KARAKEEN 7 (21)

Tidal Blades

These rare crabs are some of the strongest and most ferocious decapods in Naviri. Massive beasts, karakeens can grow nearly 30 feet (9 m) across. Their shells are brightly colored, decorated with symbols and shapes of unknown meaning and origin. They are fast swimmers, able to keep up with most watercrafts, at least for short bursts.

Karakeens prefer to hunt in the dark (or deep in the sea) so they can hypnotize their prey with the eerie luminescent patterns that play along their undersides.

Motive: Unknowable

Environment: Beaches and deep sea

Health: 30

Damage Inflicted: Major wound (8 points)

Armor: 2

Movement: Short

Combat: Karakeens use their claws in one of two ways: pinching or bludgeoning. A pinched victim takes 8 points of damage and is held fast until they succeed on a level 8 Might defense roll to break free. A bludgeoned victim takes 8 points of damage and is dazed for two rounds.

Unlike with most decapods, a karakeen's carapace is less about defense and more about offense. While their thick outer shell does give them some protection from damage, they may use it in other ways.

• Boneburst: Karakeens produce a toxic waste product called scag. If a karakeen spends their action filling the empty pockets of their carapace with scag, it automatically spews out the next time the karakeen takes damage. Everyone in long range who is struck by the waste (and fails a level 7 Might defense roll) is infected with a level 5 disease called boneburst.
  Within twelve hours, the victim's bones begin to throb and ache. Every day thereafter, the victim must succeed on a Might defense roll or take 5 points of damage (ignores Armor).
  It's possible that someone at the Meditation Spring in the Citadel can permanently heal boneburst disease.
• Mesmerize: A karakeen can release pulses of luminescent light from the underside of its carapace that are visible up to a long distance away. Anyone who sees these pulses must succeed on a level 7 Intellect task or become mesmerized. Mesmerized victims feel compelled to move toward the karakeen as their action. Each round, the victim can attempt a new Intellect defense roll to break free.
  
• Molt: A karakeen can choose to molt, releasing its carapace in a forceful push up to a long distance away. Victims who are struck by the carapace are knocked one step down the damage track and stunned for one round. While this leaves the karakeen vulnerable without a shell (Armor 0), it also increases their speed, allowing them to move up to a long distance away in a single action.

Interaction: It's hard to know what karakeens are thinking, if anything.

Use: A karakeen makes an interesting and unique encounter for advanced characters.

Loot: Many people have tried to bring back some scag, hoping it could be used in some way (perhaps to create an antidote), but it seems almost impossible to gather and transport the toxic waste without being inflicted with the disease.

GM Intrusion: The karakeen twists its body suddenly, catching a character between the plates of its carapace. If the character is wearing armor, this attack knocks their armor one step down the object damage track. If the character isn't wearing armor, they take an additional 5 points of damage.