Karkadann
(Note: This is my take on the Persian mythological creature of the same name. Some depictions of this creature features distinct stripes, inspiring me to adapt the cryptid as a legend for my pre-apocalypse OCs’ universe.)
One of the earliest known records of offspring born between two different sapient species is the legend of Karkadann. Though this legend has taken on several variations, they all describe Karkadann as the offspring of a zeebix and a unicorn, possessing a striped coat, a horn, and an aggressive temperament.
In a village of zeebix in Persia, there was a rather well-respected gatherer who would frequently travel out of the village to bring back supplies. Often, some of these supplies were marked with the emblem of a nearby unicorn village. While some of her fellow villagers assumed she had stolen the items, she insisted that she had been given them through diplomatic means.
The gatherer eventually fell pregnant, to the confusion of her village. She did not have a partner, nor did any of the males in the village claim to have mated with her. When the gatherer gave birth, the villagers were met with a creature that only partially resembled a zeebix cub. The cub lacked wings completely, and even more unusually, possessed cloven hooves in place of paws.
Given the odd physiology and unknown paternity of the male cub, the zeebix villagers harboured mixed reactions to him. Some regarded him as potentially a blessed creature, while others believed he may be cursed or of a malevolent origin. There were even calls from some of the villagers for the newborn cub to be killed, lest he grow into a threat, but they were rejected due to the mother’s respected status. The cub, named Karkadann, was noticeably more aggressive than most zeebix cubs, but too young and small to pose any real concern. As the gatherer began leaving the village to gather supplies once again, she would take her son with her.
However, as time passed, Karkadann began to grow a single horn from the front of his head. The rest of the zeebix villagers reacted to Karkadann’s new horn with a mixture of amazement, confusion, and wariness. While some still believed the cub to be a potentially blessed creature, more and more believed that he was a bad omen, or a unicorn in a zeebix’s skin born to infiltrate the zeebix village. Additionally, Karkadann grew larger and bulkier than typical of the zeebix villagers, and developed a thick, saggy hide. His aggressive temperament made him problematic to the other villagers, as did his strong build.
As tensions began to rise within the village, the gatherer stopped taking Karkadann with her on her trips. Not too long later, a unicorn came to the village demanding the return of his son. It immediately became clear that Karkadann was, in fact, the son of a unicorn from the village the gatherer had been visiting. After learning of the forbidden courtship between the zeebix and the unicorn, the two sides fell into war. It is believed that the gatherer and her mate were among the first killed in this war, yet their son Karkadann survived. Though many deemed him an abomination and sought his demise, the hybrid’s viciousness and fighting physique lead to his survival.
Both the unicorn village and the zeebix village were decimated in the war. Many of those who survived the war were killed by Karkadann, who harboured hatred for both sides, as he blamed them for his cursed existence. Supposedly, after the war ended, Karkadann fled into the plains of Persia where he would live in isolation. Despite his aggressive nature, he would supposedly cure the ills of any traveller who could temporarily soothe his fury. However, should one anger Karkadann (Which would be far too easy to do), he would impale them with his horn.
People who have studied this legend believe that Karkadann’s supposed thick, saggy hide and bulky frame were a developmental abnormality, and his size due to gigantism, the result of being a hybrid. His aggressive temper is also believed to have been caused by his hybridity.
Given that zeebix and unicorns cannot produce offspring through natural means, only though magical intervention, it is strongly believed that Karkadann’s conception was intentional. There are several different theories as to why the pair chose to produce young together, and one goes as follows. Supposedly, the gatherer had fallen in love with a unicorn, who supplied her with food and other materials as a sign of his affection. Eventually, the unicorn had expressed his desire to be the father of her offspring, despite the species barrier. He promised that he could make this seemingly impossible feat happen with magic, but the gatherer did not believe him. Not believing she would be impregnated, she agreed to mate with the unicorn.
Other theories state that the gatherer knew she would bear the hybrid cub, but her love for her mate was greater than her fear of the consequences of the taboo act. One particularly unusual theory is that neither the unicorn nor the zeebix planned to have young, but a spiteful former lover of the unicorn cursed the gatherer to fall pregnant, believing that the zeebix would be shunned once the resulting hybrid was born
Though legends and stories tell of Karkadann’s existence, there exists no known concrete proof. The fate of the zeebix-unicorn hybrid is also unknown. Some suggest he died of natural causes out in the plains, while others suggest he was killed by a travelling human he attacked. There is also speculation that, should the legend of Karkadann be true, he likely would have died fairly young as a result of his heart and other organs being unable to support his size. This is similar to the case of ligers exhibiting gigantism, and suffering heart complications as a result. However, more supernatural theories suggest that Karkadann was in fact immortal and roams the plains to this day, or that his spiteful soul still lingers after his death.
