Hyper-Mega-Goanna – Google Docs
Hyper-Mega-Goanna (HMG)
Well, goannas were merely mildly venomous Australian monitor lizards, about man-length in size; which is to say, no more or less unusual than any other animal native to Australia. But then there was an almighty electrical discharge in the skies above Australasia; the first reports of somewhat altered goannas appeared shortly thereafter. The current generation of Hyper-Mega-Goannas (blame the tabloids) all have a length of about 15 feet, and it’s not entirely clear that the HMGs have stopped growing as a species.
So far, humans have identified three basic types of HMGs. First, there’s the Super Perenties, which live mostly in the Outback: they’re constant burrowers, and some regions now have extensive underground tunnel systems. Then there are the Hyper-Lace monitors: those live in what trees will bear their weight, and some of them seem half-capable of maybe being able to perhaps glide a little, if conditions are right. And then there are the Argus Man-monitors, called that for their recent habit of walking upright all the time — and possibly using wooden tools for river fishing. The evidence for that is still being verified.
What makes these species interesting, aside from the obvious, is that they’re not hostile towards humanity. There is at least one documented occasion where a HMG has come across a hiker lost in the wilderness, and straightforwardly led him to safety; and certainly naturalists have found that HMGs are remarkably relaxed around anybody not trying to kill and eat them. In fact, mildly wounded or injured ones will even seek out veterinarians out in the field and calmly submit to medical treatment.
There’s a lively argument going on among biologists over whether HMGs are sentient; or whether they’re sentient yet. Possibly ‘yet:’ the rapid change in the species is, well, unprecedented. Meanwhile, Australia has gone HMG-crazy, and Japan is gearing up to follow suit. Goanna cartoons and souvenirs and novelty music has swept the country; most of Australia is apparently convinced that the three species are all sentient and can even talk, but choose not to. Certainly Australians get very, very touchy at the idea of anybody their new ‘neighbors’…
Note: HMGs can be anywhere on the intelligence and moral spectrum that you’d like them to be. Maybe they’re proto-dragons. Maybe they’re Serpent Folk. Maybe they’re nice Serpent Folk or proto-dragons who want to settle down and start paying taxes. This write-up can work for an number of campaigns.