WHAT ARE SONGDOGS?

Songdogs are magical dogs born with a song in their heart. They are created when someone listens to a song and has such a strong feeling that a new life is created in the Soundscape. They don't need to eat or sleep like Earth dogs and they do not reproduce the same way either. They are an OPEN species!

WHAT DO SONGDOGS LOOK LIKE?

A Songdog can look like any pure or mixed breed of domesticated dog (canis familiaris). Wild animals like coyotes, wolves, and foxes cannot be Songdogs, as those are reserved for the Gods of Song. Songdogs can be any color and have any type of markings. They can have wild hair, accessories, extra limbs like wings, strange growths like horns or extra heads, and can walk on four legs or two legs like a person.

Though all Songdogs look very different, the one thing that connects all Songdogs is their soulsong which appears as lyrics written on their body.

The lyrics on a Songdog's body can be in any one color, any (readable, real language) font, any language, and can consist of as much as the entire song or as little as a single line. The lyrics are typically large and easy to read from a distance and can appear anywhere on the body. The words glow when the Songdogs sing.

WHAT KINDS OF SONGDOGS ARE THERE?

There are four types of Songdogs!

Originals- these Songdogs are born directly from songs. This is the most plentiful type of Songdog there is and while there may be hundreds Songdogs born from the same song, each one is entirely unique.

Mashups- These special Songdogs are created when two (or more) Songdogs come together to collab with their soulsongs--this can be from forming a band to fight The Silence or doing battle with one another instead of Rap Battling. They tend to have even wilder markings and features--usually taking from both 'parents'. The lyrics on their body come from multiple songs though they are one color.

If you want to create a Mashup with another person's Songdog, be sure to ask their permission!

Covers and Remixes- Songdogs who have lost their connection with their soulsong for whatever reason and have either had to rekindle it or choose a new one.

Remixes- Songdogs who have rekindled their connection to their soulsong and put a new spin on it have lyrics that look like they have been written twice with two different colors.

Covers-Songdogs who have chosen a new song entirely may 'cover' themselves with clothes, paint, or pelts showing off their new lyrics in a different color. The new lyrics are the ones that glow when they sing. Their original lyrics become faded and grey.

WHAT KINDS OF NAMES DO SONGDOGS HAVE?

Songdog names can be whatever, but their full names are kind of silly. If your Songdog's name is Jade and she comes from the song Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astly, her full name would be Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astly feat. Jade. However, you only need to call her Jade. Her friends (or enemies) might give her a nickname that comes from any part of her full name.

ARE SONGDOGS THAT COME FROM THE SAME SONG REALTED?

Generally speaking, no. Songdogs are born from a single person's love of a song, but if you want your Songdog born from Never Gonna Give You Up to be brothers with someone else's Songdog, it's fine if they say it's fine.

Songdogs from entirely different songs/artists can be family too! That's how Mashups can happen after all.

WHAT CAN SONGDOGS DO?

They can walk, talk, use tools, build houses, create religions, almost anything an Earth person can do. They can also fly if they have wings or breathe underwater if they have gills.

The most important thing Songdogs do is sing of course! Animals and other Songdogs come from all across the Sounscape to hear them sing. They bring joy, excitement, unity, (and noise) to the world around them.

When Songdogs sing their soulsong, the lyrics on their body light up and drift outwards, surrounding them with a blast of musical defensive and offensive magic that can be used to fight and drive off The Silence or other beings.

They can sing songs other than their soulsong and even play instruments, but these do not have magical effects.

WHAT COUNTS AS A SOULSONG?

Any song that has lyrics! The lyrics must express an idea and be something besides simple beat sounds like "oh oh oh!" and "da da ba da!" If a song does not have lyrics, it is not a soulsong. Music without lyrics exists in the Soundscape as a natural phenomenon like the weather in our world.

Remember to credit the original artist who came up with your Songdog's soulsong on your picture or in the description where you share it so other people can listen to it and be inspired!

WHERE DID SONGDOGS GET THEIR POWERS?

Their powers were given to them by the Gods of Song. They do not have to learn to use their soulsong, they are created knowing it. They can only lose the ability to use their magic if they get caught up in The Silence or lose their connection with their soulsong for whatever reason (injury, sadness, the artist you based your Songdog on turns out to be a dirtbag IRL and you don't want to be associated with them anymore.)

CAN SONGDOGS GROW OLD AND DIE?

Yes. Songdogs age as the love of the song they were created from dies in the heart of the one who originally heard it. This is natural. When a Songdog dies a natural death of 'old age" they fade away into notes of music and join the tunes drifting from the speakers in the trees.

CAN SONGDOGS GET HURT?

Yes! Though they are magical and many don't have bones for any reason other than "the aesthetic", Songdogs can get hurt! They can get hurt in natural disasters, by predators, by The Silence, or other Songdogs.

Songdogs bleed liquid TV static. When a Songdog is killed, its body evaporates and turns into a new cloud of The Silence. Be nice!

HOW DO SONGDOGS ACT?

Every Songdog is unique just like every person is unique. Some are nice, some are mean. Some act more like dogs and some act more like people. Some roam the lands in packs and some hold down simple jobs just to have something to do.

Songdogs don't need money (unless they're particular that way) so they barter rather than buy.

When two Songdogs have a disagreement, the most widely accepted form of settling it is a Rap Battle instead of a physical fight. Everyone gathers to watch the two Songdogs shred one another with biting lyrics. If things get too heated, they may break out their soulsongs to deal dammage which is pretty frowned upon.

Songdogs are pretty social! They love coming together to form groups of friends, performers, or even a family.

THE WORLD OF SONGDOGS

WHAT IS THE SOUNDSCAPE?

The Soundscape is where the Songdogs live! It is a strange colorful world that exists on a plane beyond but still connected to our own.

It has grassy meadows, lush forests, wide oceans, rushing rivers, dry deserts, and towering mountains. It rains and snows in the Soundscape too. It also has towns and cities and of course stages just ready to be performed on. The Soundscape's colors are wacky though-- locations might have a green sky or a pink ocean and in some areas the ground seems to have been replaced with a strange, smooth reflective grid.

There's also the permeating presence of big black audio speakers. The speakers can be found sticking out of trees, growing right out of the earth like towering monoliths, or even sitting at the bottom of the ocean. These speakers are always thumpin', piping instrumental music that is unique to each area. Think of it as background music in a video game that changes when the situation calls for it. Sad music in the rain, anyone?

WHAT IS THE SILENCE?

The Silence is a malevolent hive-mind cloud made of deceased Songdogs that stalks the Soundscape, eating up all sound in its path. It sucks the joy out of every creature it touches and makes them forget what music sounds like. The more The Silence eats, the larger it grows. If allowed to spread, it could mean the end of all sound (and music) as we know it.

While The Silence is one entity, smaller parts of it can be found throughout the Soundscape.

If The Silence catches a Songdog unawares, they are plunged into a terrifying black void and become muted. This means they cannot sing or use their soulsong. It is up to their friends to drive The Silence back and save them. A Songdog that spends too much time lost in The Silence might even forget how to sing...forever!

WHO ELSE LIVES IN THE SOUNDSCAPE?

Several kinds of animals call The Soundscape home! Any creature found on Earth can be found in The Soundscape. Like the Songdogs, other locals can speak and be any crazy color, but only the Songdogs can stand on two legs like people and use soulsong magic.

The denizens of the Soundscape are meant to function as townsfolk for your Songdog to befriend or wildlife for them to fight and hunt depending on where they live and the kind of story you'd like to create.

WHO ARE THE GODS OF SONG?

The Gods of Song built The Soundscape. They once watched over it and were led by the wolf, the creator of the first song. There is an unknowable number of them and each one appears as a wild canid. One day they were overtaken by The Silence and with the last of their strength, reached out to our world. The love humans had for music pushed through the barrier between worlds and created the Songdogs. Though they and the Songdogs were successful, the Gods of Song have now grown reclusive. They exists as NPCs for your Songdog to interact with on their adventures. They can be contacted for spiritual guidance or sick music reccs.

SONGDOGS FAQ

Can more than one person have a Songdog from the same song?
Absolutely! Music inspires everyone differently!

Songdogs don't need to eat or sleep, but can they if they want to?
Yup!

What genders/sexual orientations can Songdogs be?
Songdogs can identify however they like. NO TERFS IN THE SOUNDSCAPE!

Can I put explicit lyrics on my Songdog?
Fuck yeah, dude! However, if you put racist/homophobic/ableist slurs on your Songdog, I'll blacklist you from any future commmissions/trades/Songdog events.

Does it mean anything if my Songdog has more/less lyrics on it than others?
Nah. It's all about what looks cool to you.

Can I make money off Songdogs in any way?
Yes. I do not have the spoons to police this. Make and sell song dogs, do commissions of other peoples' songdogs. Trade them away. I would appreciate a link back to this page if you do. Not required, just appreciated.

I already have an OC that is a dog with song lyrics on them. Are they a Songdog? Can I make an already existing OC into a Songdog?
If your critter lives in the Soundscape and fights The Silence and has a soulsong, they can be a Songdog!

Can Songdogs travel beyond the Soundscape?
No.

Can Songdogs have babies/Mashups with anything else besides other Songdogs?
No.

How many Songdogs can a person make?
As many as you can keep up with!

Who can make a Songdog?
YOU!!!

HAVE FUN!!

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