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Pit Fiend
Pit Fiend
skill 12
stamina 15
Habitat Deserts, Jungles, Plains
Number Encountered 1
Type Reptile
Reaction Unfriendly
Intelligence Low


Origins and Distribution[]

Concerning the Pit Fiend Out of the Pit states:

Whether it is the descendant of a long-dead Dinosaur, or a Giant Lizard that has learnt to walk upright, the PIT FIEND is a frightening creature.[1]


Tyrannosaurus

A Tyrannosaurus Rex

One look at a picture of a Pit Fiend however, will confirm that it is not a bipedal Giant Lizard but is instead a close relative of Tyrannosaurus Rex, based on the structure of its immense head and its tiny two-clawed forelimbs.

Unlike Tyrannosaurus Rex however, the Pit Fiend turns up on none of the Encounter Tables for Jungles, Deserts, or Plains, and thus would appear to be a much rarer beast with a far more restricted distribution. It is likely that they are only found in the jungles of southern Allansia, with some also occurring in the Desert of Skulls, the Plain of Bones, and, possibly, the Plain of Bronze.[2]

It is believed by some scholars on Titan that the Pit Fiend is descended from the Dinosaurs discharged onto Irritaria during the mysterious event named "The Fall of the Savage Innocents".[3]

Description[]

Standing close to ten metres high on two enormous clawed legs, the Pit Fiend is covered in a tough leathery hide mottled with blotches of green and brown. Its head is large, with powerful jaws designed solely for snapping bones and rending flesh, for the beast is utterly carnivorous.[1]

Interestingly, other sources state that the Pit Fiend is actually ten metres long, not ten metres high.[4] Given the difficulties involved in subduing and measuring a creature like a Pit Fiend, the truth of this is probably somewhere in the middle. That is to say, standing fully erect, the Pit Fiend may well be close to ten metres tall. Also, running flat out whilst chasing prey, it may well measure ten metres long from snout tip to tail end.

Special Abilities[]

Pit Fiends have no special abilities (and nor do they need any!).

Arena Beast

An Arena Beast from the Isles of the Dawn

Further Notes[]

Its name comes from its use in games, where gladiators chosen from condemned prisoners are sent into a huge pit to fight one of the brutes, much to the delight of a bloodthirsty audience.[1] Some say that Pit Fiends are kept to be the highlight of a gladiator's career.[4] Others say that fighting the Pit Fiend is one of the toughest fights of your life![5]

A creature used for an identical purpose, with a vaguely similar appearance, is the Arena Beast of the Isles of the Dawn. However, although probably also descended from Dinosaurs, the Arena Beast is not a close relative of the Pit Fiend. This is because it is considerably smaller, and possesses five-fingered hands and feet, compared to the two-fingered hands and four-clawed feet of the Pit Fiend.[6]

Pit Fiends appear as one of the 100 creatures in the "Out of the Pit" bestiary in issue 2 of Warlock.[7]

Gargantis

The Gargantis of the Howling Tunnels

Legend has it that the Pit Fiend in the first version of Baron Sukumvit's Deathtrap Dungeon was defeated by an adventurer that hurled a Bone Monkey Charm at the creature. The Pit Fiend's jaws plucked the charm out of the air, only for the charm to magically expand in size, filling the monster's mouth and forcing the jaws apart. The adventurer then escaped whilst the Pit Fiend was thrashing about in its underground arena, trying to get rid of the charm.[8]

An ancient scroll found by another adventurer relates that the fabled Gargantis beast looks like a cross between a Pit Fiend and a Flesh Golem.[9] Comparing the images of the two, we can see that whilst there is a superficial similarity, the Gargantis has four-fingered hands, a Unicorn-like horn, and, bizarrely for a Reptile, external ear structures.[10] Thus it is more likely that the Gargantis is not a close relative of the Pit Fiend but instead some form of hybridized monster.

See Also[]

Appendix[]

Appearances[]

Adventures

Sourcebooks

Video Games

References[]

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