrious lupin from Rokugan, this one is most famous as a warrior and a mercenary which has been an ancient tradition with high shar-pei clans. Some underemployed mercenary clans also gained notoriety by resorting to piracy on land and at sea. They excel with pole-arms.

Wolvenfolk: These hardy creatures have an innate tie to Maroth, the gawd of Deceit, Evil Canine Lycanthropes, Evil Canines/Humanoids, Destruction, and Survival of the Fittest. Contrary to natural lupin evolution, Maroth created original wolvenfolk bloodlines. It gives them the ability to sometimes survive death itself. Those that survive are weakened but now closer to Maroth's outlooks. Due to this special connection, wolvenfolk cannot be raised from the dead ever. They can become mongrels after successive generations, at which point the magical bond with Maroth is broken. Other breeds, however, could eventually gain wolvenfolk bloodlines but would then fall under the powerful gawds bond as well.

Ye Great Dogge: Locally known as the Haven Forest Stövare, this huge lupin is an ancient and proud warrior among lupinkind. Its origins relate more to a hunter of large predators and a gentle giant. It often surfaced in lupin history as the breed of local heroes. They often work with creatures of the forest to hunt threats.

Basset Hound, Royal - The ancient lupin breed once specialized in hunting close to the ground, mainly for rabbits. Some of the more imposing lupin breeds tend to look down on the royal bassets, as humans do halflings. They are, however, quite capable as hunters. They mastered the ability to hide in high grass or heavy vegetation when motionless, and developed keen sight allowing them to see through vegetation.

Beagle, Greater - This is one of the most adventuresome lupin breeds. Like the royal basset hound, the greater beagle originated from rabbit-hunting clans. Many wandered away for years to discover the world. Specially talented for howling, called “singing” among lupins, beagles make excellent bards. Beagles want for exploration has helped them develop a few skills. The greater beagle excel at mapping and recording their discoveries. Their travels have helped them to communicate through sign-language, and to interact with natives naturally. Greater beagles also have an uncanny talent for stumbling onto interesting places (forgotten tombs or lost temples) or to witness unusual events (religious and other taboo ceremonies) often likely to get the greater beagle into some trouble.

Bloodhound, Grand - Rumored to be the finest trackers, they make up for their generally placid temperament with an unusual tenacity. Grand bloodhounds proved very successful investigators for the City Guard of Helmguard. People say bloodhounds never give up on a fugitive of any sort. The largest bounty hunter organization in Helmguard is headed by a grand bloodhound, with many lupin members.

Chow-chow, Ogrish: Rakugan ogre-magi had originally bred the chow-chow lupins as slave hunters, but also for their thick, red fur and their flesh. With help from foo-dogs and clans of friendly lupins (shar-pei mercenaries and rakuganian crested) ogrish chow-chow rebelled and gained their freedom. As a result, chow-chow do not take kindly to slavers, especially ogre-magi.

Foxfolk: This reddish lupin, as can be expected, is perfectly at ease among woodland beings. Unlike to other hunting breeds, a foxfolk cannot be clerics but excel as druids. A northern cousin exists, with white fur, but otherwise no game difference. A foxfolk benefits from an innate ability to smell a trap, this is a danger sense alerting it of an impending danger. The foxfolk, however, knows neither where the trap lies nor its nature, just that danger lurks nearby. It is believed they have some Rakugan influences, possibly breed there originally.

Golden Retriever, Greater: This lupin relates to an ancient hunting breed that became very skillful with archery and, as the name implies, at retrieving its quarry from whence it fell. Its peculiar background gave the retriever an unusual trait, however. Any time a hand-held object is thrown at or away from the retriever, it must try to resist running after the object. Despite this unusual trait, some retrievers have been able to become paladins because of their benevolent demeanor.

Old Egothian (Nithian) Rambler: One could be tempted to think that Anubis’s or Set's blood flows through the hearts of these Pharaoh hounds than in any other lupin breed, but in truth they only preserved through the centuries a spiritual and cultural affinity with ancient Egoth. Egothian ramblers desperately cling to shreds of their ancient ways and to a devotion to Anubis (or Set), as if to atone for (or avenge) the loss of their true bloodlines. Egothian ramblers either do not reveal their background or remain in secluded communities, away from other lupins. Clerics of Anubis are sometimes involved in breeding schemes planned out over centuries, to try to purify their bloodlines and bring back a true Hutaakan whom they would revere as some sort of envoy from Anubis, possibly a prophet. Clerics of Set would instead try to eliminate such a creature. A Egothian rambler can smell whether another lupin has any trace of Hutaakan blood.

Renardois Folk: Typical hunters, Renardois folk appear as medium sized lupins, with short brown, black, and white fur. The most common lupin breed in Renardy, they naturally gather in groups of 4-10 at any opportunity, a strange habit going back to the times they roamed the steppes in great hunting packs. They sit by, quipping about passersby, whistling at ladies, and otherwise acting a tad obnoxious, if generally harmless. Renardois folk make the best lupin swashbucklers (no level limitation). They excel at causing others to enrage, which earned them the Taunt talent.

Runel (Heldann) Shepherd: The original clans of this proud and versatile lupin breed relied on their talent as sheep and goat herders who roamed the lands near Runel. Over the centuries, this lupin has expanded its fields of knowledge commonly to include the duties of constable, soldier, guide, and guard.

Shag-Head: This bob-tailed lupin earned this affectionate nickname because of its big and hairy appearance. If one could see its eyes, their gaze would betray unfathomable intensity and spiritual depth. The nickname also comes from this lupin’s propensity to wander the trails of Rune disheveled and somewhat confused, in search of Immortal Truth. Shag-heads often perform the functions of sooth-sayers or mystics due to their ability to sense emanations from beyond. This ability is not under the shag-head’s control. The shag-head can sense events happening elsewhere (the death of an important person or someone of significant relation to the party, the crowning of a monarch, a battle, a storm, a building collapsing, a sinking ship, the anger of an Immortal, the awakening or birth of a creature of great good or evil, an approaching peril, etc.). While uttering auguries, a shag-head enters into uncontrolled trances during which it levitates and an aura of light surrounds its body. The light renders the lupin totally immaterial albeit still visible (then existing partially in the ethereal plane) and cures any of its wounds.

Stone Herder (Slagovici Gonic) : Known as the Stone Hills Goat Herder, this large and powerful lupin cannot be mistaken for any other because of its very long white coat falling in thick, felt-like cords resembling a string mop. Several clans of these lupins live in the hills around the Stone Hills, mostly raising goats. Naturally suspicious of strangers.

Bulldog, Twilight (Eusdrian): This is a rather large and heavy lupin version of the common bulldog. The Twilight bulldog is a burly worker, often with some degree of authority over common people (an innkeeper, a foreman on a construction site, a city official, the captain of a merchant ship, etc.). Usually strong and downright intimidating to many, it isn’t as tough or mean as it wants others to believe.

Tarakian (Glantri) Mountaineer: Where else but in the Tarakian Moutains could this placid lupin feel best at home? Sturdy, slobbery, but loveable, this benevolent character knows every corner of its native mountain, even in the worst blizzard.

Gnomish Snoutzer: Just as gnomes pride their nasal appendages, so do the schnauzers their snouts. Their sense of smell is so good they can accurately predict natural weather. These workers became good friends with forest gnomes. In exchange for benefitting from the snoutzers’ natural abilities, these gnomes taught them how to pass through wooden terrain without leaving a visible trace and how to become invisible in woods when motionless.

Northern (Norwold) Malamute: This northerner is accustomed to roam the icy reaches north Deathguard Keep and beyond. The Northern malamute naturally knows its way through the dark, polar rim of Rune. Early on, malamute clans learned to follow migratory paths across the frozen north.

Southwind (Zvornikski) Sentinal: The Southwind sentinel is a short-hair and all-white lupin with black dots. A branch of this clan is famous for staffing the fire squad in Zvornik. They prevented a major disaster in the capital, directing a desperate effort to stop a raging fire from engulfing the entire city. Of their clan of 20, four died in the disaster, but the city was saved. Their entire clan was knighted and earned the hereditary charge to control the Order of Cinders (a brotherhood of knights comparable to real-world Hospitaliers). When Southwind fell, those that survived fled to Helmguard to continue the order there. One of their mains goals is to reclaim Southwind and avenge the deaths of its people.

Vermin Hunters

Blue Bandit: The blue bandit gained its name from its short and curly dark blue fur. Contrary to the connotation of its Vermin Hunter classification, the blue bandit often remains an elegant lupin, often a gambler or a speculator. The breed’s most notorious individual is a debonair thief with charm and flair, and a weakness for rich ladies. Wanted in Helmguard for years, he has consistently managed to outfox the city's bloodhounds — a remarkable feat. The blue bandit can mask his scent to send pursuers after the wrong lupin.

Burrow Bandit: Clans of burrow bandits are best at vermin hunting (foxes in particular, but also rabbits, moles, rats and the like). They gained unequaled talent among lupin kind at finding their way through burrows, tunnels, and other underground lairs. They can sense depth and direction underground much as gnomes do.

Das Hund: This short-legged but long-bodied critter has become an adroit rogue, excelling as a thief or spy. Several have gained enough notoriety within noble circles of Egoth that several different rulers actually compete to acquire their services, including the Silver Knights.

Fennec, Fighting-: This tiny, sandcolor critter is about the size of the carrasquito. It looks like a miniature fox with very large ears. A native of the Hot Sands, the fighting-fennec relates to nocturnal hunting clans living from small desert prey and furtive raids on human caravans. The desert Tarakians of the Hot Sands know the fennec is a follower of Tarakas and respect it for that. Most importantly, a fennec joining a party is believed to be a good omen, a sign of goodwill from Tarakas.

Hound of Calmer (Klantyre): This small lupin is an archetypical vermin hunter. When launched against rat-sized creatures with no particular defenses or magic except their great numbers, the “scottie” can make an additional attack per experience level (short sword or smaller hand-held weapon only). Furthermore, because of its origins, the hound of Calmer has a particular understanding of undeath. Those of undead origins are suspicious and wary of a Hound of Calmer unless they serve them. Some have become powerful minions of these undead, others skillful undead hunters. Some wonder where the Calmer name came from, as they existed before the city of Calmer came to be. It is believed that the ancient dwarven known as the Calmers were undead hunters before their decendents merged with the kenders and became kwarves. Lucky for the Hounds, they parted ways with their ancient dwarf masters before they were cursed.

Bouchon: This small lupin breed gained its notoriety in Egoth as prestigious wine makers, thus the nickname bouchon (cork). Most Bouchon's lived near the area of Twilight Village, which is known for their fine wines (most likely made by Bouchons). A happy folk, this white powder-puff of a lupin easily gets along with anyone. Bouchon have developed a special resistance to liquor, which they often use to fool others, and over the years the ability to resist poison as well.

Blos(Carras)quito: This lupin breed gained its name from its native land near Blod, a cactus wasteland. The tiny carrasquito developed the natural ability to move easily through overgrown areas.

Lormalin (Cimarron) Hairless: Also known by drow elves as Xoloitzcuintli, this ancient, dark-skinned breed relates to the original followers of Klaw-Keel. They were notorious for being sacred guardians of Klaw-Keel's inner temples. After the gawd was betrayed and and slain, most of these lupins resettled southeast of Lormally . Some however did remain with the drow who weren't wiped out by Lloth. Because of their inherent vulnerability to sunrays, they often wear garments covering their faces and entire body. Like drow, they have infravision and they are immune to paralysis from ghouls and other undead. They can also spot secret doors and other details.

Rokugan (Ochalean) Crested: Almost entirely hairless, this small lupin has a dark brown to black skin, with a long tuft of white hair flowing from the top of its head to its shoulders. Long white hair also grows on its feet, the back of its hands, and the end of its tail. It often occupies positions of authority (mandarins, magistrates, governors, or Rokugan nobility) or those associated with erudites (sages, wizards, scribes, etc). Magic generally fascinates Ochalean crested lupins, much like it does with elves.

Rokugan (Ochalean) Houndling: Thanks to their wrinkled faces, pushed-in noses, and undershooting jaws, these Beitungese are thought truly ugly by human standards. Nevertheless these tiny lupins evolved to become the most common lupin breed in Ochalea’s capital city. They are the workers, merchants, shopkeepers, servants, artists, and everyday folk one could expect to find in the streets, had Rokugan been a lupin setting. Numerous houndlings live at the palace either as servants or as courtesans. The houndling has the unique talent of eluding trouble when adopting a meek and submissive countenance. Whenever two people face any kind of trouble (anger from an important person, a foe in combat, etc.) this Beitungese may beg and kowtow, prompting the source of the trouble to ignore the houndling and focus its attention on the other fellow instead.

Papillon, Neo-: Despite its large, hairy ears, this lupin learned to use its small size to its own profit, namely that of being an escape artist. It can slip out of non-magical bonds. It can also squeeze through very small spaces to escape a prison, bending past tight corners in the process. The most famous of these lupins, a Papillon called Renard, was wrongfully deported to the penitentiary on Helmguard Isle. It has escaped several times in the past 20 years, only to be recaptured in the swamps and deserts of the Helmguard Empire.

Nomads

Borzoi, Runel: This lupin, a shaggier long-runner, originated from a clan devoted to hunting werewolves in the northern areas of Egoth. To all lupins in general, lycanthropy remains an aberration, one that they perceive as an insult to their own natural origins, and which must be scoured from the world. The borzoi is the best suited for this task, since its saliva is harmful to all lycanthropes. A borzoi family that has reached noble status among the Silver Knights society heads a secret werewolf-hunting sect.