Shark, Walking
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Climate/Terrain | Inland seas, saltwater lakes, surrounding lands |
| Frequency | Rare |
| Organization | Solitary |
| Activity Cycle | Night |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Intelligence | Animal |
| Treasure | Nil; incidental |
| Alignment | Neutral |
| No. Appearing | 1-4 |
| Armor Class | 6 |
| Movement | 5//14 |
| Hit Dice | 4-7 |
| THAC0 | 16 |
| No. of Attacks | 1 |
| Damage/Attack | 2-12 |
| Special Attacks | Nil |
| Special Defenses | Nil |
| Magic Resistance | Nil |
| Size | L (8 to 15 feet long) |
| Morale | Average |
| XP Value | 350 |
Description
The walking shark arose on this world at some time in the last ten years since the great world ocean receded. Adapted to live in the shallow salt water lakes and inland seas, these areas are increasingly drying up. Some new ones occasionally appear, as shifts in weather patterns (the world's weather is still in a state of extreme chaos since the water levels fell) form new mini seas in former salt pans and salt flats.
When a one body of water dries up, or competition becomes too fierce, the walking shark is able to do what its normal shark cousins cannot do. It crawls up onto the shore and walks towards new territories. Using its strong pectoral fins - with a little help from the tail - the walking shark will move across land to new waters, like a seal walks on its flippers, dragging its body behind. The shark, adapted to survive in bodies of water that have little dissolved oxygen (as the sea remnants often do) is able to gulp air and use its primitive lungs. Its tough, scale like hide is able to keep the shark from dehydrating for a while. Walking sharks have been known to go as long as three weeks out of water in moister areas, and up to a week to a week and a half in true deserts.
They are a strange site when they cross over land. Generally preferring to travel at night, these huge black and gray fish wriggle across the landscape like bizarre worms, desperately seeking new watery homes. They generally seek to avoid conflict while on land looking for a new home, but as their treks sometimes take weeks, they cant' afford to pass up meals. Also, even in areas where they are good bodies of water to call home, they often hunt on shore at night, taking the place of the extinct crocodiles and alligators of this world.
While in water they are still quite graceful, and a danger to any swimmer with a very effective bite. The bite is still deadly on land, but the shark is more vulnerable to attackers, being slower and less agile. Walking sharks owing to their clumsiness on land will also be at 4 penalty on initiative rolls, and -2 to hit.
It is not known how such a new form of life could "evolve" so quickly, even given the catastrophic events on this planet. Some theorize that they were a form of shark evolving over the last few thousands of years to colonize the mountaintop islands, whiles others believe are some parting farewell curse from some of the now extinct sea elf nations, their ruins being buried under blowing silt thousands of miles from the current shoreline. It is almost as if the sea elves are saying - according to some - that you are not free of the dangers of sea yet, and the sea shall return.