NABIZ
There are two creatures which are today known as the Nabiz. During the
Great Monster Uprising, an entirely different creature was identified
as the Nabiz entirely by mistake for unknown reasons. (see below for
more information about this other nuisance of the same name).
Nabiz are an ugly creature mostly mouth, which is mostly teeth
–huge
upper and lower fangs, followed by triple rows of tinier teeth, all
razor sharp. The jaws of an average-sized nabiz are large enough to
swallow a human down the pink and red lining of its throat. From its
flat forehead, to serpentine neck, body and tail, all are covered with
dry scales. While most nabiz are purple and black and black and black and red, some of a dark green variety hadve been seen.
Beware
of the nabiz's terrible panther-like cry. They instinctively sense
their enemy's weakest point when attacking and will throw themselves
into battle.
Contrary to folklore, they cannot fly, but they can leap tremendous
distances. Nabiz are repulsed by the color blue, which explains that
color's popularity in adventurers' garb.
Nabiz are practically
impossible to tame. Possibly demonic in nature, they are unusually
sensitive to High Magic and can dramatically increase the effect of
spells. The Nabiz will induce fear in most normal citizens, which
can be very useful when its owner needs to bargain.
These beasts have inspired the following proverb, "Grinning like a wild nabiz at lunchtime."
MISIDENTIFIED NABIZ
During
the time of the Great Monster Uprising, a possibly previously
unidentified creature began to massive migrate across all of Zork.
There are no records of the creature commonly known as the nabiz having
survived during or after that period. But instead, this scray little
mongrel of teeth and claws was mistakingly labeled as a nabiz. And soon
after, citizens and adventurers all over Zork knew this beast as the
nabiz instead of the former (which may have gone extinct during the
Magic Inquisition). Able to tear through flesh like a miniature
tornado, these misidentified creatures are just as deadly.
IMAGE01:
an otherwise unknown creature, falsely called a nabiz