Bogyn's Nastiness Rating: Variable, not typically less than 72 (Nastiness Incarnate) for adults
Creature Families: Chimeric, Goop (as infants)
A dangerous and strange creature found in caves throughout Battal, but is hard to recognize on sight. The Chimera begins life hatching from a clutch of eggs and emerging as a protoplasmic pink ball with two flabby flipper-like arms and red, suction cup-like feet. It travels through the air by inhaling deeply and floating on the wind.
Chimera feed on anything that comes to their attention, from plant to animal. The thing that makes the Chimera truly notable is the fact that it incorporates the genetic structure of whatever it eats into itself, taking "you are what you eat" literally. A very old Chimera looks totally different from its young stage, often appearing as a mishapen amalgamation of various animal parts. The first Chimera recorded, for instance, had fed on a goat, a lion, and a serpent of some sort - and was thus an amalgamation of those creatures.
Chimera reproduce asexually, laying eggs when they have built up enough biomass, which hatch into more blobs. Occasionally however, a Chimera's reproductive organs (usually left untouched throughout the transformations) will mutate and pass on its amalgamated genetic information - spawning a new hybrid species entirely produced by the Chimera's genetic mixing. Examples of Creatures descended from mutant Chimera include Basilisks, Cockatrices, Griffins, Gryphons, Hippogriffs, Manticores, Harpies, and Sphinxes.
There is some speculation that Zonard himself was either a Chimera, or descended from a Chimera, thus explaining his genetic ability to reproduce with anything to create hybrids.
Blue Magickians and Mighty Morphin' Mages chiefly base their abilities on the power of Chimeras, in one way or another. Duruds practice similar beliefs to the Chimera's lifestyle, but this is totally coincidental, as Chimeras did not have contact with the seventh herd of minotaur until Zonardia fell back down to the surface.