Ayessa Kroan
Stay A Little Longer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: Kiffu’s lore is tragically spotty in both Legends and Canon -- For such an interesting location it deserves more than it has currently, which motivated me to try and flesh out the location with an interesting native creature.
- Image Credit: Ashley Seimon
- Canon: --
- Links: Kiffu
- Name: Msak Hound
- Designation: Non-Sentient
- Homeworld: Kiffu
- Language: --
- Average Lifespan: A Msak Hound bred in captivity can live up to 18 GSY in ideal conditions, assuming it has regular veterinary care in it’s later years. In the wild, they live to 13 GSY on average.
- Estimated Population: Planetary
- Description: All Msak Hounds share the same appearance of being long and thin, almost appearing emancipated with a pronounced spine and ribcage. Something in between a dog and a feline, they sport whiskers and laryngeal muscles capable of producing a ‘purr’ when pleased, yet they are also able to bark and have a fondness for tail-wagging. Coming in a short variety of colours, the most common being a brindled brown-and-white pattern, Msak Hounds are skilled at creeping in low grass and could take down a fully-grown Human male with their sharp teeth and claws, but could be downed just as easily by large prey.
- Breathes: Type 1
- Average height of adults: 0.6 to 1 meter tall.
- Average length of adults: Nose tip to tail, anywhere from 1 to 1.5 meters.
- Skin color: All Msak Hounds, despite pelt colour, share the same milky beige skin colour.
- Hair color: Msak Hound coats come in brown, black, white, grey and a rusty red. Common markings include tan pangare markings (Like one might see in an IRL dog breed like a German Shepherd), white brindling (see picture above) and black facial markings (see picture above). The most average appearance for a Msak Hound is to be brown with white brindling.
- Distinctions: Msak Hounds appear the same across both genders, and are often much darker as pups than they will be as adults. They often appear like a mix of a large cat and dog, though most people end up mistaking them for strange-looking vornskrs due to the similar build.
- Races: --
- Strengths:
The Creep: Due to their compact skeletal structure, a Msak Hound can almost become flat to the ground and crawl along it to sneak up on prey. When in this extremely flat crawling position they are prone and vulnerable to attack from above, but are also capable of incredible stealth and can move through tall grass with barely a disturbance seen.
- Land Sprinter: Possibly the fastest native creatures on Kiffu, Msak Hounds can catch up to and outrun a wide array of other species and vehicles thanks to their long legs and narrow profile.
- Psychometry: Like the Kiffar of the planet they are from, it’s estimated that 1 in every 100 Msak Hounds born possesses a rudimentary variation of the Psychometry Force power. That doesn’t mean they are a Force Sensitive species or that they even have a noticeable presence in the Force, but it allows those born with it to track prey with dangerous efficiency and connect with their owners or handlers in a primal, emotion-driven manner. It’s noted that Msak Hounds born with this are more likely to be found in captivity than in the wild, due to selective breeding being able to increase the odds of it manifesting.
[*]Weaknesses:
- Glass Cannon: A Msak Hound is built to run, and run very fast. They are not exactly built for single combat. With their pronounced spines and ribcage making for easy targets, a well-placed strike could scare a Msak Hound into running away or incapacitate them entirely. Whilst their running endurance might be impressive, the same cannot be said for their fortitude in combat, and a single blaster bolt could down them.
- The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter: Msak Hounds are pack animals and desire a ‘pack’, either of fellow Msak Hounds or handlers they deem to be acceptable partners. A solitary Msak Hound is a tragic sight to see, and they grow depressed extremely easily when they are alone. When in this state, Msak Hounds are more susceptible to bigger prey or hunters or may just lie down and refuse to get up.
- Astrapophobia: The absolute majority of Msak Hounds, even those who are domestic, are terrified of thunderstorms. This is due to Kiffu’s famous electrical storms that occur when the atmosphere collides with that of sister-world Kiffex being all too common, and they have come to be frightened of the sight of lightning and the crack of thunder. You would be hard-pressed to find a Msak Hound not hiding during one of the storms. An experienced handler can train a domestic Hound out of this habit but even those who are trained are still paralyzed by the sight and sound of the stormy skies.
- Health Issues: Like some comparable dog breeds, Msak Hounds are extremely likely to have hip problems later in life, which is the reason their wild life expectancy is so low. Without medical attention, their hip health eventually deteriorates and without a functioning hip they cannot run, making them dead hounds hobbling. Even with a dedicated vet and a wealthy owner, it’s estimated that 80% of Msak Hounds will die of hip-related complications before they ever reach their life expectancy
[*]CULTURE
- Diet: Msak Hounds are absolute carnivores and require raw meat to survive. Their bodies can digest cooked meals but it often makes them sick, and they are entirely incapable of processing fruits or vegetables. Most prefer to kill their own prey and consume them as they like.
- Communication: Msak Hounds are capable of producing a purring noise but can also bark, which leads to two distinct noise mediums -- Purring indicates pleasure and joy, barking indicates danger or curiosity. Msak Hounds are also able to communicate to each other with certain tail-flicking patterns, denoting respect or subservice to a pack Alpha, or dominance over a pack. Body language is very important to a Msak Hound, and if one is seen as giving an Alpha the literal ‘cold shoulder’ it can lead to a fight.
- Technology level: --
- Religion/Beliefs: --
- General behavior: A Msak Hound is fierce, fiercely loyal, and fiercely fast. They are pack animals to the very end, sometimes even before that, and are flighty and nervous around strangers or fellow predators of other species. It’s borderline impossible to ‘tame’ a wild Msak Hound to be a pet, unless you’re a Force user who could influence their mind. If you’d like a domestic Msak Hound breeders exist on their homeworld who could provide you with a pup for a modest fee. In their ‘culture’, females dominate the packs as Alphas and lieutenants, with pecking orders kept to with extreme prejudice. Step out of line and a Msak Hound could be exiled from his pack and left to die in the Kiffuan wastes.
Msak Hounds do not have a very grand history. Present on Kiffu perhaps even before the Kiffar rose to be the dominant species, they’ve seen it all -- Sith occupation in 3653 BBY, CIS occupation in 22 BBY, Kiffar clans falling and rising like the waves of an ocean and the advent of terrifying events like the Gulag Plague and the 300 year darkness. Yet these hardy hunters have survived it all, thrived even, among the dunes of Kiffu’s bleak landscape. Chances are, these wickedly clever beasts will be here long after the Kiffar have fallen.
