Pelagic Grouper

Many eons beyond counting, before the ancestor was born, before Manor on the hill was built, even before the hamlet was founded, before the first settlers came to this distant land, there was a race of people called this land their home. Little is known about them, while their name was long lost to time it is clear that they were human and they great engineers and artists, as remnants of their civilization can be found littered around the Estate from the Ancient Statue of a Great and Mighty Warrior in Courtyard to an Ancient Network of Aqueducts, Sewers and Tunnels under our feet.

But the crown jewel of this ancient empire was their city, vast underground metropolis underneath the hill were Manor once stood. Giant pillars and stone circles carved out solid stone, temples and houses ports and harbors, even in its ruined state you can still see the glorious splendor. Ancient pictographic images carved in stone walls of their temple halls show that they either worship some kind of sea god/goddess or great and unnamable power.

Than their civilization began to decline, it is unclear it took centuries, decades or in single day, only that happened from the inside out and it was swift, almost if they all drop everything what they were doing and walked into the ocean. Now only thing that remained in their place are the eerie Pelagics, creatures that not human, only best way to describe them as fish with arms and legs or half-fish half-human creatures. Their origins are just as mysterious as the disappeared of the human inhabits of city, some believe that they are a slave race created by original inhabits of city that revolted against the human masters, some even believe them to ancient race that existed before the dawn of man, while others believe that human inhabits of city have turned in those cold emotionless terror of deep.

Considering that there the Blood Soaked Pages Torn From A Journal as advice to support the latter theory, that not much need to turned Humans into Pelagics after they are bitten by a Pelagic, and there is not much needed to imagination the terrible fate that befall this once great civilization as was it torn apart from this inside out. Those fallen to malevolent metamorphosis attacking those untainted, brother against brother, parents murdering their own children, while children turn against their parents, a civil war where can only end one side can win and the complete and total extermination of losing side.

While Pelagics have won, they are not the ones who built this great city, while they tied to do repair and maintain the city and mindlessly acting out the daylily routines of the people that used to live city the best they can, but their inhuman mind are unable to fully comprehend the things they used to do and with knowledge or skills they have lost they unable to prevent the slow grumbling decade of the city they are like a man trying to stop the coming tide as more of this city and culture washed away with each passing tide. Only thing they seem to exile at is remembering their worship of sea god and ritualistic human sacrifices when phases of the moon are right.

The foot soldiers of the eerie Pelagics, the Pelagic Grouper stalk the caverns and grottos of their domain in packs, searching for unfortunate sailors and foolhardy adventurers to pick to the bone. Wielding a rusty and barnacle covered cutlass they savage from shipwrecks and crudely made harpoon, these devils from the deep are as swift on land as they are in water. Using their harpoon to pull their prey closer and deliver deep and bloody wounds with their rusty cutlass, promising early watery grave for those who dare to enter dark and salt soaked caverns and grottos of the Cove.

Behavior
The Pelagic Grouper is an Eldritch type that appears in the Cove. Most of the enemies in the Cove use trickery to kill the heroes they meet such as stunning, disease and stress. The Pelagic Grouper is one of only two monsters concerned with dealing damage, and they both do it well. In the Grouper's case the position they are in will determine their attacks, either dealing damage to your front ranks with their cutlass or your back ranks with their harpoon.

If they are in the first two positions, they will attack your front row with Seaward Slash which deals considerable damage. And if they are in the last two positions, they will attack your back row with Spearfishing. It does less damage, but it will still be fairly high and in veteran and champion levels it can pull the hero 1 rank forward. It's important to be mindful of where these enemies are, and try to kill or pull any in the back row if you want to keep your formation in place.

Groupers are fast but have very low resistances to everything except bleed. If your heroes are fast or fortunate enough to move before them, use your advantage to stun them or debuff their attack. They should be prioritized only behind Shamans, who can heal or significantly buff them.

Abilities
Apprentice =

Veteran =

Champion =