My brother (what a nice guy [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]) recently purchased "A Guide to Middle Earth" by David Day for me, and it has an (to my knowledge) accurate description of the Watcher in the Water. After reading this, I made the mistake of trying to picture it. Ewwwwwwwww.
Kraken
Quote:
According to the most ancient tales, Melkor, that most evil of powers, in his kingdom of Utumno in Middle Earth bred many terrible creatures for which there are no names in the Time of Darkness before Varda rekindled the stars. In the following ages these creatures were a bane on land and in dark waters to those who lived peacefully in the World.
Some of these beings of Melkor's survived below the thunders of the deep far beneath the abysmal seas in ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep even into the Third Age of the Sun. The "Red Book of Westmarch" tells that when a firey Balrog was loosed in the Dwarf-kingdom of Moria, another being came out from the dark waters that lay beneath the great mountains. This was a great Kraken, many tentacled and with a slimy sheen. It was luminous and green and an inky stench came from it's foul bulk. Like a legion of serpents it lay in the black water beneath the mountain. Eventually it came to the clear water of the River Sirannon, which flowed from the West Gate of Moria. There it built a great wall in the river bed and made for itself a black pool, hideous and still. The Kraken was guardian of the West Gate and none could pass without challenge. For this reason, in the "Book of Marzarbul" it was named "Watcher in the Water". During the quest, this evil being was awakened by the Fellowship of the Ring, who managed to escape into Moria.
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Whew. Specifically Boromir awakened it. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]