Tuliiha (Fire-tailed Dragonet)
Special Defense: Immune to fire
No. Appearing: 1d4 (2d4)
Intelligence: Low (8)
Morale: Wary (5)
Treasure Type: None/Wealthy1,2,5 (Hoardx4)
Load: 25/50cn
Tuliiha are tiny winged dragons, just two feet long. They
have fine soft scales that resemble fur from a distance, dark gray or black shading
to scarlet or gold at the tip of their tail. They prefer to act as pets or
familiars for powerful and wealthy creatures; like true dragons, they are
avaricious and desire gold, and they quickly abandon masters that don’t reward
their affection with coins for their nest. Tuliiha can speak, mostly about
themselves and how wonderful gold is.
Tuliiha avoid combat whenever possible. Their bite is barely
effective, and their claws are simply too small to do damage to anything larger
than a mouse. They also lack a breath
weapon, but can instead cause their tail to ignite with an intense flame that
inflicts 1d6 points of fire damage on anyone they strike with it. Tuliiha
themselves are immune to fire, and often bask in braziers and fireplaces.
Tuliiha are proactive in acquiring riches for themselves and
their masters. They have the Delicate Tasks, Open Locks, Hide in Shadows, and
Move Silently abilities of a 5th-level Thief, and often embark on
nocturnal careers of larceny and burglary. Their small size makes it a simple
task to slip down chimneys or other small openings, and they can open small
strongboxes, jewelry cases, and so on. It is for this reason that, while tuliiha
are much prized as pets, their owners are regarded with suspicion.
A group of tuliiha is known as a conspiracy, and any
gathering of 5 or more will have a leader of 3 HD and the abilities of a 7th-level
thief. Independent conspiracies of tuliiha (those not beholden to a stronger
creature) rarely last long, since none of them are particularly interested in
what other tuliiha have to say.
