Grindylow

Grindylow

(Creature)

2E1E

Common

Small

Aberration

Amphibious

Level

0

Images of grindylows

Source: Monster Core, pg(s). 186

Legacy 2E: grindylows had the

CE

trait in Bestiary 2 138.

Type

Aberration
(aquatic)

CR

½ (or class level)

Environment

Any water

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Images of grindylows

Source: Bestiary 2, pg(s). 148

Ⅰ

Ⅱ

Grindylows are amphibious aberrations resembling a goblin from the waist up and an octopus from the waist down. Despite the resemblance, they are not considered to be humanoids.

Appearance

A grindylow attacks a band of adventurers.

Like goblins, a grindylow has a large, grotesque head and many teeth and two arms with fingers. However, its head has a vague shark-like resemblance and gills, and instead of legs it has six suckered tentacles resembling those of an octopus. While most grindylows are about four feet tall, but a few no limit to their potential growth over the years, and a few rare grindylows have grown to massive sizes.

Abilities

Grindylows can eat almost any living creature, and take pleasure in wreaking pain and chaos. They can wield weapons in their hands and entangle foes in their tentacles. They can move faster in water then land, and while swimming they can rapidly propel themselves forward 60 feet in seconds by producing a jet of water.

They can speak and understand the Thalassic language.

Ecology and habitat

Grindylows can dwell in many aquatic areas, but mainly shallow water which could be fresh or brine, from lakes, coastal, or coral reefs.

Grindylow are pragmatic rather then territorial. They build mobile shelters such as within seaweed sargasso or hull of an abandoned ships, but rarely a permanent structures. They will adopt a decent hunting ground for generations unless chased out by a predators.

Grindylow are experience hunters and scavengers and will eat anything they can bite.

Society

Grindylows organize themselves in groups called schools, which can number from a few to few hundred. Smaller schools may at times be taken over by powerful aquatic creature but this alliance only last until a major setback is faced, at which point the survivors scatter back into smaller schools.

Grindylows are indiscriminately violent and rapacious, and will attack settlements of merfolk and humans alike, as well as ships passing through their territory. While some travel in small groups, others form tribes of several dozen led by rangers, clerics, or barbarians. Some are known to post skeletal trophies of their prey as "shepherds" near their territory.

In much the same ways as goblins hate horses or dogs and domesticate goblin dogs, grindylows abhor squids of all sizes and consider them freaks of nature. It is a great insult to call a grindylow a squid. This also includes things that resemble squids. Sailors moving through grindylow-infested waters may paint squids on the bottom hull to ward away smaller schools, but this could instead invite larger groups for a coordinated attack, especially if the ship's route is predictable.

This hate don't included other tentacled creatures, considering octopuses the hight of power, beauty and grace. The power of other larger sea predators they respect. They befriending octopuses and devilfish as companions.

On Golarion

Grindylows are known to infest regions from the tropical islands of the Shackles all the way north to the ice-rimmed reaches of the Ivory Sea fringing the Crown of the World.

A sea drake named Illycis and tribe of grindylow are living in the Peijia Bachuan southern dock warehouse district, legally buying the land the land a long time ago and been paying citizen taxes. Peijia city hall wishes to remove them to rent warehouses at marked-up prices, resulting in a impending court case leaning into Illycis's favor but they are having trouble finding a lawyer.

In Eastern Xidao of Tian Xia, being more cosmopolitan, occasional grindylow in the cities are more common sight. In the Songil Sea, grindylows are a plague being ferocious, sadistic, gorging on the plentiful fish, but always hungry for mayhem no matter how full. Although storms are uncommon and far between, the prefer grindylows still prefer attacking during inclement, and will strike quickly during the lightest rain or thinnest mist. This has put port towns citizens on edge and refer to breaking storms as grindylow weather.

Inhabitants

See also: Category:Grindylow/Inhabitants

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.