Peluda

Peluda
(Creature)
Common LE Large Dragon Fire Level 10 Alignment LG NG CG LN N CN LE NE CE Adjective Peluda Source: Bestiary 2, pg(s). 196 Type Dragon CR 10 Environment Temperate marshes and plains Alignment LG NG CG LN N CN LE NE CE Adjective Peluda Source: The Varnhold Vanishing, pg(s). 86–87

Peludas are a species of aggressive lesser dragon most notable for the sharpened, poisonous quills which cover most of their bodies and their uniquely vulnerable tails.

Appearance

Peludas are large, wingless draconic beasts with long, sinuous necks ending in serpent-like maws. Their bodies are covered in hundreds of sharpened black quills, they walk on elephantine limbs, and possess a long, lashing tail. The average adult peluda is 15 feet long, weighs about 300 pounds, and is able to raise its head up to eight feet off the ground.

Habitat and ecology

Peludas have a preference for inhabiting caves near temperate rivers, marshes, and plains, where they serve as potent predators with a voracious appetite; though they occasionally leave their lairs in order to attack neighboring farmlands before returning back to whence they came. Their preferred means of preparing their food is roasting it with their flame breath before pulverizing it with blows from their tails. In order to aid with feeding, they are capable of unhinging their jaws in a similar fashion to snakes in order to swallow large portions of food at once. Due to their armored hide and poisonous quills, peludas are rarely preyed on by larger creatures such as rocs or true dragons, being largely considered to be unappetizing. Peludas lay up to three eggs at a time, with their offspring being born bald. Few of them are able to reach adulthood, not just due to predators but also due to the violent tempers of their own parents.

While not as intelligent as other species of dragons, peludas possess a strong survival instinct, and also have a tendency of accumulating hoards of materials which perk their interest, such as metallic tools, armor and weapons from victims they have slain. They believe that swallowing coins, gems and other forms of jewelry helps strengthen their quills and their breath attacks. They loathe all creatures smaller than themselves, having a particular distaste for humanoids.

Society

Peludas are generally solitary, living at most in pairs. However, despite their hatred for humanoids, tribes of savage beings such as orcs and lizardfolk may be able to appease a local peluda with offerings of wealth and captives due to their belief that the peluda is divine. While peludas themselves rarely hold any affection for these self-declared subordinates, they may nonetheless choose to revel in their worship in order to feed their fragile draconic egos, having the opportunity to be adored as are the true dragons they envy. However, should any so-deemed lesser creature go as far as suggest the peluda is not as mighty as a true dragon, the beast is likely to raze the tribe off the map altogether in a terrible, flaming anger.

Abilities

The body and tail of a peluda is covered in sharpened, lance-shaped quills which possess a strong poison capable of eating away at the victim's constitution. Attempting to strike the dragon in melee or grappling them is enough to put the attacker in danger of being stung by these quills, and the peluda also has the ability of launching them as a barrage by violently shaking itself. The presence of a peluda in an area is often marked by the carcasses of their prey being covered in these quills. The creatures also possess the ability to breathe out a line of flame, and their strong hide grants them resistance against non-magical weapons and spells, as well as immunity to fire.

Despite their great strength, however, a peluda's tail is particularly vulnerable. Severing the tail of a peluda not only negates the dragon using it as a weapon to defend itself, it also causes the creature to suffer from strong blood loss until its eventual death, even if the peluda manages to fight off its attackers.

Darklands peluda

A Darklands peluda is a variant subterranean species of peluda that exists in Nar-Voth and are dangerous predators of travellers in the Darklands.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.

External links

• Wikipedia:Peluda (real-world mythological dragon)