Beasts

## Beasts of Aevonhold

These beasts are grand, fantastic creatures that are unlike any other. Most are known to be no more than animals, despite their size and majesty.

### Sphinx

In addition to being widely regarded as riddlers, Sphinxes are known to guard ancient abandoned structures, such as temples. Sphinxes have incredible memories, being able to remember almost anything they witness with near flawless accuracy, giving them the ability to stockpile large amounts of knowledge. As such, most Sphinxes devote their lives to gathering and protecting knowledge, believe humans to be stupid and wasteful. This gives them a sense of superiority, leading them to engage in riddle games to show the humans how superior they actually are. When faced with a human trying to enter whatever a Sphinx is guarding, instead of tearing them apart outright they give them a challenge - solve the riddle and enter. However, Sphinxes are also incredibly prideful and despise losing, meaning the unfortunate human is trapped in a no-win situation. They have a catlike lack of empathy for their victims, and are capable combatants.

In appearance, Sphinxes have torsos reminiscent of lions and other large cats, with humanoid facial features. They don’t wear clothes or any sort of covering, as most of them as a whole believe that their bodies are flawless and need no covering, although they believe humans’ naked, hairless bodies are repulsive and condone the covering of them.

The vast majority of Sphinxes are female, to the point that it’s theorized that out of the living Sphinxes, only a quarter are male. Sphinxes mate frequently, but it tends to not be for long. They don’t understand the concepts of permanent relationships, believe that the presence of another is simply a novelty that grows old. As such, reproducing is regarded as the highest form of attachment and not many do it often, if at all. In their minds, it symbolizes attachment of the highest level, as they believe in staying together for the sake of raising a cub. Sphinx population is small due to the lack of wide reproduction, in addition to the fact that they are highly sought after prizes for beast hunters. Sphinxes are near impossible to keep captive. If they are unable to free themselves, they let themselves go - they believe there is no point in living if they’ve been bested by humans. As such, the only successful Sphinx trades have happened by taking cubs away from parents and raising them amongst society.

Sphinxes, being what they are, have created quite a few myths and legends regarding them, most entirely false. There are many common misconceptions surrounding Sphinxes. It’s widely believed that there are winged Sphinxes, and that there are only female Sphinxes, and that they live forever. All of these are untrue - the longest living Sphinxes only live to be about three hundred.

### Manticore

Not much is known of the Manticore, although there are plenty of myths and legends surrounding them. One of the most fearsome beasts to exist, they’re widely known around Rune’Daath as deadly hunters. However, the last confirmed sighting was decades ago, and many regard them as extinct, or even myth. Because of the multitude of stories involving Manticores, many people have begun to assume they haven't existed in the first place. Regardless of their authenticity, one thing is clear - they are regarded as fearsome hunters, similar to lions yet larger and more deadly. They’re known to have tails akin to those of a scorpion that are used to fling stinging poisoned barbs at the unsuspecting attacker - the poison’s effect usually being paralyzing or even, fatal.

Stories recount that a majority of Manticores lived in the savannahs of Auros, travelling in packs and dominating the food chain. In their prime, the early Rune’daathians lived in fear of them, often avoiding them as much as possible. However, as the Rune'Daathians progressed in their society, they began to find ways to fend off the terrifying Manticores, finding it easier to protect themselves. As the Rune’daathians continued to progress they eventually gained the edge, and hunting Manticores became a tradition and sport, with their pelts and tails used as trophies. Eventually, however, the Manticores were wiped out in their natural habitat. Since then, the Manticores haven’t been seen nearly as often, with each sighting becoming more rare as time went on. Today, many people living on the continent of Auros believe the Manticore to be extinct or myth entirely.

### Rune’daathian Scarab

The Rune’daathian Scarabs are widely renowned for their size - gargantuan beetles, the largest reaching the sizes of houses. However, despite their large size, the much larger scarabs are extremely docile - even more so than their regular-sized counterparts. Once they reach the later stages of life, they tend to burrow into the sand and rest for long periods of time to conserve energy. Being herbivores, food becomes scarce in the deserts, especially as the Scarabs have enormous appetites to keep themselves going. When they do decide to move long distances, they can reach towns - as such, they’re a terror to farmers, able to eat what would feed quite a few people.

A Scarab mating is a rare occurrence, most only mating once in their lifetimes, if at all.  The Scarab population is extraordinarily low as a result. Once mated, the female beetle begins burrowing into the ground while the male departs. The Scarab birthing burrows are enormous holes in the ground, often with dung walls for feeding the young grubs. The burrows are often used by other species once the Scarabs used out, being a welcome respite to the desert heat. Scarab eggs can take up to five years to hatch. Once hatched, the grubs are around three feet long and vary in thickness. The first year of their life is spent in the burrow, until they reach pupa stage. After another year, spent growing the exoskeleton, the Scarabs emerge. A fully developed Scarab leaves the burrow alone, being able to find its own sustenance without its mother. However, another reason the Scarab population is low stems from the fact that the young Scarabs’ exoskeletons are thin and brittle - causing them to be extremely vulnerable for years, until it grows thick enough. A Scarab’s exoskeleton never stops getting stronger, even when the Scarab itself stops growing. As such, the oldest Scarabs are nearly impossible to deal with, with their impenetrable exoskeletons.

Due to their legendary size, many stories and legends have stemmed from the Rune’Daathian Scarabs. There are many legends of Scarab hordes ravishing cities and the like, although all are false, as Scarabs don’t have traditional hordes. But because of this, Scarabs are regarded with fear, giving rise to a popular tradition of smashing beetles, as many claim they will grow into the larger Scarabs.

### Roc

Giant, vicious birds of prey known to steal livestock and children. Their torsos are around the size of ostriches’, with a wingspan of around twelve feet. They stay at the peaks of mountains, making their nests in caves. Generally, their nests are far out of humans’ reach, only accessible by air. As such, there have only been a handful of sightings of the nests.

They don’t have a specific region they live in, rather there are different breeds that inhabit all of the tallest mountain ranges of Aevonhold. In Common, they’re all referred to as ‘Rocs’, although there are specific regional names for each breed - in addition to legends and myths regarding them. However, in recent years, due to excessive hunting, Rocs avoid human settlements and instead hunt in countrysides near their places of habitation. Sightings have steadily dropped, although ambitious mountaineers still return with tales of giant birds bringing sheep to their young. Most of the Rocs reside in Elterlein, inhabiting their mountainous regions. However, the Elten hunted them to near extinction, making them incredibly rare. The Deurlyth and Volvarian breeds are widely accepted as extinct, as well. The most commonly seen Rocs are in the frigid northernmost mountains, told of by the Kotimaan.

### Leviathan

Gargantuan sea monsters of myth and legend, leviathans are easily the most feared of the sea creatures plaguing the seas near Granthel. Fortunately for sailors, leviathans are also the least active, only ever nearing the surface when they’re disturbed - or hunting. Widely renowned as the top of the food tree, Leviathans are the natural predators for Krakens. During hunting seasons, sailors often return with tales of enormous jaws suddenly opening and shutting around a threatening Kraken. However, most that see Leviathans do not live to speak of it. Incredibly hostile and unintelligent, Leviathans will consume anything big enough to register to them, leading ships to be prime targets. Despite their inherent lack of intelligence, they’re still formidable foes. Even by moving, they displace large enough amounts of water to capsize boats, and their massive jaws can splinter wood as easily as a Kraken’s bones.

Leviathans typically inhabit the deepest depths of the ocean, far from any shore. Most go their whole lives without even nearing the surface, making them a rare sight indeed, although it’s theorized that there are quite a few in existence. Nearing the surface is rare for them, but there are a few reasons one would near the surface. A few include: a sudden change in temperature, whether it be a sudden warming or cooling of their inhabitance, sending them searching for a more comfortable place, usually ending with a nearing of the surface. Another such reason is an excess of noise - they will be drawn to it, as things tend to be mostly silent in their grottos. The final, most common reason, is mating season. Leviathans tend to stay alone, meaning that during mating season they need to migrate to find a mate. As a last resort, Leviathans travel to the surface to locate other desperate Leviathans. During the worse times, up to ten Leviathans can be spotted within five miles of each other.

The Leviathan mating season towards the beginning of Bright Dawn, when the waters begin to warm enough for them to travel in search of mates. A Leviathan male mates multiple times a season, with the impregnated females settling down to lay their eggs. Leviathans can lay up to ten eggs, although due to their size, most are lost. It’s not uncommon for a female Leviathan to go years without any eggs successfully hatching.