Shrine of the Claw The Shrine of the Claw was constructed by a sect of kuo - toa in the Lake of Shadows who revered the fiend ish kraken that laired there . Location . Located in the north - western end of the Lake of Shadows , the Shrine of the Claw stood upon a large rocky island . Structure . Exterior . The Shrine of the Claw was a cube - shaped building made from blocks of granite and windows peppered the sides . A smaller cube adjoined the larger building , which was entered via a stone door flanked by a pair of kuo - toa statues . The entirety of the building was carved with fish , squid , and humanoid fish - folk images . Interior . Beyond the stone door that served as the entrance , a foyer greeted visitors with a statue of the Claw , the leader of the kuo - toa in the shrine . A few inner rooms housed and supported the inhabitants of the shrine . These included quarters for the templars that protected the shrine , a mosaic - tiled hall , and a gallery overlooking the shrine ' s sacred pool . . The central and arguably most important area of the shrine was the sacred pool . This area was decorated with an elaborate mosaic that detailed the exploits of the Claw and the kuo - toan battles against nearby stone giant s , along with a kraken . The mosaic wrapped around a dimly glowing pool of blues and greens that occupied roughly half of the room ' s area . The pool itself was faintly magical and any water drawn from the pool operated as a potion of " cure serious wounds " for up to an hour . Beneath the surface structure was a cavern known as the Cave of the Claw , which was entirely submerged . Here the leader of the shrine , the Claw , resided and was faintly illuminated by natural bioluminescent algae of blues , greens , and purples . Much of the donated wealth of the Shrine of the Claw was kept here in sealed urns . Additionally , the cave had a section of the wall that radiated transmutation magic and would move aside if the correct passphrase was intoned . This opening was large enough that even a creature as large a kraken could enter . Services . The Shrine of the Claw was a place for the kuo - toa to pay their respects to the fiendish kraken that laired in the Lake of Shadows . At the sacred pool cultists could offer sacrifices to the kraken and in return could drink of the magical healing waters . Defenses . The first stumbling block for any would - be attacker was the Shrine of the Claw ' s location . Only those willing to swim across the ice - cold waters of the Lake of Shadows , or with the capability to sail rf fly to the island could even reach the shrine . The entrance was warded with a potent " glyph of warding " that would bestow a debilitating " curse " . Each of the denizens were willing and able to defend their temple by working together . Lastly , if the deepest sanctums were breached , then the kuo - toa would call upon their mighty kraken ruler to aid them by opening the lower caverns . History . Built by a kuo - toa n cult who revered a fiendish kraken that inhabited the Lake of Shadows , the Shrine of the Claw ' s construction was overseen by nearby stone giants . After the construction of the Shrine of the Claw , under the guidance of the kraken in the lake , the kuo - toa began attacking the local stone giant population . Eventually , after much warfare , the stone giants and kuo - toa came to a grudging truce . By 1372 DR , the kuo - toa and the stone giants had an unsteady truce , especially as the Claw had begun inciting the kuo - toa against the giants once more . During the Silence of Lolth , drow refugees from Maerimydra encountered the kuo - toa and the kraken near the Shrine of the Claw , losing half - a - dozen of their number . The kuo - toa had even tied a drow lord from House Chûmavh to a sacrificial rock for their kraken master .