Dracodile

"Air, your lungs burn for it, crave it! Yet it is denied you. Your recent choices flash before your eyes as you struggle to break free of the rows of needle like fangs that have you trapped. You had heard rumors of treasure that had fallen into what locals playfully refered to as the lake of death. The largest of the acidic bodies of boiling water, sulpher and salts that dot the noxious wasteland of southren Lumia.
You had it all planned perfectly, the special soap the alchemist had made for you would make you immune to the acidic qualaties of the lake, the pills he crafted would let you surivive the fumes and endure the poison that infused this hellish place. You were confident the treasure dropped here by some fool long ago would be yours. What you didn't count on was that anything larger then the weird little shrimp living here. As your lungs burn for air you fumble for a weapon hoping against hope you can drive off the nightmare creature attempting to drag you into the depths"

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Dracodile as many common folk refer to this creature is a wingless drake that bares a resemblance to crocodilians, its long body and webbed feet are well adapted to an aquatic lifestyle. Like most Draconids the Dracodile boasts spurs, spines and boney spikes along with durable scales powerful muscles and solid bone structure. Colors range from bright yellows, oranges and reds in males with females displaying dull yellow hues. Their maws are long and wide, full of rows of sharp fangs and adept at sweeping through swarms of brine shrimp or trapping the rare larger prey that venture to their territories. Like many other Draconids they are born quite tiny and continue to grow their entire life reaching lengths of upwards to thirty feet from nose to tail.
The Dracodile like all Draconids is able to process some of its energy via magic and can go for extended periods between meals surviving on ambient magical energy or elemental energy generated from vortex's connected to the elemental plane of earth and water. They posses a natural immunity to acid, extreme heat resistance and a breath weapon consisting of a stream of boiling, blinding acid that they use when feeling threatened.

Genetics and Reproduction

When males reach maturity they will build a nest to attract a mate, this is when they are most dangerous to people as the males will attack people hoping to find gems and coins they can work into their nests. Females will roam the shores of their toxic lake homes examining nests and males until they find one whose nest building appeals to them. After mating the female buries the clutch of eggs and both parents abandon the young. Six months later the hatchlings crawl out of the nest and eat the treasure their father embedded in it then will try to make their way to the water avoiding being eaten by rival males starting the cycle anew.

Growth Rate & Stages

Dracodiles change little from their hatchling state save for size and ferocity, some say that they have no upper limit for their size and that deep underground albino Dracodiles have been reported that are twice the size of the more common variety.

Ecology and Habitats

The Dracodile is a type of animalistic draconic life form that has adapted to living in niches few other species would consider. Lakes with acidic levels of brine, reeking of sulpher, boiling from natural heat sources and otherwise toxic to all but the most hardy of extremophiles are the places Dracodiles are most comfortable calling home.

Dietary Needs and Habits

While the various shrimp and small life forms that call their lakes home form the bulk of their diet they are not particullary picky eaters and will often offer a few curiousity bites to anything that enters their territory. Like many Draconids they also draw nourishment from minerals and inorganic matter though this is usualy reserved for emergencies. Idealy they feed on other lifeforms adapted to their noxious homes magical or otherwise and while they are a dangerous predatory they are inturn preyed upon by true dragons who enjoy the same volcanic realms they call home.

Biological Cycle

The most diasterous change to the cycle of Dracodiles is when their homes become over crowded by them and this can lead to unwelcome migrations to new watering holes and even rivers where they have been found to easily adapt and become a grave danger to people and animals unready for these creatures.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Dracodiles have somewhat atrophied senses of smell and sight, however they posses an extra sensory ability to detect living creatures bioelectrical impuses commonly they use this to find their primary source of food, Acidic Brine Shrimp and on occasion particularly slow flamingos.

Scientific Name

Draconis Minoris Crocodylidae

Origin/Ancestry

Dragon, Minor: Drake

Geographic Distribution

• The Dry Lands of the Lumian Expanse