Crypt Snail

Most often seen crawling slowly down the hallways of abandoned tombs and mausoleums, the crypt snail is a strange creature of unknown origins. But don’t let their strange appearance frighten you, these gastropods are often welcome inhabitants of burial places, as the flames from the candles they carry can ward off angry spirits.

It is believed the candles are formed from within the snails body, and pushed upwards out of whatever object they find as a suitable shell for themselves while they are still young. At a certain point the flame lights itself, and will remain lit throughout the creature’s lifetime. The snail’s life is directly tied to this flame, and putting it out will kill the creature. This would be a problem, as the warding properties of the crypt snail candles make them highly sought after by adventurers, wizards, and alchemists alike. Fortunately, the crypt snail has a highly effective defense mechanism to deter would be hunters.

When threatened, the crypt snail can shift itself into the ethereal plane in an instant. All that remains is a still image of the blue flame on its back, which can remain suspended in the air where the snail disappeared from months. Accumulations of these strange after-images can create fields of harmless blue fire within the snail’s abode. It is important to note that these images do not have the same properties as the actual flame from the snail’s candle, and will not do anything to repel spirits in the area. The crypt snail is also capable of slinging a slightly acidic spit from its mouth. This is primarily used to kill small bugs for the snail to feed upon however, and any legitimate threat causes the snail to become ethereal.

While the Crypt Snail’s candle can fetch a modest price in big city markets, adventurers may be better off just leaving them to their slow wanderings. Who knows what sort of spooks are haunting the halls just outside the glow of its flame?