Sartani

Sartani are terrifying creatures, part giant and part enormous crab. Their legs and torsos are those of a muscular giant, but their heads and hands are those of an enormous crab, including eyestalks and mandibles. A partial carapace of shell extends down the chest, back, and shoulders, gradually blending with unprotected flesh. Thick, sodden strands of hair sprout from gaps and cracks in the shell, having all the appearance of wet seaweed. The creatures' bodies range from dull red to greasy blue in color, the shell normally mottled with a lighter shade. The sartani are not known to wear clothes or fashion implements of any sort, probably because their pincerlike hands make delicate work impossible.

Combat: Sartani are ferocious fighters of single-minded purpose, once urged into battle. They fight without any subtlety, wading directly into the thickest part of any line and attacking the nearest enemy. Few take the time to assess the threat posed by their foe, hence sartani are easily lured into attacking the front rank of any group while spellcasters and archers whittle them down.

The physical attacks of the sartani are fearsome, however. They never fight with weapons, instead delivering powerful blows and rending attacks with their clawed hands. These do 3-18 points of damage per blow. As one strikes, it attempts to snap its giant pincers around the unfortunate target. If the attack roll is a 19 or 20, the sartani has clasped the victim with its giant claw. Thereafter it maintains its grasp, automatically squeezing each round for 3d10 points of damage. The held victim cannot attack with weapons or spells, but he can attempt a bend bars/lift gates check to break the monsters hold, one attempt at the start of every round. Those not held can assist, provided someone keeps the sartani engaged in melee. Each person aiding can add half his bend bars/lift gates percentage to the total roll.

The sartani have an overall armor class of 2; however, should only the shell-covered parts of their body be exposed, they have an AC of -2. Because they possess both gills and lungs, sartani are equally at home in water or on land. They are immune to waterbased attacks, and their hard shell affords some protection from flame-based attacks such that they gain a +2 on all saving throws vs. fire and suffer -1 point of damage per die (though never less than one). However, being the creatures of warm tropical oceans, sartani are particularly vulnerable to cold. They save against coldbased attacks at -1 and suffer an additional point of damage per die. A cone of cold causes damage and slows the creature to half-normal speed if the saving throw is failed. This frost rigidity lasts for 2d4 rounds or until the creature can completely immerse itself in the warm sea for one round.

Habitat/Society: The world is blessed in that the sartani sartani are extremely rare, almost unique. So infrequently are they seen that there is no reliable record of their existence among the many scholarly bestiaries of the Zakharan sages, a group who has cataloged nearly every creature in existence. Several legends exist that describe creatures similar to the sartani. The best known of these describes the crab-headed giants as the children of a crab god, sent to prepare the land for the crab god's arrival. This tale predates the spread of the Law, and it is considered an example of heretical thought by the strictest of the Enlightened.

Other common explanations for such hybrids –experiments of mad wizards and crossbreeding– have been discounted in this case. This is mostly because no one can imagine any purpose or rationale for creating such creatures.

It is assumed the sartani are intelligent, for they act with purpose. Above the waves their mandibles make a staccato clacking that is their language. It is assumed this same tapping of shells allows them to communicate underwater. (Among the tribesmen, drummers often try to imitate this clacking for dancers; this is known as “crab-style” drumming.

Sartani are most frequently sighted (of their infrequent appearances) in the shallow waters of the Crowded-Sea, particularly around the islands of al-Sartan. Such sightings lend support to the theory that the sartani are servants of the crabheaded god Kar'r'gra, who is worshipped on those isles. It may also be, however, that the sartani have always been there and the cult of Kar'r'gra grew around them.

Whatever their source, the sartani are most often sighted singly, walking on the bottom of, or sometimes swimming through, the ocean. When encountered in groups it is a fearsome time, for that signals a coming raid on some coastal village. Such attacks are extremely destructive, for the creatures fight until all resisters have been slain or fled. Only then do they feast on their kills before returning to the ocean. For those along the coasts of al-Sartan, it is a common practice to flee into the forest with the arrival of a sartani warband, leaving goods and property behind.

Although they are known to wantonly destroy houses and property, the creatures do not collect treasure. Their raids ashore seem only to be for food as they ignore all manner of valuables scattered across the ground. It is not believed that they make lairs or undersea homes, but live as nomads beneath the waves. The crab-headed giants are considered boorish and coarse by other intelligent sea-dwellers, and they are only rarely invited to the courts of the marids or other sea lords. Inexplicably, the pahari and sartani get along quite well and maintain cordial (though not overly friendly) contact with each other.

Ecology: In the sea, the sartani play the role of great predators and scavengers. They are not picky about their food and will devour anything from sharks to beached whales. Unconfirmed reports describe them as attacking passing ships by cracking open the hull with their claws to extract the helpless seamen within.

Roughly once a year the sartani molts his head shell. These massive carapaces are highly prized by natives. The material is extremely strong yet easily worked. Most shells are transformed into shields, but a few suits of sartani shell armor (AC 3) have been sold to sailors. Other uses for the giant shells include granary roofs, mortar bowls for pounding cassava, and even altars for the temples to Kar'r'gra.