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MANTICORE
Mantichora
The Manticore has the body of a red lion, the face of a man with three rows of teeth, and the tail of a scorpion. Its voice sounds like pipes and trumpets combined. It runs faster than any horse and shoots poisoned spines from its tail like arrows, striking prey from a distance. The Manticore prefers human flesh above all other food. Its name means 'man-eater' in Persian. Unlike other monsters, the Manticore has no redeeming symbolism - it is simply ravenous evil, hunting humanity without purpose beyond appetite. Perhaps it represents pure predation, reminding us that nature is not always instructive or kind.
Habitat
The deep jungles where few return
Sustenance
Human beings, consumed entirely, bones and all
Symbolism
Pure predation, evil without philosophy