Great Leviathan

The Tidal Great Beast

The Great Leviathan is a legendary creature assumed to be from the Age of Creations. It is one of the Four Great Beasts referenced throughout Azimuth's history. The Great Leviathan is a force of nature and is often calamitous, destructive, and incredibly dangerous. Its nature, origin, and motivations are unknown.
The Great Leviathan is considered a demigod or lesser idol, and there are some cultures that worship the Great Leviathan as a deity, such as the Lizardfolk of the Lesovo Jungle.

Description

Appearance

The Great Leviathan is described as a serpentine, scaled beast of colossal size and scale. Its snake-like head is large enough to swallow sailors and even larger creatures whole. Its long body has enough mass to wrap around the largest sailing ships to crush them or drag them beneath the waves.
Notably, sightings of the Great Leviathan in the early Fifth Age make note of a visible indent or damage of some type along the creature's back or spine.

Abilities

The Great Leviathan is very aggressive and has been known to attack sailing ships in the seas of Azimuth, primarily in the Leviathan Sea, which takes its name from the Great Beast.
There is no known reason for these attacks, and there does not seem to be any observable pattern of action or goal from the Leviathan. Survivors of these attacks have relayed that some ships are left entirely alone or are able to repel the Leviathan, while other vessels are doggedly attacked until they are sunk.
Its size gives the Great Leviathan massive strength and physical ability. Despite appearing to be a phyical creature, it does not seem to require rest or food. It is able to both manifest and control water elemental energies, and it has been seen creating giant tidal waves and whirlpools with little effort. It is unknown if this elemental energy is what fuels the Great Leviathan or if some other force powers it.
While it doesn't appear to have a limited roving region, it has been seen most commonly in the western waters of Azimuth, including the Leviathan Sea, the Azimuth Ocean, and the waters near the Seaward Isles and Stancia.
Like all the Four Great Beasts, it is unclear if the Great Leviathan is a natural, phyiscal entity and can be found somewhere in the world at any time, or if it is a manifestation of some other force and exists in Azimuth only rarely.

Legacy

• The Leviathan Sea takes its name from the Great Leviathan, and is the area with the most confirmed sightings of the creature.

• The shanty, The Four Great Beasts, seems to describe the potential origin of the Great Leviathan and the other Great Beasts.

• The Unsigned Paintings of the Great Beasts are a set of four rare, masterwork paintings that depict each of the Great Beasts. The artist of these paintings is unknown.

History

The First Age: The Age of Creations

The origin of the Great Leviathan is unknown. However, the oldest stories of the Great Beasts claim they were created by old and forgotten gods from the Age of Creations and made to do battle with the Primordial Elementals.

So the gods made protectors, four powerful beasts
And unleashed them to Azimuth, on elements (to) feast

They made them with thunder, and fire, and swell
The oceans rose up, and the mountains fell

- The Four Great Beasts Shanty

Scripture found in The Decayed Tomes from before the Third Age states, "Great Beasts forged to quell the elements shall now be the guardians of the Severance." These writings claim the Great Beasts became the holders of the Severance Keys.

The Fourth Age: The Age of Shadow

It is rumored the massive flood of the Bay of Rust was caused by the Great Leviathan, which created the area known today as the Barrens.

Campaign One: The Zenethian Heroes

In 4A 996, the Great Leviathan sunk two vessels in the Leviathan Sea, including the ship captained by Petra D'Silva. Petra is the only known survivor of this attack.
Later in 4A 996, the Zenethian Heroes on the Black Barrow engaged several harpies in the Leviathan Sea. The Great Leviathan was attracted by the combat and engaged the ship. During the battle, Aoth Stormwind was swallowed and later rescued. Ivan and Joseppe formed a magical wall of iron suspended above the Leviathan and dropped the mass onto it, and the group repelled it.

The Fifth Age: The Age of Beginnings

At some point between 5A 010 and 5A 060, and unknown artist painted "The Great Leviathan, the Hunter of Typhoons". This depiction of the Great Leviathan is part of the Unsigned Paintings of the Great Beasts.
In mid-Jeran 5A 351, the Prophets of Regression tracked down and somehow defeated the Great Leviathan in the Leviathan Sea, and they claimed the Leviathan's Severance Key. A journal written by Maalik stated the battle took everything the Prophets could provide.

Campaign Two: The Lightbringers

On 29 Madaet 5A 352, the Provideniye came to the aid of the Testudo at Rune Pike. After a battle against harpies, the captain of the Testudo, Damu, said, "Blessings only go so far with dark things on the horizon. Bad luck being in the Leviathan Sea with no Leviathan."

Divine Classification

Demigod / Lesser Idol

Current Status

Unknown

Member of
Four Great Beasts