Stone Matriarchs. Basilisk whelps are born in small clutches of no more than a dozen or so eggs, watched over by a basilisk matriarch. After laying her eggs, the matriarch slowly turns to stone, her petrified body deterring predators and providing a first meal full of vital nutrients for her hatchlings. Poachers that are able to get a old of an intact petrified matriarch can earn enough gold to live in luxury, particularly if they can seize her unhatched brood as well.