Art credit: GuthrieArtwork

Giant Thresher Rat

Standing as tall as a bear, the giant thresher rat is a terror of the plains. These creatures hunt in familial groups and are known for destroying traveling caravans, nomadic tribes, and on rare occasions, even fully situated and defended villages.

Indestructible Hide. The giant thresher rat's hide is legendary for its resistance to normal weaponry. Because of this, it is common for monster hunters to tip their arrows and swords in poison when trying to take down these beasts. When facing larger packs they will instead attempt to poison a freshly dead carcass and leave it out for the pack to devour. Due to this, some giant thresher rats have gained an unnatural immunity to most types of poison.

Magical Origins. Though it is not fully understood how these rats came into being, legends say that a druid, interested in the development and creation of creatures, sought out the help of a wizard to artificially create life. Through a combination of magic and rat, dinosaur, and boar genes, the first giant thresher rats were born. As they grew larger, they eventually turned on their creators, killing them both and escaping their confinements to wreck havoc in the wild.

Wererat Guards. If a wererat is strong enough and smart enough, it is possible for them to convince one or more giant thresher rats to serve under them. This alliance is tenuous at best and almost entirely reliant on food, but some of the most notorious wererat thieves and assassins have been known to keep giant thresher rats as guards to their bases and treasure hoards.