[Filed in the Hacklopedias as the “long tailed silver slasher”, not that there’s any other kind. I like the idea of D&D monsters that are just ever so slightly weirder and more magical than mundane animals. Like owlbears, and the silver slashers.]
Silver Slasher This beautiful creature looks like
a sable fox, except that its tail is longer than its body, prehensile, and
tipped in a gleaming silver blade.
Silver
slashers are descriptively named—their most notable characteristic is the
silver blade on the end of their dexterous, muscular tails. They are fox-like
forest predators that are as comfortable hunting in the trees as on the
ground—they use their tails as an arm for climbing and swinging before closing
in for the kill. Silver slashers typically take prey smaller than
themselves—rodents, birds and the like—but sometimes will hunt in packs to take
down small deer, giant vermin and even halflings or goblins.
Silver
slashers are more social than most foxes, and live in packs composed of a mated
pair, their siblings and adult offspring. Males are more likely to disperse
than females, and a male will sometimes attempt to take over a pack by dueling
with their bladed tails. Silver slashers typically nest in dens stolen from
burrowing animals, naturally-existing caves or hollow trees—these dens
frequently contain non-combatant young.
The tail
of a silver slasher is prized for its suppleness, its strength and its ability
to act as a silver weapon. Live silver slashers are sometimes trained as guard
animals by those especially paranoid of werewolves or other lycanthropes.
Silver slashers have no innate abilities at detecting shapechangers of any
kind, and their curiosity and dexterity makes them more trouble then they’re
worth for many owners. A spellcaster of 5th level may take a silver
slasher as a familiar using the Improved Familiar feat—the silver slasher can
deliver touch spells with its tail at a reach of 5 feet. The tail-blade of a
silver slasher can be harvested, attached to a hilt and used as a Small
short-sword or Medium dagger—doing so requires a DC 15 Craft (weaponsmithing)
check and one hour’s work. Goblins are particularly fond of silver
slasher-derived swords; their fondness stems as much from being able to kill
one of these predators as it does from the quality of the weapon.
Silver slashers are native to Senksen, where they have become quite rare since the rise to power of the umbral dragons. They are favored prey of xvarts, who appreciate their taste and the power of their tail blades. They are occasionally taken as familiars by rural witches of Senksen.
Shores of Swords 