Manticore

**Manticores** are a race of beast-like beings that hail from Greece and Persia, but are now spread worldwide.

## Appearance

Manticores basically have the bodies of lions, with golden fur, and the faces of humans, with manes of hair for the males. However, they also have three rows of fangs, like a shark, wings like a dragon, and, most notable of all, an organic metal tail (meaning that the organic cells that make up the tail has metallic properties) with a mace-like, spiky ball at the end of it. Also, manticores have a musical language, meaning when they communicate with each other, it sounds very melodious, with different sounds for different uses.

## Behavior

Manticores are fairly social creatures, similar to wolves or lions. They tend to live in groups, called prides, which, similar to lions, consists of an alpha male, his harem, and their children. They have a unique hunting strategy, in which the hunting females will chase the prey and weaken it, and then the alpha will attack and land the final blow. Personality-wise, as they live in the wild and shun modern life, they tend to be wary of strangers, but if one wishes to make friends, one must bring an offering of food for the pride to feast on. If one can make friends with a manticore pride, then they will consider you an honorary member of the pride, and will be loyal to you to the end.

## Powers

* **Flight:** Due to their wings, manticores are able to fly through the air.
* **Enhanced agility:** Manticores are able to go from one movement to another effortlessly, allowing them to effectively dodge attacks, do backflips, swing from things, and numerous other athletic, martial, and gymnastic implements with ease.
* **Enhanced balance:** Manticores innately have extremely well-developed senses of balance, the positioning of limbs in space, centers of balance, and the physical condition to use these facts.
* **Enhanced bite:** Manticores, due to their three sets of teeth and lion-like jaw strength, have an immensely powerful bite.
* **Enhanced climbing:** Manticores are able to climb and otherwise move effortlessly up angled or vertical surfaces, such as branches, rocks, walls, etc., as long as they can gain ahold of it and maintain their balance.
* **Enhanced flexibility:** Manticores are able to effortlessly bend and twist their bodies past mortal limits.
* **Enhanced hearing:** Manticores are able to hear with amazing clarity, distance, and even ultrasound.
* **Enhanced jump:** Manticores are able to achieve rocket-like jumps, while having hassle-free landings.
* **Enhanced smell:** Manticores are able to detect specific persons, places, substances, objects, etc., locate their origins, and even track, using only their sense of smell.
* **Enhanced speed:** Manticores are able to move at superhuman speeds.
* **Enhanced stealth:** Manticores have extraordinarily skillful expertise in numerous ways and techniques of stealth.
* **Enhanced strength:** Manticores are able to exert a great amount of strength from their muscles.
* **Claws:** Manticores are able to use their claws as powerful weapons.
* **Tail:** Manticores, due to the organic metal properties of their tails, are able to use them as powerful weapons.
* **Tail spikes:** Manticores have detachable spines at the ends of their tails, and are able to throw them at their enemies and/or prey. These spines are extremely poisonous, and, unless one gets the antidote in time, the poison will be fatal.
* **Roar:** Manticores are unable to unleash a sonic blast from their vocal chords, similar to a sonic scream, but a lion-like roar.
* **Night vision:** Manticores are able to see clearly and with great detail in low-light conditions, and/or complete darkness.
* **Matter ingestion:** Manticores are able to consume and digest any substance without injury.