![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbZbEC460ZPUJ9MffPNjqNB3nqx-vhrNfjXF_ERIyF8kU-2so7rv68V6GT_y4ePJnYwPRsrrWu4ox9JGssYeOjDd5xaxiMir74iwFVz_Iz0iQIWp2StnAEMqAJjwT9SYaFm_bPPRshfyM/s320/JonstonCatoblepas.jpg)
The gnu (or wildebeest), is an antelope that is the source of a number of monsters from the AD&D Monster Manual.
A. The gnu appears as its normal, everyday self under the entry of Herd Animal.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJyVYNFA9qFrZ-gHaOdwj2AuYO2Usq0mnSCmOEdbUuGR_iuM9-MVpjpKHHcTacwFucvmLXBf49XNa42QtvPI1lsOJDd3_orC8ums5ehS2tEnqts3d-ECp-6-BpVWq8shhSY9DqOQdpEY6/s320/135264.jpg)
The only gnu in 25mm comes from the Veldt Animals set (Ral Partha 31-032). The miniatures are still available from Ral Partha Europe, and at one time, you could order single castings of the animals, but that may not be an option any more.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqM16ZcRDOZ2IVzPt3PgzeJQKCeO5MHkHybB7OauUSlByVIfBYLnnvOjBJeCFmMUh8J29Vjtcbx6hJvrwDEwRqBN1Cgy_FYCE_NPyk8TD_JH98ZL22RoAT0D5US521oxmemi5f_0JCn47m/s320/gnu.jpg)
☆
B. The D&D catoblepas can trace its origin to Pliny, and it is now believed to have been derived from second-hand accounts of the gnu.
– Natural History
The only miniature of the catoblepas is from the Ral Partha AD&D line, but it is entirely too big (IMO), because the catoblepas is described as being the size of a bull.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicd_P3MwbA7orFG9xa1QOqenXHqx4gJxBTEA3Rc_2aeyFPMfxgx00xIqzfHwqq-2SJ3O8r-wJ1D1smeYlXpA96a9CtUz7AEyUzgKCVSFaJHWMcsRSaUEjq5Q2Brsr08zydvCLfhUu1Smbo/s320/skullpig1.jpg)
However, I stumbled upon some Ral Partha Skull Pigs for Werewolf: The Apocalypse (Ral Partha 69-025), which I thought would make a good start as the basis to create a figure modeled after Trampier's catoblepas from the Monster Manual.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgCJ5dxteGP7s484reSHL5CsnMA76kKXBfJ1J7k8wwU4oTOcL1uDC7XKdE1oWO1RqbOmQDbv8ZcSu4ipipDperZbappwKp2AIJtJWhTzauYTGFA0woqbk02YyoywRTaK1WPn2sTt1pOwB/s320/Catoblepas_DAT.jpg)
The Skull Pigs are roughly the size of a gnu, and the miniatures come in two poses, each composed of four pieces (body, head, and two tusks).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYOxufMb_doW1EvElcwlvztSeOG_E0LeY9aKMfaA6k4RrMIgvDkE5A6AQUnTXHFDHByeTTyvavcyFu11rtSTog_tf06H5uPXRuPMe377IGrcqkfnx90rjKHQ2Lys9j2nSyL2WIDeP1xmBq/s320/skullpig2.jpg)
So far, I have drilled some holes in the neck of one of the Skull Pigs, and glued several pieces of floral wire in the holes.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvLhvYCMqwRUqgeLwb75ag939iq8KpUTOMpuWV5fXEhhEQCAziV-xv7h-YEmDF9khUDwjgX6ItemuZJlBQs2wJFg2xr54iBXbb1rTh09dWVkgpp96hBgX07OLjW938GENBYZONu7t4sS4/s320/skullpig3.jpg)
I then bent the wires to form the neck.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidP0cEG-bIJ7FpkEjstkGvQQcBNJxXjjul9lo5xqF6Dy2z-JCypydmeKmag3o4GzBQaURSF7WVWI2lkn47wt9G5hH2fMoMmhYAN1Qhs-GbPT3Nl3-YfJA77c14gUj-qOAbqbtAtOlbVwNT/s320/skullpig4.jpg)
J-B STIK was used to firm up the connection between the body and the wire neck, and a paper clip tail was glued in place.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwba8pmWep4nimBI3U2yLvzznlQOy_YM7K6q2WtIoKo0trTlsK-pzCBuXhlhFsLIUppEsd4FnV-geEj43z_Kt1zqVn_z2lUF_uZnN48wQ__QMkNi1AP3J3zfnZG72R63LImXGBxPwN6eZ/s320/DSCN6958.jpg)
The next step will be to modify the head, but just as a preview, I used some Elmer's-Tack to attach the Skull Pig head to the rest of the body.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-LsdhnsNYOTB3lnfpZcmdM5PMajWeder2lnGvlRBb9All-7MKXemkKBwMi3AbG-zFQ5KYmrHN0J-sdLwAKPmkIjmtYGkH8w3p8j0Qtffg-3y43ERLMeog51f3TrIgopXAEOcvfCDQqnt/s320/DSCN6959.jpg)
Sculpting the head will be the hardest part, but hopefully I'll be able to get some time to work on this during the upcoming holidays.
C. The D&D gorgon is the final creature that originates from the gnu. Essentially it merges elements of Aelianus' decription of the catoblepas with elements of Phalaris' brazen bull.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMnwEyQJsWDVu5zwa2r9f940X1fe_MAFIkFArLsPjS3kPMnTHcSEUva9PoGSqsAV7cKu0QwDD4QWUW0Nex3vrC-1f1k9NvIYlqA-h5QpwgQ-EmSiPKWcxihfEIhIrKkiWN7W7yM25_A3_/s320/Topsell+gorgon.jpg)
– On Animals
Two suitable old school gorgons for 25mm are the Ral Partha Gorgonian Brass Bull (02-410) and the Grenadier Iron Bull (Monster Manuscripts MM38). The brass bull has a mix of plates and scales, while the iron bull is completely covered in plates. Both miniatures are nice, but I'd like to get a model completely covered in scales like in the picture above. Reaper makes a miniature similar to this, but it is probably twice the size of either of my current gorgons, so it's way too big.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSAf4-RnKuBArhJNiynqKYmdz84M9-emifq4B1zmysdxLrMukUfqVlvYUuO8HkhV7hh6eGEEH9Ts62et7JRtWcoziBMAjlRDyDJZ7d5LgRyGd_cL4qWMfqTVyt5pzl8-zHfFJQF0VTRhH/s320/gorgon.jpg)
D. And lastly, so as not to seem biased towards the gnu, I present the yak.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vZjyD9YfpULyi-WZJe9Y58SIvWqPFEDxh9cZcBhw7plxdx7lcBtuL-54P5E-Xz6LEUbNNbaLYIYBeIIvqhyphenhyphen5AMU-4vdhiUEasOxoGBYRfyHtTrc-9QGvZMJeQxJg7D0ujczAm8kxi8ll/s320/white_yak.jpg)
hiss, spit and kick, and refuse to move.
I know of three companies that make yak miniatures. Two of these companies' yaks are 28mm, and the third is listed as 25/28mm. Taking a chance that their yak would not be too big, I ordered the 25/28mm yak from Irregular Miniatures (AN22).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYvYkxKsczaPXRYZmE4V1ux49FMjzF2sm-SOZD-oPlLHxbS0Sx9ck49Dgcnh8m1Qdav2oqoFQdrxWfyn-clRlXwLFuflIip3BEGFA0DOAe22_Wcw6ODs8Rtm-fvAjcgiFWWGGobLtTRX8/s320/DSCN6960.jpg)
Unfortunately, the Irregular yak is too big to use as a typical domestic yak (probably 1.6m or less at the shoulder). There are said to be wild yaks that are over 2m at the shoulder, so I suppose that the Irregular yak can be used as one of those.