Drudfill

Subject of cheerful song and comedic play, the Drudfill is among the most frivolous of beasts. Don’t let its outwardly outlandish appearance fool you, this is a truly insidious beast with the capacity to cause grave harm. In Gillian folklore, it’s said that one day a Drudfill will swallow the world- forever to dwell in the darkness of their enormous gullet. This apocalyptic prophecy may not be truly accurate, but the Drudfill still presents a noteworthy hazard to travelers and mariners everywhere. Their tendency to cause trouble has made them endearing in the public's eyes, and somewhat annoying in the commercial fishing market.

#### Physiology and Anatomy

Drudfill are stout, plump reptiles. Despite being reptiles they have more in-common with frogs. Like their close cousin, Urgunths, they cannot remain dehydrated for long. Their skin is porous and breathable like an amphibian, allowing them to breathe through it. To keep it hydrated they secret a reddish gel from their fin running down their tail. This gel additionally doubles as a poison, both foul to taste and hallucinatory. Animals up to the size of a human experience a toxin-induced high which can cloud their vision for a few moments and slow motor functions for a few minutes. In animals larger than humans the Drudfill’s poison is less effective, only acting to dull their vision for a few moments as it does in smaller beasts. A Drudfill’s gel only remains a liquid under its specific body temperature, once separated from the Drudfill for longer than a minute it will solidify and become inert mucus.

Drudfill are active predators but usually only prey on things smaller than themselves. They’re capable swimmers and can jump vast distances with their back legs. These traits make them ideal at chasing down small game like fish or large insects, a Drudfill’s primary food source. Drudfill show a strong attraction to preying upon fish-descended animals regardless of size; they will attack Gillians, Pisound, and any other fish species regardless of size. Their mouths can widen to three times that the length of their heads, allowing them to swallow things half their size whole. An adhesive tongue is often used to keep prey from escaping as it draws them back behind the toothless lips.

Each wet season the Drudfill lay their eggs. Unlike most reptiles, their eggs require direct access to water to incubate. Drudfill eggs take longer than the whole wet season to incubate so it isn’t uncommon for the ponds they’re laid in to dry out. Parents often collect their eggs in their mouth with a scoop of water to stave off the last month of their development. Provided the Drudfill has developed fat in the meantime, these fasting periods hardly have an effect on the parent.

#### Psychology

Drudfill are dimwitted and dopey creatures, very rarely considered in any true malice by any other than Gillians. They are not openly aggressive toward sapient races bar the aforementioned, but have little care for their doings. They often prey upon the same fish that fishers do, occasionally taking them straight from nets or traps. Drudfill don’t understand the concept of these devices and treat them as they would rocks or other natural hiding spots for prey. Still, Drudfill won’t show aggression toward the fishermen lest he attack them or deprive them of the food they’ve collected.

Drudfill, while not necessarily social, will tolerate many of their own kind in close proximity. They have little compassion for their own kind and will not come to their aid should they be attacked. Drudfill instead rely on mutual protection and others acting as a buffer for potential predators.