Drachyr- Dragons of Penumbra (DRAW - keer)

The Drachyr (plural) have stunning similarities with the Dragons of Nycos, though they are not native to Nycos Prime, instead thriving in their own Penumbral Realm in most cases. In Penumbra, they are creatures of light and darkness, shadow and substance. With wings that originate in skeletal connection from the shoulderblades, with a four-footed stance - forelegs that end with three fore-talons and two aft-talons, and backlegs that are longer claws - the creature can become upright, if only for short periods. Its long tail - as long as its body - undulates and coils, allowing it to grasp larger objects or prey, in order to restrict the prey's capacity to defend itself. Its muzzle is broad and squarish, its teeth razor-sharp and jagged.

Marks of the Drachyr

Drachyr, beings of Penumbra, are difficult to quantify. The following are the identified characteristics of those who have encountered them on Nycos Prime.

• Monstrous Dimensions - A Drachyr is roughly fifteen feet in length and stands over ten feet tall when rampant and erect.
• Quadrupedal - Drachyr seems unable to remain erect for more than a couple of steps, reverting to four legs for ground movement
• Reptilian form - Descriptions are sketchy, to be sure, as the form is cloaked almost entirely in the half-light
• Tooth & Claw - The creature's primary attack form is a rending natural attack that disregards armor's effect
• Winged - Drachyr can travel by flight. but only tend to do so in darkness, under heavy cloud cover
• Light-absorbing skin - the Penumbral nature of the being means it feeds on light through absorption.
• Coiling Tail - nearly as long as the body, the snakelike lower body can coil and crush its victims.
• "Oral Expulsion" - similar to dragons, Drachyr have two forms of 'breath weapons'

1. A blast of either light in a narrowly-focused cone extending 100 ft
2. A roughly 50' cloud of tangible darkness that entraps its victims like thick sludge, immobilizing them.

• This tangibility, if done in full Nimbuslight, will dissipate in less than a half-hour, during which time it reduces the move rate of a non-shadow creature by half until clear of it

Though there are dozens of cases in archives across Nycos, always near alleged portals and gateways into the Shadow Realm, there are no full-body remains of a Drachyr ever described among them, and no living specimen has ever been recorded as having been in captivity. Even so, there are libraries and museums on Grohlym that claim to have at least skeletal fragments in their reliquaries that purport to be Drachyri bones, most noted the improperly-named DragonClaws, exotic hand weapons enshrined in the Genaran Temple complex, adjacent to the Dragonmere on the North edge of Ustish. Fearing their decay, the Dragon's Claws are only displayed after Nimbus has set. and returned to their creche well before it rises the next day. (see the DragonClaws Item description, under Generine Artifacts). It is commonly believed the brilliant light of Nimbus might be a major factor in deteriorating Penumbral beings. The harsh and powerful rays of Nimbus are known to have a devastating effect on living Penumbral beings and have been demonstrated to wear away the remains very quickly. The Drachyr are no less vulnerable, but perhaps the few remnants that have survived depend on a greater resilience in the quality and depth of the darkness that makes up the being's body.

Game Characteristics

With a BASE of 38, the Drachyrim is a force to be reckoned with, even when cornered and alone. Most are Masters in a half-dozen combat and survival Skills and holders of literal scores of non-combat ones; their age determines how deadly they can be. The species, one of the eldest known in Penumbra, has breached the barrier from time to time and wreaked havoc on their arrival and continued until they were killed or driven back. Fortunately, they are not a particularly resolute species, and can often be driven back by injury or intimidation, preferring to hunt their food when it is unaware, and to avoid or ignore well-defended or prepared prey

Realm of Origin : Penumbra

Creatures of the Shadow Realm, not acclimated to Nycos Prime

Category of Life: Apex Predator

No higher natural threat, carnivorous and predatory in nature

Typical Specimen

Foundation Base 38 Core 8

• 30 Brilliance
• 50 Cognizance
• 60 Grace
• 15 Presence
• 45 Resilience
• 30 Resolve

Typical Mastered Skills List

• Death from Above - Grace - attacks while flying are Priority One.
• Hypnotic Undulation - Presence - rhythmic coiling dance intended to distract, confuse, or confound noncombatants
• Inexorable Charge - Resilience - Attacks convey TWO adverse conditions on Success, THREE on Wild Success
• Peerless Tracking - Brilliance - follow a seen or unseen target even across difficult terrain or inclement weather.
• Reveal the Invisible - Cognizance - cause the space around the invisible object to darken, revealing their presence and shape
• Multi-Opponent Defense -Presence - coordinate movement and body positioning to attack on opponent per 10 pts. of Resolve

Magic Effects

Cognizance

• Blinding Flash - create a 15' radius area effect that may blind or distract
• Control Luminescence - eliminate or negate one light source for a time. Can be Maintained to target others
• Slip into Shadow - Adjust physical mass to an incorporeal shadow for a time. Can be Maintained