Zurigarra (suɾiɡarːa)

"Luckily, only the smaller ones can climb the trees. Those big ones can take a leg off with one snip, and they would if we were down there with them." - An experienced Uhartekoan lumberjack educating a newcomer while they are treed by a Zurigarra.

The Floating Forests of the Middlesea are filled with some of the world's most unusual creatures, including tree octopuses, sweetwater frogs, and the highly prized Uritz Tree. But there is one creature in this unique ecosystem that is better known and more feared than any other - the giant Zurigarra Crab.

This animal lives at the lowest level of the forest, navigating through the roots and saltwater pools that occupy the surface layer of the ecosystem. They can grow to be over seven feet wide, measured from the tip of one leg to the other. They are social animals, travelling in groups of ten to twenty individuals. They are opportunistic omnivores; the bulk of their diet is fruit and other vegetable matter, but they also scavenge for carrion, and will readily dismember and consume any creature that fails to run away fast enough. Those who visit their forests are particularly warned against sleeping at the root level, as they are surprisingly stealthy and won't hesitate to seize on unconscious prey.

Homegrown Armor

While the juvenile Zurigarra will seek out the shells of large snails to live in, the adults have grown their own thick exoskeleton. This carapace is legendarily tough, said to be able to easily deflect a logger's axe and ignore all but the best aimed arrows. Crews who are prepared for them will typically carry crossbows or boar spears, and will aim for the weaker joints rather than the nigh-impenetrable backplate. They can also be repelled by fire, and more than one story features a hero holding a half-dozen Zurigarra at bay with a flaming torch.

This toughness had led some people to seek out the shell of an adult Zurigarra in order to use in their own defense. While they are rare, there are shields and some armor made from Zurigarra crabs. These items are light and tough, and provide good protection for those who have them. They do require some special maintenance compared to metal or leather armor, though - they are not cured, and must be regularly treated with a specially formulated oil in order to keep them from degrading.

Legendary Beasts

Because the Zurigarra have been a part of so many tales of seafaring adventure, they are under a lot of pressure from the Egregoric Force to live up to their legendary status. The crabs are strongly influenced by this, which means that their behavior has as much to do with the story playing out as it does with any biological processes. They will exhibit planning and motivations that are uncharacteristic to most animals, and well outside the capabilities they use in less narratively charged encounters.

A Literary Villain

One of the classics of Uhartekoan literature is Xabi Xanturi's account of being stranded in a Floating Forest after being shipwrecked. In his story, the Zurigarra crabs were one of the main challenges he had to overcome, and were directly responsible for the construction of the Floating Treehouse where Xanturi lived for years before his miraculous rescue. You can read more about the Floating Treehouse here.

By Any Other Name

Zurigarra is the most common name for this animal, having been coined by the Uhartekoan lumberjacks who harvest the forest and adopted into the Common Tongue by sailors who worked the lumber ships. But it is far from the only name for this animal. The Tāngata call it Tikangaoa, and it features in many of their stories. It is also a common adversary in the folklore of the Tau Dilaut, who name it Salimboko. The Naga word for this crab is Kharadhipati, which translates poetically to "The Lord of Claws". The Zurigarra is a staple in seafaring narratives throughout the Great Ring, and every hero must face them, whatever name they carry.