Manticora

"They call them man eaters. I once saw a fully armoured knight get bitten in half and tossed aside as if he were nothing but a sack of beans."
- Roderick the Yellow

Basic Information

Anatomy

The animal is best described as having the body, hind legs and forelegs of that of a large predatory cat, with plain tan fur, reddish, striped, spotted or otherwise dependent upon its terrain. All manticora are winged, such as that of a gigantic bat, as is true of most mammals rather than avians. They do not fly with agility, but can jump, leap and glide exceptionally well, often descending on prey with only the slightest of sound. A fully mature adult can grow up to three times the size of a lion with a wingspan equal to that of a wyvern.
The teeth of a manticore are threefold and seem to regenerate from the rear, much like what we may perceive in sharks, although the tooth structure is more akin to large broad spines that the wedge shape of the shark. This purpose seems twofold. First, the teeth are designed to rip and cleave flesh, for that is the main prey of the manticore. Second, and unusually, the teeth are used to break off stone - specifically iron ore, which they digest to form the deadly iron spikes that they fling from their barbed tail with incredible precision. Strangely enough this places the manticore into the carnivore and lithivore categories together. When eating stone and ore, the teeth often break off, and are quickly replaced by the next in the row. Extracted manticore teeth have proven to be a combination of iron and calcium, with equal parts regrowing dependent upon the beasts diet and certain blacksmiths in the Shine Isles have mastered the craft of turning the teeth into weapons, such as spear tips and lance tips.
The claws of the animal are of the same consistency as the teeth; extremely sharp and can tear through plate armour easily, leaving many a foolhardy knight simply a meal rather than a hero or beast hunter.
The faces of these creatures are possibly it's most bizarre feature, with all manitcora having the semblance of that of an old man. Even the females and the young exhibit this trait. Sages are still in speculation as to why this is the case, as they are also in speculation about the origin of maticora in general. What is known is that while all manitcora are adorned with manes, only the dominant males produce horns, much akin to the mountain goat or ram. It is with these horns that dominance over a pride is gained, and much like the mountain rams, exhibit the exact same skull smashing sport as there previously aforementioned prey, albeit with tail lashings and missiles, claw strikes and holding bites to assert their dominance.
The call of a manitcore is rather specific, with guttural grunts and growls being common, but the call to alarm or that of mating may resemble something of a fearful trumpet blast - large, deep and echoing and terrifying to experience.

Genetics and Reproduction

Although mostly a reclusive and solitary beast, a manticore will breed with a female and raise a nest of cubs in a mountain or hilly cave, with there being up to six young at any one time. Adults will ferociously defend the nest and have a range of several tens of miles that the consider to be their own hunting or breeding grounds.

Growth Rate & Stages

Maniticora grow to full maturation in four years, with the dominant males sprouting dueling horns at this time. A long lived male of up to twenty years and over may have such spectacular horns that they become prized trophies for those that can afford them.

Ecology and Habitats

Manitcora are mostly mountainous cave dwellers, with nests that mainly resemble a roughly circular structure composed of bone, wool, hair and strewn rocks and other brick-a-brack taken from hapless wanderers or hunters. Although these beasts are deemed man-eaters, their main fare is that of mountain goats, cattle, yaks and sheep, although of course this blends into all types of livestock that may be farmed within a territory - and territorial the manitore certainly is.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Manitcora feed on lesser mammals, livestock and also iron ore.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The sense of smell of a manticore is akin to that of other great cats, but also like them, the manticore seems to enjoy large periods of rest and sleep.

Scientific Name

Hybrid

Conservation Status

This species is occasionally hunted by nobility for sport, but is not without extreme peril. Manticore taxidermy trophies are highly sought after by those seeking status.