Wolfcub wrote:Ok, so this idea came to me while I was fooling around on Minecraft Classic (Read: While I was digging recklessly, following ore veins).
Presenting the Orechaser Hound! I know the sprites suck, I just put them there as a rough sketch.
(I used the Rewin Dragon egg as a template, so credit goes to Niwer.)
This hard-shelled egg has a metallic gleam, and a pair of ears and a tail can be seen poking out of it.
Your egg has hatched into a beautiful coppery-colored, floppy-eared, big-pawed hound dog. The pup likes nothing more than to romp about with the other young canines, including the direwolves and hellhounds, who treat their smaller playmates with care. You watch as your hound suddenly stops, sniffing the ground, then begins to dig. In what seems like an instant it's dug a deep hole, and it's still going. Your wait, but the dog doesn't seem to be coming up. Your concern grows until it reemerges, a nugget of metal in its jaws. Wagging its tail, the dog prances over to you and drops the nugget at your feet. You grin and pet it, telling the dog it did its job well. A quick spell slices the metal in half. You pocket one half, and watch as the puppy devours the other half with amazingly strong teeth and jaws. When your hound matures, it will excavate larger chunks of metal useful in both crafting and casting spells.
Your Orechaser hound has matured in a fine dog, though still retaining its long ears and lankiness. Now fully trained, it can sniff out and retrieve chunks of both precious and non-precious minerals. You've had to search for it more than once, as once it catches a particularly exciting scent, it's off digging for it. And when it decides to play teleport-away-the-priceless-relic-and-make-your-magi-panic, you can swear it's giving you grey hairs. Nevertheless, your hound is loyal and friendly, happy to both play a game of fetch-the-rock, or simply sleep at your feet. It's found you many rare minerals, including beautiful gems and even gold.
General Text: Unlike their nonmagical cousins who chase wild game, Orechaser Hounds have the ability to sniff out and retrieve precious and non-precious minerals. Orechasers are prized by miners and jewelers, and even magi, as they can also find minerals that aid in casting. They eat meat like normal dogs, but they can also crunch up rocks and minerals with uncannily powerful jaws and teeth. Because their digging holes would eventually lead to changes in the landscape (not to mention falling hazards) Orechasers are trained to fill in a tunnel after they find what they're looking for. Aside from the ability to sniff out minerals, Orechasers can also teleport themselves and whatever else they choose, which is handy during cave-ins.
Feedback please?
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