Hydra

Siblings: Orthrus, Cerberus, Colchian, Chimera, and Sphinx

The **Hydra**, is a gigantic dragon monster with numerous heads, with the center one being immortal. It is one of the offspring of Typhone and Echidna.

## Overview

The Hydra is a gigantic, ancient nameless serpent-like chthonic nine-headed water dragon. The monster's haunt was the marshes of Lerna near Argos which was the site of the Danaids. Lerna was reputed to be an entrance to the Underworld, and archaeology has established it as a sacred site older than Mycenaean Argos.

There were also another Hydra, called Hydrae, that had many differences from the Hydra.

## Personality

Similar to the Chimera, she does not have a "human" personality, instead having a more animalistic personality, driven by instinct. This can be reinforced by the fact that she is a child of Typhone, the personification of natural disasters, literally a force of nature driven by a desire for destruction. However, like her father, it is likely that she still has some rationality, probably being much more intelligent than other land creatures.

## Powers and Abilities

**Aquatic Adaptation:** Hydra is able to survive and adapt to underwater environments, being able to breathe water in lieu of, or along with, a gaseous breathing medium, to swim well and to endure high water pressure and extreme water temperatures. They are able to use their senses to perceive normally regardless of the distortion/pressure of the water, possibly including ignoring various impurities that would otherwise reduce the visibility.

**Fire Breath:** Hydra can generate and manipulate fire within them in a way that allows them to shape the exhaling of the effect. These shapes can include bursts, blasts, streams, beams, spits, spheres, lasers, and even a mist of it from the mouth.

**Large Size:** Hydra possesses a level of physical size greater than is achievable by humans. Hydra may be unnaturally large for their species, or they may simply be a member of a species that is naturally bigger than humans.

**Multiple Heads:** Hydra has or can grow more than one head. This allows them to see on more direction than one and increases their sensory acuity, if they have abilities that allow them to attack using their head (bite, breath-weapon, etc.), they are able to use all their heads to do so.

**Poison Immunity:** Hydra is immune to all forms of poisons/toxins/venom. This makes a perfect counter-ability to those with Poison Manipulation, Poison Inducement, and Poison Generation. This also include all forms of Venom Secretion. With complete protection from venom, Hydra could be bitten/stung by a toxic creature and merely sustain physical damage. Ingesting, inhaling or even drinking poisons/toxins/venom wouldn't harm Hydra, more-than-likely just leaving a bad taste.

**Poison Generation:** Hydra can generate, create, emit, or otherwise produce poison/poisonous substance and somehow inflict the victim. For the sake of clarity: *poison*, *toxin*, and *venom* are terms for any substance that injures the health or destroys life when absorbed into the system: poison is the general word, toxin is a poison produced by an organism (plant, fungus, animal); it is especially used in medicine in reference to *disease-causing bacterial secretions*, venom is especially used of the poisons secreted by certain animals, usually injected by bite or sting.

**Reptilian Physiology:** Hydra with this ability either is or can mimic/transform into reptiles, including Crocodilia (crocodiles, gavials, caimans, and alligators), Sphenodontia (tuataras), Squamata (lizards, snakes, and worm lizards) and Testudines (turtles, terrapins and tortoises).

**Snake Physiology:** Hydra either is or can mimic/transform into snakes, gaining a plethora of special abilities, traits and attributes, such as scales that increase defensive capabilities, extremely dangerous venom, seismic senses and many physical capabilities.

**Dragon Physiology:** Hydra possess the traits, attributes, characteristics and/or abilities of dragons; a powerful and legendary creature, typically depicted with serpentine or reptilian traits, that features in the myths of many cultures. They achieve this either through full or partial transformation into dragons, choosing to mimic certain aspects of draconic beings, or simply already being a dragon in the first place. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the *European Dragon*, derived from European folk traditions and which is ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern mythologies, and the *Chinese Dragon*, with counterparts in Japan, Korea and other East Asian countries.

**Thermal Resistance:** Hydra is able to survive a great range of hot/warm and cold/low temperatures without discomfort.

## History

### Origins

The Hydra was one of the monsters born from the unity of Typhone and Echidna before the former went out to defeat and usurp Zeus. It, along with the rest of its siblings, were allowed to leave their nest by Echidna.

While a young Hydra wandered around, it was found by the goddess Hera who decided to raise it herself for unknown reasons. The Hydra guarded an entrance to Hades at a swamp near Lake Lerna where it terrorized nearby villages.

### Labors

The Hydra, a fearsome creature, had the peculiar ability to regrow two heads for every one that was severed. Consequently, Iolaus resorted to cauterizing the neck stumps with firebrands as soon as Heracles cut off each head to prevent them from regenerating.

In the end, Heracles managed to overcome the Hydra by severing its one immortal head from its body, ensuring it would never regenerate. He then buried this immortal head beneath a massive rock. Additionally, Heracles used arrows dipped in the Hydra's poisonous blood or gall, which inflicted fatal wounds on his enemies.

### Revival

A couple of years after its death, the Hydra was revived by Hera to be used as her personal monster and "pet".

## Myths and Legends

There are often 2 kinds of hydras in Greek Mythology. The serpentine, aquatic hydra with fins on its head and usually no legs was the Hydra which Heracles fought. The other is the terrestrial hydra which is the one with 4 legs and horns and spikes which is usually in other tales. Both of these hydra's could have any number of heads and does not have a set amount.