Hellhounds are working demonic dogs. They serve a master or fate, and they will not stop until they’ve collected a mortal’s soul. Learn how hellhounds manifest, behave, hunt and how to protect yourself after the jump.

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Hellhound Manifestations

Hellhounds only manifest when they have a soul to retrieve for their masters or by fate. You may encounter a single hound or a pack of fiery, demonic dogs, but one thing’s for certain: They won’t stop until they collect your soul.

Variations in appearance

Hellhounds look like a large dog with glowing red eyes and flames licking its fur. They can appear as larger-than-normal Dobermans, Rottweilers or black German Shepherd Dogs. However, hellhounds have nothing else in common with domestic dogs. These monsters are killers; they only obey their Hell-ish masters; and they cannot be controlled by mortal means.

A commonly misidentified ‘demon dog’ is a guardian spirit, especially when seen in cemeteries or graveyards. Guardian spirits are dogs that were sacrificed to protect the dead buried there. These dogs appear more as Irish Wolfhounds or other extra-large domestic canines. They can manifest with glowing red eyes and flickering flames around them, but they are only apparitions. Scary apparitions, but still an apparition.

Demonic Dog Behavior

Like working dogs, hellhounds need a job to do, and that’s retrieve souls from those who cut deals with demons or avoided their (fated) death. There’s no doubt that these demon dogs are ferocious and deadly. But they obey their Hell-ish masters every command. When their master makes a command, you better believe their ‘pet’ will do its best to make sure their master is happy. Whatever that may be.

In a pack, there’s an alpha that keeps the members in line. Sometimes, that means tearing apart a misbehaving hellhound. However, in most cases, only a few hellhounds will hunt together.

Rogue Hellhounds

In rare cases, a hellhound has broken free from a master or its master was destroyed. A now solo hellhound has no ‘job’ to do, so it becomes especially dangerous. It can now feed on fear, rips souls from mortals, and act like a chaotic puppy.

Over time, a pack of hellhounds will likely hunt it down and destroy it. And many mortals may be caught in the crossfire.

Supernatural Abilities of Hellhounds

Invisibility

Hellhounds have the terrifying ability to become invisible. However, you can hear them growl, smell their brimstone, and see their paw prints. This drives fear and irrational behavior in their targets. That makes you much easier to ‘eat.’

Now, other supernatural entities or people wearing enchanted objects, like glasses, can see hellhounds when invisible to the mortal eye.

Impervious to man-made weapons

Most man-made weapons, like bullets, grenades, knives, and more, do little to harm hellhounds. The weapons need some sort of enchantment (a spell, charm or magick) to break through a hellhound’s tough hide. Bullets pass through these monsters with nary a whiff of smoke.

Enhanced Senses

As supernatural creatures, hellhounds can track their prey anywhere they may hide. No other monster can compete with a hellhound’s ability to track down mortal and drag them to Hell.

Hellhounds can also see in the dark and across the full-spectrum of light. They appear to have infrared vision as well as full-spectrum vision. In some reports, they may be able to see through man-made structures to find their prey.

Super Strength

Hellhounds can reportedly pull a semi truck, bite through crowbars, crash through doors with ease, and claw their way out of steel shipping containers.

Speed

Witnesses have reported hellhounds keeping pace with traffic on busy highways (estimated speed up to 60 m.p.h.).

Fire Manipulation

It appears hellhounds can manipulate existing fire to make it more intense and larger as well as extinguishing flames. However, they can’t generate fire by themselves.

Habitat

Hellhounds don’t have a habitat, per se, on our earthly plane. When mortals encounter them, it’s because they have been targeted. A hellhound can go anywhere it wants to find that target.

Specifically to Appalachia, there is something unusual about its hollers. These geological formations tend to attract more supernatural creatures than other mountain ranges in North America. Occult scientists and para-geologists seem stumped as to why hellhounds and other monsters dwell in the area. Research is ongoing in this matter.

There are other specific areas that seem to draw these beasts: Hellhounds tend to visit cemeteries and graveyards. We believe the solitude calms their chaotic nature. It’s also interesting to note that researchers have not found hellhounds and guardian spirits having conflicts. Perhaps guardian spirits know hellhounds have no conflict with the dead?

Prey

In our material plane, researchers have found 3 types of victims:

1. Those that owe a debt to a demon.
2. Those who are so inherently evil, the Devil himself wants that mortal’s soul.
3. Those who have survived deadly accidents without a scratch on them.

For those owing a debt to a demon

Well, you made your deal and now it’s time to pay up with your soul. In many cases, the hellhound starts to manifest a year before the contract ends. Once you reach the deadline, a hellhound viciously retrieves the mortal and drags them to Hell.

For those who are inherently evil

It can seem random when the hellhound comes for you. To the Devil, time isn’t really a consideration. He just snaps his finger and the hellhound pounces. In this case, the victim doesn’t even know they’re wanted down below. The hellhound attack is still violent and bloody.

For those who survived a deadly accident without a scratch

They were fated to die in the accident. Somehow, a cosmic hiccup happened and the mortal escaped. However, you can never outrun Death, and a cosmic balance must be maintained. So, a hellhound comes for your soul. Many of these deaths get reported as ‘natural causes under mysterious circumstances.’ That’s because the hellhound rips the soul from the person, and the shock and fear causes a heart attack or stroke.

How to Protect Yourself from Hellhounds

According to Dr. Carl Langley, a leading Occult scientist from Central Appalachian State University in West Virginia, these are the best protection tactics you can use:

1. Remain calm: Hellhounds can smell fear.
2. Wear protective charms, amulets or talismans: It takes magick to protect against the supernatural.
3. Retreat to a safe place: Draw sigils on doors, windows, floors and the ceiling to keep out monsters.
4. Document the experience: This helps others learn and provides scientists with more data.
5. Learn more about hellhounds: The more you know, the better you’ll be able to defend yourself and others.

Sources:

While this article is fiction, I did use real-life sources to learn more about hellhounds. You can find them listed below.

BBC News. (August 8, 2014). The origins of the Black Shuck. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-28654504

Reddit (u/famoushippopotamus). (November 11, 2015). Hellhounds and Nessian Warhounds. https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/3sej0o/hellhounds_and_nessian_warhounds/

Wikipedia contributors. (May 10, 2023). Hellhound. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellhound

Wikipedia contributors. (May 16, 2023). Hellhound. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 06:57, May 21, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellhound

Maierstorm.org. (August 30, 2019). Hellhounds. The World Is A Vampire. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://maierstorm.org/Vampire/index.php/Hellhounds

Supernatural Wiki contributors. (n.d.). Hellhounds. Supernatural Wiki. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://supernatural.fandom.com/wiki/Hellhounds

Villains Wiki contributors. (n.d.). Hellhounds (folklore). Villains Wiki. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Hellhounds_%28folklore%29