Water Lion

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Water Lion is a mysterious deity who hates sharks and roams the Prime Material Plane.

Publication history

Water Lion was first detailed in the book Monster Mythology (1992), including details about his priesthood.^[1]

Description

Water Lion manifests as a huge fish-bodied lion with a body completely composed of water; apparently more viscous than brine, this water is contained in an elastic plasma membrane that keeps Water Lion's shape. He casts both druidic and clerical spells. He is immune to water spells, but suffers disproportionately from fire spells.

Water Lion is a playful god, and may roar for the sheer pleasure of the act, though this may have unfortunate unintended consequences for those nearby. His roar may deafen all those nearby, cause them to lose memorized spells from their heads, and suffer from a confusion effect.

Relationships

Water Lion is considered a fringe member of the asathalfinare, a loose coalition of gods of the seas and skies. He is rarely party to any of the group's decisions or agreements; it isn't in his nature.

Many myths purport to explain Water Lion's purpose. Sometimes he is said to be looking for someone, perhaps a lost child or a lost god who was his best friend; the myths that claim this god was Stillsong are thought to be closest to the truth.

Water Lion's hatred of sharks is not part of his quest, but he attacks them on sight. It seems safe to assume this makes him an enemy of the shark god Sekolah.

Realm

Water Lion's realm, if any, is unknown to mortal sages, but his avatars unceasingly wander the Material Plane.

Dogma

Water Lion has no known dogma. He usually ignores all attempts to communicate with him and concentrates on his seemingly endless quest. He loves music, however, and may reward a bard who performs for him with a pearl or some salvaged sunken treasure.

Occasionally Water Lion will suffer from bouts of melancholy; during these times it is ill-advised to approach him, and he may ferociously attack any who come too close. Only paladins, dolphins, and sea elves are tolerated during such times, and even they must remain silent if they wish to come near. During his depressions, Water Lion sheds tears that function as potions of extra-healing, with the side-effect that the drinker suffers from some of Water Lion's own melancholy, as well as strange and prophetic dreams.

Worshipers

Water Lion has no cult or worshipers.

Similar creatures

Gary Gygax's novel Come Endless Darkness features a being known as Leoceanus, a monstrous sea cat with a head three times the size of a normal lion's, with a greenish tinge. Leoceanus is sent by the Cat Lord to bring Gord the Rogue before the lords of Balance.^[2]

Additional reading