Leviathans were an incredibly rare[2] variety of magical[3] whales of immense proportions.[3][4] They were considered to be lords among all whales, serving as intermedaries between them and deities, and for whom the murder of one would incite the wrath of all whales that resided in its ocean.[4]
Description[]
These whales were rarely ever seen in their entirety, with most sightings only taking in a portion of their immensity, such as their head or tail.[3] Estimates of leviathan proportions put their total body length to measure around 500 to 1,000 feet (150 to 300 meters), with mouths capable of swallowing objects as long as 80 feet (24 meters) in length[4] and 20 feet (6.1 meters) wide.[3] The pirates of the Inner Sea, who made attempts to have ships towed by all manner of aquatic life,[5] found that leviathans were capable of hauling over a 100 tons (91,000 kilograms) of cargo.[6]
Much like giant whales, the large stomachs of leviathans exhibited pockets of air where swallowed creatures could sustain themselves, making it possible that a swallowed victim could be rescued. Their stomachs also tended to accumulate the undigestable belongings of creatures and ships.[4]
Personality[]
Generally had a neutral disposition[1][2] towards humanoids, but their alignment was generally more lawful good when it came to ocean life.[2]
Combat[]
Leviathans fought in the same manner as other whales,[4] though their unimaginable proportions made them far greater threats. They were also capable of creating massive waves by breaching the surface of the ocean and halfway leaping out.[3][4] Once a ship was sank it would circle back to swallow anything it could.[3]
Society[]
Unlike all other species of whale, leviathans did not live in pods, but rather lived solitary lives due to their immense size,[2][4] with legends claiming that only one could be found within any given ocean on a world.[4] Wherever they went other predatory creatures were more than likely to follow, hoping to capitalize on the sinks they sunk, including barracudas, ixitxachitl, sharks, various types of giant fish, and even sahuagins. They could be active at any time of day,[2] but could hibernate for periods of years. They would always awaken upon calls of help from other whales or requests from the gods.[4]
The leviathans on a world only gathered once every century to engage in talk and mating, meeting within arctic waters. These gatherings lasted for around six months. During these gathering each leviathan was attended by a company of around two to twenty giant whales and ten to as many as a hundred common whales.[4]
Diet[]
Leviathans were an omnivorous species,[2] known for preying upon ships.[3]
Homelands[]
One or more of these creatures could potentially be found in the Inner Sea[6][note 1] and the Crowded Sea.[7] One by the name of Hamnuatha lived in the Trackless Sea, in the harbor of Leuthilspar, acting as a patrolling sentinel for the capital of Evermeet.[8] In Wildspace, one to three leviathans could be found traveling as part of the entourage of Great Dreamers within massive spherical envelopes of airy water.[9]
Beyond the Prime Material plane, leviathans could be found in the Elemental Plane of Water,[10][11] with some living around the Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls as servants of the noble marid Kalbari al-Durrat al-Amwaj ibn Jari.[11]
Relationships[]
On rare occasions a leviathan would answer a summons of aid from avatars of Valkur, a minor Faerûnian god of sailors and ships.[12]
Usages[]
While the bodies of whales were generally valued by sailors,[2] those of leviathans were worth far greater sums of coin. Their carcasses could be worth anywhere from around 3,600 to 7,200 gold pieces and any ambergris extracted from their stomachs was worth around 4,000 to 80,000 gold pieces.[4]
Trivia[]
- Practitioners of Elven High Magic were capable of summoning a leviathan to their aid with a spell that was named for the creature.[13]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ The original text featured a disclaimer stating, "Note that having a ship capable of being towed by a creature is no guarantee that the creature is available," meaning there is no guarantee that a leviathan inhabited the Sea of Fallen Stars.
Appearances[]
Novels & Short Stories
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ed Bonny, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Skip Williams, and Steve Winter (September 2002). Monster Manual II 3rd edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 139. ISBN 07-8692-873-5.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 358. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Ed Bonny, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Skip Williams, and Steve Winter (September 2002). Monster Manual II 3rd edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 140. ISBN 07-8692-873-5.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 359. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ Curtis Scott (March 1992). Pirates of the Fallen Stars. (TSR, Inc), p. 92. ISBN 978-1560763208.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Curtis Scott (March 1992). Pirates of the Fallen Stars. (TSR, Inc), p. 94. ISBN 978-1560763208.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur (October 1993). “Campaign Journal: Scimitars against the Dark”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #198 (TSR, Inc.), p. 70.
- ↑ Anne Gray McCready et al. (March 1994). Elves of Evermeet. (TSR, Inc), p. 35. ISBN 1-5607-6829-0.
- ↑ Scott Davis, Newton Ewell, John Terra (1991). Monstrous Compendium Spelljammer Appendix 2. Edited by Allen Varney. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 1-56076-071-0.
- ↑ Monte Cook, ed. (1998). Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix III. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 8. ISBN 0-7869-0751-7.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Wolfgang Baur (November 1993). Secrets of the Lamp. Genie Lore. (TSR, Inc.), p. 32. ISBN 978-1560766476.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 72. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ Anne Gray McCready et al. (March 1994). Elves of Evermeet. (TSR, Inc), pp. 67–58. ISBN 1-5607-6829-0.