What is a Grootslang?
For the Leslie Kim Serials, I wanted a mixture of fantasy and science fiction elements. The fantasy part comes in to play with the Mythical creatures that Leslie hunts. He’s a monster hunter turned private investigator.
In serial #101, he is hunting a mythical creature called the Grootslang. I did not create this character, but I discovered some interesting lore about it in my research.
The Wikipedia article describes it as, “In Benin, it is said to be a huge elephant-sized serpent. Also according to the tale, Grootslangs covet gems, particularly diamonds, and despite the creatures’ lust for cruelty, victims can often bargain for their freedom by offering a Grootslang enough precious gems.”
In some representations of the Grootslang, it had some features like an elephant and others like a snake. This fit into my story because I needed some large, scaly creature. It is said to live in caves and in water.
The Grootslang in my book is sort of ground zero for this substance that burns people’s skin. The fact that the Grootslang traveled through water allowed for interesting circumstances where the water system is effected and causes big problems.
The Grootslang is also an Earth dwelling creature according to lore, so how is it on another planet? In my story, the Kapatonian (aliens) have brought a number of mythical creatures from Earth to their planet, Kapaton.
The Kapatonians are researching these creatures to try and discover ways to genetically modify their own species. On their own, they are kind of weak. Their immune systems are poor, they have tentacles on the backs of their heads, and although they are much larger than humans, these weaknesses make them vulnerable. With interspace travel being an option, they need some way to protect themselves against incoming diseases and species with stronger weapons.
So, when they bring the Grootslang to their planet, they are hoping to study it and uncover it’s hidden secrets. Things go south when the Grootslang escapes captivity and contaminates the water supply.
In the first serial, Leslie is tasked with defeating the big elephant-snake creature.
I hope this post gives a little more information into what a Grootslang is and why it’s relevant to my story, Mythical Investigations.
To find out more about the lore, consider visiting the wiki page.
To read more about the Intergalactic Monster Hunter, consider downloading Mythical Investigations for free from Amazon!
Mythical Investigations, Leslie Kim Serials #101, click here!
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