Tether Beast

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temporal Prime

FREQUENCY: Rare

ORGANIZATION: Family

ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any

DIET: Omniverous

INTELLIGENCE: Very (11)

TREASURE: I

ALIGNMENT:Neutral evil

NO. APPEARING: 1-3

ARMOR CLASS: 0

MOVEMENT: 12

HIT DICE: 10+2

THAC0: 11

NO. OF ATTACKS: 5 (four claws, one bite)

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d6/2d6/2d6/2d6/2d4

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon

SPECIAL DEFENSES: +1 or better magical weapon to hit.

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 25%

SIZE: Huge (20 feet long)

MORALE: Average (10)

XP VALUE: 15,000

Tether beasts are oftèn referred to ae the dragons of Temporal Prime, but in fact, they more closely resemble behirs. They are long and snake-like with four pairs of legs unevenly spaced along their bodies. Tlie legs are much ionger than a behir's, but they are normally kept tucked up close to the body giving the (sometimes fatal) illusion of the beast having a short reach. Its back önd Iegs are eovered wtth iridescent scales, and tts underside features a softer, blaek skin. The head is reptilian vvllh a short snout filled with dagger-hke teeth. These creatures exist onlv on Temporal Prirne amd, in the opinion of most aadventurers, thankfully so.

Habitat/Society: A tether beasl has no lair. It is always on Ihe move. These beasts frequently travel in pairs, and if a third beast is present it is usualiy a young child of ihe two larger ones (The child has 6+1 Hit Dice and is worth only 8,000 XP). The beasl (or the largest of the gnnip) stores Ireasure within several hidden pouches that can be found within the softer area of its underside. Large items ol ohvious value, or any magical item it rmght have, are dragged along in one claw. Tether beasls have a 10% chance of being able to use a magical item. Otherwise that claw is considered nonuseful for attacks or movement.

Though it is assumed that the tether beast can travel like other crealure's on Temporal Prime (by walking or fioating along), it always crawls along the lifelines with at least four of its claws wrapped about one of the silver cables. Now and then, it seizes a lifeline in its mouth and gnaws at it with its vicious teeth, but no damage is known to be caused to the lifeilne's possessor. Some adventurers that have been contacted by chronomancers about these incidents have reported that, at the time in question, they sensed a chilling effect, similar to the old saying of someone walking across their grave, but no apparent physical harm was done lo them or their llfeline.

The tether beast is far and away the fiercest hunter on Temporal Prime. It attacks and eats anything it happens bo come across, from tempsynth to ternporal gliders, and apparentlychronomancers rank high on the top of the list of their favorite foods. The beasl is at the top of the food chain in Temporal Prime, since nothing is known to attack it except adventurers. A tether beast that finds the silver mist-trail of a Temporal Prime traveler folluws it until the trail disappears or the adventurer is found.

Combat: Tether beasts prefer to attack their intended victims from ambush if possible, but they attack even if they are the ones surprised—or it they're wounded or being offered an appeasement, or if they’re hungry or full. Basicaliy, they are happy to attack anyone at any time for any reason—or even no reason at all.

In combat, the creature continues to hold on to nearby lifelines with at least four claws while attacking wilh all of its other four limbs, plus its savage bite. It can attack in anv direction it wishes with its claws. and the long reach of its arms puts it into melee range even against oppmients armed with polearms. For opponenls who devise an attack method just out of reach, the tether beast grabs hold of the lifeline tightly with its back four claws arid whips the entire upper half of ils body outward its intended victim, raking at it with all five attacks. A crealure may try lo force one of the beasts four lifeline claws away from Ihe lifeline. Whether or not it is successful, the only result is that the tether beast turns on that creature with every attack, including an extra claw atlack from ihe Limb that the victim just freed.

Anytime after the first combat round, if the tether beast does not seem to he winnmg the engagcmcnt, it uses a breath weapon attack that has a range of 30 subjective feet and can be directed against one creature only. The breath weapon appears to be composed of the mist-smoke of Temporal Prime, but any creature it hits must save vs death magic. A failure results in the chararter rapidiy aging to the point that he crumbles into dust. A success means thal the adventurer only ages 20 years (check the maximum lifespan of the race to determine the efFects).

Tether beasts are smart enough to know tltat humans are excellent targets for this breath weapon, and they do not mind using it against them when possible since the tether beasts seemingly can gain almost as much nourishment from the leftover pile of dust. This breaih weapon may be used once every 10 rounds.