Elder Sea Serpent

Nigh-mythical sea-dragons of legendarily destructive potential, Elder Sea Serpents (taxonomic name piscis grandis horribilis, of the family Imperatoris; also known as Leviathans) are the primary reason that there are no coastal settlements with population in excess of fifty thousand souls. Whether this is the direct result of Elder Sea Serpent predation or a mere reflection of their reputation is a matter of scholarly debate; the fact remains that most[1] do not care to investigate the matter personally.

Historical accounts suggest that Elder Sea Serpents are native to the Scorialic Sea, but there is no small measure of uncertainty here—it is difficult to interpret Elder Sea Serpents' presence in the historical record. For one, members of the species show little of their terrestrial cousins' proclivity toward announcing their identities. Compare this passage from Cullus (CI #445, ln 4603-4606):

Descended the noble one upon the fold;
Boometh he, "I am Greattooth the Large!"
And then he devoured them all.

with this passage from Tarion the Younger (CI #467, p. 217):

Hungering for flesh of man, from deep the great one rose.
"Tell us who you are, o terror," cried the warriors, "that we may worship you."
"Gift us with your name, o master" cried the women and children, "that we may die with it on our lips."
But he regarded them silently,
And then he devoured them all.

Both passages are quite typical of depictions of draconic feedings, and I could have illustrated the point with any number of authors. However, Cullus and Tarion the Younger make for an especially instructive comparison, as they were contemporaries, both writing out of the Carthusian oral tradition. (Astute readers will note the stock phrase "and then he devoured them all" which concludes both passages—Carthusian storytellers had a number of stock phrases like these, which were used to express extremely common ideas.)

Another interpretive barrier is ancient writers' tendency to introduce Leviathans into their narratives as metaphors for violent change. Hence, for example, Norwis of Julius's insistence that the Leper King was carried off by an Elder Sea Serpent, while other contemporary accounts render it a typical case of the secret taxmen disappearing an uncooperative sovereign. But we cannot safely assume that all such depictions are metaphors, as it is well-documented that Leviathans sometimes do attempt to make off with heads of state. (See, for example, the debacle at the Potentate's coronation last year).

However, a concluding note: these are exciting times, and more of the Codex Ingenuous is discovered every day. I have the fullest confidence that the truth will win out over the stories in the end.

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Yedevek Ilron, Bardslayer 2nd class

[1] My use of the qualifier "most" here is in respect of the, if you'll pardon the editorializing, utter maniacs who hunt them.