Manticores

Manticores

Subclass: Felinids

''“I heard a cry of pain, like that of a small child. My assistant rushed out into the thicket to aid the youth before I could stop him. Then came the rustling of underbrush. And the screaming...”''

-       ''Master Henry Griffiths, of the R.B.G.H''

There exists in nature a few cases where a certain species seems to have evolved to specifically feed on one other species. A specialist, if you will. This is exceedingly rare among predators, seeing as such a creature would be at risk of starvation constantly, were the population of its prey to die out or the environment to change.

However, there are such creatures which lack even the slightest bit of magic and yet prey almost exclusively upon one other species. The anteater eats ants, the Venus flytrap consumes flying insects. These are prey which have little to no likelihood of going extinct in an area no matter the population of predators.

Is it then any wonder that humans, being numerous and spread widely across the planet, should have a specialist predator of our very own?

The manticore is a consummate human hunter, preferring the flesh of humans to that of any other creature, and their magical nature has gifted them with an excellent array of tools to use for the hunting of humanoids.

With the body of a big cat, with markings which can change over a period of days to better suit new environs, they are silent as they move through the underbrush. Their heads resemble a cross between a lion and a human, with rows of teeth much like sharks. Their scorpioid tails end in not a stinger like a real scorpion, but rather something like a morning star of quills which can be fired like crossbow bolts with a flick of the tail. The bite, as well as the quills, are highly venomous, and though not lethal in most cases, the poison will render an adult helpless within minutes.

As if all this was not enough, the manticore has one other trick up its sleeve: they can mimic the cries of other animals, most notably human children. All these abilities come together to make for a frightening creature, and the fear of them reinforces their existence and reappearance due to the Law of Belief. There are also reports of old, powerful manticores growing leathery wings and gaining the power of flight, although this is exceedingly rare.

Being solitary creatures, there is rarely more than one manticore in any given area, and their territories are exceedingly large. Only when mating will the territories interconnect, and even then, only briefly. This, along with their tendency to let only the strongest cub of the litter survive, means that there is almost no risk for a wily hunter to encounter two manticores anywhere near one another, and keeps the danger of their attacks manageable.

The manticore prefers arid landscapes, but have been found in temperate forests and lush jungles too. Generally, they prey upon small villages, which often erect palisades around the settlement to keep these, and other, beasts out.

When fighting a manticore, maintaining distance is imperative. Though they can fire their quills upon the unwary, these same quills are rather fragile and would not break through the thinnest of metals, likely not even most leathers. Thus protected, be certain to lure the creature into an open area where it will be easier to fight and slay. This is best done at night, as the beasts grow careless when the sun no longer shines on them.

Once the manticore is lured out, it may be killed like one might kill a big cat: with firearm, crossbow or long spear. Three heavily armoured knights with muskets, pistols and boar spears are generally able to strike a manticore down without much trouble, provided the hunters are skilled and the beast has been lured to an open area. Being an ambush predator with keen senses, it is almost impossible to sneak up on a manticore without disguising your scent and dampening your footsteps, as well as silencing your clanging armour.