Fiction:The Firmament/Hydra

Hydras are a species of reptilian magical beast with many heads and potent poison.

Appearance
A hydra is a quadrupedal, serpentine creature with seven heads, each adorned with webbed crests and large, snake-like fangs. Many scholars believe them to be distantly related to dragons due to the similarities between their scales and those of some dragon races. An adult hydra may reach ten meters long from its heads to its tail and weight over eight hundred kilograms.

Ecology
Hydras are at home in wetlands, making their lairs in bogs and swamps, and spend much of their time underwater, in a similar fashion to crocodiles. They can be found in Waldland, Eondrassana and are particularly common in Mirseleth.

Society
Hydras are solitary and extremely aggressive creatures, only ever coming together to mate before parting ways.

Abilities
Due to their great size, hydras are very strong in physical terms, easily able to trample a human into paste. The creatures possess a high tolerance to pain, enough that they continue fighting even if one or more of their heads is severed from the body. They possess a very potent poison, which they inject through their bite or breathe out through their mouths, and are also known for their excellent regenerative powers, allowing them to regrow lost body parts - such as heads - in a matter of minutes. Fire is anathema to hydras, however, as it disables their regeneration.

Notable hydras

 * Keggaikua of the Seven Dooms - mount of Madiiraxen Sunbane