Crustasha
Crustasha are a humanoid race evolved from crabs. Given that they are sub aquatic dwelling in shadow waters they reside in coastal lands. They are particularly prevalent on the south end of Portsmouth While once they dominated the region of the whole city to this end they have been pushed known as The Wrackshore . Crustasha were perhaps the first humanoids native to Jennara.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Crustasha are humanoid with outer shells ranging from brown red to bluish on their end pits.
Crustacsha have four limbs but may grow many over the course of their short lifetimes. It is a survival technique of their to give up a limb and vault off from a fight if it gets too strenuous.
Biological Traits
Shells coating their body. Massive claws that can be used as weapons. Eye stalks on the top of the head.
Genetics and Reproduction
Crustasha have sex similar to humans. primary difference is that rather than one egg being fertilized the female stores the sperm and then will release it on a sack of eggs stored in a flap under her abdomen which will stick to her body fertilized for a couple of weeks before the sack is released. A single female will carry a sack of almost a million eggs. Survival rates are very low. Mothers will often eat their young. And competition for food is fierce. PARENTS BEAR NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR CHILDREN. Though the instinct to breed is strong. It is not uncommon for a child Crustasha to be killed over a scrap of fish.
A females claws are red while a males are blue in some varieties. The rock variety of Crustasha males and females are almost indistinguishable.
Growth Rate & Stages
A Crustasha will grow to full size of seven feet over a course of their six year life span shedding their shells about every six months. In areas where Crustasha are prevalent these shells are shed all over the bank. The insides are often harvested by gulls. While the shells are harvested by members of the Shelley Coats who use them for armor and camouflage while they are in Crustasha territory.
Ecology and Habitats
Crustasha have lairs on land ajoining shallow water. They favor pondy bay regions, beach inlets as well as coral reefs. They favor any area where one may have a dual existence between water and land where it is easy to hide. The wrack shore where the largest known population of Crustasha is full of sunken ship wrecks covered in barnacles and coral.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Crustasha are scavengers. Often not quick enough to fish they will feed off alewives that have floated to the surface. Areas of the wrack shore are natural bait pots.Whales will wash up with the tide. They will dry out like the sun and large packs of Crustasha will come to feed on them.
Biological Cycle
Crustasha like to bury themselves during the cold months.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Because of the short lifespans of the Crustasha little thought is given to the future. Might makes right and one does not concieve of a world for ones children.
Crustasha mate as early as a year of age. The mightiest are the ones that eat first but sometimes groups of young will gang up on their elders. Squabbles usually break out between such rag tag armies.
Domestication
Very few Crustasha have been able to break out of the savage mold from which they have been raised most have never moved beyond the wall.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Shells of crustasha make great armor as well as shields used all along the coast. Shelley Coats have turned it into regulation armor. Pieces of claw have been employed as a multitude of weapons. Saw blade swords, Cestus and axes. The meat of Crustasha is also very tasty and is considered a delicacy though it most certainly is a vary dangerous catch.
Facial characteristics
Eye stalks on the top ot the head. Sliding mandibles that come from the mouth that frequently bubble.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Coastal areas on Eastern Jennara.
Average Intelligence
Very low with savage survival instincts.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Crustasha have chemoreceptors that allow them to detect chemicals in the water that are released by their prey. ... A Crustasha can "taste" using hairs on its mouthparts, pincers and even its feet
Because of the eyestalks mounted on the top of their heads Crustasha have 360 vision.
When hiding in the sand they can send up their eyes like a periscope.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
A right of passage comes among the Crustasha on the shedding of their first shell. The fact that they have lived through their first year proves that they are survivors yet as part of their rite of passage they must prove themselves. Younger Crustasha are thrown into an arena with them at numbers of 2 on one. Survivors are celebrated and givinen mating privileges.
Beauty Ideals
Big claws are considered to be sexy among the Crustasha. It is also considered sexy to have mismatched claws for this proves you have been through a few scraps.
Gender Ideals
Both males and females are seen to be as fighters.
Courtship Ideals
Often it is a female ideal that if a man can defeat her in battle he can have her. As such domestic violence is common but it is not seen as violence simply courtship.
Relationship Ideals
To Spawn as often as one is beaten. Live for today tomorrow may never come.
Average Technological Level
Crustasha have a very low technology level in that claws are not very useful in handling tools yet their claws are marvelous tools in themselves. Crustasha are very adept in utilizing whatever technology as been cast off. They may adopt it but are not very good and creating things themselves. That being said no one understands the tides better than Crustasha and they use them to their supreme advantage.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Crustasha have their own language that cannot be replicated through the human throat. Many have been able to communicate with them through the use of percussion.
Common Dress Code
Crustacia wear only their shells and if any area is shell less it is left free for one to grow back.
History
Crustasha were among the first peoples native to Jennara. At one point in time they were perhaps the most numerous people on the continent.
The elves of Leathem who were the first immigrants were not hindered by them living high above but as more coastal immigrants came they pushed back their territory. Many human immigrants filled in ponds to shift them back.
Gradually they moved to the region that was most dangerous to human ships where coral reefs were prevalent known as the Wrackshore.
The population has been pushed backward and into itself. This did not stop the incessant breeding of the Crustasha. However the tighter packed they were with one another the greater the fighting within them.
The Wrackshore is a hovel where the outsiders are blamed but the greatest number of deaths can be laid upon fighting amongst the Crustasha themselves.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Crustasha are considered monsters by most intelligent races. Similarly so Crustasha consider most humanoid races soft.
Crustasha do not understand long term romance or family though they honor their survivors. The family unit is a mystery to them.
Their have been a few situations of fishermen who have been curious. These crossbreeds have not survived in the Wrackshore. The most notable exception is the genetic experiment done by Scallopula and the Dread Morgan Mudwallow that created Clustas Ra involving the fertilization of Crustasha eggs with aquatic elven sperm.
Scientific Name
Homo Sapien/Sub aquatic
Origin/Ancestry
Blue/ Hermit/ and Rock.
Lifespan
7 years
Conservation Status
The Species has been redistricted by immigrants to the continent of Jennara. While they are numerous their population is not so numerous as it was in the era before humanoid races sprawled over Jennara. While the reproductive rate of Crustasha is high their lifespan is very short five to ten years.
Average Height
7 feet.
Average Weight
170 pounds
Average Physique
Muscular on the outset. The body has not always grown completely into the shell.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Brown and speckled. Claws blue on the males red for the females.
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
Discovered by
