Muttation List

#209: “VIRACHNE” - there's been a slew of arachnid mutations throughout each games' iteration, so when Gamemakers Whip and Garnet approved of this muttation some of their coworkers grimaced - that is, until they saw it in action. More vicious than the 67th Scorpion King, this gigantic muttation is combined with machinery to create a grotesque and beautiful hybrid between sleek robotics and raw, carnal animal. Virachne is all powerful, with pincers and legs equipped with paper-thin metal blades (plus a slow and steady poison flowing through glass vein) to the fiberglass web that it creates. It’s also covered in a protective glass shell, under which tributes can spot frenzied eyes blink and gears turn.
60hp. Not Edible. Poisonous. Attacks twice per round (sword)

#356 : Cornucopia - Having gotten tired of tributes taking shelter in the Cornucopia in past Games and relying on the area’s relative safety, the Gamemakers decided that they should add a little twist to the generally useless object. Now, rather than operating as a safe haven, the Cornucopia has burrowed most of its metal body beneath the surface of the earth and out of sight. When it pulls itself out of the ground, tributes will be able to see two long metal arms and the countless tiny legs that carry it from beneath, all rusted and covered in dirt. When the Cornucopia attacks, it strikes forward with arms that are sharpened to deadly edges, and if the Gamemakers are feeling particularly whimsical, it can even spew projectile weapons from its gaping mouth. As a mutt, the Cornucopia is enormous and seemingly indestructible, and any tributes that cross its path will be forced to weaken its rough metal exterior in order to see another day.
180hp. Not Edible. Not Poisonous. Attacks four times per round (knife, sword, throwing axe, throwing knife)

Alarm Owls - (Trains, Abandoned Factory, Powerline Forest, Clocktower) A blend of different owl species that, once it sees someone, it will give a mournful, haunting hoot. Every five seconds. It follows the person around and hoots, while more alarm owls flock to the area, and all begin to hoot. They don't actually attack... but they can lead other predators to the area. These were initially developed to find rebel spies, soldiers, and the like and trail them until the owls made enough racket for them to be found.
N/A hp. No Food Classification. Not poisonous.

Cave Rats - (Sewers) Many people will tell you that bats are nothing more than rats with wings. These mutts give truth to that statement. Originally developed to light the way underground so Capitol operatives didn’t have to carry lights with them, these rodents combine the hardiness and dexterity of rats with bats’ wings, and their tail is bioluminescent (courtesy of firefly genes). They are exceedingly stupid, however, and could not be trained, so the Capitol gave up on them and left them to the caves. They were actually meant to be cleared out of the Arena, but they’re a pain to dig out of their crevices when they don’t want to be found, so the Gamemakers threw up their hands and said to leave them. It’s not like they’re very useful anyway.
5 HP. No food classification. Not poisonous.

(Credit to Kay)
Cobra Noctiluna - (Sewers) Often referred to as the Shadow Cobra, this is the beast you don't see until it's too late. Developed to weed out rats, vermin, and trespassers in the sewers beneath the Capitol, this mutt has a deadly sense of smell. While it is vulnerable in the light, in the darkness, it is king. In order to lure otherwise suspicious prey (such as rebel humans), the Capitol designed its flesh to be transparent, with twinkling glow-in-the-dark bio-luminescense running up and down its form. It can look indistinguishable from the normal sewer lighting, camouflaging itself until it strikes. Shadow Cobra can grow to be six feet long, but it is not the length of its body that kills. Each three-inch fang is tipped with venom, and it has three rows of fangs. This is a beast still used in the Capitol, designed for one job: to taste anything that crosses its path.
25 HP. No food classification. Poisonous.

[Delivery] Word - (Throughout, except Wind Turbines and Sewers) The docile and loyal Delivery Words (commonly called 'Words') are extremely adaptable and capable of crossing lands and bodies of water to deliver mail for the cost of a couple sunflower seeds. Delivery Words usually prefer to fly away from combat. Their meat is highly delicious and packed with essential vitamins. It is not hard to spot a Delivery Word, with their black feathers, gray-specked eyes, and tendency to honk loudly; however, Words can be hard to capture with its ability to withstand high acidity.
10 HP. Classified as Small Game. Not poisonous.

Digitamole - (Throughout, except Trains) As a means to rid roots of undesirable plants (like rebel food supply), the Rootnibblers would dig underground and basically eat any root - along with their invertebrate diet. The special Rootnibblers are given the name 'Digitamoles'. In the Hunger Games, they are modified, developing an 'acquired' taste for human toes. While hardly bigger than a beagle dog, they have extremely strong upper limbs, breaking through the earth and grabbing by the legs. Giving a thorough licking with long tongues, the dark-brown moles taste the shoe or toes, and their sharp teeth pierce any armor and munch off digits. They will take as many as they can, blinking beady eyes and blood smearing on their long snouts. They hardly look different from a normal mole, minus the detail of a white triangle on the back. They are mostly-blind creatures.
10 HP. No food classification. Not poisonous.

Ghull – (Abandoned Factory, Powerline Forest, Clocktower) While it does not closely resemble the “ghoul” it was modeled after, the Ghull has a taste for rotting flesh that rivals its folklore counterpart. This giant strain of seagull was bred over many years by not the Capitol, but actually by the scientists of District 6, who needed a safe and efficient disposal system for the numerous dead lab animals that their projects consume. The seagulls were already ferocious scavengers before vulture DNA was spliced in, creating the Ghull with an overwhelming urge for flesh — and not always that of necrotic carrion. Ghulls are especially drawn to blood of all kinds, regardless of whether it’s fresh or congealed or surrounding decaying flesh — their poisonous saliva encourages rapid necrosis so the birds can break down the food more easily. The good news is, like the seagull, while Ghull summon their fellows to join in the hunt if they spot a meal, they quickly turn on each other, fighting over the scraps. That doesn’t mean they aren’t a vicious foe, however; if one of these starts attacking you, remember to give the District 6 tributes an extra gash in thanks for being the source of these fiends.
Poisonous. No food classification. 15hp.

Grim Reaper — (Throughout) Created primarily to scare people, the Grim Reapers are only seen at night. Stealthily quiet in their movement and outfitted with black robes, Reapers are entirely too good at sneaking up on their prey. A grizzly mix of praying mantis, poisonous moth, lemur, and bat, these “Angels of Death” appear to be a floating cloak until they are close enough to lay their tiny hand on the shoulder of their victims. They secrete a toxin that both placates and drains their victim of energy until their heart fails to beat any longer.
Poisonous. No food classification. N/A hp (separate dice roll.)

Gulper -- (Cornucopia, Rubble, Wind Turbines) They're bloodthirsty and desperate creatures, created to clear the bodies of rebel soldiers quickly (though not so cleanly) from the battlefield. It was the hyena they chose first, with sharpened fangs and increased aggression. However, the final aspect came when scientists rediscovered a shark species long thought extinct, washed up on the shores of District Four. The Goblin Shark. The retractable jaws of the shark not only interested Capitol scientists, it inspired them. They drafted the retractable jaw of the Goblin Shark onto a Hyena, creating an extremely aggressive creature capable of ripping limb from limb when they get the perfect bite. In fact, they never even bothered to name the horrific mutt, they just released them in droves on the Capitol rebels, who nicknamed them 'gulpers'. And it worked, not only were the mutts fighters, they were also scavengers, clearing bodies out hours after battles took place. However, problems started showing up when the mutts became greedy, attacking their own owners, Capitol soldiers. They were kicked to the curb, replaced by new, less hostile mutts.
20hp. Classified as Large Game. Not Poisonous. Special - Deep Gash doing 8+ damage removes the limb (unless a body or head wound).

Hellhounds – (Throughout, except Trains and Sewers) Though they’re called hounds, these nasty little creations aren’t just canine. They were created for one purpose- to shred- and the jaws are all alligator, with sharp teeth and the muscles to slam their jaws closed on a piece of prey and toss it around until enough pieces fly off to kill it. The name did come from somewhere, though, and the majority of this mutt is in fact canine in origin. The creature looks like a monstrous wolf- strong fighter, enduring runner, and so dark an earthy green as to appear black. Just to add to the disturbing color factors, the eyes are more vein than sclera, turning them red. (That, like the green tinge to their fur, was actually a defect caused by trying to use such specialized alligator cells; it was originally going to be bred out, but enticed such fear in the Hounds’ prey that it quickly came to be regarded as useful.) The ears are long at birth and need to be cropped to keep from flopping dangerously close to the teeth; that trait is from the bloodhound genetics that allow the Hounds to track their prey even when it seems impossible to do so.
35 HP. No food classification. Not poisonous.

Hoarder — (Scrap Heap) The gemstone miners of District One requested that the Capitol create a mutt to make their jobs easier, and so the Capitol scientists created the Hoarder, a burrowing animal with a mix of weasel and mole genes that had an eye for shiny things, particularly precious gems. Mining teams would receive their Hoarder - careful to keep it in a cage until it was needed, because they bite - and descend into the depths of the earth and release it to do its job. At first, they seemed to be an invaluable creation - however, it soon became clear that a Hoarder bite was exceedingly poisonous, possibly due to an unintentional addition of viper genes during the muttation’s creation. In addition, the creatures would not return the gems it found to the miners; instead, they would hoard them, earning their name. Immediately the production of these animals were called off, and it was decided that the remaining Hoarders would be an excellent addition to Hunger Games arenas, burrowing tunnels beneath the ground, searching for precious stones and occasionally coming up to nick a tribute’s district token for its collection and give him a sharp, lethal bite for good measure.
Poisonous. No food classification. 10 hp.

Latch Crabs – (Throughout, except Trains) Roughly a foot in diameter, this blend of king crab and spider has nearly indestructible armour and nearly indestructible silk. The thick, cord-like thread woven by Latch Crabs is like human hair in that virtually the only way to truly destroy it is by fire. This durable, flexible thread cannot be cut by any tool found in the arena, and actually acts as something of a fuse to the inevitable bomb that the Latch Crab is, given the high potassium nitrate content of its shell. The Latch Crabs are quite good at their designed job: latching on to a person and not letting go. Latch Crabs will exercise their iron grip on a person, gripping tightly so they can't be removed, and spinning an amount of silk--usually 30 to 50 yards--before they stop, trapping the person to the circumference of the circle that originates at a stationary object--typically a large rock. Latch Crabs cannot be fought nor pulled off. A favorite target of theirs is around the Achilles' tendon.
N/A hp. No food classification. Not poisonous.

Pitfall Lizard - (Throughout, except Trains and Sewers) Parts lizard, snake, and some trapdoor spider, this grotesque beast was originally designed to take out supply roads and other paths frequented by rebels. They were designed to dig networks of tunnels and caves under the specified area so it would collapse when enough weight was placed on it and perhaps kill the rebels involved with its lethal venom. However, these Lizards were deemed inefficient, given that their "traps" so to speak--nearly 25 feet deep, wide holes about two feet from the surface of the ground--did not always collapse, were not always dug in the right place, and were not always inhabited by a Pitfall Lizard to finish off any unfortunate being trapped. Like many of the muttations, the project was abandoned--however, few of the Lizards were actually found by the retrieval squads. These are completely inedible--even their bright orange eggs are poisonous. If you manage to get bitten, you have about three hours to live.
30 hp. No Food Classification. Poisonous.

Pocket Dragons - (Throughout, except Wind Turbines and Sewers) Aptly named because of their small size, Pocket Dragons were created originally to be cheap merchandise for the Capitolites who wanted a plastic model of Flemeth the Blood Dragon. At first, Capitol merchants couldn’t keep these things on the shelves – after all, they were small, cheap, and easily directed by remote control – but even the best businessmen couldn’t have predicted how quickly the Pocket Dragon™ would rise in popularity. As time went on, the people of the Capitol wanted bigger and better upgrades, so newer models of the Pocket Dragon were continually created, until a savvy Capitol entrepreneur came forward with the latest version: a small, robotic dragon made of lightweight metal, with sleek wings, sharp claws, glowing red eyes, and an improved ability to spit fire. Plus, a remote control wasn’t needed; they could operate on their own. Sadly, the dragons also tended to have dangerous malfunctions, and had to be recalled immediately. Now, travelling in large packs, the Pocket Dragons move through the air and emit a constant high-pitched beeping sound, and will begin to smoke as the flames rush through their searing metal jaws. 7hp. No food classification. Not poisonous. (Two attacks per turn – fire and knife)

Pygmy Cattle – (Wind Turbines, Sewers) One crazy Capitol scientist was working on a project attempting to develop cows that produced lactose-free milk, frustrated by his own lactose intolerance. On the front of it, his work seemed like a complete failure: the resulting cows produced no milk whatsoever, and, to top it off, were roughly the size of a house cat. However, the meat they produced was not only delicious, but the Pygmy Cattle were easier to keep in smaller spaces and produced much less in terms of byproducts. Unlike their giant counterparts, the miniature cows, however, are very skittish and actually burrow, much like rabbits.
12 hp. Classified as Small Game. Not poisonous.

Tankard Rats - (Sewers) Originally bred merely to be exploited by the Capitol as lab rats with a size more comparable to humans, the average Tankard Rat stands six feet tall when on its hind legs, typically between two hundred and three hundred pounds. The Capitol eventually dismissed the project, as the giant rats became too violent and impossible to control: they fought with each other, they attacked their captors, and damaged lab equipment. While they are no longer used as test subjects, the Capitol had a hard time eradicating the rats completely, as they took to living underground in tunnels and sewers. They are aggressive territorial, rarely operating in groups larger than pairs.
35 hp. No Food Classification. Not poisonous.

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Mutt Contest Winners:

(Credit to frankel)
Sinking Worms - (Corncuopia, Rubble, Wind turbines, Scrap Heap) Does the thought of been sucked underground frighten you? Because Sinking Worms do just that. They run 8-feet long along their length, and their gaping mouth is easily large enough to swallow a tribute. Sinking Worms drag their prey underground, straight into their gut. Adapted by the Capitol to tackle rebels, the Sinking Worms give a clean and slow death. Drilling its grey head up and out of the ground, the worm grabs the victim by its legs and drags them underground, attempting to swallow them whole. It takes a long time, as the worm’s esophagus gets tighter and tighter as its prey is digested. The mutt was abolished due to the fact that it kept swallowing livestock whole in District 10, and people often fell into the deep holes the mutt left behind. Now, the Sinking Worms dig themselves into the fragile ground of the Arena, and tributes should watch their step if they don’t want to be gobbled up..
25 HP. No food classification. Not poisonous.

(Credit to Kire)
MechaBytes - (Wind Turbines, Abandoned Factory, Scrap Heap, Powerline Forest, Clocktower) About the height of a grown man's hip, these wild dogs are not simply feral animals. Underneath their fur, exposed where skin has been shredded away, are robotic skeletons that contol every movement of the animal. Strangely, the teeth haven't been replaced with more effective steel but instead left as natural within a steel skull. Originally, the mutts were well cared for and designed as high-level performance dogs that could be programmed to do any trick imaginable. Now, they’ve been directed to attack when they see anything that moves.
30 HP. No food classification. Not poisonous

(Credit to Pogue)
P.N.T. (Parasitic Nanotechnology) - (Throughout) The original plans for the nano project were found in an abandoned research laboratory, while Capitol scientists were scavenging for any technology that had been lost. Planning to use the technology against rebels in the war, the Capitol immediately set up the Nano Project, determined to develop the world's first nanotechnology. Initial reports were incredibly successful; the technology was able to replace the skin of animals, rapidly healing small cuts.. However, reports soon turned sour, labeling the bots as more of a rapidly producing parasite than a controllable technology. Test animals were taken over completely, the bots wiring into their nervous systems and becoming unremovable. Although it did not find use in the war, the Capitol decided to tweak the technology so that it is more controllable, infecting normal animals and mutts with the parasitic technology, making them aggressive and lethal.
N/A HP. No food classification. Not poisonous. Heals injured mutts 1-5 damage after every other attack against them.