The Behemoth

The Behemoth

Upon hearing the name it sounds somewhat lackluster but upon seeing this creature you find that no other name quite fits; for once you have set your eyes upon this creature it's size alone leaves you with no other name. This being is so large that the only other thing that could contend with its size is the leviathan of the deep. It is said to have been mistaken for a mountain range on more than one occasion and that earthquakes are a sign of it's arrival, humankind is truly lucky that it does not crave for their flesh as it would wipe all life from the planet in a matter of weeks. Now this does not mean it is not something to be feared as it's arrival at a place will most certainly end that places exitence indefinately, only the dwarves who have found their homes underground can find permanent shelter in its territory. The Behemoth has only been ever seen to eat of foilage of the few forests within it's domain and otherwise it only sleeps. It's appearance has been well documented by those insane enough to get close and study it; there is but a handful of researchers that have survived long enough to get their writings to the public. One such researcher, an elf, has been riding the thing for several centuries, exploring the caverns and ecosystem that exists on the thing.

Appearance

Looking something like a large lizard the beast has a somewhat more mammalistic physiology. It is several hundred miles from tip to tail, roughly 100 miles in width, and about 30 miles tall from shoulders up . It is quadripedal as far as anyone has observed though several researchers have found that some of the forests have evidence to show that it once walked on it's hind quarters though only for 100 or so years. Its back is a mess of trees and vines with only birds and occasionally monkies playing host to its back during the moving season though there are some animals that have developed migratory patterns that follow it's hibernation. The mountains that are on its back are actually large spines that have been covered in earth and stones over the years and as such are a bit colder than the rest of the body. It's face is covered in hair and sagging skin that is knotted and infested with all kinds of parasites and hives though they have stayed small as they and their kin have been consumed by the beast that cover it when the beast begins its slumber.

Behavior

This gigantic quadroped has following a decent pattern for several thousand years by some estimates and has created landmarks with it's continuous marching around this circuit. It's sleep is that of the dead for when it sleeps it knows that nothing can harm it and it's rests last for 200-250 years though it always awakens in the summer to begin it's trek around it's island for roughly 400 years and then it will begin it's long hibernation in the fall.

Origin

Though some claim to have found books that detail it's original purpose as set down by some gods others have seen how it eyes the water with what appears to be hatred and from almost all guesses, both scholarly and ignorant, it's the last of its race and that it has most likely had a long fued with the leviathan of the deep since time immemorial. As such the Leviathan has never shown it's face around this particular continent and the Behemoth has never swam the seas. There are a few guesses though, that this was the leader of its race and, as the few scars that have been found on its body may dictate, it was involved in a war in which there were but two survivors, the Two Beasts of End, the Behemoth and the Leviathan of the deep.