Basilisk

Basilisks are large eight-legged reptiles with the terrifying ability to poison or petrify their prey. They can be found all over Faerûn. Though not malicious, basilisks are indisputably dangerous.

Basilisks can be found nearly everywhere, including subterranean biomes. Typically, basilisks shelter within burrows, caves, or other similar areas. These dens are sometimes distinguished by what appear to be statues, although these are, in fact, creatures that have been petrified by the gaze of the creature.

The Bedine call basilisks hagar motab or “bringers of stone-death”, and it is from a Bedine explorer where most of the facts about basilisks come from.

Physical characteristics
Basilisks have eight legs, which they crawl upon. Basilisk 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 which line their back and a few have a curved horn atop their nose. Basilisk eyes are, however, the most notable feature, glowing with a pale green light. Adult basilisks can grow to be about six feet long, not counting the tail, which can reach another five or seven feet. Basilisks typically weigh around 500 pounds.

Basilisks have a very slow metabolism, making their movements sluggish and clumsy. As a result, basilisks rely upon their powerful magical characteristics for hunting and are unprepared for a hard pursuit. As a result, prey that flees usually gets away unharmed. To prevent this, basilisks typically lair in hidden dens, waiting for any prey so unfortunate as to wander in, even if it is extremely small. Basilisks have a very robust digestive system and can digest even stone. When not hunting, basilisks sleep off their meals in their lairs, sometimes in small groups.

Abilities
Although basilisks are known for their ability to petrify their prey only a particular breed is actually capable of this, the stone-eye basilisk. However, both they and the venom-eye basilisk have magically empowered eyes that can be used as a weapon by the creature. This power is fueled by the soul of the basilisk in question and is non-physical in nature.

Psychology
Basilisks are lazy and cowardly creatures, but evilly cunning. They make their lairs in dark underground caves where there is a ready and easily accessible food and water supply. Easy to anger, though they never fight to the death if it can be helped. They have been observed to be irrational and possibly insane half the time but shrewd hunters the other half. When hunting they pounce from hiding and attack with their petrifying gaze and vicious bite. They only need to eat one large meal (the size of a deer or a humanoid) a month due to their slow metabolisms though will apparently gorge themselves to death if provided with enough meat.

The tiny creatures (only two or three inches long when just hatched) burrow slowly into the statue. They apparently lose their ability to eat petrified prey when they mature to adulthood, an adult with no young who has petrified it's victim simply leaves the statue standing where it was hit, though greater basilisks are more likely to contemptuously smash a statue with a swipe of their tails.

Types of basilisks
Although basilisks are usually thought of as one variety of monster there is more than one variety.


 * Stone-eye basilisk
 * The archetypical basilisk, capable of petrifying its victim with its glare.


 * Venom-eye basilisk
 * A less famous variety which causes its victims to become poisoned rather than petrified.