Helmed Crab

The helmed crab is a large crustacean native to the waters of the West. Though not approaching the great crabs such as the Battle Crab in size, being perhaps a yard in breadth, it nevertheless represents a common and much-despised threat to Western seafarers.

The crabs are not particularly capable combatants one-on-one, but their particular approach to feeding is the source of this danger. Their shells are thick, heavily reinforced along the top, and their claws flare out at the bottom, their strength not in crushing but in pushing. A cast of helmed crabs hunts by waiting on the ocean floor for a large creature such as a Sunner, Rinopagos, or whale to pass overhead, launching themselves at full force towards it. The injured creature or its carcass then settles and the crabs can eat their fill.

The risk these crabs present is that their upward leaps strike with incredible potence, sufficient to damage and even break through the hulls of ships. When reports of helmed crabs in the vicinity of ports reach harbourmasters in the West action will be immediately taken to find divers so the encroaching crabs can be exterminated.

The strength and thickness of the helmed crab's shell gives it value among the Western peoples, who make use of it as a cooking vessel or as a heavy shield for combat when steel cannot be used for such purposes. The inhabitants of the island of Langon are particularly known for their skill in crafting such shells. While the flesh of helmed crabs is considered bland on its own and thus not favoured by Creation's gourmands for most dishes, its mildness and martial associations make it the preferred crustacean for use in Harpoon Dumplings.