Ratoukhit the Cardassian Riding Hound

[Nerys Ghemor]

Just a little something I started playing with recently...

This is a WIP of Ratoukhit the Cardassian riding hound from Part IV of my story "The Desolate Vigil" (which takes place in my Sigils and Unions--Catacombs of Oralius AU). I have a VERY different idea of what the riding hound should look like, as compared to Una McCormack--for me, they are therapsids just like the Cardassians themselves and show a mix of mammal-like and reptile-like traits.

They do indeed possess a bioelectric sense, as my Cardassians do. They also have the eye ridges that tend to be the mark of Cardassia Prime's most intelligent therapsids (though these recede more quickly into the face than a Cardassian person's, because riding hounds still can't afford the same sacrifice in peripheral vision as a fully sentient being).

The long face, BTW, is inspired by the Borzoi hound.

 

[Finn]

I clicked on the picture and nothing happened. It's cool by the way.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Oops! I need to remove that--the "click on the pic" part was from another board.

But thanks for looking!

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

One more WIP on Ratoukhit for tonight...

I'm still trying to decide what sort of scaling pattern, if any, to put on his neck and chest. I don't see riding hounds as having the equivalent of neck ridges, but I have yet to figure out what else they might have...

 

[Finn]

Down the spine. Have we seen any Cardies with more skin than we normally see like with Dukat?

 

[FordSVT]

^Mostly the females, as I recall.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Yep...just Natima Lang--and even then, the makeup department was inconsistent from Cardassian to Cardassian. But mostly, the Cardassians don't seem to like showing a lot of skin beyond what you see on their uniforms.

 

[Rattrap]

My only complaint, and it's a minor one, is that the eyes look a bit too human. Most Terran mammals, other than humans, show very little white to their eyes, if any at all. Since it's a Cardassian animal, your mileage may vary.

Keep going. It's always interesting to see new interpretations.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Ahh...if I had been doing that in color, that light-colored area would've actually been light blue or grey...maybe not as common for Earth animals (though I know cats and dogs CAN have blue eyes), but probably more common for Cardassian animals. I may darken it up a tad (though part of the fault may be on my scanner), but that area in the center is actually the pupil, not the pupil AND iris. The one thing I don't want, though, is to make it look like the iris is brown.

I see your point, though, and I will definitely re-evaluate next time I have a chance to come back to the drawing.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

OK, here's a newer version with a bit more work on the shading in the face area.

I'm still trying to decide what to do with the chest/body area. I do not think the second "inverted teardrop" shape will be visible, because I did some research on where the canid heart is, and at least in my own world where you see that shape is very near to the Cardassian heart.

I'm trying to decide how much the scaling patterns on the body should match the Cardassian one (best seen here) and how much should be unique to the riding hound...

Oh, and to Rattrap, I definitely considered what you said about the eyes, and tried to change them some. That said, I think the effect of the eyes will probably be like you see in the Husky or Malamute breed of dog, because I intend for the hound's eyes to be blue or grey...fairly light. Think this looks a little better?

 

[BolianAuthor]

Looks awesome... but don't ever look a Cardassian gift hound in the mouth.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

LOL!

I would imagine it's all in who trains the hound. Not sure how much breeds diverge from each other, but given their size I actually don't see them as good attack animals--it's my feeling that the viciousness (at least towards Cardassians) would've been bred out of them due to the risk they would pose to their riders and those around them if they retained the instinct to attack Cardassians (who are smaller and weaker than them). Being predatory animals, I feel like they'd have to be well controlled in order for a long-standing relationship between them and Cardassians to really take hold.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

All right, guys...this is it--Ratoukhit, the riding hound seen in The Desolate Vigil, is finished!

He doesn't actually have neck ridges the way a person from Cardassia would; those scales wrap all the way around the neck, and their purpose is to keep other animals from sinking their teeth into their throats. They come down the back of the neck and form a diamond-like shape in the area that they start.

The ridge you see moving down the chest widens out into another of the inverted teardrop shapes between the front legs (this is around where the hound's heart is and is due to the way I see the biolectric sense as working).

Anyway...enjoy!

 

[Solarbaby]

Just a little something I started playing with recently...

This is a WIP of Ratoukhit the Cardassian riding hound from Part IV of my story "The Desolate Vigil" (which takes place in my Sigils and Unions--Catacombs of Oralius AU). I have a VERY different idea of what the riding hound should look like, as compared to Una McCormack--for me, they are therapsids just like the Cardassians themselves and show a mix of mammal-like and reptile-like traits.

They do indeed possess a bioelectric sense, as my Cardassians do. They also have the eye ridges that tend to be the mark of Cardassia Prime's most intelligent therapsids (though these recede more quickly into the face than a Cardassian person's, because riding hounds still can't afford the same sacrifice in peripheral vision as a fully sentient being).

The long face, BTW, is inspired by the Borzoi hound.

For a second then I thought Sarah Jessica Parker had been given a part in star trek

Seriously though I like it. Great Idea. It does look a bit equine with such a long face- but who is to say that a hound on another planet would look similar to an earth hound. You're a good drawer.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I was actually inspired by the faces of the Borzoi hound, whose faces can have those same very long proportions. Plus as you say, I did figure that animals wouldn't be identical from planet to planet. Internally riding hounds are a bit more different than they look. Not only do they have the bioelectric sense, but they're therapsids, not mammals. Similar to a mammal, but not quite one.

BTW, did you happen to see the finished drawing at the bottom of the thread? (I ask since that's one of the WIPs in the quote.

 

[TerokNor]

It is beautiful! Certainly would like one of those. How tall is a riding hound?

TerokNor

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I'm not quite sure, but they're big enough to carry a grown man comfortably.

I don't think they can do some of the tasks that a draft horse can, though--not sure if they were bred big enough or if they are patient enough for that. I think different animals have to be used for those kinds of tasks.

 

[TerokNor]

Wondering...does it has hair in your imagination, there where it has no scales or would the whole hound feel more like snake, crocodile, lizzard and such? If it has hair, would the colour be, like with Cardassians black/ dark brownish? And if it has only skin without any hair would it always be grey skinned?

TerokNor

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I think it may depend on the breed...but the particular breed I've drawn here does not. This one I picture as grey, darker than Cardassian skin usually is. It may be possible for them to be different colors, though.

The areas that don't look as though they have scales--I think it's different than, say, snakeskin...I've always imagined the "microscales" to be much smaller. If you tried to pet him and went against the grain you'd feel it, kind of like sandpaper.

 

[TerokNor]

I see and one more question:
Does it have a tail? And if yes is it scaly? Is it like a dog tale without hair, with would looks somewhat rattish or would it be more like... a crocodile tail...so very wide in the beginning and than slowly getting less wide? Is it more a short kind or a long kind?
And does it show similar behaviour to a dog, like tale-wacking for greeting?


TerokNor