Drake, Salt
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Climate/Terrain | Salt flats, deserts |
| Frequency | Rare |
| Organization | Flock |
| Activity Cycle | Day |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Intelligence | Animal |
| Treasure | Nil; incidental |
| Alignment | Neutral Evil |
| No. Appearing | 2-20 |
| Armor Class | 3 |
| Movement | 8/18 (MC: A) |
| Hit Dice | 1+2 |
| THAC0 | 17 |
| No. of Attacks | 9 |
| Damage/Attack | 1-2/1-2/1-4 |
| Special Attacks | Moisture drain |
| Special Defenses | Nil |
| Magic Resistance | Nil |
| Size | S (1 to 2 feet in length) |
| Morale | Champion |
| XP Value | 600 |
Description
Salt Drakes are similar to such small dragon species as pseudodragons and faerie dragons in overall appearance. From a distance, they appear basically as one to two foot long miniature dragons, possessing two lower legs for perching and two upper limbs that have developed into wings. They resemble very pale blue cousins of pseudodragons, appearing to sparkle in strong sunlight. Upon closer inspection that are in fact seen to be encrusted in a nearly transparent layer of glittering crystal - salt.
Found in salt flats and very dry deserts, which on this world have formed where native plants failed to take hold in time to keep the soil from washing away, leaving bare ground, as well traditional deserts, but most of all large areas where shallow remnants of the sea evaporated. They are often the only creatures or even organisms found in those regions, difficult to see through shimmering waves of heat against the harsh sky or blinding salt flats.
However, those who do see them wish they hadn't, as they are voracious. Flocks of salt drakes circle endlessly over the salt flats, or sometimes merely just stand there, constantly on the look out for other creatures. When spied, they give a keening cry and dive towards them, attempting to claw and bite them. These creatures can be mundane wildlife, domestic animals, monsters, or people. Swarming over their prey with no regard to their own lives, they continually claw and bite until either they are satiated or the prey is drained dried; salt drakes are moisture vampires, drawing out all the moisture in those they attack by means of their attacks. Resulting in damage far out of proportion to their size and musculature, salt drakes are a deadly hazard to caravans or even groups of adventurers, particularly attacking as they do in the harsher deserts left by the retreating seas.
Once a salt drake has its fill attacking a prey animal - generally when it has done the equivalent of about 20 points of damage - they explode. While feeding the salt drake appears to glitter less and less, and starts to become transparent. When they have reached their limit, they explode in spray of hot, salty water, doing 1-6 points of damage to those within 10 feet, save for half (other salt drakes are immune to this effect).
Salt drakes can be destroyed by water; 1-4 hit points of damage per gallon of water. They cannot be bought off by water though, as they will ignore water offered to them; they care only about water inside living organisms.
The origin of salt drakes is unknown, but it is theorized that they are the results of when mortals unwisely toy with such vast magics that result in dramatic raisings and fallings of the ocean. Perhaps they are symbol of the world's magic that is strongly out of sync, or maybe they are the land's attempts to right itself, to bring water back to lands that once had plenty. Others believe that they are a punishment from the gods for daring to wreck nature so severely.
It is not known what happens to salt drakes when it rains, though they are rarely found in regions where it does. Given that they are not only still found but in some areas actually increase in numbers, little can be said other than perhaps they spontaneously regenerate from the land and sky itself.