2 Jun 20. | Author: John Doe
Monster of the Week: Young Kraken
Raw tentacled fury of the sea, the young kraken lives in the nightmares of those who dare to travel through the ocean…
The Mighty Kraken…. Baby?
This Monster of The Week even has Brittany Spears singing (“Oh, baby, baby“). That’s right -we’re going to discuss the Kraken’s adorable equivalent: the Young Kraken. For me, the first mental images that it conjures up are of squishy, slimy little Nemos, unable to defend themselves from a harsh world. If you’re in the same boat (boat, ha), you might’ve forgotten that this segment is titled Monster of The Week.
So why are we focusing on a weaker version of it’s elder counterpart?
If you don’t want to wipe out your lower level (even mid-level) adventuring party, this little guy is more than a cute marketable version of the terrifying ruler of the deep, they’re a potential long-term BBEG who grows in power with them. Where the fully grown Kraken is an extremely intelligent and ancient eldritch nightmare, their young are powerful foes that are not nigh impossible to defeat (and slightly less tremble-worthy) – as well as prone to plotting vengeance.
Is This Where “Whipper Snapper” Comes From?
Even in infancy, it is capable of comprehending information at the average intelligence level of, say, those who enjoy edgy adult cartoons (adult swim, anyone?). While not as large as their mature counterparts, they’re still much larger than the largest Owlbear. Krakens are also known for being extremely evil. The Young Kraken is no different. One might hope that being an independent and highly intelligent creature, it might rebel against its elder brethren and start a movement pushing against the traditionalist evils of Kraken-kind; maybe be intelligent enough to see the importance of a better society with equality for minorities and higher minimum wage?
Unfortunately, the Young Kraken isn’t capable of actual revolutionary alignment change – nor speech (makes holiday meals with old Uncle Kraken, much easier). They are, however, capable of telepathy within a 120ft radius. They even have the ability to breathe in and outside of water (so there’s still the option of opening yet another a big corporate chain store on the corner).
Kraken as deadly adults or inexperienced youth can execute their schemes on both land and water. The adults are more likely to attack directly when their schemes are uncovered, while young Krakens will retreat and nurse their wounds until an opportunity for revenge appears. Remember, they’re long-lived. They may wait years or decades after they’ve been thwarted to come after your adventuring party.
