A giant squid was a rare, gargantuan, and powerful squid.[2][1][3]
Description[]
These squids were similar to the standard mollusks that posed no threat to society. Giant squids, however, were dangerous hunters, and would attack anything they encountered, even ships.[1] They were absolutely huge, measuring over 60 feet (18 meters) long, and had ten powerful tentacles.[2] Giant squids were protected by a hard shell, but were vulnerable in other areas.[3]
Behavior[]
Giant squids were excellent and fast swimmers, and able to jet away at extremely quick speeds.[1]
Combat[]
Such creatures mainly attacked by constricting their foes with their strong tentacles and biting them. It was possible for these squids to have their tentacles severed, and if so, they grew back within a few days. If they were losing a fight, they were able to emit huge inky clouds and swim away.[1]
Many sailors believed that many vessels had little chance of surviving a giant squid attack,[2] with stories abounding of the mollusks snapping galleons in half[4] or dragging whole ships to the bottom of the ocean.[2] However, in reality most giant squids fell short of accomplishing such impressive feats.[4]
Sub-Species[]
- Giant river squid
- A species of giant squid that was endemic to the rivers of Kara-Tur.[5]
- Kraken
- Some believed that krakens were actually a species of giant squid.[2]
Ecology[]
Giant squids lived largely solitary lives, having no need to hunt in groups.[1]
Habitats[]
These squids appeared in natural waters, such as in the Staunt Pools of Luruar[6] and Mlossae,[7] the Lower Depths (1,200‒2,400 ft (370‒730 m) below sea level) of the Inner Sea,[8] the deep sea trench of the Sea of Moving Ice,[4] and the depths of the Crowded Sea.[9]
Beyond the Prime Material, giant squids were known to inhabit the Abyssian Ocean[10] and the Fated Depths, a water-based fiendish plane of limitless depth.[11]
Relationships[]
Though they were deadly predators in their right own, giant squids were often preyed upon by hungry toothed whales, such as cachalots[12][13] In terms of domestication, some nereids were known to keep giant squids as pets[14] and the giant animals were also often kept and revered by the Kraken Society.[15]
The marid Kalbari al-Durrat al-Amwaj ibn Jari had some giant squids as servants in her Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls.[16]
Usages[]
A giant squid attacking a ship.
Occasionally giant deepwater squids could be found for sale in the fish markets of Waterdeep.[17]
Stuffed giant squid was a specialty dish, as big as a short human, served at the Tulmene's Tower inn of Tethyr in the late 14th century DR.[18]
Giant squid sepia was a very common material component in spells, particularly those that involved language, detection, and reading.[19] It was used in erase,[20] message,[21] detect magic,[20] read magic,[22] and comprehend languages.[20] The mage Casimur reported that a form of darkness, 15' radius developed by Asmiak in the Book of the Silver Talon could be cast using giant squid sepia, but it had a reduced duration compared to using giant octopus ink.[23] Giant river squid ink was used to paint the magical cards of the Edu'sascar at S'tung Monastery in T'u Lung.[5]
A piece of a giant squid tentacle was one of the material components of the battle tentacles spell.[24]
Such giant squids could be summoned by the summon monster IX spell.[25]
Trivia[]
- The shape of squid ships, particularly the hull of the Morkoth, resembled giant squids.[26]
Rumors & Legends[]
In the Year of the Cold Soul, 1281 DR, a popular rumor that floated in the taverns of Ten Towns claimed that evil gnomes of the Zhentarim turned a giant squid into an airship and were heading to Icewind Dale aboard the flying monstrosity.[27]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
Adventures
Novels & Short Stories
Video Games
Card Games
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
Scrutiny on the Bounty
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 281. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 331. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 92. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Cryptic Studios (August 2016). Neverwinter: Storm King's Thunder. Perfect World Entertainment.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Mike Pondsmith, Jay Batista, Rick Swan, John Nephew, Deborah Christian (1988). Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms (Volume I). (TSR, Inc), p. 63. ISBN 0-88038-608-8.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 20. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (January 2000). “The New Adventures of Volo: Onward!”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #267 (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 82–83.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (1999). Sea of Fallen Stars. (TSR, Inc), p. 39. ISBN 0-7869-1393-2.
- ↑ David Cook (October 1992). “Home Port: Wherein the Tale Begins”. In Bill Slavicsek ed. Golden Voyages (TSR, Inc.), p. 28. ISBN 978-1560763314.
- ↑ Douglas Niles and Michael Dobson (1988). The Throne of Bloodstone. (TSR, Inc), p. 37. ISBN 0-8803-8560-X.
- ↑ Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 152. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
- ↑ Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 282–283. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (1999). Sea of Fallen Stars. (TSR, Inc), p. 162. ISBN 0-7869-1393-2.
- ↑ Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 104. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ Beyond Software, Inc. (1991). Designed by Don L. Daglow. Gateway to the Savage Frontier. Strategic Simulations, Inc.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur (November 1993). Secrets of the Lamp. Genie Lore. (TSR, Inc.), p. 32. ISBN 978-1560766476.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Ray Muzyka, Lucas Kristjanson, James Ohlen eds. (1998). Baldur's Gate: Game Manual (Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate). (BioWare), p. 84.
- ↑ Westwood Associates (1989). Hillsfar. Strategic Simulations, Inc.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Ed Greenwood, Tim Beach (November 1995). Pages from the Mages. Edited by Jon Pickens. (TSR, Inc.), p. 22. ISBN 0-7869-0183-7.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Tim Beach (November 1995). Pages from the Mages. Edited by Jon Pickens. (TSR, Inc.), p. 23. ISBN 0-7869-0183-7.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Tim Beach (November 1995). Pages from the Mages. Edited by Jon Pickens. (TSR, Inc.), p. 21. ISBN 0-7869-0183-7.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Tim Beach (November 1995). Pages from the Mages. Edited by Jon Pickens. (TSR, Inc.), p. 21. ISBN 0-7869-0183-7.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (June 2006). “A Dark and Stormy Knight: Another Evening with the Wizards Three:”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #344 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), p. 60.
- ↑ Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 286–287. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, et al. (September 2016). Storm King's Thunder. Edited by Kim Mohan, Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 215–223. ISBN 978-0-7869-6600-4.
- ↑ Black Isle Studios (February 2001). Designed by Chris Avellone, Steve Bokkes, John Deiley, J.E. Sawyer. Icewind Dale: Heart of Winter. Interplay.