An example of a baby basilisk
Basilisks are dangerous serpentine creatures that are native to the Southern Jungles of Mythos.
Physiology[]
Adult basilisks resemble massive snakes, commonly growing to lengths of 12 to 15 meters in length. A few exceptional specimens have been recorded at 20 or even 24 meters. However, these individuals are exceedingly rare. They are thick-bodied, but can move quickly for their size.
The most dangerous feature of a basilisk is its potent venom. A powerful neurotoxin is manufactured from glands in the creature’s face, which is then delivered from sharp fangs at the front of the mouth. Basilisk venom is known to be fatal within a few hours, and in babies and juveniles the venom is even more powerful (usually fatal within an hour or less). There is a known antidote, but native Junglemen have kept its secret to themselves, and have not allowed any Emirian outsiders to get a hold of it.
Diet[]
Basilisks are carnivorous, and prey on large animals such as Heaves, smaller jungle fauna, and the occasional Jungleman or foreign explorer. Usually, basilisks lie in wait in the undergrowth to stalk their prey, but they have been known to slither up into the trees and jump down on unsuspecting animals.
Interactions with Humans[]
The basilisk is feared and respected throughout the Southern Jungles. Baby basilisks (which at hatching are only about a meter long) have been known to hide in explorers’ packs and effectively hitchhike out of the rainforests into foreign lands, where they have occasionally become an invasive species.