Death Crab
While their name could inspire fear, the giant-sized death crab was a commonly avoidable crustacean with incredibly low intelligence and speed. Their top-heavy bodies were supported by only 4 needle-like legs, and with a short stride, they could only waddle at a slow pace.
While a bit absurd looking and slow, death crabs were still to be respected. They were incredibly strong and tough. Their claws were capable of crushing armour with ease, and their shells could be up to 30 centimeters thick. Getting too close to one could be fatal, especially since they defended their territories with great aggression.
Hunting Strategy #
Death Crabs were carnivorous, eating anything they can could get their claws on. To make up for their slow speed, they hunted in swarms to try and corner prey. These swarms were coordinated by an alpha death crab, usually called the pack’s king. The king was the largest crab of the swarm, but not always the smartest, so the hunting success of the group is often determined by the intelligence of the king.
The king of the swarm communicated its intentions using pheromones. It was possible for death crab swarms to lose command and cohesion in environmentalconditions such as high winds, or rainy days.
Venom #
A final note of danger regarding these giant crustaceans- they possess a venomous “tusk” that could be unsheathed from their mouth. This armoured, stinger-like organ was capable of injecting a paralyzing chemical into prey that is careless enough to wander into its claws. Death crabs only had a limited amount of this venom at birth, so they used it sparingly against the most resilient of prey. The venom was highly sought after by hunters, commonly used for poisoning the tips of arrows edges of blades, as well as creating other chemical weapons.
Habitat #
Death crabs were found in the Kaktis Desert, with variants in Fleshflayers' Swamp and the Sangmyung Valley.
Hunting Death Crabs #
Death crabs, when isolated, were good sources of food. Isutan crab hunters would form special team designed to separate crabs from their swarms before crackling open their shells with flails.