Shuck Species Info

[Togorian]

This is a fact sheet for Togorian's species. I feel like I've left a lot of stuff out of his bio and, since I've been inspired to create his brother, I feel like it'd be a lot easier to just outline the species instead of going back and being a meticulous with the bios and... stuff...

Yeah... Not sure where to put this. Staff are free to move it around if they want.

It's sort of a free-use species. So anybody on this forum is free to create one assuming the staff approve of them. They're based on actual legends and myths of ghostly spectral hounds so I consider them to be no more or less supernatural than werewolves or vampires. They're just not as popular. ;3

Anyway, even if they're not allowed, tell me what you think. I'm mostly posting this so the staff know every last little detail about my characters, but I honestly haven't gotten much feedback on them considering they're a species I've built from the ground up. So, I'd like to hear some thoughts as well.


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- Shucks -

Species Name: Shucks
Commonly Known As: Black Dogs, Grims, Grimhounds, Death or Doom hounds
Pronunciation: Sh-ue-ks

Summary: Shucks of all colors/types can be classified as Phantom Hounds, very similar to hellbeasts with a more mysterious flair to them. They can look like any breed of dog or wolf, often with coat colors that correspond to the colors listed below. Some have horns, spikes, collars and chains. But what really defines a Shuck is its haunting appearance and nature. They’re very mysterious and can pass through solid objects at a whim, hence the classification as phantom hounds (even though they’re very much alive). Every Shuck has glowing eyes of varying color (red and yellow being most common) and are almost always very large (about the size of a calf). Some ooze tar, others have manes or paws full of fire, some are even headless. Anything to make them more frightening in appearance.
Credits: The various tales of Black Dogs and ghostly phantoms (namely apparitions) are where I’m getting all of this from, but the species as a whole belongs to me, Avyris.

Information

Specific Colors: There are exactly six different types of Shuck, all of which are defined by the color of their eyes or fur. The type is a lot like the breed, in a sense, and determines certain characteristics within the Shucks.

Black shucks are the oldest and most common type of shuck to be found. Though they rarely grow to be the largest individual shucks, they do vary greatly in size nonetheless, anywhere from a foot to four feet at the shoulder. They are regarded as the most frightening and popular of all shucks due to their dark, usually shaggy fur and their unlimited eye color. Though their fur is usually black, any dark color will classify one as a black shuck. Dark navies, greens and browns are all quite common as well, with red being the most prominent eye color. Black shucks are also known for their expansive magical prowess. Where most other shucks are usually affiliated with certain magical elements, Black Shucks can have almost any sort of magical power or supernatural flair at their disposal. Fiery manes or tails, headlessness, healing factors and limited regeneration, flaming paws, and so on. But what makes a Black shuck different from the others is its shadow. All other shucks have very definite shadow shapes, but black shucks have varying shadows that almost never match the shape of their body. More often than not, the shadow sort of wiggles around and moves in a ghostly manner, as if alive. Similarly, Black shucks are known for their habit of disappearing, a trait they share with their Dark colored cousins that allows them to completely cloak themselves and anything they're touching, essentially becoming completely invisible. It's mostly just a useless trick since the shuck can still be touched, smelled or harmed while it's invisible and it's shadow remains visible at all times. But, since the shadow is weird and nonspecific, it's not a very reliable hint. Since they are considered the basic, most generalized type of shuck, they are also the most wide-spread, haunting any areas from roadways and paths to churches and cemeteries, even marshes and swamps. They can and often do appear anywhere and everywhere.

Right under Black Shucks, are White Shucks, which are also very common. They tend to be more extreme versions of their black cousins, either extremely violent or extremely passive depending on the individual. They’re taller than Black shucks, the tallest of all the shucks actually, easily reaching 3ft and above with the average height being 4 ft 6 in. However, they’re also much lighter, lankier individuals, often taking after sight hounds like Irish wolfhounds or Borzois in appearance. White shucks always have a bright white, almost shining white coat that often seems to glow in the dark and is usually complimented by other pale characteristics like pink or light red noses and light claws. But what really defines white shucks is their screeching howl. White shucks are notorious for being loud and every one of them comes with an ear piercing blood-curdling howling scream that many have compared to the sound of a dying woman. They usually use it to scare others out of their territory, which is usually a road or cemetery and the surrounding wilderness, and can also be used to disorientate prey. It has even been documented that the scream of a White Shuck can cause brain damage in creatures with acute hearing. Felines usually avoid them.

Green Shucks are not very well known but their existence is well noted. They are the pacifists of Shuck society, often being the most calm and collected individuals in confrontations. Though they are called Green shucks, they come in a wide variety of colors. Greens, blues, and purples are all common, though the colors are usually dark and desaturated, almost appearing black. But it’s very rare for a Green Shuck to be mistaken for a black shuck. Green shucks are much bigger than Black shucks, the biggest in general size of all the shuck types. They’re usually somewhere above 3 ft in height and many are well over 250 lbs. in weight, very little of it being fat. They are the power-house shucks, the more physically adept of all shucks and the most dangerous because of it. They are defined by their stocky appearance and defensive nature and have been known to squish a human or two in defense of the their land or, more likely, their family. Green shucks also have the longest set of canine teeth of all shucks, to the point that they’re often called ‘Saber shucks’ since their teeth extend far passed their lower jaws. Their bite force is also unrivaled by other shucks, particularly since their jaws are well-muscled and those saber teeth of theirs are strongly reinforced, so they rarely break. All of this force and power does come at a price though. Green shucks are the slowest of all shuck types. They are simply too heavy. With short often stubby tails, they also aren’t exactly the most agile either, but they do have excellent stamina. Though they can’t do much, whatever they can do, they can do for a long time. Magic seems to be their biggest asset, next to their sheer size. However, they tend to stick to defensive spells and techniques, excelling in the art of transmutation and incantations, as well as stealth shields and camouflage techniques. Anything that can hide their big bulky form in their shadowy forest homes.

Next we have Red Shucks. Red shucks are the least common of the pure colors but they are also the most aggressive. They have a warrior type nature to them and are known for their violent, psychotic behavior. Red shucks are actually very rarely fully red in coloration. Their fur is usually black, white, or dark blue or green. What gives them the name red shuck is the blood that seeps from their skin constantly. Since Red Shucks have the fastest rate of healing of all the shucks (many healing minor injuries in mere seconds), they constantly regenerate their blood supply to keep it fresh and in it’s peak condition, which means they constantly have a surplus of blood in their bodies. This surplus must be removed before their heart is overwhelmed so all Red shucks literally ooze blood from the pores of their skin and are consequently covered in it. That’s where they get the title Red Shucks. Often times, this gory appearance is complimented by headlessness, which is frequent among red shucks, and exposed body parts and bones. At the same time, this constantly oozing blood business keeps red shucks from growing to very big sizes, so they rarely reach 3 ft 6 in. They also have a shorter life span than your average shuck, one more like 25 years or so, compared to the average 50 to 75.

Dark Shucks are usually considered a sub-type or hybrid species as opposed to a true color. They are usually similar to but not the same as Black shucks, only much lighter in color and slightly smaller in size. They are far less supernatural than the other types in that they usually appear the most like regular dogs, defined by their smaller eyes and general lack of spikes or horns. They are still true shucks however and can still pass through solid objects and scare people, they just don’t look nearly as intimidating. They are the most mysterious of all the shucks and generally try to keep to themselves as much as canidly possible, often preferring uninhabitable places like deserts and high mountains. Many normal creatures are unaware of their existence as a whole due to their secretive nature, and thanks to their silence. Dark shucks are defined by their complete and utter silence. They are all mute, every single one, and cannot make any noise what so ever, even if they try to bark or growl. Many dark shucks have heavy chains draped over them, even those do not rattle or clank together and they are the only type of shuck that does not make plopping sounds with their feet. They often travel on an invisible bed of mist or fog, meaning their feet never touch the ground, and they are often described by witnesses to be floating instead of walking. Many get over these communication problems by being telepathic and most older dark shucks are skilled in using their mind to do a lot of things. As such, Dark shucks are regarded as being the smartest of all the types.

Light shucks are the sixth and final type of shuck. They, of course, mimic the white shucks in their light colored coat and fast-acting, spontaneous behavior. However, where as white shucks are bright white and almost seem to glow, light shucks are darker and less saturated, seeming almost pale in color, with similarly pale eyes. Compared to the Dark shucks, light shucks are usually the most hellish in appearance. They have the most spikes, the biggest horns and are often skinny and bony. They’re literally defined by their long fangs and excessively long, often brightly colored claws, which they use to dig for water in their often arid territories. They tend to stick to deserts, plains and other harsh climates, though they’ve also been seen in churches, ancient ruins and cemeteries. Aside from the bright claws and the terrifying appearance, Light shucks are easily identifiable thanks to their long tails. Every light shuck has an extremely long tail usually the same length or twice as long as their body. Though the exact appearance of the tail varies, it is usually cape-like in appearance, a flowing mass of fur that follows them around gracefully. To avoid them being tailless for too long a period of time, Light shucks share the powerful healing factor of their red cousins and can regenerate limbs quite easily (especially their tails). They are also very skilled in wielding magic as a weapon, usually simply blasting fire from their mouths or casting fireballs. However, they are the smallest of all the shuck types so it’s wise to remember that they’ll run out of energy very very quickly, since many have pathetic stamina.

General Traits: Though it seems like the types are all very different, they are all considered Shucks. Shucks are defined by their usually large size, ranging usually from 2 ft to 5 ft with exceptions, and their haunting appearance. All Shucks have glowing, usually pupilless eyes, many of which are massive in comparison to the size of their head, some even going as far as having one or even three or four eyes. All shucks also have an odd trait in that, with every step they make, they make this watery, often loud ‘plopping’ sound, as if their paws are soaking wet. Though for some shucks, this can be attributed to the various substances that can seep from their paws, for many shucks it is an unexplainable trait. It’s pretty much what makes a shuck a shuck.

Average Height: 3 to 4 ft (about the size of a large calf), though some have been very very small, more like a foot tall.
Average Weight: Though this mostly depends on the breed of dog the Shuck is modeled after, it usually falls somewhere between 100 and 300 lbs. (consider that a great dane, which can be 36 inches at the shoulder, weighs about 150 lbs.)
Lifespan: Most shucks live to be about 65 years old, but Red shucks have a shorter life span of about 30 years.
Reproduction: Shucks breed just like dogs and wolves, though they rarely mate for life. Usually, a male is considered to be in control of a certain area or territory and he, therein, claims and controls all of the females in that area. If the females don’t like that male, they can and often do migrate to other territories to be taken in by other males. Though all the colors can breed into one another, the pups of a mixed breeding couple will always be a hybrid color. So, a black and a white shuck will always make dark and light puppies. Red and green make both dark and light puppies, red and white make only light puppies, black and green make only dark puppies, black and red make both dark and light, and white and green make both as well. Meaning, in a mixed couple, the pups will never be of pure coloration. A red and a green will never make a full red or full green shuck. However, mixed couples involving hybrid colors can. So if a red shuck mated with a light shuck, they could actually have any light colored shuck puppy (light, red, or even white). Likewise, a green and a dark would make any dark colored puppy (dark, black or green).

The mating process is governed by season. Dark colored shucks (blacks, greens and darks) mate in the late fall, early winter. Light colored shucks (whites, reds and lights) mate in the late spring, early summer. The gestation of a shuck is 13 weeks, after which the mother will usually have at least 2 pups. Light-colored shucks usually have large litters of 5 or more, while dark-colored shucks have smaller litters between 2 and 7. Unfortunately, due to the inbreeding that results from the mysterious, withdrawn nature of shucks, many pups are born with deformities and die by their first year, which is why 2 pups is usually the litter minimum.

Unlike dogs, Shucks are born with their eyes open. However, they’re eyes don’t ‘come in’ until their second week so, until then, they’re eyes are only empty sockets that slowly fill with light (like a light bulb with a dimmer switch). For the first five years, Shucks ages twice as slowly as dogs. They don’t get to their feet until their fourth month and aren’t usually independently moving around until they’re almost a year old. From there, they grow rapidly, fully maturing at age 10 and entering true adulthood at 15. Many female shucks stay with their mothers and sisters, forming a sort of pack amongst themselves. The lead male in the territory usually kicks out strong males, but weaker male pups can sometimes be allowed to stay.

Creation: Shucks can also be 'created' in a sense, very similar to werewolves and vampires. Sometimes, a human, elf or similar creature has the misfortune of stumbling upon a shuck. Though most shucks generally leave other creatures alone, sometimes, violent shucks attack and often kill unsuspecting travelers. Shucks are regarded as the omens of death and ill will and, often times, will simply lead silly people to their deaths by drowning them in deep marsh waters or leading them off a cliff. Most shucks are just bad luck and, if you happen to see one, you will likely fall victim to some sort of misfortune in the near future. Should any of these events lead to the death of the victim, that victim then becomes a shuck. Though their original body dies, their spirit sort of changes position, going from their original body into the body of the nearest shuck (usually the shuck that killed them but sometimes that shuck can get away from the spirit if it runs fast enough). As such, that shuck (male or female) will become pregnant and, after the proper gestation period, will give birth to a new shuck.

When shucks are created in this manner, their aging is accelerated. Though they are born puppies, it only takes 6 days for them to mature to the very same age at which they died. So, a 19 year old human that was killed by a shuck would become a 19 year old shuck, pretty much. After that, they are free to live the rest of their lives as shucks.

Omens: As mentioned briefly above, most shucks (though not all) are considered Omens of death or misfortune. Some are actually omens of good things and are either considered lucky or simply beneficial, but the majority of shucks (particularly those of the dark colored variety (greens, blacks, and darks) as well as red shucks) are best not encountered. Besides the ability to travel through solid objects, these phantom hounds are known for their common ability to sense the life-spans of mortals. Though they are not keen enough to actually know the exact moment in time in which a person or creature will die, they can get a rough estimate based on a person's scent.

Every mortal has a store of "life energy" which fuels their ability to live and survive accidents. As a person ages, their life energy stores are slowly depleted. The day that store of energy is used up is the day (and moment) that person will die. This is not only true for deaths of natural causes but is also true for supposedly "accidental" deaths as well (those not associated with supernatural sources anyway). Since life energy is what allows mortals to survive accidents and sudden traumas, if a person dies from an accident, it is because their life energy ran out.

Depending on how much life energy a person has, their scent will have a different aura that most Shucks are keen enough to pick up on. Now, shucks have not really studied this matter very closely. They do not actually know about "life energy" or even the rules associated with it. All they know is that they can sense and are strangely attracted to creatures that are about to die. Like moths to a flame, humans nearing the end of their life span smell absolutely dazzling to a shuck and, as a result, the shuck will often approach or at least cross paths with said human. Even if the shuck does nothing but make eye contact with the human, since they are approaching the end of their life span naturally, the human will likely die sometime shortly after seeing the shuck.

As such, by sheer coincidence only, shucks are associated with death and misfortune.

Some shucks, as mentioned before, are instead associated with luck or good fortune. But this too, is only by coincidence. Some shucks are magically inclined with abilities that heal people or make them otherwise happy, which they use on lost travelers or wayward citizens. It's a completely random event based primarily on individual shuck personalities, magical abilities, and personal tendencies.

Society: As the section above the previous section implies, shucks do not work together in groups or packs. They function more like lion prides with one powerful head male to oversee the territory and the females within it. However, Shucks do not focus on their society much, preferring to focus on bothering the societies of other species and creatures or, more likely, to simply focus on themselves individually. So, females are allowed to wander freely between territories and are often mated with many times depending on how many territories overlap in her personal space. Though they are very lenient with females, male shucks are not tolerated across enemy lines. The head male very rarely runs off to confront an intruding shuck but, should he happen to cross paths with an interloper, he will not hesitate to take seriously violent action, particularly during mating season. During early mating season, the males are particularly aggressive, being sure they mate with their females first, along with every other female from neighboring territories who happens to wander near.

But, other than that and the little groups of females who often stick together (Harems, they’re usually called), Shucks rarely interact with one another. Females hunt in groups while males usually hoof it alone at a much lower success rate. But they’re not above scavenging so very few non-hermit shucks go hungry. Hermit shucks are those without territories or harems. They’re wanderers basically and often rely on other species for companionship and life style. Hermit shucks are often looked down upon by well off shucks since Shucks are an unnecessarily arrogant species. They take pride in their avoidance of others and look down on those shucks who beg wolves and other creatures for help.

In fact, shucks have sort of made it their obligation to scare the living daylights out of others as a way to show off their superiority. They take pride in scaring away trespassers and rarely hesitate to kick other creatures out of their territory. Some of the more benevolent shucks will simply lead others out of their territory without any negative repercussions but most are not quite so cooperative. Malevolent shucks will outright kill intruders of another species so it's wise to stay out of their way. Luckily, shucks generally stay out of your way so it's rarely something to be worried about.

Magics: Being a fantasy creature, Shucks have quite a bit of magic, some of which they are born with and some of which they must learn. Many of their so called ‘magic’ just refers to physical traits that they can have:

Headlessness is basically just what it sounds like. Some shucks do not have a head. Though this sounds impractical, it really isn’t. Though they have no visible head, headless shucks can still bite, bark, see and hear. It’s more like their head is invisible as opposed to it not being there at all. But do be aware, though this invisible head can bite and do damage, it in itself cannot be contacted or damaged, which gives headless shucks a serious advantage. Not only can opponents not see their attacks, but they cannot defend against them.

Hell fires are also just what they sound like. Many shucks from all stretches of the colors are accented with fire or heat from fire, though exactly how they’re accented varies. Some have manes made of fire or fire surrounding their paws, trails or head. Some don’t have any visible fires but possess the heat, as if the fire was actually there. They burn people and things on contact and many have internal glows similar to those found in a blast furnace. Hell fire shucks are the only ones born with the ability to wield fire, all others must learn it from somewhere or someone.

Earth fires are the exact opposite of hell fires. They’re usually darkly colored, for one, often appearing black or blue. More importantly as opposed to being flesh-searingly hot, they’re freezing cold. They’re often called Anti-fires or Ice fires, actually causing frostbite on contact as opposed to burns. Like the hell fires, they’re not always visible. Some shucks simply have the immense temperature drop within their personal space, freezing objects instead of melting them.

Mist shadow is very similar to what it sounds. It’s basically when a hound has mist that accompanies it everywhere. All dark shucks have this trait but others can have it too, though not usually to such an immense degree. The mist is usually used to hide the shuck but it can also be used as a weapon, since it is usually the same temperature as the shuck. So a shuck with hell fire will create a searingly hot mist while a shuck with earth fire will have a freezing cold mist.

Padfoot is a bit more of an obscure trait and is the most common trait among all shucks. This trait is when the shuck’s pawpads are made entirely out of some sort of liquid. This of course amplifies the squishy sound they make when they walk but it’s usually a major help when trying to scare the mortals. Tar is the most common substance but magma (lava) is common among hell fire shucks, as well as ink, blood, mud, gasoline or alcohol, and, of course, water.

Shapeshifting is the most rare magical trait of all shucks. A shapeshifting shuck can change its size and shape to a very limited degree, some simply growing in size while others change breed or even color. They can change their species as well, of course, usually shifting to another species such as a horse, big cat or donkey, sometimes even a human. However, shapeshifting shucks are usually physically weaker than regular shucks and are strongly discriminated against by other shucks since they can, and sometimes do, turn into humans. So, it is wise for shapeshifting shucks to keep the use of their ability to a minimum. Not only will it get them hated and despised but it will also deprive them of energy. Shapeshifting is the most costly of all the magical abilities and can usually only be performed once every fifteen minutes. Meaning, a shuck can only shift twice every half hour (once to enter a new form and once to then exit that form).

All shucks have the ability to move through solid objects, be it the ground, a wall, a tree or even a fist or set of jaws. However, they only have 13 seconds to get through the object in question before they solidify again and, depending on their stamina, they can only do it a few times a minute, usually 6. Even that would be drastically tiring so it’s wise that any given shuck stick to only traveling through solid objects twice or three times a minute every ten or twenty minutes.

These, of course, are the traits common to shucks. However, they are fully capable of any sort of magic, including regeneration and increased healing powers, telepathy, telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and various elemental powers. These all must be learned over time (with the exception of the healing factor and regeneration which comes naturally to some shucks).

Examples of shucks:
Fravardin, the Padfooted, Hell fire Black shuck
Anonymous Hell fire Black shuck
Chase, a hell fire white shuck

Shucks in the Media:
- The band The Darkness has a song called "Black Shuck" that was written about the dog that supposedly burned the doors of a church in England and killed two or three people as he ran through the congregation in 1577.
- The Hound of The Baskervilles was strongly influenced by legends of the black ghostly hounds and is probably the most famous of example of black dogs in the media.
- JK Rowling allows readers to believe that Harry potter's godfather Sirius Black was something called "the Grim", a large black dog that was considered a bad omen. In truth, Sirius was just a harmless dog, but the idea of "the Grim" came directly from the legends of Black Shuck and other spectral hounds.
- In the movie "The Omen", Damian the Antichrist is guarded by black dogs.
- Patrick Wolf has a song titled "Barghest" about some sort of creature God has to help him kill. This beast, the Barghest, if very similar in nature to the Black Shuck.
- The Pokemon Absol is also based on the legend of a white Barghest.