Cryzadaken
The mysterious monster inside of Cryzad's Sea Shard has been glimpsed a few times, but any efforts to study it have been deterred by the Cryzadaken's unfortunate habit of eating the researchers. Nevertheless, xenozoologists remain curious about the monster's true nature. The main question is, how did something so large get into a sea shard on the Shattered Moon?
I hear a lot of scuttlebutt from elf warriors on leave from moon duty. Each of them has a different theory about what the "Cryzadaken" actually is. Some say it's a kraken that got put there as a baby. Others say it's a leftover tentacle monster from the Far War with an orifice fetish. My favorite theory is that it's just a giant shark that got yeeted up there by an angry wizard. I say we send up Sgt. Sunder to track it down. We'll have it for breakfast the day after!
Sgt. Kill Flayer
Water was rare on the oldest moon before it broke. There was never enough to make an ocean. Now that it is a Shattered Moon, a layer of life-giving air floats above the gray dust of the surface underneath. The Shards of Thaya float in that life giving region and the largest water shard is Cryzad's Sea. The orb is named for the leviathan that dwells within.
The Cryzad Sea's location discourages the people of Erathia from travelling to it. It's a week's flight by Moon Balloon to get there and there are no settlements close by to give access to it. The denizens of the moon have their hands full dealing with the remnants of the Far Realm Forces that still hide among them.
You all should leave the Cryzadaken alone. All she wants is to swim in her big water bubble and eat whatever she wants in peace. As long as you don't bother her, she'll leave you alone. I've run into her a few times, and she's a great big sweeetie!
When it's seen at all, the Cryzadaken appears as a huge shadow in the water beneath the immense globe of Cryzad's Sea. It is reported to be between 100 and 200 feet long. Some report that it has large colorful fins, a small mouth, and immense eyes. Other have seen it trailing long vines behind it with a long thin neck in front. Still others say that the Cryzadaken is an enormous shelled cephalopod with a mass of squirming tentacles as long as the sky.
A handful of research teams and sport hunters have come to the Sea to investigate and/or hunt the leviathan. Invariably after a few weeks, the only sign of them has been the wreckage of their encampents and equipment floating on the surface of Cryzad's Sea.
As long as you're careful Cryzad's Sea has the best fishing on the Shattered Moon! If you respect Cryzad it will respect you back, but the beast does not tolerate discourteous behavior.
I was fishing from my riding dragonfly one time and some idiot with a top hat and a balloon was floating over blaring carnival music! The tentacles came up faster than anything I've ever seen! The only things left were the hat and a dumb moustache floating in the kelp!
I love, love, love that Ambrosia describes the Cryzadaken as "a great big sweetie." In fact, I think the four quotes are my favorite thing here. I love how we learn more fully about the creature through the use of multiple POVs (multiple POVs in storytelling being a particular interest of mine).
Thanks for the read through! Good luck with your reading and judging!
Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!