Catoblepas

A catoblepas was a seeming mix of buffalo, dinosaur, warthog and hippopotamus that lived in swamps or wastelands.

Description
The aberration had the large body of a buffalo that sat atop squat legs that resembled those of a pachyderm. A catoblepas' head resembled that of a warthog and sat atop an elongated neck that seemed ill-suited for actual support.

It possessed a scent that reeked of death and famine, not dissimilar to the swamp gas that filled its favored environment.

Behavior
A catoblepas spent most of its time wandering around its swampy domain to graze on grass and weed. Whenever the full moon shone, it ventured out further to hunt for meat.

Combat
Its most feared ability was its deadly gaze. A catoblepas could easily stun prey with its mace-like tail that whipped around at incredible speeds.

Habitats
Catoblepases were very rarely encountered in the wild. While they roamed in swamps and marshes to begin with, their continued presence in an area cultivated disease causing beneficial flora to wither away and die.

Some were known to inhabit the Marsh of Chelimber and occasionally in some of the marshes or peat bogs of High Moor.

Relationships
The marsh drovers of the Farsea Marshes were also known to have domesticated whole herds of the beasts.

Usage
The flavorful death cheese sold by Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue was made by using catoblepas milk gathered by blind monks. It could be found for sale in the markets of Eagle Peak.

History
It was believed that the first catoblepases were created by a Netherese archmage.

A horrific catoblepas dwelt in a foul-smelling muckhole in the Temple of Orcus in the Underdark below the Bloodstone Pass in the early 14 century DR.

Rumors & Legends
Some legends claimed that hags raised these creatures like cattle and fed on their milk.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * The Mines of Bloodstone
 * The Accursed Tower
 * Comics:
 * Circle of Fear
 * Card Games
 * AD&D Trading Cards
 * AD&D Trading Cards