The frigid seas of the north and its great sculptures of ice. Such beauty in its crystalline form, the wondrous blues and whites creating art in the very seas. Even as sailors shiver from the cold, they can't help but feel awe when seeing these icy pieces. But these marvels must be taken with a hint of fear, for even the transparent ice hides dark secrets. Think of the icebergs that seem so small, yet down below lurk a great bulk that can crush a ship to splinters. Look to the dreaded Tear glaciers and the insidious cold that drains away warmth, joy and hope. See the massive shadows that peek out from the veil of ice and snow, the frozen remains of an age long past. Buried beneath it all are the ancient giants of Eitr, those who wept as their time and kingdom fell to ruin, until they forever entombed themselves in their own Tears. They are doomed to never wake, yet any sailor or traveler will find little comfort in that when witnessing those dark silhouettes. For there are other things that lurk within the ice, monsters whose slumber is not so infinite. The nasty reptilian beasts of olden times that use icebergs as their cocoons, unleashing incredible destruction when this frigid shell falls away. And of course for the whalers, these icy fields upon the waves may be hiding a leviathan, one of great worth and danger...
The Icefin leviathan is one of the nasty beasts that lurks in the waters of the frigid north. It swims beneath the ice sheets and hunts amongst the icebergs. It is as blue as Tears and as chilling as the waters it stalks. The visage of the Icefin is a ghastly one, with a horrid hooked beak that can slice through hide and blubber, a crimson mane of gills and those piercing eyes. When it comes to encountering this beast, it is the eyes the whalers hate the most. Their gaze is an unsettling one, chilling you to the bone (but not literally). Whalers in the midst of a hunt while freeze up (again, not literally) when they lock eyes with the Icefin. The superstitions of the seafolk say they are cursed things, casting evil upon those it spies upon. When the beast is hunted, the eyes are hastily removed. Destroy them or conceal them, so their gaze does not doom the entire ship...
Icefins are crafty hunters of the frigid seas, just as insidious as the ice that grows there. These leviathans focus their hunger upon seals, often swallowing them whole in their greed. This prey of theirs, though, is fast and clever, one would be hard pressed to catch them easily. Indeed, the Icefin can give chase, using its power and endurance to eventually snare them in their beak, but such hunt is costly in energy. A lot can be wasted with nothing to show for it. So instead, the Icefin waits. Its body produces copious amounts of Tears, with the largest supply coming from its back. This fluid is quick to freeze and is what makes up its terrible claws and iconic fin. But the Icefin can do more than make mere spikes, as it can cover its body entirely in icy armor. With enough time, the leviathan disappears into a block of frigid crystal, eventually becoming like any iceberg in the sea. Their body slows down and they go still, but the eyes are ever watching. They wait for the seals to swim by, for them to frolic near their icy tomb or even climb up to rest on its shores. When prey is close and unaware, the Icefin jolts to life, cracking through its disguise and lunging at its meal with that terrible beak. The seals are too surprised to escape, vanishing into its hungering gullet.
When predators and whalers go after the Icefin, they must be vigilant and sharp. With its icy disguise, it can be hiding in plain sight, buried within one of the many icebergs. If one were to see through this illusion, or find one still swimming about, the battle shall commence. Unfortunately, one of the first things this leviathan does is suit up for the fight, as its Tears quickly create frigid armor. Shells of ice encase its body, and its beak and claws are fortified by it. With terrible strength and speed, it rams into foes and begins to tear away at them. Their beak and claws leave shivering wounds, while their armor absorbs punishment with ease. Their frozen fin can slam into ships again and again, like a vengeful iceberg eager to destroy. Whalers must exploit gaps in its armor, or destroy it entirely to get to the vulnerable flesh beneath. Heavy weapons, clubs and explosives may be used, that way the harpoons can do their job. Yellowflame is the best for stripping them, but such a tactic will earn some miserable grumbles. In these frigid waters, warmth is coveted, and chucking away the Humor of fire means the voyage will be that much colder now. But if the choices are freezing to death later or sinking to the bottom now, then the answer is sadly obvious. Melt through their armor, pierce their hide and destroy those damn eyes!
When the Icefin is slain, the spoils are claimed. Their bodies provide meat, scale, hide and Tears, which are mainly in icy form. The flesh that comes from them is salty and has an odd chilled flavor to it. Their dorsal fin is the most prized cut, seen as a delicacy. But first it must be chipped out of the icy shell, and then comes the battle of cooking it. Due to the high level of Tears within it, the fin of this leviathan seemingly refuses to warm up, staying cold even on a hot sunny day. This makes it a challenging ingredient to work with, as it defies the boiling pot and fights against the cooking fire. Of course, one could remove all the Tears within, but many would say it ruins the flavor. This ingredient is a tricky one, but it can be bested by a wise cook who knows how to compliment flavors. There are recipes that use the fin's chill to their advantage, creating some real unique dishes, but these meals are not cheap ones to make! And this fin is already pretty expensive!
While meat is certainly a plentiful resource to be gained from the Icefin, their Tears and hide is often what most whalers are after. The ice carved from their bodies last longer than normal blocks, which helps keep their harvest cool and fresh. But the real prize is the scales and leather, which seems to retain the power of cold even after death. These materials carry a slight chill to them, somehow repelling heat while seemingly soaking up any cold they come in contact with. If a scale has finally gone warm, brief contact with ice rejuvenates it within seconds, and it will hold that chill for hours. Obviously, these materials are perfect for making containers and bags that can hold and preserve perishable goods. This keeps the harvest nice and fresh, which is always welcome aboard any whaling ship.
However, many whalers and sailors hunger for these materials for personal use, as they can provide comfort on a long voyage, especially those on tropical waters under the burning sun. Take some scraps of Icefin hide to make a waterskin, and every drink you take with it will be refreshingly cold. Make a necklace from one of the icy claws to help beat the heat while working on the deck. Fashion a hammock from its leather and suddenly the sweltering sleeping quarters feel a whole lot better. If the whaling captain is looking to make big money from slaying an Icefin, they best keep their eyes out for sneaky hands and eager pockets from the crew. Scales and other pieces have ways of disappearing during the mess of butchering. But don't worry, they won't touch the eyes. Nobody wants those eyes...
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Yes yes, some creative liberties were taken with this one. Typically the seal is swallowed tail first, but alas, I went head first! Oh ho! Such creativity!
