Howler

Howlers were pack predators native to Pandemonium. They were known and feared for their mind-shattering howls.

Description
Howlers were large quadruped beasts, with strong backs that resembled those of oxen and bodies that were covered in scales surrounded by red fur. Their hind legs were hoofed, while the front legs had fingers that seemed too long to support their weight. They had simian-looking muzzled faces and long, trembling quills at the back of their necks, which could break off and become lodged in their victims.

They did not draw sustenance from the flesh of their victims, but from their fear.

Behavior
Although extremely cruel when in packs, howlers were usually cowardly when alone.

Young and inexperienced howlers killed their victims quickly for the delicious rush of terror that a violent death generated. However, older howlers preferred to draw long-term sustenance from constantly terrorizing their victims rather than killing them immediately.

Combat
As pack hunters, howlers relied primarily on their numbers and speed. Their primary weapon was a terrifying howl that could be heard from a large distance, even through the loud winds of their home plane, and which caused other creatures to become debilitated by fear and incapable of complex thought.

Its powerful bite could not only rend its opponent's flesh but also its mind.

Ecology
Although native to Pandemonium, howlers could be found in all of the Lower planes, in particular those more defined by chaos and evil.

Howlers could be partially domesticated to be used as war hounds. Fiends in particular favored howlers for their ability to temporarily neutralize spellcasters with their howl. Commanding a pack of howlers demanded a long and brutal period of training, until the creatures recognized their trainer as the undisputed pack leader. Well-trained packs of howlers were most commonly employed in the Blood War, but it was also possible for evil mortals to command a pack.

It was also possible to train howlers as mounts. Creatures such as quasits, orcs, and succubi were known to sometimes ride them.

Notable Howlers

 * Spike, Cressyl Blackbones's pet howler.