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Description

Okay, I know I shouldn't be writing an entry on this, since it isn't really a species and more of a magic thing, but I can't help it. It is just too fascinating to pass up. And also because some people even think they are a natural animal (I don't know how, but then again very few people have ever actually seen one). For most, however, these things are horror stories of the sea, terrifying tales that are passed around by sailors about what lurks below. I hardly imagine there is a single piece of writing about them that is actually a legitimate account or study of them, instead existing in the scary realm of the unknown. To be fair, being called "Abyssal Sleepers" isn't exactly a name that brings good thoughts to mind. Nor is the fact that they are said to be found in the deepest, blackest pits of the ocean. They live down there so long and so rarely ever surface that they might as well be a myth to most. However, we know that they exist and we do in fact know their origin! They are no natural species, or even that much of a mystery if you bother to look into it! To learn more about the abyssal sleepers, we only have to look to the Helkkja for answers.

That sounded like a pretty cool transition, but now I realize we still kind of don't have answers. The Helkkja are not the talkative type, and it isn't like you can just sail a boat out there and ask them. That is just a shipwreck waiting to happen! We do have a general idea, pieced about from tales and the rare interaction with a Helkkja across time, but we still can't be exactly sure. But what we do know is that abyssal sleepers are not fish or naturally made animals. In fact, they are human, or at least once were. They belonged to the Helkkja, living upon that arctic island far from all other civilizations. Their study of witchcraft and their dive into the depths of magic no doubt drove them to some bizarre methods. After all, there is only so much you can learn from throwing things into an icy pot. Once they fully explored the magical possibilities upon the land, it is only inevitable that they would turn their attention to other realms. The ocean is an unfathomable place, filled with endless mysteries but also bottomless possibilities. Who knows what caused this idea to spring up in their minds, or how they even created this process. All we know is that it did happen, and they succeeded in turning one of their kind into these aquatic anomalies.

A ritual is no doubt required for this to happen, as well as a whole lot of magical materials. From some tales, they say that the ritual calls for the chosen witch to lay in an icy coffin, where the transformation will take place. Before she does that, though, her limbs are tied in enchanted bindings and bony spikes are driven through her flesh. Her arms are pinned to her body, her legs bound together. This is to create the form of the fish, but that is not enough. For this whole endeavor to work, her eyelids must be pierced shut, with ivory hooks and magic-imbued beads. The end of this process leaves them blind and bound, and then they are lowered into their coffin. Once placed inside, the container is filled with a special potion and unknown ingredients, drowning the witch in this bizarre brew. I am sure magical incantations and other things are involved, but obviously we don't know all the specifics. Essentially, this ritual will turn the chosen witch into this aquatic shark-like being. Once she has gained her new form, her coffin is taken to a hole in the icy and she is gently transferred into the icy sea. From then on, she will dive into the deepest depths of the ocean, where light fades into endless night. She will spend years, decades, in the abyss, swimming amongst the creatures that lurk where the sun doesn't shine. What they do down there, how could we ever know? But we do know hydromancers wind up there eventually, so the ocean depths must offer something to the primordial mind of humanity.

As the stories go, the abyss apparently possesses some kind of power or energy, something that seeps into every living thing down below. What the abyssal sleeper does is pretty much marinate in these strange forces, absorbing the dark magic into their flesh and bones. By living down in the abyss, they become one with it, gaining whatever it has within. But such a force cannot be handled by mere mortals, thus the need to transform into something else. This fishy form is capable of withstanding this presence, and can soak it up without succumbing to some kind of curse (I don't know, this all pretty much guessing at this point). These years in the pitch black ocean is why their eyes are sealed shut, as it is said staring into the abyssal darkness would drive them mad. Others suggest that the beings that live down there would kill any human with their visage alone, so thus the sleeper must remain blind. Regardless of the hows or whys, these abyssal sleepers swim about the abyss for many years, until they are somehow called back to the surface world. What beckons them back to the light is unknown, or how the Helkkja even know when the sleepers are ready to return. However it happens, a sleeper will hear the call and finally return to the waters above. After their slow ascent, their sisters will greet them and transfer them back into a ice coffin filled with sea water. Once taken back home, the final step will take place. The Helkkja will take their blades and carve the fins and flesh from the sleeper. It sounds like quite the bloody affair, but some say that the sleeper survives this ordeal. As the stories go, they essentially carve their human sister out of this shark-form, somehow cleaving it off like some kind of second skin. I am sure the return to a human body is refreshing after such a long life down below, but it sounds like they don't fully come back. For a while, the reborn Helkkja must be kept in a dark dwelling for days, until they readjust to the world above. Even then, it is said that they have odd dreams and nightmares, as their sleeping self may still swim in the abyss. These visions are welcomed by the Helkkja, as that is how they glean any information of the sleeper's time down below. Though they lived down there for years as a shark, it is equated to a coma, where they don't remember a thing about it (probably where the "sleeper" part comes from). Only their dreams give them glimpses of their time in the abyss. I am sure the Helkkja learn plenty from these alien nightmares, at least I hope they do. I tried reading a supposed account of one dream and couldn't make heads or tails from it. I showed it to Eucella once and she claimed to enjoy it and understood a few bits, but I think she is just messing with me.

Dreams are not the only things they gain from the sleeper, though, as they do have a bunch of flesh cleaved from their body. This meat is said to be steeped with abyssal essence, a truly potent energy. However, the Helkkja cannot handle this magic in such a pure raw form. Instead, it needs to be processed, distilled and apparently fermented. The whole process of handling sleeper flesh is unknown, but it sounds extremely tedious and time consuming. Essentially skinning it, cutting it up, trimming it into long strips and coating it in magical herbs and materials. They are then soaked in a potion bath then straight up buried in the earth. I kid you not, one of the consistent details about this process is that it needs to be placed in a hole and left to ferment for months. Once it is unearthed, they dry it, shave it into flakes and then mix it into a specially prepared ink. From there they create some kind of contraption that works like a quill that slow drips ink over the course of days. They roll out dried sharkskin to act like a scroll, and have this abyssal ink slowly drip onto it for weeks. If properly done and left undisturbed, this alien fluid will somehow form words, sigils and spells upon this parchment, slithering across the page as if alive. What is gained at the end is markings of the abyss itself, transferred into a form that humans can properly read and process. These perfected scrolls are said to be one of their greatest treasures, as it gives them insights to a world alien to man. Outside of these, the dried abyssal flesh is also used in some potions, spells and even food. A distilled, fermented form of abyssal energy, tasted in such small drops to prevent the mind and body from succumbing. It is claimed that the magic from this flesh is some of the most horrific and powerful found in the lands, and that many modern magical defenses cannot stop it. Thankfully, it is a very rare thing and the Helkkja seem to hoard it for themselves on their secluded island.

So from what I have said, the abyssal sleepers sounds pretty strange, but not really that scary. Why would people be afraid of a shark person that swims so far down below that we never see them? The only people they interact with is other Helkkja, so what is the threat? Well, apparently things don't always go perfectly. Every once in a while, an abyssal sleeper will develop a flaw or sickness. Perhaps the ritual wasn't perfect, or something happened down below that their body couldn't handle it. Whatever the cause, it is said that sometimes an abyssal sleeper will rise to the surface but far from her fellow sisters. Like dying abyssal fish wandering into the light during their final days, a sickened abyssal sleeper may wind up in places she isn't meant to be. And when she gets closer to the surface, she becomes closer to the domain of man. Entering the light means ascending into the reach of hooks and nets, where sailors can look down a see a form they do not understand. By accident, a sleeper may be caught in the lines and hauled aboard, thought to be just another fish. But when they are revealed to the crew, panic immediately sets in. Abyssal sleepers are widely feared and said to be one of the foulest curses that can befall a ship. Like mentioned before, they spend their years down there absorbing the essence of the abyss itself, getting it into their flesh and bones. With that, a risen abyssal sleeper is said to be laden with curses and emanating horrid energy that corrodes everything around it. The only thing that keeps these dark forces at bay is supposedly the sea water itself. As long as its skin and gills/lungs are flush with sea water, the abyssal essence remains contained, but if it were to dry out, then it would be unleashed. This is why the Helkkja transport their sleeper sister in water filled coffins, so that the curses remain sealed within the flesh until ready. However, unwary fishermen may not know these rules, and won't realize their mistake until it is too late.

To get an idea of the terror surrounding a lost abyssal sleeper, we can just look to one tale I read about before. A big fishing vessel hauled in its nets one day to find a sleeper trapped amongst their catch. With it tangled in the ropes, they couldn't easily free it and they knew that the water was escaping its body with each passing second. In a panic, they turned their knives on both the net and the sleeper, stabbing her mercilessly in hopes that her death would prevent the curse from escaping. Once she was freed enough from the shredded net, they tossed her corpse into the sea and sailed away as fast as they could. However, it seems that they did not escape. The tale claims a cabin boy fled from the deck and hid down below while the rest of the crew butchered the sleeper. Looking out a porthole, he saw the dying fish being tossed back into the sea. As her fading body sank below the waves, her head hung above the water just long enough to clear the fluid from her gills/lungs and let out a single dying breath. The very air from this last gasp was a potent hex and it consumed the ship and its bloodthirsty crew. Days later, the vessel was found adrift, and another crew climbed aboard to see what was up. What they found were pale limbless things, flopping pathetically upon the deck. The melted, soggy clothes that clung to their bodies suggest that these horrible writhing blobs were once the fishermen that ran this ship. Further investigation found the cabin boy still hiding down below, but what had transpired on this ship had changed him. His hair was white as snow and his body aged as if decades passed. He rambled like a mad man, and I suppose his ravings are what conveyed the story of what happened. It is said that the boarding crew then torched the whole ship, fish mutants and all, as they believed the whole boat was lost to this horrible hex. The raving cabin boy was brought back to shore, where he would flee as far inland as he could, never to see the ocean again. The story caps off saying that the mad lad would eventually die of dehydration, refusing to touch a drop of water while still rambling about that horrible encounter. I don't think I did the story any justice with this quick recap, but I feel it paints a pretty good picture. Abyssal sleepers are steeped in the abyss, and any encounter with them is a chance for that darkness to seep into your own flesh.

Certainly spooky stuff, I will say, but mainly because there is actual magic occurring here. If it was a regular animal, I would scoff at such dramatic tale, but this is something very different. Honestly, it is stories like these that make me wonder why humans are so scared of us sometimes. You meet people that are suspicious of dryads, terrified of demons and disgusted by slimes, yet their own kind is capable of such a metamorphosis. Do they not see what their mages can turn into? Do they not realize the horrors that can come from their own flesh? Hmmmmm, well actually now that I say it, they probably are very aware of it but don't like talking about it. Much better to claim that the monsters are all around you rather than acknowledge that they can live within your very skin.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

Editor's Note: Yeah, Chlora, this isn't going in. Half this entry is you saying "we don't know" or "it's a mystery!" Pretty useless for what we are trying to do with this book! Unless you can land an interview with a Helkkja, we are leaving most of this arctic witch stuff out. Also, I didn't say I "understood" that dream writing I said I "felt it," there is a difference. I couldn't tell you what it meant or what they actually saw, but I think the emotion was conveyed pretty well. Trying reading some more poetry, Chlora! - Eucella-

-------------------------------------------------------

It's Mermay, thus we need Mermaids! Had this one back when I was doing the posts about the Helkkja, but decided to hold it back a bit just for this occasion! What a lovely creature to introduce in this lovely month! I say that but I honestly think they're kind of cute.

Description

Okay, I know I shouldn't be writing an entry on this, since it isn't really a species and more of a magic thing, but I can't help it. It is just too fascinating to pass up. And also because some people even think they are a natural animal (I don't know how, but then again very few people have ever actually seen one). For most, however, these things are horror stories of the sea, terrifying tales that are passed around by sailors about what lurks below. I hardly imagine there is a single piece of writing about them that is actually a legitimate account or study of them, instead existing in the scary realm of the unknown. To be fair, being called "Abyssal Sleepers" isn't exactly a name that brings good thoughts to mind. Nor is the fact that they are said to be found in the deepest, blackest pits of the ocean. They live down there so long and so rarely ever surface that they might as well be a myth to most. However, we know that they exist and we do in fact know their origin! They are no natural species, or even that much of a mystery if you bother to look into it! To learn more about the abyssal sleepers, we only have to look to the Helkkja for answers.

That sounded like a pretty cool transition, but now I realize we still kind of don't have answers. The Helkkja are not the talkative type, and it isn't like you can just sail a boat out there and ask them. That is just a shipwreck waiting to happen! We do have a general idea, pieced about from tales and the rare interaction with a Helkkja across time, but we still can't be exactly sure. But what we do know is that abyssal sleepers are not fish or naturally made animals. In fact, they are human, or at least once were. They belonged to the Helkkja, living upon that arctic island far from all other civilizations. Their study of witchcraft and their dive into the depths of magic no doubt drove them to some bizarre methods. After all, there is only so much you can learn from throwing things into an icy pot. Once they fully explored the magical possibilities upon the land, it is only inevitable that they would turn their attention to other realms. The ocean is an unfathomable place, filled with endless mysteries but also bottomless possibilities. Who knows what caused this idea to spring up in their minds, or how they even created this process. All we know is that it did happen, and they succeeded in turning one of their kind into these aquatic anomalies.

A ritual is no doubt required for this to happen, as well as a whole lot of magical materials. From some tales, they say that the ritual calls for the chosen witch to lay in an icy coffin, where the transformation will take place. Before she does that, though, her limbs are tied in enchanted bindings and bony spikes are driven through her flesh. Her arms are pinned to her body, her legs bound together. This is to create the form of the fish, but that is not enough. For this whole endeavor to work, her eyelids must be pierced shut, with ivory hooks and magic-imbued beads. The end of this process leaves them blind and bound, and then they are lowered into their coffin. Once placed inside, the container is filled with a special potion and unknown ingredients, drowning the witch in this bizarre brew. I am sure magical incantations and other things are involved, but obviously we don't know all the specifics. Essentially, this ritual will turn the chosen witch into this aquatic shark-like being. Once she has gained her new form, her coffin is taken to a hole in the icy and she is gently transferred into the icy sea. From then on, she will dive into the deepest depths of the ocean, where light fades into endless night. She will spend years, decades, in the abyss, swimming amongst the creatures that lurk where the sun doesn't shine. What they do down there, how could we ever know? But we do know hydromancers wind up there eventually, so the ocean depths must offer something to the primordial mind of humanity.

As the stories go, the abyss apparently possesses some kind of power or energy, something that seeps into every living thing down below. What the abyssal sleeper does is pretty much marinate in these strange forces, absorbing the dark magic into their flesh and bones. By living down in the abyss, they become one with it, gaining whatever it has within. But such a force cannot be handled by mere mortals, thus the need to transform into something else. This fishy form is capable of withstanding this presence, and can soak it up without succumbing to some kind of curse (I don't know, this all pretty much guessing at this point). These years in the pitch black ocean is why their eyes are sealed shut, as it is said staring into the abyssal darkness would drive them mad. Others suggest that the beings that live down there would kill any human with their visage alone, so thus the sleeper must remain blind. Regardless of the hows or whys, these abyssal sleepers swim about the abyss for many years, until they are somehow called back to the surface world. What beckons them back to the light is unknown, or how the Helkkja even know when the sleepers are ready to return. However it happens, a sleeper will hear the call and finally return to the waters above. After their slow ascent, their sisters will greet them and transfer them back into a ice coffin filled with sea water. Once taken back home, the final step will take place. The Helkkja will take their blades and carve the fins and flesh from the sleeper. It sounds like quite the bloody affair, but some say that the sleeper survives this ordeal. As the stories go, they essentially carve their human sister out of this shark-form, somehow cleaving it off like some kind of second skin. I am sure the return to a human body is refreshing after such a long life down below, but it sounds like they don't fully come back. For a while, the reborn Helkkja must be kept in a dark dwelling for days, until they readjust to the world above. Even then, it is said that they have odd dreams and nightmares, as their sleeping self may still swim in the abyss. These visions are welcomed by the Helkkja, as that is how they glean any information of the sleeper's time down below. Though they lived down there for years as a shark, it is equated to a coma, where they don't remember a thing about it (probably where the "sleeper" part comes from). Only their dreams give them glimpses of their time in the abyss. I am sure the Helkkja learn plenty from these alien nightmares, at least I hope they do. I tried reading a supposed account of one dream and couldn't make heads or tails from it. I showed it to Eucella once and she claimed to enjoy it and understood a few bits, but I think she is just messing with me.

Dreams are not the only things they gain from the sleeper, though, as they do have a bunch of flesh cleaved from their body. This meat is said to be steeped with abyssal essence, a truly potent energy. However, the Helkkja cannot handle this magic in such a pure raw form. Instead, it needs to be processed, distilled and apparently fermented. The whole process of handling sleeper flesh is unknown, but it sounds extremely tedious and time consuming. Essentially skinning it, cutting it up, trimming it into long strips and coating it in magical herbs and materials. They are then soaked in a potion bath then straight up buried in the earth. I kid you not, one of the consistent details about this process is that it needs to be placed in a hole and left to ferment for months. Once it is unearthed, they dry it, shave it into flakes and then mix it into a specially prepared ink. From there they create some kind of contraption that works like a quill that slow drips ink over the course of days. They roll out dried sharkskin to act like a scroll, and have this abyssal ink slowly drip onto it for weeks. If properly done and left undisturbed, this alien fluid will somehow form words, sigils and spells upon this parchment, slithering across the page as if alive. What is gained at the end is markings of the abyss itself, transferred into a form that humans can properly read and process. These perfected scrolls are said to be one of their greatest treasures, as it gives them insights to a world alien to man. Outside of these, the dried abyssal flesh is also used in some potions, spells and even food. A distilled, fermented form of abyssal energy, tasted in such small drops to prevent the mind and body from succumbing. It is claimed that the magic from this flesh is some of the most horrific and powerful found in the lands, and that many modern magical defenses cannot stop it. Thankfully, it is a very rare thing and the Helkkja seem to hoard it for themselves on their secluded island.

So from what I have said, the abyssal sleepers sounds pretty strange, but not really that scary. Why would people be afraid of a shark person that swims so far down below that we never see them? The only people they interact with is other Helkkja, so what is the threat? Well, apparently things don't always go perfectly. Every once in a while, an abyssal sleeper will develop a flaw or sickness. Perhaps the ritual wasn't perfect, or something happened down below that their body couldn't handle it. Whatever the cause, it is said that sometimes an abyssal sleeper will rise to the surface but far from her fellow sisters. Like dying abyssal fish wandering into the light during their final days, a sickened abyssal sleeper may wind up in places she isn't meant to be. And when she gets closer to the surface, she becomes closer to the domain of man. Entering the light means ascending into the reach of hooks and nets, where sailors can look down a see a form they do not understand. By accident, a sleeper may be caught in the lines and hauled aboard, thought to be just another fish. But when they are revealed to the crew, panic immediately sets in. Abyssal sleepers are widely feared and said to be one of the foulest curses that can befall a ship. Like mentioned before, they spend their years down there absorbing the essence of the abyss itself, getting it into their flesh and bones. With that, a risen abyssal sleeper is said to be laden with curses and emanating horrid energy that corrodes everything around it. The only thing that keeps these dark forces at bay is supposedly the sea water itself. As long as its skin and gills/lungs are flush with sea water, the abyssal essence remains contained, but if it were to dry out, then it would be unleashed. This is why the Helkkja transport their sleeper sister in water filled coffins, so that the curses remain sealed within the flesh until ready. However, unwary fishermen may not know these rules, and won't realize their mistake until it is too late.

To get an idea of the terror surrounding a lost abyssal sleeper, we can just look to one tale I read about before. A big fishing vessel hauled in its nets one day to find a sleeper trapped amongst their catch. With it tangled in the ropes, they couldn't easily free it and they knew that the water was escaping its body with each passing second. In a panic, they turned their knives on both the net and the sleeper, stabbing her mercilessly in hopes that her death would prevent the curse from escaping. Once she was freed enough from the shredded net, they tossed her corpse into the sea and sailed away as fast as they could. However, it seems that they did not escape. The tale claims a cabin boy fled from the deck and hid down below while the rest of the crew butchered the sleeper. Looking out a porthole, he saw the dying fish being tossed back into the sea. As her fading body sank below the waves, her head hung above the water just long enough to clear the fluid from her gills/lungs and let out a single dying breath. The very air from this last gasp was a potent hex and it consumed the ship and its bloodthirsty crew. Days later, the vessel was found adrift, and another crew climbed aboard to see what was up. What they found were pale limbless things, flopping pathetically upon the deck. The melted, soggy clothes that clung to their bodies suggest that these horrible writhing blobs were once the fishermen that ran this ship. Further investigation found the cabin boy still hiding down below, but what had transpired on this ship had changed him. His hair was white as snow and his body aged as if decades passed. He rambled like a mad man, and I suppose his ravings are what conveyed the story of what happened. It is said that the boarding crew then torched the whole ship, fish mutants and all, as they believed the whole boat was lost to this horrible hex. The raving cabin boy was brought back to shore, where he would flee as far inland as he could, never to see the ocean again. The story caps off saying that the mad lad would eventually die of dehydration, refusing to touch a drop of water while still rambling about that horrible encounter. I don't think I did the story any justice with this quick recap, but I feel it paints a pretty good picture. Abyssal sleepers are steeped in the abyss, and any encounter with them is a chance for that darkness to seep into your own flesh.

Certainly spooky stuff, I will say, but mainly because there is actual magic occurring here. If it was a regular animal, I would scoff at such dramatic tale, but this is something very different. Honestly, it is stories like these that make me wonder why humans are so scared of us sometimes. You meet people that are suspicious of dryads, terrified of demons and disgusted by slimes, yet their own kind is capable of such a metamorphosis. Do they not see what their mages can turn into? Do they not realize the horrors that can come from their own flesh? Hmmmmm, well actually now that I say it, they probably are very aware of it but don't like talking about it. Much better to claim that the monsters are all around you rather than acknowledge that they can live within your very skin.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

Editor's Note: Yeah, Chlora, this isn't going in. Half this entry is you saying "we don't know" or "it's a mystery!" Pretty useless for what we are trying to do with this book! Unless you can land an interview with a Helkkja, we are leaving most of this arctic witch stuff out. Also, I didn't say I "understood" that dream writing I said I "felt it," there is a difference. I couldn't tell you what it meant or what they actually saw, but I think the emotion was conveyed pretty well. Trying reading some more poetry, Chlora! - Eucella-

-------------------------------------------------------

It's Mermay, thus we need Mermaids! Had this one back when I was doing the posts about the Helkkja, but decided to hold it back a bit just for this occasion! What a lovely creature to introduce in this lovely month! I say that but I honestly think they're kind of cute.