Ashmouth Hound

Of the many denizens of the lower planes, few are as immediately recognizable as the hell hound, the devil's best friend. These fiery beasts are not canines in the true sense, but serve a similar position in the ecology of the Nine Hells. But hell hounds are not purely restricted to the lawfully-aligned home of the devils. Several variations of the fiend exist, many making their homes on the other lower planes, and each with their own unique physiology. Among these is the ashmouth hound, a leaner hellhound found most frequently in Hades, the Grey Waste.   Fit for Survival In the Grey Wastes of Hades, the intense flames found naturally in both the Abyss and Baator simmer to little more than cinders, and the creatures which roam its expanse are often haggard and thin. The hellhounds native to Hades are no different, bearing more resemblance to big cats than traditional hunting hounds. Ashmouth hounds rarely travel in packs, usually preferring to live solitary lives or in pairs, and taming an ashmouth hound is exceptionally difficult for all but the most charismatic of fiends. Even a trained ashmouth hound is not the most trustworthy of companions, likely to turn on its master if it senses weakness or runs short on food.   Burning Brightly While filled with smog and smoke, Hades' lack of hellfire means many of its residents lack the traditional fiendish resistance to flame. This does not apply to ashmouth hounds, which instead burn with a powerful internal combustion like most hell hounds. Unlike other hell hounds, the ashmouth constantly expels flames from a large furnace on its back, just at the base of its skull. The light of these furnace flames constantly illuminate the area around the hound, making them walking beacons in the darkness, and keep their body temperature at incredible highs, meaning getting too close to these fiends provides extra danger. But while the flames of an ashmouth are more intense than may other hell hounds, the constant exhalation of the flames from their back prevent them from gathering enough fire to breath it in a concentrated mass like other hell hours are capable of.