Houndeye

A houndeye (AKA, a sound dog) is a Xen-resident pack-animal.

Anatomy

Houndeyes have a yellow, conical body which is widest at the front and tapers down at the end. They have three legs ending in hoofed feet, one at the end of their body, in the centre and the other two positioned at the front of the body, one at either side. A houndeye has no head; instead a single, large, black compound eye covers its entire front. A ring of flesh contracts over the eye rapidly, on occasion, acting as an eyelid.

Although a houndeye is mostly yellow in colour, its underbelly, where its skin is not as thick, is a softer, cream colour. Its mouth is located here on the front portion of the body. To eat a houndeye will shove its mouth directly into its food, making it look like it is rubbing it with its stomach. Houndeyes also appear to have two openings, halfway down their body, one on either side, which serve an unknown purpose.

Along a houndeye’s back are a number of sharp, lateral ridges. Between each ridge is a bright blue stripe, which contrasts greatly with the yellow of the rest of the skin. Whether these stripes perform any purpose, other than making the houndeye very colourful, is unknown.

Behaviour

Houndeyes are a pack animal, and are very timid when alone, but in groups of three or more will become much more aggressive and fierce. They communicate with other members of their pack through a series of high-pitched yelps, similar to a dog’s.

Attacking

Houndeyes attack by charging and emitting a powerful sonic burst (Therefore the nickname, sound dog) capable of doing great harm to any creature caught in its blast. A houndeyes biggest weakness is that it must remain stationary for several seconds while charging its attack, making it vulnerable and allowing a creature time to escape its blast radius.

In a group, houndeyes can surround a target, making escape their attacks difficult. They can do this safely as houndeyes are not affected by each other’s blasts.

Houndeyes have been observed to be neutral towards certain Xen-resident species, such bullsquids, neither species will attack the other.