This installment of the My First Monster Manual blog series is the the Landshark.
Environment: Plains, Mountains, Underground
Monster Type: Hostile
Color: Green pupils, Blue-green scales, Grey skin, Ivory claws
Features: Tough scales, Sharp claws
Abilities: Tunneling, Tremor-sense, Fearless
Recommended Equipment: Elf and Dwarf Hero companions, Magic Shoes
Introduction:
The Landshark is a fearless monster covered in tough armored plates. They burrow underground and sense the tremors of people and creatures walking above them. They’re an extremely dangerous ambush predator with sharp claws and a powerful bite. They’re known for a ferocious appetite, a mean demeanor, and an unthinking need to consume anything and everything around them. The only thing they refuse to eat are elves and they dislike the taste of dwarves.
Investigation:
We disembarked our chartered ship, the Gentle Scholar in the small fishing village of Urlsin. It was once part of a prosperous kingdom that fell into desolation when the land was ravaged by a conflict of magic. Over the course of our long voyage we befriended the other passengers, in particular, a band of elves called Lightfoot’s Company. They had been hired by the community of Urlsin to deal with a very troublesome pest, a Landshark! With some charismatic persuasion and our bottle of Elven mead, they agreed to let us join them to study the monster.
Observations:
The town was in even more despair than we had imagined. The Landshark had ransacked their crops, live stock, and fish supply. It even consumed the one horse in town, which we had bought in advance to carry our packs across the arid wastes. We positioned ourselves on a large rock boulder watching as Lightfoot’s Company prepared their bait and trap. With specialized shoes the company spread out around a pair of Elves that had metal horseshoes attached to their boots. The pair in the center began a choreographed trot, mimicking the sound of a horse. Horse is one of the Landshark’s favorite foods.
It wasn’t long before the ground rumbled and the Landshark emerged from the ground leaping at the pair in the center. It was only a young one, only 9 SBL’s in length. Red dust of the earth covered it’s shiny blue scales, grey skin and ivory claws. The Landshark froze and gaged at the sight of the elves before whirling around jaws snapping and claws thrashing. As fast as lightening, they threw lassoes from every direction, binding and surrounding the Landshark. Once they had it secure, one of the Elves approached slowly touching the Landshark casting it into an enchanted sleep. To our surprise, they captured the monster instead of killing it.
Conclusion:
We were astonished to witness a professional band of monster hunters in action.We were lucky that Lightfoot’s Company arrived at the same time we did. We would’ve been just another meal for the Landshark had they not been there. The young Landshark did a massive amount of damage to the town. A mature adult would have devastated the town and been a terrifying monster to confront.
About:
The Landshark is part of our “My First Monster Manual” blog series where we will feature each of the monsters we are considering for inclusion in our new children’s book. Click here to learn more info on My First Monster Manual.
Artist: Spencer Johnson – spencemonger.com
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