Beastiary Supplemental: The Grootslang

Hey all,

Every so often, I come across something and wonder why it doesn't turn up in tabletop role playing games. Usually it's a trope, like love story or coming of age stories. Sometimes it's a genre, and I've written another post about some of those. This time, I've found a creature that might be the most fantasy RPG thing I've ever heard of that I've also somehow never seen in an official rule book. Without too much delay, then; let's meet the Grootslang:

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The Grootslang, sometimes called the Grote Slang, is a creature that purportedly lives in a cave beneath the Richtersveld in South Africa. The Richtersveld is a mountainous desert, marked in places by either coastal plains, jagged volcanic mountains, or the lush banks of the Orange River that cuts through the territory.

The Grootslang was created early in the making of things, when the gods were new to the art, and was simply made too powerful for the world. The gods destroyed this great beast and divided it's traits between the first snakes and the first elephants. Yet, some of the Grootslang escaped, and one hides in its deep cave, where it feeds on local elephants. 

The lair of the Grootslang is brimming with diamonds, yet the beast hungers for more. It's lust for cruelty is only tempered by it's desire for precious gems, and it's unwary victims may perhaps buy their lives for a kingly sum of gemstones.

The Grootslang is a massive creature, like a snake with a malformed head like a hellish mockery of an elephant's.

Everything I just wrote is official lore of the Grootslang. This is all part of real-world accounts of a legendary cryptid. The gems, the ability to barter free, all of it. HOW IS THIS NOT A THING IN EVERY RPG BEASTIARY ALREADY?

Alright, done ranting. Seriously, though, y'all best up your Grootslang game when the errata rolls around.

Happy Gaming, all.



for more on the Grootslang: 
Wikipedia: Grootslang
Giants, Monsters, and Dragons
Disappearances Feed Grootslang Legend 
New Cryptozoology Wiki (includes list of sightings)