The Freed Manticore#

Summary#

A manticore forced to fight in The Menagerie, freed by Cassian during what was meant to be a routine tournament bout. Bound to its captors by a trebuchet rigged with a steel net—positioned to recapture anything that tried to flee the arena—it initially fought the party, but broke off once Cassian offered genuine freedom instead of combat. Cassian flew it to the trebuchet, charmed the operator into standing down, and let it destroy the machine. It departed unnamed, promising to visit the party’s camp for meat and ale, and to find a name of its own. Source: 2026.09.08.

Notes#

• Speaks Common, and is clearly bound or trained rather than a mindless beast.
• Deeply afraid of “its masters,” who it said would kill it regardless of the bout’s outcome.
• Scarred from prior mistreatment, visible even before the fight began.
• Left unnamed; asked Cassian to help name it, but Cassian deferred: “a man such as myself should not decide the name of such an incredible beast.”

Relationships#

• Cassian: Freed it from its captors and the arena; invited to visit the party’s camp.
• The Menagerie: Its former place of captivity and forced combat.