Dinosaure
name = Dinosaure
image =
caption = A Hobbit rides a Dinosauree, from the Player's Guide to Eberron
aliases = Thunder lizards
height = varies
weight = varies
Dinosaurees are large reptilian creatures that cover multiple species of animals. Dinosaurees are natives to Argonnessen, Khorvaire, Xen'Drik, and the Givre-féroce, though the Dragons of Argonnessen have purged their continent of carnivorous Dinosaurees, while the civilized races of Khorvaire have forced the Dinosaurees into regions like the Plaines de Talenta and Q'Barra. The Hobbits of the Plaines de Talenta have formed spiritual bonds with the animals, and use them as mounts. http://keith-baker.com/ifaq-dinosaurs/
Histoire
Dinosaurees originated on the continents of Argonnessen, Khorvaire, Xen'Drik, and the Givre-féroce. Since there was no ice age in the world of Eberron, Dinosaurees continued to be a dominant species in the world. However, the fates of the Dinosaurees differed on each continent.
On Argonnessen, the continent of the dragons, the Dinosaurees continue to roam free for the most part. The Dragons eliminated most of the more powerful carnivores from the continent, though some still remain in the continent's internal jungle. In addition, the Dragons have imported other creatures from around the world, turning some Dinosaurees from the hunters to the hunted.
On Xen'Drik, Dinosaurees remain one of the prevalent species on the Perdu continent. They can be found in all of the continent's climates, and have been tamed by some of the natives of that land, including the Drow. Due to the unusual magical effects prevalent in Xen'Drik, explorers may find unusual mutated Dinosaurees, such as two-headed swordtooth titans.
On the Givre-féroce, there have been rare sightings of Hobbits riding Courseurs and white-feathered Longues-griffess, especially in the regions around Skairn. These same Dinosaurees have been spotted on the northern islands of the Principautés de Lhazaar.
On Khorvaire, Dinosaurees were once prominent across the continent, until settlements pushed them back to either the Plaines de Talenta or the jungle nation of Q'Barra. Even from the beginning, the Hobbit natives of Khorvaire saw the uses of the Dinosaurees, and trained large numbers of them to act as their mounts. Over the years, they developed a spiritual bond to the creatures. They would train these beasts to act as mounts in combat, or even as pack animals. The hobbits especially preferred taming Longues-griffess, Courseurs, and aile-planantes.
Hobbit Dinosauree-riders proved pivotal during the Dernière Guerre, then the Hobbits were forced to defend their land. The hobbits entered the war in 929 AR, when Cryan forces were driven back by the united tribes of the hobbits, all on cavalry-back atop Dinosaurees. With the hobbits threatened, they began raiding the forces of the neighboring nations of Cyre, Karrnath, and Valénar, often sending herded Dinosaurees into their enemies' front lines.
In Q'Barra, Dinosaurees continue to live relatively free. They are hunted by the Homme-Lézard of the region, and have been recruited by the lizardfok and Draconien of Haka'torvhak to act as guardians to the black dragon Rhashaak and the fiend that lies beneath. Dinosaurees have also been spotted on the islands of the Principautés de Lhazaar that lie directly to the east of Q'Barra.
Dinosaurees have not just been captured and trained by the Drow and the Hobbits, however. Maison Létourneau, with their Marque du Dressage, have been known to train Dinosaurees, and deliver them to their clients for the right price. This practice increased during La Dernière Guerre. In addition, Maison Garda have recruited hobbit mercenaries and their Dinosauree mounts as part of their mercenary services.
Species
<!–Fintail titan, Géant snapper, Maultooth and Sea render are from Stormwrack–>Many species of Dinosaurees have been classified by the people of Eberron: {| class=“wikitable” width=“80%” !Commun Name !Scientific Name !Draconique Name
Battletitan
name = Battletitan
image =
caption = A mounted battletitan, from Monster Manual III
Battletitans are Géant bipedal Dinosaurees with powerful jaws, massive teeth, and thick bony plates. They are frequently used as mounts, with steel half-plate barding and saddles attached to their backs.
Battletitans are not a true species of Dinosauree, but rather are cross-bred in captivity. Most battletitans are trained at birth to be used as mounts in combat. Training usually takes six months, and a young battletitan can fetch up to 100,000 gp on the open market. Battletitans are naturally sterile.
Battletitans rely on their strong legs and jaws to pounce on their prey and rend it in half. In addition, the battletitan has a spiked tail, which it can use as a mace. Battletitans can swallow whole prey of size medium or smaller. Like most Dinosaurees, battletitans can track by scent, and possess low-light vision.
Battletitans have even been seen bred by the dragons of Argonnessen, where they participate in the war games of the dragons Schaisos and Nyssyeran.
Bladetooth
name = Bladetooth
image =
caption = A bladetooth, from Monster Manual II
The bladetooth is a bipedal Dinosauree with strong, powerful rear legs with clawed feet, but its forearms are tiny with three clawed fingers. It has bony ridges on its head, and a row of razor-sharp serrated teeth in its powerful jaws. Bladeteeth are 36 feet long and weigh one-and-a-half tons.
The bladetooth is a carnivorous Dinosauree that eats both mammals and smaller Dinosaurees. It cannot swallow its prey whole, so it uses its large legs to pounce on its prey, then grab them with its large jaws. It then uses those jaws to tear large chunks from its prey.
In addition to its ability to pounce and to rake its targets, bladeteeth can also trample their foes beneath their strong hind legs. Like most Dinosaurees, bladeteeth can track by scent, and possess both low-light vision and darkvision.
Bloodstriker
name = Bloodstriker
image =
caption = A bloodstriker, fleshraker, and swindlespitter,<br/>from Monster Manual III
The bloodstriker is a four-legged Dinosauree with a thick, spiked hide. Two large horns jut from the bloodstriker's forehead, which it uses to burrow away from hunters. Bloodstrikers weigh about one thousand pounds, and measure fourteen feet long.
Bloodstrikers are omnivores that feed on vegetation and larger insects. Bloodstrikers are the prey of other carnivorous Dinosaurees, and will use their horns to burrow and hide from their predators, in addition to hiding from their prey. When burrowed, just the eyes and the tops of their head can be seen.
Bloodstrikers possess caustic blood, which can dissolve even metal. Bloodstrikers can even squirt this blood at its opponents as an offensive weapon. Bloodstrikers also possess low-light vision.
Bloodstrikers have been found roaming the Plaines de Talenta.
Carver
Carvers are lean, long-legged bipedal Dinosaurees. They possess multicolored hides, not unlike a tropical bird. They have small forearms with sharpened claws, and it stands about as tall as a Humain. Its tail juts directly out of its rear end, held aloft by an intricate skeletal structure. It weighs about six-hundred pounds, and is carnivorous.
Carvers are especially fast, and uses its speed to run headlong at its prey. Once it catches up to its prey, it leaps using its hind legs, and it uses its grasping forearms to hold its prey down while its sharp teeth rip into its prey. Carvers are more intelligent than other Dinosaurees, and will use tactics to hunt its prey. Carvers can usually be found in packs of up to six, but will also hunt alone.
Packs of carvers run wild on the Plaines de Talenta, and are a dangelr to the hobbits that live there. They will occasionally spill into neighboring Karrnath as well.
Carver, Great
Great carvers are larger versions of carvers. Like their smaller counterparts, they use their powerful legs and great speed to hunt down their prey. Great carvers are also carnivorous, and stand about twelve feet tall and are about twenty-four feet long.
Longues-griffes
name = Longues-griffes
caption = A Hobbit rides a Longues-griffes Dinosauree,<br>from the
The **Longues-griffes** is a two-legged Dinosauree, with sharp teeth and a single toe claw that looks like a small sickle. It is no larger than a tall Humain, but looks like it could easily take down much larger prey. Like their cousins the carvers and great carvers, Longues-griffess bring down their prey with their speed and their talons. In the wild, Longues-griffess use pack tactics to hunt their prey.
Longues-griffess attack using their claws, talons, and their teeth. They travel in packs of up to six. They track using scent, and they possess low-light vision.
Longues-griffess are used as war mounts by the hobbits of the Talenta
Plains. Even when domesticated, they keep their predatory instincts. Many [[laths keep Longues-griffess as guards or animal companions, and Longues-griffess can be found as guards in the occasional Maison Normandin enclave, including the one in Sharn. Longues-griffess have even been known to be domesticated enough to perform in Maison Normandin plays at the theater.
Courseur
Courseurs are Humain-sized, two legged Dinosaurees. They possess large eyes, scales with brightly-colored patterns, and strong legs. Courseurs are amongst the fastest land Dinosaurees known. Like other Dinosaurees, Courseurs track by sense of smell, and possess low-light vision.
Courseurs are chosen and bred by the hobbits of the Plaines de Talenta. They are too small to carry a medium-sized Humainoïde, but can perfectly accommodate the small-sized hobbits, in addition to their light gear and packs. While the Courseurs are not trained for combat and prefer to flee rather than fight, they are capable of defending themselves with lunging bite attacks.
Courseurs have been problematic to the Train Fulgurant tracks that cross the Plaines de Talenta, and have been known to try to attack the conductor stones that make up the tracks.
Fintail
name = Fintail
image =
caption = A Aile-volante flying above a fintail, from Monster Manual II
Fintails are large aquatic Dinosaurees, with ovoid bodies and elongated necks. Fintails live in the water, using their four paddle-like fins to propel themselves. They also possess a finned tail as well, which helps them navigate. It is just as fast across the surface of the ocean as it does fully submerged. Fintails measure about 10 feet long.
Fintains are carnivorous, hunting fish with its long neck. It will whip its neck at schools of fish, snapping up as much fish as possible. If the size of the fish is size small or smaller, the fintail can even swallow it whole. Like other Dinosaurees, fintails track by sense of smell, and possess both low-light vision and darkvision.
Fintail, Géant
Géant fintails are larger versions of their fintail cousins. They also possess elongated necks and ovoid bodies. Géant fintains measure thirty feet long, and can weigh up to 5,000 pounds. Unlike fintails, Géant fintails do not possess darkvision.
Géant fintails are much more aggressive than their fintail cousins. In general, Géant fintails will attack anything it notices, darting forward with its neck and lunging at its prey.
Fleshraker
Fleshrakers are Dinosaurees that can walk on both two legs and four. Thin spines run along the fleshraker's back and sinuous tail. The fleshraker has muscled forelimbs that glisten with clear liquid, and a long reptilian snout filled with sharp teeth. Each of the four limbs possess a pair of six-inch-long hooked claws. A fleshraker stands about seven feet tall, and weighs about 200 pounds.
Fleshrakers are clever predators that prefer to lurk in the underbrush or within the depths of dense forests. They hunt their prey in packs, preferring to rush solitary targets. They begin their assault with a leaping lunge, charging their foe. Fleshrakers possess poison claws that they use to dehabilitate their foes. Fleshrakers hunt by scent, and possess both low-light vision and darkvision.
Aile-planante
name = Aile-planante
image =
caption = A hobbit riding a aile-planante,<br/>from Whispers of the Vampire's Blade
Aile-planantes are flying reptilian Dinosaurees. Aile-planantes are bird-like in appearance, with a long, toothy beak and a thin crest emerging from the rear of the head. They fly via leathery, bat-like wings, which have small clawed forearms attached to it. Their eyes are large and yellow, and they have small tufts of feathers occasionally sprouting from their scaly skin.
While aile-planantes are carnivorous, they prefer the taste of fish over most land animals. They rely on swooping dives to surprise their prey, snatching them from the ocean unaware. They are incredibly fast fliers overland. Aile-planantes possess low-light vision to aide in their hunting.
Aile-planantes are native to both Khorvaire and Xen'drik, and have been tamed by both the hobbits and the drow to be used as flying mounts. Aile-planantes have been seen congregating above the Ossuaire in the Plaines de Talenta.
A aile-planante represents the districts of Porte d'Or and the Stores in the Race of the Eight Winds, a popular aerial race in Sharn that happens once a year. The aile-planante is garbed in gray and green and is extremely popular among the hobbits of Sharn. Some say that the Clan Saputo is the financial force behind the Aile-planante Wind Guard.
Hammertail
image =
caption = A hammertail, from Monster Manual II
Hammertails are herbivorous, four-legged Dinosaurees. They are heavily armored, with a bony shell covering its back and sides. Protruding from this shell are a number of spikes, acting as a defensive encumberment to attacking predators. The hammertail's wide, flat armored head juts from the hammertail's body. On the other side, a heavy tail with a club-like end is used to defend the hammertail from attackers. Because of its armored nature, the hammertail can live comfortably in a multitude of environments, from forests to humid marshes to dry grasslands. Hammertails are between 25 and 35 feet in length, stand approximately four-and-a-half feet tall, and are about 7 to 8 feet wide.
Hammertails are herbivores, and do not hunt. They will defend themselves when attacked, using their club tail. They will also frequently travel in packs, giving themselves more protection in numbers. If a hammertail is attacked and outpowered, it will attempt to flee, trying to trample its attackers as it escapes. Hammertails, like other Dinosaurees, track by scent and possess both low-light vision and darkvision.
Aile-volante
Aile-volante are massive flying reptiles, and one of the more fearsome of the aerial predators known. A carnivore, the Aile-volante hunts meat and fish, though it will resort to eating carrion if necessary. Aile-volantes have long necks and elongated heads, with very small brains. They have leathery bat-like wings, much like the aile-planante, but are missing the aile-planante's occasional feathers. Their wings are controlled by their forearms, which are attached. Aile-volantes possess both low-light vision and darkvision.
Aile-volantes tend to fly in high altitudes in coveys of three to five, unless they are hunting prey, in which case they swoop down upon their targets. They detest being grounded in any form, and thus will try to eat their prey while staying aloft. Aile-volantes can swallow whole any creature of size medium or smaller.
Spineback
name = Spineback
image =
caption = A spineback (front) and thunderherder (back),<br/>from Monster Manual II
Spinebacks are the largest of the bipedal carnivorous Dinosaurees. It occasionally travels on all four legs as needed, but prefers to stand erect on its powerful hind legs. Spinebacks have a large, saillike, ribbed fin running down their back from the base of their neck to the start of their tail. The exact reason behind this fin is unknown. Spinebacks have large heads with sharp straight teeth that, unlike other Dinosaurees, are not serrated. They possess great strength in their lower jaw, which is capable of locking down on its prey much like an alligator.
Spinebacks tens to start combat by emitting a soul-searing deep bellow, which freezes its prey in place in fear. They then quickly move in for the kill, trampling some of their prey while snapping up others in their powerful jaws. Spinebacks can move fast, and will hunt down prey that tries to escape them. Spinebacks can swallow whole prey of size large or smaller. Like other Dinosaurees, they hunt by sense of smell, and possess both low-light vision and darkvision.
Swindlespitter
Swindlespitters are bipedal, carnivorous Dinosaurees with lithe bodies and whiplike tails. Swindlespitters have small, grasping hands, sharp beaks, and large pure black eyes. They stand less than three feet tall, and only weigh about thirty pounds.
Unlike other carnivorous Dinosaurees that actively hunt their prey, swindlespitters rely on thievery. They will sneak into the nests of other Dinosaurees, and steal the eggs of their larger brethren. They will bring these eggs back to their own nests, where they devour the unborn Dinosaurees.
Swindlespitters possess a poison spray that they spew from their mouths. Like most Dinosaurees, swindlespitters can track by scent, and possess both low-light vision and darkvision.
Swindlespitters are seen by some as a necessary evil, keeping the Dinosauree population in check. it is not unusual to even find a swindlespitter as the animal companion of a druide. The occasional swindlespitter has been seen as a pet, especially in a city like Sharn.
Swordtooth Titan
name = Swordtooth Titan
image =
caption = A swordtooth titan, from the 3.5 Monster Manual
Swordtooth titans are the most feared of all the Dinosaurees. Towering above other Dinosaurees, this carnivorous predator hunts all the other Dinosaurees, as well as whatever crosses its path. They possess large heads with sharpened teeth. It possesses powerful hind legs, but its forearms are vestigial and near useless. The swordtooth titan's head alone is nearly 6 feet tall, with its teeth measuring between 3 to 6 inches long. The titan itself is about 30 feet long from nose to tail, and weigh about 6 tons.
Swordtooth titans grasp their prey in their large jaws, snapping them up off the ground and swallowing them whole. They will track their prey by scent, and possess low-light vision.
Rumors exist of an albino swordtooth titan wandering the jungles of Q'barra. A retired member of the Fondation du Routard seeks this unusual creature and wants him brought to Sharn. Occasionally, mutated two-headed swordtooth titans have been spotted in the wilds of Xen'drik.
Threehorn
Threehorns are four-legged herbivorous Dinosaurees with a huge plate protecting the front of its head. At the top of its head project two slightly-curved horns, with a shorter horn jutting from its nose, with the three horns giving the Dinosauree its name.
While threehorns are not carnivorous, they can still be deadly. They travel in herds of up to eight creatures, and are extremely territorial. They will use their horns to charge opponents, trampling them under their feet. Threehorns will track via scent, and possess low-light vision.
Thunderherder
Thunderherders are the largest of the known Dinosaurees. They are four-legged herbivores with enormous appetites. They feed on all sorts of plants, and a single thunderherder has been known to deforest several square miles of terrain within the course of a few weeks. They possess a small head, bulky body, and a long neck and tail. Their nostrils are located high up on their head, allowing them to submerge themselves deep into the water.
Thunderherders are so colossal, that they even give swordtooth titans pause. While thunderherders can defend themselves using their tail as a whip, they are just as likely to inadvertently step on an opponent as tailwhip them.
Thunderherder bacon is considered a delicacy, and can be found frequently served at the Glitterdust Nightclub in Sharn.
Religion
While Dinosaurees have no religion on their own, they are often worshiped by the hobbits, and seen as aspects of Balinor come to life. Every hobbit warrior hopes to unite his spirit with the spirit of his Dinosauree mount in the heat of battle, so that his spirit might be as worthy of reverence after death as his Dinosauree's spirit already is.
Notable Names
- A swordtooth titan named Le Balafré was raised by a tribe of Plaines de Talenta hobbits led by Moonlight, and aids them in their hunting.
- Sneaky Deux Gueules is a gargantuan mutated swordtooth titan that roams the jungles of Xen'drik.
RISING : DINO SAURS Dinosaurs are widespread on Eberron, particularly in Q'barra, the Talenta Plains, Xen'drik, and Argonnessen. Smaller dinosaurs are the rule in Q'barra and the Talenta Plains, including varieties commonly used by Talenta halflings as mounts. CLAWFOOT Clawfoot dinosaurs are two-legged saurians with sharp teeth and toe claws that resemble deadly sickles. They are imposing creatures, about the size of a tall human, and are fierce enough to take down even larger prey. In the wild, an untrained clawfoot can easily hold its own in combat, but they are even fiercer when hunting in packs. Their instinct for pack structure has made these dinosaurs a traditional war mount for the halflings of the Talenta Plains, with clawfoots quickly and eagerly responding to training and control.
FASTIETH Fastieth are human-sized, two-legged saurians with large eyes, brightly colored and patterned scales, and strong legs. They are the most common mounts of the halflings of the Talenta Plains, bred for speed. Although too small to bear larger riders, a fastieth can carry a halfling with light gear easily and at a good pace. Fastieths are typically stubborn creatures, so specimens with an even temperament are prized among the Talenta tribes. Being herbivores, fastieths prefer to flee rather than fight. However, even though not trained for battle, they can deliver a vicious bite if pressed.