HOME | DD

Description

It can be thematically and anthropologically informative to know how each branch of panhumanity relates to its nearest relatives. For ghouls - Homo dynasteia - the answer is “they domesticated them”. Twice, actually. Ur-shughests were slowly convinced to perceive individual ghoul family groups as extensions of their own troop, then trained to accept a hierarchical position of servitude. When ghouls began to migrate out of ghoul-Africa, they brought their pets with them. Their dexterity and intelligence, as well as a limited ability to walk and balance on their hind legs, has allowed them to be bred and trained for a variety of purposes, including hunting game, guarding buildings or individuals, harvesting fruit, and carrying or sorting small objects. They are loyal and eager to please, and quick to learn new things, but it can take significant discipline to teach them what not to do, and no amount of training will keep them from abandoning a lengthy task without... active disincentives.

(Have I not mentioned ghouls before? Their overarching theme is humans as seekers and protectors of power, and the inevitable hierarchies that result. Think Dracula or Vampire: The Masquerade, of course, but also think Metropolis, Sweeney Todd, Repo: The Genetic Opera...)

Unlike the human relationship with Canis familiaris, however, a wild population of ur-shughests remained extant for thousands of years, though the adaptation of shughests to civilisation led to genetic divergence due to domestication syndrome. Eventually it was observed that many desirable traits had been lost in the domesticates, and a project was established to attempt to hybridise them with their wild counterparts. The resulting crossbreed is larger than most shughests, possessing a stiffer tail, longer skull, rougher hair, and a more raucous cry; they are better-able to groom and feed themselves and require less maintenance, and can learn surprisingly complex instructions, but they have a vicious and insubordinate temperament. They will not tolerate confinement or discipline to the extent of other breeds, even when gelded, and their intelligence and long memory allow them to hold grudges for years before finding an opportune moment to betray their masters. Despite these drawbacks, however, the project was considered successful, and the wild bloodline is believed to have been completely replaced by the hybrid lineage.

You can also follow my posts on Tumblr , Twitter , and Instagram .

Description

It can be thematically and anthropologically informative to know how each branch of panhumanity relates to its nearest relatives. For ghouls - Homo dynasteia - the answer is “they domesticated them”. Twice, actually. Ur-shughests were slowly convinced to perceive individual ghoul family groups as extensions of their own troop, then trained to accept a hierarchical position of servitude. When ghouls began to migrate out of ghoul-Africa, they brought their pets with them. Their dexterity and intelligence, as well as a limited ability to walk and balance on their hind legs, has allowed them to be bred and trained for a variety of purposes, including hunting game, guarding buildings or individuals, harvesting fruit, and carrying or sorting small objects. They are loyal and eager to please, and quick to learn new things, but it can take significant discipline to teach them what not to do, and no amount of training will keep them from abandoning a lengthy task without... active disincentives.

(Have I not mentioned ghouls before? Their overarching theme is humans as seekers and protectors of power, and the inevitable hierarchies that result. Think Dracula or Vampire: The Masquerade, of course, but also think Metropolis, Sweeney Todd, Repo: The Genetic Opera...)

Unlike the human relationship with Canis familiaris, however, a wild population of ur-shughests remained extant for thousands of years, though the adaptation of shughests to civilisation led to genetic divergence due to domestication syndrome. Eventually it was observed that many desirable traits had been lost in the domesticates, and a project was established to attempt to hybridise them with their wild counterparts. The resulting crossbreed is larger than most shughests, possessing a stiffer tail, longer skull, rougher hair, and a more raucous cry; they are better-able to groom and feed themselves and require less maintenance, and can learn surprisingly complex instructions, but they have a vicious and insubordinate temperament. They will not tolerate confinement or discipline to the extent of other breeds, even when gelded, and their intelligence and long memory allow them to hold grudges for years before finding an opportune moment to betray their masters. Despite these drawbacks, however, the project was considered successful, and the wild bloodline is believed to have been completely replaced by the hybrid lineage.

You can also follow my posts on Tumblr , Twitter , and Instagram .