[ Animal Lords ] [ Krigala | Brux | Karasuthra | Threefold Ocean | Wanderers ]
[ Aquatic Lords ] [ Anglerfish | Fish | Octopus | Shark | Whale ]
Octopus Lord
Te Wheke, Seyhrain Cephalopus. Planar animal lord [she/her] N
Realm: Beastlands / Brux / Threefold Ocean / Octopodes’ Grasp
The Octopus Lord is a highly intelligent and resourceful cutter, who sees herself as something of a mother figure of the oceanic beasts of Brux. Whereas the Fish King is aloof and distant, surveying his vast realm of oceans, lakes, rivers and streams, the octopus lord uses her brain-box to actively help her wards. She’s known as something of a resourceful healer, and not just of the body but also the psyche and the spirit.
How is this? After all, don’t most primes think of octopus as slimy eldritch horrors? It seems the illithids have a lot to answer for, on that front. In fact, the Māori pantheon holds octopus in high regard, seeing them as embodiments of the family and good health—and the Octopus Lord embodies these values in her shadowy patch of ocean in Brux, the Octopodes’ Grasp.
Unusually for an animal lord, she has even adopted a human name—Te Wheke. Her wisdom is sought by all kind of aquatic beasts, and beyond. Trishina and Deep Sashelas are counted among her allies and it seems her healing abilities even extend to helping powers on occasion.
In her animal form, the Octopus Lord might be an enormous tentacle squid, or a small an well-disguised octopus, or even an unassuming nautilus. She can change shape at will, not just colour, and will always present the right face for the job. If she wants to intimidate, she’s the kraken. If she wants to observe quietly, she’s a chameleonic cuttlefish. Her octopus form is the healer, however. The chant among the Māori is that each of her eight tentacles can heal a different ailment: physical health, mental health, life force, family health. They say that she can heal a child remotely by embracing their parent, administer the breath of life to bring back the dead, and even cure undeath itself!
In her human form, which she’ll assume when dealing with humanoids or walking the surface lands, she appears as a matronly bald woman, with colourful tattoos and a robe with scarves that are always billowing even when they’re not under water.
Source: Jon Winter-Holt. Canonwatch: The octopus lord is homebrew, inspired by Te Wheke Hīnātore, the Māori concept of health and wellbeing, symbolised by an octopus.