Dogs

Dogs are capable warriors and craftsmen, and are fervently loyal to those of their clan.

History

A description of major events in Dog history.

Culture

This section will describe Dog cultural practices and common beliefs.

Politics

Description of Dog clans and political relations.

Military

Warfare

Description of weapons and armor and combat styles.

Weaponry

Dog weapons are characteristically sturdily-built, and incorporate repeated rectangular motifs. The weapons released so far can be categorized into three basic types:

Polearms

The polearms are longer weapons, with some sort of blade affixed to the end of a pole, to allow for greater reach. This allows for dogs to wage battles against without allowing their enemies to enter close-quarters combat, limiting the effectiveness of natural weapons such as teeth and claws. The dogs use three major types of polearm:

• Spear: The spear is a staple of the dog's arsenal, and it has been stated that "a normal dog soldier is often armed with a spear and sidearm." The spear may be thrown, for ranged attacks, or wielded in-hand.
• Glaive: Another comonly used wepon for the dogs is the glaive, which resembles a single-edged blade at the end of a polearm. The glaive cannot be thrown, but allows for slashing and hacking attacks at a far greater distance than a sword would allow. The dogs incorporate a metal spur about 4/5 of the way down the pole, for various uses, including greater leverage for stronger attacks, and the ability to help deflect enemy blows.
• Rabbit catcher: The Rabbit catcher is a much less-commonly-used weapon, that resembles a two-headed glaive, with the blades oriented inward, in a "V"-pattern. It is used to disrupt the rabbit's jumping ability, and to fortify walls and structures against leaping attacks.

Blades

The dogs use single-edge blades on their swords and daggers, which they use at closer range than the polearms. The blades are a strong example of the rectangular motifs used in the dog culture, and carry a distinctive, polygonal-shaped blade. As with the polearms, there are three types of bladed weapons utilized by the dogs:

• Knife: The knife is generally carried into battle by all dogs, and, like all of their weaponry, has a sturdy, heavy construction. This limits it's effectiveness as a thrown weapon, but makes it much more effective against lightly-armored enemies.
• Sword: The standard dog sword is wielded in one paw, and would generally be carried in conjunction with a spaer. Although it is only bladed on one side, the hand guard extends on both sides of the blade, making it a more versatile weapon. It has been noted that the heft of the blade would allow the wielder to use it effectively against the weapon of a polearm-wielding adversary.
• Broadsword: The dog broadsword is a very large weapon, and accordingly, must be wielded with both paws. For that reason, it is generally only carried by the pack leaders and commanders, while the majority of the soldiers carry the lighter one-handed sword. It has been noted for its ability to cleave the heads off of spears, due to it's considerable size and weight

Warhammer

The dog warhammer is a massive weapon, and must be carried in both hands. It is very cumbersome and unwieldy in battle, but still remains commonly used by the leaders of clan Stone, because of its cultural and historical significance (see below). Though cumbersome, the weapon is highly effective against heavily opponents.

Famous battles

The Battle of Steel Quarry was a brief skirmish between the Dogs of clan Stone and the Dogs of clan Sword Breaker. Prior to the battle, the leaders of both clans, Tarl of clan Stone and Kaz of clan Sword Breaker had agreed to a duel to settle a land ownership dispute surrounding a granite quarry. Kaz had attempting to poison Tarl the night prior to duel, and so felt that Tarl would be forced to submit. However, Tarl had suspected the food he had eaten was poisoned and purged his stomach after the meal. Kaz, sure that his poisoning had succeded, waited in his camp for a messenger from Tarl telling of his inability to fight, but no messenger arrived. Having waited most of the day, Kaz was forced to rush to the duel location to meet Tarl. Having come unprepared to fight a healthy and fully equipped adversary, Kaz was forced to concede.

To seek revenge for his loss, Kaz decided to attack the Dogs of clan Stone as they came to the quarry one morning. After laying in wait among the rocks, the Sword Breakers attacked the dogs of clan Stone who had only basic tools to defend themselves with. Despite superior numbers and equipment, the mobility of the clan Stone Dogs and their familiarity with the terrain gave them the upper hand and allowed them to defeat clan Sword Breaker.

Religion

Description of Dog religious beliefs and deities.

Notable Dogs

• Kaz of clan Sword Breaker
• Tarl of clan Stone
• Wolfie - A legendary (and near-mythological) dog warrior of great cunning and bravery.