The Lore of Fauna: The Behemoth (House Item)

The Lore of Fauna: The Behemoth By Prof. Romiak Jusathorn

Planar Influence: Mana Sub Races: Unknown Frequency: Extinct Size: Titanic Region: Global Habitat: Land and Sea

Long before any creature dominated Norrath, there came into existence beasts of legendary nature. Many of these creatures came and left before the deities spread their children across the surface of Norrath. One of these legendary beast types is known as the Gargantile Cheldridea, or Behemoth.

The Behemoths were a race of immense reptile like beasts of gargantuan proportions. They were easily some 180 meters in length with a very broad ribcage. Their limbs were long and powerful, perfect for striking down the greatest of prey.

The tails of these beasts accounted for one quarter of their total length. They often employed the tail in battle with larger beasts of their era. The swipe from such a tail could kill a wurm. They walked upon all fours, but fossils have indicated that they most likely rose upon their hind legs during battles.

The behemoths were placed upon Norrath by entities unknown. I believe that their existence is a gift of nature, possibly a beast sprung from necessity. The Behemoth acted more as a force of nature than an intelligent beast of warlike destruction. They would slumber for centuries at a time and only awaken to destroy budding ancient communities of the few ancient societies of the era.

The behemoths were eventually destroyed, possibly by the major deities who played a stake in the population of Norrath's prime races. Their immense fossilized bones can be in various hard to reach locations of Norrath. The fossils are quite a find, but never intact.

One Behemoth is rumored to still be in existence and was last recorded in an ancient dragonkind scroll to have been lumbering upon the frozen steppes of the Frigid Plain. This same scroll indicates a fear of these beasts among dragonkind, one of the first races to inhabit Norrath.

It is my theory that some of the early dragon communities could have been laid to waste by a single Behemoth. Evidence has shown that these gigantic beasts often lived a solitary life. For the dragons, it is a blessing that these creatures did not roam in herds.

In early ages, sea captains also reported to have seen the beasts in the deep oceans. There was once an ancient water beast that terrorized much of the Coldwind Coastline of Antonica. From evidence acquired, I believe this water beast to be a Behemoth. That beast is said to have been destroyed by the greatest warship ever built, the Q.S.S. Eradicator. Both the beast and the ship are said to lie in the deep abyss of the Ocean of Tears.

My studies continue and I have found many remains I believe to belong to these thunderous creatures. The greatest behemoth fossils I discovered came from such places as the community of Oggok, the Dreadlands of Kunark and the valley Dragonscale Hills of Faydwer.

Scholars of the Academy of Arcane Science dispute my findings. But I have speculated that the modern day ocean wurm is a distant relative to the Behemoths. They may have merely adapted to the water through means of biological evolution that I have theorized, Jusathorn's Theory of Bioevolution. This theory explains that mana is the true creator of these beasts.

Mana creates out of necessity. The vessel of mana called Norrath requires bioevolution for survival. The behemoths acted as cleansers or exterminators to the world, mother Norrath's ultimate guardians, not the children of deities. The behemoths, no doubt, had special innate magical resistances due to their mana nature.

This made them more than a match for any of the ancient races, including those of dragonkind. I believe there to be a quasi plane sprung off the plane of growth where many of these beasts will always lumber. It is on this quasi plane that I shall continue my research.

For further information please reference: "Behemoth, A Force of Nature" by Romiak Jusathorn and "The Theory of Bioevolution" by Romiak Jusathorn.