The Seadrake

About 600 years ago, when the Roeles still lived to rule Anuire, an Anuirean merchant named Garrilein Suliere sailed the Stra its of Aerele, selling grains, steel, and fabrics from Anuire in Mieres, and ret urning with a cargo hold full of gold and spices. It was a good life; he profited from the trade and helped make others wealthy as well.

Occasionally, he would supplement his cargo with passengers. One mysterious passenger, who paid his weight in gold, proved to be Garrilein's undoing. Though the passage across the Straits lasts only a day, this day would irrevocably change Garrilein's life.

A storm boiled up, and the passenger's cloak was blown from his face. He was scaled and horned, a horrible lizardlike creature, and he began to slaughter the crew where they stood. Though Garrilein was only an average warrior, he couldn't stand idle while his crew was slaughtered. Summoning all his meager courage, he crept up behind the beast and drove a harpoon through its back. It expired on the harpoon, cursing him all the while.

Whether it was the curse, or whether the slaying awoke Garrilein's latent blood, he gradually took on the beast's scales over the next few years. He soon could not show his face in public and was forced to deal through intermediaries and couriers. His appearance continued to worsen, until at last he slipped into the sea in an attempt to kill himself.

He found that immersion in water couldn't kill him; instead, the salt water of the Straits hastened his transformation and he eventually became a small sea serpent. The years have rendered him larger and more powerful; and although he is not actively evil, his transformation continues without cease.

Although he now has little use for it, the Seadrake still collects treasure. Though he can no longer increase his fortune through honest work, he can now take it from the captains of the vessels that ply the Straits of Aerele. He has terrorized ships for the past 500 years, and after the first few decades, few dared deny him the treasure he seeks.

However, the Seadrake does not take lives unless forced to do so in self-defense. He makes an exception for the pirate ships that attempt to steal what would be his. Apparently, he feels some obligation to earn the money he takes from the merchants; killing the pirates is his trade-off.

The Seadrake appears as a SO-foot-long serpent with a large, fanlike crest adorning his back. He is mottled green and blue, and he blends easily into the sometimes turbulent waters of the Straits. Fangs fill his mouth, and the flukes on his forequarters propel him powerfully through the water. He bears no trace of his former humanity except for his morals and his ability to understand all human speech.

The Seadrake can breathe both water and air without difficulty, but he has trouble moving on land. Although he has been known to pursue enemies onto dry land, he prefers the water, where he's more maneuverable and more dangerous.

Combat: Ship captains give tribute to the Seadrake with little fuss for good reason. His bite causes 3d10 damage, enough to rend a normal man in a single pass of razor-sharp teeth. Alternatively, he can make a crushing attack with his two tremendous flukes, each causing 2d8 damage. Any breakable object must save vs. crushing blow when hit by his flippers or be shattered.

The Seadrake has recently discovered that his great size confers two additional forms of attack. He is now of a size such that he can swallow man-sized enemies; when he attacks with his bite, a roll of a natural 19 or 20 means that his victim has been swallowed whole. The victim suffers 1d20 damage passing over rows of teeth and into the Seadrake's gullet, then has 1d6 rounds to cut himself free (by causing 20 points of damage to AC 5) before he drowns and burns to death in powerful stomach bile. Only weapons of size S can be used to cut him; there is no room to wield larger weapons.

The creature's other newly found attack is his crushing coil. He can wrap his length around any ship with a deck width of 20 feet or less and crush it. If the ship's wood fails a save vs. crushing blow, the hull splinters and the ship slowly sinks.

The Seadrake can spit an inkcloud from under his flukes to assist his escape. The ink acts as a darkness spell with a SOfoot radius underwater; it is ineffective above water.

The Seadrake regenerates 2 hp per round while his wounds are underwater. If a wound is exposed to air for more than 3 rounds, it must heal normally. If reduced to -10 hit points, the Seadrake dies.

Habitat/Society: The Seadrake has no society. He lives alone in a grotto under Baerghos Isle, gazing upon his treasure. A primitive tribe is said to live on the isle and worship the Seadrake as a god, but no one has set foot on the island in over two centuries to verify this.

Ecology: The Seadrake patrols the Straits of Aerele, eating sharks and whales. If these are not available, he can survive on plankton or seaweed. He drags the tribute donated to him by sailors eager to avoid his wrath to his underwater grotto. A few reckless adventurers have pilfered from. this grotto over the years, and many more plan carefully to enter when the Seadrake is away, but this is a foolish venture, for the Seadrake keeps no schedule, and can return at any instant. Despite his generally passive nature, he will kill anyone who tampers with his treasure. Although he has no use for the treasure, he enjoys its company and guards it jealously.

A theory has been offered that the Seadrake collects treasure to remind him of his lost humanity. Some say he would do anything to regain that life, or to end this one. They're wrong in one respect-he fights viciously when attacked, as if he were afraid of death.

Travelers on the Straits should be warned: Though the Seadrake can be bargained with, he demands tribute. He is nothing less than unreasonable if denied. No one has lived to tell a tale of escaping the Seadrake by promising to return with more gold. Though he is greedy, he is not stupid. No one escapes an encounter with the Seadrake with a full purse.