Darkhounds

Not all Shadowspawn were designed to appear vaguely human. The Darkhounds were constructed from canine stock corrupted by the Shadow. Resembling hounds only in their basic shape, they are darker than night and as large as ponies. Their voice in full cry sounds much like that of a wolf's, but with an eerie wailing tone echoing of blood and death that could never have come from a born creatures throat.

Created as guard beasts around the time of the War of Power, they were used in later years to hunt down the enemies of the Dark One. They wiegh two-hundred fifty to three-hundred pounds each and usually run in packs of ten or twelve. Only single packs are used as they are most likely to turn upon themselves when working in concert with other packs.

It is speculated that they may have been slightly shifted out of reality during their creation. This might explain the fact that they make no mark, despite their large size, on even the softest of ground, but do leave prints in the hardest of stone. Often the smell of burned sulfur accompanies them wherever they go.

It is true that Darkhounds do not give up the chase easily. They do not like rain or thunderstorms and will not usually venture into them either, but if they are already on a trail, the rain often fails to stop them. They possess more speed than galloping horses and can maintain it much longer than any horse. It is sometimes possible, however, to end the pursuit of a Darkhound by placing running water between the prey and the hounds, since they will not crossing flowing water. The only other choice is to kill them or be killed, and they have never died easily. Only the surest hand with bow or sword has any chance to kill them, yet this may no longer be enough.

If Darkhounds die hard, they kill with ease. The smallest bite from their great jaws is death. Their blood and their saliva is poison. One drop of their blood on the skin can kill, usually very slowly and with great pain involved.

In recent times a new breed of Darkhound has been reported abroad in the world, one that apparently can be slain only with the One Power. Stories tell of beasts being cut to pieces with power-wrought weapons, only to have their hacked parts melt and reform into whole, living hounds to renew the attack once again.