Waertagi Giant Crabs

[Manu]

it is said somewhere in the Guide that Waertagi used Giant crabs to raid coastal regions. Where they 'allies' (meaning with some intelligence) and just war pets (like we use elephants, horses and more during war)

[dumuzid]

The giant crabs in the RQ Bestiary are just animals, though big tough ones.  sometimes animals just happen to be sentient in Glorantha though, or the Waertagi might magically bind a spirit to a crab to control the creature and give it its own magic.  trained battle crabs, wild giant crabs martialed by appropriate Summon (Entity) magic, there's a lot of ways they could've put together crab sorties on land.  According to the Bestiary, Giant Crabs will range inland a few kilometers most seasons; stories of waertagi 'using' the crabs may just be locals attributing unfortunate crab scuffles to Waertagi interference, or the Waertagi may simply take advantage of opportunities created by crab bellicosity and get blamed for the inciting incident.  Any of these, and many more possibilities, could be the truth.

[David Scott]

1 hour ago, Manu said:

it is said somewhere in the Guide that Waertagi used Giant crabs to raid coastal regions. Where they 'allies' (meaning with some intelligence) and just war pets (like we use elephants, horses and more during war)

It's said on page 467 in the warfare section:

Quote

Waertagi always work closely with other sea creatures in warfare, for instance using whales or plesiosaurs for assaults on ships, giant crabs to raid a sea shore, and constantly employ water elementals to swamp ships or shore forts alike.

The clear answer to me using MGF is that they are Waertagi Giant Crabs. These are not the Giant crabs from the Bestiary but huge battle mounts wearing armour with mounted archers and magicians using them as land forces would use chariots. Likewise battle whales and plesiosaurs are clearly a thing too

They range in size and specialisms from kaiju sized:

https://wikizilla.org/wiki/Ganimes

to medium charriot platforms

https://dtmayer.artstation.com/projects/P2K8r?album_id=35483

to individual heavy cavalry

https://www.playmobil.ch/default/giant-crab/4804-A.html

[soltakss]

Waertagi can also use Dominate and Command spells, from their mixed heritage. They can probably awaken Giant Crabs as familiars as well.

[Sir_Godspeed]

Obligatory giant crab video: 

(Just imagine less gunpowder and zombie pirates and more green-skinned sea folk)

 

[OrlanthRex]

I don’t have my source material with me. What is the source and age of the crab shell at Crabtown at Skyfall Lake?

[David Scott]

11 hours ago, OrlanthRex said:

I don’t have my source material with me. What is the source and age of the crab shell at Crabtown at Skyfall Lake?

Trollpak -An Issaries Report:

Quote

An immense temple made out of a single crab shell protects the shrine of Kyger Litor, who reportedly killed the monster.

 

[Darius West]

On 3/9/2020 at 11:47 PM, David Scott said:

Trollpak -An Issaries Report:

An immense temple made out of a single crab shell protects the shrine of Kyger Litor, who reportedly killed the monster.

Trolls being trolls, they probably think it smells very interesting and textural.

[Sir_Godspeed]

Crabtown makes me think of Ald'ruhn from Elder Scrolls Morrowind, though here is the somewhat more updated Elder Scrolls Online version: 

[Darius West]

On 3/18/2020 at 6:40 AM, Sir_Godspeed said:

Crabtown makes me think of Ald'ruhn from Elder Scrolls Morrowind, though here is the somewhat more updated Elder Scrolls Online version: 

Ken Rolston (who created the setting for Elder Scrolls)  is an RQer from way back in the day (in the unlikely event that someone didn't know).  If you look closely you can see Greg's fingerprints on it too.

Edited March 20, 2020 by Darius West

[Sir_Godspeed]

3 hours ago, Darius West said:

Ken Rolston (who created the setting for Elder Scrolls)  is an RQer from way back in the day (in the unlikely event that someone didn't know).  If you look closely you can see Greg's fingerprints on it too.

Yup, that's actually how I found out about Glorantha to begin with! 

Vivec, a living god of the Dark Elves in the Elder Scrolls, has "Lord of the Middle Air" as his title, as a pretty shameless nod to Glorantha, I can only assume, though in the Elder Scrolls it's more of a metaphorical title.

[Mirza]

While Ken certainly is a RQ alumnus and put in some Glorantha ideas into Elder Scrolls, Vivec, CHIM (Illumination but not quite), Convention (analogous to the Cosmic Compromise) and whole bunch of the rest of the RQ references, and the crazier stuff in the setting (Kalpas, the Godhead) were written by Michael Kirkbride, one of the writers for Redguard, Morrowind, Knights of the Nine, and other in-game books afterwards.

Yeah I was a fan of Elder Scrolls before I ever knew Glorantha existed starting with the Xbox version of Morrowind when I was a kid, got really into the metaphysics and lore of it later on. My thoughts still drift to the star-wounded east daily.

Edited March 20, 2020 by Mirza

[Sir_Godspeed]

1 hour ago, Mirza said:

While Ken certainly is a RQ alumnus and put in some Glorantha ideas into Elder Scrolls, Vivec, CHIM (Illumination but not quite), Convention (analogous to the Cosmic Compromise) and whole bunch of the rest of the RQ references, and the crazier stuff in the setting (Kalpas, the Godhead) were written by Michael Kirkbride, one of the writers for Redguard, Morrowind, Knights of the Nine, and other in-game books afterwards.

Yeah I was a fan of Elder Scrolls before I ever knew Glorantha existed starting with the Xbox version of Morrowind when I was a kid, got really into the metaphysics and lore of it later on. My thoughts still drift to the star-wounded east daily.

Ah, another pupil of the Six Walking Ways, I see.

[Darius West]

15 hours ago, Mirza said:

While Ken certainly is a RQ alumnus and put in some Glorantha ideas into Elder Scrolls, Vivec, CHIM (Illumination but not quite), Convention (analogous to the Cosmic Compromise) and whole bunch of the rest of the RQ references, and the crazier stuff in the setting (Kalpas, the Godhead) were written by Michael Kirkbride, one of the writers for Redguard, Morrowind, Knights of the Nine, and other in-game books afterwards.

Yeah I was a fan of Elder Scrolls before I ever knew Glorantha existed starting with the Xbox version of Morrowind when I was a kid, got really into the metaphysics and lore of it later on. My thoughts still drift to the star-wounded east daily.

I loved Morrowind too, for all the reasons you have enumerated.  I was Glorantha literate prior to Morrowind, and I still haven't played the earlier titles, but have enjoyed all the subsequent ones.  May Vivec's milk finger silence the critics.

[Bill the barbarian]

On 3/20/2020 at 8:26 AM, Darius West said:

Ken Rolston (who created the setting for Elder Scrolls)  is an RQer from way back in the day (in the unlikely event that someone didn't know).  If you look closely you can see Greg's fingerprints on it too.

With Ken on board now I must go and search out more details. Does anyone know if he is still involved.

Vive, L’RQ Renaissance, Vive M. Rolston!

On 3/20/2020 at 4:10 PM, Mirza said:

Yeah I was a fan of Elder Scrolls before I ever knew Glorantha existed starting with the Xbox version of Morrowind when I was a kid, got really into the metaphysics and lore of it later on. My thoughts still drift to the star-wounded east daily.

And one might say I am a fan of Ken!!

[Sir_Godspeed]

30 minutes ago, Bill the barbarian said:

With Ken on board now I must go and search out more details. Does anyone know if he is still involved.

Vive, L’RQ Renaissance, Vive M. Rolston!

And one might say I am a fan of Ken!!

Not anymore, it seems, but he was onboard for both Morrowind and Oblivion. 

Of the two, Morrowind is definitely the more conceptually and visually interesting. Oblivion would have been too, but it was toned down to be more "medieval Europe", unfortunately - though there is still some delightfully weird stuff in the lore there (like references to a timetraveling cyborg/robot from the future coming back in time to help human slaves revolt - or a dude mating with a literal hill to produce a demigod.)