The Landcrabs are a relatively recent but unique culture that has developed in the city of Friedport, making up its majority population. The Landcrabs tend to wear colourful clothes that reveal a lot of skin, as well as decorations doubling as makeshift armour of wooden bits and pieces, as well as the ropes and nets of fishermen. They organise into “Tribes” under various Patriarchs (called so even if female), and a great many of them work within forestry, woodworking and carpentry.
The Landcrabs have venerated the Herō of Friedport Valfrid Veldaks. After his passing, his widowed wife Ragnil Veldaks remained an influential figure, whose word carried much weight as she ran the city from the shadows.
For a long while, the Landcrabs were unwelcome in the port district of Portaupearl, where the Horizan Guild Association preferred to keep the higher-class guildsmen and travellers. They enforced this with the creation of a short wall surrounding the district. While this practice was eventually ended and much of the wall torn down during the Landcrab Riots, the majority of Landcrabs still live in and colour the districts of Crabraven, Amberhole, Phyrraumids and the Shieldbearer Hill.
A common ‘origin myth’ ties the Landcrabs together. The story goes that after the infancy of Friedport began to pass, the city struggled under the immense weight of Banditry affecting their essential lifelines to Iduria, the surrounding Chocolate Isles, as well as the Horizan mainland. The Landcrab patriarchs gathered and seemingly sent an offer of surrender to the pirates, offering the city and its riches up in exchange for at least keeping their food. As the leader of the pirates came to oversee the transfer on the beach, a great many Landcrabs had in reality hidden themselves in the shallow water, holding their breath and waiting for the moment to attack. The Landcrabs attacked at an opportune time, and killed many pirates as well as their leader, sending those remaining on their ships into a disorganised retreat. Many ships were even left behind completely, grounded on the sands, allowing the Landcrabs to take back many stolen spoils and distribute them amongst the tribes.
One Landcrab Tribe has remained especially sceptical of the others and usually hidden underground or on the outskirts of the city - the Quietgraves.
Many Landcrabs are experienced fighters, as the often lawless streets of Crabraven demand. Fighting inbetween tribes, with criminal syndicates, adventurers, or the Government of Friedport, the landcrabs have certain shared abilities. The “Legacy of the Landcrabs” mean most are trained in holding their breath and effectively traversing shallow water and rubble. Their patchwork “Landcrab Armour” also give them varying degrees of resistance to piercing weapons, though this is nullified when they’re prone or attacked with any amount of precision. Landcrabs may also have unique equipment and training based on their Landcrab Tribe. the Landcrabs take on various combat roles:
Polearm Landcrabs 1️⃣use a Bec de Corbin and galtrops made with wooden splinters.Sling Landcrabs 5️⃣ (maybe change to 4)use sling staves and can deploy smoke balls and galtrops from a distance. They also tend to cover their flanks (like ladders leading up to their vantage points) with snares, and are ready to flee if the distance is closed.Barrel Landcrabs 7️⃣ (maybe change to 6)serve as muscle and aren’t afraid of melee hands-on fighting, though they’re also known for their barrel stance, picking up barrels and throwing them at enemies.Patriarch Landcrabs 8️⃣are the leaders of Landcrab Tribes, and while they’re all rather strong, their exact abilities vary (one should customise a Patriarch Landcrab to represent their tribe, if making one).
Under the leadership of The Prince and Su Na, the landcrabs of Waterlogg Street have some abilities. Some of them have the “Blessings of the Water Druid,” granting resistance to water and fire while not frightened. Others have the “One step, two step” movement from performances with the Prince, allowing them to potentially step away from a creature as a reaction. The Waterlogg Landcrabs are as follows:
Waterlogg Henchmen 2️⃣are decently strong and use polearms, and have Landcrab Armour and the “Blessings of the Water Druid.”Waterlog Hydrosophists 2️⃣are charismatic but frail, and utilise water magic if push comes to shove. They have the “Blessings of the Water Druid” and the “One Step, Two Step” abilities.Waterlogg Thespian 2️⃣are eccentric performers that fight with battle lutes and bardic spells. They have Landcrab Armour and the “One Step, Two Step” abilites.