Gray render

A gray render is a magical beast born from various terrain substances present in swamps and marshes.

History
Although many scholars have come to believe that roots of gray renders can be traced back to the Elemental Chaos, the truth of the matter is that gray renders were created thousands of years ago by a small conclave of silver dragon wizards who spent most of their time in elven form and developed gray renders primarily as bodyguards for their loyal minions.

The method for creating new gray renders was passed from the silver dragons to several elven communities, and from them to numerous like-aligned wizards of various races over the following centuries. Today, the knowledge of how to create a gray render is not uncommon among wizardly scholars, although the origins of the race are largely forgotten.

Physical description
A gray render stands about 9 feet tall in spite of its hunched posture and is about 4 feet wide. It weighs about 4,000 pounds. It has very thick skin which protects it from the bites and stings of insects. Its six eyes have insect-like structure, each being composed of hundreds of tiny ocelli. The gray render lacks external ears and has two thin horizontal slits for nostrils which are easily overlooked.

Ecology
Gray renders are never found in groups. They reproduce asexually in a manner most unusual for such an advanced species. Once in each gray render's lifetime (shortly after attaining adulthood) it produces a single offspring, which grows from a bud and develops in the adult render's pocket. Its first six months are spent nursing in the marsupial pouch, after which time it has grown to the size of a small chimpanzee and is ready to go off on its own.

A unique quality of the gray render is its tendency to bond with, protect, and provide for another creature (or group of creatures) native to its surroundings. Whether accepted or not, the render always attempts to remain fairly close, watching over its adopted charge(s) and daily bringing an offering of meat. It never willingly harms adopted creatures and retreats if they attack it.

Gray renders have both low-light vision and 60-foot darkvision. They enjoys a sense of hearing comparable to that of a human and has an excellent sense of smell.

A gray render's teeth continue to grow throughout its lifetime, with new teeth replacing older ones that have come loose. The teeth grow in several different layers, one behind another. It's not uncommon for a tooth to dislodge from the render's mouth and remain embedded in the flesh of a bite victim.

Gray renders have excellent manual dexterity, on par with that of a human. Despite their ability they seldom use tools or weapons, preferring to use their razor-sharp claws to rend their opponents.

Gray renders are immune to the effects of sleep spells. They are light sleepers in any case, the better to respond to any danger threatening their charges.

Gray renders can understand a spoken language even though they have no language of their own and can't speak.

Combat
A gray render attacks to kill, whether to bring down prey or to protect itself or those it has adopted. When hunting, it sometimes attempts to hide and wait for prey to wander close.

Appearances

 * Farthest Reach

Note
In Monster Manual 2 4th edition a gray render is classified as a natural humanoid with chaotic evil alignment.