Sea Monks

Sea Monks are terrifying sea monsters that live in the waters around Scovony and terrorize its population.
A Sea Monk's size can vary dramatically, from the size of an average human to a hundred feet tall giant. Visually, a sea monk resembles an ugly monk or priest from The Church of Order but it has the lower body of a fish, which it hides by only showing its upper half. The larger the creature, the less human it looks. When they reach their full size, a sea monk becomes a pitch black humanoid shape with only two piercing eyes visible.
The smaller sea monks usually prey near the coastline where they approach children and young girls who are playing there and attempts to lure them to itself by asking for help or by offering sweets. Once its prey is within reach, the sea monk grabs the unfortunate victim and pulls it under the water where it eats them.
The larger sea monks (often called Umi Bozur) usually hunt in deeper waters and use a peculiar technique. It usually surfaces near a ship during storms and asks the crew for a bucket or barrel. If one is given to it willingly or by accident, the creature grabs the crew one by one, drowns them in it and then eats them until it is satiated. If their request is denied, they break the ship in half or start to throw the crew overboard.
One method to survive an encounter with a large sea monk is to give it a bottomless barrel. When the creature tries to fill it with water it will become confused and allow time for the crew to escape.

Sea Monks in Scovonian Belief

According to legend, Umi Bozur, once a king in Scovony wanted to bring Order priests to the isles to convert its population. The Old Gods found his betrayal unforgivable and created a massive storm around his ship, which carried hundreds of priests. The storm shook his ship so hard, all the barrels of fresh water flew off and the crew decided to abandon the ship. The faithful managed to swim to shore, but the priests didn't know how to swim and Umi Bozur was too thirsty to dare the long journey. As the priests and Umi Bozur slowly succumbed to thirst, they jumped into the water where a curse was placed upon them to never leave the sea and drown for eternity.

I've sailed the seas for years and faced my fair share of dangers, but nothing could have prepared me for the terror of the Sea Monk. It was a black behemoth, with piercing eyes that seemed to stare right through me. Its upper body resembled a twisted, ugly monk, but its lower half was that of a fish - a monstrous fish, at that. It was during a storm that we first encountered the Sea Monk. Our ship was battered by the waves, and we were struggling to stay afloat. Suddenly, the creature appeared before us, its massive form looming out of the darkness. It asked for a bucket, its voice rumbling like thunder.

We were all too scared to refuse, so we gave it what it wanted. But when the Sea Monk grabbed the bucket and started to fill it with water, we realized our mistake. One by one, it grabbed the crew and drowned them in the bucket, devouring them with its gaping maw.

I was the last one left, huddled in the corner of the ship, praying for a miracle. The Sea Monk turned its gaze on me, and I thought my time had come. But then, in a moment of madness, I remembered the old sailor's tale about the bottomless barrel.

I scrambled to find one and thrust it at the Sea Monk. The creature hesitated, confused by the endless depth of the barrel. It swam around us in circles, unsure of what to do, and I saw my chance to escape. I leaped overboard and swam for my life, the Sea Monk's roars echoing in my ears.
When I finally reached shore, I collapsed on the sand, shaking with fear and exhaustion. I knew I was lucky to be alive - most who encountered the Sea Monk weren't so fortunate. But the memory of that black behemoth will haunt me forever, a reminder of the dangers that lurk beneath the waves.

- Unknown Scovonian Sailor

Umi Bozur