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Basilisk

Bogyn's Nastiness Rating: 124 (Incomprehensibly Nasty)

Creature Families: Chimeric, Reptilian

A purple and white, thirty-foot long cobra-like serpent with an eagle-like beak that drips acidic toxins that disintigrate non-organic matter. They travel through the earth by melting away dirt and stone and sliding themselves through the remains. It is completely eyeless, relying entirely on touch and sound to maneuver and hunt. Markings on its hood however, often give the impression that it does have eyes. Basilisks have two muscular tongues that can latch out and snatch up prey. They also have a blade on the end of their tails that resembles a halberd, that also exudes toxins.

Basilisks usually remain far beneath the surface, preying on underground worms, moles, and Juicebats. Occasionally however, earthquakes and lack of prey will drive them to the surface, causing them to hunt people. They are very dangerous to most people, since their powerful poison melts away nearly all armor, weapons, and clothing - turning the most well-armored warrior into a naked midnight snack.

In Book 2, Heeroh Troughberry (the Gladiatingor, not the refugee) was primarily famous for single-handedly slaying a Basilisk, although his means of doing this are always left humorously vauge:

The Gladiantingor had fashioned an axe from the Basilisk's tail, which was unfortunately as dangerous to him as it was to his enemies.

Basilisks are often confused with Cockatrices, which is odd, since they are nothing alike, although they were both spawned from mutated Chimera.