Cavernous Maws
Cavernous maws are cavern entrances that either resemble, or are, the gigantic mouths of some great buried creature, leviathan, or behemoth. They may close after characters have entered and may lead to the beast’s belly or other internal areas. If they are simply natural or carved stone features, they may lead to a cave network or other subterranean area. A skull rock may be a cavernous maw.
| Synonyms: cavern mouths |
| Example Mythonyms: the Great Gullet |
Designing Fictional Cavernous Maws
Archetypes
Overview
When designing fictional cavernous maws, how much like a mouth versus how much like a natural cave a maw looks can be an important consideration, particularly in narrative worlds if characters may not know it belongs to a real beast. Vegetation, mud, rock, and natural camouflage can be used to obscure things further.
If there are nearby local communities, cavernous maws may hold religious significance. If the maw belongs to a living creature that slumbers beneath the earth, there may be lore surrounding how it came to be this way. If the creature is awake and waiting for prey, the local community may know to keep its’ distance, or may provide the occasional sacrifice.
