Chymerics

These Chymerics resemble enormous amalgams of raccoons, otters, possums, dogs, etc. Each has a long prehensile tail with a strong and dexterous hand at the end, and they use this appendage to seize and drag victims into bodies of water to be drowned. Most Ahuizotl hunger for humanoid flesh, particularly prizing the eyes and teeth of their victims. They can breathe both air and water, camouflage themselves in wetlands, and mimic the sounds of other creatures (including speech) to lure and ambush prey. If attacked, the monster's fur twists and hardens into sharp spikes that damage the creature striking it. Any creature landing a death blow on an Ahuizotl becomes cursed with a disease similar to pneumonia, which can only be cured by magical means. Ahuizotl are solitary and do not breed. They appear when a marsh-dwelling omnivore or predator of the proper type drowns after having eaten humanoid flesh at some point in its life.

A traditional chimera possesses 2-4 different animal heads, grafted to a monstrous body with a thick hide and lumps of swollen muscle. These heads normally work in tandem, especially in combat. Some possess wings, gills, scales, regeneration, poison, breath weapons, etc. While there are several situations that can produce a Chimera, they are most often found in places where the power of nature produces storms. A bolt of lightning will strike multiple animals in a region, and these creatures will then seek one another out and fuse into a chimera.

These horse-sized chymerics look like exotic felines with long whip-like whiskers of glowing ephemera that look vaguely like fluttering ribbons. These incorporeal whiskers help the creature feel its way about in dark spaces, give it extra reach, and their touch deals psychic damage to victims. Coeurls originate from the fey realm and live in prides like lions. They are both intelligent and capable of speech, though they don’t typically deign to speak to creatures they regard as prey. Roughly 50% are neutral (Seelie) and 50% are neutral evil (Unseelie). Females give live birth to litters of 1d4 live cubs, which grow to full maturity over six years.

Coeurls love to hunt, and even when not hungry they will stalk other creatures for pleasure. In such cases they are usually content to lightly injure their prey before withdrawing, leaving it to recover. They also have a bizarre sense of honor; if a creature successfully kills a member of their pride, they will usually let it go. Powerful beings with a strong connection to nature can sometimes ally with them, but most lesser humanoids are simply eaten or terrorized with cat-like intensity and then released.

A cockatrice is a cross between a bird and a reptile. The source animals are always native to the local environment. Every cockatrice has a magical gaze or touch attack of some kind; petrification, combustion, sickness, etc. Most individual cockatrices are physically weak, but their special attacks and ability to fly make them deadly. Classic cockatrices turn their victims to stone. Of all the Chymeric archetypes, these monsters are the most likely to form flocks and operate in groups. They are stealthy and territorial, forming lairs in out of the way places while sneaking into populated regions by night to feed. Most cockatrices begin their lives as normal birds, mutating and returning to life after ingesting some sort of poison. A female cockatrice retains its fertility and is capable of laying one egg a year on a moonless night. The offspring is always another cockatrice.

Similar in size and shape to a chimera, the manticore has only one bestial head. Every manticore has wings, a supernatural roar that induces terror, powers of voice mimicry, and a dangerous tail of some kind; porcupine, scorpion, etc. Because manticores typically form when a warm blooded predator eats a humanoid, the creature's head always bears some resemblance to the parent victim. The monster inherits a portion of that person's memories as well. Most manticores are formed from goblins, orcs, or similar creatures. Manticores possess humanoid cunning, and speak the languages their parent victim knew in life. Because they are born from man-eaters, manticores hunger for humanoid flesh and may ally or negotiate with creatures that can provide it. It is important to note that while a manticore may inherit its parent victim's knowledge and mannerisms, its core mind is that of the original predator. On rare occasions a manticore may feel pangs of sympathy or antipathy toward people, places, or causes that were important to its parent victim, but it will never confuse its own identity with that of the victim.

Griffins are a Chymeric breed that has developed into a stable fertile species. Every breed has a large predator body, wings, and the head of a bird. Griffins are ferocious and opportunistic, hunting alone or in prides like lions. They are drawn to the scents of blood and carrion, and are often found scavenging battlefields or chasing lesser predators away from kills. All griffins have wings, a stunning screech, fast healing, and the visual powers of a bird of prey. Hawk and eagle headed griffins can be raised from infancy to serve as loyal aerial mounts, but griffins with the heads of scavenger birds (vultures) usually cannot be tamed. Griffins build rookeries in high places, and females lay 1d4 eggs a year. Spontaneously created griffins are typically born to litters of lions or bears. Their parents do not realize that their offspring are different, and raise them normally until the creature reaches adolescence and wanders off.

Gorgons are herd animals with sharp teeth, a durable hide, a powerful charge attack, and a dangerous breath weapon. This breath weapon can vary; fire, petrification, frost, poison mist, etc. They commonly resemble cattle, elk, moose, ram, water buffalo, etc. All gorgons have some sort of potent physical armor, such as chitinous plates, scales, thick skin, etc. A powerful gorgon can transform other kine in its vicinity given enough time. Gorgons sometimes arise when a powerful herbivore eats corrupted magical flora, transforming the animal into a monster after a single night of paralyzed agony.

Hodags are stealthy Chymerics that combine the traits of multiple reptiles with sharp bull-like horns. They often develop a cat or dragon-like physiology, though they never develop wings. All hodags have a poisonous bite, chameleon-like camouflage, a dangerous charge attack, and the ability to leap great distances. Most are also independent, though small packs may occasionally form around a powerful alpha. Hodags are created when a reptile devours several other reptiles of different species close to a site of natural power. Some specimens are intelligent and can be domesticated, though they never respect those weaker than themselves.

Owlbears are hulking Chymerics with the body of a bear and the head of an owl. They are a stable chymeric breed with origins in the fey realm, haunting forests and caverns alone or in packs. All owlbears have a deafening scream, amazingly keen sight and hearing on par with an owl, and the ability to bearhug opponents. They also fly into a berserk rage when injured, becoming even more dangerous. Some breeds have wings or camouflage fur. While they do form packs and lay eggs, owlbears can also spontaneously arise when a bear finds and eats a dead bird of prey.

Perytons are malicious winged Chymerics with the body of a great eagle and the head of a horned herd animal with fangs. All perytons are female, but can lay only a single egg after consuming a fresh humanoid heart. Despite their predatory abilities, they are omnivores. Perytons are extremely fast and silent while flying, with a deadly charge attack and talons capable of seizing and carrying off a medium sized humanoid. All are immune to damage from non-magical sources, including weaponry. Perytons build aeries in high places, typically hills and mountains. They can mutate spontaneously when a horned herbivore eats plantlife fertilized by the corpses of dead humanoids.

Trogs are omnivorous, territorial, rat-like creatures that live in filthy underground colonies lined with fur and dung and bones. They combine the worst traits of rats, moles, gophers, badgers, weasels, etc. The average specimen is the size of a goblin, with large jaws and heavy digging claws made for burrowing. When they come to the surface on moonless nights to scavenge and hunt prey, they are always led by an alpha creature. Any trog that consumes humanoid flesh mutates into a berserker after 1d6 days. Trog berserkers are fearless monsters that frenzy in combat. Trogs are capable of reproducing, and females give live birth to 1d10 pups a year. If allowed to spread unchecked, trogs will slowly devour or drive away all the wildlife in a region. If food becomes scarce they simply devour each other in an orgy of cannibalistic violence until the population levels out.