Manticore

Common locations: Although they are somewhat uncommon, Manticores are native to Owel, with their home city being Gnawth. However, due to their hardy nature, fondness for wandering, and resistance to elements, they can be found almost anywhere.

Climate preferences: As stated earlier, Manticores dehydrate easily, and require ready access to fresh water. Being deserts, they will tend to stay away from the uninhabited territories of Althar and Auroria. Dewclaw and Gnawth are ideal locations for them, as rainfall is plentiful, humidity is moderate, and lakes and rivers are common. If the N.E.W. Gnolls were less hostile towards Manticores, the United Gnoll Territories would also be an ideal environment.

Ability to Plan/Abstract: All Manticores are capable of higher-level thinking, such as the ability to plan ahead, to reason, rationalize, and to understand abstract concepts and principles.

Tribal Manticores in remote areas may seem feral, but they are merely extremely hostile, aggressive, have no knowledge of languages other than their own, and have no interest in communicating with outsiders.

It should be noted that as all Manticores possess this level of intelligence, any act or ploy from a Manticore insinuating otherwise should be treated as a complete fabrication.

Language: Most Manticores speak Common, and feral Manticores in remote areas often have their own tribal language.

Elements

Common: Manticores are an odd species, and are unique from other races. One reason for this is that female Manticores are known to have a higher probability for having two affinities, or a secondary element as an affinity, than male Manticores. Male Manticores are almost never seen with more than one affinity, or a secondary element as their affinity. Common affinities for both sexes are Earth, Fire, and Water. If a female Manticore does possess a second affinity, it is usually Acid, Poison, Sand, or Ice.

Hereditary magic: All Manticores will pass down Earth, Fire, or Water as an affinity to their offspring, regardless of what the parental affinities actually are. Elements other than these three are passed down as aptitudes, and the offspring will generally acquire them as affinities with time as they age, provided they are raised in a matching environment. Manticores without an affinity have not been documented, even in families who have lived in Mew York for several generations.

Elemental weaknesses/resistances:

Fire, Sand, Ice: Although not technically an elemental weakness, Manticores are susceptible to dehydration, and these listed elements, when used properly, are highly effective at causing it. Fire may be able to evaporate moisture in the area, causing Manticores to begin to dry out. Sand may be able to interfere with a Manticore's ability to absorb water, and Ice can transform water into an unusable resource for them.

Others: If not purposely targeting their weakness, and if not directly incompatible with their individual affinities, Manticores are highly tolerant of all other elements.

Trivia

Manticores are able to hybridize with a large number of other races, and they vary wildly in physique because of this. "True" Manticores still vary in physique, usually according to gender. Females are apt to possess more insectoid features than their male counterparts, and are often physically larger and stronger.
Tails of both sexes are almost always venomous, and the venom is unique to each individual Manticore. This makes it difficult to create a completely effective general purpose antidote to Manticore stings. Their affinities usually influence their venom to some degree, however, so element-specific antidotes with limited effectiveness do exist.
They do not easily get along with others, including those of their own race, so it is quite common to see Manticores living alone, even when in an area filled with biological family. They have a difficult time empathizing with individuals they see as meek or timid, and will almost always see them as a tool to be used, rather than as an individual.
Manticores have no natural racial leaders like Gnolls have with their Shamans, and are usually content to wander about on their own, furthering their own personal ideas and goals.
Manticores are highly possessive and territorial, and will often become aggressive if foreigners encroach on their land or privacy.

Elements

Trivia

See Also