Today, we’re moving on from the Human peoples of Realmgard and beginning to examine some of the fauna of Realmgard.
FYI: “Giga” means big; “crab” means… crab.
Gigacrabs
Among the most dangerous of the marine fauna in Realmgard, the Gigacrabs are renowned for, in addition to their sheer immense size, their aggression, territoriality, and nearly-impenetrable carapaces. Although elusive and not generally known to eat Humans, Gigacrabs pose a notable danger for their preference for water that is swallow relative to their large size and for seaside caves.
That their preferred habitats can overlap with those of Humans, coupled with their extreme territoriality makes encounters between Humans and Gigacrabs extremely dangerous. In fact, Gigacrabs are legally considered hostes omnium gentium, a legal term meaning “enemies of all people” — the same classification particularly notable renegade pirates are placed under — which allows for free hunting of Gigacrabs at all times.
How exactly this affects Gigacrab populations is unclear, though given that encounters with Gigacrabs are not common, it is not assumed to threaten the species, meaning that most legal authorities in Realmgard are willing to place priority on protecting Humans rather than conservation.
Especially in seaside communities, Gigacrabs are considered an impressive test of an adventurers abilities.
In addition to Gigacrab carapaces being an exotic but effective material for arms and armour, Gigacrab meat is considered a delicacy by certain eccentric gourmands. Those who have eaten Gigacrab report that it is not particularly appetising and the appeal is generally derived from the expensive and difficulty with which the meal was obtained.
Now, it’s been long enough since I wrote the story that Gigacrabs were introduced in that I don’t actually remember if the Giant Enemy Crab meme really influenced me, but I definitely have a soft spot for the meme in question, so since then, I’ve definitely leaned into it…
But, seriously, everything about the “Giant Enemy Crab” line is a perfect disaster. It’s such an awkward line that it would’ve become a meme even if the guy hadn’t lterally just finished hyping up Genji 2 for its historical accuracy.
Incidentally, there is actually a connection between supernatural crabs and the time period Genji 2 is taking place in. In brief, the souls of the solders who drowned at Dan-no-Ura are said to have been reincarnated as crabs with shells that look kinda like human faces.
Of course, very few people actually watching the press conference would have known that…
There aren’t really any high-level concepts I think I need to explain here. It’s just a big crab. The hardest part was thinking up a good name for. After coming up with a few that were either too complicated, too self-serious, or just didn’t look good on the page, I literally just slapped a prefix that means “big” onto “crab”.
It wouldn’t really work in a setting that was trying to effect an aura of “this is a serious, proper Fantasy world”, but Realmgard has always been a pretty silly place…
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