| Demon of the Sea | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Naming | |||
| Binomen | N/A | ||
| Morphology | |||
| Body type | Ichthyoid | ||
| Intelligence | |||
| Sentience | Sentient | ||
| Sapience | Unknown | ||
| Aggressivity | Extreme | ||
| Ecology | |||
| Place of origin | Ocean | ||
| Locomotion | Swimming Crawling | ||
| Behind the Scenes | |||
| Universe | Demons of the Sea | ||
| Created by | William Hope Hodgson | ||
The "Demons of the Sea" are a mysterious species of oceanic creatures which are known to attack ships in large numbers, boarding the vessels and killing all of the crew. After that, they continue to inhabit the ship, at least for a while, leading to the possibility that they might claim ships to serve as a sort of communal nest for their kind.
Biology[]
The Demons of the Sea are known to appear after submarine earthquakes, when the sea becomes hot, muddy, covered by mist, and filled with popping bubbles. They can survive in water "hot enough to make tea with", measured as 99 degrees Fahrenheit.
Physically, they resemble strange seals, but with long tentacles for arms, which end in hands with sharp talons. Their bodies end in a double-curved tail, which they can use to shuffle about. Their faces look like a grotesque caricature of a human face, but the upper jaw is described as closing into the lower, "after the manner of the jaws of an octopus". Although their bodies are white in color, their faces and tentacles are black.
These creatures are strong, fast and agile swimmers, and well capable of crawling up the hull of a ship to invade it and slaughter the crew. Shooting them appears to have no effect, as they're neither scared nor killed by the bullets, though whether this is because they're bulletproof, resistant to injuries, or simply not easy to hit is not clear. Bladed weapons are far more effective, as they can be used to chop off the beasts' tentacles.
Appearances[]
- "Demons of the Sea", by William Hope Hodgson (1923)