Argus

GUTS AND GEARS — THE BEASTS AND MACHINES OF THE IRON KINGDOMS

Unmistakably characterized by its two heads, powerful frame, and fierce temperament, the argus is one of the most distinctive and fascinating predators of western Immoren. The two most successful subspecies of these two-headed canines are the common argus and the winter argus. The common argus is noted for its short coat and stocky muscular frame, while the winter argus has a thick, dense coat suitable for the northern climates. There are also several domesticated breeds closely related to the common argus often employed as fighting hounds by those brave enough to risk maiming injuries while training them.

While smaller and more receptive to commands than their wild counterparts, domesticated argus are nonetheless tough and vicious creatures whose killing instincts have been methodically preserved.

These fearsome animals are compact and muscular, weighing anywhere from five hundred to eight hundred pounds. A mature wild argus stands about four feet at the shoulder and can measure nearly seven feet from rump to snout, while the domesticated breeds are typically about three feet at the shoulder and weigh three hundred to four hundred pounds.

Argus of all major subspecies are notoriously tireless and capable of pursuing prey over long distances when necessary. They can also run very quickly for short bursts. Argus are relentless pack hunters that maintain well-established territories in the dense forests and untamed mountains of western Immoren. Argus aggressively defend their hunting grounds from other predators, including humans and competing argus packs. Individually an argus avoids larger and more dangerous beasts, like trolls and satyrs, but a pack of argus can drive away even the most formidable adversaries. Such packs have demonstrated cunning group tactics; often half the pack will drive or lure potential prey into the waiting jaws of the remaining pack members.

PHYSIOLOGY

The most notable and oft-misunderstood physical characteristic of the argus is its unusual two-headed body structure, a fascinating and unique peculiarity of the species. Those who have never encountered or studied the argus commonly underestimate the significance of this trait and assume the argus is simply a huge dog with four watchful eyes and two sets of rending jaws. Others may believe the argus is more akin to a pair of animals sharing a single body, perhaps with one head dominant over the other. In fact, there is a degree of truth to both hypotheses.

It has been observed that each of an argus’ heads can exhibit distinct personality traits. For example, one head might be more or less observant or aggressive than the other. This gives credence to the idea that the argus is effectively a twin animal within a single body. If such is the case, however, the two animals exist in such perfect synchronicity that the idea of a “dominant head” is irrelevant. Even among newborn pups there has never been an observable struggle for dominance between the animals’ disparate minds.

Though it might have two slightly divergent personalities, the argus functions in every way as a single entity. Its two brains communicate so flawlessly and at such an intrinsic level that any communication must occur instantaneously. It is for precisely this reason that the argus is virtually impossible to surprise — at least one of the two heads is aware of anything that happens at any given time within its vicinity.

The argus is unique not only for possessing two brains but for requiring them. In the rare instances that an argus has been observed to suffer head trauma severe enough to kill one head but localized enough to leave the beast otherwise intact, the animal has never survived for long. Likewise, argus born with abnormalities to one of its heads will not survive infancy.

BEHAVIOR

Much as a single argus is reliant on the dynamic between its two heads, so too do the individual members of a pack closely depend on one another. These animals live together in small groups led by a dominant, monogamous pair and function cooperatively with one another in all respects, hunting as a group and sharing a single den. The common argus maintains smaller packs than the winter argus, whose behavior bears closer resemblance to the wolf.

Common argus packs may be as small as two or three pairs, while winter argus are sometimes found in packs of a dozen or more members. Common argus are also more inclined toward violent competition between members for dominance. Regardless, interdependence between argus is indicative of a deep sense of loyalty within the species, particularly between members of the same litter. It is this trait more than any other that makes these beasts so prized as guardians or hunting companions and notoriously coveted as beasts of war by the druids of the Circle Orboros.

The savagery and fierce disposition of these animals belies a considerable intelligence, which furthers their appeal as domesticated fighting beasts. Argus in the wild coordinate and communicate attacks through a series of yips and barks. As further evidence of this fusion of instinct and intellect, whole packs of these exceptionally alert animals have evaded traps they should have been unable to detect. Domesticated argus have been known to recognize individual humans and can create lasting bonds, retaining familiarity with an accepted master over an extended period of time.

Were an attacking argus pack driven off by the death of one or two of its members, the remaining argus are not likely to forget the intruder who diminished their numbers. Whether this means the intruder will be avoided for the safety of the pack or attacked later in a more coordinated fashion is wholly dependent on the situation and on the nature of the remaining argus themselves. Whatever the case, argus are clearly capable of learning from their experiences and adjusting their hunting and defensive strategies accordingly.

SUBSPECIES OF ARGUS

Ranging from the northern forests of Khador to the southern mountains of Cygnar, the common argus is the most widespread and well understood of the argus subspecies. It is a large and powerful predator, capable of dragging down even a healthy ulk bull. These animals would expose themselves to the dangers of such an encounter only out of desperation, however, and would much prefer to converge as a group upon a single sick or injured member of a herd. Once a prey animal has been isolated and seized, packs of argus use their considerable weight to bear the animal to the ground before tearing through flesh and bone with their powerful jaws. Trackers of unsurpassed natural ability, it is not unknown for an argus pack to spend a considerable amount of time — as many as several days if necessary — stalking a herd to determine which animal or animals they will attack.

The most distinctive aspect of the wild common argus is the beast’s unique ability known as a doppler bark. The wild argus is capable of emitting an explosive dual bark of almost supernatural intensity, capable of causing disorientation and even momentary paralysis in its prey. When hunting, this ability is frequently employed by one member of the pack to immobilize sizable prey while its pack mates close in on the disoriented target from multiple directions.

The next most pervasive species is the winter argus, which is roughly identical in size and physical strength to the wild argus. It is covered in a thick coat of white fur that protects it from the extreme cold of the vast Khardic tundra. This subspecies only exists in any number within the desolate frozen northern fringes of Khador and Rhul. It is speculated that the first winter argus packs may have emigrated south from the even more extreme region below the Blackice Mountains.

The scarcity of easy prey in these climates makes it necessary for the winter argus to range over far greater territories than their southern counterparts, and a pack of such animals may travel a hundred miles or more in search of prey. This also means winter argus are willing to prey upon larger and more dangerous beasts, including other apex predators, which has encouraged the formation of sizable and extremely cooperative packs. These beasts are highly aggressive toward those encroaching on their territory, and will viciously attack humans, other argus packs, or even large predators such as winter trolls. Since these intruders are also potential food sources, winter argus are more tenacious than the common argus and demonstrate fearsome courage when fighting off threats to the pack.

Though it does not share the doppler bark that has made the wild argus such an efficient hunter, the winter argus can instead produce a blast of extreme cold from either head in a manner similar to that of the winter troll. This frost breath sprays outward at a temperature so extreme even momentary exposure may kill a creature outright and in some cases encase prey in a sheath of ice.

DOMESTICATED ARGUS

Common argus have been bred in captivity for centuries, though only with any regularity in Khador. Some few have been bred elsewhere, such as among the Gnasir of the Wyrmwall Mountains. Despite generations of breeding, it would be a mistake to consider these argus as tamed. Along with its intelligence has come a natural defiance toward the will of men, and argus of all breeds have proven exceedingly difficult to train. After the first two or three months, captive argus become progressively more stubborn as they mature into adulthood. Adult argus are virtually untrainable; however, they are sometimes captured and carefully maintained as breeding stock.

Most of these breeds have been trained as fighting stock, either as guardians or to be employed in fighting pits. Though they retain their aggression and killer instincts, they can bond to some humans whom they consider pack mates. They remain dangerous even in this event, however, as they do not always recognize fragility of their human masters. Even the best-trained argus are only used in a few narrow roles, primarily for war or protection. They have no capacity to perform the more general work tasks in which regular canines excel, such as herding.

These animals have long been bred among the rural clans and barbaric tribes of northern Khador, and captive-bred argus pups are sometimes found within wealthy Khadoran households. They are still prohibitively expensive and difficult to upkeep, making them less appealing than regular canines to most buyers, but the Khadoran military has sometimes employed them alongside regular war dogs. Argus employed by the military are selected for size and strength in addition to receptivity to training, making them among the largest of the domesticated variants, although still smaller on average than the wild common argus. The domesticated breeds long ago lost their ability to perform the doppler bark, likely a deliberate breeding choice due to the inherent dangers of such an ability. Misguided attempts to reintroduce this ability by taming and conditioning wild argus or breeding them with domesticated variants have generally resulted in fatalities after stunned handlers lost control of the beasts. The druids of the Circle Orboros are the only handlers known to have effectively trained wild common argus.

The methods employed by that organization are unknown to the civilized world; however, the argus is among the more widely employed beasts in the Circle’s arsenal. The blackclads are also known to use the winter argus, a beast which even the bravest Khadoran animal handlers have failed to subdue. Instinctively distrusting of any animal not of its own pack, even newborn winter argus pups will not regularly accept or bond to a human master.

SUMMATION

An argus of any breed is a powerful, deceptively clever, and oft-unpredictable animal that should never be approached without considerable caution. Even the most well-trained and companionable domesticated argus has a savage core. This combination of traits makes the argus an ideal beast of war. Its willfulness and the difficulties required to train an argus mean — at least for now — only the Circle Orboros possesses the skill to employ these creatures as beasts of war to any significant degree.

Fonte: No Quarter 53

Durante uma viagem às terras de Khador, no norte, alguns anos atrás, fui chamado por um velho amigo para ajudar a Liga dos Soldados Livres de Khador a desmantelar um grupo de traficantes de escravos liderado por um ogrun negro. Não era o tipo de coisa em que costumo me meter, mas devia a esse amigo alguns favores, então juntei-me à causa. Os escravistas tinham atacado muitas aldeias, e a crueldade dos mestres ogrun tinha arruinado muitas vidas. No fim de tudo, ajudei a resgatar uma centena de almas
das minas de ferro. Gemenus, um filhote de argus, foi o presente que a Liga dos Soldados deu-me em retribuição por tê-los ajudado.

Eu nunca criara ou treinara um animal selvagem como aquele, mas convenci-me de que podia fazê-lo (a despeito dos avisos dos soldados). Criar aquele cão danado foi uma das coisas mais difíceis que já fiz, mas também foi uma das mais recompensadoras. Gemenus era um magnífico animal de estimação — forte, destemido e dotado de uma teimosia grande como a fome de um dracodilo. Ele morreu há apenas dois verões, e eu ainda sinto uma saudade dolorida de sua companhia durante minhas viagens.

A coisa mais notável a respeito de um argus são suas duas cabeças, que lhe permitem fazer várias coisas ao mesmo tempo. Pode rastrear e montar guarda de uma só vez, comer e dormir ao mesmo tempo, ou até mesmo rasgar seu sofá enquanto faz o mesmo com seus tratados de entomologia! Ambas as cabeças têm personalidades distintas, e esta é talvez a única criatura que já encontrei que seja uma boa companhia para si mesma. Os argus têm pêlo curto e espesso, normalmente marrom escuro ou negro e brilhoso.

O argus foi encontrado pela primeira vez em matilhas errantes em Khador. Não demorou muito até que alguns espécimes chegassem aos fortes e casas nobres, como bestas de guarda. O argus tornou-se o símbolo oficial da Liga dos Soldados Livres de Khador.

Esses rastreadores e batedores de elite costumam ser treinados no trato com os cães de duas cabeças. São homens duros, mas muitos choram abertamente pela perda de um de seus companheiros caninos, tamanha é sua estima por eles.

O argus é um animal perigoso quando encontrado numa região selvagem. Eles são incrivelmente inteligentes, e seus bandos são letais. As matilhas
podem se comunicar com uma série de ganidos e uivos, e empregam todas as notá-veis habilidades da raça para der-rubar uma presa. Argus selvagens caçam em pares ou matilhas, e têm uma hierarquia rigorosa. Uma matilha pode perseguir sua presa por dias antes de atacar.

Lendas & Fatos
COMUM: o argus é um cão de duaINCOMUM: o latido do argus pode atordoar sua mente, deixan-do-o paralisado por alguns momentos — tempo suficiente para que a fera pule sobre você e o despedace.
RARO: se você vir um desses cães em Khador, não o mate. Paga-se um bom preço por filhotes e feras adultas.
OBSCURO: a raça dos argus foi criada por um mago orgoth, chamado Chergaze. Ele auxiliava o exército orgoth a criar suas bestas de guerra. Diz-se que ele tinha uma fortaleza nas profundezas de Khador, onde criava toda sorte de híbridos mágicos.

Tesouro
Na maior parte dos lugares, o próprio argus já é tesouro suficiente. Uma fêmea grávida pode valer até 1.000 PO. Filhotes custam cerca de 250 PO cada. As forças armadas de Khador valorizam imensamente esses cães. Há uma recompensa fixa pela captura de um argus vivo (100 PO), e você pode conseguir o dobro ou o triplo disso trazendo um exemplar selvagem, dependendo de seu tamanho. Espécimes feridos são curados pelos tratadores, e o custo do tratamento é deduzido da recompensa.

O argus pode ser treinado como um cão, porém com muito mais dificuldade e esforço.

Ganchos

Um mercador chegou à cidade vendendo espécimes de argus para as casas nobres da área, mas os animais são especialmente treinados para responder ao mercador e seus amigos bandidos.

Os bandidos estão usando os cães para desabilitar os guardas e as famílias, para que seja mais fácil roubar as mansões. Contudo, um antigo membro da Liga dos Soldados de Khador ficou sabendo dos planos do mercador; ele tenta recrutar o grupo para ajudá-lo a deter os ladrões.

Fonte: Monstronomicon Vol.1