Chymerics

Mutation

Throughout history, curses and dark forces have been known to twist natural creatures into supernatural monsters spontaneously. These creatures typically combine the traits of two or more mundane animals, and they are collectively known as Chymerics. Some species have become stable over time, while others appear randomly or in response to folklore events: shooting stars, changes of season, and the like. The natural interplay between law and chaos is a cornerstone of the universe, but Chymerics are aberrations of chaos. They do not fit into the natural order, and with enough time the presence of a powerful Chymeric will cause local flora and fauna to mutate. In the planes aligned with primordial chaos, Chymerics are common and do not resemble natural animals at all.

Paranoia

Normal monster populations can be purged or driven off, but Chymerics differ. They can pop up almost anywhere, so civilized people have developed a healthy paranoia about them. Militaries take the appearance of a rampaging Chymeric very seriously. Most Chymerics possess supernatural vigor and thrive in the wild until something kills them. The deadliest specimens grow stronger with time, becoming ancient and legendary monsters. On rare occasions, the presence of a large Chymeric will cause local animals to mutate and it will become the leader of a pack of slavering horrors. This is always bad.

Reagents

The corpse of a Chymeric monster is a veritable treasure trove of magical reagents. Arcanists and alchemists desire these things for penning scrolls, brewing potions, and enchantment. While hunting Chymeric monsters is extremely dangerous, mercenaries and adventurers of sufficient skill often view them as a source of income.

These Chymerics resemble enormous amalgams of raccoons, otters, possums, and dogs. Each has a long prehensile tail tipped with a strong, dexterous hand, which the creature uses 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 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 any 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 two to four 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, or breath weapons. 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.

The coeurl is a chymeric with origins in the fey realm of Arcadia. The source animal is always a great cat of some sort, with strange mustache-like whiskers and a pair of whip-like tentacles or pedipalps protruding from its shoulders. The coeurl is a stealthy hunter, and its hide possesses a magical adaptive camouflage so perfect that the creature is nearly invisible. A coeurl must concentrate to maintain this camouflage, so it becomes visible while it is idle or asleep. Unlike most Chymerics, these creatures can reproduce and bear live young. They form prides ruled by a single alpha female, and terrorize regions for months before moving on. A coeurl can spontaneously form when a great cat sleeps close to a shallowing leading to the plane of Faerie.

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, and so forth. 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, and the like. 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. 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, and so forth. They commonly resemble cattle, elk, moose, rams, or water buffalo. All gorgons have some sort of potent physical armor, such as chitinous plates, scales, or thick skin. 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, and weasels. 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.

Trog

The common burrower — goblin-sized, claw-handed, and led by an alpha when it ventures out of its dung-lined warren.

Berserker

A trog that has tasted humanoid flesh and mutated after 1d6 days into a fearless frenzied killer.