
Mail Mutts are an open species. The only rule is to give credit where appropriate. Commercial use with credit is allowed. If you have a mail mutt character, feel free to fit them into your original worldbuilding and use as much or as little of the 'official' lore as you like, the goal is to provide inspiration.
Open adoptables:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/29137235/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/29169829/
ouo
ok story time
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Overview
The creatures we call mail mutts are dogs with glowing clocks for faces, used by the __ (I cannot write it) to independently carry mail from settlement to settlement. They have lanterns hanging under the clocks, which glow the same color - my drawing should give a good idea of the configuration. Not a lot is known about them, but I always feel a sense of peace when I see them in the Weird Wood, as rare as that is. Whatever one can say about their masters, it's clear that these industrious animals simply take joy in a job well done.
Last winter, a family rescued an injured mail mutt and kept it a few days to restore its health before setting it free to resume its duty. They were gracious enough to let me observe it. These notes come from that encounter, as well as general knowledge from past sightings by myself and others.
Markings and Breed Characteristics
We call the dogs mutts because there don't seem to be specific breeds, and their markings are often patchy. The hands on the clock faces are universally elegant, simplistic arrows (refer to my drawing). All of the ones we've seen have had fur patterns in black, white, and gray. They're said to be smarter than an average dog, though for their sake I hope they aren't intelligent enough to wither at being used for another's chore. The fellow I've drawn is the one the family rescued - light gray with dark gray patches. They tend to be medium- or large-sized dogs. Some in the village have claimed to have seen very small ones, but I'm not certain the dogs' masters would appreciate the reduced carrying capacity for mail, and I remain skeptical.
Gear
I've included a simple drawing of the rescued mail mutt's tack, which the family removed to keep it comfortable. The bags were, blessedly, empty, from what we could guess by their weight and by shaking them. We still didn't dare open them. The harness and bags seem to be made of leather, though from what animal I couldn't say. Mail mutts also wear bows tied around their lanterns and their tails. Conventional wisdom says that this is for aesthetic purposes, but there seems to be a little more to the story. The fellow I got to know would wag his tail happily when the bow was removed, but cease immediately when it was placed back on. My theory is that the dogs' masters use the bows to remind the dogs not to get too excited while on the job; I will discuss this further in the next section.
Clock
A Mail Mutt's clock face has been known to come in multiple colors for some time. With the chance to observe one, I've made a critical new discovery: the color changes, and can be set to change! I discovered settings on the back of the clock, behind the animal's ears. Blue indicates the clock is being set (or inactive; the clock is always blue when the animal sleeps). The clock can be set to glow white or orange; I'm not sure of the distinction, but based on reports of orange-glowing mail mutts rushing through the woods, and the sudden agitation of my new friend when the orange setting was activated (I quickly switched it off), it may have something to do with the urgency of the package. The dog, bless him, would fetch a ball for the family's daughters, pushing it with his front paws to retrieve it. The clock turned violet every time he presented it to them, all on its own! I believe that's an indication of delivery. One of the most fascinating observations, related to me by the family and observed myself, is that an excited mail mutt's clock starts running faster. This is why I think the dogs are reminded not to wag their tails. I'm not sure if the clock has a specific meaning to the dog's masters, or why it's so important that the clock stay accurate, though it makes sense enough that it would be useful to know how long a package took to be delivered. I'm not sure how the animals can see (though they have no trouble navigating), so the use of the lantern still puzzles me. I speculate that the lantern may be used to warn other creatures away from the dogs' masters' mail.
Speculation
It's been a question of endless speculation, whether the clock face and lantern is a natural part of the animal or placed there by a master's design. In examining the rescued mutt, I found the clock quite fixed to his neck, quite seamlessly (granted, I wasn't prepared to tug overmuch). However, the clock and lantern were quite clearly made from the exact same metal as the bell and buckle on the mutt's tack, and they looked rather ordinary (minus the glow). My theory is that the dogs' masters afix the addition permanently through magical means (perhaps it's not so permanent if you are a practicer of magic; I am most certainly not). I can't possibly say what the natural state of a mail mutt might be. Perhaps they are ordinary dogs, enchanted. Perhaps they are a more mystical sort of dog, enchanted further. My humble speculation is that they are mystical, with some sort of flame or sphere of energy for a face, which then lends its vibrance to the clock and lantern. I know you will hear a lot of things said about the dogs' masters, but I can't think that even they would be cruel enough to start with an ordinary dog and... it's unthinkable.
Open adoptables:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/29137235/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/29169829/
ouo
ok story time
_____________________________________________
Overview
The creatures we call mail mutts are dogs with glowing clocks for faces, used by the __ (I cannot write it) to independently carry mail from settlement to settlement. They have lanterns hanging under the clocks, which glow the same color - my drawing should give a good idea of the configuration. Not a lot is known about them, but I always feel a sense of peace when I see them in the Weird Wood, as rare as that is. Whatever one can say about their masters, it's clear that these industrious animals simply take joy in a job well done.
Last winter, a family rescued an injured mail mutt and kept it a few days to restore its health before setting it free to resume its duty. They were gracious enough to let me observe it. These notes come from that encounter, as well as general knowledge from past sightings by myself and others.
Markings and Breed Characteristics
We call the dogs mutts because there don't seem to be specific breeds, and their markings are often patchy. The hands on the clock faces are universally elegant, simplistic arrows (refer to my drawing). All of the ones we've seen have had fur patterns in black, white, and gray. They're said to be smarter than an average dog, though for their sake I hope they aren't intelligent enough to wither at being used for another's chore. The fellow I've drawn is the one the family rescued - light gray with dark gray patches. They tend to be medium- or large-sized dogs. Some in the village have claimed to have seen very small ones, but I'm not certain the dogs' masters would appreciate the reduced carrying capacity for mail, and I remain skeptical.
Gear
I've included a simple drawing of the rescued mail mutt's tack, which the family removed to keep it comfortable. The bags were, blessedly, empty, from what we could guess by their weight and by shaking them. We still didn't dare open them. The harness and bags seem to be made of leather, though from what animal I couldn't say. Mail mutts also wear bows tied around their lanterns and their tails. Conventional wisdom says that this is for aesthetic purposes, but there seems to be a little more to the story. The fellow I got to know would wag his tail happily when the bow was removed, but cease immediately when it was placed back on. My theory is that the dogs' masters use the bows to remind the dogs not to get too excited while on the job; I will discuss this further in the next section.
Clock
A Mail Mutt's clock face has been known to come in multiple colors for some time. With the chance to observe one, I've made a critical new discovery: the color changes, and can be set to change! I discovered settings on the back of the clock, behind the animal's ears. Blue indicates the clock is being set (or inactive; the clock is always blue when the animal sleeps). The clock can be set to glow white or orange; I'm not sure of the distinction, but based on reports of orange-glowing mail mutts rushing through the woods, and the sudden agitation of my new friend when the orange setting was activated (I quickly switched it off), it may have something to do with the urgency of the package. The dog, bless him, would fetch a ball for the family's daughters, pushing it with his front paws to retrieve it. The clock turned violet every time he presented it to them, all on its own! I believe that's an indication of delivery. One of the most fascinating observations, related to me by the family and observed myself, is that an excited mail mutt's clock starts running faster. This is why I think the dogs are reminded not to wag their tails. I'm not sure if the clock has a specific meaning to the dog's masters, or why it's so important that the clock stay accurate, though it makes sense enough that it would be useful to know how long a package took to be delivered. I'm not sure how the animals can see (though they have no trouble navigating), so the use of the lantern still puzzles me. I speculate that the lantern may be used to warn other creatures away from the dogs' masters' mail.
Speculation
It's been a question of endless speculation, whether the clock face and lantern is a natural part of the animal or placed there by a master's design. In examining the rescued mutt, I found the clock quite fixed to his neck, quite seamlessly (granted, I wasn't prepared to tug overmuch). However, the clock and lantern were quite clearly made from the exact same metal as the bell and buckle on the mutt's tack, and they looked rather ordinary (minus the glow). My theory is that the dogs' masters afix the addition permanently through magical means (perhaps it's not so permanent if you are a practicer of magic; I am most certainly not). I can't possibly say what the natural state of a mail mutt might be. Perhaps they are ordinary dogs, enchanted. Perhaps they are a more mystical sort of dog, enchanted further. My humble speculation is that they are mystical, with some sort of flame or sphere of energy for a face, which then lends its vibrance to the clock and lantern. I know you will hear a lot of things said about the dogs' masters, but I can't think that even they would be cruel enough to start with an ordinary dog and... it's unthinkable.
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