| Quickdeath | |
| |
| Type: | Large Carnivore |
| Number: | 1-2 |
| Move: | Very Fast |
| IM/RS: | +8/75 |
| Stamina: | 180 |
| Attack: | 70 |
| Damage: | 6d10 bite, claws |
| Special Attack: | Poison dart S10/T3 (RW 60, 10/20/30/40/50), attacks extra creature with maw (10 damage) |
| Special Defense: | Immune to needler weapons, ½ damage from laser or projectile weapons. 70% chance will remain unseen until within 120 meters of prey |
| Native World: | Sathar attack monster – all terrains except mountains |
Description
The quickdeath is the ultimate land carnivore. This creature can propel itself at 100 kilometers per hour with its great legs, which resemble those of a jaguar. Quickdeaths keep the claws on these legs razor sharp, using them to attack prey as well as for climbing. Three sets of smaller, tentacle-like limbs ending in suction cups are attached to the quickdeath's sides. It uses these limbs to catch unwary prey and stuff the unfortunate creatures into its digestive maw. Any creature in the maw takes 10 points of damage until it frees itself (as if breaking free from a hold).
The quickdeath has a long, flexible neck that ends in a snout and large mouth. Its four eyes are mounted on retractable stalks atop the head, while its brain is located at the base of its neck. (The quickdeath is nearly blind when it strikes it prey because it retracts these eyes.) The creature has a long, whiplike tail that can fling a poisonous dart once every four hours. The outer hide of the creature is covered by a moist, reflective armor which provides such good camouflage that the creature is nearly invisible until it approaches within 120 meters. Quickdeaths are constantly on the move, seeking to appease their hearty appetites. They are found in all areas of Volturnus except the mountains, frequently traveling in mated pairs.
The female lays hundreds of eggs each year, burying them in deep in the sand or soil. These caches sometimes contain as many as 50 eggs. The first of the young to hatch eats the remaining eggs for his or her first meal, and immediately begins its lifelong search for more food.
Quickdeaths are not native to Volturnus. The Sathar used an advanced form of DNA manipulation to create these hideous beasts from a common type of housecat found throughout the universe. On the "Day of Death," they released thousands of quickdeaths on the surface of Volturnus to terrorize its inhabitants.