Ukjutnarpak
Image © @a-book-of-creatures, accessed at A Book of Creatures here
[Are you running an Arctic adventure? Are you looking for aquatic encounters to menace your PCs with, but troubled by the environment being too cold for sharks or crocodiles? Why not try a giant murderous mouse? The original story stresses how much the locals tried not to be heard by the ukjutnarpak, to the point of tying their dogs' mouths closed when passing by its severed head, so I figured interpreting it as a Grinch-like figure (all that noise noise noise noise!) was the way to go.
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Ukjutnarpak CR 5 NE Magical Beast This creature resembles a mouse, except that it is the size of a hippopotamus and has fleshy webs between its toes. Its incisors have grown into deadly tusks, and its tail is as long again as its body.
The ukjutnarpak is a curmudgeonly carnivore with a preference for silence. They hate noise, especially the sounds of civilization such as conversation or the sounds of domestic animals, and so live in remote areas. Unfortunately, they are amphibious hunters, and so if people use the lakes and rivers where they live as trade and travel routes, or for hunting and fishing themselves, they draw the ukjutnarpak’s murderous ire. An ukjutnarpak has incredibly sensitive hearing, so people who must travel in their territorial waters often communicate by hand signs, tie their dogs’ mouths shut, or otherwise take extensive measures to be as quiet as possible.
Ukjutnarpaks hunt somewhat like crocodiles, waiting for creatures to drink at the water’s edge or swim before grabbing them and dragging them under. Rather than use their jaws, they grab with long prehensile tails—sensory hairs in their tails allow them to feel traces of movement in the air, and so they can strike with surprising precision even while the rest of the ukjutnarpak remains fully submerged. When battling humanoids, they use this ability to pluck victims out of their boats and drag them into the water. Their hides are supernaturally tough, and those without magic weapons need critical strikes (especially around the neck, where their hide is thin) to deal damage to an ukjutnarpak. Ukjutnarpaks often collect trophies—capsized boats might float near their lairs (all the better for the monstrous mice to take cover under them), and their lairs are decorated with damaged weapons, armor and clothing.
Ukjutnarpak distaste for sound and company extends to members of their own species. They come together only to mate and raise young, and only do so infrequently and begrudgingly. Ukjutnarpak parental care is filled with belittlement and abuse, usually ensuring that the young that survive are just as resentful and unpleasant as their parents. Although ukjutnarkpaks tend towards a species-wide superiority complex above humanoids, they respect nature spirits and fey, especially those with a similar superiority complex. Ukjutnarpaks can speak, but consider most speech not worth breaking their silence.
