The Leviathan

"Eyes... There are eyes in the deep..."

— Unnamed Sailor, Recovery 500

 

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  People hardly ever choose to believe in living things bigger than what seems possible. The Dwarves believe in The Crawling Mountain, even though it has only been seen by a few, but others always give them a strange look whenever it is brought up.   Yet, sailors share a knowing look whenever they hear the story, because they have a story of their own—one never believed by those who have never stepped foot on a ship. They have their The Gyrnae stories, but they also have their own sea monster...  

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    It is said that the greatest dangers you will face whilst crossing any large body of water are storms and all the waves that are whipped up by them. But when you get out there, when you're all alone except for your fellow sailors and the seagulls that hover up above...   There's something else.   People laugh at the sea monsters drawn in the empty expanses of the maps, in the sprawling oceans and no-man's lands—but there is a reason for that. As soon as you sail over the mid-ocean ridge of The Moonspan Ocean, an eerie feeling creeps over you. The feeling of someone watching you, of following your every move, pricks at your back and it isn't until you peer over the side of the boat that you may catch a glimpse of why.   A pair of large, yellow-green eyes peer up at you from the depths, as if manifesting from the dark itself. Slitted pupils follow your ship until you sail out of sight.   There are not many reports or records of this mysterious beast outside the panicked ramblings of the few survivors that are fished from the sea. Any ship's logs that may have written about the encounter are sent to the ocean floor after the Leviathan is finished with the vessel.   Despite this, the Leviathan is not encountered every time a ship crosses the Moonspan Ocean, allowing for a healthy trade network to exist between Talnor, Beht'adur, and the island continent that is home to Vedour and Coratan. And contrary to what most sailors say, the frequency of attacks seem to correlate only with instances of ships accidentally threatening the massive monster or when fleets of ships directly attack it.   This brings into question the actual morality and motivations of this creature. Is it animalistic? Is it cruel and bloodthirsty? Was it so territorial that it would seek out any ship that drew too close to its lair...?   Only one person can answer that question— and that is the Leviathan himself.  

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Observed Abilities

 

• Immortality – To such short-lived races, the Leviathan is as old as the world, immortal in all aspects and an unkillable menace. Longer-lived races, such as the elves, dwarves, and dragons, see his enduring vitality in a different light. There is a chance that he is not immortal, but simply gifted with an extremely long life.
• Fire-breath (Pyric Exhalation) – This is the ability that often makes the scientists of the elves descend into long and combative debates over whether or not the Leviathan should be considered a type of dragon. This ability has only been witnessed above water, as those who might have been able to see it below the surface never are seen again. It's surmised that flames would not manifest underwater and instead the water before his mouth is heated to boiling.
• Storm Generation (Tempestagenesis) – It is assumed that the Leviathan can create storms at will, since every time he is encountered a storm appears, whipping up the sea and blotting out the sun as massive bolts of lightning rain down from above.
• Waterbreathing – The Leviathan is a creature that lives in the depths, and due to the infrequency of his sightings, it is assumed that he can breath underwater as well as being able to breathe air.

 

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Assumed Stature

 

• Length: approx. 14763.8 feet / 4500 meters / 4.5 kilometers / 2.79617 miles
• Body Thickness: 236.22 feet / 71.999856 meters
• Standing (Rearing) Height: 1 kilometer / 0.621 miles