Monster exposition dump
"I, Henrietta de Tristain in the name of the great Five Pentagon Powers, call upon a familiar with power and guile!" Henrietta declared to the world. The runes for the familiar ritual glowed brightly. And at their peak, Henrietta's familiar was summoned.
In the circle of runes, a 6 foot serpentine creature appeared. It had silver blue scales, a pale underbelly, and 3 heads. 3 pairs of red pupils stared at Henrietta. She stared back.
"A Hydra. Amazing, your highness." Agnes said, her hands holding her musket tightly, ready to fire.
Henrietta hummed in response. Hydras were extinct in Halkigenia. But useful records of them existed in multiple sources.
Hydras were unique for more than just their multiple heads. Hydras have regenerative powers beyond just growing new heads. This regeneration is fueled by their magic, so after a certain point, they will no longer heal from continuous damage. Some-type of natural trigger is activated when a Hydra loses a head or a head is severely damaged. Their magic is used to turn 1 head into 2, and when given enough time, they would use their magic to create more body mass. This creation is not started immediately after losing a head.
This is important, because a Hydra's magic capacity is based on their flesh. Losing any of that flesh lowers their magic capacity. Upon giving themselves a new head and escaping danger, A Hydra will began to feed and recover their magic. With their magic recovered, they will grow in size.
Hydras do not reproduce sexually. If a Hydra's body is cut between heads, splitting up the Hydra without damaging any of the heads, the two parts will try to regrow a whole body. If they have enough stored food and magic, 1 Hydra becomes 2 Hydras. Hydras do not grow with age. And food is only stored and used to sustain itself. A Hydra only grows in response to growing a new head.
Furthermore, each head uses a different type of attack. Water, acid, and poison are the usual attacks and magics a Hydra is capable off. But with enough heads, fire, ice, wind and even lightning breath have been reported.
All of these things would leave one to consider how a creature like this could go extinct? Simple, really. Hydras only have one heart, and while the location of that heart varies, a Hydra's heads go inactive shortly after the heart is suitably destroyed, and it will only regenerate it's heart until the heart is back to perfect condition. And this regeneration of the heart isn't as fast or efficient as the healing the Hydra is usually privy to.
Add on to that, a Hydra is extremely vulnerable once it begins making more body mass after regrowing a head, due to this taking all of their magic, and Hydras are indeed kill-able. With receiving damage being the only way the Hydra repopulate, the Hydra can not last long on it's own.
Humans used to repopulate Hydras for a number of reasons, but letting someone develop a strong Hydra was foolish. Each head on a Hydra represented a rough estimation of the caliber of mage it would take to kill it. And even then, most mages couldn't control a Hydra with more than 3 heads. Square class mages are not and have never been common.
Only the lucky few who summoned a Hydra as a familiar, would be able to control a Hydra with many heads. And some of those lucky few made major errors. Upon placing the familiar seal, the familiar rune would only show in one type of location, regardless of where the mage kissed the familiar. On the side neck or side of the head of one of the Hydra's outer heads. And if that hydra is split, only the Hydra with the rune was bound to it's master. Though, just because the familiar runes would allow the control of a many headed hydra, doesn't mean a master was actually strong enough to split a Hydra that had grown too big.
This resulted in mages with Hydra familiars being watched closely, because no one wanted a rampaging 6 headed Hydra on the loose, because an idiot master thought they could duplicate their familiar. Once a master dies, their bound Hydra will naturally no longer be bound. So if the duplicated Hydra kills the arrogant master, there are now 2 rampaging Hydra, as natural Hydra do not fight each other unless they are desperate.
Henrietta hadn't even considered the possibility of getting a familiar this grand. With the proper care and preparation, she could sort of sell her familiar's 'offspring'. But no one alive had actual experience training Hydras. Old records would have to be their guide, and that could go horribly wrong.
Henrietta prayed thanks to Brimir, that she had only summoned a 3 headed Hydra. It was nothing to scoff at, but Henrietta was a Triangle class mage. She could and would subdue this Hydra and make it her familiar.
The multi-headed serpent hissed with all 3 tongues. Agnes aimed her musket.
"Keep your distance, Agnes." Henrietta warned. "This would be easier with my ring, but no matter. Show me what you've got, Hydra, Water Shot!" The princess cast a dot water spell, to test the Hydra's reactions.
The serpent moved swiftly to avoid the attack, and began slithering towards Henrietta. A loud bang goes off, and the Hydra's left head recoils, having been shot by Agnes. Henrietta capitalizes on the distraction.
"Binding River!" Henrietta roars, as she cast the triangle water spell. Water flows rapidly from Henrietta's wand and begins circling and closing in on the Hydra. A second shot from Agnes hits the Hydra's eight head.
Henrietta runs towards the Hydra. its heads are being pushed together by the rope of coursing water. It struggles, but doesn't seem able to break free. Henrietta prepares herself for a surprise attack of water or poison, but by the time she is within close range, it still struggles helplessly, unable to bend any of it's mouths downward.
Agnes gets closer, shooting the middle head. And Henrietta hurries to bind the familiar. She kisses the middle head of the Hydra. The familiar rune appears on the left side of the Hydra's right neck. The princess sighs in relief. The water binding spell dissipates, and Henrietta gives her familiar a searching look.
"What should I call you?" She pondered. The hydra hisses, but the middle head gently nudged Henrietta's own. She laughs, and pets her familiar.
I used a random letter generator, and got H. So Henrietta gets a Hydra. Sounds like a lie, but I'm so serious. Obligatory "Princess Henrietta is two faced" or whatever fandom meme. And I'll run with. 3 headed Hydra?-Her ruler face, her kind face, and her selfish-deviant face.
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