The Strange Bestiary
Massive and powerful, demon drakes are thankfully rare. There may be only two or three in all of the recursions that they call home. They build their lairs of dozens—if not hundreds—of frozen, tormented figures. They refer to themselves as lords of Hell and play up their demonic role to the fullest. However, demon drakes are well aware of the Strange and the fact that their "Hell" is merely a recursion called Hell Frozen Over. They find this comforting, even pleasant, because although they crave power, they enjoy being the proverbial big fish in their little pond.
These creatures stand 15 feet (5 m) high when they rise up on their rear legs, and their wingspan is almost 40 feet (12 m). Their bodies are covered in scales that seem almost metallic.
Motive: Sadistic torment
Environment (Hell Frozen Over | Magic): Anywhere
Health: 50
Damage Inflicted: Major wound (13 points)
Armor: 4 or 10; see Combat
Movement: Long when flying; short on the ground
Modifications: Speed defense as level 8 due to size.
Combat: Demon drakes are terrors that can attack up to three creatures within immediate range as a single action. They can breathe a stream of fire or intense cold that inflicts a major wound (15 points) on a single target within long range. Demon drakes have 10 Armor against heat and cold. Demon drakes are extremely intelligent, and although they are usually overconfident at the beginning of a battle, they can use brilliant strategy and cunning tricks and maneuvers if they need to.
Interaction: Demon drakes love making bargains, wagers, and deals, probably because they are relatively bored with their existence. Due to their nature, they attempt to twist any deal and trick others during negotiations, but ultimately they keep to the letter of any agreement they swear to.
Use: PCs in Hell Frozen Over find themselves face to face with a demon drake. Rather than devouring them, it challenges them to a wager: if they can recover an artifact from the Strange that it desires, it will leave them be, and even help them on their mission in its recursion. However, it demands that one of the PCs remains in its lair as a hostage to ensure that the others return with the item.
Loot: Demon drakes always have at least one artifact and 1d6 cyphers.
GM Intrusion: The character struck by the demon drake's breath weapon is frozen solid in a mass of ice, immobile until she can break free (a difficulty 8 Might task).