Armon/Nix
(They're called Armon in the original SNES version, Nix in the more recent Gameboy Advance translation.)
Investigating the source of the strange squelching noises that awoke you from your troubled slumber, you climb up to the deck of the trading vessel you recently booked passage on. Expecting to see the ship's night crew busy at their labors, you are instead confronted with a sight far worse than any nightmare. Blood and corpses, most of them ripped and chewed apart beyond recognition, are strewn everywhere. Not even the most crazed band of pirates would create such carnage, so then what could have done this? Your initial shock subsiding, you quickly spin about to return below and sound the alarm, only to find your path blocked by a strange creature that appears to be equal parts man and fish. Salt water runs in rivulets down the monster's glistening brown body as it regards you with its' bulbous, pupil-less eyes. An inarticulate gurgle suddenly erupts from the thing's gilled throat and the fiend charges, its' webbed talons stretched out towards you with murderous intent . . .
Armons are fierce aquatic beasts that can be randomly encountered in the oceans (World 3) in Square-Enix's 1992 Super Famicom Final Fantasy V roleplaying video game (said title has more recently been translated to other platforms including the Sony Playstation 1 and Nintendo Gameboy Advance). The creatures Armon/Nix, Fishman/Merrow, and Sahagin all share the same game sprite, although they are differentiated by color and gameplay statistics.
Armons are peerless swimmers and can withstand water pressure at much greater depths than a human can. They also possess both lungs and gills, which enables them to function underwater and on land (although, naturally, they prefer aquatic environments to the surface). Being creatures of the sea, Armons simply absorb water-based attacks, regaining lost hit points instead of taking damage from soggy assaults (i.e., unleashing the Leviathan summon spell on a group of Armons would be very foolish indeed, unless you find it amusing to heal your enemies). On the flipside, their briny bodies conduct electricity very well, so any lightning-based offense will cause them considerable harm.
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Materials:
Newsprint, tissue paper, white glue, white bread, water, wire twist ties, acrylic paint, plastic (transparent base only), super glue, sand, and gloss nail polish.
Dimensions:
3.3 cm/1.3 in. x 4.4 cm/1.7 in. (widest point x highest point)
(The Armon is 3.2 cm/1.3 in. tall sans transparent base.)
Time:
Two days: March 1-2, 2011.
