The dreaded grebnenorc is a creation of those forces beyond the ken of mortal minds which lie dreaming in dead cities below the deepest oceans. They are formed by merging lost (but not dead) sailors, eels, crabs, and other unsavory things of the depths into fused beings of horror. Although the dead, dreaming minds which create them are beyond the petty concerns of Law and Chaos, once they are created they naturally gravitate toward the service of those chaotic deep-sea beings which oppose the conquest of the surface oceans by land species. In short, these beings hate us.
Grebnenorc (singular and plural) are completely amphibious, and are able to survive away from the ocean for extended times. They radiate a slowing aura, which affects the movement and initiative rolls of all creatures within 100’ except themselves – the judge can determine that slowed flying or swimming is not fast enough to be successful, within context. Their bites are venomous, regardless of which mouths are used, but the venom cannot successfully be harvested from the creatures. They are immune to mind-affecting magic and abilities and cannot normally be surprised due to the plethora of eyes studding their vile forms. Grebnenorc are always facing other creatures, even when surrounded, due to their amalgamated structure.
These creatures not only guard the palaces of sinister submarine entities, but they are sent to infiltrate docks and ports, or are sent to destroy the shrines of human-friendly oceanic deities. Luckily, grebnenorc are not built for swimming – they can only walk along the sea floor – so ships are in no danger from them when not at port. A grebnenorc can potentially (and laboriously) climb an anchor chain, but it has no particular skill at doing so. Indeed, its body proves a hindrance to such activities rather than an asset.
(Illustration by Noble Hardesty, used with permission. You can check out more of the artist's work here!)
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