Baird's Entry - Uilepheist (Patreon)

Uilepheist

Nestled deep in the murky depths of dark waters hides the serpent feared by all, the monstrous Uilepheist. This fabulous chimaera is at once dragon, fish, and formidable foe. Its reptilian nature allows it the ability to crawl from sea to land, making it a threat to every living being. Should you encounter one, you'll find her eyes be blue as sapphires, her nostrils flare wider than your fists, her mouth gapes like a black hole, and her tail be as thick as a sturdy fir. One whack of that tail against the water’s surface will send any ship toppling into the cold sea.

Though the rarest water creature known, Uilepheists cannot hide once they surface. Their size, bigger than a whale's, gives them away immediately. These monsters inhabit the lochs and rivers where they are most at home, seeking land only for adventure and escape, or to cross to the next body of water. Records are written of saints and heroes slaying mighty and stalwart Uilepheists to near extinction, but still the beasts live, in solitude, hidden beneath where men cast their lures daily.

One legend of Loch Finlay tells of an impish child who awoke a sleeping beast by tossing cockles its way. In retaliation, the massive Uilepheist swallowed the girl whole, spitting her out three days later covered in cockle shells, and with no memory of her captivity inside. So when you next consider casting a pebble into the loch, think twice, lest your stone find its mark-- and you find yourself trapped in the maw of a leviathan!

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