Post by Gams on Jan 11, 2014 17:09:35 GMT -6
Demonology entry: Hellhounds
Hellhounds; dog like demons who live in human tissue as a disguise to conceal their demonic nature. They eat both the body and the soul of their victims, the body to fuel them, the soul to be collected and sent to the underworld. Also known as: Black Dogs, and Bearers of Death.
Origin and History:
Hellhounds where a race of demons conceived by Cerberus, the offspring of Echidna and Typhon, and the second Hellhound to be born into existence. In the dawn of time, Cerberus was employed by Hates to sleep at the gates to the underworld, instructed to awaken if any soul dares to try and escape. In his long slumbers, Cerberus would astral project himself and possess the bodies of favored young woman, changing their bodies to suit his preferences in appearance and needs in expanding their bodies so he may fit inside. He would use these bodies as means to indulge in earthly pleasures, only about to maintain control in his sleep.
After Cerberus’s older brother, Orthrus (The first hellhound born) was killed by Heracles in his tenth labor, Cerberus rushed to collect his remains and plead with Echidna and Typhon to help him find a way to restore his brother to life. Typhon refused because of suspicions he had long held that Cerberus’s true father was in fact not him, but Orthrus instead, and by the time Echidna could reach Cerberus against her partner’s wishes, Orthrus’s body had turned to dust with age, and he could no longer be restored to who he was before. Echidna and Cerberus used the dust of Orthrus’s body to create new life, spawned from his own, in the wombs of the women all over Greece, until they amassed an army. Cerberus used her army as means to destroy and entrap the souls of the long and still growing list of enemies of her family, which amassed so large so fast it wasn’t long until all of humanity had some connection however weak to one or more of her many foe, her hellhounds now spanning the four corners of the earth.
Life Cycle:
A hellhound is conceived by a human mother impregnated by a Hellhound father. The human mother is chosen by both the Hound father, and his partner who will be considered the new child’s true mother. It’s unclear exactly what reasoning hounds chose their surrogate, but theories suggest it may be a subconscious recognition of the similarities between their surrogate mothers, and the one they’d like for their child. In some instances, a father will chose to impregnate a human without his partner’s agreement or desire for a child, which is seen as acceptable behavior in hound culture, but the child born would only be considered to belong to the father, and not his partner. For the first two trimesters of pregnancy, the fetus remains completely human, but it protected by the hellhound seeding making the pregnancy impossible to abort unless the mother is killed. At the third trimester, or at the end of the second, the demonic spawn with devour the fetus’ soul and consciousness, making it the new hound’s first victim, triggering a chemical reaction which slightly alters the new body’s molecular and chemical structure to suit it’s new residence.
After a hound is born, it will initially behave like a normal human baby, but as it grows into a toddler, the memories, experiences, and thought processes from previous lives will begin to return to the hound child’s consciousness. Growth in the brain begins to progress at an unnatural rate, some physical symptoms of this being, swelling of the head, severe nose bleeds and blood shot eyes or bulging of the eyes due to the pressure and mass building up in the skull. At this stage, death of the hound child may occur due to their brain’s size being too large for their bodies, but is rare due to adaptation of a hound’s modified body in order to prevent this. Eventually, it will develop the urge to begin to kill, starting with its human mother, usually shortly after being weaned from breast milk. In most hounds’ life, this will signify the last intimate relationship they will have with any member of humanity.
The father of the hound, who’s socially obligated to watch over his child until such time that they’re ready to join their kind, will make first contact with the child after their mother is dead. Fathers will introduce themselves, and take their offspring to their new home in a matter of minutes. Hound fathers have a very weak psychic connection with their offspring, making them consciously aware of their child’s livelihood and existence, as well as faintly their general location and mood, making it impossible for hound to have unknown children. Before the father bring his child home to his pack, he will first inspect the child to see if there’s any birth defects or handicaps that will hinder the child’s quality of life. At this point, it’s the father decision on whether to keep him/her or let her die, as it is seen as cruel to allow a hound to go on living with a hindered life, when they could have been killed and reborn into a better one.
Hounds live very tight knit families, all living together in as close of proximity as space will allow. Hounds will live in packs from anywhere from 30, to over 100, all lead by one “alpha” (male of female) who will make the final decisions on crucial matters pertaining to the entire pack, as well as settle disputes and maintain bonds. Alpha status is passed down through blood line and birthright. Members usually don’t socialize often with hounds from other packs, and never humans they don’t intend to use. Though packs are comprised of all family, incest is frowned upon, and though marriage to a none-blood relative within their pack is seen as preferable to most hounds, inter-pack marriages are most common. Who is adopted into whose pack is completely up to the couple themselves. Young to middle age hounds are expected to work and provide for the children and the elderly, any money made and any assets acquired is seen as property of the whole. Though hounds mourn the loss of a member through death, especially if it was pre-mature, no funerals or goodbyes are ever given, because hounds are almost instantly reborn. Most close relationships hounds have, have been going on through many lives they’ve lived.
Physiology/ Psychology:
Hounds are physically characterized by pale skin, deep eye sockets, pointed adult teeth with tall, fit builds (Usually) and very long limbs, especially their fingers and fingernails. There’s not a striking difference between the appearance of a normal human and a hound, but if an individual knows what to look for they can be identified in their human form. When they are prepping to transform, their inner hound skin will begin to create pressure, making their faces and body begin to deform, their teeth and their nails to appear to get longer, and their eyes begin to fill with red. They burst out of their skin to reveal their true form (Their hound form.) Their hound forms don't always necessarily look like dogs, and they can look like a wide variety of animal mixes, with much variants on how much limbs and heads they dawn. Their hound form looks the same throughout all of their life times. Male hounds can produce sperm, but female hounds are infertile because their bodies don't offer conditions where a child could develop. The only acceptation to this would be a special kind of hound (Only three in existence) who's chemical makeup gives them a radioactive core, similar to the sun's, but much less powerful. The properties of their radioactivity can produce conditions that can produce, sustain, and enhance health. This ability is enhanced by the swift regenerative abilities that all hound posses, allowing them to create life fast. If a hound with these abilities is born in a female body, they can produce offspring with enhanced talents. Hounds are physically stronger then humans, more durable, with great speed, and naturally low body fat.
Psychologically, the majority of hounds are very unstable. They are prone to addiction, and violence. However, this is not always the case, even if it's rare that it isn't. As hounds don't have souls, their personalities and tendencies are almost completely determined, not by life experiences or personal choices, but in directly in reflection of the "Masters" they've had and currently have. A hound must always have a master, they will stop existing if they go to long without one. Hounds will do whatever is necessary to serve their masters, and a hound may have sub-masters underneath their main one. They become exactly what their master needs after long periods of time, no matter what that is. Their relationships with their masters may continue on through many lives, as they are naturally drawn to the reincarnations of their old masters. In the event of a transitional period between masters however, the needs of their current and former master may conflict the actions of the hound. Because the majority of hounds in the world are loyal to Cerberus, the popular behavior mentioned above is most common, as it reflects and fulfills his needs and personality. Cerberus himself is driven under his own master Hades. Eurytion is considered the "original" master, as he was Orthrus's master before he was killed in the same fight with Hercules. His influence can still be subtly detected in the current generation of hound, even if they've evolved from Orthrus to their own individuals.
Weaknesses:
Hounds are subdued and/or killed by any sort of holy paraphernalia, and fire. The religious origin of the holy items does not matter, however the more widely worshiped the religion is, the more potent the object will be in defense against hellhounds, as it is the intellectual power of the belief that these items can stop demons is what gives them their power. In this regard, any item or concept can be used to stop a hellhound, if the user believes enough that it can. I be rid of a hound, both the body and the corporeal manifestation must be destroyed. If the body is only injured, the hound will be subdued but can regenerate itself no matter how severe the damage is. Even if the body is disposed of properly, the hound will be reborn into a new one. To prevent this from happening, the manifestation of the hound itself must be set on fire while it is out of it's body. Only then, will a hound be legitimately "dead."
Notable/Famous Hellhounds in History:
Cerberus, Orthrus, Church Grim, Yell Hound, Gytrash, Barghest, Black Shuck, Dip, Cŵn Annwn, Moddy Dhoo, Fenrir, Sköll, Hati Hróðvitnisson, Sigyn, Vinz Clortho and Zuul.