Baazrag

A lone baazrag attempts to flee or hide rather than engage in combat, even against creatures of a size similar to itself. A baazrag’s home is usually a hole in the rocks just for one. The baazrag seldom wanders far from it. A baazrag attacks with a bite that can release a toxin into the bloodstream. This toxin slows natural healing, not just the bite wound. Magical healing or neutralize poison negates the effects of the poison. The poison loses its ability to slow healing after six hours. If all the baazrags encountered are not killed or driven off in 5 minutes, the entire pack swarms the area. They flee when the pack has suffered large casualties.

Baazrag packs band together only for mutual defense of their territory. Otherwise, they have little contact with those of other bands. Noble families of Tyr and Balic domesticate the baazrag to rid their households of unwanted pests and insects. The families also organize teams of the creatures to pull wagons. Each baazrag can pull as much as 50 pounds of cargo and transport. A wagon weighing 100 pounds and carrying 500 pounds of cargo requires 12 baazrags to pull it, moving at a rate of 9. Doubling the number of beasts increases the movement rate to 15, the maximum for a harnessed baazrag. Other baazrags have been specially trained to hunt unwanted pests in the sewers. The templars of Tyr have a special squad with several dozen swimming baazrags that are used to clean out infested areas.

Baazrag females bear their young either in litters of up to 6 or singly. Single births are very rare and are cause for concern. Single births invariably indicate a boneclaw and the whole pack will move to another location quickly. Litters live with the mother until adulthood when they find homes of their own. Baazrag flesh can be eaten. Each adult has 25 pounds of meat. The fluid sac beneath the shell on its back contains up to 4 pints of water, but it is tainted with the same toxin that slows normal healing. The water can be purified by magic.. Captured wild baazrags can be sold in various markets as pets or team animals. Undamaged specimens bring 10 cp in the marketplaces around Tyr.