Zakharan kraken

Zakharan Kraken are an albino race of air- and water- breathing squid-like creatures that dwell in the dark depths of the ocean Once, they were smaller and lived in shallow coastal waters, where human worshippers served them and brought them sacrifices. Some upheaval in nature or possibly a battle with forces of good made the surviving monsters retreat to the depths. Although their number dwindled to a mere handful, the survivors grew huge and powerful. Kraken now seek to kill good creatures and to devour all life smaller than they. Kraken are aggressive hunters, able to battle even large sperm whales and win.

Combat: kraken's tentacles are Armor Class 5. The body is protected by a thick and durable shell and has an armor class of 0. The head is AC -4, and attackers attempting to strike it suffer a +2 initiative penalty that round (to get past the tentacles). Tentacle damage is painful to a kraken but not fatal, as it can regenerate lost tentacles in a matter of weeks. Swimming forward it moves at a slow rate of 3, but jetting backward it travels at a rate of 21.

A kraken attacks with two barb-covered tentacles, six other tentacles, and a huge beak. A kraken uses at least two of its 10 tentacles to anchor and stabilize itself in combat. The barbed tentacles rake and draw prey to the beaked mouth. If the others hit, they wrap and constrict the prey, causing 2-12 point of damage on the second and each subsequent round. To escape, the tentacle must be severed (16 points of damage from a sharp weapon in a single blow). Each tentacle hit impairs the victim: roll 1d4. A character who is constricted may have one arm (1 = left or 2 = right), no arms (3), or both arms (4) pinned.

If three or more of its tentacles are severed, the creature will immediately retreat. Its 80' x 80' x 120' ink cloud is poisonous for 2-5 rounds, until diluted by the sea water. Creatures exposed to the sepia ink suffer 1-6 points of damage per round (no saving throw). Meanwhile, the kraken jets backward to its lair.

Kraken can create airy water in a sphere 130' across or a hemisphere 260' across for one day. They can use the following powers at will: faerie fire for 8 hours, control temperature in a 400' radius for one day, control winds once per day, weather summoning once per day, and animal (fish) summoning III three times per day.

Kraken often attack ships to drag them down. Larger than the largest squid, a kraken can drag vessels up to 60' long under the waves. Larger ships are dragged to a halt in five rounds. If a kraken can grasp the ship with six or more tentacles for three consecutive rounds during an attack, the vessel suffers damage as if it had been rammed. It then takes on water, and within 2-8 rounds the ship will have lost enough buoyancy so that the kraken can easily drag it under.

Habitat/Society: Kraken are solitary creatures except during mating season, which coincides with the monsoons. At this time the kraken gather in the deepest trenches of the ocean, where they leave their eggs to hatch.

Some kraken maintain air-filled cavern complexes where they keep and breed human slaves to serve and feed them. The kraken stock these undersea dungeons by using wind and weather to bring vessels to the area. Such lairs have treasure type A in addition to the treasure indicated above.

Ambitious kraken make pacts with sahuagin or ixitxachitl, agreeing not to destroy them in exchange for their servitude and tribute. These kraken use their servants to strike against shipping and coastal cities.

Ecology: Zakharan kraken prey on whales, giant squid and octopi, and occasionally young zaratan. They especially hate the aboleth, whom they consider unnatural upstarts. They have no natural enemies, though some legends say that rocs will eat young kraken basking near the surface of the ocean, and the marid hunt them for sport.