Ecology of an Icon: The Ultimate Team

Bursting forth through an eruption of turf and soil, an iconic visage bears down upon its prey with terrifying speed and precision. The Umber Hulk mounted Bullette (referred to as the Umber Bullette) has been an iconic presence within the RPG world for years now, but how these two seemingly savage and completely different creatures came to coexist has only recently come to light. Below are the details on this unique relationship and the benefits of such a powerful union.

The Rider

The Umber Hulk’s menacing and savage appearance hides an unlikely intelligence. Umber Hulks primarily roam the endless labyrinthine tunnels of the Underdark, using their immense arms to burrow new tunnels through the solid rock. Many of the unnatural tunnels within the Underdark are believed to be Umber Hulk crafted. These enigmatic creatures understand Deep Speech as well as speaking their own unique language, on rare occasions when Umber Hulks live near the surface they learn Dwarven and Common to make their ambushes and hunting easier, however they struggle to learn the eloquent language of the Elves. These cunning hunters prefer to burrow close to heavy traffic tunnels then ambush solitary creatures, using their confusing glare to stun their prey, before viciously assaulting their prey.

The Mount

Bullettes are also known as ‘Land Sharks’ due to the head fin that protrudes through the surface of the ground as they burrow through the soft soil in search of prey. The wide and savage maw of the Bullette is filled with rows of razor sharp teeth, which easily carve through flesh, bone and armour. Covered in heavy plates of thick carapace, a rampaging Bullette is not easily stopped by conventional weapons, especially when the beast is hungry, which is always. Natural burrowers, Bullettes use their unique cone like head to plough through soil and heave rocks out of their path, Strong and thick clawed legs propel the beast with great speed through the ground, when moving above ground the Bullettes can move with incredible bursts of speed. The creatures spend most of their lives slumbering beneath the ground until the constantly mounting hunger interrupts their hibernation. Once awake a savage Bullette hunts for any prey it can catch to sate its enormous hunger. A Bullette will feast upon creatures of any kind, although they tend to prefer the taste of Dwarves and Humans.

The Connection

These two savage monsters share several traits, which immediately connects the unlikely duo. Both the Umber Hulk and Bullette are natural and incredible diggers as well as being expert hunters. However their most important commonality is the unique combination of pheromones the two species share. This chemical connection instantly bonds the two creatures together upon first meeting. Particularly intelligent Umber Hulks use this natural union to build a solid relationship with the Bullette. Over time, and constant feeding the Bullette will become permanently endeared with the Umber Hulk at which point the Bullette will allow the Umber Hulk to ride upon it’s back. Whilst burrowing beneath the surface the mounted Umber Hulk will flatten upon the back of the Bullette, using it’s powerful arms to dig above the Bullette’s head in a swimming motion, whilst using it’s immense pincers to maintain a hold upon the swift mount.

While mounted these brutal hunters are capable of killing creatures much larger and stronger than they could alone, using the speed and brute strength of the Bullette and the intellect and confusing glare of the Umber Hulk to surprise and efficiently defeat their prey. Such large kills are required to keep the Bullette constantly fed and satisfied. When the two creatures work together unmounted they are capable of luring and ambushing large groups of prey, with Humans, Dwarves and Drow often succumbing to the immense power and cunning of the Umber Bullette. In rare cases, mentally gifted Umber Hulks will use their confusing glare to stun the most ferocious and violent Bullettes long enough to create the initial pheromone connection. The union between such a vicious Bullette and intellectual Umber Hulk is rare, but extremely powerful.

Above And Below

There are two different types of Umber Bullette that are common throughout the world. The rarer yet better-known Surface variety and the less known yet more prolific Underdark variety.

The Surface dwelling Umber Bullette is rarely seen, as Umber Hulks tend to live primarily within the confines of the Underdark. However, on the odd occasion an Umber Hulk does venture to the surface, mainly through curiosity. Once within the caves of the surface it is only a matter of time before the Umber Hulk attracts a Bullette with its pheromones. Surface Umber Bullettes move with extreme speed through the soft soil, the added strength and burrowing ability of the Umber Hulk increases the speed a burrowing Bullette can travel at. Secondly the Umber Bullette will often travel completely submerged, allowing the fearsome creatures to surprise their prey easily. With the rarity of the unified creature amongst the surface world, most creatures are quickly felled before they can adapt to the unexpected threat. Due to the bright light of the surface, Umber Hulks are incapable of opening their second set of infrared eyes, thus they can only use their confusing glare on rare occasions.

Throughout the immense world of the Underdark, towns and cities of Umber Hulks are well hidden through carefully dug and collapsed tunnels. Immense burrowed caverns hold spires and dwellings carved from solid rock. These rare cities hold the second type of Umber Bullette. Bullettes that are specifically bred for life within the lightless tunnels of the Underdark have thicker armour covering them that hides their internal heat from infrared vision. These Bullettes are also much stronger and larger, being bred to burrow through the solid stone of the Underdark. Large farms are hidden within the stone near the cities for the breeding of the Bullettes. Any creature that either stumbles into a tunnel leading towards the hidden Umber Hulk cities will be quickly dispatched by the silent and invisible Umber Bullettes of the Underdark. These fearsome creatures are the sole reason the cities of the Umber Hulks have yet to be discovered by the rest of the world.