Basilisk

BASILISK (Blue-Backed)
The mighty basilisk is the king of all serpents; legend has it that these eight-legged monsters are so venomous, they very earth they move across becomes poisoned, and a single gaze from their terrible eyes can turn a man to stone, lest you can repel the beasts with the scent of a weasel. I am both excited and horrified to report that these legends are mostly true. With the aid of the marvelous alchemist and transmuter Khalid Zweer accompanying me during my close study of the creatures, I was able to extract an extensive and detailed ecology of the blue-backed basilisk, unparalleled by any previous research. I do hope my compiled writings will aid any Spaurians who find themselves under the dreadful gaze of these serpents, and provide a more complete understanding of the basilisk for the general public and scholars everywhere.

The blue-backed basilisk is a large, cold blooded, octopedal reptile that measures around eleven to thirteen feet in length, weighing roughly three hundred pounds on average. Their fangs are highly venomous, possessing some of the most lethal poison known to man. Even their moist skin is highly toxic, leaving a harmful residue anywhere that the basilisk has recently laid. However, this poison is only problematic if inhaled or ingested, and it quickly dries up in the sunlight, which is where blue-backed basilisks prefer to spend their time.

Classification:
Slitherer/petrifyer/lie-in-waiter

Demeanor:
Lazy, malicious, reptilian.

Habitat:
Blue-backed basilisks can most commonly be found in the White Hills. They lair in small caves, usually near sources of fresh water, but spend most of their time sunning themselves on the flat white rocks under the sky. There they lay motionless for hours, until they sense prey, after which case they will immediately switch their behavior to a much more aggressive hunting mode. In warmer climates, basilisks will remain active at night, and will be sluggish in the morning. During the winter months they will be especially slow, relying mostly on the stockpile of petrified food they’ve gathered over the summer, and rarely going out to hunt.

Basilisks mate for life, and will breed every four summers, in or near a pool of water. A short time later, the female will lay one to eight greenish-white eggs, about the size of a man’s fist. They are soft, warm, and stretchy, being much less fragile than a typical egg(2). The parents will then bury the eggs in cool sand or mud, and wait four to six weeks for them to hatch, in the late fall. By then, the basilisks have stockpiled a large supply of petrified food in their cave, and the young will feed on this supply until the end of winter. By then, they are ready to begin hunting with their parents. The basilisk younglings will reach man-sized in length at the end of four to six months, and will have fully developed their petrification powers. In short, avoid basilisk families at all costs.

Diet:
Mostly petrified creatures; basilisks prefer not to eat anything raw and unpetrified, and they never eat eachother.

Abilities:
Blue-backed basilisks share many traits with lesser reptiles. They can regrow lost limbs over a period of two to four months, and they “taste the air” by smelling with their forked tongues. What truly sets them above other large reptiles is their lethal venom and stone gaze.

It is true that basilisks are some of the most lethally poisonous predators known to man. Their fangs contain a deadly, concentrated venom that takes effect immediately in a bitten victim, and is highly sought after by rangers and alchemists. The poison exuded from their skin makes them an undesirable meal for other creatures, and few predators will willingly enter a basilisk cave searching for eggs, as the very air of the lair will be toxic.

The petrifying gaze of the basilisk is very real, but the legend of flesh turning to stone is not entirely accurate(1). See my notes below. To begin petrification, basilisks must make eye contact with their prey, which initiates the magical process. If the victim cannot overcome the effect, they will become fully petrified within a matter of seconds, losing all forms of consciousness and entering a coma-like state. Unlike the touch of a cockatrice, the gaze of a basilisk produces a permanent form of petrification, but fortunately, it is possible to reverse this effect. See Uses.

Weakness:
First and foremost, avoid summer travel in the White Hills at all costs. A basilisk doesn’t need to catch you, they need only for you to catch a glimpse of their wide green eyes. When facing a basilisk attack, it is imperative to avert your eyes, thus rendering their stone-gaze useless.

Secondly, always carry with you a preserved weasel carcass. Though it has been discounted as a mere myth by many, I have proven during my studies that basilisks positively loathe the scent of a weasel, for reasons beyond my understanding.

Thirdly, it should be especially noted that basilisks are not immune to their own petrifying gaze, and may target a reflection of themselves after mistaking it for a rival. A clean and reflective surface such as a mirror makes it possible to reverse the magic, turning it back on the basilisk, and potentially turning the predator itself into stone. However, due to special properties within their blood, basilisks will not remain petrified for more than an hour.

Unfortunately, if you are alone and caught under the spell of a basilisk’s gaze, I’m afraid there’s little hope left for your survival. However, in a scenario where someone you know has been turned to stone by a blue-back, there are two ways by which you may be able to reverse the effect (should you survive):


 * Kill a basilisk and carefully obtain small amounts of it's blood. If applied to the eyes of a petrified victim, they will return to a fleshly state in one to two hours.
 * Contact your nearest experienced mage or priest, who may be able to return life to a petrified person using arcane methods.

Remember, the beauty and/or travelling convenience of the White Hills is not worth being turned to stone for. Adventurers, do not be tempted to traverse the area, or engage a basilisk in combat unless you know exactly what you are doing, and are prepared with all the necessary gear and tactics. In my personal explorations, I was nearly petrified twice, and was saved only by the skill and quick thinking of my good friend Khalid Zweer, who taught me the incalculable value of a preserved weasel.

Uses:
There are plenty of good reasons to hunt basilisks, regardless of whether or not you should. Basilisk blood, stomach acids and venom will fetch a high price from alchemists and rangers, who may transform the substances into anti-petrification elixers, magic inks, and hunting poisons. Preserved basilisk eyes are a valuable prize, and mages who wish to dabble in petrification magic will be ecstatic to get their hands on an in-tact blue back eye.

Notes:

 * 1) “Contrary to popular Spaurian legend, the petrification powers of the cockatrice, gorgon, and basilisk alike are, unfortunately, poorly sensationalized. A petrified victim does not, in fact, transform into a solid block of stone. Instead, once the magic has fully taken root in the body, it will become what can be described as a highly porous, dehydrated microlatus of a chalky substance. Flesh does not actually increase in weight, and it is no more resistant to physical harm than its original form.” Khalid Zweer, Stoned (Moriguard, Spauria: Ink River Press, 3/112)
 * 2) "Blue-back eggs taste nothing like your standard chicken eggs, but don't let that stop you from frying em up." Peter Moss, Moss’s Guide to Unusual Cookery (Dislar, Spauria: Shore Echo Press, 71/369)