Basilisk

Basic Information:
Travelers sometimes find objects that look like pieces of remarkably lifelike stone carvings of wildlife. Missing parts appear to have been bitten off. Seasoned explorers regard such relics as warnings, knowing that the basilisk that created them is likely to be nearby. Basilisks are large, eight-legged reptiles with the terrifying ability to poison or petrify their prey. Though not malicious, basilisks are indisputably dangerous. Basilisks have eight legs, which they crawl upon. Basilisks come in a variety of colors from dark gray to dark orange, although they also commonly have a dull brown body with a yellowish underbelly. Basilisks possess a single row of bony spines that line their backs and a few have a curved horn atop their noses. Basilisk eyes are, however, the most notable feature, glowing with a pale green light. Adult basilisks can grow to be about 6 feet (1.8 meters) in length, not counting the tail, which can reach another 5​ to ​7 feet (1.5​ to ​2.1 meters). They typically weigh around 300 pounds (140 kilograms). The Bedine called basilisks hagar motab or "bringers of stone-death". Basilisks are known for their ability to petrify their prey, causing a chemical change in the body that turns victims into a porous stone statue. Sages theorize that the creature's eyes emit some kind of radiation that is absorbed by the eyes of their victim, but ultimately, the precise method of how their power works is very poorly understood. It is noted that the better the eyesight of the victim, the longer the effective range of the basilisk's gaze, and multiple reports claim that the casters of arcane eye spells, the users of crystal balls, and the wearers of eyes of the eagle have all fallen victim to petrification upon viewing basilisks over great distances.

Encountered in:
Chapter 18: Special Tactics

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