The Tarrasque of Bergolast (38.28) is the greatest of all beasts. Those corpses that are struck by the lightning at its birthplace are returned to life, those who eat of its flesh have their bodies like those of the gods that can heal most every injury and those who drink of its blood see the world as the gods see it. After drinking the blood of the Tarrasque, one can perceive any object not only as it is but as it was and as it might be. Sadly, to most this appears as nothing but a mad smear of images and sounds and it takes long years of practice and training to tease out useful information from the visions imparted by Tarrasque blood.
The Lords Sanguine have mastered the art of seeing visions.
Hooks
- Where was the Tarrasque born?
- So, if trolls (the descendants of the people of Bergolast) regenerate because the meat of the Tarrasque has made them godlike, does that mean that you can kill gods with acid and fire? Why are trolls so ugly then?
Grahakzahak
The Prophet of Grahakzahak (15.01), a troll, encourages all whom he encounters to pray to Grahakzahak and eat some of the Prophet’s flesh. He does not realise that his god is the Tarrasque. The flesh-eating ritual he practices is an echo of how the people of Bergolast (the ancestors of the trolls) fed on the regenerating flesh of the Tarrasque before Tiamat fell and the Tarrasque broke free.
Grahakzahak means ‘he of 99 heads’ or, more figuratively, ‘he who has grown a 99th head after the first 98 were chopped off’.
Connection
- It seems that the Tarrasque’s head was indeed cut off ninety nine times. One of these heads can be found sunk into the waters of the River Hyad (45.24).
Connection to the Royal Family of Gore
When the High Kings ruled Gore, only they drank the blood of the Tarrasque. When the Lords Sanguine overthrew the king, they guzzled down blood.
The last High King, Turien, lived in Castle Tarengael (16.16) as court jester. His grandson still serves there today, and is called the Jester Prince. The Jester Prince has the Tarrasque rampant enblazoned on his shield and he accompanies the Duke on hunts for the great beast.
The jester seems to have a connection to the Questing Beast, as he seemingly directed Lady Natala to its location.
Hunting the Tarrasque, its blood and the sangreal
The Tarrasque tore down Bergolast and left footprints the size of villages, yet is elusive to the Duke of Thring. The explanation is that to one filled with fear the Tarrasque will loom upwards to the sky but to one wholly without fear the Tarrasque is the size of a small but vicious dog.
The Tarrasque is not as other beasts nor is its blood like other blood, as the Lords Sanguine have learned. The first drink that passes their children’s lips is Tarrasque blood that is dripped from the tip of a sword and the great among them drink nothing but the blood of the beast, even brewing a thin sour wine from it and shrink with terror from fresh water. This blood can most easily be extracted by those so brave that they have little to fear from the Tarrasque and those so cowardly that they can fill barrels of blood from it while it sleeps without it noticing such small pin pricks.
But for the Duke of Thring this is not enough and he seeks the true blood of the Tarrasque that will flow from its heart when dealt a mortal wound. It is said that is such blood is caught in a cup that cup will become the sangreal and all who drink from it will have the shadow of death lifted from them.
Connection:
- There are some Lion Priests who seek the sangreal as well (06.03).
- The Collector collects Tarrasque skulls from knights of Thring.
- Heirs of the High Kings of Gore seem to have a connection with the Tarrasque.
Hooks:
- Does the prince actually know the location of the Beast? If so, why?
- Why is the Tarrasque so recalcitrant?
- How could the Duke hope to slay it?
- If the Tarrasque walks in the forest and no one is around to be afraid of it, is it big enough to make a sound?
- Are the stories about the sangreal true?