According to Cryptid Wiki, the Achlis is a creature mentioned in Roman mythology by Pliny the Elder in the 1st century. He described the beast, as looking somewhat like an elk, but had one very strange characteristic.
The Achli is said to have an upper lip that was so large it had to graze backwards to avoid its lip falling over its mouth. This was a huge problem because its back legs had no joints.
Another strange characteristic of the Achlis’s physiology, is that it is forced to sleep standing up. It would also lean against a tree while resting. This allowed hunters to easily catch them. The hunters could chop halfway through the tree where the creature slept and then when the Achlis put any weight on it, it fell onto the ground. Because of its back legs, it could not get to its feet fast enough to get away. Poor Achlis!
Writing Prompt Notes
Since there is not a lot of literature on this creature, I would like to assign a few more characteristics to it, so that this writing prompt may be a bit easier to imagine.
- The Achlis is a shapeshifter.
- The Achlis is mischievous, but not evil. It’s long lip is muscular and can be used as a tool…instead of just being flabby extra skin, as originally thought. The creatures purpose as a forest creature with a long lip is to help feed smaller, more feeble animals and creatures. It’s mischievous nature shows when it reaches up and steals honey or digs into the ground to eat the roots vegetables in the farmer’s gardens. This thievery is quite premeditated and is not the result of instincts for food gathering. Because of it’s superior intelligence, it is able to achieve it’s goals without pushback from anyone or anything.
- That is until he meets…(insert name.)
The Achlis cannot be killed for it’s meat. When hunters see the Achlis “sleeping,” as the legend goes, they obviously try to kill, this magnificent, highly intelligent creature. It shapeshifts then and “catches,” the hunter instead. The Hunter is in the Achlis’s lair before he even knows what to do or can even think to fight back.
The Achlis’s ultimate mission is to recruit hunters to train as warriors in the forthcoming battle with Achlis’s mortal enemy. This is a good vs. evil writing prompt. Who is the Achlis’s mortal enemy. Why are they going to have an epic battle? When will this battle take place? How will it end, and what are the stakes?
If you find this prompt fun and interesting and decide to expand on it- let me know how this story ends in the comment section below, and as usual…happy writing!