The Old Black Dog

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• Vital Stats

  • Who: W.S., The Old Black Dog
  • What: Occasional Psychopomp
  • When: At passing
  • Where: Nearby
  • How: By whatever means
  • Why: For his own ends

• Visible Forms

  W.S. most commonly makes his appearance in the form of a large, black, dog-like creature (~4' from paw to withers). The true blackness of his coat is debatable given that his wiry, stringy fur seems to be consistently covered in a greasy film of a black, oil-like substance, at times even dripping from his underside and muzzle. It's unclear if the skull on his face is used as an ornamental mask or part of his actual head; he's never seen without it, the eye sockets are completely black, and the oil and dirt seem to make the edges meld seamlessly with his bottom jaw. His front paws are more like hands relative to his hind paws. While they still have fur and claws, the prints they leave behind are obviously human-like.
  
  His other form is just a taller (~8.5'), leaner, were-like version. More claws. More teeth. More grease.
  
  He has yet to appear in other forms. Though it also unknown if he even can.

• His Purpose

  W.S. rarely makes himself visible unless for a specific purpose, usually death or illness-related. He serves as a psychopomp (an escort into the 'afterlife'-- whatever or wherever that may be). Though he's supposed to be helpful and compassionate for the dying soul, this tends not to be the case. During his journeys, he is not above acts of intimidation, deception, or coercion in order to bring them to their destinations.
  
  His past, the "name" he bears, an identity-- all are considered unimportant. "W.S." could have been a past life, a future one, a concept, or something else entirely. He has only known to exist as the entity he is now. This detachment also seems to extend to most other beings for he has little to no curiosity for what awaits his escortees or what they have done to find themselves in such a situation. If there's a pattern for the types of escortees he is drawn to, he is either not aware of it or indifferent. He will say he merely exists to represent the "death of ideas."