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Description

Far from stupid beasts, manticores are evil, intelligent creatures with an insatiable bloodlust for the human species. Manticores take great joy in the act of needless killing and the hunt, leading some to believe they might be connected to the draconian in some way, though how is unknown. As with all unnatural beasts and monsters in the bestiary, manticores possess magic of their own which they use with cruel efficiency, commanding a commendable talent over illusory magic specifically. Manticores use their illusions to take the form of elderly, sickly, or poor humans to gain the sympathy of their prey who then either invite them to their home or follow the beast to its lair. Virtually nothing is left behind of the victim(s) after a successful hunt, not even bone fragments. It is believed manticores use the likeness of their victims for their disguises but this is purely speculatory.

In combat manticores are fierce and brutal. Should their illusions not work for any reason they are always capable of shredding steel with their claws or launching the venomous, paralyzing spines on their tails with sniper-like precision, they are more than a challenge to even the most talented warriors. Fortunately, manticores are solitary creatures, never appearing on record to ever congregate, not even to breed. Naturally this results in very little actually being known about the monsters or their habits when not on the hunt or in the wild, and whatever knowledge gained from deceased specimens makes little sense or has horrific implications.

Drakes have identified three variants of the species, all of which appear male mono-gendered and each capable of varying levels of danger to a mortal populace, though oddly enough none of which are known show any hostility to drakes of any kind. This has resulted in the occasional instance of drakes adopting them as "pets" or companions, though this is ill advised, as their pet will not hesitate to attack a mortal on sight, no matter how "friendly" they may seem. Manticores particularly despise being first encountered in their true forms, and despite being monsters they are oddly polite and value certain manners in their presence in a somewhat ironic human-like quirk. Drakes have jokingly called them "gentlemen beasts".

Manticores are capable of speech through their illusion, allowing them some form of communication with other races, however, any attempts to ask them about their true selves are answered ambiguously or totally ignored, showing general irritation at the questioning. Without their illusions to speak for them, they are only able to make sounds like that of a flute, or musical pipe, which makes them sound like theyre singing.

The manticore pictured above is particularly infamous for escaping a drake showman who kept him as part of a traveling freak show in the human world at some point in the mid 30s. "Fluffy" consumed a good number of homeless and downtrodden, causing mass hysteria in the small depression stricken town he temporarily called home. The monster terrorized the population for a full winter before being successfully and quietly put down by drake agents. No other incidents of this type or scale would occur until 30 years later.

Description

Far from stupid beasts, manticores are evil, intelligent creatures with an insatiable bloodlust for the human species. Manticores take great joy in the act of needless killing and the hunt, leading some to believe they might be connected to the draconian in some way, though how is unknown. As with all unnatural beasts and monsters in the bestiary, manticores possess magic of their own which they use with cruel efficiency, commanding a commendable talent over illusory magic specifically. Manticores use their illusions to take the form of elderly, sickly, or poor humans to gain the sympathy of their prey who then either invite them to their home or follow the beast to its lair. Virtually nothing is left behind of the victim(s) after a successful hunt, not even bone fragments. It is believed manticores use the likeness of their victims for their disguises but this is purely speculatory.

In combat manticores are fierce and brutal. Should their illusions not work for any reason they are always capable of shredding steel with their claws or launching the venomous, paralyzing spines on their tails with sniper-like precision, they are more than a challenge to even the most talented warriors. Fortunately, manticores are solitary creatures, never appearing on record to ever congregate, not even to breed. Naturally this results in very little actually being known about the monsters or their habits when not on the hunt or in the wild, and whatever knowledge gained from deceased specimens makes little sense or has horrific implications.

Drakes have identified three variants of the species, all of which appear male mono-gendered and each capable of varying levels of danger to a mortal populace, though oddly enough none of which are known show any hostility to drakes of any kind. This has resulted in the occasional instance of drakes adopting them as "pets" or companions, though this is ill advised, as their pet will not hesitate to attack a mortal on sight, no matter how "friendly" they may seem. Manticores particularly despise being first encountered in their true forms, and despite being monsters they are oddly polite and value certain manners in their presence in a somewhat ironic human-like quirk. Drakes have jokingly called them "gentlemen beasts".

Manticores are capable of speech through their illusion, allowing them some form of communication with other races, however, any attempts to ask them about their true selves are answered ambiguously or totally ignored, showing general irritation at the questioning. Without their illusions to speak for them, they are only able to make sounds like that of a flute, or musical pipe, which makes them sound like theyre singing.

The manticore pictured above is particularly infamous for escaping a drake showman who kept him as part of a traveling freak show in the human world at some point in the mid 30s. "Fluffy" consumed a good number of homeless and downtrodden, causing mass hysteria in the small depression stricken town he temporarily called home. The monster terrorized the population for a full winter before being successfully and quietly put down by drake agents. No other incidents of this type or scale would occur until 30 years later.