Chimera fights against Pegasus. Image by Marc Camelbeke
The chimera is a monstrous being of dark origin, hybrid between a lion, a goat and a reptile. The latter is usually a dragon, although it can also be represented by a snake.
The front is that of a large, tan-colored lion. The back is that of a huge black billy goat. It also has gigantic dragon wings, which are usually black or red. It has 3 heads; one of a dragon, another of a lion and the third of a goat.
The chimera can communicate in the magical language of dragons, though it does not stop to speak to creatures it considers inferior.
It has characteristics of the beings of which it is composed. Its habitat will depend on the dominant part of the chimera since the dragon part has a preference to live individually, but its lion part prefers packs.
Chimera flying over the coast. Image by Dan Scott
It normally feeds on the meat of the animals it hunts but, in times of scarcity, it survives thanks to its goat head, which can feed on grasses in the meadows.
This being is extremely dangerous during combat as its lion claws can rend any man with a single sweep. He can also use the head and horns of a goat to bite and hit. But it is his dragon head that is the most feared of the three, especially when he throws a cone of fire.
He likes to accumulate treasure, possibly because of his dragon part, for no other purpose than to make mountains out of it. He harnesses the coins of the men, elves, and other humanoids he attacks and kills to form his golden and silver mountains.
In Greek mythology, the figure of Chimera is destroyed by the hero Bellerophon riding on the back of the steed Pegasus. Pegasus managed to tire and despair the feared Chimera thanks to her greater speed in her flight, which allowed Bellerophon to deal a fatal blow with the tip of his spear.
Related contents