Hypochondriac Hydra
The Hypochondriac Hydra, a peculiar variant of the traditional multi-headed serpentine creature, is infamous for its unique trait of regenerating increasingly neurotic heads when severed. Native to the Anxiety Swamps, this creature has become a subject of extensive study by the Guild of Psychological Cryptozoology.
Characteristics
Unlike conventional hydras, the Hypochondriac Hydra's regenerative abilities are accompanied by progressively worsening anxiety disorders in each new head. When one head is removed, it spawns two replacement heads that exhibit more severe hypochondriac tendencies than their predecessor. The creature is known to frequent the Perpetual Waiting Room, where it consults with various magical healers about imagined ailments.
Behavioral Patterns
Each of the Hydra's heads typically develops its own specific health concerns: * Constant throat-clearing and requests for Soothing Scale Syrup * Obsessive checking of tongue color using reflective surfaces * Persistent belief in fictional ailments like Serpentine Sniffles and Cranial Multiplication Syndrome
Medical History
The Hypochondriac Hydra's medical records, kept by the Archive of Imaginary Ailments, document thousands of self-diagnosed conditions. Most notable was the Great Health Scare of 1843, when a particularly anxious specimen convinced itself that all nine of its heads had contracted Terminal Tail Twist simultaneously.
Cultural Impact
The creature's tendency to self-diagnose has made it a popular figure in medicinal folklore. The phrase "hydra-headed worry" became common among Mythical Medics to describe patients who develop multiple health anxieties from a single concern.
Conservation Status
While not technically endangered, most Hypochondriac Hydras have voluntarily admitted themselves to various Supernatural Sanitariums, citing concerns about exposure to "wild-caught maladies" and "airborne hex contamination."