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The Raising of the Canines
None know the hidden counsels of the Lord taken before Dogkind was raised to his present nobility, but pious legend has painted the picture thus: The Holy Roman Imperium, governor of half the world, lay besieged by the forces human and diabolic of Nova Babel, to whom the other half of Earth was held in thralldom. At this time their forces seemed evenly matched, and the Imperium set to endure, but it was known in Heaven that beyond the edge of the Solar System prowled foes more terrible, and Man would not endure their power. Saint Christopher Cynocephalus, seeing all this, approached the throne of God:
“Behold Your creature, Dog, whom You put on Earth for the service and companionship of Man. He has proven loyal, obedient, steadfast, and courageous. Let him be raised to the stature of Man, and sent forth into the Outer Dark as Your sword and shield, lest ruin fall upon your Church. As I once bore you over the river to the far shore, let them bear Your Light to other worlds.”
And the Lord regarded the words of His servant favorably. The fires of the angelic forges were stoked to a white hotness, and sparks sang from the hammers of the heavenly shipwrights and smiths as a great work was undertaken. Then the breath of God swept the Earth, and Dog was raised upright as a Man, and the breath of God was in him. A great host of angels bore the Dogs thence to their star-plying warship, Jasconius, where each humbly received his heavenly panoply, and all were charged with their great mission to defend Man from the Enemy Without, and spread the Light of Christ to all who lived in darkness among the stars. Bidding farewell to their masters on Earth, the good Dogs steered a course for Luna, the first of many dark worlds to come.
Names
Shortly after being Raised, the Dogs received baptism and confirmation, taking on saints' names in addition to the names given by their masters.
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| Tenlance Patch Iosif Maria |
Ranks & Organisation
Due to the Dogs' instinctual recognition of pack hierarchy, seniority, and leadership, they are organized into far fewer ranks than equivalent size human militaries. Officer and enlisted distinction is still maintained to reflect analogous roles in the pack.
The Doge: The alpha. The highest ranking dog in a sector. Receives his orders directly from Heaven via an angel or saint.
Tribune: Highest officer rank regularly deployed in battle. Reports directly to the Doge and his staff. Commands a trident of 3 centuries.
Thricelance: Highest enlisted rank. Serves as second in command of a trident.
Centurion: Officer rank. Commands a century of 3 triskeles and their support staff (about 100 dogs).
First Lance: Enlisted rank. Serves as second in command of a century.
Triskelion: Lowest officer rank. Leads a triskele of 3 packs. Assisted by a senior tenlance.
Tenlance: Also called Tens, X, One-oh. Enlisted rank. Leads a pack of 10 lancers.
Lancer: The dogs of war, sending fire downrange.
From the Angelic Armory
Aurelian Helm: Usually called a 'halo', in conjunction with the aegis plate, the aurelian helm protects against hostile environments, and provides myriad functions to the wearer including a HUD with autosextant for navigation, HOWL gear for long range communication, and sense dampening to protect against bright lights and loud noises. It takes the appearance of a scintillant halo around the wearer, the design of which becomes more ornate with rank and accomplishment, and from this derives its nickname.
Fulgent Lance: Also called a torchstave, brightglaive, sparkspear, or just 'lance', is the chief armament of the Dogs. Patterned after a boar spear of yore, the crackling blade is of angelic fire, and can be modulated to produce a variety of attacks, from a burning melee weapon for cleaving and goring to a short range (~40m) cutting ray or flamethrower.
Aegis Plate: Forged of the same adamantine as the angel's strife frames, aegis plate protects against hostile environments and enemies alike, and augments the wearer's strength while remaining light and unburdensome. Due to its angelic smithing, it can be readily modified and augmented by other world's technologies.
Reliquary: Taking many forms and containing the relics of a saint, a reliquary allows that saint to appear on the battlefield directly, bypassing any barriers or defenses, spiritual or physical, placed around the battlefield.
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| Saint Patrick the Wyrmslayer |
