Ebon tiger

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Ebon tigers were elusive, but fearsome, magical beasts that inhabited the Ethereal Plane.

Description
Ebon tigers resembled tigers composed or coated in black fire; they lacked stripes but had lighter patches at their eyes, teeth, and whiskers. When angry or excited, an ebon tiger would faintly sparkle with magical energy.

Behavior
This species had an undeserved reputation for being territorial, bad-tempered, and ruthlessly vicious. In truth, wild ebon tigers were shy and reclusive unless very hungry or threatened (including if their territory was invaded).

Abilities
Ebon tigers could exist on both the Border Ethereal and Material planes simultaneously, making them seem weightless and insubstantial (and thus capable of passing through even the smallest openings); it also rendered them untouchable to unenchanted weaponry. Moreover, their dark forms blended into the shadows of the Material plane perfectly, such that when they hid in darkness there they were as good as invisible. Their stealth was only improved by their innately silent movements.

These cats had one magical ability, albeit a potent one: their bite could cause blindness. This blindness could be cured by any magical healing within the first four minutes, but afterwards was permanent unless a cure blindness or heal spell was used.

Additionally, once every 24 hours, an ebon tiger could shift itself onto either the Ethereal or Material plane fully.

Combat
Ebon tigers always attacked from stealth, using their claws and teeth to maul would-be prey.

Ecology
Like other cats, ebon tigers were largely solitary predators except during their six-week-long annual mating season, during which time both males and females left their territories to pair up and breed, after which they both returned to their homes. The females gave birth to 1-3 cubs 10-12 weeks later, that she then protected and cared for for the two years they took to reach adulthood.

Ebon tigers had never been observed to sleep or drink, but they did eat- albeit only every few months or so (or only six weeks, for captive specimens). They preferred to kill their prey for themself, and would eat the whole of their kill, including the bones. Ebon tigers typically hunted on the Material plane, preferring thickly overgrown areas with plentiful shadows.

Usages
The fat of an ebon tiger (which was not much) could be used in making oil of etherealness. Some mages suggested their breath could be used in making that oil as well.

On the distant world of Mystara, rakasta priests were known to train ebon tigers to guard certain important locations.

History
Where ebon tigers came from was unknown. Same sages suggested they originated from somewhere in the Deep Ethereal, possibly a gloomy demiplane there; other sages speculated they were created by the magical experiments of some ancient wizard or priest.