| “ | We are very dangerous animals. But not now to you. Yes? | ” |
—Blink shark
Blink sharks are a species of fish found in the Ethersea. As their name suggests, they have the ability to quickly teleport themselves short distances via the Blink spell. Blink sharks are the chosen quarry of finners, most notably Amber Gris.
Description[]
Blink sharks are similar to hammerhead sharks in appearance; according to Justin, they are twelve feet long and are dark grey in color, although they have a natural camouflage that helps them blend in with the sea. They also have glowing orange eyes and very long, pencil-like Pennywise teeth, which they can orient in such a way that they can filter food out of the water, similar to whales. When their mouths are pulled back to feed, it looks as though they're smiling. [1]
Blink sharks are endowed with natural magic; as previously stated, they have the ability to quickly teleport short distances via Blink. They can teleport in any direction. [2]
Blink sharks are highly intelligent, sapient creatures. Although they do not seem to be able to communicate with other species without the use of Speak with Animals, they can speak to each other using a language alien to Zoox.[3]
Blink shark eggs are black, screw-shaped, and flash green from within like lightning bugs. They have the ability to Blink as well. When blink sharks are killed they blink "inwards," and vanish.[1]
History[]
Blink sharks were first discovered "in abundance" by members of the shoreside community towards the end of spring in the first episode of the Prologue.
In episode two of the Prologue, Mint Clackleroy (father of Enos and the eldest member of the shoreside community) was killed by a blink shark after falling off a ship during a storm. Following this Enos gave his life savings to Ol' Joshy in order to finance Ol' Joshy's Training Ground for Psychic Soldiers Against Blink Sharks. Joshy promised to put together a band of "psychic soldiers" who would hunt and kill the blink sharks. These warriors called themselves Finners; Amber and Oksana Kodeira were two known members of this group.
By mid-autumn, Ol' Joshy declares his shark fighting mission a success, as the blink sharks have left the region; that said, the community strongly suspects the sharks were driven away by the weather, not the psychic warriors.[4]
They are largely thought to be extinct by the citizens of Founder's Wake until Amber encounters one while out on a mission inside the Infinite Clam.
The Infinite Clam[]
Amber is attacked by an injured blink shark while inside the giant bivalve in Arc 2: The Infinite Clam; she kills it by using her vapor suit to tear off half its jaw.
As she escapes to the Coriolis, Amber spies four of their eggs blink from inside the Shithouse, out of sight.
It is implied that these blink sharks are the last of the original group found off the coast of the shoreside community, and that they have been trapped in the Infinite Clam for the past twenty-five years.
Cambria's Call[]
Amber, Devo, and Zoox encounter a second blink shark while investigating the Hominine ship; it is killed when Amber detonates a depth charge at it.
The Menagerie[]
Zoox encounters a blink shark while he and Urchin attempt to expel water from the Coriolis's cargo bay. When it blinks onto the ship, Zoox casts Speak with Animals and attempts to communicate with it. The blink shark, excited by this, grabs Zoox and teleports with him back to its nest, where two other sharks are waiting.
Zoox and the blink sharks then have a stilted conversation wherein they tell Zoox that he must kill Amber or else they will eat him. When Zoox protests, they concede that he could instead kill the "stick people like [Zoox] but empty of color," who they believe will "bring [Amber] to their home, hang her from the sky like [a] big star," cause her to "boil the seas," and "end their world."[3]
They go on to state that they will die as sacrifices and "heroes" either way, but when Zoox agrees to kill the "empty stick people" (likely the bleached Brinarr from the second arc) the sharks are pleased. The smallest one teleports Zoox back to the Coriolis.[3]
Benefactor's Folly[]
Amber, Devo, Zoox, and Ballaster Kodeira encounter three blink sharks almost immediately after entering the bleached coral dome in Episode 40.[5] They fight; while communicating with one telepathically, Zoox discovers that the blink sharks believe that this is their "final stand." The crew kills two of the sharks, and then Devo casts Suggestion on the remaining one, forcing it to blink with Devo to the entrance of one of the bleached ships; however, they fall just short of the ship's landing. Although Devo manages to hang on to the edge of the ship, the blink shark tumbles downwards and is killed by the fall. Before doing so, it beseeches Zoox to "stop his friends" and prevent the apocalypse that it believes is coming.
Later, Amber and Kodeira go through the portal made by Coda's blood to the blink sharks' home world. As they sit and talk by the water, a large group of blink sharks gather to marvel at them; one of them, a baby, swims too close to the shore and accidentally beaches itself. Instead of squishing it, Amber helps it return to the waters, thus gaining the blink sharks' respect. They begin to worship Amber (and Kodeira) as gods.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Bite attack
- Slam attack
- Blink: Blink sharks can cast the spell Blink.
- Camouflage: Blink sharks can change colors to blend in with their environment, which renders them effectively invisible.
- Pack Tactics: When an ally is within five feet of a blink shark, they gain advantage on attack rolls.
- Blood Frenzy: Blink sharks gain advantage on attack rolls made against already damaged foes.
Sightings[]
- Campaign 6: The Ethersea Arc
- Prologue I — "Our Wasted World"
- Prologue II — "The Cost of Opportunity"
- Prologue III — "The Comfort of Guilt""
- Ep. 11: The Infinite Clam - Part 5
- Ep. 12: The Infinite Clam - Part 6
- Ep. 29: Cambria's Call - Part 8
- Ep. 35: The Menagerie - Part 5
- Ep. 36: The Menagerie - Part 6
- Ep: 40: Benefactor's Folly - Part 2
- Ep: 44: Benefactor's Folly - Part 6
Trivia[]
- According to Amber, there is only one thing that a blink shark responds to, which is a "punch in the mouth."[1]
- In Episode 37, Griffin seems to imply that the blink sharks are otherworldly creatures; he describes them as "unlike any animal Zoox knows," and the blink sharks tell Zoox repeatedly that they believe Amber will cause the apocalypse on "their" world.