Ozaena
Image © Jonathan Hunt, modified from the Warriors of Myth wiki here
[Commissioned by @justicegundam82. I hadn’t actually heard of the ozaena until @a-book-of-creatures debunked it here. Long story short, it’s the name of the musk octopus in Latin combined with tales of giant octopodes and polyps. Its first appearance was by Jonathan Hunt, the author of a modern Bestiary book in the 90s. I’m still doing it for a couple of reasons. One, I was paid $10 to (did you know that commissions are still open?!). Second, there’s plenty of monsters in D&D and PFRPG that are based on syncretism and half-remembered sources, not to mention outright hoaxes like the peryton. And a big blue stinktopus is as good a monster as any. The commissioner wanted it to be CN, which inspired the flavor text of it being curious and gross, rather than outright murderous.]
Ozaena CR 10 CN Aberration This blue creature looks something like a deflated octopus, its body a ragged lump from which dozens of tentacles grow—four of these are longer and stronger-looking than the others. Its eyes are small and beady, set off either side of a jagged beak.
Also known as “stink polyps”, ozaenas are strange aquatic aberrations that combine features of cephalopods and oozes. Their flesh flows freely and their internal organs behave in no sane way, and they have the unnerving ability to squeeze themselves into tight spaces in pursuit of prey or simply out of curiosity. Their appetite for new experiences is almost as voracious as their appetite for food of all sorts, and they often find themselves in conflict with the residents of coastal communities who do not appreciate reeking monsters coming out of the sea to eat their supplies or terrorize their animals.
An ozaena is more likely to touch and pet humanoids than outright attack them (although with the stench and the slime, this is an unpleasant enough experience). They will fight in order to defend themselves or if they cannot find other prey. Although the average ozaena has more than a dozen tentacles, only four of them are strong and long enough to serve as weapons. If attacked by multiple foes, they will spray a corrosive mist in all directions. If badly injured in the water, they will escape through jet propulsion, but will often fight to the death out of desperation on land.
An ozaena is about ten feet in diameter with tentacles reaching an additional 20 feet. They weigh upwards of four tons at the largest.
