ECOLOGY

Environment any mountains
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure none

A tazelwurm is an aggressive, flesh-eating monster with a serpentine body, feline head, and two long powerful arms that end in razor-sharp claws. They haunt mountain passes and prey on travelers passing through their territory.

Tazelwurms are masters of camouflage and are nearly indistinct from their rocky surroundings. They enjoy striking from ambush and downing unsuspecting prey. They are diurnal hunters and are most active in the morning hours. Their hunting grounds often cover several square miles of rocky terrain and should a tazelwurm enter another's territory, it is quickly driven away if detected. Tazelwurms eat just about anything that comes near, but they are especially fond of mountain lions and mountain goats. When the tazelwurm kills its prey, it drags it to its lair which takes the form of a well-hidden and nearly inaccessible depression or cave. The kill is devoured over a period of several days.

Tazelwurms rarely interact with other creatures; including their own kind. When more than one is encountered, they are usually a mated pair. Young are born live and left to the care of the mother. Young tazelwurms reach maturity around two years of age and leave the lair to go out on their own. Very old tazelwurms may even have lichens and mosses growing on them, enhancing their rocky appearances.

A tazelwurm lies in wait for its meals. Using its tremorsense ability, it senses vibrations in the rocks where it hides and springs to attack when prey draws near. Tazelwurms generally avoid large groups of travelers, preferring to attack a straggler or a member of a party that happens to have gotten lost or separated. A hungry tazelwurm though, will attack just about anything that comes near it.