Sand Beast

Beware the beast that lurks beneath the sands, as its hunger is insatiable.

They scuttled and snuck across the sands, crossing over bone and broken body,

With peeled eyes they searched the lands, hearts in their throat from a fear ungodly.

They hope for twinkling gems and all the rest, but most of all they sought to stay alive,

And when they found a simple wooden chest, they forgot the danger, and there they died.

The sand beast awoke and stole their lives, buried alive without a fight.

To learn from this would be quite wise, and avoid such an awful plight.
— An unknown bard's tavern talk.

General Information

The Sand Beast is a mythical creature, rumored to exist in Tidebound Valley. Blamed for the death of countless treasure hunters and explorers, it keeps nearly all would-be venturers away. There are very few who claim to have seen the beast themselves, but yet many have heard the tales. Those faraway travelers who are passing through often do not believe the legends, venturing into the sandy shore in hopes of finding riches. However, those who brave the threat of death are more often than not never seen again.

Variations

The Sand Beast has been described in various different manners. The predominant belief is that the beast is bipedal, standing at several dozen feet tall with a muscular frame, at the top of which rests the head of a shark. Others believe that it is not just a single beast, but a species that lurks beneath the sand. The theories are numerous about what the species would look like. Some believe it is a species of strange, land-dwelling octopi creatures, while others believe it to be more similar to crabs.