Dragonspawn

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Dragonspawn are malformed, eyeless creatures spawned by dragons from their own blood. These twisted beasts defend the dragon and hunt its enemies to extinction. Though they are alive in the most basic sense of the word, dragonspawn are more like organic constructs created to serve their masters.[1]

Spawn

Dragonspawn are created by dragons at will - never spontaneously - from their own blood. The number of spawn a dragon can create is limited by the power of his athanc. To create spawn, a dragon releases some of his blood which metamorphoses into a creature. New spawn are stringy, ravenous creatures compelled by a need of a great quantity of flesh.[1]

Behaviour

Dragonspawn are unswerving servants of the parent dragon. They act essentially as an extension of the dragon's form and will, and are willing to sacrifice themselves without hesitation to fulfil the will of their parent. When not under direct control, dragonspawn act according to violent instincts, hunting, slaughtering and feeding on other creatures.[1]

Because the presence of spawn betrays a dragon's presence, they might choose not to create or create very few tightly-controlled spawn to avoid discovery.[1]

Physiology

No two dragonspawn are alike: those birthed for speed might grow wings or assume the form of a lithe serpent, while those created to guard a dragon's lair may manifest multiple limbs. The only consistent elements across all kinds of spawn are a complete lack of eyes, thick bony scales and natural weapons. Despite the lack of eyes, spawn can detect their environment via blight-sensitive means.[1]

Dragonspawn need food, but not sleep or other aspects of normal animal life. They can endure without food far longer than ordinary creatures, atrophying but not expiring. When given food, an emaciated dragonspawn can restore to full vitality and size with alarming speed.[2]

Dragonspawn manifest traits of their progenitor. These manifestations vary between spawn and mark each of them as a servant of its parent. This is often the most reliable way to determine the parent dragon of a spawn because of their otherwise erratic anatomy:

  • Spawn of Ashnephos are often hulking and favour destroying buildings.[1]
  • Spawn of Blighterghast are long, sinuous, fleet, possess an accelerated metabolism and exude a deadly acidic miasma.[1]
  • Spawn of Charsaug are capable stalkers and ambushers.[1]
  • Spawn of Halfaug often have wings and are pyromaniacs, enjoying starting and lingering in fires.[1]
  • Spawn of Scaefang are nocturnal ambush predators that like to hunt from the darkness, and are able to secrete a fog of ash called 'unlight'.[1]
  • Spawn of the chimera are abominable amalgamations of creatures it has seen.[3]
  • Spawn of Everblight are unlike any others. Whereas other spawn's physiology are arbitrary, Everblight's spawn have consistent forms and exhibit several dominant varieties.[1]

Dragonspawn incognitus

Spawn of Everblight, called dragonspawn incognitus by Viktor Pendrake, are living weapons spawned for the express purpose of war. Each is engineered for a unique purpose by Everblight. They inherently share a link with his warlocks and require no time or effort to train. In addition to Everblight's control over the form of his spawn, he can produce much greater volumes of them via his warlocks. Many Legion warbeast forms are ancient, designed to guard Everblight's ancient lairs in Morrdh and beneath the city of Issyrah, while others are derived from his more recent imaginings. Each spawn is designed for a specific purpose, its form perfectly suited to a single task.[2][4]

Everblight gives his spawn the ability to remain unnoticed, inert but aware, conserving energy until needed. These spawn possess sophisticated instincts to help them at their designated tasks, but their true potential is only reached only when controlled by a warlock. They have no true will of their own, do not react to pain and possess no sense of self-preservation.[2]

Everblight's spawn are birthed from the blood of his warlocks, who choose the beast's form at the time of creation. Everblight's athanc shard causes the warlock's blood to become the dragon's. A newborn dragonspawn already possesses natural weaponry, nearly insatiable hunger, honed instinct to kill, is ready to be bonded to a warlock and has an arcane gift as an inborn animus. Fresh spawn are immediately taken on hunts to sate their appetite and reach full size. With an adequate supply of food, even the biggest spawn can mature within hours. Creating warbeasts is a taxing process that saps precious vitality from Everblight’s warlocks and removes them from the field for a time.[2]

Among Everblight's spawn, the humanoid nephilim stand apart. Born of pregnant blighted Nyss and possessed of both a soul and a keen animalistic mind, the nephilim display a degree of autonomy and intelligence unmatched by other spawn and are naturally adept at employing weapons and other tools. They can undertake more complex tasks without a warlock’s direct supervision, interpret their master’s orders, act with some measure of forethought, and adapt to evolving situations. Everblight sees the nephilim as a marvellous improvement over the fragile elven form.[4]

References

Creatures
Sapient Bog trogBogrinCephalyxCroakDragonDreggDwarfEfaaritElf (IosanNyssStrider) • FarrowGatormanGiantGobberGrymkinHumanInfernalLetheanOgrun (Black ogrun) • Pygmy trollSatyxisSkorneTharnTotem hunterTrollkin
Non-sapient AnimantaraxAradusArchidonArgus (Argus moonhoundWinter argus) • BasiliskBisonBlackhideBlack tatzylwurmBletcherBrute boarBurrow-mawgCataphract beetleCeropsCrypt spiderCyclopsDeep drakeDesert hydraDevil ratDracodileDragon fishDragonspawn (Nephilim) • DrudgeDune prowlerDuskwolfFeroxFog drakeFrost drakeGallows groveGiant hogGnarlhorn satyrGoraxGorgandurGrotesqueHornbeak traskHorseHull grinderIncubusIronback spitterKaelramLemaxMammothMonstrosityPainted tatzylwurmPale tatzylwurmRaevhan buffaloRazorbatRazor boarRazor wormReptile houndRhinodonRip horn satyrRotterhorn griffonSaquScarabScarsfell griffonSea drakeShadowhorn satyrSkiggSkirovik mountain goatSludge bruteSnapperSpine ripperStorm raptorSwamp horrorThornwood maulerThroatfishThrone of EverblightThrullgTitanTroll (Dire trollEarthborn dire trollGlacier kingMountain kingNight trollPitch trollPyre trollSlag trollStorm trollSwamp trollTroll whelpWinter troll) • UlkUrthekVektissViper tatzylwurmWarpwolf (Pureblood) • Widow bear
Undead BoneswarmDeathlessDuelist wraithDreadDreadboundEldritch (Riven) • EntombedExcruciatorFeralgeistGenzoulHollowedIron lichIron maidenKovaasMachine wraithPistol wraithRevenantSand dervishScyllaSepulchral lurkerShadeShaft wightSpectreSwamp shamblerThrall (Bane thrallBile thrallBloat thrallBrute thrallMechanithrallScrap thrallSkarlock thrallSoulhunterStitch thrall) • Void spirit