| Other Names | Terror of the Woods |
| Climate/Terrain | Temperate Forest |
| Frequency | Rare |
| Organization | Solitary |
| Activity Cycle | Any |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The dreaded torgat is the tall, fast, lean bipedal lizard. The beast stands 14-17 feet tall and weighs about two to three tons. Its muscled legs allow it to run swiftly. It is covered in large, thick horny scales. Its great reptilian head is crowned by two great swept back horns. It has two tails which it whips back and forth to strike at opponents.
The torgat's main weapon is its devastating bite. The jaws of a torgat can crush a tree to splinters or snap a human in half. The torgat is also extremely swift and agile, able to dodge and dart about the trees despite its huge size. The torgat is extremely cunning and has been known to use tactics : treasure as bait, leading parties away from their camp and then doubling back to destroy it, etc. The torgat has very good senses and excels as a hunter.
The torgat has very tough scales that easily turn a blade. Each scale is about a foot long by six inches wide. If enough scales are collected, fabulous armor can be fashioned.
Torgats are found only in Ithria, primarily in the northwest. The torgat infests only the deepest forests, never venturing out.
In many areas, torgat hunting is considered a manly sport and social event. The sport of hunting torgats is very popular in Normidia despite the fact that it is a very dangerous pastime. It is considered a "team" hunting sport and a standard torgat hunting team consists of twenty men. It is considered unlucky to hunt a torgat with less than 20 men and cowardly to go with more. Many Normidian hunters die each year hunting this majestic beast. If more than 16 men return, it was considered a successful hunt, even if they come back empty handed. Only rarely does a team actually kill torgat.
When a team actually DOES brings down a torgat, everyone eats. An average torgat will yield about 800 pounds of tender red meat. Most people would agree that torgat meat is delicious and there are several recipes for torgat meat which are popular in Normidia. Typically a great feast will be held after the hunt, stories of the hunt will be told and tankards are raised in toast to those who were killed in the hunt. Taverns will purchase and magically preserve the meat and sell it for weeks afterwards at a very high price.
The torgat feeds on anything slower than it. A single torgat may claim as much as 2,000 square kilometers as its territory. Torgats will hunt each other if claimed territories conflict.
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This page last updated Monday, October 08, 2007. Copyright 1990-2008 David M. Roomes.