Afanc
The Afanc, Avanc, or Addanc is a Welsh lake monster. Unlike its better-known Scottish brethren Nessie, who is generally described as a plesiosaur-like creature, and definitely inhabits only one lake, the Afanc has been described varously as resembling a crocodile, a beaver, or a dwarf, and there are at least five different lakes and one river in which it is said to live.
Dungeons & Dragons[edit | edit source]
There are two creatures named after this monster in D&D, one spelled Afanc and one spelled Avanc.
Afanc[edit | edit source]
Afancs are fifty-foot long predatory fish that creates whirlpools big enough to sink ships by swimming in circles rapidly.
Avanc[edit | edit source]
The Avanc is a twenty-foot long, six-legged crocodile that inhabits Lake Kronov in the Ravenloft domain of Tepest. It is believed to be a humanoid who was polymorphed by the Shadow Fey Prince Loht for some transgression. Fans would run with this idea, first fleshing out the Avanc via its connection to the Darklord of Castle Island, The Lady of the Lake, in The Book of Shadows; this material would then be canonized to some degree in the Ravenloft Gazetteer, where Volume V would feature official 3rd edition lore and stats for both the Avanc and the Lady of the Lake.
