
[Long description: An Endling mounts a makeshift sled salvaged from Imperial scrap, and rouses a working team of excitable sled “dogs.” They’re the size of small ponies, with big, chunky limbs and blocky muzzles, resembling fuzzy gorgonopsids.]
The Warg, Goregon, or Wargonopsid is an endematic creature fabricated by the Endling Cult. Much like their creators, these animals serve a variety of purposes, functioning variously as beasts of burden, hunting hounds, and companion animals.
I describe these animals chiefly to advance Warg husbandry beyond the shores of Earth. This is a common source of misunderstanding between Endling envoys and Imperial diplomats, whose superstitions about the Endeme place them at odds with one another. I also seek to demystify the creature in the eyes of the Archive, which lacks the capacity to study them directly. In so doing, this dossier endeavors to ease certain tensions under the current ceasefire.
Origin Myth; Propagation; Ceremony and Ritual.
The Warg is the only known form of endematic growth that is fabricated
by humans. Even the so-called “wild” Wargs cannot occur without human intervention. It is true that the Endling Cult propagates other forms of endematic growth, but these do not rely exclusively on the Endlings to reproduce. Nor does the Cult assert any degree of control over these wild-type growths. The Warg is the exception. The Warg cannot exist without the Cult, and the Cult asserts a crude degree of control over the form, function, and development of the Warg.To my understanding, this “control” is more like a game of developmental chance, and involves manipulating certain variables during propogation. It is not derived, as is often assumed, from an empathic connection to the Endeme. It is true that such a connection exists; it was observed during the █████████████ and by the ██████████, and was responsible for the catastrophic losses incurred by the Empire, but of this, at least, the Warg is innocent.
The first Goregon was created by accident. The story goes that the ex-secutor ██████ was fascinated with animal domestication in the age before the Empire, and sought to document the last domestic dogs on Earth.
To this end, ██████ recovered the remains of a dog named Laika from a community in the South Pontic, some 300 stadia from the ash wastes.██████ gained the community’s assent and briefly exhumed Laika’s skeleton for study purposes. The body was reburied within the day. Returning some six months later to revisit his first data point, ██████ learned from the locals that a strange tree had sprouted from Laika’s grave. In the tree’s trunk grew a fleshy, endematic burr, which was stretched over what appeared to be a ribcage. Within the ribs, ██████ found a kicking embryo.
All Goregons are propagated in much the same way as Laika. I am not permitted the details of the creation ritual, and, indeed, the propagation mechanism is poorly understood, even by the Cult.
Nevertheless I will relate it in broad strokes.Wargs are created from the carcasses of domestic dogs. The dog, being a rare creature, is not typically killed for this purpose. Rather, the body is recovered from the ash wastes, recently passed companion animals, or from communities that lack certain superstitions about death and burial. Most bodies are thus reduced to bones by the time they are recovered.
The head of the dog must be removed “to allow the original animal to rest” and to honor Laika, whose head was taken trophy. The body is then inoculated with the Endeme and ritually “planted,” or reburied. If the rites are performed correctly,
the Endeme will germinate. After a period of time, perhaps a few months, the endematic growth will “ripen” enough to be cut open, revealing the immature Wargonopsid within.Physiology; Shaping; Variants.
The Warg’s anatomy is a reflection of its fabrication. All Wargs retain portions of their “original body,” or the carcass used to construct them. This typically manifests as a series of exposed ribs or spinal columns embedded in the serratus ventralis cervicis and splenius muscles. One to two sets of reduced, polymelic limbs drape from the shoulder over the primary forelimbs. These are not actually duplicate forelimbs, but reconstructed hindlimbs, apparently retained from the original body. The function of these auxiliary limbs varies between morph. Some are nonfunctional, while others possess a degree of dexterity.
Wargs are initially born without hindlegs and tails. They are typically outfitted with prosthetic legs (or other mobility devices) by their caretaker. These prosthetics are periodically replaced as they develop, until they grow into their “adult legs,” which become incorporated into their body via endematic growth. They may also be outfitted with a tail, which can aid in balance and dexterity. Some remain tailless throughout their life, while others spontaneously develop tails.
While some traits may be influenced during development, a Warg’s appearance is unpredictable. There is some degree of logic during development—for example, planting the skeleton of a greyhound typically results in a long, slender Warg—but outliers are the rule more than they are the exception. I am told this is a source of both excitement and anxiety for their handlers. In many ways they feel that their partners are “chosen” for them by the Endeme, but its choices don’t always align with theirs. Sometimes they must give up life as a musher, outrider, or tracker, when their new partner turns out to be a poor fit for their lifestyle.
Endurance; Sledhounds.

[Long description: A sledhound. This one is short and stout, with a shaggy mane, husky-like countershading, a salmon-colored chin and flank, and a short, stubby tail fabricated from bone and wire.]
With broad paws, wide, flattened claws, and strong bodies, these rugged hounds are specially suited to navigating wasteland Earth. They are a common and highly gregarious morph, eagerly associating with Wargs and humans alike. Because of this, they are typically employed by mushers of the ash wastes. They also excel as hunting dogs and companion animals. Interestingly, they are prized among Ashrunners, who apparently obtain them from the Cult as gifts.
Sighthounds.

[Long description: A sighthound. This one resembles a classical unicorn with its curly white fur and dainty build. Its snout is long and slightly bowed, like a khukuri, and the fur on the face is thin and patchy compared to the body.]
An unusual morph, sighthounds tread the line between graceful and ungainly. They possess a slender build with lean limbs and an elongated muzzle, which retains the sabre teeth of their “wild” relatives. They also possess a pair of highly dexterous polymelic limbs. These limbs are armed with long, piercing claws, which they use to entrap small prey.
Like falcons, they are physically and psychologically primed to do one thing very well— that is, run down prey. But when they are out of work, they become passive, indolent creatures. Many have trained their caretakers into lives of comfort rather than labor. I am told that their “lapdog” habit has done more to endear them to the Archive than any other morph. Some Archivists have even expressed a desire to acquire them for their personal menagerie, though I doubt the Cult will ever allow this.
Draft; War.

[Long description: A hefty warhound with a mustard and ash-grey coloration, sort of like a grullo horse. The bone plating on its back has been flattened and modified into a saddle. It leads into a long, articulated tail, which looks like it could probably reduce someone to bloody pulp in a pinch.]
Vanishingly rare but fearsome, these warhounds are several times larger than their peers, and possess an attitude to match. I am told they have “big personalities,” which makes them “interesting to train,” but highly effective in running down and demoralizing the enemy. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this extends to peacetime negotiations, as well.
The only thing about them that can be described as “small” is their polymelic limbs—which are much reduced compared to other morphs—and, perhaps, their patience for inexperienced handlers.
The mane is typically shorn on one side to resemble a warhorse. Whether this is to mimic or mock the Imperial Cavalry, I cannot tell. Perhaps it is both.
Wild-type; Feral.

[Long description: A ruddy “wild-type” Warg. Its shaggy mane extends all the way down its back and to its partially-furred tail, which is thick and stubby, like a chuckwalla’s.]
Wargs that are abandoned during early development will revert to their “wild-type” form. It is highly unusual for a Warg to be abandoned, and even more unusual for one to survive without a caretaker, as they are born helpless and require significant parental care.
Dramatic physical and behavioral changes occur in these individuals. Hindlegs and tails may remain undeveloped, develop partially, or develop fully. Demeanor also shifts, as the animal becomes more independent, less gregarious, and wary of humans. Though they have a reputation for being volatile and unpredictable, it’s a common misconception that “wild-type” Wargs are intractable. They can be worked by a patient handler. I am told this is a grueling and emotional—but rewarding—task.
Ideological Justification; Position Within the Cult.
The servile function of the Warg may strike the outsider as strange, given that the Endling Cult formed in response to the Empire’s treatment of its own servant class. It would seem that manufacturing a biomechanical tool flies in the face of the Cult’s mission—that is, to ensure that no other being suffers the same fate they did. If the Endling shows animistic reverence to all things, from tools to machines to mountains, valleys, and streams, why does this belief end with their own hounds?
There are a variety of justifications for the Goregon’s existence, which I will not exhaust here. Instead, I focus on two key points that my collaborators identified as “compelling enough language to satisfy even the Archive:”
- “The Archive is the master, and the secutor, the tool;
They denigrate the secutor, we elevate the tool.”
A corruption of the Archive’s own labor songs, the rallying cry of the Endling Cult no doubt echoes in the psyches of those who survived the ██████████. It is the core justification of the Endling Cult’s existence and, unsurprisingly, the Warg’s as well.
The Cult does not believe that it is inherently demeaning to be a tool. On the contrary, tools are viewed as sapient beings that command reverence. Put another way, the Cult does not exist because the Empire treats people as tools. The Cult exists because the Empire treats tools as expendable, unfeeling objects that are incapable of awareness. By expanding their definition of personhood to include tools, machines, and other inanimate objects, the Endling moves to elevate all beings.
This philosophy is not so alien when one considers the ways in which Archivists use other Archivists as tools. We acknowledge that our colleagues are sapient beings capable of autonomy
and we often consent to being “used” when this autonomy is honored—For example, by trading favors with friends, bartering intel, or soliciting entertainment. This is not a novel concept, and does not require one to indulge the Cult’s more radical notions of animacy. If one can suffer the idea that a person can be a tool—or something like a tool—then one can begin to understand that the existence of the Goregon is not at odds with the Endling Cult’s existence. This would only be true if the Goregon was demeaned, coerced, or beaten into servitude. Nothing that I have observed would suggest that the Warg, an over-excited working animal, is anything but enthusiastic about being “used.”In the words of one Cultist, “They just want to work and play, like us.” Some directives are hard-coded and harder to kill.
- Fundamental right to life; Endeme as sacrosanct.
My collaborators liken the creation of the Goregon to the Empire’s own “civic creation myth,” or His Eminence the God-King’s conquering and reunification of the Empire. While they hesitate to liken the Endeme to the God-King for a variety of reasons, they stress that the Endeme is the centerpiece of their worldview in much the same way that the God-King is to the Imperial Church. If His Grace is honored in war, prayer, and the masterworks of great men, then the Endeme is honored by scattering its seeds and caring for its creations. The Warg, as one of those creations, has a fundamental right to exist.
It is a matter of debate within the Endling Cult whether this right to exist extends to the right to propagate more Goregons. Much like the philosophical tension felt by Endlings over the “right-to-repair,” Goregons occupy a contested space in the Endling imagination. They are universally seen as gifts, but because this gift must be solicited through ritual and ceremony, there is, ironically, some discomfort with the idea of “using” the Endeme to further their own interests.
Regardless, the Warg is a cherished comrade and emissary of the Endeme. They are tools as much as they are gifts from a beloved creator-being. Whether or not this is heretical nonsense is irrelevant; it does not change the fact that the Endling Cult takes Warg husbandry very seriously, and expects a degree of respect for the animal from those who wish to maintain peaceful relations with them.
Appendix Alpha
Regarding the Editor;
This dossier was compiled by Dr. ██████████ from verbal accounts generously offered by the Endling Cult and the Imperial Archive.
I acknowledge that acting as liaison between the Imperial Archive and the Endling Cult creates difficulties. I can never truly make disclosures with the Cult’s blessing, because there is no one voice that speaks for the Cult. Nor can I speak for the Empire as a former agent of the Archive and a Toleratus. It is beyond my legal power to represent their interests, letalone ferry official correspondence from one government to another.
And yet this is the very role I find myself playing. I am, as far as I’m aware, the only one doing this work. I am not uniquely qualified, nor do I feel the need to defend my office against successors. There is simply no alternative. Nobody has volunteered. Until another candidate materializes, I will continue to carry out my duties.
With no legal authority or social status, I am, in fact, uniquely unqualified to carry out this work. I am aware that certain disclosures will be made against the wishes of Imperial agents and Cultists alike. I am also aware that this will not earn me the goodwill of either party. Those who read this dossier seeking to make a foe out of me will be disappointed when their opponent fails to show. The Archive means nothing here on Earth. The Cult is a stubborn weed with a thousand enemies. I have no need for the love of either party. I am interested only in preserving the fragile ceasefire that enables my work on Earth.
I have thus far exhausted the reasons to read this dossier with a critical eye. Allow me to address them now. As I have stated earlier, I cannot be blithely trusted to function as a mouthpiece. Instead, I offer two reassurances that my word is good.
First, though I cannot obtain the consent of the Cult or the Empire at large, I have structured this document around their desires—Chiefly the Archive’s inquiries, and knowledge that has been freely volunteered by members of the Cult. I have also, to my knowledge, eliminated disclosures deemed sensitive or dangerous by most of my collaborators. This is not to say that this document is without controversy. If I balked at every sign of dissent, it would not exist at all. In instances where consensus could not be reached, I settled the matter by censusing my collaborators and their associates. A simple 2/3rds majority retained several passages protested by a vocal minority. In some cases, guided chiefly by intuition, passages were retained or omitted against the wishes of the majority. An inventory of discretionary revisions is retained in Appendix Theta.
Second, I was never seriously threatened during the creation of this dossier. This is an appreciable feat for a former agent of the Empire working among the Cult. In both spaces I am tolerated—not liked—but both parties recognize the necessity of this work, and are willing to suffer the disagreeable parts of it.
It may be argued that threats were never made “to my face” because of the significant power I hold over the average person. Understand that while I am not easy prey to most individuals, I do not work with “most individuals.” I do not believe the Cult was ever intimidated into silence by my presence because I do not believe the Cult is capable of staying silent on matters like this. Nor does the Empire suffer that which it cannot control without first making an effort to posture at it.
Consider it this way: It would be easy for me to vanish under mysterious circumstances in the ash wastes. That I have not is a testament to the fact that I have not written anything worth dying for.


[Long description: The Doctor narrowly tolerates the sloppy kisses of an over-excited sled Warg; A sighthound sticks its comically long snout out and looks pathetically at the viewer; The Doctor kneels down and scratches the belly of the sighthound, saying “OK. I will make an exception for you because you look like an exceptionally polite killing machine.”]
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You leave it there with your
Faithful companion by our side :)
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