In the legends and tales of mariners the world over there are seemingly countless dread and vicious beasts that churn the dark waters beyond civilization. Though many of these creatures are little more than myth, there are some that are all too real, and all too deadly. Among the most dangerous and feared of all beasts of the deep is the Lake Kraken.

Normally found in deep, subterranean chasms filled with black waters or off-shore canyons where the sun can never reach, the so-called Lake Krakens are not truly Krakens as they are commonly identified, nor do they exist only in lakes. The reason for the naming convention is due to a translation error from Dark Elven trade caravans first encountering one of the beasts and having no other frame for reference.

Ancient and primordial in te extreme, the Lake Kraken is in fact a gigantic, complex Eel-like predator that starts life in a the form of a small, rounded egg "pod". Lake Krakens are born in clusters, with up to a half dozen individuals born into a single egg pod. Unlike a true egg, the pod ruptures only in small portions when it's time for the growing creatures to stretch out into the murk. The so-called egg is, in point of fact, a shared body that the colonial predators use as both a home and an anchoring point. It will grow and molt for centuries, casting off layer after dense, armored layer, slowly acquiring barbs and spikes that will act as a defense against predators through long years of maturation.

The heads of the Kraken are similar to some ancient, deep-sea fish, with teeth made of hardened, sharpened bone rather than simple calcium deposits. Their light-sensitive eyes are somewhat small for the size of their skulls, and the length of their slime-covered, pigment-free bodies are in fact unpleasantly elastic and flexible. They are capable of twisting around themselves as easily as they coil around prey, and can actually collapse their hinged skeletons to squeeze not only into their armored shell but also to slither between coral barriers, rock outcroppings and other obstructions to pursue prey.

Though it seems as if it is a single large entity, the Lake Kraken is actually a colony of ferocious predators that act as one, only ever leaving the comfort of their shell home to search for a mate. Most often the largest of the creatures will do so, leaving gaps in the shell where it once dwelled, frequently never to return. In its place another will grow larger, and the shell will slowly "heal" to close the openings.

The beasts loom up out of the murky depths, striking at ships from all sides in tandem. They love to harass sailing vessels, low-flying airships and swimming prey, with a fondness for Barolte Whales, Mer-kind and giant crustaceans. Though they have preferences, they are still predators of opportunity, and absolutely willing to strike out at any prey that comes their way.

The tail end of each Eel-like beast protrudes from another opening in the shell, where the broad, slippery appendage acts as a grasping tentacle in times of need. Each Kraken "arm" could easily swat a barge under the surface, and given the overall length of a single creature can easily be over 120 feet it's not uncommon for such a blow to actually be mistaken for an assault by a "true" Kraken, such as the Sapphire Beaked Coastal Kraken found off of the Blue Pearl Coast.

Though dangerous and nearly impossible to kill by conventional means, the Lake Krakens do have one thankful weakness: Their incredible longevity and size means they are exceedingly slow to reproduce, meaning their numbers are mercifully small. Naturalists have theorized that there may be fewer than five-hundred of the abyss-dwelling monstrosities in all of Teriss.

A small favor, indeed, for any seafarer hoping to rest easy on the long, dark nights becalmed. One never knows when there are more watchful and malign observers than simply the baleful moons gleaming down from above....

Art by  LustBubbles