The Beast of Morael

Summary

During the Mage Era, a mad mage named Morael created a monster by crossing several species together and using an unknown creature from beyond the Void. This creature was used to terrorize the local town, prowling the streets at night and taking citizens up to the mage's tower to be used in experiments. Eventually, Morael disappeared (some say he was eaten by his own monster), but the creature continued to prowl the countryside, terrorizing the people. Many adventurers tried to destroy the creature, but none ever came back, creating more and more terror around the beast. One day a young man came to town, carrying no weapon, but claiming he could destroy the beast. The town elders warned him away,  explaining that nobody had ever come back from the creature's lair, but the young man ignored them, and the last he was seen he was climbing the steps to the mage's tower.  A few days later, a young boy discovered the body of a monster floating in the nearby river. No one could figure out how it had died, and no one had ever seen the creature and lived, so they couldn't be certain of its identity and ended up pushing it downstream in order to be rid of it. Morael's tower was never properly explored, as the townspeople got a horrible feeling from it and didn't like to go there, and no one ever found out what happened to their savior, but one thing was for sure. The Beast of Morael was never seen again.

Historical Basis

Because the world was irrevocably changed during the Epoch of Peril, and so much history was lost, there is no way to be certain of anything that happened beforehand. Much of what is 'known' about the world before comes from myth and legend, and it can be hard to tell what is real in these stories and what is exaggerated. What is known, is that the mages of the world before were involved in strange and sometimes terrifying experiments, had become corrupted by their own power and hubris, and that the name Morael appears in a few surviving lists and records. Some historians have wondered if tales of beasts such as the one Morael created were actually demons summoned from the Void, and some have speculated the mages were influenced by the very beasts they had summoned to eventually open the portal to the Void.

Spread

This myth surrounding it is less well known than others, but the Beast of Morael has entered into popular mythology, and depictions of it vary widely from place to place.

Variations & Mutation

Some variations focus more on the horror evoked by the beast and Morael, tagging on the eventual death of the beast as more of a footnote. Some variations keep the mad mage alive all the way through, ending with his disappearance as well as the beast's death. 
Descriptions of the mysterious, disappearing savior of the town vary from telling to telling. Some picture him as lanky, tall, and dark; others as shorter, thin, and light-haired. Some even change the man's age, depicting him as middle-aged, or even ancient, leaving him with even more handicaps in his attempts to destroy the beast. 
Some attempts have been made to tell the story of the man's battle with the beast, but as yet, no retelling has been able to recreate the same effect as the one created by the mystery surrounding the creature's demise, and that mystery is the preferred version of the story.

Cultural Reception

The Beast of Morael is commonly used in Archren and Ardent culture as a threat to misbehaving children, or those who would wander too far from home.

In Literature

There are several poems featuring the Beast of Morael, as well as a few books analyzing the earliest versions of the story and theorizing about what the Beast could be, and how the mysterious traveler defeated it.

In Art

The Beast of Morael features in a lot of art, granting artists the opportunity to use their imagination to the fullest extent possible, with each Beast varying wildly from artist to artist.

Date of First Recording

6049

Date of Setting

During the Mage Era