Hydra

Hydras are invasive pests that infest the mountainous rivers of northwestern Wraimall.

## Background

### Origin and habitat

Hydras were originally the spawn of Tiamat, who was condemned to a cave in the Dungrene Mountains. They now inhabit the rivers in great numbers, making water travel not only dangerous, but impossible. Being the final children of Tiamat, it is commonly believed that their infestation was intentionally done to make reaching the various shrines and religious sites of the Dungrene Mountains as difficult as possible, effectively cutting that part of the world off from those who weren't already there. The mountains are tall and rocky, and the passes are narrow, so following the maze of rivers was the best way to travel in centuries past. Now one must travel through dodgy underground tunnels or unstable cliffside trails, both being better options than risking encountering these serpentine pests along the fairer river passages.

### Size and Appearance

Hydras are roughly five feet long, with teal scales, a green underbelly, red eyes, and salmon pink barbels. They may grow larger if they lived long enough, though they tend to have a lifespan of merely five years or so. Their bodies are snake-like, and they can have as many as twenty heads. Their polycephaly is their defining characteristic, but they begin life with only one head. Hydras are preyed upon by larger and more dangerous creatures that can be found in the Dungrene Mountains, but are very resilient. Whenever a Hydra loses a head, it grows two more in its place; generally, the more heads a Hydra has, the older it likely is. They don't have many predators, but they regularly contend with the likes of bears and lions. Disease can spread rapidly among them, and their reckless behavior contributes to their frequent deaths. Males and females look very much alike, with the exception that males tend to have wider snouts and bigger builds.

### Diet and feeding behavior

Hydras are ravenous eaters, and incredibly territorial even towards other Hydras. They feed on ibex, red deer, wolves, and the abundant population of Caribe that share the rivers with them. They aren't picky about what they eat though, and will fight other Hydras just to get a taste of whatever poor creature they have mauled. As overpopulated as they are, Hydras will frequently resort to killing the weak amongst themselves and cannibalize them. When hunting, Hydras are as lethal as they are impatient. They do not employ any intellegent strategies, and will single-mindedly attack whatever living thing they see that they know they shouldn't fear. Hydras display a lack of intelligence altogether, and it is assumed that each head shares the same mind. They use their sheer ability to overwhelm their opponents, and greedily eat their prey alive.

### Abilities and weaknesses

The Hydra's trademark ability is their regeneration. It takes a lot of physical damage to destroy them, as their wounds heal at near immediate rates. As mentioned before, one may be tempted to target the Hydra's long necks, but if one head is lost, the Hydra will merely grow two more in its place. Hydras breathe air, but spend most of their time in the water. They use water as cover, but do not need it to survive. They are excellent swimmers with streamlined bodies, and can hold their breath for up to eight hours. They sleep little, usually sporadically throughout the day, and are active all hours.

As with any monster that possesses regenerative abilities, Hydra's can have their regrowth stunted by cauterization of the wound to prevent the growth of new heads. This can be achieved with well-aimed blasts of fire magic, or with the odd blade enchanted with radiation.

### Cultural Impact

Hydras are hated and feared by all who know of them, most of all by the Kelemerians. Kelemerian mages used to make pilgrimages to the various shrines in the Dungrene Mountains, but this is now impossible. Many artifacts of religious importance, as well as ancient texts and records were kept in these sites, and are now inaccessible due to the Hydras. The distaste for these monsters has earned them the nickname "river devils".