"We long hypothesised, from the still-glimmering corpse of this vast decapod, that it guised itself as a distant light, to lure its prey close. We discovered, eventually, that it simply pursues its prey across the zee with happy zeal. It evinces, also, a regrettable turn of speed."[1]
Angler Crabs are enormous decapods that roam the Unterzee. They have two glowing stalks on their pincers, like the lures of anglerfish, and blueish, luminescent blood.[2] They come in three known varieties: the reddish Western Angler Crab, the blueish Eastern Angler Crab, and the weary Elder Angler Crab.[3]
Unlike anglerfish, Angler Crabs do not use their shining appendages to lure prey; they hunt with swiftness and ferocity.[4] Rather, they rely on their bioluminescence for navigation, which also means they are stunned by focused bright lights.[5] Angler Crabs consume treasures (and hapless victims) from the ships they attack, making them quite profitable to hunt.[6][7] Their shells can resist cannon fire and damage hulls,[8][9] but they have a weak point between the eyes:[10] striking this point with enough force can kill an Angler Crab near-instantly.[11]
Occasionally, Angler Crabs migrate to their old spawning grounds, resulting in huge population booms. The newly-spawned crabs ravage the ecosystem, and their ferocity only grows worse as they compete over resources to survive.[12][13]
Gallery
-
A Western Angler Crab.
-
A deceased Angler Crab.
-
An Eastern Angler Crab.
-
An Elder Angler Crab.
References
- ↑ A Sightseer’s Guide to Sunless Sea, part five, Failbetter Games
- ↑ Dissect it, Sunless Sea "Its blood is a curious blue: and the blood, too, is touched by luminescence."
- ↑ Game Data, Sunless Sea "Western Angler Crab [...] Eastern Angler Crab [...] Elder Angler Crab"
- ↑ A Sightseer’s Guide to Sunless Sea, part five, Failbetter Games "We long hypothesised, [...] that it guised itself as a distant light, to lure its prey close. We discovered, [...] it simply pursues its prey across the zee with happy zeal. [...] a regrettable turn of speed."
- ↑ Use your hard-won knowledge of monstrous behaviour to predict its movements, Fallen London "The Angler Crab navigates by means of its luminescent illiciae. Its tectonic scuttling may, [...] be arrested by means of a sufficient application of light. You order all torches, lanterns and reflectors [...] pointed directly at the enemy. [...] It is blinded – only for a few moments, [...]"
- ↑ ‘MENACE RISES FROM THE ZEE’: Giant Angler Crabs Return, Failbetter Games "There’s good hunting on the Angler Crab. Inside their bellies lurk all manner of discarded riches, swallowed up."
- ↑ Strike down the Angler Crab, Fallen London "[...] within the soupy horror of its stomach, you find much of value. [...] You've gained 1 x Headless Skeleton"
- ↑ Ready the guns and fire at its soft spots, Fallen London "Shots hit the creature's carapace and lodge into it, doing little to deter the beast."
- ↑ Outflank the (Zee-Beast), Fallen London "The plated carapace of the Angler Crab would dent your hull, if not put a hole in it."
- ↑ Ready the guns and fire at its soft spots, Fallen London "[...] one [...] shell strikes it right between the eyes, finding its soft centre. The creature topples over [...]"
- ↑ Reach for your harpoon; call for ramming speed!, Fallen London "The harpoon plunges into the tender place between its eyes. The crab's body goes instantly limp."
- ↑ ‘MENACE RISES FROM THE ZEE’: Giant Angler Crabs Return, Failbetter Games "Fearsome Angler Crabs, [...] are migrating once again to their ancestral spawning grounds. The Unterzee is achurn with the tectonic movement of the crabs."
- ↑ Hunt an Angler Crab, Fallen London "The Angler Crabs of the Unterzee [...] their spawning seasons are numerous. More crabs are produced in these [...] spawnings than their ecologies can sustain; the excess roam the Unterzee, desperate and murderous. The victors safeguard their habitats, triumphant and also murderous."
| |
A Western Angler Crab.
A deceased Angler Crab.
An Eastern Angler Crab.
An Elder Angler Crab.
