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Eels were aquatic creatures.

Species[]

Dreel[]

Dreel eels, sometimes known as trollfingers due to their appearance, were a species of river eel found in the River Reaching in the Western Heartlands. Their bodies were short, yet fat, and green-black in color. They subsisted upon algae and carrion, which kept the river's waters both clean and clear. They had a taste reminiscent of mucus, but could be quite nourishing, thus they were often fried with certain herbs or spices to mask their natural taste.[4]

Electric[]

Electric eels were a rarely-sighted species in Faerûn[5] that possessed the unique ability to discharge a field of electricity.[6]

Kreel[]

Kreels were large eels domesticated by Athasian lizardmen.[7]

Icewind[]

Neverwinter-Eel Icewind

The Icewind eel

Icewind eels were a species endemic to the Sea of Moving Ice. They were a commonly served dish within taverns across the coast of Icewind Dale, often served battered and fried.[8]

Lamprey[]

Lampreys were a species of leech-like eels.[9]

Moonsea[]

Moonsea eels were a species endemic to the Moonsea.[10]

Moray[]

Moray eels were large eels with a very dangerous bite.[11][12]

Mkunga[]

Neverwinter-Eel Mkunga

The Mkunga

Mkungas were a large species of eel endemic to the inland rivers of the Chultan Peninsula. They typically migrated downstream to the Trackless Sea to give birth in shallow, brackish inlets. Most would return upstream until they matured, though some would spend their whole lives within those estuary waters.[13]

Onsler[]

Onsler eels were a species of freshwater eel that inhabited shallow streams and deep rivers throughout the Heartlands. They had pale skin, marked with dusty-white spots, and soft sucker mouths. They were sensitive to extreme temperatures and would die if water got either too cold or too hot. They were a rather passive and herbivorous species, subsisting on algae as well as aquatic mosses and lichen. They were capable of living longer than the average human; their bodies grew longer and broader as they aged, with young specimens being more cylindrical and older ones being more flatter. Their flesh had a pleasant texture, but was rather tasteless, thus they were typically doused in sauce or heavily seasoned.[14]

Splar[]

Splars were a species of eel with wing-like fins that allowed them to leap from out of the water.

Suckertails[]

Suckertails were a variety of eels from Laerakond, highly appreciated by the people of Tarmalune due to their eating habits.[15]

Vilhon[]

Vilhon eels were a species endemic to the Vilhon Reach. They had long and ribbon-like bodies, black in color with green mottling. They often proved difficult to catch by fishermen using nets. They were a local delicacy in Nimpeth.[16]

Weed[]

Weed eels were a highly venomous species of eel, whose bite could kill even an adult human.[3][2] Living in colonies in both fresh- and saltwater, they usually hid in the weeds near shore. They looked like seaweed to those untrained at spotting them[3][2]

Wolf[]

Neverwinter-Eel Wolf

The Wolf eel

Wolf eels, otherwise known as akoak by Ice Hunters, were a rare species endemic to the Sea of Fallen Stars. Their bodies were blue and had large crushing jaws capable of eating sea barbs, woolly crabs and oysters. Ice Hunters that swam alongside them during exceptionally warm summers noted that they were generally non-threatening and curious creatures.[8]

Ecology[]

Usages[]

  • Eel pie was a common dish across Faerûn.[17]
  • Eel was used in brassla, a traditional Luskan rice dish.[18]
  • It was quite common for inns of average quality in coastal areas of the Realms to serve roasted eel as the third part of a four-course meal.[19]
  • Live eels were served in Braundlae's Best.[20]
  • Snail-and-eel soup was made by the lizardfolk of the Vast Swamp around 1374 DR.[21]
  • Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue sold eel skins at a price of 2 sp per 4 in (0.1 m) squared.[22] The skin of eels was sometimes used to make boots — the minstrel Llewellyn the Loquacious was one known person to own such boots.[23]
  • Bandoliers, belts, and harnesses made from treated eelskin was common among all the sentient creatures of Serôs.[24]
  • Eelskin was also used to make clothing by watersoul genasi.[25]
  • In Tulmene the taverns the Fast Sails and the Sail At Sunset offered their patrons eel-filled tarts and salted eels respectively.[26]
  • In Waterdeep, eels could be found for sale in the city's fishmarkets. They were also one of the few things for sale during the winter.[27]
  • In Sumbria of the Blade Kingdoms, pickled eels were a common food item found in pantries, including the pantry of the Palace of Sumbria.[28]

History[]

In 1217 DR, the Princess of Sumbria and an amateur sorceress Milianna Mannicci da Sumbria, managed to accidentally conjure a wild furry green glutinous creature in her attempts to master the Art. The wild thing raided the Palace of Sumbria's pantries, stealing dried hogfish and pickled eels. The perpetrator occasionally left half-eaten eels behind.[28]

Notable Eels[]

Rumors & Legends[]

In the 14th century DR, the moat surrounding the city of Sundabar was rumored to be filled with man-eating eels. Volothamp Geddarm noted this in his book, Volo's Guide to the North, and expressed doubt that those eels would survive each winter.[30]

Trivia[]

Appendix[]

See Also[]

Notes[]

  1. The 2nd edition alignment given in the original source is "Nil", which should be read as Neutral according to this Sage Advice answer by Skip Williams in Dragon Magazine Issue #155: "The nil alignment rating is a holdover from an early draft of the Monstrous Compendium material. Originally, a rating of nil indicated that a creature was not intelligent enough to have an alignment at all. However, the nil rating was dropped during rewriting and should have been replaced with the neutral alignment."

Gallery[]

Appearances[]

Novels & Short Stories

Video Games

Referenced only
Baldur's Gate III

External links[]

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the following links do not necessarily represent the views of the editors of this wiki, nor does any lore presented necessarily adhere to established canon.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Richard Baker, Joseph D. Carriker, Jr., Jennifer Clarke Wilkes (August 2005). Stormwrack. Edited by John D. Rateliff, John Thompson. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 166. ISBN 0-7869-3689-4.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), pp. 117–118. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 36. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
  4. Ed Greenwood (October 2012). Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 91. ISBN 0786960345.
  5. James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “Coastal Aquatic Lands: The Sea of Fallen Stars”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 7. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
  6. Gary Gygax (August 1983). Monster Manual II 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 62. ISBN 0-88038-031-4.
  7.  (1998). Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four. (TSR, Inc), p. 32. ISBN 0-7869-1212-X.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Cryptic Studios (August 2016). Neverwinter: Storm King's Thunder. Perfect World Entertainment.
  9. Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 59. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
  10. Brian Cortijo and Christopher Perkins (January 2013). “The Vulture's Feast”. In Kim Mohan, Miranda Horner eds. Dungeon #210 (Wizards of the Coast) (210)., p. 12.
  11. Richard Baker, Joseph D. Carriker, Jr., Jennifer Clarke Wilkes (August 2005). Stormwrack. Edited by John D. Rateliff, John Thompson. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 166. ISBN 0-7869-3689-4.
  12. Allen Varney (May 1989). Knight of the Living Dead. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 978-0880385985.
  13. Cryptic Studios (July 2017). Neverwinter: Tomb of Annihilation. Perfect World Entertainment.
  14. Ed Greenwood, The Hooded One (2012-09-11). Questions for Ed Greenwood (2012). Candlekeep Forum. Retrieved on 2020-07-22.
  15. Ed Greenwood (February 2009). “Backdrop: Tarmalune”. In Chris Youngs ed. Dragon #372 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 47.
  16. Rand Sharpsword (May 2002). More of the Vilhon Reach! (HTML). Rand's Travelogue. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-09-20. Retrieved on 2012-03-10.
  17. Ed Greenwood (2019-03-01). Street Food in Cormyr and the Wider Realms (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2022-04-14. Retrieved on 2022-04-14.
  18. Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 128. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
  19. Ed Greenwood (2019-10-06). Four-course meals of the Realms (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2019-10-17. Retrieved on 2021-05-16.
  20. Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb (April 1998). Cormyr: A Novel. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 220–226. ISBN 0-7869-0710-X.
  21. Richard Baker, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan, Matthew Sernett, James Wyatt (March 2007). Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 40. ISBN 978-0-7869-4119-3.
  22. Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), p. 37. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
  23. Ed Greenwood, Julia Martin, Jeff Grubb (1993). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised), Shadowdale. (TSR, Inc), p. 46. ISBN 1-5607-6617-4.
  24. Steven E. Schend (1999). Sea of Fallen Stars. (TSR, Inc), p. 36. ISBN 0-7869-1393-2.
  25. Paulina Claiborne (May 2012). The Rose of Sarifal (Kindle ed.). (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 1. ASIN B006NPFFHY.
  26. Ed Greenwood (July 2000). Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate II. Edited by Duane Maxwell, David Noonan. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 86–87. ISBN 0-7869-1626-5.
  27. Ed Greenwood (2019-07-31). Fish markets of Waterdeep (Tweet). theedverse. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2021-05-24. Retrieved on 2021-05-24.
  28. 28.0 28.1 Pauli Kidd (November 1996). The Council of Blades. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 53, 56. ISBN 978-0786905317.
  29. Mike Pondsmith, Jay Batista, Rick Swan, John Nephew, Deborah Christian (1988). Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms (Volume II). (TSR, Inc), p. 117. ISBN 0-88038-608-8.
  30. Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 180. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
  31. Ed Greenwood (July 1995). Volo's Guide to Cormyr. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 49. ISBN 0-7869-0151-9.
  32. Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 107, 111. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
  33. Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), p. 9. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.