The Black Dog

The Black Dog
	; The Black Dog, as drawn by Hexillith
Fear of...	Secrets, Guilt, Omens
Domain	Unknown
Servants	Prowlers
First Appearance	Gaining Perspective

“It was larger than I was. Solid black, it's fur felt greasy to the touch. It's eyes were black orbs surrounded by whites so bloodshot they looked red. It bit my face, scoring two lines under my eyes. That was it's mark on me.”

— "The Confession"

The Black Dog is the first portrayal of The Fear of Guilt, your secrets put out for all to see, and the dark truths that nobody should have to know. It commonly stalks, attacks, or kills those bearing large, well-kept secrets. The Black Dog has also been known to mark its victims with scars and bring them objects associated with their secrets, goading them into revealing it. It typically appears with a large, muscular body, pointed ears, an elongated snout, and black or red eyes. Other stories have depicted the Dog in a "ghostly" form, made of a black smoke. If the Black Dog is severely injured, it can absorb body parts from nearby humans and graft them to its body to heal itself.

The Black Dog sometimes acts as a herald or omen of other Fears, preparing humans for their imminent appearances. It is commonly used by them to sniff out secrets to use against their targets, either to severely damage the victim's psyche or to manipulate the victim for the purposes of The Great Game.

Trivia

The Black Dog is based on the supernatural being of the same name found primarily in the folklore of the British Isles. A nocturnal apparition, the Black Dog is often associated with the Devil and its appearance is regarded as an omen of death. It is generally described as larger than a normal dog with big, glowing eyes.