Summary
A type of Imugi, or Korean Dragon-whelp. These creatures are more than serpents, but not fully on the level of Ryong, true Korean Dragons. In order to earn their Yeouiju and become a full wyrm, Imugi must serve a creature of higher spiritual power for many hundreds of years. Due to their natural patience and quasi-immortality, they are often tasked with guarding ancient sanctums and artifacts of great power.
Gye-lyong are a particular subtype of Imugi with a strange, bird-like face topping their serpentine bodies. They possess very low intelligence for dragonkin until ascended, although this still places them at about the level of a stupid human. What makes Gye-lyong particularly dangerous is the cold gaze in their beady, avian eyes. Each of these Korean Basilisk's stares boasts the mystical, psychic, or perhaps divine power to render even the most powerful wizards or warriors completely paralyzed. This is not true petrification, like the Western Basilisk, but is still effective enough for the Gye-lyong to patiently squeeze the life out of its victim, maintaining eye contact all the while.
In order to counteract this lethal trait, many masters of Gye-lyong fit their servants with a helmet-like blinder. The creatures possess enough capability with ki that physical blindness does not much concern them, and the hoods are often designed to pop off when subjected to an impact, the better to reveal the evil gaze inside to attacking intruders.
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