Seal

Seals were arctic animals common to the Great Glacier and Icewind Dale.

Description
Seals of the Great Glacier had thick, brown-colored fur. They had powerful flippers. Seals had smallish heads with sharp teeth.

Behavior
Seals could be observed chasing birds and fish, leaping from snow banks, and sunning on icebergs. They were thought of as playful, but could be ferocious when fighting.

A seal could hold its breath for a very long time and was a superb swimmer.

Combat
Seals were territorial and might defend their selected area of land with a dangerous bite.

Ecology
Seals lived in arctic coastal regions, usually in coves, and spent much of their time in the cold seas. They thrived in the ice-filled waters of the Lugalpgotak and Nakalpgotak Seas, living in colonies of between ten and 100 animals. Young were kept in the safety of the coves with the females, while the males, called bulls, did most of the hunting.

Uses
Seals were one of the primary game animals hunted by the Iulutiun people, providing them with food, fuel, and clothing. Residents of the Great Glacier used seal skin in the construction of Umiaks.

Varieties
Three unique species of seal lived on the Great Glacier: A number of seal species were also found in the Moonsea.
 * Scoop seals, which had shovel-like flippers used for burrowing in snow,
 * Chatter seals, which mimicked voices, much like mockingbirds, and
 * Fanged seals, which had especially sharp teeth.
 * Rocky shore seals, inhabitants of the rocky shores that were common in the eastern portions of the Moonsea.
 * Sea bears, large and aggressive predators, rarely found in the eastern Moonsea. Their population was dwindling around 1371 DR.
 * River Lis seals, nocturnal spotted seals that made eerie sounds, common in the River Lis.
 * Moonsea seals, rarely hunted compared to other seals of the region, found throughout the entire Moonsea.
 * Sea hags, enormous herbivorous seals that were thought to have gone extinct by 1341 DR.
 * Moonsea tuskers, enormous seals that fed on crustaceans, thought to have gone extinct before 1071 DR due to overhunting.

Notable Seals
The human druid Mantiera spent much of her time in the shape of a seal.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * The Rise of Tiamat


 * Fiction
 * Sword Play (mentioned only)
 * Dangerous Games (mentioned only)
 * Mortal Consequences (mentioned only)
 * Darkwell (mentioned only)
 * Passage to Dawn
 * Realms of Mystery: "Thieves' Justice" (mentioned only)
 * Tangled Webs (mentioned only)
 * Windwalker (mentioned only)
 * Realms of the Deep: "Fire is Fire" (mentioned only)
 * The Ruin (mentioned only)
 * Plague of Spells (mentioned only)