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The "Beast" in Legend of Arrav

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Alktenalfh

Alktenalfh

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So in the document "The Legend of Arrav," Arrav fights a beast in a cave that takes him two days and one night to defeat. Here's a lore question for you:
What was this beast?
We know that Arrav has bested the Mahjarrat Zemouregal in Dimension of Disaster and Ritual of the Mahjarrat. So we know that Arrav is POWERFUL. What sort of beast could have put up such a fight against him? Descriptions of the beast are thin. This is all we have.

"Deep in the cave, as old as the shadows that hid it, a beast was stirring. The smell of sweat and hunger was on Arrav, and the beast that had not woken for a thousand years flicked a single eyelid open. A silhouette against the dim light of the cave's entrance, the beast looked at Arrav as men look at cattle. As silent as sleep, it uncoiled itself from its slumber, remembering the power in its limbs and the fire in its soul. Arrav, oblivious, watched the world go by with misery.
The beast, standing upright now, moved like darkness towards Arrav, long talons straining forwards in anticipation. But the beast had no conception of Arrav's senses, nor his reflexes, nor his strength, and as it came to lay a chill hand on his shoulder, Arrav spun with a blade already in his hand."
After Arrav defeats the beast, it further says, "Gasping from the long battle, Arrav pulled the beast into the twilight to better see its face. Wiping the grime of centuries of sleep from its face, Arrav looked down at a creature so like himself he wept."
So . . . what is it? Any thoughts?

23-Feb-2021 19:52:15

Alktenalfh

Alktenalfh

Posts: 341 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
My personal opinion?
I think it's a Dragonkin.
The eyelid "flicking" open, the beast "uncoiling itself" from sleep, and remembering "the fire in its soul" all originally made me think it was a dragon. But then it stood upright and touched him with a taloned hand, which means that it's vaguely humanoid, perhaps?
Back during the 4th age, no one was actively using the Stone of Jas, so the Dragonkin would have been weaker than they have been. After all, Robert the Strong was able to kill one, also at some point during the 4th age. But a dragonkin would still have been strong enough to put up a good fight.
The line about him looking into the creature's face and seeing himself is troublesome. It could be literal. It could be metaphorical. For that matter, the whole fight could be metaphorical. The beast itself might not even exist. But I personally am leaning towards the idea that he rather saw that he had something in common with the monster, rather than it looked like him. After all, we know it's not entirely human, based on the line about the talons.
Maybe the dragonkin was driven to a beastial madness by the incessant pain from the Curse of the Stone?

23-Feb-2021 19:58:25

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