Fulgerian Wolfhound

Fulgerian Wolfhounds, otherwise called Adradian Wolfhounds, are a breed of large, black hunting hounds. They are also used by Adradia's Military during wars and very popular as pets in Adradia and Fulger. They were bred first by Bogdan Negrescu, a Fulgerian who immigrated to Adradia. To some, they are seen as good luck, and can sometimes act almost human.

Military Use
In Adradia, Fulgerian Wolfhounds are used as messengers, rescue-dogs, guard dogs, and some are even called soldiers. Different dogs are trained for different things, not just confined to a single job but scattered throughout the divisions.

Messengers are taught the importance of what they carry, and how it must not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. Some are teamed with Archers, with orders to retrieve arrows, while those assigned to the front lines are trained how to pin and catch with minimal harm to the target, how to take wounds, and how to tell the difference between sides of a war. All dogs in military use are trained how to tell whether they are to be serious or to relax and go easy.

They were originally meant to be purely for military use until an Adradian Emperor realized how human they could act, that they were living, warm-hearted animals. No one has ever regretted this realization, and since then, the foots of beds have been warmed and the meals have been caught by the hounds.

The Adradia Empire
Hounds are very popular in Adradia, particularly in the south and west. They naturally love Adradian people, and are loved by the children. The people of this nation trust their dogs enough to leave them to protect their extremely young children, and they often give them as gifts. They are also used for hunting and in the military, as a powerful working-breed. There are two hounds that belong specifically to the royal family, more particularly Prince Kai; Venator and Bellator.

The Fulger Empire
The hounds are popular with the Fulgerians, but they are usually owned by military personnel. They are usually used in the Fulger Empire as trackers when hunting down fugitives and rebels. While rare for someone outside the military to own a hound, it is not usual to see the defects as their pets. Two such hounds belong to Fulgerians Eugen Ungar and Aurel Lupei.

Adoiri
The Fulgerian Wolfhounds are not very popular in Adoiri and are rarely seen as pets. They're used at the castle to train recruits on how to subdue them and the amount of damage they can inflict upon their enemies in case an Adoirian soldier ever has to fight one in a war. The hounds are used for work related purposes and are most commonly owned by skilled hunters. They are used to bring back the game caught, retrieve stray arrows and can sometimes be used like bloodhounds to find a missing person. While used mainly for work purposes it is not uncommon for a hunter to begin treating their Wolfhound like a companion.

The Ilmenyev Empire
Ilmenyev has almost little use for this dog, but many people in the north have a group of them mush a sled around, and is sometimes used as public transportation. The government doesn't like them because Unilmenyev used them in both uprisings as mounts and weapons.

The Queendom of Sleryn
Sleryn has little use for dogs, and they are commonly used only as pets. Sleryian people prefer to use horses, among other things.

Temperament
Fulgerian Wolfhounds can make good pets, military, or hunting dogs. They make an extremely loyal, intelligent companion, and would be extremely hard to condition against their masters. They seem to have two rather different sides, but their loyalty and intelligence are constant.

As pets, hounds make valued additions to the family. They are a very trustworthy breed, very protective, and many people have enough faith in their pets to leave them completely unattended with infant children, knowing they would die to protect them. They are held by a bond of trust between master and animal, and would gladly follow their owners off the edge of the world. They have the uncanny ability to tell where a person comes from, and while they like most Adradian and Fulgerian people, many have a deep dislike of Adoirians. They are naturally gentler with younger children, can be very playful, and at times seem almost like a person. Many people care deeply about their hounds, thinking of them less as pets and more as humans.

While they are very strong military dogs, one hound will not attack another unless attacked first, not starting fights. This can render them useless when owned by multiple militaries. They are highly intelligent, and will not blindly follow orders, but will actually think before obeying. They are also known to be very protective, and will sometimes snap at anyone who threatens their owners. They have a way of placing certain people under their protection. Never kill the master of a Wolfhound, they may go into a blood frenzy and are very hard to stop, even by those who are also able to give them commands.

They are a very attentive breed, and when given orders will truly listen. Unlike many other breeds, which learn to associate certain words with actions, Fulgerian Wolfhounds can sometimes truly comprehend words. They are very brave, used often to pull people from burning buildings or dig under rubble to find someone buried, and will throw themselves into danger in an instant to protect those they care about. It is not unheard of for one to jump and intercept an arrow meant for their master or someone close to them.

They seem to understand the way an army works, and will fight for the side their master joins. Even when their companion falls, some will continue in the battle, taking orders from others on their side. They have a tendency to lead their people to safety, and in many places in Adradia are seen as good luck charms, of deep sacred value. Commonly, the death of one is greatly mourned, and the family is never the same afterward.

Appearance
Hounds are almost always black, part of the reason they are called Fulgerian Wolfhounds is because they appear similar to the goddess Fulger. One notable exception to this is Eugen Ungar's hound, Rapsod, which is white. Their eye colors commonly range from dark brown to lighter shades that appear almost amber, with yellow being uncommon, while blue is impossible.

They are known to be large in size, imposing and threatening when angered. Fulgerian Wolfhounds possess sharp canine teeth with large jaws, tall, standing-erect ears, long necks, and bushy tails. Their eyes are commonly noted to have a "self-assured, intelligent" look. The hounds are strong and powerful, with their long legs allowing for long, quick strides and powerful jumps.

Trivia

 * Fulgerian Wolfhounds were created and developed by Celtic Gold.
 * The inspiration for their appearance is a black German Shepherd.
 * In spite of the German Shepherd being a working dog rather than a hunting breed, Celtic is using them as a base, calling them a different breed; The Black Fulgerian Wolfhound, because of it's appearance rather than what it hunts.
 * In spite of being called Fulgerian, they are an Adradian Breed, very popular in the south and west.
 * The hounds are thought to have the blessing of Fulger. This is believed to be why they look so similar to the black wolves.
 * Bodgan is a Romanian name, meaning "given by God".
 * Negrescu is a Romanian surname, meaning "black".