Vornyx

Basic Information

Alternative name(s) Drow-lizards Threat Medium Tactics Wild vornyxes are stealth hunters who blend into the walls and ceilings of caves and tunnels, pounce on their prey from behind, enwreathe it, and bite and rake until it succumbs or until it manages to fend the attack off. Subspecies The Drow of Zar'Ahal have domesticated and bred vornyxes for millenia. Popular breeds include:

Whisper - The smallest vornyxes, able to bear a single rider at great speed. It has been bred for extra climbing claws, allowing it to ignore difficult subterranean terrain, climb up walls without breaking speed, and even run while fully inverted.

Guy'yairyn - Draft vornyxes bred to have colorful, magnificent crests, massive, strong bodies capable of carrying cargo or passenger carriages, and thick toes adapted for traction. They cannot climb walls, but they ignore difficult terrain when moving at normal speed, and they can move at normal speed a full day at a time.

Warmouth - Most commonly encountered in battle, large enough to carry a tall, strong glaive wielding lancer or spellblade saddled in front and a smaller battlemage on an elevated rear saddleseat. These have adamantite reinforcement magically bonded to larger than normal hunting claws, allowing them to make opportunity swipe attacks in addition to those of the tandem riding them.

Vhid'nuij - These vornyxes are bred for hyper-aggression and stealth, making them favorites of hunters and especially Priestesses of Maelzafan. Vhid'nuij intended for the church are trained to rip victims apart limb by limb while still alive, spreading the all-important fear and chaos that Maelzafan feeds on. This is the only breed that will willingly attack larger prey, making them popular for the exotic meat hunters who stock upper city butcher shops supplying the tables of the great houses. Locations All throughout the Underrealm, and especially near Drow cities.

Physical description

Size Range from 8-9 feet/3 meters long for a Whisper to 18-20 feet long/6-7 meters long for a Guy'yaiyn. Vornyxes larger than Whispers are heavy enough to crush prone medium sized humanoids. Guy'yairyn and Warmouths may try to trample standing medium sized humanoids. Distinctive features Vornyxes have excellent night vision owing to large eyes and sensitive heat pits. The heat pits allow them to "see" normally within 15 feet / 5 meters even if blinded.

Vornyxes (except for Guy'yairyn) can camouflage themselves naturally in tunnels, caves, and caverns.

Vornyxes (except for Guy'yairyn) can climb walls and even walk fully inverted.

Vornyxes may swim at running speed for up to 2 hours at a time if not loaded above half their normal carrying capacity.

Vornyxes have sharp needle-like teeth that leave deep, painful, bleeding wounds that due to depth and a natural property of their saliva will not close naturally on creatures that do not naturally regenerate (vornyx saliva is harvested by healers to use in dissolving clots).

Vornyxes have strong outer and rear toes with climbing claws and long, razor sharp hunting claws on their inner foredigits on all four feet. They do not attack with the climbing claws, only with the hunting claws. The hunting claws can easily slice through leather, skin, muscle, and viscera.

Out-of-character information

Image source Source of the image used in the infobox

Large Underrealm lizards that Drow use as mounts and beasts of burden.

Vornyxes have wide opening maws filled with needle-like teeth, large eyes adapted for minimal light, protected by protruding hard-scaled brows, crests ranging from vestigal to elaborate depending on the breed, wide splayed legs with four front toes and a larger rear toe, and a long, strongly muscled tail used for jumping, swimming, and whipping against enemies.

Underrealm, especially in caves and tunnels.

Bite will not heal without medical attention. Saliva is a natural decoagulant. Stealthy and intelligent, trainable.

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