Dog Tags

DOG TAGS

Also Dogs of War (Sword-type), just 'Swords', or Soldat.

Can be incorrectly labeled KIA or Fallen Soldiers.

Relevant Schools: War Magic. To a lesser degree, any Conflict or Conjure school.

Appearance: Men in combat uniforms that look to be scavenged or cobbled together from multiple combatants, generally faceless and bloodied. Faces may be shrouded in the shadows of face-coverings, caked in dirt, or only existent by suggestion, by way of scars, war paint, or crusted-on gore.

Background: Not actually fallen soldiers, they are born from areas where people are sacrificed by non-practitioners (older version), or many are slain in the chaos of battle. Where blood soaks into the ground, violence is expected, and bodies go untouched or unnamed, these vessels arise. Can be in international war or particularly conflict-rife gang territories. They are technically Animus; spirits with form and motive action, perpetuating war by their manner of being.

Behavior: The Dogs arise in areas of high conflict, high chaos, and where the dead aren't given respect. Once they come into being, they will move as loose groups, killing indiscriminately. For as long as the greater conflict persists, they cannot be permanently stopped, only bound or controlled by other factors. They reflect the greater tenor of the conflict- if children are being slain, then the Dogs kill children. If pillaging is the norm, they rob and loot. Conversation with them is generally only possible if conversation is possible on the battlefield, in which case the Dogs have a general tendency to be aggressive, terse, and single-minded in personality. Dogs who achieve multiple kills may become leaders of their particular band. The most effective may become entities unto their own right, with special qualities. When conflicts are large or bitter enough, their number may be augmented by Dogs of War (Fire-type) and Dogs of War (Famine-type), labeled after Henry V's three hounds of war. Famine type is something of a misnomer, and some prefer to use other labels, like 'Black Dog'.

Strengths: The primary factor in consideration is that if a Dog is slain, there is a time before they recur, loosely correlated with the rate of death on nearby battlefields - often five minutes at a minimum, twenty-four hours at a maximum. The time is extended if they are annihilated and/or extended if the squad is wiped out. The secondary factor is that they get more effective as the combat gets more pitched, more able to navigate the same chaos that makes just being in the area hazardous or dangerous - this should not be understated. The threat they pose is multiplied by the fact that they tend to occupy areas where it is very easy to die or end up on the wrong end of a stray bullet from a very ordinary gun or be caught in a bomb blast. As this risk rises, the Dog Tags are more focused and more akin to a high-performance soldier. They do not run out of ammunition, though they do need to reload, and consumables (grenades, molotovs, medical kits) are spent on use- though one who tends to carry grenades will often have an intuitive sense of where to find more, such as the nearest body with some on it. They can get stronger or more effective if left unchecked. Dogs get stronger with every kill, picking up names, traits, specialties, and sometimes additional powers, while building a sense of history (composite memories), faces, and evolving out of weaknesses. Further, Dogs tend to congregate, and as they gather and accumulate Dogs of other subtypes or with other powers, they can cover their weaknesses well.

Weaknesses: Single-minded to a fault. They are generally looking for a fight and are thus predictable and easily baited into a trap. As Animus, they are weak to things that are especially effective against incorporeal things, to the extent that battlefield superstitions can delay them or give them cause to move on to other targets. They are also weak to things that are especially effective against corporeal Others. However, no protection is a permanent ward against them, and no means of damaging or destroying them renders them permanently gone. Their strength, that they recur so long as there is battle on the battlefield, is also a weakness- should the conflict be resolved or temporarily brought to a halt, they are just as mortal as anyone.

Binding: Dog Tags that are wounded or otherwise trapped can be fairly easily bound by ordinary battlefield constraints. Binding and booking a Dog Tag is remarkably easy, all considered, simply requiring that they be given a name or nickname or that the name is taken. Keeping them bound may be harder- they'll remain bound for twelve to twenty-four hours, but if the binder is still on the battlefield when the twenty-four hours pass, the Dog Tag will be 'let slip'. The names must be either taken away in some physical form, or the conflict must come to a close. War Mages tend to harbor the good ways of binding, including the keeping of Flame-types and Famine-types.

Summoning: Dog Tags are a common War Mage summoning, but they are one that is not especially strong unless they are summoned into an area where violence or conflict is already ongoing. The token on which their name or nicknames are inscribed are held and the names read off. They appear with a combination of their original battlefield selves and as a 'warrior' of the local area might appear to be, with said 'warrior's' armaments. But for their faces, when summoned into an urban area, they could appear nearly indistinguishable from gangsters, crooked security officers, or as scarred veterans who couldn't leave the battlefield behind. They might have baseball bats, knives, cheap handguns or shotguns. In more crime- or violence-ridden areas, their armaments may be better, their identities crisper.

Either way, they are generally summoned as foot troops or added pressure. Will remain in play and return to play regularly until dismissed, their summoner perishes, or a truce is rendered or forced.

As Familiars, generally the practitioner will pick an 'awarded' Dog Tag, who has achieved several kills and started to form a distinct personality or identity. Taking a Dog Tag as a familiar tends to elevate them in clarity and level. Doing so with a low-level Dog Tag requires some pre-established relationship and leaves the resulting evolution up to chance, though generally with the Dog Tag becoming something that aligns loosely with their new master's needs. As familiars, they tend to be impossible to permanently take out, are aggressive and single-minded, which can be nice when a master needs to regularly eliminate enemies, to have a familiar that will run errands with no questions, and/or just watch their master's back in a tense environment, a perpetual bodyguard. Favor the fairly obvious 'dog' form, though subtypes may favor rats or crows.