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The ecology
A familiar-sounditg but fiendish-looking beast
by Ed Greenwood
From the Pseudobiblia of Edygulph
Eremmore, naturalist and sage:
One of the ugliest and most cruel of all
creatures is the leucrotta, a loathsome car-
nivorous beast that inhabits wastelands in
the wilderness. On its cloven hooves it runs
as fast as a medium-sized warhorse, and it
savages prey with its jagged, bony jaws
rather as sharks do. Humans are its favorite
prey, and the "ugly killer" is one of the
most dagerous and most feared predators
of the wastes because of its cunning and its
strange talent for mimicry.
Whether acting individually or in a small
group, leucrotta are sly and enterprising.
They can develop simple but effective tricks
to take advantage of their ability to mimic
the human voice, and are often able to lure
large groups of travelers to their doom.
One group of leucrotta, for example,
came upon and devoured a few pilgrims on
the road, took brands from their fire, and
16 NoveMeeR lsal
(
orrhe leucrotta
carried these for miles along the road to a
long-deserted keep, where the creatures lit
many torches and brushpiles along the walls
to make it appear inhabited. Then, with
their human-like speech, they called out
(while in seclusion) to a passing caravan,
luring the group inside to rest for the night.
The leucrotta slew many of the party as the
members split up to explore the dimly it
interior of the stronghold, bounding out of
the darkness to bite at faces and necks. The
monsters returned later to devour the bodies
after harrying the leeing survivors and
-
chasing them down the road until dawn
Leucrotta often lurk along roads and near
habitations by night, learning information
about humans who live in the area or are
passing through the wilderness. They take
note of expressions often heard in Common
Tongue speech, so as to improve their mim-
icry. One leucrotta ventured abnormally
close to civilization and took to prowling a
glen where thieves would come to meet in
the night. With the vocabulary it overheard
there, it was soon able to begin devouring
thieves who fell into its trap. The creature
returned to the glen every few weeks for
several years before it was discovered,
trapped, and slain.
Those who, for some reason, must dwell
near the known haunts ofleucrotta are
prepared lor a raid at any time, and they
quickly learn not to engage in conversation
with anyone whose face they cannot see.
They begin to expect an assault when their
dogs start to disappear; leucrotta hate these
noisy, persistent trackers and alarm-raisers.
Leucrotta almost always use concealing
darkness or terrain cover to draw near to
prey (or to remain concealed while the prey
comes closer). Then they rush out with
great speed, attacking furiously and tearing
with their powerful jaws. They will always
disable one victim and turn to anothet
rather than finishing off one at a time, more
out ofcruelty than voraciousness. The
 sufficient food The lifespan of a leucrotta is throat or when the victim is reduced to one-
creatures are skillful at tracking, and exult
not known, but is thought to be shorter third or less of his hit Points.
in the gaining of food as much as in the
than that of a human. 2. Leucrotta have hardy constitutions;
devouring of it.
Leucrotta tend to wander, following food, the climate of the creature's habitat ranges
The appearance of the leucrotta is not
and although they like to frequent a "terri- from subarctic to subtropical. Those en-
utterly horrifying, but certainly repulsive,
tory" they know wel (so as to readily es- countered in cold regions have a layer of
nonetheless. Its bare, ragged-edged jaw-
cape pursuit, arrange ambushes, and the body fat which increases their ability to
bones give its face and head a ghoulish,
like), they do not fight off other predators to endure physical attacks; opponents take a -1
skeletal look. It has the body shape of a
defend such an atea' and will leave it with- penalty to damage inflicted on any success-
large deer, but without even a close-cropped
out hesitation if threatened by very strong ful hit with a non-magical weapon (mini-
coat of fur or hair; its trunk, Iegs, and
loes, lack of food, or natural disaster. mum damage of 1 Point Per hit). All
cloven hooves seem mismatched with its
Avoid this creature, travelers and even leucrotta gain a *4 bonus on saving throws
head, which resembles that of a giant
warriors, unless you are prepared to fight vs. disease or poison.
badger or similar burrowing animal, and its
and do not exPect to win. Even some 3. All full-grown leucrotta can mimic the
tail, which is thin and slightly tufted at the -strong bands of men who have gone forth to human voice with the same degree of skill'
end like that of a lion. If the creature had a
slay eucrotta have not returned, and most Any character within earshot who can un-
more pleasant demeanor, its appearance
creatures give the "ugly killers" a wide derstand the common tongue will believe
might be tolerable or even humorous - but
berth whenever possible. that the voice is that of a human if the
such is not the case.
character fails to roll less than his intelli-
Leucrotta have been known to cooPerate
Appendix gence or wisdom (whichever is higher) on
with other creatures' such as lamia or even
i. Leucrotta track as well as rangers do, d20. Thus, a character with 16 intelligence
evil naga, for mutual gain, but most prefer
and try to make this task easier by savaging and 18 wisdom has a 3 in 20 chance of
to hunt alone or with two or three others of
prey so that it is weakened and slowed, and being fooled by the mimicry - on a roll of
their own kind. Most other creatures shun
perhaps leaves a bloody trail when fleeing. 18, 19, or 20. A character who is not fooled
them, for even those stronger than a leu-
tta can never let their guard down near In battle leucrotta bite, slash, and tear with will recognize the voice as an imperson-
their ridged, bony jaws for 3-18 points of ation, but will not know who or what is
: of them. Leucrotta will attack anything
damage. They have a chance ofdisabling or doing the mimicry and may well still decide
that is at a disadvantage or that they think
killing prey with a strike to the throat, to approach and investigate' A character
they can defeat, whether or not the prey is
determined as for the devil dog (see the who is fooled will not rush forward blindly;
preferred or even edible. Leucrotta will
FIEND FOLIO@ Tome): If the leucrotta's he will assume that the voice is that of a
serve only evil creatures more powerful and
modifred "to hit" roll is 4 or more greater human, but may still be cautious about
vicious than themselves, and then only
than the number required, or a natural 20 approaching an unseen "Person'"
when promised enough reward. They have
in any case, the victim has been hit in the 4. Young leucrotta are size M and have
been occasionally reported to consort with
throat. Damage from the bite is the normal 3.1 HD when born. They gain I hit die
and aid demons, and at least two observers
amount, but the victim is rendered uncon- every two months thereafter until at full 6*1
(the adventurer Ironbars of Elcathra and
the wizard Gulgath of Mulmaster), who scious from the strike. This comatose condi- HD and size L status at the age of six
tion will last for 2-B turns, and at the end of months. The bite of a young leucrotta (less
encountered the demon lord Kostchtchie
this time the victim will die if not revived than six months old) does 2-12 points of
many years (and planes) apart, reported
beforehand by the application of cue seri- damage, and each kicking hoofdoes 1-4
that the demon was accompanied by two
ous wounds or some similarly strong heal- points of damage. They are able to mimic
astoundingly large leucrotta of exceptionally
ing magic. the human voice at two months of age, and
vicious temperaments, which apparently
A leucrotta can kick backwards with its characters receive a *2 bonus on their at-
serve him as bodyguards.
rear legs, even when fleeing, and still retain tempts to "disbelieve" the mimicry. This
Although they have no personal use for
its full movement rate in that round. The bonus decreases to +l when the young leu-
it, leucrotta will gather treasure to bargain
with, or to lure prey into traps with' (Expe- hooves each do 1-6 points ofdamage (roll crotta reaches four months ofage, and is
rienced travelers know enough not to hastily "to hit" separately for each hoof) to anyone eliminated altogether at six months of age'
standing directly to the rear ofthe creature, 5. If two leucrotta are encountered at
approach any hoard found in a cave or
Itto in the wilderness, for a leucrotta may or anyone in close pursuit of it. If pressed, a once, there is a50% chance that they are a
leucrotta can rear up and lash out with its mated pair (a male accompanying a female
- planning to take greedy discoverers from
front hooves (for 1-6 damage each), but it who is carrying young). The male will go
behind while they pore over their riches.) If
one of a group ofleucrotta is captured or cannot do this and kick with its rear hooves into a frenzy if either he or the female is
in the same round. It can combine a bite attacked, gaining a'2 bonus "to hit" and
injured in battle, the others will not aid it or
attempt to rescue it. On rare occasions attack with either kind of hool kick in the on damage. If a solitary leucrotta is encoun-
leucrotta will team up for a short time (per- same round, providing that victims are in a tered, there is a 50% chance that it is a
haps only one assault) with more powerful position to le hit by both forms of damage. single adult ofeither sex, a25% chance that
creatures of like alignment in a hunting The monster can stamP on or tramPle it is a female on a hunting spree for her
group. any target that is lower than itself (on lower young, and a25% chance that it is a female
ground, fallen, crouching, etc.), striking accompanied by young (85% chance ofone
Male and female leucrotta (or "leucrot-
tas"; either term is accepted) tend to be of with both sets of hooves together and crash- offspring, 157o chance of two) of between
ing down with the full weight of its bod for 1-B (dB) months of age'
equal size, and appear identical to casual
4-16 points of damage. If this stamping 6. A leucrotta is not overwhelmingly
scrutiny. They do not take permanent
mates, and the father does not usualy aid in attack hits, all hoof and bite attacks against intelligent, but its innate evilness lends it a
the fallen victim in subsequent rounds are slyness and cunning not usually found in
the raising of young. Calves are born six
months after mating, live and in full control made at *2 "to hit," unless and until the non-evil creatures of average intelligence.
of themselves. They follow their mother for victim avoids being hit for one round and is The tricks a leucrotta uses to lure its prey
able to get to his feet. Whin engaging a are not overly complex or sophisticated, but
at least four months, learning trickery and
fallen opponent, the leucrotta has a better are often all the more effective because of
hunting skills, and always go off on their
own at the age of eight months, or shortly chance of scoring a hit to the throat (see their simplicity. One ploy that all leucrotta
above) because ofthe *2 bonus "to hit'" If use from time to time is to imitate the voice
before the mother is about to give birth
other opponents are nearby, the leucrotta of a wounded or diseased character crying
again. During the first two months after
will break off its attack against a fallen foe out for help a plea tht most good-
giving birth, the mother goes into a killing -
frenzy to provide her offspring with as soon as it scores a hit to the target's aligned characters find difficult to ignore. 1
DRAGON 17