Cockatrice

The cockatrice is a well known creature in legend, a hazard for travelers and rural guards, one which must be carefully dealt with before the creature’s infamous bite can get out of hand. A cockatrice not quickly dealt with risks going from menace to deadly terror.   Stone Diet A cockatrice is well known for petrifying their prey before consuming them, but the bird’s small size ensures most humanoids rarely wind up on the dinner menu. Instead, they are most often dangerous in rural areas, where entire farms of smaller animals such as hogs and sheep might be turned to stone overnight. A cockatrice often attempts to turn as many creatures to stone as possible before eating its fill, leaving the remaining statues for another day. However, in the rare event a cockatrice manages to petrify a creature of draconic blood, a magical compulsion forces them to begin feasting immediately.   Blood of the Dragon If a cockatrice consumes enough draconic flesh, they undergo a terrible transformation. Physically there are very few changes to the creature- more scales where before there was only loose and baggy flesh, and a healthy new complexion for the creature. But inside, the cockatrice has grown to become a horrifying threat. Stronger, more agile, tougher to kill, and worst of all, far less exclusionary in its choice of meal. The bite of a so-called dragonblood cockatrice is much more potent than before, and the magical petrification it causes is almost impossible to prevent. Any who succumb are rarely brought back, but those who are claim it to be a harrowing experience, in which the victim remains fully conscious for the duration. In addition, the breath of the cockatrice becomes poisonous to those exposed to it, a toxin which renders them totally immobile, transforming them into a defenseless snack.   Unscrupulous Scavengers In order to become a dragonblood cockatrice, a normal cockatrice doesn’t need to devour a true dragon. Indeed, the idea of a cockatrice managing to eat a fully-grown dragon seems appropriately ridiculous. But any creature with draconic blood can cause the change, such as drakes or wurms. Even dragonborn or humans with a touch of draconic blood have been known to cause the change. Worst of all, the cockatrice doesn’t need to devour living flesh for the transformation to happen. While cockatrice prefer living prey, in hard times they’ll resort to petrifying and eating old carcasses if necessary. If the carcass in question happens to be that of a drake or dragonborn, the cokcatrice may still eat enough of the flesh to cause the transformation.