Bardorian Krakens

Idea and Written by Goldie

"It was a calm day. The sea was smooth, the sun bright. The crew was lax until we heard the piercing screech. The water rippled and towering tendrils of glistening light extended from the sea wrapping around the ship before we could even react. The ship was dragged into the water. It was then I saw the Kraken. A large glistening creature, far bigger than any ship. Its maw took in the ship as the glistening tendrils swiped at the crew as they fled. I could do little but watch as the ship passed into the creature visible through its clear skin. Watching bubbles form on the skin of the beasts each holding one of the crew trapped. The tendrils soon came for me. I watch one open up and felt the tightness. Then nothing but dreams, I dreamed weird things that made no sense, scary things, silly things, Things that can not be. Next thing I know I was on a beach Covered in a strange goo that melted in the sun. People say the beast was a figment of my mind, but I promise if ye saw it, ye would not forget the monster."

by GoldLinaric

Abilities

Dream Jelly:

The Kraken coats themselves in a gelatinous film. The film expands into a round sticky bubble-like capsules when touch. Living things that get enveloped by this film will be drawn into a sleep like state where their metabolism slows. Victims are subjected to strange dreams and mental visualizations that are very difficult to recall. Once the Kraken has finished with its prey, the bubble will detach from the Kraken's membrane. These are left to float in the sea until they wash ashore. Once it sits on dry land surface for a day, jelly starts to break down releasing the prey and allowing them to awaken.
The Kraken can use pores on its tentacles to inflate the Jelly to more easily catch prey. This can also be done encapsulate large objects such as ships allowing it to easily drag it's prey into the ocean. Some Kraken's are even known to spit since bubbles from maws upon the far ends it's tentacles.
When injured A kraken might release blobs of Jelly to prevent it from being followed

Soul Energy Vampirism:

While in the bubble, the kraken draws upon it's prey's soul energy for nutrition. The processes is slow and can take months to years. As the person is asleep, the kraken need not worry about their prey escaping. The process does temporarily leave the victim exhausted, dizzy and weak, but this is often shrugged off as an effect of the status period in the dream jelly. Very few people realize their soul energy was drained.

Translucent body:

Akin to Jellyfish the Kraken's body is translucent in the water, making it hard to sea particularly close to the surface. This allows it to hunt its pray or lay in wait for a passing ship. However, if it breaches the surface, or dives into darker water , it's body will shimmer with green and purple hues.  when in water and close to the kraken it is able to be seen as a vague transparent shape in the water.

elastic body:

The Kraken's body is quite rubbery and is able to expand and to a small extent change shape. It is able to stretch out or inflate it's body to suit its need. This helps it move, hide and to ensnare it's prey. The Kraken will regularly swallow ships stretching it's body, as it takes the encapsulated ships into itself. typically when it has a whale or a ship inside it's body it's appearance often more resembles that of an octopus.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Bardorian Kraken is a species of a giant cephalopod with some Jellyfish like qualities. Given its elastic body and lack of skeletal structure, the Kraken size and shape will vary. At rest it most resembles a squid. When consuming large prey it head will often inflate to accommodate the large object. In this state it more closely resembles an octopus. It has a translucent skin coated in a thick gel. This gel will regularly form pustule-like pods, where the kraken keeps its smaller prey.
Kraken's have eight large muscular tentacles. These tentacles are much akin to that of an octopus, contain several larger pores and dream jelly pods. These pores are used to expel unwanted items consumed by the maws. At the end of the tentacles are large maws. These maws mostly used to suck in air or water to create and fill the dream jelly pods. The maws will also swallow 'smaller' prey such as humans and inject them into the pods.
Between the tentacles is a larger mouth, This it will swallow larger prey such as whales or ships to be held in a stomach like pocket in the head of the beast.

Genetics and Reproduction

Female Kraken's wonder far wider than male's and often pass through territory of others. While often this can lead to territorial conflict, on occasion it might result in sexual intercourse. The female will take the Male's fluids and store it until she is ready to lay the yearly batch of eggs. When it is time to lay eggs the kraken goes into the depths finds a safe spot for the eggs and lays dozens of eggs. If she had an intimate encounter with a male, she would slowly inseminate as many eggs as she can with the stored fluid. Once done she will leave. Eggs will gestate for roughly six weeks before hatching and releasing the young to fend for themselves.
Eggs are 6-7 feet long and made of a jelly like membrane instead of a hard shell. The eggs draw upon soul energy of small creatures who might too close. The more an egg absorbs the larger the Kraken can grow. Due to the limited room, these can not get larger creatures and release the fish regularly. A unique difference is the ones who are not inseminated. These will capture larger creatures, merfolk or if a suitably equipped land dweller dived into the depth. The soul energy is used to inseminate and incubate the egg. The creature is held until the egg hatches. They are released alongside the young kraken. The Kraken will be smaller than average, but will instead bond with the being that they drew energy from. The Kraken will follow them as if their child. If the 'parent' continues to provide soul energy, they are able to tame the young Kraken. It will stay near by provided it gets its energy and isn't abandoned. However, due to lack of understanding on top of rarity of finding a clutch of eggs, this rarely occurs.

Growth Rate & Stages

Stage 1: hatchlings.

After 6 weeks, the eggs hatch and the young Bardorian Krakens scatter into the sea. These young beings are only a few feet long and will survive off of catching fish or smaller sea creatures. This is their most vulnerable form. During this stage they are easily confused with normal squid or octopi and are often hunted as such. Given their dream Jelly is not strong, they often have to flee from predators. If they can not compete with the other spawn or run afoul of larger predators, they can easily die and many do. Slowly the hatchlings grown as they drain more energy. Due to their smaller size and their translucent body, many will take refuge in shallower waters until they outgrow the feeding grounds. It is not uncommon for a swimmer or diver to encounter one by accident, But they are often mistaken for other creatures, particularly Jellyfish. The reason for this is they are hard to see and touching them will cause a numbing sensation from the weak dream jelly.

Stage 2: Adolescence

After a year the young matures and will on average be about 20 feet long. Being too big for shallow water, they would have to start hunting in deeper waters. The dream jelly is far more powerful and a lot of their previous threats are unable to prey on them as effectively if at all. However, they are still preyed upon by some larger creatures in the deep. Now that they are bigger, they also threaten the ecosystems that adult and elder Kraken's prey upon. Thus the adolescents are likely to anger the older Krakens if they overstay their welcome. The young kraken must find its own territory and hunting grounds. The adolescent Kraken is now able to keep some pods holding prey. As they are still growing and utilizing a lot of energy, they rarely have periods they can not enter a hibernation or long restful state. Instead, use of the pods is to store enough food as they move from hunting ground to hunting ground.

Stage 3: Adulthood

Around their third year the Kraken will reach its adult phase, it will be rough 50 ft long. The Kraken's metabolism starts to slow and it can be more relaxed in it's hunting. The Kraken will continue to grow for many years, typically reaching it's full size around year 6 or 7. Once in adulthood the kraken has out grown most of its predictors and instead can prey upon them. Ships of land dwellers become one of the few major threats. Able to hold prey longer and able to sink ships, the Kraken has access to land-dwelling prey, a huge energy source, and is able to take hibernation periods after successful hunts.

Stage: 4: Elder

After 100 years the Krakens tend to slow, becoming more relaxed and might settle down in a particular area permanently. They will hunt less and try not to let the population dwindle too low or scare off too much. The Elder will enter a hibernation state more often, waking up if they sense threats to their territory, be it other Krakens or land dwellers. Despite being' elderly' they are remarkably strong, easily destroying ships with in moments if they attack. Most typically the scariest tales of Krakens are tales of elders who quickly destroy ships and leaving survivors to question what happened.

Ecology and Habitats

Bardorian Krakens live in deep in the ocean, preferring the depths and only coming up towards the surface when it hunts. When at rest the Kraken will often lay upon the sea floor or rock formation. Being one of the largest and an apex predator of the sea, The Kraken doesn't often hide itself when it is not hunting, instead mostly ignore others. The sole exception is other Krakens. It is possible the kraken might hunt and scare away large prey. This is more likely to occur when ship travel in the area is uncommon. When the population drops to where the kraken can no longer sustain it's self, it will move to a new area.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Bardorian Kraken survives primarily on Soul Energy. To satisfy this need, it hunts large sea creatures, encapsulating them in dream jelly upon or inside it's body and draining them of their energy before they are released into back into the world. They can also gain some nutrients from consuming in a more traditional sense of swallowing and breaking down items. Consuming prey is very counter-productive for the Kraken, and little value is gained from plant life or processed materials, This suggest the Kraken more evolved this method to more deal with Ships, which would otherwise be considered waste.
When land dwelling creatures took to sea faring in large numbers, the Krakens also found while small these creatures particularly humans were quite rich in energy leading many Krakens to attack ships. Humans are in fact so rich that often times after hunting a large ship a Kraken will go into a hibernation state for months.

Behaviour

Krakens are solidary creatures. This is due to the fact that most locations often will not be able to provide for multiple Krakens. This often leads to Krakens fighting over territory should they encounter one another. It is not impossible for two kraken to reside in the same area especially if the ecosystem is abundant with sources of food. However, should food supply get to low or one over indulges it will likely lead to conflict.
Despite lack of predators, Krakens are very defensive. Not so much for their own safety, but rather their food supply. They will quickly take offense to other large predators or things that can disturb it's hunting grounds. They will attack such disturbances with great force in order to avoid needing to search for a new hunting ground.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Krakens are solidary creatures and keep away from each other. most encounters with other Kraken result in territorial conflict.

Domestication

The Krakens are not capable of being domesticated, given their intelligence and high demand for soul energy makes satisfyingly their needs an impossible feat. However given the number of sailors who disappear and are never seen, it is possible a Kraken or krakens might keep some prey as pets.
A Kraken can be tamed in a very specific circumstance. If one were to encounter unfertilized Kraken eggs, they can become trapped by the egg for six weeks. This will act as a form of insemination. When the eggs hatchs, the victim is freed along side a small Kraken hatchling. The hatchling will form a bond and will follow the person. If the person continues to let them feed on their soul energy they will remain close and bonded. With enough effort one might be able to command the kraken. Though given it's size and intelligence, The Kraken could easily ignore them or turn the table and keep the person as a pet or food source. Being in this relationship allows the person to live far longer then they should, though most as they spend long periods of time in statsis with the Kraken. The risk is naturally that the Kraken can outlive the use of a small being and could leave or take control of the relationship.

Average Intelligence

Krakens are very intelligent, they are capable of strategy in order to catch prey, hinder ships, and escape if harmed. They are able to set traps, or lay in wait.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Bardorian Kraken do have a pair of eyes capable of seeing in low light environments. However, their sensitivity to light makes them nearly blind when close to the surface hunting. At such times they must rely on their other senses. It has a higher sense of touch which is mostly used to determine changes in the water to locate prey. But by far the biggest sense is that to detect Soul Energy. It looks for large sources or large clusters. This will often lead it to attack large creatures or densely populated ships. While never confirmed it is once believed a Kraken was once responsible for the destruction of a large sea side city and the disappearance of its citizens.

Civilization and Culture

History

Bardorian Krakens are old sea creatures. It is hard to tell when they first came to be. For as long as people sailed tales of the Krakens spread. Large creatures sinking ships. Destroying towns. However, many always took these as tall tells to explain the unknown. Even in current day many do not believe the Krakens exist. Those who claim to have seen it have been stranded at sea and their mind suffering from exposure to the elements. Along with the fact the Kraken induces maddening dreams keeping memories of the creature vague and broken leads to belief the Kraken to be but one of many delusions suffered in the sun.
However, there was a time they were more well known. During the War of the Goddess, many humans sought to invade the Sylvan Lands however many ships were sunk in the depths surrounding the continuant. A few krakens had resided in the area and preyed upon the ships. so many in fact that the krakens were able to cohabitate the area. This occurrence gave the appearance of the Goddess Sylvia being responsible for the creatures, earning them the nickname Sylvia's wrath. However, Sylvia had nothing to do with the creatures, or aware of their presence. It was mere chance.
However when Sylvia casted the great storm barrier the ships stopped coming and the Kraken started to fight for what little food remained. Eventually those that survived the fighting dispersed to the far corners of the sea looking for more prey. Tales of the beasts would haunt the humans, and eventual after the fall of the Theocracy of Atlantis the tales made their way to Earth where they simply became legends and tales of warning to sailors.

Lifespan

Hundreds of years

Average Length

80 ft- 110 ft (25m to 33.5m)

Average Physique

Given their size, the Bardorian Krakens are comparably strong, able to grab and crush ships if desired. Angering a Kraken is fairy unwise, as they could easily kill most living creatures with ease if they wanted. It's just luckily that it is far more beneficial to instead capture  things in their dream jelly in order to feed.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The Kraken is fairly translucent, when in direct light there is a green and purple sheen to their body. in the absence of light there is a light glow to their body. when close  there is a bit of a shimmer to the body to allow it to be seen more easily,  particularly seeing the rainbow tints to the dream jelly pods.

Geographic Distribution

• Bardor