Arrowtail
When the Taxlatl armies moved across the lands south of the Farsea during the Great Strife, they inevitably left behind some of the beasts they had bred and trained for war. Most of these either died off naturally or were hunted down in the aftermath of the god-war, but a few survived, and as the Oakwood began to rise up from the lands corrupted by the Wasting, they learned to survive in the forest. But they, too, were mutated by the foul magic that had poisoned the land. One example of this can be seen in the Arrowtail.
Laurels & Loot Statblock
Arrowtails are reptilian in nature. They are small, but swift, bipedal carnivores that are not particular in their choice of prey. Their name derives from fact that, in addition to sharp claws and teeth expected in a predator, these creatures have an additional weapon in their arsenal: the scales at the tip of the creature's scales are perhaps the most effective natural arrowheads found in nature.
The tails of these creatures end in a small, bulbous tip that is covered by dozens of pointed, wedge-shaped scales with sharp, bladelike edges. Normally held extended behind the creature as it moves through the forest, this tail can be rapidly snapped foward; an action which hurls these scales unerringly toward a target. Small prey can be instantly felled at a distance by the onslaught; larger prey is often debilitated, allowing the Arrowtail to finish it off with claws and teeth. When the arrowhead scales are hurled in this manner, they rapidly regrow, being ready to use as a weapon again in as little as two days.
In the last several centuries, as more of the Folk have returned to the lands that once were the northern Feywood, they learned that there is magic associated with the accuracy of these scales. They came to prize them for use as arrowheads for their own weapons. Thus, the Arrowtail has been hunted to near extinction; their range is now limited to the extreme easterly portions of the Oakwood.
Name
Arrowtail
Alternate Name/Nickname
Whiptail
Type
Beast
Size
Small (3ft tall; 4ft head-to-tatil)
Speed
40ft
Habitat
Rare: eastern Oakwood Forest
The tails of these creatures end in a small, bulbous tip that is covered by dozens of pointed, wedge-shaped scales with sharp, bladelike edges. Normally held extended behind the creature as it moves through the forest, this tail can be rapidly snapped foward; an action which hurls these scales unerringly toward a target. Small prey can be instantly felled at a distance by the onslaught; larger prey is often debilitated, allowing the Arrowtail to finish it off with claws and teeth. When the arrowhead scales are hurled in this manner, they rapidly regrow, being ready to use as a weapon again in as little as two days.
In the last several centuries, as more of the Folk have returned to the lands that once were the northern Feywood, they learned that there is magic associated with the accuracy of these scales. They came to prize them for use as arrowheads for their own weapons. Thus, the Arrowtail has been hunted to near extinction; their range is now limited to the extreme easterly portions of the Oakwood.
Gamemaster Notes
Arrows made from Arrowtail scales should be treated as +1 arrows.Laurels & Loot Statblock
Stamina Points: 16
Injury Points: 4
Scale Volley: d6+1 Direct Damage, with one point of Injury Point inflicted regardless of target armor or defense. This attack is usable only once every two days.
Claw: 1d8 damage
Bite: 1d8 damage
Injury Points: 4
Scale Volley: d6+1 Direct Damage, with one point of Injury Point inflicted regardless of target armor or defense. This attack is usable only once every two days.
Claw: 1d8 damage
Bite: 1d8 damage
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