Kraken

Racial Magic

Ralgot's Movement

Able to walk, step, ride or move on or through magnetic forces/fields, these forces a solid foothold for them. Kraken tend to swim through magnetic fields as though it were swimming in the ocean, surprisingly speedy and unpredictable despite their size. They are also able to see these forces and are immune to damage from Raltot magic. However, they can be restrained using magnetic magic!

and
Ranalis' Shield

Immune to all Renalis magic and all mental magic, from any aspect!

The fabled and feared aquatic monster of Ostmen lore, brought to life by the hands of the Erlithmanil during the Era of Legends. In their youth, these entities adored human legends and mythology, frequently bringing these mythic creatures to life. While the kraken is a beast altered by Lunil, enlarged to gargantuan proportions, it was once a simple octopus. Not satisfied with size alone, Raegeric took things a step further and granted this beast two utilitarian blessings for its Racial Magic: Ralgot's Movement and Ranalis' Shield.

Raegeric's blessings rendered this monstrosity total immunity to mental magic and the ability to move freely through magnetic fields. Thanks to this ability, it is able to terrorize not only the sea but most of the skies of Skaney! An invisible ocean of magnetic force flows atop this mysterious landscape, hidden currents and even whirlpools dancing over the Fulgurant Mesa. It is among the most feared beasts of the region alongside the Jormungandr. For this reason, areas known to be kraken territory are vastly unpopulated out of fear for these territorial beasts.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Kraken are very similar to their ancestor, the curled octopus, but have been enlarged to monumental proportions. It's tentacles now appear to stretch to a mile each and their rubbery bodies are astoundingly heavy despite the magic holding them aloft. Over the millenia since the kraken was created, it has also evolved to breath both air and water. It still possesses a mantle, gills and siphon ordinary octopi use but they have also evolved lungs alongside these features. They can switch between breathing methods at will. Despite this, they still need moist environments to stay healthy, drying out easily.

Original Ancestor

Eledone cirrhosa, Curled Octopus

Lifespan

300-500 years

Weight

316,000-422,400 lbs (143,335-191,597 kg)

Length

Arm to arm: 7,920-10,560 feet (2,414-3,218 meters)

Coloration

Like it's ancestor, it is able to alter the pigments in its skin but it's magic form leaves it mustard from mantle to tentacle while their eyes are naturally pale yellow.

Genetics and Reproduction

by Lee Stepp

Unlike their octopi ancestors, a kraken's reproductive cycle is far more dramatic and drawn out. These are solitary and highly territorial creatures. Due to this, male and female kraken have evolved to prefer alternate biomes. Female kraken prefer living at sea while males prefer to live atop the mesa. When the female is ready to mate, she will emerge from the sea and wander until she crosses a male in its territory. If more than one male appears things can get intense. They will begin with visual displays, using their ability to alter their pigments in flashy, spinning movements to signal the other to back off. If these fail, battles between males have been known to shatter floating isles and topple villages even in passing. The female will mate with the victor of this titanic battle and lay her eggs in the aquatic den of the male. Afterward, she will return to the sea and the male will guard and care for the young until they hatch.

Growth Rate & Stages

by Lee Stepp

The male kraken is fastidious in his care for the eggs, often going without food for stretches of time while guarding them. He uses his siphon to keep a healthy current flowing over them to keep them clean and he becomes viciously protective of his territory, intolerant of any trespass from species he views as a threat. Ostmen are quite wary of a kraken's territory if a female is spotted. The eggs will incubate from two to ten months depending on the condition of the water within the kraken's den. Despite the cautious care while incubating, the hatchlings are totally on their own once they emerge. While these are long lived creatures it is a long and arduous path forward. Very few survive into adulthood and even among these most will not live out their full lifespan. This harshness is part of why adult kraken can behave so severely. No inhabitant of Skaney wants these little terrors to survive to adulthood and juvenile kraken are the favorite prey of Jormungandr.

Ecology and Habitats

Female kraken prefer the frigid seas to the north of the mesa and are known to terrorize ships passing through. Some might wander into deeper waters but they will always return to the mesa for mating. Males prefer swimming in the magnetic fields above and establish their dens inside the various freshwater bodies in this region, heavily competing with Jormungandr.

by Lee Stepp

Fljotareyjar is their ideal habitat and they are very competitive over these islands. More desperate kraken may try to make a cluster of þorreyjar their home but, lacking magical protection from the lightning, life here isn't easy for them. One might notice these kraken are littered by scar tissue. There is rumor of a kraken subspecies which calls Syremyr home, blessed by Ylixa rather than Ralgot.

Dietary Needs and Habits

by Lee Stepp

It goes without saying these beasts have an appetite to match their size. While they will limit their activity at times to preserve energy and decrease their hunger, they are also very reactive when potential food presents itself. To this end, they can be quite aggressive. They compete heavily with Jormungandr in regards to food and territory.

They are unscrupulous about what they eat, be it similarly large monstrosities like the jormungandr, big but not so monstrous beasts like the gullenborsti boar or even collecting many smaller prey. They are cautious when it comes to humans, recognizing that one or two are a convenient snack but enough of them can prove deadly. However, if they grow hungry enough they won't hesitate to crack open a village or a ship like a nest of ants, scooping up all who spill out and gorging themselves. Much like with the jormungandr, some villages will go so far as to offer the beast food pillaged from the valley or passing ships just to keep it satiated.

Behaviour

by Lee Stepp

Kraken are surprisingly sentient and even possess their own language. Since they are deaf, this language involves the use of their tentacles and ability to alter their color. They will click, pop and grunt at species which respond to sound, such as humans, and some have even learned the human tongue, watching their lips. They have been known to take advantage of humans and other intelligent species to bring them food, preserving their energy if they can. They also quite enjoy exploring unfamiliar objects and even puzzles. They are surprisingly philosophical if one can get past the harsh front they tend to develop to survive into adulthood.

Kraken are curious, intelligent and drawn to activity. They have a striking memory, distinct personality and apparent moodiness. While mischievous and stubborn, they are also harshly resistant to outside influence and are easily insulted. People have tried to capture and train juvenile kraken to no success. They cannot be tamed or kept. Yet there are tales of people befriending these monstrosities instead, if they can earn their respect or even simply amuse them. Some even claim to have taken them as familiars though the kraken will more than likely treat a human as a pet if not a servant for fetching food.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

by Lee Stepp

Despite the immense danger these monstrosities present, the remains of a kraken are extremely valuable for Material Magic and True Magic. Few components pack the same punch as this beast's does. Thanks to Ranalis' Shield, kraken parts are the ultimate choice for any kind of mental magic as it isn't limited to any one aspect. It's parts are also ideal for any kind of magnetic magic as well. Thanks to the rarity and danger involved in slaying a kraken, any piece from this beast carries a high price tag.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

(Fulgurant Isles Layer!)

Skaney and Flumen Pontem

Open full size

The basic layout of Skaney whether this is the Flumen Pontem weaving below, the Eldingfjord on its surface or the skyborne islands above.

Kraken are able to make their home in any ocean of Emynea but have a preference for cooler waters. They also only breed atop the Fulgurant Mesa, too heavy without the magnetic field of this location.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The kraken shares most of its sensory abilities with it's octopus ancestor. They see quite well, day or night, thanks to their polarized vision. They are able to control the amount of light they take in. However, they are deaf. They possess no external body parts or internal mechanisms for hearing. They are still quite perceptive despite this, most of which is focused in their arms.

Interestingly, the kraken's perception is keenly focused in their arms—these squiggly appendages contain two-thirds of the kraken's neurons! That is why each arm, even when severed from the body, can act deliberately of its own accord. Unlike humans, it's entire body is involved in cognition with its arms more or less independent of its brain. It perceives the world mostly through its suckers. The suction cups of the kraken have highly sensitive feelers on them, the sense of touch from these being highly developed.

They also possess photo-receptive skin which is reactive to light and chromatophores, tiny sacs of color the kraken can use to alter its appearance. These two are tied together, their skin reacting to certain lights similarly to an eye and triggering their ability to alter their color. Essentially, the skin on their tentacles can "see" light and alter color in response. There are also cephalopod-specific chemo-tactile receptors in their arms, allowing them to "taste by touch"! They can use this to smell prey from a distance, as long as they are in an aquatic environment.