A hippocampus (pl: hippocampi) was an aquatic, horse-like creature.[4]
Description[]
They had the body of a horse, a scaly fish's tail, and fins instead of hooves or a mane.[2][4] Their front sides were covered with small scales, with larger scales at the rear.[4] Their skin was colored with ivory, blue, or green according to the shades of the sea.[6]
Hippocampi could breathe either salty or fresh water and even normal air for a short period of time. They were also proficient in swimming and deep diving,[6] moving very swiftly.[4]
A hipppocampus of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
Personality[]
Being wild and desiring to keep their free spirit, hippocampi were not easily tamed, but they could be trained to carry and fight with a rider. Being good creatures and skilled judges of character, they would more commonly serve good causes and refuse to assist any creature they considered evil or hostile.[2][3] They were excellent racers and good mounts.[2] They served as a favored steed for sea elves[7] and tritons[2] and could even be the special mount of an aquatic paladin.[8]
Society[]
Hippocampi lived in pods, made up of one to three stallions and around eight to twenty mares. In each pod, a stallion is designated as leader through custom and/or rituals. Each stallions had its own harem that are compound with mare that had chosen to join it and remain in it for life generally.[5]
They would often ally with tritons which, in return, would keep the hippocampi's eggs in their castle.[5]
In case of great danger or crisis, several pods could gather to join their effort against a common threat. A gathering of this sort could be compound of thousands hippocampis.[5]
Habitats[]
In the Unapproachable East, hippocampi could be found in the lakes of Rashemen[9] and around the waters of Aglarond.[10]
Languages[]
Hippocampi were generally known to speak their own language,[2][4] as well as Aquan,[2] though like any intelligent creature they were capable of learning others if properly trained.[4]
Relationships[]
Among aquatic mounts, they were considered to be one of the most prized.[4]
Hippocampi were sometimes found as courtiers in the palace of Kalbari al-Durrat al-Amwaj ibn Jari.[11]
Notable Hippocampi[]
- Swiftide, the mount of triton hero Keros the Wanderer.[12]
Trivia[]
The Happy Hippocampus was an inn in the port of Procampur.[13]
The sea unicorn, a hippocampus with a glowing horn, was a myth among worshipers of Sashelas, as a symbol of great changes. This was especially true for the Lances of the Sea Unicorn, who were the clergy and warriors of the Sharksbane Wall.[14]
The village of Lathtarl's Lantern had a temple decorated with the mastheads of wrecked ships, some of which were known to resemble hippocampi.[15]
Those who specialized in sea-based magic could summon a hippocampus with the spell monster summoning IV.[16]
Appendix[]
See Also[]
Notes[]
- ↑ In the Stormwrack sourcebook, hippocampi are listed as being always neutral in alignment. However, all other sources present them as chaotic good, and the description in Stormwrack even goes into detail about their desire to serve good causes and their love of freedom, which strongly suggests that the statistics block was in error.
Appearances[]
- Adventures
- Polyhedron #87, "Eye of the Leviathan"
- Card Games
- AD&D Trading Cards
Gallery[]
Further Reading[]
- Margaret S. Lundock & Ramsey Lundock (July 2000). “The Ecology of the Hippocampus: Kidnapped!”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #273 (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 88–94.
Reference[]
- ↑ Grant Boucher, Troy Christensen, Jon Pickens, John Terra and Scott Davis (1991). Arms and Equipment Guide. (TSR, Inc.), p. 84. ISBN 1-56076-109-1.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Richard Baker, Joseph D. Carriker, Jr., Jennifer Clarke Wilkes (August 2005). Stormwrack. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 153–154. ISBN 07-8692-873-5.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 189. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 51. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Margaret S. Lundock & Ramsey Lundock (July 2000). “The Ecology of the Hippocampus: Kidnapped!”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #273 (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 88–84.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 James Wyatt (March 2000). “Animal Henchmen”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #269 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 31.
- ↑ Roger E. Moore (January 1999). Demihumans of the Realms. (TSR, Inc.), p. 63. ISBN 0-7869-1316-9.
- ↑ Richard Baker, Joseph D. Carriker, Jr., Jennifer Clarke Wilkes (August 2005). Stormwrack. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 51. ISBN 07-8692-873-5.
- ↑ Rashemen Encounters Charts included in Anthony Pryor (June 1995). Spellbound. Edited by Michele Carter, Doug Stewart. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ Anthony Pryor (June 1995). “Campaign Guide”. In Michele Carter, Doug Stewart eds. Spellbound (TSR, Inc.), p. 55. ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur (November 1993). Secrets of the Lamp. Genie Lore. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 8, 32. ISBN 978-1560766476.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (1999). Sea of Fallen Stars. (TSR, Inc), p. 142. ISBN 0-7869-1393-2.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 98. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (1999). Sea of Fallen Stars. (TSR, Inc), p. 152. ISBN 0-7869-1393-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1994). Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast. (TSR, Inc), pp. 50–51. ISBN 1-5607-6940-1.
- ↑ Deborah Christian (August 1995). “Arcane Lore: Sea Magic”. In Wolfgang Baur ed. Dragon #220 (TSR, Inc.), p. 72.