Hit Dice: 15d12

Essence: Variable

Initiative: -3 (Dex)

Speed: 10 ft., fly 100 (poor)

AC: 20

Attacks: 2 Claws, 1 Bite, Tail Slap, Crush

Damage: Claw 3d6, Bite 6d6, Tail Slap d6, Crush 3d6

Face/Reach: 10 ft., 10ft.

Special Attacks: Bubble Breath (Ex), Imitate Incantation (Su)

Special qualities: Augmented eyes, Eye protection, Hastened by fire, Immune to cold (Ex), Immune to critical, Infrared vision 50 ft., Resistant to poison, Scent (Ex), Slowed by cold, Telepathy

Saves: Fortitude +5, Reflex +1, Will +1 (Base)

Abilities: Strength 19, Dexterity 5, Constitution 5, Intelligence 6, Wisdom 6, Charisma 5

Skills: Search +8, Spot +8

Feats: Fly by attack, Hover, Snatch, Swallow whole

Climate/Terrain: Mountains, and underground

Organization: Solitary

Challenge Rating: 5+

Alignment: Chaotic neutral

Treasure: Incidental

Fly by attack: When flying, the creature can take a move action (including a dive) and another partial action at any point during the move. The creature cannot take a second move action during a round when it makes a flyby attack. Normally, without this feat, the creature takes a partial action either before or after its move.

Hover: When flying, a dragon can halt its forward motion and hover in place, fly straight down, or fly straight up regardless of its manoeuvrability.

While hovering, it can attack with its bite and two claws, or attack with its tail if able. It may also use its breath weapon instead of making physical attacks.

If a dragon hovers close to the ground in an area with lots of loose debris, the draft from its wings creates a hemispherical cloud with a radius of 30 feet X the dragon’s size class. The winds so generated can snuff torches, small campfires, exposed lanterns, and other small, open flames of nonmagical origin. The cloud obscures vision, and creatues caught within are blinded while inside and for one round after emerging. Those caught in the cloud must succeed at a Concentration check (DC 10 + Dragon’s size class) to cast a spell.

Scent (Ex): This ability allows the creature to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odours just as humans do familiar sights.

The creature can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges as noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range.

When a creature detects a scent, the exact location is not revealed-only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a partial action to not the direction of the scent. If it moves within 5 feet of the source, the creature can pinpoint that source.

A creature with the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10 (no matter what kind of surface hold the scent) This DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry’s odour is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.

Snatch: A dragon that hits with a claw or bite attack attempts to start a grapple as though it had the improved grab special attack. If the dragon gets a hold with a claw on a creature four or more sizes smaller, it squeezes each round for automatic claw damage. If it gets a hold with its bite on a creature three times or more sizes smaller, it automatically deals bite damage each round, or if it does not move and take no other action in combat, it deals double bite damage to the snatched creature. A snatched creature gets no saving throw against the dragon’s breath weapon.

The dragon can drop a creature it has snatched as a free action or used a standard action to fling it aside. A flung creature travels 10 feet, and takes 1d6 points of damage per size category of the dragon. If the dragon flings it while flying, the creature suffers this amount or falling damage, whichever is greater.

Swallow whole (Ex): The creature can swallow opponents it holds (see Improved Grab). If it makes a second successful grapple check after a grab, it swallows its prey. Unless otherwise noted, the opponent can be up to one size category smaller than the swallowing creature. Damage is usually bludgeoning, often accompanied by acid damage from the creatures digestive juices. The consequences of being swallowed vary with the creature and are explained in its descriptive text.

Imitate Incantation (Su): Zamonudi are able to imitate incantations they witness using an innate reserve of energy they carry with them. The amount it relatively small but grows along with the zamonudi. The soul of the zamonudi governs just what it is capable of, and increases as the zamonudi raises in level (not size). Initially the level one zamonudi is only capable of imitating first circle incantations of one caster level in strength, gaining one caster level equivalent per level gained.

The amount of power a zamonudi may have is equal to its HD divided by 5, giving the number of spell levels of power it has innately. For example, a hatchling is level one and has (15 HD/5 = 3) three spell levels available, meaning it can imitate magic missile three times, for example.

Each soul that resides within its aura also adds one caster level, so a first level zamonudi of 15 hit dice with two souls plus its own can manage a second circle imitation.

The innate power is regained at a rate of one spell level of power for each 10 essence absorbed or by laying atop an active bonepile. A bonepile holds a number of spell levels equivalent to the total HD of remains divided by 5. It takes about one hour for the pile to replenish one spell level of power.

Bubble Breath (Ex): These bubbles are often seen as the by-product of zamonudi digestion, burped up and left to float away. Zamonudi can utilized these bubbles as a weapon or for defence. The bubbles are composed of a membrane of gleeah filled with a somewhat buoyant gas. The breath occupies a 10-foot by 10-foot cube per size class of the zamonudi per day, placed in any contiguous arrangement wished no part of which can be more than 60 feet from the zamonudi. The zamonudi need not use all its allotted bubbles at once, and may save the rest of its supply for another time. The bubbles remain in the area for d6+4 rounds before settling to the ground or otherwise popping.

Those caught in the area are blinded and suffer irritation of the eyes and breathing passages. The irritation further complicates blindness by worsening AC by 4, and attack and saving throws by 2. Spell casting in this state, if attempted, requires a successful concentration check against DC 18. The area itself becomes slick from the gooey material, taking on the effects of a grease spell, affected the ground, objects and creatures therein. To avoid the greasing effects a Reflex save of DC 13 must be made.

Creatures that make their Reflex DC 15 + 1 per size class, are not irritated and have managed to close their eyes and keep from inhaling the bubbles. Instead they will be voluntarily blinded until they wish to open their eyes, preferably when out of the bubble area.

To regain its bubbles, a zamonudi must take, in portions or at once, an adequately filling meal for its size.

Ydooshi Atasta zamonudi

Powers

Introduction: One of the more bizarre creatures in both form and habit, the zamonudi, or pink dragons as they are most often called, are one of the worlds few cold bloods. They are neither bright nor brave and are considered rather simplistic creatures from an intellectual standpoint, however, their physiologies make them both peculiar and horrific.

Appearance: When first hatched a zamonudi is already a fairly sizable creature standing ten-feet tall from head to foot (fifteen-feet long including tail). Their scales are light-pink, almost white, and glossy. The scales grow from specialized organs that cover the body, organs which may renew and replace scales as needed. The scales themselves are of a substance much like the plates possessed by radulox, having both metallic and crystalline properties. These scales can become stronger, becoming deeper pink as strength increases. There are three digits on each limb, one of which is opposable, each of which is composed of two segments; a bladed one on the tip and a more blunted on that attaches to the limb. The head and jaw are made of single seamless pieces of the same material that makes up the scales. The jaw comes to a point, resembling a beak which has no teeth which allows the zamonudi to bite deeply if it must while not tearing prey.

Anatomy: The eyes of a zamonudi are almost unique, shared only by the radulox. Each eye is a glowing, fluid-filled compartment protected by a thick crystal lens. These eyes allow a zamonudi to see great distances much like a telescope, resolve minute details of objects like a microscope as well as see into the infrared spectrum when ambient sources of light are not present. The capacity to see heat is an adaptation to allow the zamonudi to easier locate its only prey, warm blooded creatures, which appear as their own lights in the drab visual heat-scape of the world.

While able to hear well enough it is known that zamonudi have no localized ears anywhere on its body. The skull itself acts much like ears in other animals, a trait is shares with its radulox cousins. Vibrations which can resonate the skull to any degree are picked up as sound much like conventional ears, making the entire skull an ear-like organ. By instinctually analyzing the gradient of sound across its skull a zamonudi can determine the direction a particular sound is originating from. If subject to several sources of sound the zamonudi can determine the origin of each source should the sounds be distinct from each other. The nature of the zamonudi hearing allows it to “hear” sounds better that emanate from surfaces if their skull is directly touching it. It happens from time to time that a zamonudi may come across a sound emanating from the ground that it likes, and so to hear it better it touches its skull to the ground. This has lead so some comical scenes where individuals have come across a zamonudi just standing there for hours with its head to a wall or the ground for no apparent reason. For much the same reason zamonudi may take a little time to savour prey within its skull, allowing the screams of its prey to resonate through its skull at the greatest intensity. Even after finally swallowing the zamonudi may place its head near or even touching its own belly so as to continue to listen to its distraught prey. While the screams may sound muffled to others, by touching its skull to its own belly there is little reduction in quality to the zamonudi.

The tongue is a long, smooth organ that has its root in the middle of the throat, reaching up to the mouth when relaxed. It may extend typically half the length of the body from the mouth easily, and up to ¾ of the body length when fully extended. The tongue is fully prehensile, enough so to use in sword-play if so desired. It is used much as a humanoid would use a hand, usually to manipulate small or delicate objects. The tongue is also used to grasp prey and draw it into the maw, it is quite strong and is thus very capable of this. The very tip of the tongue is the most sensitive and is used to both taste and smell with the most acuity. The tip of the tongue is what the zamonudi uses to determine if a certain creatures tastes right or what an object both smells and tastes like. This tip is also used to determine sex of a dragon between individuals by taste of the tip itself.

The stomach begins the heart of the most peculiar nature of the zamonudi, as it is one of the few vital organs it has. Muscular action of the throat and the stomach itself acts to draw air within the body. The lining of the stomach absorbs gases from the air as do lungs in other creatures for the zamonudi, as well as supplying air for prey that it may contain. The stomach is the only place that prey are held as well as digested; there is no intestinal tract. It is here that the essence of prey is drawn from its body, collected, and stored within an organ between the stomach and spine. The prey is digested by a dark-blue, mucus-like fluid found within the stomach that first draws the life-force from tissues before corroding the now dead cells and moving on. The lining of the stomach is elastic in nature and may stretch to accommodate prey as well as resist attempts of escape by prey (Damage reduction 30/+3). Once prey enters the stomach it stretches if needed and conforms closely to the shape of its body. This prevents the prey from either making effective attacks or using many spells.

Above the stomach is the organ that stores the essences of prey for use by the body called the zuistor. The overall health of the body is directly related to how much essence is stored within the zuistor, and should it ever empty the zamonudi dies. Essence stored here is used for growth, daily life functions, recovery and physical modifications. Essences kept here are pooled and lose any identity they had, becoming part of the homogeny.

Just above the main stomach is a small pouch like cavity. It seems to be a vestigial organ used for an unknown purpose but is now employed simply as a storage space within the body for any objects that the zamonudi may wish to place inside. The interior is only moist and is suitable for storage of anything from metal to paper. Much like the stomach below, it is able to expand to accommodate more material, however, packing to much within it may damage more fragile objects.

The rest of the body is devoid of any other organs save simple muscle and the heavily protected brain and so it is almost impossible to strike a vital area. For this reason, unless an opponent knows of how to strike at either stomach or zuistor there is no way to critically hit a zamonudi. The only bone found within the body is found in the spine, limbs and tail, there is no rib-cage or other bone structures normally found in other creatures.

Abilities: Zamonudi have but a few abilities to employ when newly hatched, but may gain more with some effort. One well known ability is the breath they use in combat, which is a cloud of blue bubbles that irritates eyes and skin while making surfaces slippery. The bubbles are derived from the blue fluid found in the stomach, and so while it is mostly harmless to living begins it can be devastating to certain zelengorsk.

While the lack of a dragons mental prowess is often exaggerated it is very widely known, so it is a surprise to most to discover that they possess telepathy. Their rather small minds are capable of telepathically communicating via beam (discreetly to one or more individuals, two way) or burst (to all within a radius of about 30 yards or less, one way). They may communicate with any living creature with an Intelligence over 1 and souls. They may be able to communicate with some zelengorsk but most dragons not only fear such beings, but the mental workings of zelengorsk can have profound influences on living minds. A zamonudi does not know from its hatching that it has this ability and often end up discovering it when another creature in the area overhears its thoughts when the zamonudi accidentally uses its burst telepathy. As burst is only one way, a creature with its own telepathic properties or a functioning tongues spell are needed to inform the zamonudi that its thoughts have been made known to them. It often ends up being a laylat that is the first to inform a zamonudi about its telepathic capacities just shortly before or after she is swallowed, as the zamonudi is thinking about its prey. Sometimes the laylat will be spared and granted her freedom for informing the zamonudi about telepathy and how its used, sometimes not, simply depending upon the mood and personality of the zamonudi.

The eyes of the zamonudi also deserve some mention here, as they possess extraordinary qualities. Firstly, as described earlier, zamonudi share eye structure with the radulox; a thick crystal lens behind which is a shimmering fluid. The primary purpose of the eyes are to aid in hunting from the air, and do so by a method similar to that of a telescope; objects far away can be resolved to clear detail as if they were close. The limit of this resolving power is quite remarkable, allowing a zamonudi to resolve at distances of hundreds of miles a tiny insect upon an open flower. All that need be done to employ this ability is for the zamonudi to stare intently at the object or area of its interest and it will seem to eventually focus automatically to the detail desired. This enhanced sight is used to determine if potential prey is suitable and sometimes to check for dangers in an area before landing.

When a zamonudi dies and its soul departs its body, it really does not have anywhere to go. Such "wandering souls" tend to locate another zamonudi that still lives and takes up residence within its aura. This allows them to experience all that its host does although not quite as clearly or intensely. In return for this "taste of life" the souls are willing to perform a small variety of services:

The number of souls normally found in a particular zamonudi's aura is dependant upon a few qualities, first of which is how large the essence store of that individual is. The souls seems to derive some sort of comfort from bathing in the emanations of the essence. The larger the store the larger the number of souls that can exist there without infringing upon each other. Most zamonudi will attract at least a single soul near the time of their hatching which amuses itself with the innate essence reserve they begin life with. From here one soul will join for each 100 essence X current number of souls (e.g. with 20 souls, would need 2,100 essence within its zuistor to attract an additional soul). If the essence level drops, souls may begin to leave if it is not replenished soon.

Although some of the tasks above are limited due to the limited extent a soul is willing to cooperate they may be convinced to do more than they would normally be willing to. The zamonudi may relinquish its own body for a time and allow any soul of its choice to take its place for a time, becoming a wandering soul itself in the trade. While the soul occupies the body it may experience life fully and intensely again, often opting to enjoy a meal while the true host observes from the aura like all the rest. The original host has a strong affinity for its own body and can force the visitor out at any time should there be a need or should it be resistant to the idea of giving the body back. A soul will seriously consider the offer of a chance to live again, even for a short while, in exchange for more effort on its part.

Limitations and Vulnerabilities: While they are large and stalwart, zamonudi are not very bright. They lack the ability to make long term and effective plans, typically achieving goals the simplest way they can. They are slow and clumsy on the ground as well as in the air which puts them at a disadvantage in most conflicts. Being rather simple and predictable, zamonudi are easily ambushed by those who would try to hunt them. This does not however, mitigate the fact that they are both strong and very able to take punishment should they have to.

One very notable feature is their vulnerability to effects that damage or otherwise affect the spirit. Until they learn methods to fend off such attacks they are very severely crippled by even the simplest magics often employed by necromancers and zelengorsk. The fact that they collect and store life essences makes them especially appetizing to zelengorsk seeking to feed upon such energies.

Diet: Appearing to be carnivores, zamonudi also have a need for life essences much like many forms of zelengorsk. The flesh and blood of prey are only of direct use at times a zamonudi wishes to grow or renew itself. In all other cases the bodies of prey are of no use and are only digested as a means to extract the essence that the zamonudi uses to sustain itself. With this need for the spirit of their prey it is perplexing why zamonudi are so specific in their choice of what to hunt. Zamonudi only hunt mammalian females, almost completely ignoring males. To a zamonudi, males simply do not "taste right", enough so that they are unpleasant. From what can be gathered zamonudi favour mammals with body fat, which also ties in closely to their dietary needs, and it is females which will most often have this. The blue fluid within a zamonudi's stomach, termed gleeah by some, is principally formed from the fat and body fluids of prey; it is this substance which is used to digest prey, as a material for growth and healing and for the zamonudi's breath attack. It is quite possible that without this fluid a zamonudi is doomed, as it would be unable to absorb the essence from prey nor could it heal any harm done to it.

Once swallowed, prey within the stomach are coated with gleeah and are held by the stomach in such a way as to prevent effective escape. The fluid lacks any life draining properties unless heated slightly to that of normal mammalian body temperature, taking effect as the prey warms its surroundings. The drain of spiritual essence is slow and not so much painful as it is numbing, producing a tingling sensation. As the life empties from tissues near the surface it is corroded to expose more living tissues that are drained in turn. The drain of essence draws from the life force of the prey as a whole, making it weaker and weaker rather than quickly dissolving the body and so it may take quite some time for actual physical damage to be done. It is typically only in the last hours that skin and flesh begin to dissolve as the last remnants of spirit keeping the body alive are drawn. This is somewhat fortunate as it allows time for prey to be rescued should the zamonudi be slain before the last of the prey's essence is taken. As the gleeah is only capable of corroding flesh all other materials are left largely untouched. Prey are reduced to hair, bone, nail and any items swallowed with them that are not made of leather or fine cloth.

Essence that may be taken from prey is determined by its health and overall spiritual strength as well as the zamonudi's efficiency in digesting its meal. Prey will normally provide essence equal to half their Constitution score, plus Constitution ability modifier, plus two for each level they have beyond first. Of this potential only seventy percent may be taken, the rest is lost to inefficacy and the resistance of the prey to relinquish its life. Should the zamonudi be able to process its prey better though the Favoured Prey feat another twenty percent may be gained, the last ten percent are obtained if prey does not fight the drawing of its life. There may be some prey species that a zamonudi are more inefficient than usual in consuming, being only able to take as low as fifty percent (not including a prey's tendency to resist) which may rise as they become familiar in dealing with such meals.

Life Cycle: All zamonudi begin life hatching from an egg. It is at this time that they see their first sights; usually one of their parents and their siblings. As seems to be one of the only customs they have the young are given one meal each and are then left on their own. As they are only so large they may only prey upon medium or smaller animals leaving their choice for prey limited. If able to survive long enough to grow they not only become more resilient, their range of prey increases to larger mammals. A zamonudi continues to grow so long as it can feed, soon reaching a size that enables it to reproduce should the opportunity arise. Zamonudi are a tri-sexual species, one acts as a carrier of the eggs while the others provide and fertilize the eggs. The carrier acts as the mother, allowing the eggs to grow using the reserves of its own body as well as being there once they hatch. The "mother" will provided a meal for each of its young, always numbering three, one of each sex type, before leaving them to fend for themselves. Each hatchling has a small store of essence and must earn/hunt the rest they need themselves.

Entertainment and use of free time: Besides producing a clutch, most zamonudi do little more than strive to become larger. Life consists of moving from one meal to the next and the periods of growth in between. Effectively immortal and having no need for sleep zamonudi find they have much time at their disposal. This time provided them is spent keeping themselves happy and as interested as they are able, unfortunately they have little that can please them. As they are cold bloods zamonudi have a low body temperature in comparison to mammals, something that zamonudi envy. The warmth of prey within the stomach slowly heats up the body of the zamonudi to pleasant levels, diminishing as the prey finally expires. Their love of heat often draws these creatures to natural sources of ambient heat such as hot-springs, which they can lounge in for days or even months. The blue fluid within the stomach, being activated by heat, is aided by the warmth of hot-springs and other heat sources, aiding in digestion by making it quicker and smoother although a bit more noisy.

The only other source of physical pleasure open to a zamonudi is from its stomach. The movement of prey, either in thrashing or squirming, provides the zamonudi with a pleasant physical sensation. Certain areas of the lining are more sensitive than others and prey moving against or touching these areas provide more intensely felt sensation. Larger prey or simply many smaller ones are better able to provide this feeling, and so many zamonudi are driven to gorge themselves at every opportunity, then withdrawing to a lair to digest their meal over a period of a few days.

The tongue is a prominent feature of zamonudi as it is used for taste, touch, smell and tool manipulation. The world is viewed as a mixture of a wide range of flavours and smells rather than sights and sounds. Each type of material has a different taste and smell to a zamonudi, sometimes pleasant and sometimes not. Zamonudi use their tongue to first smell and then taste creatures they encounter in order to determine if the subject is prey or not. Those that taste good are considered prey, those that do not taste good are regarded with neutrality. Each individual has their own unique flavour that varies along a theme for each species, and so some species have a more pleasant flavour than others and within those species some individuals stand out as better. As each individual is unique in taste zamonudi tend to seek out as many variations as they are able across species and individuals to eventually find what it is they like most, and not all zamonudi like the same things. The simple killing of suitable prey as is found in normal combat between species is seen as wasteful at best, as a personal attack upon their range of culinary experiences at worst. Being able to view intended prey from great distances, it occurs from time to time that rather appetizing prey a zamonudi has been flying towards for hours or days may be attacked and slain before the zamonudi can get there. In these cases the zamonudi can become frustrated or even violent, swooping down hours or even days later and slaughtering all present with no apparent provocation.

All other forms of entertainment must be of a mental sort, and since they are not gifted in this area the possibilities here are limited. It is known that zamonudi do enjoy bright lights and colours, often falling into periods of starring resembling a catatonic state while viewing them. They also enjoy certain sounds, most notably music and the screams of their prey, which they also consider a form of music, finding pleasure in the rise and fall of pitch. Some forms of dance also seem to appeal to zamonudi, normally those that boast speed, dexterity and flashy, colourful accessories. Although it is not known even to many sages, the more intelligent zamonudi may keep talented singers, minstrels and dancers as entertaining pets. Males kept for such purposes are prevented from leaving until the zamonudi grows bored of them, at which point they are ignored giving them a chance to leave (and seldom are they prevented). Female entertainers are more prized, as they have the additional qualities of smelling and looking pleasant during their performances. Females also tend to be very highly motivated, as they will have ample opportunity to witness the fate of those the zamonudi finds more entertaining from within. The semi-intelligent zamonudi will tend to keep their feminine entertainers just long enough to grow weary of them before giving them to the firers of their hunger. Those zamonudi with higher intellect act much differently. They are more selective of their entertainment, snatching individuals up for the express purpose of keeping them as a pet. Bringing their new pets to their lair the zamonudi communicates what it desires from its pet and the two of them come to an agreement of sorts. The agreement is often along the lines of the pet will not be swallowed as long as it provides what it was brought there to do, and will be granted a level of security under the protective wing of the zamonudi. The pet’s living requirements are often addressed as diets between master and pet may differ. Such relationships can last quite a while, as the zamonudi is timeless by nature and is also in need of something to pass its time while waiting for its prey to digest. Even if the revulsion inherently felt by most pets towards the zamonudi’s diet, it is possible that they may become as close to friends as zamonudi are capable of being with their prey. It seems inevitable that the pet and zamonudi become more or less curious about the other and ask questions. The first questions asked are often about physical differences and qualities: What is it like to fly? What is it like to be stuck in the mud and dirt? Why to you eat others? Why do you eat bad-tasting plants? What is it like to feel someone die within you? What is it like to fill yourself daily with carrion? Its it any trouble it be covered in hard scales? Is it any trouble to be so squishy? Why do your eyes glow? Why do you have lumps on your chest? This continues until nearly exhausted before more intellectual questions emerge on both sides: Do your plans for the future include anything other than food? Where does your music come from and why don’t I have any of my own? You eat only females, why? You are a female, why? The more intelligent the zamonudi the more entertaining it will find learning, in so far that it may rival the value of a meal. In this way a zamonudi can become very fond of its pet, making the idea of simply eating it seem wasteful. Eventually the question of if the zamonudi would allow its pet to leave and continue with its life arises, and how its handled is dependant on the personality of the zamonudi. The idea of why it is the pet would even want to leave is often an endless source of confusion for zamonudi; if the two of them are friends, why would she want to leave? Some may find the idea of losing its pet distressing and flatly refuse. Some may understand that leaving to do something seems important to their pet and its something that can be easily granted. In such cases the two normally part on good terms, the pet often returning to her people to pick up where she left off, and the zamonudi searching for a new pet to riddle with questions. It is common that laylats wish to return to their people to raise a family, keeping in contact with their “master” via telepathy. Often they will arrange to return after their parental duties are complete, spending the rest of their lives as companions, finally offering themselves up to their zamonudi owner just prior to their lives “expiring”.

Styles: Far from being feared for their mental prowess, the zamonudi typically lead very simplistic lives and form simplistic plans. The routine is most often moving from one meal to another as the need arises and laying about in their lair when not hunting. It is common for them to hunt from the air and scoop up their prey, taking it back to their lair where they can deal with it in peace. If they do not feel threatened they will at times land and attempt to swallow their prey on the spot, flying off in search of more soon after. These rather predictable tactics make them fairly easy to ambush, if not easy to defeat.

Either by choice or from unusually high intellect, a few zamonudi choose to live quite differently. Interested by the other creatures of the world or simply wanting more from their lives, some zamonudi spend their free time observing the habits of those that they share the world with. This can be as simple as staying aloft during their free time to discover how others spend their free time. On its most sophisticated level, they may use shape-altering magic to blend in with those they observe. It is these that have proven to be the most dangerous, learning more effective methods of hunting or finding ways to entice their prey into their specialized lairs.

Combat: As a guideline, zamonudi do not favour combat, as they see it as an unnecessary risk and a waste of energy. If forced into a combat situation they can employ an impressive arsenal, how a zamonudi deals with a potential combat situation depends on what it faces.

If battling potential prey, zamonudi will attempt to fight in such a way as not to draw blood. Such modes would be holds, appropriate spells, swallow attempt, etc. If fighting against foes not deemed prey, a dragon will use full lethal attacks. In any battle situation, a zamonudi will use tactics which will minimize harm to itself, as these may cost it valuable energy reserves. The normal attack modes a zamonudi may use are claws, bite, swallow, tail slap, wing buffet, breath, belly flop and souls. Swallow, tail slap, wing buffet, breath and belly flop are full round actions, all others are partial while souls are used as free actions. Claw and bite attacks are slashing attacks, tail slap and belly flop are bashing. Wing buffet may be of variable type, depending on surroundings (slashing from sharp debris, blunt from bowing foes about on a hard surface, etc). As the belly of a dragon is its much softer than its armoured back, it will attempt to keep it low to the ground beneath it. Should a zamonudi’s foes set their weapons to receive a charge as a zamonudi attempts a belly flop, the zamonudi will take damage as if it charged. For this reason this attack mode is not often used in these situations.

Ecology: Zamonudi are a unique species as it is composed of three sexes. One lays eggs, one fertilizes them, and the last carries them until the shell is formed, then lays them.

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not stepwise

Stepwise

stepwise

You have had a lot of experience engulfing prey, and you have learned a few techniques to make things much easier.

Check: You can attempt to successfully swallow prey that would normally be considered to large for you to do so. Using methods such as restraining the victim, careful positioning and wetting her down can reduce the risk of choking and improve chances of swallowing her.

Through practice you are able to more effectively drink the essence of prey.

Normal rate of essence drain from prey is 5 + 5 per level per day, each rank in this skill increases this by one. Although a dragon can vary this rate by anywhere from 0.0 - 5.0 times it gets more inefficient the faster it goes. To find how much is lost by accelerating digestion multiply the rate increase by 10% (e.g. 5.0 times faster results in a loss of 50%).

You may restore the spirit of a victim to its remains as a zelengorsk, the dragon born.

Prerequisite: Have the Consume Spirit feat

Benefit: You may reinstate the spirit of a victim into a new body composed of their original bones and new flesh formed of gleeah.

You develop the ability to devour the spirit of your prey as well as its essence.

Benefit: Instead of simply consuming the essence of your prey you may also reap their very spirit. In so doing the essence normally gained is not added to the essence pool but stays with the stolen spirit for the time being. At any point in time you are free to either add the essence of the spirit to the pool as normal, or consume it utterly, losing any essence it may have provided but supplementing your mental capacities. In order for this to have any effect the prey used must have had a higher Attribute Bonus than the dragon (such as a +3 bonus versus the dragon's +0). In so doing the dragon also gains any skill ranks the prey possessed and may employ them if able. The mental bonus granted by this method varies dependant on the Attributes of the prey. Should none of the three mental stats of the prey exceed 30 and still be higher than that of the dragon, the highest Attribute it had is the one it enhances. If, for example, if the mental Attributes of the prey were Int: 9 Wis: 17 Chr: 9, only the Wisdom score is counted as no other Attributes exceed 30. In this case a Wisdom bonus of (+3 - your current Attribute Bonus) is granted. Should two or more of the mental Attributes exceed 30, they may also be used instead of the only the single attribute. For example scores of Int: 37 Wis: 33, Chr:31 the bonuses would be +3, +3, +3 minus your current Attribute modifier in each, respectively.

These bonuses and skill ranks are only temporary, and will be lost if a new spirit is inlayed at a future time, being replaced by the new set. There is a chance that the temporary enhancements become permanent and is determined by the following: 1% + (3% X #prey) + (Prey Bonus - Current Bonus X 5). The number of prey is the number of which are used at once which can be as few a one and as many as five. The Bonus refers to that granted by the attribute (the range allowed is 1-3) in question and may be checked once for all three (Int, Wis, Chr).

Example: 1% + (3% X 5) + ((+3 - 0) X 5) = 1 + 15 + 15 = 31%

The spirits used must be whole and pure, not combined in the general Essence pool. This typically requires a slow, efficient digestion. Each prey must be consumed separately so as to prevent the mixing of their spirits, and then the spirit and Essence absorbed are "parceled" in order to maintain their identity.

The ability to parcel the essences of prey is a side-effect granted by this feat. It allows a zamonudi to draw the spirit and essence of prey and store it outside of the general pool, allowing it to keep its identity. Since the essence is not added to the pool it is not available for use as is normal. The spirit is still aware and may even be communicated with though use techniques that allow contact with spirits. It is here that an individuals spirit awaits whatever fate the zamonudi decides for it, typically being added to the pool at a later point upon which its identity is lost, or consumed resulting in its annihilation. Individuals in this state may exist in this “limbo” for as long as the zamonudi lives or decides to use them. In a fashion, this state can be considered a form of immortality, and some zamonudi discover that this is a fine way to keep individuals around longer than an individuals lifespan as well as preventing any chances of escape. The number of spirits that may be kept in this way is equal to 1 + Chr bonus. Those who have been parceled may be released should the zamonudi see fit, becoming a positively aligned form of incorporeal (ghost type) zelengorsk.

As the spirit of the prey is wholly removed from its body, its remains are not counted towards the potential of a bone pile. Remains of those who have had their spirits taken are inert, and act as more mundane corpses would.

Special: This feat may be taken multiple times, each time increasing the range of attribute bonus of the prey used in the equation by 3.

Learning about your body and reworking it you have managed to make you bubbles quickly corrode living flesh rather than stinging opponents eyes.

Prerequisite: Have the Bubble Breath special quality

Benefit: By expending a certain amount of essence you can actively rework how your bubbles are composed and make them corrosive to flesh. acting as a sort of specific acid. The list below denotes how essence is needed. Note that this is stepwise, and so each level must be taken before you are allowed to take the next.

You can swallow larger creatures than normal

Prerequisite: Swallow whole.

Benefit: You can swallow a creature of up to your own size category. Like a snake, you can stretch your mouth to an outlandish extent to accommodate immense prey. However, this process is time-consuming. If your second grapple check is successful after you have established a hold against a creature larger than you could swallow normally, you begin to swallow the held creature. On the following round, you must make an additional grapple check to complete the swallowing. The held creature can fight or try to break the grapple as normal while you are attempting to swallow it.

Normal: Unless otherwise noted, a creature can swallow opponents no larger than two size categories smaller than itself.

Special: Your gullet can hold on creature of the maximum size; other maximum numbers of swallowed creatures remain the same.

During the course of its life the dragon's system has repeatedly drank the essences of individuals of a certain species and has thus become more efficient at digesting them.

Benefit: Any prey species a dragon is familiar with no longer results in the loss of 20% of their essence. Should the prey also not resist the drain of its essence the dragon receives the full 100% of the prey's essence.

Special: While this feat may be taken with any awarded open feat, it is normally granted when certain requirements are met that would lead to a dragon becoming familiar with its prey.

By tapping deeper then is normally possible into the very being of a Familiar Prey a dragon is able to significantly increase the amount of essence that it may drink.

Benefit: By means of even more thorough and complete digestion, reaching into the very supernatural nature of some species, the dragons system can extract more essence than is normally allotted. The portion that may be taken above normal limits is dependant on the nature of the prey:

You may retain some skill of prey who's spirit is consumed.

Prerequisite: Consume Spirit

Benefit: Depending upon your own level of intellect you may retain skill ranks possessed by prey you have consumed using the consume spirit feat. The number of ranks that can be retained is equal to your Intelligence modifier while what skills are gained is handled specially. The chance to retain a skill is but 10% multiplied by your Intelligence modifier; those not successfully kept fade after d4 days.

Typically, the skill of the highest rank possessed is retained while all others are lost. In the case that you already possess the skill with the most ranks and your current rank is higher then the next best skill and rank are retained. Should several skills be equal for highest rank then they are selected randomly within preference for their key ability in this order: Con, Str, Dex, Wis, Int, Chr. Those which share both equally high rank and key ability will be randomly chosen by die roll. However, should you be aware of the presence of a skill and perhaps have had some demonstration of it (typically by the prey before it is swallowed) you may add these in addition to one random skill chosen as described above.

You can fall upon an opponent from the sky.

Prerequisite: Str 15, fly speed (average manoeuvrability).

Benefit: When flying, you can dive and land on an opponent to deal additional damage. Using this feat is a standard action, and it can affect only creatures one or more size categories smaller than you. To use this feat, make an overrun attack, but the opponent cannot choose to avoid you. If you knock down the target, you may make an additional slam attack (at the usual +4 attack bonus against prone opponents). The attack deals the base damage given on the table below for your size category plus 1½ times your Strength bonus (rounded down).

Normal: Without this feat, you can attack with just one natural weapon and do not have a chance to knock down the opponent.

Special: If you fail in your overrun attempt and are tripped in turn, you are knocked down, and you deal the slam damage for the attack to yourself.

Your bubbles gain the capacity to induce sleep.

Prerequisite: Bubble breath

Benefit: Some alterations to the gases that normally make the bubbles buoyant now make them act as a powerful sedative. Those who inhale the gases from the bubbles may be forced into a slumber for a short period of time during which they are helpless. All mammals caught in the area of effect of the bubbles must make a Will save against DC 13 plus the level of the zamonudi or fall into a deep sleep for d4 X 10 minutes. Those that do save may feel drowsy, suffering a two point penalty to Strength and Dexterity for the same d4 X 10 minutes. A sleeping victim can be awakened by strong stimulation such as very loud sounds or pain.

As the gasses must be breathed to be effective, measures taken to prevent inhalation of the sedating vapours will prevent sleep from taking hold.

Special: This feat may be taken more than once, each time adding 4 to the DC. Also, if the last meal the zamonudi had before producing these bubbles is the same as the current target, the saving throw DC is increased by 4.