The hellbeck is a strange, carnivorous monstrosity that primarily resides in forests with cave systems. Hellbecks are a potent threat that generally live in packs of up to 6 or so individuals, hunting prey in a radius around their territory. Hellbecks can be identified by their spiny backs, large mouths inlaid across their chests, their bat-like wings and faces, and their uncanny ability to move with virtually no sound.
Hellbecks are odd monstrosities that vaguely resemble a bat crossed with a porcupine, perhaps with a bit of wolf thrown in. They have large, rotund bodies with backs that are covered in large, sharp chitonous spines that double as a durable form of protection. Their faces are red and batlike, sporting multiple eyes that can glow red at will. The hellbeck does not have a neck, and its mouth is inlaid across the length of its body; it is capable of opening extremely wide, but doing so breaks open its skin and causes it to bleed profusely. The blood of the hellbeck is extremely corrosive, and will often coat the creature's prey, assisting in the digestive process. The hellbeck sports a pair of spindly arms terminating in a pair of thick spikes, tethered to its body by a set of bat-like wings. Its feet are similar to a bird's, with three front talons and one back.
The most important qualities of the hellbeck to be wary of are its corrosive blood, its powerful stomach acid, and its ability to move with almost no sound. Strangely, the corrosive nature of hellbeck blood can be neutralized with a small amount of salt. In a pinch, humanoid saliva can produce a similar effect, and many have found it useful to cover themselves in similar forms of salty mucus when hunting the beasts. However, the stomach acid of the beast has no natural neutralizer, meaning the belly of the beast should be avoided at all costs. In regards to the hellbeck's sneaky nature, research has shown that it results from an acute awareness of its environment. Creating sound-making traps disguised as simple objects like rocks and dirt can prove effective in tricking the creature into making noise, but the most effective way is to somehow tag the creature, such as by pinning it with a bell tied to an arrow. Doing so effectively removes the creatures ability to ambush, removing much of its threat. If the hellbeck believes itself to be sufficiently threatened, it will attempt to shield itself with its hard spines; in this scenario, vibration-based damage has been found to be particularly effective.