Szarkel are Githzerai dogs. The antecedents of the szarkel breed are not known, though the blood of various doglike creatures from the chaotic planes was undoubtedly added to the line.
A szarkel stands 3’ high at the shoulder and may weigh 150 pounds or more. It is of slender build, with a long muzzle, a long body and tail, and long legs. The teeth are unnaturally sharp. A szarkel’s eyes are large and yellow, the pupil a vertical slit. The normal coat is short and gray, but these dogs have a limited polymorph ability that allows them to alter the color, length, and quality of the fur to suit local conditions: long and thick in cold weather, short in hot weather, waterproof in swampy territory, and so on, while its color may be any shade or combination of white, brown, red, black, or gray. The smell of szarkel is pleasant, rather like scented wood. Unlike normal dogs, szarkel can close their nostrils and swim comfortably under water, remaining active beneath the surface for up to three rounds at a time.
Source: Dragon #117, page 38
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