Goldeveki's Chimera

When we encountered the chimera, we had no warning of how dangerous it could be, and how many of us it would kill. There was no mistaking that it was a monster, it had the body of a white horse and the head of a wispy thin dragon. We readied our shields, and Orkos cast fire protection spells on us as we readied ourselves to fight the beast. It was fast, and it could spew out a stream of this roiling hot venom. There was no flame, and our spells of protection were useless. There were injuries, but none were fatal. It put up a valiant fight until our swordmaster Reynaldo sidestepped it and cut it's head off in a masterful stroke of his sword. The creature collapsed and we started tending our wounded.

Goldeveki's Chimera

The arch-mage Goldeveki created many horrors and abominations in its time as an active wizard. While there is debate as to if it is dead, seeking lichedom, or moved to another continent or reality, the Chimera remains behind protecting its lair. At initial encounter, the chimera is a white equine with a draconian head. It takes a decently high level perception, and knowledge of exotic fauna to determine that the head is that of a swamp hydra and not a dragon, and that the body is that of a unicorn rather than a domestic horse.

The damned thing came at us again, the neck had split and now it had two heads, one draconic, the other, a unicorn. It spewed more boiling venom, and it started using magic itself. You could taste the chaos magic in the air as we fought it again. Orkos went down with a face full of venom, and we were out our mage. The unicorn head gave a terrible squeal and then we were hip deep in gibbering mouthers. Half of our fighters and mercenaries were torn about by the screaming and wailing monstrosities before our ranger started taking them out with her fire arrow strike.

As per a normal hydra, each time it's head is cut off, two replace it. Goldeveki's chimera can produce a number of different beast heads, each having it's own specific abilities. This has made efforts to remove the chimera difficult as no two battles go the same way.

Hydra head: vicious bleeding bite, and the ability to spit a heated bile like venom. Serious injury potential. Hydra heads seek out magic users, clerics, and unarmored targets, and it likes to go for the face.

Unicorn head: gains ability to cast spells. Preferences include protection spells, summoning spells (chaos summons) and prismatic attack spells. The higher the number of unicorn heads becomes, the more powerful the spells the creature can cast.

Catoblepas head: a fairly rare swamp monster, this head has stoning ability, and will seek to engage and petrify front line fighters, paladins, and tank/shield foes.

Dragon head: this head wont appear until the chimera has a minimum of 9 active heads. The white dragon skull can breath gouts of barrowflame and has the ability to pump up the creature's magic ability. It prefers to cast raise dead, curse, and has the unique ability to summon abyssal creatures to its aid.

Eye Tyrant: once there are 13 active heads, the chimera can start growing eye tyrant heads. This is nothing more than a bulbous cancerous mass at the end of the neck terminating in a giant eyeball surrounded by more eyeballs on stalks. It has a disintegration ray attack it can use every other turn, and the lesser eyestalks randomly shoot off magic missiles, and frost rays.

We retreated, most of the host was dead. Those that were still alive were badly injured. Everything was on fire, and the dead were climbing back to their feet and turning their weapons against us. Orkos was one of the first, blind, face eaten off by venom, he came at us, clacking his teeth together like a macabre puppet in a ghoul show. We tried the flaming sword gambit, and the sword and torch gambit, but the unicorns had cast protection from fire on it. We couldn't cauterize the neck stumps. We tried, and we died. There was a darkening sound, and I could feel a powerful summoning spell being cast. The creature called a demon from the Abyss, a thing of flame and smoke, and I heard it say that it would honor Goldeveki's Pact. It came for us. I wont lie. I took the cowards's path and crushed the teleport crystal. I was supposed to use it to blink the injured to safety, or as an escape route if things went badly. I was the only person to escape, out of a 21 member strong adventurer-upon-return troop.

I didn't blink back alone though, one of those gibbering mouthers was close enough that it was drug along with me. The city guards and a couple of mercenaries killed the creature, but not before it had eaten both of my legs and one of my hands.

Can you space a coin, a bit of change for a beggar?