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Documentation Area

Document Path: /doc/monsters/dolphin

Name:
	Dolphin  (Water Animal)

Stats:
	No. Appearing  : 2-20
	Climate/Terrain: Any saltwater
	Frequency      : Uncommon
	Organization   : School
	Activity Cycle : Any
	Diet           : Carnivore

Description:
	Dolphins are intelligend seagoing mammals. While all dolphins share a
	variety of common traits, the species comes in a variety of shapes and
	sizes. Their long, compact bodies are superbly adapted to the aquatic
	environment, and dolphins are among the most powerful swimmers in the
	oceans. All breeds of dolphins have a large fin on their backs, two
	flippers, a powerful tail, jaws filled with many sharp teeth, a blow
	hole and are 5 to 6 feet long. Most common and well-known are the gray,
	or bottle-nosed dolphins, so named for their gray skin and bottle-
	shaped snouts. Other varieties have two toned blue and grey coloring.
	The species communicates through an intricate speech consisting of
	high-pitched sounds, some out of range of human hearing.

Combat:
	Inherently peaceful, dolphins will generally attack only if threatened.
	Unless outnumbered 2 to 1, dolphins always attack sharks. Whether at-
	tacking a foe or defending their school, dolphins fight as an orga-
	nized unit, responding to commands from their leader. They fight with
	special vehemence to protect their young, and a select number of dol-
	phins may sometimes engage in a holding action, sacrificing themselves
	so that the remainder of the school can swim to safety.

Habitat/Society:
	Dolphins are completely carnivorous, living on a diet of fish. Though
	they can remain submerged for several minutes at a time, they must sur-
	face regularly to breathe. Unlike most mammals, breathing is a consci-
	ous, reather than unconscious action on the part of dolphins; in other
	words, they literally must remember to breathe. Newborn dolphins are
	assisted to the surface to breathe by their mothers and a female dol-
	phin midwife. Dolphins are by nature playful, good-tempered, and law-
	ful good, despising evil creatures. Most roam the oceans in schools
	numbering as large as 20 dolphins, swimming where their fancy suits
	them. They never fight among themselves or with other breeds of dol-
	phins. Dolphins are famous for the great pleasure they take in life;
	when swimming they often perform dazzling aquatic stunts, leaping in
	and out of the water in a spectacular fashion. They will also play
	with objects that they find and enjoy games. Dolphins sometimes follow
	ships, entertaining the crews and passengers with their antics.

	About 10% of all dolphins live in organized communities. These groups
	have 2-5 swordfish or 1-3 narwhales as guards, depending on the climate
	region. If a community is found, there is a 75% possibility that there
	are 1-4 additional communities of dolphins within a five-mile radius.
	These organized communities of dolphins do not tolerate the presence of
	evil sea creatures in their domain, and if necessary enlist the aid of
	nomadic schools of dolphins to drive out evil creatures. Any region in-
	habited by dolphin communities is also shark and killer whale free.

	Dolphins are highly intelligent and take a benign, distant interest in
	human doings. They will always help humans in distress, guiding them to
	the shore and keeping the sharks at bay. Certain solitary dolphins,
	known as rogues, have been known to form closer attachments to humans,
	accompanying them in a friend- ly fashion on swimming and fishing ex-
	peditions. These rogues often play dolphin games with their human com-
	panions. Dolphins are for more valuable to men in other respects.
	Friendly dolphins have warned sailors of the approach of pirate ships
	and the intention of evil sea creatures. More than one ship owes its
	safe arrival in a port to the timely intercession and warning of dol-
	phins. They have come to men's aid when their ships were attacked by
	mermen and sahuagin. Dolphins have been knonw to raid sahuagin communi-
	ties and destroy their eggs, for dolphins perceive these monsters as a
	threat to their safety.

Ecology:
	The dolphin is both a hunter and hunted in its marine world. Sharks and
	other large evil sea creatures hunt the dolphin with enthusiasm. Des-
	pite its many enemies, the dolphin has many distince advantages that
	enable it to survive and even flourish. Not only is it a strong, swift
	swimmer, but its intelligence and organized lifestyle are highly effec-
	tive defenses against its enemies.