I first encountered the story of the grindylow when I was a undergrad in Lancaster. There are few real dangers in the English countryside and around our coasts, but one that we do have up in Morecambe Bay is quicksands, and of course the peaty bogs and marshlands up there could easily pose a danger to small children. And I think that might be the reason this one persisted as a tale into the modern age.
The etymology of 'grindylow' might be somehow linked to Grendel, but thats lost to time now.
And yes, I know, grindylow are from Lancashire/Yorkshire, and tiddy are from Lincolnshire, but come on, obviously in D&D terms they'll be enemies.
Regarding Jenny Greenteeth, its a similar kind of creature and its sort of a South Lancashire/Wirral/Merseyside thing. And giving both tiddy and grindylows leaders like this just sits there as an adventure hook I haven't yet had use for. One day...
Grindylow
by Cab Davidson
| Stat | Grindylow |
| AC: | 5 |
| HD: | 2* |
| Movement Rate: | 90' (30') |
| Attacks: | 2 claws/1 bite |
| Damage: | 1d4/1d4/1d2 |
| Number Appearing: | 1 (1d4) |
| Save As: | F2 |
| Morale: | 9 |
| Treasure Type: | C |
| Intelligence: | 7 |
| Alignment: | Chaotic |
| XP Value: | 25 |
Grindylows are small humanoid amphibians, with small bodies around 3' long but with long, spindly arms and legs that can reach out up to 15’. They have green, scaled skin and large mouths with jagged, pointy teeth, beneath a small nose and large orange eyes. They are equally at home in the water or on land, with the same movement rate in both environments. They inhabit pools in marshlands, fens and swamps and await their prey, which they reach out and grab from the pools in which they reside under the water. If they strike a foe of human size or smaller up to 15’ from their pool with both claws then that creature is dragged to the pool (no saving throw) where the grindylow will attempt to drown its victim, inflicting an extra 1d2 further damage per round on top of any other attacks until the creature is dead.
The will take any prey that is human size or smaller, although they esteem the flavour of human children and the tiddy (fey creatures they share a habitat with) above all other things.
There is a persistent rumour that they have a queen, of the name of Jenny Greenteeth, who travels the land bestowing favours upon her people. If this is true, the grindylows are not saying. Grindylows often hunt tiddy, who consider them mortal enemies.