Inugami, Loyal Dog Spirit
Inugami are dog spirits bound by ritual, serving families as guardians or curses. Fiercely loyal, they can possess the unworthy and retaliate when disrespected.
Story beats
- 1) A dog is ritually sacrificed and its spirit tethered to a family line.
- 2) Inugami patrol households, warning of danger, biting unseen threats.
- 3) Neglect or cruelty turns them vengeful; they possess foes—or careless kin—causing illness and barking fits.
- 4) Proper offerings and respect keep the pact mutual; otherwise, the binding frays.
Context & symbolism
Inugami straddle pet devotion and ritual exploitation. They reflect the idea that protection bound by pain can twist. Possession tales caution against mistreating loyal guardians.
They also echo clan identity: families reputed to hold inugami gain fear and respect.
Motifs
- Familiar spirits
- Possession and barking illness
- Guardianship through sacrifice
- Inherited pacts
Use it in play
- Bargain with an inugami for protection; honor its price.
- Exorcise a possession by reconciling a broken dog pact.
- Track a cursed bloodline carrying inugami marks—dog ears, sudden growls.
- Offer loyalty trials; pass, and the spirit fights beside you.
Comparative threads
- Familiar spirits: European witches’ imps, fox spirit contracts.
- Guard dog myths: Cerberus, Barghest.
Hooks and campaign seeds
- An inugami goes feral after neglect; soothe it with the right relic.
- A rival clan steals your inugami; rescue it or risk its loyalty shifting.
- A village forbids dogs; inugami resent the ban, stirring hauntings.