Rare Game: Rageclaw, Biding Mantis, Wood Toad, Tarasque

Onwards with Final Fantasy XII's rare game. I may have had a bit of stuff over the last couple of weeks but these entries will persist. Today we cover the mantis and toad type rare game.


Rageclaw:

"Scythe Mantis born with naught in its heart but rage"- from the in game bestiary entry. I think that sums up why this guy is called the Rageclaw quite nicely.

Biding Mantis:

An appropriate name for a preying mantis like enemy. Mantis are quite happy to bide their time waiting for prey to wander into range.

Wood Toad:

As a denizen of the Salikawood  this creature's name is quite apt. The Japanese name for it, the Sneak Frog, is also appropriate given this rare game's spawning conditions. The Wood Toad spawns 20% of the time and spawns with the invisible status making it rather sneaky indeed.



Tarasque:

 

Statue of the Tarasque near King Rene's castle, Tarascon

This is our first creature who has it's origins in France. The Tarasque is a turtle like dragon that terrorized the Provence region in southern France sometime around the 1100s. The creature features in one of the stories around St Martha. In her wanderings she came across the town of Nerluc which the Tarasque had been bothering. The villagers' attempts at quelling the monster had met with little success- their bolts and blades simply rebounding of the creatures tough hide. St Martha went to the beast and through prayer and piety tamed it. Thence they returned to the city with the Tarasque meekly following. The villagers, still frightened, took up arms against it as they drew near. The Tarasque placidly took their blows and, despite it's tough hide, eventually succumbed to the wounds. Martha then told the villagers of their folly and converted them to Christianity. In honor of the beast they changed the name of their town to Tarascon. Even today the town honours the Tarasque with statues and festivals.

There is also a Dungeons and Dragons creature called the Tarasque which ranks among the toughest of foes. A species of therapod dinosaur discovered in Pourcieux, France, is named Tarascosaurus, after the beast of legend.

Rare Game: Rain Dancer, Razorfin, Apsara

Rare game: A collection of fish

Rain Dancer

The Rain Dancer of Giza Plains

 Rain Dancing is a traditional form of weather manipulation that appears in cultures around the world. The most famous of the rain dancers would be those in various Native American tribes. Rain Dancers also appeared among Slavic people and ancient Chinese Wu Shamans.

The rain dancing aspect fits well with this rare game as it only spawns during the rainy season of the Giza plains.

Razorfin

The Razorfin

Pretty straight forward with this one. The Razorfin sports a set of sharp blade like fins. This creature, encountered in the Garamsythe waterway, bears a physical resemblance to an orca or killer whale.



Apsara

An Apsara Dancer

Apsaras are female spirits of clouds and water from Hindu and Bhuddist mythology. They are often equated with western Nymphs. The epic tales Rigveda and Mahabarata include various Apsara in supporting roles. They are elegant dancers and attendants in the court of Indra.

There is also a Cambodian traditional dance inspired by these creatures called the Robam Tep Apsara (Dancce of the Apsara Divinities).

The Apsara