The Immortal Naturalist's Guide to Cryptic Creatures: Blorgon of the Desert

This post is part of the Immortal Naturalist's Guide series. The explanation for that series can be found in this post.

    It is said that in the very center of the Sea of Dust there is a place so dry that not even the hardiest of plants can grow. Legends say that all who try to cross this stretch are doomed to die for no matter how much water they bring, it will dry up when they are farthest from being able to get more. Birds that attempt to fly over the area fall out of the sky, fully dehydrated. This wasteland is known as Blorgon's Waste, after the supposed cause of the dryness, Blorgon of the Desert, a massive predator the size of a giraffe. While most believe the legends to be nothing more than stories, savvy desert wanderers know that he is far too real. A voracious carnivore, the beast, apparently unbothered by the lack of water, wanders around scavenging the carcasses of whatever poor creatures happened to perish there. The dryness is an effective preservative, so Blorgon is rarely in a rush to get to the next meal. 

    Legends, surviving witnesses, and personal experience all agree that something about Blorgon is the cause for the dryness of his wasteland. When he is nearby, the effect becomes noticeably stronger, making the cause clear. Blorgon is no slouch in a fight, however, as he is able to stand up on his hind legs and swing with his clawed forepaws and his bladed tail. Blorgon does not need to rely on his desiccating aura to catch prey, but it seems to make things much easier. Despite this apparent strength, Blorgon seems to avoid water as much as possible, leading me to believe that his effect is just as much defensive as offensive. I would not dare try to get close enough to test this theory, but I doubt Blorgon can handle water very well.

    In my observations, I noticed that Blorgon seems to regularly shed and regrow his teeth. They seem to retain some of his desiccating magic, and I have started using them to quickly dry out rations for later use. Blorgon does not seem to care about where his teeth are left, but following him long enough to get even one was dangerous. I had to withstand his aura at almost full strength for two days before he shed a tooth and at that point hanging around for more could have been fatal. Although it was worth it, I would not wish that experience upon anyone else.