Frelôn
by Jamie BatySCMC
Large Dragon
Hit Dice: 10d12+10 (75 hp)
Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex)
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 60 ft. (poor)
Armour Class: 17 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +6 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+19
Attack: Claw +14 melee (1d4 +5)
Full Attack: 2 Claws +14 melee (1d4 +5) and bite +12 melee (2d6 +2) and sting +12 melee (1d6 +2 plus Impregnate)
Space/Reach: 10 ft. /10 ft.
Special Attacks: Impregnate, improved grab, rake
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft., dragon traits, flight, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +11
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 14, Cha 14
Skills: Hide +5, Intimidate +4, Listen +16, Move Silently +9, Search +13, Spot +16, Survival +9
Feats: Dodge, Flyby Attack, Iron Will, Multiattack
Environment: Temperate forests, hills
Organisation: Solitary, Pair, or Brood (2-5)
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: See Below
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Large); 21-30 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
The frelôn were originally created by dragons to serve a specific function: to seek and destroy the hated araneas. They have since grown beyond this function, evolving into mysterious, yet very dangerous, creatures.
A frelôn looks like a cross between a dragon and a wasp. Its long, skinny body segments into two sections, though not quite the abdomen-and-thorax arrangement of a normal insect. Two pairs of long legs cause it to stand upright at 7 feet tall. A whip-like tail with a stinger extends from the base of the body, constantly snaking about as if restless to attack. The creature's upper pair of arms end in small claws that are capable of raking attacks and grasping small objects. The dragon-like head seems small for such a large creature, but its dangerous mouth is filled with a double row of tiny but sharp teeth. Head to tail, the creature is armoured with mostly black scales, though it usually has several decorative bands of red or blue circling its lower body or running in striped patterns on the upper body and head. The frelôn possesses a set of wings, similar to those of a dragonfly. These semi-transparent wings shimmer with a hint of reflected colour.
When fighting the araneas, the dragons created a new life form to be the bane of this spider race. They stripped away a part of themselves (and borrowed from a few other creatures) to create the frelôn. They endowed this predatory creature with the desire to seek and destroy the araneas, the Intelligence needed for both surviving in this harsh land and finding the reclusive spider people, and the natural abilities that make the frelôn a deadly hunter. The frelôns were designed as solitary creatures to make destroying large numbers of them at a time almost impossible. Each creature reaches maturity within six months and can then lay eggs, hopefully in an aranea. No mate is required for reproduction. The dominate ability of the parasite is for forcing a host to lead the soon-to-be hatched frelôn to other araneas.
Frelôns threatened aranean settlements for centuries. For quite a bit of that time, the araneas were not even sure what danger they faced. However, when the Immortal patron of the dragons retired from the Conflict, the araneas again possessed a superior wealth of magic.
The araneas also discovered a weakness in the single-minded directive given to the frelôn that they were able to exploit. The dragons had not counted on the dual nature of the araneas. By revealing the aranean humanoid aspect to the frelôns, the araneas managed to confuse them and divert a majority of the threat. In an effort to fulfil their mission of destruction, the frelôns began to hunt all humanoid creatures.
This change of focus spread the frelôns throughout the lands of the Savage Coast and into surrounding areas. Even as far as the Arm of the Immortals, the ee'aar were forced to launch a major campaign to eradicate the frelôn presence there. As the creatures spread, the araneas were also able to bring the menace under some semblance of control in Herath.
Today, frelôns seek the destruction of all humanoid races in their search for araneas. They do not care for treasure or power, taking only what they need to survive. At times they ally with non-humanoid, intelligent creatures.
The frelôns prey on humanoid races of any type and are very dangerous foes. One frelôn, in the absence of any true opposition, can decimate a small village by attacking a few remote homes and planting eggs. Within a few months, dozens of young frelôns swarm the surrounding countryside.
At this point, it is unlikely that the dragons could stop this experiment gone awry, and it is unsure whether they would even want to. Crimson dragons have actually been known to convince frelôns to join them as guardians and servants. Lucky for the humanoid races, the frelôns still remain separate from one another, as they were originally designed. If they were to begin constructing social ties and communities, working together toward their common goal, their power would multiply accordingly.
Fortunately, the races are aware that the frelôn pose a threat to their lives. Larger cities usually post a bounty on the creatures.
Frelôns communicate with each other through buzzes, hums, and clicks. They also know an abbreviated form of Draconic and can still make themselves understood to the descendants of their creators.
Wizards, alchemists and priests will pay well for frelôn body parts because of their usefulness in a variety of magical preparations. Some of the creature's smaller scales are necessary for crimson essence. Pieces of the creature's wings can be used in magic item creation if the item involves flying. The frelôn's brain, if the frelôn is caught young enough, can be used in items that are able to dominate person.
Some parts of the creature do not even require enchantment to be of benefit. The poison from one frelôn is enough to coat a blade three times or an arrow six times. One dose will cause paralysis for 1d4 rounds, negated by a successful Fortitude save vs. DC 16. Some frelôns (25%) possess 5d4 scales which will each act as one ounce of cinnabryl, depleting in the normal fashion. These are formed when a young frelôn is exposed to the magical interaction between cinnabryl and someone possessing a Legacy. These scales are usually the coloured ones up around the head. Once they are depleted, they are of no further use.
Combat
The frelôn attacks mostly for food. It has grown fond of the taste of human and demihuman flesh and eats it as often as possible. The creature prefers aerial combat, where it can wrap its tail underneath and use all four attacks easily. If fighting multiple opponents, the frelôn will fly off with the first one to fall. If the frelôn loses over half of its hit points, it will attempt to flee.
If the frelôn is attacking for the purpose of its created function, if it decides to flee, or if a victim proves too tenacious and the frelôn cannot escape, the creature will rely on its stinging attack. If multiple creatures attack the frelôn at melee range, the frelôn will always attack the first with conventional attack methods and the second with its stinger. After a successful sting attack, the frelôn will withdraw from combat, flying to safety.
Impregnate (Ex): Any sting victim must make a successful Fortitude save vs DC 16 or fall unconscious for 2d4 rounds and suffer 1d4x10 minutes of memory loss. In addition, the stinger inserts tiny eggs into the wound. Unless high-level magic (heal, limited wish, etc.) is used to immediately treat the wound, a young frelôn will eventually emerge and fly away. As most victims do not remember the frelôn attack due to memory loss, they rarely seek the help they need.
Frelôn young begin to hatch after two weeks. At that point the victim suffers 1d4 Con damage and suffers the loss of 1 hit point per day, as several of the tiny young feed on their host and each other. This hp damage does not heal naturally, but may be healed by magic. By the second week, only one frelôn is left, but its continued feeding causes another 1d2 Con damage and the loss of 2 hit points per day. This loss accompanies waves of nausea and muscle pains as if the victim has contracted a disease or a case of food poisoning. During and after the second week, the surviving frelôn can influence its host as per a dominate person spell once every 24 hours. During the third and fourth weeks, the creature limits itself to only 1 hit point every few days (as if the victim might be getting better) though the nausea and muscle spasms will increase slightly.
The young frelôn can actually live in its host for up to one month before emerging for other nourishment. Its emergence forces the victim to attempt a Fortitude save vs. DC20. Failure indicates death, while success limits the effect to 4d8 points of damage. The emergence wound must be treated for disease and magically healed within 48 hours (remove disease, limited wish etc..) or the victim will fall ill, dying within one week unless a wish or heal spell is used.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a frelôn must hit with both claw attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can rake. A frelôn that has established a hold has a +4 bonus to any sting attack made against its victim.
Rake (Ex): If a frelôn has established a hold with both of its claw attacks, it may make two additional rake attacks against that target with its second pair of claws. These rake attacks have an attack bonus of +14 and inflict 1d3+5 points of damage each.
Dragon Traits: Immunity to magic sleep effects and paralysis effects.
The Red Curse
When a frelôn hatches, it gains any Legacies that its host possesses. Even if the Legacy is dormant in the host, as with the araneas and ee'aar, it becomes active in the frelôn. If the host possesses multiple Legacies, the frelôn gains 1 for every week it remains inside, up to a maximum of 4 Legacies. The creature does not require cinnabryl, nor does it lose any attribute points due to the Red Curse.