Cerullian Vorfish

I did see one, once. It's lure changed to my friend lost at see drownin'. It was awful, I'm just glad we could get away as fast as we could.

— Sailor in Port Zan

Cerullian Vorfish are large fish creatures that live along the depths of the various seas and oceans of the world of Nonvyrox, known for their charming abilities.

Description

Appearance

The Cerullian Vorfish resembles a large fish with an extreme underbite and extremely sharp teeth that are "almost dagger-like in sharpness." They can grow from 13 to 18 feet (3.9 - 5.5 m) long and have a large protruding dorsal spine, ending in a lure that extends a further 3 or 4 feet (0.9 - 1.2 m) from the creature. While most females of the species have deep blue scales, most males are much larger and have a thick hide of brick red scales that are accented by a number of the same deep blue scales. The Cerullian Vorfish has a set of more than 300 teeth that act as sharp needles and trap any creature smaller than it inside their mouth. This is because when closed the teeth form an almost jail bar like exterior that is nearly impenetrable to most creatures. As a result of their size and the density of their teeth, most Cerullian Vorfish weigh between 1,500 and 5,000 pounds (680 - 2268 kg), but there are some indications they can grow much larger.

Abilities

This section uses Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition as a basis for some of the mechanical terminology.

Change Shape

The Cerullian Vorfish is known to change the form of its lure to pull in their target. Despite the lure being relatively small, it can change shape to match that of most humanoids or even larger creatures. As such it is common for sailors to be drawn in by the abilities of such a creature.

The Cerullian Vorfish changes the shape of its lure to target a single creature of its choice. When using its Alluring Lure, the target has disadvantage on the saving throw.

Thought Reader

The Cerullian Vorfish has a limited scopre to detect the thoughts of creatures that are around it. The target and Cerullian Vorfish don't have to share a language for it to read their thoughts, it is able to get basic memories and thoughts from any such creature.

The Cerullian Vorfish can sense the presence and location of any creature within 300 feet of it that has an Intelligence of 3 or higher, regardless of interposing barriers, unless the other creature is protected by a mind blank spell or similar blocking magic. Additionally, the Cerullian Vorfish can focus on the thoughts of a single creature it can detect. When it does, it learns the creature's greatest weakness to manipulate it.

Alluring Lure

The Cerullian Vorfish has a large lure at the end of a stalk on its forehead. It can use this lure to pacify any and all creatures that surround it. It glows a sickly yellow light in all forms, even underneath the tinted shapes of other forms.

Any creature who starts their turn within 30 feet of the Cerullian Vorfish and can see the lure must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed and stunned. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the start of their turn, on a failed save they must move 10 feet closer to the Cerullian Vorfish if its able. On a successful save, the creature is no longer stunned but remains charmed by the creature until the start of the Cerullian Vorfish's next turn.

Thought Eater

When a creature is trapped by the enchanting lure of the Cerullian Vorfish, it can use some of its telepathic abilities to drain some of the intellect of the creature. Additionally, this empowers the Cerullian Vorfish and allows them to regain some of their vitality.

The Cerrulian Vorfish targets one creature it can see within 10 feet of it that is charmed. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or take 22 (4d10) psychic damage. The Cerullian Vorfish regains a number of hit points equal to the psychic damage dealt.

Cerullian Vorfish

Biological Information

Type	Beast
Vision	Darkvision, 120ft
Movement	Swimming (45ft.)
Abilities	Change Shape Alluring Lure Thought Reader Thought Eater

Physical Characteristics

Size	Huge
Color	Deep Blue Brick Red Black

Sociocultural Information

Planes	Material Plane (Nonvyrox)
Locations	Kyratos Sea Galberg Depths Ransone Sea Kyratos Sea
Environment	Underwater

Cautionary Tale

The combination of all of the Cerullian Vorfish's deadly abilities have had a drastic consequence on the world. Sailors tell of stories of falling prey to creatures that look like one's own family in danger of drowning just to be swallowed whole by a Cerullian Vorfish. Others speak of the creature able to drain the intelligence of powerful casters and disgarding their lifeless husks to the floors of the ocean depths without any regard for their former lives. Its not uncommon for people to use the description of the creature as a cautionary tale within a variety of different circles, both academics and mariners alike.
As of 755 AR, several ports around the world have at least some individual who has had first hand experience with at least one of these creatures. Only a mere few claim to have had multiple experiences with the creatures. In Malaton, a powerful mage has learned to transform themselves into the guise of the creature and uses this form to swim around the ocean depths and explore ancient ruins.

History

First Sighting

The first recorded Cerullian Vorfish sighting was by a scholar of the Obsidian Forge in 307 AR. Diamond Mallas Thronbeck encountered the creature while crossing the Salnoque Ocean from the Tylathoram Coast in Heimter over to Vilura. In this event, the ship they were aboard was attacked by a large and powerful creature who caused the boat to sink. After it had sunk a small collective of survivors managed to use magic and ingenuity to travel to a small island in the middle of the ocean. It was here that this small contingent fully encountered the might of a Cerullian Vorfish.
In the middle of the night, several of the sailors went missing without a trace. After searching fro them, Mallas was drawn to a small cove by an image of their young child. When entereing the cave they found their child was next to a small pool, before in a flash, the small boy fell in and started drowning. In a flash Mallas dived in after his son, only realising his error as he saw the form change and a flash or red and blue scales approaching towards them. They record they were only able to survive because they were able to break from the allure as quickly as they did. If this were not the case, they would have surely been killed.

Notable Events

Since this first recorded sighting, sailors across the world have become more prolific in their stories about the Cerullian Vorfish and some oftheir tales have become mythologised about the creatures. Fishing villages are known to use the phrase "As strong as a Vorfish", should their catch fight strong against them.
Some scholars of the Archani Conclave have tried to discredit these many reports as sightings of other powerful creatures with mimicry as an innate ability, whilst others have claimed that such a large creature could only exist as a singular creature rather than a widespread phenomena incurring such wild stories. As a result, there are some, mostly in landlocked cities, who believe that the Cerullian Vorfish is a tale told by marine families to scare children at night to get them to fall asleep.
In 674 AR, one notable scholar of the Veritas Convention proclaimed to people of the Ossalimarian Empire that the Cerullian Vorfish was nothing but the claims of followers of Qra'kovra, an infamous leviathian created by the gods. In listening to such tales, people were leaving themselves at risk of being corrupted by such an entitiy and performing religious treason on their own nation. This caused much uproar among port cities in the Empire who had several notable figures among their nobility who had encountered a Cerullian Vorfish for themselves and had "evidence beyond doubt" that the creature was real. As a result, the scholar was stripped of his titles and cast away to a far off island with his family and close supporters with the comamnd of proving. contrary to all belief, that the Cerulian Vorfish was in fact, not real.