Cù-Sìth

Cryptologic Name: Sylva Canis
Planar Origin: Fae
Habitat: Prefer temperate fields and forests
Diet: Decomposer; only consumes dead material

Appearance
Coin-Sìth, also known as “mossdogs” or “faerie dogs,” are large canines who resemble either wolves or foxes in overall body shape, and have mottled green and brown fur and long, braided tails. The vulpine (fox-shaped) coin-sìth are more commonly seen in the Americas, while the lupine (wolf-shaped) variant are more commonly seen in Europe and western Asia), A variety of mosses, wildflowers, mushrooms, other plants grow in the canine’s fur.

Magical Abilities
The cù-sìth is strongly associated with death, given that they consume only dead plants and animals. These creatures are known to predict when living things in their vicinity are close to death, and will howl to indicate this, similar to the wail of the banshee. Their pelts also have the ability to grow all manner of plant and fungal life. These creatures secrete a magical substance from their skin that acts as a fertilizer, causing plants and fungi to germinate and grow much more rapidly than usual. This substance is also particularly good at growing magical flora.

Behavior
While widely feared (particularly in the British Isles) as harbingers of death, these creatures are actually quite docile, inquisitive and playful creatures. While it is true that they tend to bark or howl in anticipation of a living being’s death (similar to the wail of a banshee), they are never responsible for the death itself. They simply feed off decomposing meat and plants, and howl when they sense death approaching. They howl far more often for dying trees, plants, and wild animals than they do for people, but like many magical creatures associated with death, misfortune, and other unpleasant occurrences, they often get a bad reputation through no fault of their own. In truth they are just as much harbingers of life as death; the energy absorbed from the dead plants and animals which they eat fosters the life growing on their coats.

Field Notes

• As might be expected, these creatures are popular companions for herbologists, as magical fauna seems to grow particularly well in their fur. In fact, many magical plants and fungi would be nearly impossible to cultivate otherwise. Beyond serving herbologists as a growing medium, they also consume dead plant matter, meaning they will happily dead-head flowers and remove dead vegetation without damaging the living plants around them. While not commonly kept as pets, those who do agree that they make for a nice alternative to composting since coin-sìth will faithfully dispose of food waste, even the parts we don’t generally eat like fruit peels and meat trimmings. They do seem less fond of overly processed foods though, so don’t expect them to clean up your leftover Velveeta dip.

• Because of their knack for growing magical plants and fungi, coin-sith often glow in the dark as a result of the bio-luminescence that is often seen in magical species of flora