“The tatzelwurm might not be as dangerous as the ancient dragons but it is a plague nonetheless. It lives in ruins, tunnels, and forests. Many times these beings have advanced into our underground cities, always searching for food. But we know how to deal with them. We are experts in this. The stench of the tatzelwurm is particularly foul. You cannot get it off you for weeks.”
— Hardas son of Kurolas, dwarven adventurer, to young warriors of the Dragon Warrior Academy in Xorlosh
Dragons exist in different sizes in Aventuria. An emperor dragon flying overhead can instill fear and terror into entire regions. The tatzelwurm, on the other hand, is not the most imposing representative of the dragon race. This wingless reptile grows up to 13 feet long and has three pairs of legs. Its scaly skin, flat, ridged back, and maw full of sharp teeth are quite dragon-like, but its animal intelligence and lack of magical abilities keep it from being classified with its mightier relatives. Furthermore, its relatively cool 140 degrees F. blood only produces a putrid, stinking gas instead of a firestorm, but open flames can ignite the gases it spews. Its proverbial stench, which has no equal in Aventuria, is its most memorable feature. Anyone who gets too close to a tatzelwurm acquires its hellish odor for two to four weeks. Long baths and expensive perfumes help only a little.
Findings in the Hoard of a Tatzelwurm
- 3 tatzelwurm eggs
- 400 pounds of dragon dung
- 15 gilded buttons
- 2 gnawed belt buckles
- a green slouch hat with a peacock feather
- a small, broken box full of cutlery
- 8 shiny stones of different sizes
- a hand mirror
- the bridle from a horse’s harness
- a number of dead dragonflies
- unusually large butterfly wings
- a silver statue of a knight, about 15 inches long
- a chewed-up riding boot
- a dead jay
- the blade of an axe
- 2 horseshoes
- 6 silverthalers
- a number of bones, primarily from sheep and deer
Distribution
The tatzelwurm can live anywhere in Aventuria but mainly lives in caves, ruins, and dark forests. Mountain regions such as the Dark Ridge are its preferred habitat.
Way of Life
Tatzelwurms remain solitary for most of their life — they meet only for mating. The female lays up to half a dozen eggs, which both parents keep warm in their den, using their own excrement. Once they are large enough to do so, the young follow their mother. Tatzelwurms are therefore usually encountered alone, but at worst one might encounter a mother with her half-grown young, hunting together.
Like all dragons, the tatzelwurm collects a hoard of sparkling loot, but it is not very picky, and anything that sparkles or shines may arouse its greed. Even a simple belt buckle can entice a tatzelwurm to attack a wanderer.
The hoards it amasses can sometimes be found abandoned as the tatzelwurm is not particularly sedentary and tends to have a poor memory. Although the tatzelwurm is not a very aggressive carnivore (being mainly a carrion feeder), it should not be underestimated in open battle due to its sheer size, razor-sharp teeth, and, especially, its nauseainducing stench.
When exploring narrow caves, there is hardly anything more dangerous than being surprised by a tatzelwurm that has just returned home.
