| Other Names | None |
| Climate/Terrain | Warm coastal waters |
| Frequency | Common |
| Organization | Solitary |
| Activity Cycle | Any |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The odd creature known as the myrtak (MEER-tack) has a crab-like shell body with a soft fleshy protoplasmic covering over the shell which extends out into six long smooth flexible rounded tentacles. The soft body of the creature extends below the main shell in a long cluster of fibrous tissue. The shell is almost a meter in diameter. The tentacles are 2 to 3 meters long.
A full sized adult myrtak
In the water, the myrtak is a fast and agile swimmer able to lash out with any of its six tentacles, each of which can deliver a painful sting. However, it will usually move away from perceived threats. If directly threatened or startled, the myrtak will eject a vast quantity of black ink to obscure the water and make a speedy retreat.
The myrtak does not generally bother swimmers unless provoked. Even so, it is generally not a good idea to be too close to one of these creatures. Even accidentally rubbing up against one of the six tentacles will result in a painful sting that will last for hours.
The myrtak is an aquatic creature found in temperate waters near shore. It moves gracefully underwater, but nearly helpless on land. Out of the water, it can survive for several hours before drying out and dying a painful death. On land, it moves awkwardly, being forced to grab onto things with its tentacles and pull its bulk along. It is still a dangerous creature on land as it can lash out with its tentacles, even when out of water and it is much more likely to lash out and attack when suffering from the stress of being out of its element.
The myrtak feeds on microscopic aquatic life forms.
The ink of the myrtak is valuable as a writing ink. It is truly black, adheres to parchment or paper well and does not degrade or corrode the writing surface (unlike iron gall ink). Finally, the ink has a pleasant odor. This ink is in high demand by scholars, wizards, bards and others who write. A single small bottle of ink will fetch 50 silver pieces on the market. A single myrtak will hold ten times that amount in its ink bladder. Fishermen will often hunt for myrtak and attempt to capture them using nets. It is possible to extract the ink without killing the myrtak. Fisherman will harvest the ink and then release the myrtak in hopes of harvesting additional ink another day. Attempts to farm ink from captive myrtaks have all failed. Myrtak that are kept captive quickly sicken and die.
A young myrtak, about one foot long.
This website was last updated February 29, 2024. Copyright 1990-2024 David M. Roomes.