Earth Drake
Rakgrel: "The Crystal Mountain"
Range: The Badlands
Physical Appearance: The Crystal Mountain is aptly named: Rakgrel moves along beneath a gargantuan shell composed entirely of crystals, arrayed in a myriad of colors. These crystals range from the common to the precious, from the minute to the monstrous, adorning even Rakgrel's head and tapering tail, with an explosion of them at the end. Rakgrel can apparently see well enough through its crystalline shell, as hardly any have ever seen what lies beneath it, whether the creature is at rest or on the move. Even its tracks tell nothing certain, for it leaves the ground evenly crushed behind it, and often a wave of residue rides ahead of the giant. Those who draw too near to Rakgrel disappear with surprising swiftness, devoured.
The Crystal Mountain's actual name is Rrckgrll (rrc-k-grl); Rakgrel is an approximation, though who got close enough to learn the beast's true name and carry it back to safety nobody knows. Rakgrel is undoubtedly the largest and the slowest of the great drakes of the Badlands; a true behemoth, it lumbers where it will across most of the land, unhindered by marsh, mountain, sand or river. Sometimes known as the Quake-Maker, the only hint of the extent of Rakgrel's power comes when, for some rare reason, it is irritated. It can set the land to tremors then, until its rage is expended. These incidents are thankfully rare. Nobody remembers the last time somebody or something was suicidal enough to challenge Rakgrel outright, and whole settlements will up and move should they fall in its path.
