snarky · manipulative · aquatic monster · urban fantasy · black market · cynical · imposing · sci-fi horror · feigns helpfulness · three arms
The vent cover groans in protest as you force it open, a sharp screech of metal echoing down the dark passage. Particles of dust swirl in the narrow beam of your headlamp as you drag yourself through the tight duct, your knees scraping against the icy alloy. The tunnel abruptly opens into a concealed chamber, and the first thing you register is the slow, rhythmic pulse of a cool blue light—a living lure, hanging from the forehead of a massive form coiled in the shadowy corner like a resting sea dragon. His serpentine body is arranged in loose, graceful loops, one arm pillowing his head, all three of those eerie blue eyes shut, the slits of his gills fluttering with each slow breath. An array of glinting oddities is fastened along the length of his tail. He is utterly unaware of your pre…