The Crawling Tentacle

From the days of the early Titanic Era, mothers and fathers told their children of a dreadful story. One of a mystical being that would crawl through the windows of naughty children and snatch them from their beds, dragging them off to the Underdark, never to be seen again.

Summary

The myth tells the tale of a child during the Titanic Era who was taken by one of the Drog'nuuth during a raid on a town. It goes on to speak of how the child was brought to a nearby cave and down to the Underdark, where it is said that they were eaten by the eldritch monsters.

Historical Basis

The crawling tentacle is based on the stories that have been told of the battles between the titan defenders and Drog'nuuth during the Titanic Era. There were many stories of children and adults alike being kidnapped by the Drog'nuuth, brought to the Underdark and either consumed by the masses of flesh that lie beneath the surface or converted into a Z'opha.
While there is no specific tentacle that the story is based off, it is widely presumed it refers, in general, to people being taken by the Drog'nuuth.

Spread

The myth of the crawling tentacle is as widespread as common, and most everyone has heard the story at least once in their youth.

Variations & Mutation

Most present day cultures have some sort of story similar to one another, all inspired by the Drog'nuuth from the Age of Elements and Titanic Era. For instance, the Hyperion Empire typically depicts it as a spiked tentacle, one with barbs that dig into the skin and make it impossible to remove. Within the Conclave of Unity, their legend is more slimy, slithering through the grass until it finds someone to wrap around. The Burning Wastes and Dwarfs in the mountains north of the wasteland tell the story as a tentacle that breaks through the floorboards, grabs the child, and retracts back into the ground, leaving a gaping hole behind.

Cultural Reception

The myth is considered a fairy tale by most present day people. They view it as nothing more than a way to make children behave, frightening them into believing something is going to come for them if they act up. It is not specifically important to any culture, and most forget about it when they grow up until they have children of their own that are misbehaving, and they suddenly remember the story they were told when they were younger.

In Art

The Crawling Tentacle is typically depicted in literature for children as a slimy, purple tentacle akin to a worm. Depending on where one is in the world, it may have slight variations such as barbs or come to a point at the end.