Medieval bestiaries often recount tales of fabulous sea creatures like
sea-goats,
sea-horses,
sea-knights,
sea-lions, and
sea-monks. Back then it was believed everything on land had an equivalent in the sea. Such creatures were
depicted in
heraldry, too. The
Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore by Theresa Bane lists the sea-dog, sea goat, sea-gryphon, sea hog, sea monk, sea-satyr, sea serpent, sea-stag, sea wolf, and sea-wyvern, among others.
D&D also has a history of weird sea monsters, like the
sea cat and
seawolf. Sometimes these are accused of being excessively
silly or
stupid. I don't really care if they're considered silly. If D&D already has merfolk, a bazillion other marine monsters and a
plane of water, then
sea clergy are no big stretch.
In future posts I would like to explore the fantastical sea creatures in more detail, in both mythological and fantasy gaming contexts.
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