Fiction:The Firmament/Catoblepas

"Catoblepones are used as livestock by minotaurs, apparently because normal cows are too wimpy for Kultaurus. Go figure."

- Exempt from "Helxen Finn's Guide to Beasts and Monster"

Catoblepones (s. catoblepas) are a species of magical beast resembling a monstrous cross between a buffalo and a boar who inhabit the region of Kultaurus.

Appearance
A catoblepas resembles a bizarre and sturdy buffalo with a head similar to that of a wild boar. They possess mangy black fur, can reach over two meters in length and weight over 200 kilograms. A catoblepas' skull is particularly dense, so much that the creatures spend much of their time looking down and must make some effort to lift their necks up.

Ecology
Catoblepones are exclusively found in the savannas of Kultaurus, where they are captured and taken by minotaurs to serve as lievstock in their labyrinths.

Society
Wild catoblepones live in large herds who migrate across Kultaurus in search of pastures and water. They are very territorial creatures, partially due to the inhospitable nature of their environment, and any who approaches them is bound to be charged by the more aggressive bulls.

Abilities
The catoblepas' most famed ability is to let out a cone of magical gas from their mouths when threatened. This gas is extremely venomous and causes a powerful pain to those affected, leaving them vulnerable to the creature's horns and hooves. Other symptoms include blisters, nausea and fevers. The catoblepas' own flesh is imbued with this venom and will poison those who eat it raw, forcing those who seek to feed on them to cook them thoroughly first. Minotaurs are the only race known to be immune to the catoblepas' venom.