Shell Demon

These powerful semi-aquatic demons terrorized the shoreline and rivers during the Demon Wars; although attacks during the Age of Empires or Age of Heroes are the stuff of legend. Looking like warped turtles measuring nearly fifteen (15) meters long and eight (8) meters wide with an flat-topped armored shell that can reach up to six (6) meters in height.

These demons appear as enormous turtles with mottled-colored hard shells. They spend most of their time on the Mortal Plane dug into bottoms of shallow lakes, rivers, and seas. Capable of surviving for years without food, when they awake or are disturbed the results can be terrible. In the span of a few weeks they can eat nearly ten times (10x) their weight in meat.

The head of a shell demon is long and covered in folded scales like the rest of its skin. Its eyes are located high on head so the demon can make best use of them when resting on the bottom of the shallow lakes and seas where it can typically be found.

The shell demon has an elongated and rigid beak, which allows them to crush and chew food. Instead of teeth they have sharp ridges on the upper and lower jaw that let them slice through prey. They can use their tongues to move food around, but they cannot extend their tongue outside of their mouth.

Unlike most other creatures, even demons, a shell demon that loses its head - even complete decapitation - will not kill the creature. Instead, over a period of years it will slowly regrow its head. Without its head the creature will spasmodically move until it reaches water. Once it reaches water the demon will go to the bottom and bury itself in the soil if possible. How it can navigate or even survive without its head is unknown.

Shell

The hardened shell of these demons is nearly impervious to any form of weapon or magic - short of something from the divine or infernal realms. When a shell demon has been killed, its intact shell can fetch nearly a king's ransom. The difficulty is in securing the shell before the acidic secretions of the dying demon destroy it utterly.

This has led to the most successful method of killing a shell demon - by using the skin secretions of another shell demon. When applied to the shell it becomes soft and malleable enough for steel weapons to penetrate.

Skin

The skin of the shell demons is comprised of thick folded scales that seem nearly impervious to cold and flame. Scholarly reports say that crushing and piercing weapons seem to have the easiest time piercing this skin; although a shell demon can pull its limbs and head inside of its shell and heal.

Limbs

Shell demons have four (4) short and powerful limbs that end in clawed and webbed feet. These feet can propel the through the water as well as lift and lurch their body on land. The claws are strong enough to rip through thick timbers as well as steel, making it very dangerous to approach these demons.

Regrowth

Shell demons can regrow lost limbs, including its head, although this can take several years. Far more quickly it is able to heal small wounds simply by pulling its limbs back inside of its shell. Inside the shell the demon secretes a noxious substance that has been found to have tremendous healing properties; although to date it has proven too acidic for any non-demonic creatures.

Reproduction

Shell demons reproduce on the Mortal Plane by laying eggs. They bury these rock-like legs in the soil where, fully burying them if possible. Within a few years the eggs will hatch and fully capable immature shell demons will emerge. Once laying their eggs, a shell demon will have no further contact with its offspring, and will if given the chance eat them as it would any other living creature.

Immature

At one time these demons were considered a unique species, but scholars have determined that they are immature shell demons. These demons can stand upright and possess functional hands and feet. Their head is still incapable of pivoting as other upright species, but they can rotate it nearly full around, allowing them to see their surroundings.

As the shell on these demons begins to harden they are forced into the more familiar shape of their kind. Their hands and fee become clawed webbed limbs when the scales on their skin thicken.

Scholars have concluded that these immature forms of demon have only existed since the creatures came to the Mortal Plane. It is very possible that in time the immature form of the shell demon will be its only form.

No known sub-species