ECOLOGY

Environment cold marshes
Organization solitary, pair, or clutch (3–8)
Treasure standard

These diminutive serpentine creatures are distant cousins to powerful linnorms. Nycars live in the frigid, desolate moors and marshes of colder climates where their cruel and savage activities often escape unnoticed. A nycar relishes the hunt and often stalks a creature for hours before finally inflicting a single savage bite, then withdraws to safety to wait for its prey to sicken and die. Nycars often kill wastefully, attacking creatures much larger than they can eat. The opportunity to eat a human or other intelligent creature is a rare treat, as a nycar's uninviting habitat usually prevents much interaction with all but the most isolated people. A nycar keeps a small subterranean lair, often accessed from an underwater entrance similar to the entrance to a beaver's den. Like a linnorm, it seeks treasure and hoards it in its lair. Much of its treasure is worthless trinkets and shiny baubles of little value, but by random chance one may discover a few valuable items over the course of its lifetime. A nycar usually sets simple traps and snares to protect its lair and treasure hoard while it is away or sleeping.

A nycar is about 2–1/2 feet long with two diminutive legs that it uses to pull its serpentine body along with deceptive speed. Nycars are jealous creatures and usually hunt alone, although a mated pair may stay together until the female lays her eggs. Nycar eggs are black and about the size of an adult human's fist; a female will feed and look after hatchlings for up to a year, so long as they remain in her territory. Upon reaching adulthood, a nycar weighs about 12 pounds, and can live up to 90 years.

Nycars have been known to partner with humans or other intelligent creatures, provided they are offered easy kills and the occasional shiny bauble. A chaotic neutral spellcaster with the Improved Familiar feat can gain a nycar as a familiar at 7th level.