Guardkin

Dem dogs.

Vital Statistics (At a Glance)

Species Type: Pelted (not sure about this_ Origin: selectively bred by the Hinichi Frame Type: quadrapedal Average Height: wolf-sized (but can be larger) Average Lifespan: unknown Gravity Preference: medium Homeworld: Hinichitii Native Language: none (telepathy)

History

The Guardkin are descendants of dogs that were decanted by the Pelted during their Exodus from a small amount of genestock 'rescued' during their escape. Since these samples created dog-like wolves (or wolf-like dogs), the Pelted assumed them to be the pets that humanity used as partial data for the creation of some of the more lupine prototypes. The people who would become the Hinichi volunteered to take care of these orphans of the Exodus (a decision that would later become their basis for arguing the precedent/rectitude of Second Chances's efforts)... but they assumed that the creatures were very smart animals, not people. They bred them for intelligence, but there was some debate over whether they were as smart as a Pelted, a debate possible because the Guardkin refrained from attempting to communicate for their own, inscrutable reasons.

While the Guardkin sapience debate was never distinct enough to generate factions, the people who believed them to be as smart as any Hinichi self-selected into the care and breeding of the Guardkin, leaving the regular population to think of them as smart animals. Before the delegation headed by Benneit Drummondly brought the first two Guardkin to Escutcheon, the Hinichi who handled the husbandry of the Guardkin couldn't decide between preserving the existing pattern of 'very intelligent animal' or change them to become more like the Pelted, and capable of speech. In the end, they decided they could not receive consent from the Guardkin for substantial modifications, and were resistant philosophically and spiritually to the idea of playing God. Needless to say, Talthien's utterance of "Graeme says they've been waiting for someone like me all their lives" rather, um, rearranged everything.

Culture and Religion

The Guardkin consider themselves part of God's pack, so they think of themselves as a group as the godpack. Anyone who helps them find their bondmates is called a matchmaker. Brothers and sisters are referred to as littermates. Bleddyn observes that they are not technically dogs; they are related to the Hinichi, who were made with wolf DNA, so they are closer kin to wolves. But that there might be some 'working dog' DNA in there as well.

They can talk to any esper but prefer to choose one or two people and practice talking mostly with them. But their psychic powers often present to them as smells: they smell emotions and histories, along with more strictly biological things, like diseases and lineages.

They can talk to each other

They do *not* disturb the Pattern, so Eldritch with pattern sensing don't see their participation in it.

Characters

• Bleddyn
• Bran
• Graeme, Talthien's bonded. (gray with elegant black mask, back and tail and brown eyes)
• Madoc
• Moire (amber-eyed ivory with yellow dorsal fur), Graeme's mate.