Subtaro, Lord of the Putrid Depths

"Those giant eyes, staring at me from behind the darkness. The image still haunts me to this day." - Roctane Explorer

Written by: jester2b

Cover Art by: Rafael Sewa

The Skulking Lord

The Putrid Depths of Stelwen, a cave system where life goes to die, has always been a source of legends. Tales of horrors beyond imagination lurking in the darkness have been prevalent since it was discovered. One legend has stood above all others, a story of a beast of massive size stalking the rotting caverns as its lord. A monster whose roar shakes the earth and your very soul. An ancient and mysterious dragon who has lived in the depths for an untold amount of centuries. This beast goes by one name: Subtaro.

Appearance

Subtaro is a strange dragon visually, though some would suppose it fits his peculiar environment. His back end is legless and worm-like, carried forward by a set of arms at the front of his body. His scales are ghostly pale, like many of the Putrid Depths denizens. His massive glowing eyes help to see in the pitch-black caverns. His wings are hidden under fleshy elytra; at least they are theorized to be hiding wings, though no one has seen them for themselves.

Abilities

Subtaro's power is currently unknown due to his secluded nature. In the few cases where he was run into explorers, he often chooses to watch from a distance. Despite his size, he can be eerily quiet when moving around, a trait some think to be the product of his power. In a few instances, he has unleashed a powerful roar that shakes the very cavern. No one is quite sure why he does this, seeing as he often continues watching explorers like nothing had happened. Some have theorized that he may actually be trying to protect explorers he runs across and that his roar is meant to scare away local wildlife that may be trying to prey upon them.

Questions Unanswered

Subtaro is a strange creature, to say the least. So strange and mysterious in fact, that some question if he actually is a Greater Dragon or one of a rarely seen species of Lesser Dragon. Some think he may be something else entirely, perhaps a creature from the Primeval Era once thought to be extinct.
Sightings of Subtaro being seen across the entire continent of Stelwen, it has led to some believing he is in fact a member of a species of Lesser Dragon. While this theory isn't entirely unsubstantiated, there is one point brought up that supports him being a Greater Dragon. Some exploring the Putrid Depths have reported hearing a strange voice talking within the caverns. The voice is always described as a deep, inhuman sound unlike anything else within the depths. If these are instances of Subtaro speaking, then he is truly sentient, solidifying him as a Greater Dragon.
Such a conclusion only leads to more questions than answers, for if he is an ancient and knowledgeable creature, what secrets may he be hiding?

Threat Assessment

Subtaro, as the locals of Stelwen call him, is an interesting case, to say the least. He hasn't exhibited any aggressive behavior toward those who cross paths with him, and there doesn't seem to be any evidence of him meaning harm toward explorers. Some within the organization are even skeptical of him even being a dragon, thinking he may be a previously thought-extinct creature or a being from outside of Nostrina. It is hard to know for certain until we have more evidence, but for the time being, he will be classified as a low-threat Greater Dragon, though with the caveat of needing more information.