Kelpie

The kelpie is an aquatic, mid-grade spiritual beast.^[1]

Appearance

A kelpie resembles a combination of a horse and a frog, with a long prehensile tongue. Its skin is scaly and slimy and its feet are webbed frog's feet, and its face has a bellow. Its expression is nondistinct and unfocused.^[1] Compared to the toad-like one that appeared in Enoch Village, the ones that live in Skellig are more frog-like in appearance.^[2]

Abilities

When first introduced, Serpico asks Schierke whether they are horses which drown travelers in rivers. A kelpie can subjugate lower grade water elementals.^[1] By doing so, it can propel water missiles or even drown an opponent by forcing water over their mouth. In the rain, a kelpie is especially dangerous. One forced Serpico back with beams of water and threw a shield made of water up, to deter his wind-propelled attacks.^[3]

Story

Millennium Falcon Arc

This creature is first seen during the troll attack on Enoch Village church, coming out of the river.^[1] Serpico engages the beast with his Sylph Sword and manages to slash its tongue off^[3] but is unable to deal a finishing blow until he decapitates it when the kelpie is caught up in Schierke's controlled flooding of the town.^[4]

Fantasia Arc

In Elfhelm, a kelpie, which has been tamed by Isma, stopped Isidro's antics by immobilizing him with its tongue and promptly swallowing him. Isma later asked the kelpie to let him go as he was not food. They are one of the Skellig races that react to the presence of Griffith in the island.^[2]

Gallery

Notes

• The Kundalini is described by Schierke as being of the same family as the kelpie, but on a much larger scale.^[5]
• In Berserk Musou, it is possible to defeat the kelpie before Schierke floods the town when playing the story chapter.

Trivia

• Kelpies are shapeshifting water spirits in Scottish folklore, typically taking the form of a horse and reputed to delight in the drowning of travelers.

References

Appendices