Hydrae

Hydrae

Subclass: Draconids

''“Hercules could afford to jump blind into the lair of the Hydra. He was a demigod. You are most certainly not.”''

-       ''Professor Charles Stevenson, of the R.B.G.H''

The Hydra is famous for being slain by the mythical Hercules, or Heracles, of great mythological fame. Sadly, this great prevalence of the myth of Heracles, and by extension the most famous of his twelve labours, the slaying of the Lernean Hydra, means that by the Law of Belief, Hydrae appear in swampy, remote areas with what might approach regularity. Either way, the myth also lends a surprisingly stable creature to appear, with the same general powers and very few variations save for appearances and size.

This is at least somewhat fortunate, as it means that a wily hunter can generally know almost exactly what awaits him should he be sent after a hydra. With few surprises, a well prepared and well educated hunter should be able to slay the beast without too much trouble.

The classical Hydra is draconic in nature, having a body covered with scales in the colours of its natural habitat, meaning swampy green, brown or black. They rarely have more than four legs, and have never been recorded to fly, nor move very fast on foot. The necks of the hydra are several yards in length, and its heads are about the size of a large dog, though more snake-like in appearance. The heads always possess some sort of venom, be it delivered through breath or the more natural fangs. The blood of the Hydra is also supremely toxic if it enters into the bloodstream.

A typical Hydra has at least eight necks, only one of which is covered in scales, and the rest in hide. The necks and heads are well camouflaged when still, and the Hydra is an obligate ambush predator. It most usually lays down on the ground in the swamp near a path for animals or people, and lets its body sink into the muck while stretching its necks out in all directions upon the ground, looking like tree trunks or roots. The Hydra can wait like this for weeks, and can survive for several months on a large meal.

When it senses a creature approaching, it will wait patiently until the prey is within distance of at least two of the necks. Then, it will attack with all necks simultaneously, and with true abandon; for here enters the legendary regeneration of the Hydra into play. So long as the scaled neck and head is still intact, any head or neck which is severed from the body of the Hydra will grow back twofold within a minute. This continues until the hydra has around thirty heads, at which point each lost head is replaced with only one.

To properly hunt and kill the hydra, it is imperative to not let oneself be caught by surprise. Should you possess a way to scout from the air, this will be supremely useful, as well as any means to magically find the beast. When fighting, stay at range and away from the poisonous breath and bite of the beast. Being mobile and agile will likely trump the use of heavy armour, but the safest tactic might well be to use Greek Fire to burn the beast whole. Deployed by air or by catapult, it should kill the beast with little trouble, though the corpse would likely be too burned to extract any potentially valuable body parts.

Hydrae are solitary creatures, and there is never more than one hydra in any one swamp. They are capable of asexual reproduction, but more often than not they eat their offspring and are thus only replenished in numbers by the Law of Belief.