Questing Beast

"We hunt them because there's no glory in an easy chase or an easy fight. Luckily, questing beasts give us neither."
-Garin Arbell, knight of Aurand

For as long as there have been monsters in the world, courageous souls have fought them. Few people make as much sport of the slaying of these creatures as Aurandian knights. In some ways, the elusive and dangerous questing beasts symbolize this pursuit, itself.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Like so many other creatures in Covenant, such as the owlbears and griffons, the questing beast is a hybrid of many natural creatures. In particular, these strange beasts have the body of a leopard, head and neck of a snake, and feet of a stag.
As with such creatures as owlbears, they do not have any strange abilities beyond that which is given by their constituent parts. Still, their viper-like heads give them a deadly venom they can inject through a lightning-fast bite. Their razor-sharp claws make a very effective secondary weapon.
The one major difference between questing beasts and the creatures that make them up are their large size. This makes both their claws and their bite far more dangerous than they otherwise would be. This, of course, makes them much deadlier opponents.

Ecology and Habitats

Questing beasts are rare creatures, in no small part due to their adaptability. Because they can live in so many different environments, they could be practically anywhere in Aurand, or more rarely Llanuria or Reynardia. This naturally makes hunting them a worthy challenge for a knight.
As could be expected, questing beasts are predators. Unfortunately, this is almost all that is known about them due to their rarity. They feed on large animals just as deer and oxen, but such details as their lairing habits and reproduction are a complete mystery.

Behaviour

Just like their ecology, much of the questing beasts' behavior is entirely mysterious. They are often very aggressive to most they meet. Occasionally, however, they leave people who see them alive. It is not known exactly why this happens, but has been observed many times.
When they are seen outside of a hunt, it is considered to be an especially bad omen. Those who see them are often considered to be cursed. Many are avoided out of superstitious fear, as others don't want to be around when the curse takes hold. This very perception contributes to the continued belief in their curse.

Lifespan

Unknown

Average Height

7 - 9 ft.

Average Weight

2,000 - 2,300 lbs.

Average Length

12 - 15 ft.

Geographic Distribution

• Acitern