Giant squid

A giant squid was a rare, gargantuan, and powerful squid.
==Description==
These squids were similar to the standard mollusks that posed no threat to society. Giant squids, however, were dangerous hunters, and would attack anything they encountered, even ships. They were absolutely huge, measuring over long, and had ten powerful tentacles. Giant squids were protected by a hard shell, but were vulnerable in other areas.
==Behavior==
Giant squids were excellent and fast swimmers, and able to jet away at extremely quick speeds.
==Combat==
Such creatures mainly attacked by constricting their foes with their strong tentacles and biting them. It was possible for these squids to have their tentacles severed, and if so, they grew back within a few days. If they were losing a fight, they were able to emit huge inky clouds and swim away.
Many sailors believed that many vessels had little chance of surviving a giant squid attack, with stories abounding of the mollusks snapping galleons in half or dragging whole ships to the bottom of the ocean. However, in reality most giant squids fell short of accomplishing such impressive feats. 
==Sub-Species==
;Giant river squid: A species of giant squid that was endemic to the rivers of Kara-Tur.
;Kraken: Some believed that krakens were actually a species of giant squid.
==Ecology==
Giant squids lived largely solitary lives, having no need to hunt in groups.
===Habitats===
These squids appeared in natural waters, such as in the Staunt Pools of Luruar and Mlossae, the Lower Depths ( below sea level) of the Inner Sea, the deep sea trench of the Sea of Moving Ice, and the depths of the Crowded Sea.
Beyond the Prime Material, giant squids were known to inhabit the Abyssian Ocean and the Fated Depths, a water-based fiendish plane of limitless depth.
===Relationships===
Though they were deadly predators in their right own, giant squids were often preyed upon by hungry toothed whales, such as cachalots In terms of domestication, some nereids were known to keep giant squids as pets and the giant animals were also often kept and revered by the Kraken Society.
The marid Kalbari al-Durrat al-Amwaj ibn Jari had some giant squids as servants in her Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls.
===Usages===
Occasionally giant deepwater squids could be found for sale in the fish markets of Waterdeep.
Stuffed giant squid was a specialty dish, as big as a short human, served at the Tulmene's Tower inn of Tethyr in the late 14 century DR.
Giant squid sepia was a very common material component in spells, particularly those that involved language, detection, and reading. It was used in erase, message, detect magic, read magic, and comprehend languages. The mage Casimur reported that a form of darkness, 15' radius developed by Asmiak in the Book of the Silver Talon could be cast using giant squid sepia, but it had a reduced duration compared to using giant octopus ink. Giant river squid ink was used to paint the magical cards of the Edu'sascar at S'tung Monastery in T'u Lung.
A piece of a giant squid tentacle was one of the material components of the battle tentacles spell.
Such giant squids could be summoned by the summon monster IX spell.
==Trivia==
* The shape of squid ships, particularly the hull of the Morkoth, resembled giant squids.
==Rumors & Legends==
In the , a popular rumor that floated in the taverns of Ten Towns claimed that evil gnomes of the Zhentarim turned a giant squid into an airship and were heading to Icewind Dale aboard the flying monstrosity.
==Appendix==
===Appearances===
===Gallery===
GiantSquid.png|A giant squid as seen in Icewind Dale.
Neverwinter-Giantsquid.png|A giant squid as seen in Neverwinter: Storm King's Thunder.
===References===
Category:Dire animals
Category:Mollusks
Category:Spell components
Category:Creatures found in the Abyss
Category:Creatures found in the Fated Depths
Category:Food and drink
Category:Food and drink from Tulmene
Category:Food and drink from Tethyr
Category:Food and drink from Cape Velen
Category:Food and drink from the Dragon's Neck Peninsula
Category:Food and drink from the Tethyr Peninsula
Category:Food and drink from the Lands of Intrigue
Category:Food and drink from West Faerûn
Category:Food and drink from Faerûn
Category:Food and drink from Toril
Category:Seafood