The Chimera
Summary
Brigedda, the goddess of madness and secrets has a creative streak in her. However, only Noarae, the goddess of creation has the ability to create things out of nothing. So the mad goddess, over the millennia has experimented and tested on many different creatures to create new species out of existing creatures. One of the most well known, and most feared is the chimera.
The Chimera is a race of creatures, said to have the body of a lion with multiple heads, one being a lion, another that of a goat. Tales sometimes refer to a third head, however they vary from tale to tale. Some times there is no third head, sometimes it is that of a wolf, a boar, or even a yak. The Chimera is also sometimes depicted to have wings of a bat, although this sometimes varies from tale to tale. And the beast's tail is said to be made out of snakes. The numbers vary from one to nine.
Historical Basis
The truth behind the chimeras is that they actually exist on the continent of Zacan, although they are relatively few in number. They are solitary creatures that like to live in dens, much like that of a dragon. The creatures are rarely seen by anyone, however if a lost traveler or adventure ventures into a chimera's territory, they may be one of the few to see the creatures, and if they are really lucky, one of the few to survive.
Spread
While the common person would only hear tales of strange hybrid beats and treat them as just that, some poor travelers and adventurers are unfortunate enough to discover them.
Variations & Mutation
Brigedda does like to experiment with mixing parts of creatures together, as a result any creature that looks like two animals have merged, it was likely thanks to the mad goddess. These would include, but is not limited to:
Pegasus
Hypogryphs
Gryphons
Fauns
And even Teiflings
Cultural Reception
Teiflings, one of Brigedda's favourite creations often are seen as descendants of demons thanks to their bright colours, horns/antlers, wings and fire affinity. However, these traits are all just various parts and attributes that Brigedda likes to put into her work. It is even theorized that Fauns are proto-teiflings, the itteration before Brigedda made them.
In Literature
Chimeras are occasionally added to travel guides to help traders know which areas to avoid. They have also been added to bestiaries.
In Art
Some families have added a chimera to their family crest or coat of arms, sometimes to show their diversity and adaptability..
Date of First Recording
The first recorded sighting was thousands of years ago, and the legend persists to this day.
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