Foothills Monster
"It's out there, I swear to Vhara! It attacked us on my Becoming. I watched it rip a horse in half. I mean, it grabbed the horse by the skull and just tore it in half, longwise. It broke into our cart, pounded two guards to death, and picked up our last horse over its shoulder and ran off into the Foothills. I have no idea what it is or why it exists, but it's out there and when it gets hungry things die."
~Monikhmet Fusebreeze, priestess of Vhara
Summary
Local legends claim that there is a beast that stalks the Foothills of the Barrier Mountains. It is elusive but insanely violent and spiteful, capable of doing enormous amounts of damage before devouring its prey.
Legends say that it is a near-humanoid beast covered in long fur. It has two razor-barbed antlers and a double row of tusklike fangs in its gaping maw. Its hands have claws that can penetrate metal. A muscular tail trails behind it.
Legends also claim that it can summon predators to aid it, and the soil of the foothills move at its command.
Historical Basis
The Foothills are a dangerous place, filled with predators both natural and supernatural. If the Foothills Monster doesn't really exist, then it would be understandable for the commonfolk to make up a boogeyman to blame their problems on.
Spread
While the Foothills Monster isn't well known outside of the local area it supposedly haunts, most have heard the myth of the Ferneth and the Echoes of War
Variations & Mutation
Some tales claim that the Foothills Monster grants wishes if it is slain. This is a common feature of the myths of the Ferneth
Cultural Reception
Most civilized folks laugh at tales of the Foothills Monster and dismiss anyone who claims to have seen it as either insane or hysterical.
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