[MW Pokemon] Shahoko - CR 13 Large Fiend (Yokai) - $10 Reward

“I keep asking the deep ones to advance our people into the next phase of evolution, but they just keep turning us into different types of crabs!”

— Garwin, Sick of Shellfish

With their backs pressed against the wall by the hungry tentacles of a kraken, the Gamaru clan of carapaceans cried a desperate plea to any gods listening in the deep: “give us the power to destroy our pursuers.” The old ones heard their cry and obliged the request by turning them into monsters.

Monsters Under the Seabed. The deep ones have no concept of beauty, and form their abominations according to unknowable whims and incomprehensible pragmatism. Coarse, spindly legs skitter along the sands beneath the waves, the spiny carapace giving way to pallid flesh. Layers of shell cover the transition between humanoid and arthropod, a patch job to cover the gruesome conjoining of chitin and tender skin. Shards of shell cut into the fresh flesh, twisting the exoskeleton to bind into the nerves and become a grotesque framework of bones beneath the skin and tissue. To crown the monstrosity, a massive claw takes the place of a functional right hand. Filled with tight, knotted musculature, it barely functions as a claw at all, serving only to enact death upon those who peer down its barrel. The only other use for it is as a delicious main course served with butter, lemon, and garlic to taste.

Meaty Claws. The Gamarus were hunted nearly to extinction by krakens due to their exquisite flavour. Unfortunately, the transformation into shahoko did nothing to make them less delicious, and krakens aren’t the only ones who enjoy their meat. A shahoko claw is the key ingredient to pince royale au beurre, a signature dish of the Homardan coast. The claw is seared in-shell over a massive bonfire, cracked, then sauteed slowly in butter over the course of several hours. Once ready, it’s served with spiced crackers and fine cheese. With so much meat in a single claw, the dish is traditionally served at large gatherings such as weddings or festivals, though the wealthy can afford to enjoy it more frequently. Foreign traders are known to send out deep sea hunting explorations looking to harvest the claws. Luckily for the shahoko, the submarines of rich scavengers are much easier to crush than krakens.

Start Blastin’. Though few people have actually seen a shahoko, sailors who work near the seafloor homes of these crustacean cannoneers are well aware of their presence. A shahoko’s large claw is capable of firing attacks over remarkable distances, and many a ship’s hull has been breached by a cranky carapaced crawler. An errant anchor, fishing net, or trash dump is more than enough to make an angry shahoko bring a ship under aggressive fire from below.

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• Get the stats for this fearsome foe in the ATTACHED FILES!

• Enjoy the gorgeous rendered art for it HERE;

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