The ecology

The ecology of
of the
the
by
by Chris
Chris Elliott
Elhott and
and Richard
Richard Edwards
Edwards
The debate
The debate about about the the nature
nature of of the
the avoid killing
avoid killing eacheach other
other — — oror themselves,
themselves, leather and
leather and silver
silver armor;
armor; and and a a scattering
scattering
catoblepas did
catoblepas did not not keepkeep the the proverbial
proverbial for that
for that matter
matter — — with
with theirtheir death-ray
death-ray of
of commercial-minded
commercial-minded wizards wizards and and
man in
man in the
the street
street awakeawake at at night,
night, butbut it it gaze? And
gaze? And how, how, in in the
the name
name of of the
the wizardly priests
wizardly priests preserving
preserving aa dignified dignified
had
had forfor generations
generations added added fuel fuel (as(as ifif fuel
fuel Mnoren, did
Mnoren, did they
they breed?
breed? silence.
silence. On On thethe other
other side were the
side were natu-
the natu-
were needed)
were needed) to to the
the intense
intense rivalry
rivalry A magical
A magical creature,
creature, the the wizards
wizards ralists, dressed
ralists, dressed in in allall shades
shades of brown and
of brown and
between the
between the Wizards’
Wizards’ and and Naturalists’
Naturalists’ patiently explained,
patiently explained, wouldn’twouldn’t need need toto green, accompanied
green, accompanied by by almost
almost as as many
many
Guilds
Guilds of of To-Zen.
To-Zen. The The problem
problem was was one one breed, would it?
breed, would it? tame hawks,
tame hawks, hounds,
hounds, birds birds andand dragonets.
dragonets.
of demarcation.
of demarcation. The The naturalists
naturalists could could not not All right,
All retorted the
right, retorted the naturalists,
naturalists, then then And all
And all around
around the the upper
upper gallery
gallery was was
deny that
deny that there
there were creatures of
were creatures of magic,
magic, how come there
how come there are are soso many
many of of them?
them? Is Is crowded
crowded aa mob mob of of curious
curious citizens,
citizens, ea- ea-
and magicians
and magicians could could not not help
help but admit
but admit some deranged
some deranged thaumaturgist
thaumaturgist turning turning gerly speculating
gerly speculating on on thethe outcome
outcome of of the
the
that nature
that nature couldcould at at times
times achieve
achieve featsfeats them out
them out as as anan occupation?
occupation? evening.
evening.
worthy
worthy of of any
any wizard
wizard — — but
but each
each sideside And so
And so the
the debate
debate continued,
continued, with each
with each Suddenly, as
Suddenly, as if
if onon a a signal,
signal, silence
silence fell fell
naturally
naturally wantedwanted to to claim
claim the the most
most side having
side having enough enough evidence
evidence to to support
support over
over the hall. Bel-Ami,
the hall. Bel-Ami, a a stocky,
stocky, bearded
bearded
bizarre
bizarre beast
beast for for itsits own.
own. And And whenwhen it it its unshakable
its unshakable conviction conviction that that it it was
was man in
man inaa curiously
curiously patternedpatterned green green robe,robe,
came to
came to bizarre,
bizarre, the the catoblepas
catoblepas certainly
certainly right, but neither
right, but neither having
having proof proof conclusive
conclusive came
came in in from
from the the side
side entrance
entrance leading
leading an an
qualified.
qualified. enough to
enough to convince
convince the the other
other side.
side. extraordinary
extraordinary creature. creature. The height of
The height of a a
To the
To the wizards,
wizards, aa beast beast with with thethe body
body of of On one
On one particular
particular night, night, earth-
earth- man,
man, it it shuffled
shuffled nervously
nervously on on its
its huge
huge
aa buffalo,
buffalo, aa huge huge tail tail and
and neck,
neck, the the head
head shattering revelations
shattering revelations were promised
were promised back
back legslegs and and muscular
muscular tail, whilst its
tail, whilst its
of aa warthog,
of warthog, and and aa gazegaze that that slew
slew was was when the
when naturalist Bel-Ami,
the naturalist Bel-Ami, newly newly small forepaws
small twitched agitatedly
forepaws twitched agitatedly and and its its
clearly aa magical
clearly magical beast, beast, and and theythey bitterly
bitterly returned
returned from from an an expedition
expedition to to study
study thethe delicate head
delicate head swungswung this this way
way and and that,
that,
rejected
rejected the the jibe
jibe of of thethe naturalists
naturalists that that creature, was
creature, was to to address
address aa capacity
capacity crowd
crowd eyes, ears
eyes, ears andand nose
nose straining
straining in in all
all
such aa beast,
such magical or
beast, magical or not, would
not, would in the
in the Alchemists’
Alchemists’ Guild Guild Hall, Hall, chosen
chosen as as directions.
directions.
strangle on
strangle on itsits own
own contradictions.
contradictions. The The neutral territory. Inside
neutral territory. Inside the the ancient
ancient “I expect
“I expect you’re
you're all all wondering
wondering what what
beasts
beasts hadhad beenbeen seen,seen, saidsaid the the wizards,
wizards, vaulted
vaulted hall,hall, with
with its its roof
roof blackened
blackened by by this
this little
little fellow
fellow is is doing
doing here,”
here,” said said the the
which proved that
which proved that theythey existed,
existed, but but anyany the fumes
the fumes of of countless
countless demonstrations
demonstrations famous naturalist.
famous naturalist. “Well, “Well, afterafter much
much
observer rash
observer enough to
rash enough to meet
meet the the gaze
gaze of of and its
and its air
air pervaded
pervaded by by thethe sour
sour reekreek ofof patient and
patient and often
often dangerous
dangerous observation
observation
aa catoblepas
catoblepas died died instantly
instantly — — and
and whatwhat brimstone,
brimstone, the the audience
audience fell fell into
into three
three in
in some
some of of the wildest country
the wildest country in in To-Zen,
To-Zen,
more proof
more proof did did one one needneed of of the
the beast’s
beast’s very different groups:
very different groups: II can
can reveal
reveal that,
that, far far from being just
from being just
magical origin?
magical origin? On one
On one sideside of of the
the hall
hall were
were tighttight knots
knots another
another grazing
grazing animal,
animal, as as wewe hadhad for-for-
Fair enough,
Fair enough, said said the the naturalists,
naturalists, but but of black-robed
of black-robed apprentices
apprentices surrounding
surrounding merly thought,
merly thought, this this is is aa male
male catoblepas!”
catoblepas!”
they pointed
they pointed out out that
that thethe catoblepas
catoblepas had had splendidly gowned
splendidly gowned master master sorcerers;
sorcerers; hard-hard- This remark
This remark immediately
immediately prompted prompted aa
been sighted in
been sighted in groups.
groups. So, So, howhow did did they
they faced
faced wizards,
wizards, many many in in elaborately
elaborately chasedchased general uproar
general uproar in in thethe hall.
hall.

22
22 MAY 1983
MAY 1983
Catoblepas
Catoblepas
(or,
(or, looks
looks can
can be
be very
very deceiving)
deceiving)
“No, please
“No, please — — please
please relax!relax! — — no, he’s
no, he’s connected the
connected the female
female catoblepas
catoblepas with with the the “Ks yet
“As yet II can
can only
only speculate
speculate on on thethe rea-
rea-
perfectly safe,
perfectly safe, butbut he he does
does holdhold the the keykey to to small herds
small herds of of grazers
grazers that that were
were alwaysalways sons for
sons for this
this division
division of of the
the species;
species; it it
the mystery.
the mystery. You You must must all all have
have read read the the found
found in in the
the samesame area, area, following
following at at aa may ensure
may ensure aa fitterfitter breeding
breeding stock, stock, or or
classic description
classic description of, of, asas wewe call call it,it, the
the discreet distance,
discreet distance, and and realized
realized that that theythey allow better
allow better useuse of of existing
existing food food resources
resources
‘cat’ in
‘cat’ in thethe Bestiary
Bestiary of of Xygag,
Xygag, althoughalthough were
were two two forms
forms of of the
the same
same species!
species! than the
than the moremore conventional
conventional way, way, or or both,
both,
how he
how he worked
worked out out thatthat itsits eyes
eyes are are “The
“The male,male, poor fellow, is
poor fellow, is not
not immune
immune or
or neither.
neither. Anyhow,
Anyhow, enough enough talk. talk. I’mI’m
‘bloodshot’ escapes
‘bloodshot’ escapes me, me, and and for for aa beast
beast to the
to the poison
poison cloud, cloud, and and normally
normally keeps keeps open to
open to questions
questions from from thethe floor.”
floor.”
‘horrible beyonde
‘horrible beyonde alle alle description’
description’ he he well clear of
well clear of the
the female.
female. But But in in the
the mat-
mat- During the
During the course
course of of his
his speech,
speech, all all the
the
goes into
goes into aa fair amount of
fair amount of detail!
detail! ing season,
ing season, the the female
female exudes exudes aa scent scent magicians in
magicians in the
the audience
audience had had been been
“Well, as
“Well, as farfar as
as he goes, he’s
he goes, he’s right,
right, but but which drives the
which drives the male male wild wild with
with aa lust lust growing more
growing more and and more
more restless.
restless. Now, Now,
he didn’t
he didn’t realize
realize that that they
they werewere only only the the that frequently
that frequently overpowers overpowers his instinct
his instinct one of
one of their
their number
number burstburst fromfrom the the
female of
female of thethe species.
species. From From my my studies,
studies, II for self-preservation. He
for self-preservation. He must
must try try to to wait
wait audience with
audience with aa horrified
horrified cry.cry.
have established
have established that that the the female
female is is aa large
large until aa solitary
until solitary femalefemale is is feeding
feeding with with herher “You can’t
“You can’t be serious! This
be serious! This must must be be
17
omnivore, feeding
omnivore, feeding mostly mostly on on oozeooze and and head
head buried
buried in in thethe oozeooze of of the
the swamp.
swamp. your warped
your warped naturalist’s
naturalist’s ideaidea of of aa joke
joke!”
water plants
water plants dredged
dredged from from the the swamps
swamps it it Then, sprinting
Then, sprinting up up to to her,
her, he he dodges
dodges the the “Never more
“Never more serious,
serious, II assure
assure you,” you,”
lives in,
lives in, but gaining an
but gaining an important
important part part of of heavy
heavy tail tail normally
normally used used as as aa defense,
defense, responded
responded Bel-Ami. Bel-Ami.
its diet
its diet from
from animals
animals it it has killed. And
has killed. And mates very
mates quickly, and
very quickly, and sprints
sprints off off again.
again. “But, this
“But, this isis awful!
awful! When
When we we heard
heard
no,
no, sheshe doesn’t
doesn’t kill kill them
them with with her deadly
her deadly “Six months
“Six months later, later, the the small,
small, deer-like
deer-like that you
that you had had an an astounding
astounding revelation
revelation in in
gaze, but
gaze, but withwith her her breath!
breath! young
young are are born.
born. Since Since theythey are are exposed
exposed to to store for
store for tonight,
tonight, we we were going to
were going to
“The female
“The female catoblepas
catoblepas secretes secretes aa gas, gas, mild doses
mild doses of of thethe toxintoxin before birth, they
before birth, they upstage
upstage you. you. My My apprentices
apprentices have have gone gone
deadly to
deadly to anything
anything except except the the female
female are immune
are immune to to it.it. They
They are are allall weaned
weaned out on
out on an an expedition
expedition to to kill
kill aa catoblepas
catoblepas
catoblepas, that
catoblepas, that is is belched
belched out out in in an an together, but
together, but at at thethe endend of of the
the first year
first year and bring
and bring it it back
back as as proof
proof of of itsits magical
magical
invisible cloud.
invisible cloud. The The effective
effective range range is is something very
something very strangestrange happens.
happens. The The nature.”
nature.”
only about
only about sixty sixty feetfeet before
before it it disperses,
disperses, young scatter,
young scatter, and and differentiate
differentiate into into sexes
sexes “That's quite
“That’s quite possible.
possible. They They can can be be
but
but within
within that that range,
range, the the only
only chancechance of of —— aa minority
minority of of females
females which which remainremain killed.”
killed.”
escape is
escape is toto run
run faster
faster than than the the cloud
cloud immune to
immune to the
the toxin
toxin that that they
they havehave “I know
“I know that, that, and
and you know that
you know that — —
expands. The
expands. The gas gas is is equally
equally deadly deadly if if begun
begun to to secrete,
secrete, becomingbecoming fatter fatter and and but how
but how far far are
are they
they going
going to to get
get witha
with a
breathed
breathed in in or or absorbed
absorbed through through the the skin.
skin. thicker and
thicker and eating
eating flesh flesh as as well
well as as plants;
plants; polished shield?!”
polished shield?!”
“Tt was
“It obvious from
was obvious from the the timetime that that II and the
and the males,
males, which which undergo undergo a a radical radical
started to
started to form
form thisthis hypothesis
hypothesis that that thethe change in
change in their
their body body chemistry,
chemistry, losing losing (An earlier
(An earlier version of this
version of this article
article
‘cat’ was
‘cat’ was immune
immune to to its
its own
own poison,
poison, but but their immunity
their immunity to to the
the toxin
toxin and and becom-
becom- appeared in
appeared in Dragonlords
Dragonlords — — Yet
Yet Another
Another
it was
it was not not for for aa long
long timetime afterward
afterward that that II ing fast-moving
ing fast-moving herbivores. herbivores. Fantasy
Fantasy & & Sci-Fi
Sci-Fi Roleplaying
Roleplaying Magazine.)
Magazine.)

‘i

DRAGON 23
DRAGON 23