#moha-moha

[farewell-to-lorien]

The Explorer's Guide To Cryptid Animals of the World, by Vlad Stankovic.

[thecreaturecodex]

Moha-Moha

Image © deviantArt user Ognimdo2002, accessed at his gallery here

[The moha-moha is a sea serpent sighting from Australia, which was met with lots of condescension and skepticism, even by people who were all-in on sea monsters, because it was sighted by a woman. I've decided to take it as an aquatic equivalent of my atelosaurus--a reptile from a modern family convergently evolved to resemble a Mesozoic reptile. I also am including a little bit more evolutionary ideas: I wanted to make it a Mullerian mimic of a dragon turtle.]

Moha-Moha CR 9 N Animal This creature resembles a turtle the size of a small whale. Its neck is long, allowing its beaked head ample range of movement, and it has a long tail with a fish-like fin.

The moha-moha is a carnivorous turtle that resembles a plesiosaur. They are durophages, using their hard beaks to crush shelled prey like mollusks, crustaceans and other turtles. They will even graze on coral if other prey is scarce, although such a diet brings them into competition with reef mashers. Moha-mohas look somewhat like dragon turtles, and some sages believe this is a form of mimicry. Not that moha-mohas are not dangerous in and of themselves—the two species’ similarities reinforce the association with potential predators to leave them alone.

A moha-moha, like other marine turtles, must lay its eggs on the shore. Doing so is a labor-intensive process, as the beasts have difficulty moving on land. Before egg-laying is when these animals are the most likely to interact with humans, as they remain in shallow water for several days before emerging to prepare, and for several days after to rest. And any shellfish pools or lobster pots they are near are likely to be tempting targets for snacks.

Moha-moha as Animal Companions Moha-mohas are not very intelligent and do not take training well. They are rarely found tamed by either aquatic or terrestrial humanoids, but are sometimes used as animal companions by aquatic druids.

Starting Statistics: Size Medium; Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft.; AC +3 natural armor; Attack bite (1d8), tail slap (1d6); Ability Scores Str 13, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 1, Wis 13, Cha 8; Special Qualities low-light vision, scent. 4th-Level Advancement: Size Large; AC +3 natural armor; Attack bite (2d6), tail slap (1d8); Ability Scores Str +8, Dex –2, Con +4; Special Attacks crunching critical (bite, x3 critical without natural armor reduction),tail sweep (10 foot radius, Str based DC)

Moha-Moha      CR 9 XP 6,400 N Huge animal Init +1; Senses low-light vision, Perception +20, scent Defense AC 22, touch 9, flat-footed 21 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +13 natural) hp 136 (13d8+78) Fort +16, Ref +11, Will +7 Offense Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft. Melee bite +16 (2d8+9/19-20x3), tail slap +11 (2d6+4) Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. Special Attacks crunching critical, tail sweep Statistics Str 29, Dex 12, Con 22, Int 1, Wis 13, Cha 8 Base Atk +9; CMB +20; CMD 31 (35 vs. trip) Feats Diehard, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (bite), Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (Perception) Skills Perception +20, Swim +23 SQ hold breath Ecology Environment warm and temperate aquatic Organization solitary or pair Treasure none Special Abilities Crunching Critical (Ex) A moha-moha’s bite attack deals x3 damage on a successful critical hit. A creature that is dealt a critical hit by a moha-moha’s bite attack must succeed a DC 25 Fortitude save or have its natural armor reduced by 2 until they receive magical healing or return to full hit points. This save DC is Strength based. Tail Sweep (Ex) As a standard action, a moha-moha can sweep its tail in a 15 foot radius half-circle. All creatures in the area take 2d6+9 points of bludgeoning damage (Reflex DC 25 half). The save DC is Strength based.

[cryptid-quest]

On This Day in Cryptid History

January 3rd: The Land & Water Journal published in 1891 a story of a sea serpent called the Moha-Moha, described by S. Lovell and six companions off the coast of Sandy Cape in Queensland, Australia. They described it as 30ft long, toothless and legless.

[cryptid-quest]

Cryptid of the Day: Moha-Moha

Description: A story published in the Land and Water journal on January 3rd, 1891 tells of S. Lovell and six companions saw a giant turtle like animal swimming at Sandy Cape, Queensland, Australia. She described it as toothless, legless and estimated it at 30 feet long. They called it, Moha-Moha.