Lurnak (lurnak)

"At first, I was going to dive and save him, but my father stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. Look closer, he said. Look at the water - it's not right. I looked at the water around the thrashing man, and the color was wrong, it was lighter than the rest of the sea. And there was a shadow in the water, somewhere deep below the surface. Something big. It's a Lurnak, said my father. Anything that touches that will sink. He called out to my uncles, and they got us away from the body still thrashing in the water. As soon as it was clear we were moving away, it stilled and dropped beneath the surface like it had been tied to an anchor."

— an encounter with the Lurnak, as described by Datu, a Tau Dilaut fisherman.

The Lurnak is a strange monster which haunts the waters of the Southwestern Region. It's name means 'sinking man' in Dilauti, and it is well known to the Tau Dilaut fisherfolk. They believe that the Lurnak is a creature who has inverted the art of fishing, and uses a lure to draw its prey into the depths.

The Lure

A Lurnak appears to be a body floating on the surface of the water, usually human-looking, although both Selkie and Kikipua have also been spoted. It may be moving about, thrashing, or ominiously still. In all cases, it mimics a drowning person, or someone in great distress. But any attempts to rescue the Lurnak will end in disaster.

The Trap

Anything or anyone who touches a Lurnak immediately loses the ability to float, and drops into the sea as if it were nothing but air. From the smallest particles to the largest ships, they all lose whatever buoyancy they possess and sink like a stone. Deep below the Lurnak is an enormous shadow, presumably whatever creature that has set the trap.

Surviving a Lurnak

There are a few ways to see through the deception of the Lurnak. One way is to look at the water around the body. It will be unusually colored, as any sediment, fish, or other detritus that should be floating in the ocean will be gone, making it clearer than the area further from the body. Another telling detail is the Lurnak will not yell, nor will it show its face. Some people report that the Lurnak has no face, just a smooth expanse of blank skin where it should be. Keen observers may also spot the shadow deep beneath the Lurnak, and some claim that they have seen a slender cord dangling from the body and connecting it to the creature below.

Wavewood Trees are always able to spot a Lurnak, and will refuse to go near them no matter how much their passengers want to. If a Lurnak suddenly emerges near the path of a Wavewood, the living ship will rapidly and drastically change course to avoid it. On the other hand, Yhahaa have been known to charge towards a Lurnak, and crash into it before disappearing beneath the sea. There are few documented cases of this, for the Yhahaa and the Lurnak are rarely in the same waters.

When a ship turns away from a Lurnak, it typically falls into the sea, and disappears. Some people have attempted to attack the creature from afar, using arrows or other missiles to try and drive it away. This has not gone well for them. If struck, the Lurnak does sink - but then it will bob up again closer, as though the creature below is aiming for the attacker's vessel. A few ships have managed to escape these situations, and nobody knows how many have not.

The Lurnak mostly appears in the waters of the Southwestern Region of the Great Ring, usually near to the Middlesea. Occasional reports have come from the Southern and Southeastern regions as well. It does not appear in the waters further north - or at least, nobody reports encountering it there.

Librarian's Note

The Lurnak is one of several creatures found in the southern regions that has a combination of aquatic and human-like features. While it cannot be certain, this monster may have origins with the Marama Tawhiti, which has been connected to this type of abomination before. I have collected several other examples of this phenonmenon in Report #4233, which details my theory about the origins and aims of these monsters. You can read more about it here.

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