Concept Artwork: Mesmerizing Basilisk (Patreon)

Concept artwork of the final boss/enemy of the Ranger Questline!

Sneak peek of the scene it features in will be coming next!

LORE: "The Mesmerizing Basilisk is a great serpentine creature native to Ankharad. It is also known as the Lesser Basilisk  - as opposed to its cousin, the vastly larger, yet less intelligent, and far less dangerous Greater Basilisk, or Black Basilisk.

You see, while the Black Basilisk is one of the largest monsters in the world - with its sheer size often rivalling small castles - its weapons are largely conventional: its great bulk, ferocity, and terribly lethal venom.

In contrast, the Mesmerizing Basilisk is more diminutive  - growing to the size of a small house on average - but it is infinitely more deadly.

Firstly, it possesses brilliant, bright viridian scales that glitter like the finest of emeralds... and that are so rigidly hard that the Mesmerizing Basilisk is utterly impervious to most weapons, be it blade or arrow.

Unlike the Black Basilisk, the Mesmerizing Basilisk does not have venom in its fangs - but it does not need it. See, any who look upon the hypnotic patterning on its namesake hood are petrified right where they stand, with the paralysis being so strong that they cannot react even when they are being devoured alive while silently screaming in horrific agony...!

Lastly, direct eye contact with the Mesmerizing Basilisk will put one's mind under its total mercy, turning the victim into a complete thrall. Even shutting one's eyes is not a failsafe, for as long as the Mesmerizing Basilisk is staring at you, one suffers from profuse sweating, panic, and even bouts of mania - all of which are a potential death sentence when a gigantic snake is actively hunting you."