Behir

A behir (pronounced be-HEER) was a great serpentine monster with twelve legs and an electrical breath.

Description
A behir was often mistaken for a wingless blue dragon. It had a long, snake-like body and could slither on the ground like a snake, but it also had six pairs of legs upon which it could walk or climb if it chose to do so. Each of a behir's twelve feet contained three clawed toes. They were surprisingly quick, and could outrun the typical human.

Behirs had thick, armored scales, much like a dragon. Their scales were colored in variations of dark blue, being lighter on their undersides.

They had long narrow heads with curved, black horns on the top, which were used for preening. Their mouths were full of many sharp teeth.

A typical adult behir was 40 feet (twelve meters) long and weighed two tons (1,800 kilograms) but could grow to gargantuan sizes. They were expert climbers.

Variations
A subspecies of behir were native to Halruaa.

Personality
Behirs hated all dragons and would refuse to share any territory with them.

They were not particularly intelligent but could speak Common.

Behavior
Behir were most active during the day. Their main diet consisted of medium-sized animals, such as boars.

In the winter months, behirs hibernated.

Like other reptilian creatures, behirs continued to grow throughout their lifetimes and had to shed their scales periodically. They reach adulthood by ten years. Mating took place in early spring. Females produced between one and four blue-green, leathery eggs, which were buried under dirt or sand. Eggs hatched after three or four weeks. The young were driven from the den soon after hatching.

Combat
If a behir grabbed a hold of an opponent or prey with its mouth, it had several options. It could wrap its body around the victim and constrict, it could tear at the victim with its many clawed limbs, or it could simply swallow the victim whole.

Behirs could breath a magical burst of electricity from their mouths, much like a blue dragon. (They themselves were completely immune to damage from electricity.)

Society
Behirs preferred to live in warm, hilly terrain. They were usually solitary creatures but could be found in mated pairs. They made dens in caves or hidden thickets.

Notable Behirs

 * The lamia noble Transtra kept a behir as a companion, although she had to charm it to do so.
 * Grimlight was a behir who lived in a gorge near the Cold Vale.
 * Longjaws was a powerful behir who served the lich Alokkair.

Additional Reading

 * Monster Manual II 1st edition
 * Monstrous Compendium Volume One
 * Monstrous Manual
 * Dragon #156
 * Monster Manual'' 3rd edition
 * Monster Manual'' v.3.5
 * Shining South
 * Dragon #333