Dragonhead caterpillar Draconic vermin monster

**Dragonhead Caterpillar**

**alignment**: neutral evil

**size**: massive (elephant)

**bulk**: heavy

**type**: insectoid

**treasure**: draconic body

**ideals** : hunger, aggression, ambush

**Intellect**: bestial

Dragonhead larvae are massive insectoid larvae that feed on the chemical wastes of a dragon’s active life.  The larger the dragon, the larger the dumps, the larger the caterpillar that tears out in search of fresh food.

They devour any plant life they can find but when meat is available they rush to it.  Their jaws are strong enough for them to subsist on stone but starvation diets are never the goal.  The more and higher desirability foods they consume, the larger and faster they grow.

They can easily outgrow the baby dragon they hatched to feed from if provided ample food sources.  If not slain while small they can certainly grow to be as powerful as their host.

They feed ravenously for a century before pupating in the form of a massive gemstone.  The jewel’s coloring and type is always directly associated with the draconic typing they exemplify.   The body and crested casque are tailored to match the draconic ability they have inherited.

Another century or even a millennia passes before the great moth ecloses from its cocoon and the gem shatters, releasing the legendary insectoid monster moth.

A thirty foot gemstone apparently solid straight through.  Only the finest of jewelers would detect the single imperfection- this thing is alive!  The broken pieces of the cocoon upon its awakening are a king’s fortune in gemstones.  The resultant insectoid monstrosity on the other hand is likely to bring ruin and starvation enough to topple even wealthy and powerful  nations.

There are ways to hurry these stages of growth and there are still those wild or reckless cults who seek to collect the eggs or young in order to carry out such rituals.  They are a danger to mankind.

When the great moth awakens, it is the size of a mature female dragon or larger.  They lay waste to the countryside not with fire but with the multitude of tiny eggs they lay.

The caterpillars that hatch become a pestilence in an instant, starving nations and creating gaps in historical records.  Only the ones that land on a draconic source will grow to great size.

Much like a dragon, the grown larva move between postures as they attack their prey or flee predation.

Changing posture costs an action and all remaining movement that round but movement actions such as leap or body slam may be used as actions.

They use their huge casqued head as a hammer, flail and a shield.  Their horns both gore and poison.  Envenomated victims move struggledly  as if moving through difficult terrain.

Their flesh is thick and rubbery.  Their dragonhead casque is stronger than iron.  Everything they consume nourishes their growth and they are forever hungry.

Their hatchling diet also affords them an unusual bonus from living off of the waste of dragons.

They possess draconic breath!  Both the draconic and elemental components of a dragon are imparted on the dragonhead larva.  Dragon scale material covers the casque and their respective jaws and claws are dragon tooth. Careful hunters would note the larva’s attributes and prepare for the dragon that is certainly  nearby.   The larvae emerge from draconic waste when better food is available.

Eggs are the size of powdered salt granules and once they find a draconic source, they feed on it like wool moths in a storage bin.  Once they are large enough to sport their trademark crested casque head, they are plump, pumpkin sized grubs.  They only possess the felled posture’s “Draconic Backfire” until they’ve grown larger .

Mostly we see the typical ten yard bug in the wild.  Fifteen foot long and tall when upright, just the size that needs to roam and stalk to find enough prey to keep fed.

Full and large sized larvae do not entertain the retreat posture in combat unless truly in danger of being slain.  They fight like dragons, bold and furious and never relenting when victory is in sight.

When retreating or cornering prey, some use a sticky insectoid silk to slow enemies down.  A piece of meat that can’t escape is certainly food.

What they lack of a dragons inheritance is “draconic cunning”.  They fight just as mindlessly as they eat.  There is little wizdom and less intelligence in them but they are patient and stealthy predators.  They have to be, since their intense draconic coloring often fails them as camouflage once they’ve traveled from where they’d hatched.

This migration usually happens once the draconic source is gone.  Be it waste, bone, or skin of the draconic bloods, the source is invariably be consumed.  Weapons, equipment and armor are also relished when made of the draconic.  The more magical, the more delicious and the powers it consumes are often retained as if the larva was carrying said magic with him.

Hp 90/-60 eva 1 def 2 stat spread 12/4

Magic

MP 50

Draconic Breath 10yd 4d6 instant 15mp

Draconic Breath 15’ cone 2d6/turn 5tn, concentrate, safe dive vs spe/agi 20mp

Silk congested terrain 10yd 2rd 20mp v/s

Silk difficult terrain field 30mp v/s

Tracking, survival, stealth, concealment, master rope tying, lasso throwing

Serpentine posture:

Beast mode requires 1/2hp or higher

movement +1/3

Ram 2d6 1yd r2 poison on injury vs sta

Grab 1d6 r4

Cover +20%

Dash attack

unhindered over restricted conditions,

Draconic breath (magecraft)

Upright posture - above 1/4hp req

monster zone (low absorb 1:d / hi +2yd)

claw r3

grab (master grapple) r4

Bite r1

Gore poison on crit vs sta r5

speed +2,

mp restore

counter-bite

climb

Draconic breath

awa +2 str +2, accuracy +2 (above target)

Coiled posture - anytime above 0hp

monster zone (bulk abs 1:d / head +2yd)

Movement ⅓

Mp restore

Hp restore variant

claw,

bite,

Body slam

Gore poison on crit

grab 1d6 1yd

leap

cover +30%

wide swing

block

str +3 bal +3 spe +3

draconic breath

Felled - below 1hp

Backpedaling bellycrawl, a retreat posture

spe up,

movement up,

bite,

breath,

Draconic backfire

Gore poison on injury vs sta