An apex predator that can be centuries old, Blackbog gators are as devious as they are powerful. A single gator will demolish forests, ripping down smaller trees with brute force and clawing down larger ones over time. The resulting peat bogs become labyrinths of low islands surrounded by muddy black water through which the Gator prowls. The gator is sinister not just for its might, but also its cunning. The beast will leave a smattering of trees standing, not just because they host small wildlife that maintain its ecosystem and hygiene, but also as a trap. The blind hunter relies on vibrations in the water and from the roots of the trees. Adventurers cutting down trees to make shortcuts through the marsh might find that the just rang the dinner bell for a hungry gator. When hunting, the Gator is a greedy eater that prefers to not let a single victim escape. If a group of prey are detected it will pull them under one by one and ensnare them among the muddy roots that hold the bog together. Anything that survives the violent thrashing and escapes the water prison is usually too exhausted to flee before the Gator returns. A full gator will usually be satiated for up to three months... just long enough for its next prey to think the bog safe to travel. Any band of brave souls who can slay the beast before it flees into the murk may find a trove of undigested treasure in its cavernous belly. Instinct: To hunt

• Thrash violently
• Drag prey into the roots