Carapace Scavenger

"A cursed soldier of the fallen legion"

— Echo description of the Carapace Scavenger^[1]

Description

The Carapace Scavenger is an Awakened Beast native to the Forgotten Shore, a vast and harrowing region of the Dream Realm situated north of the Hollow Mountains.^[2]

Despite being one of the weaker and more common threats in the labyrinth of crimson coral, Carapace Scavengers remain dangerous opponents for any newly arrived Sleeper.

Appearance

Carapace Scavengers are large, bulky, eight-legged creatures that bear some similarities to Earth’s crustaceans. Standing close to three meters in height, their form combines a crab-like lower body with a protruding humanoid torso, giving them a vague centaur-like silhouette.^[3]

The entire creature is encased in a thick chitinous carapace of a dark complexion. The Carapace Scavenger’s eight legs are attached to its lower body and have a scythe-like appearance. Meanwhile, the humanoid torso bears two primary arms, each ending in massive pincers that are able to crush prey with ease.^[4]

The creature’s head features tiny, narrow eyes and a maw flanked by prominent mandibles, which it uses to produce a jarring, piercing screech when agitated. Rather than having red-colored blood, the Carapace Scavenger has viscous azure blood that runs beneath its shell.^[5]

"Each Carapace Scavenger had four pairs of long, segmented legs that ended in scythe-like protrusions. At the front, a human-like torso was protruding from the carapace, also clad in thick chitinous armor. The head, if it was even the appropriate word, was situated directly on top of the torso, with no neck in between. It had two narrow eye slits and a vicious-looking mouth with several slimy mandibles. Instead of hands, the monster had two enormous pincers."

— Chapter 31, 'Low Tide'.^[6]

Abilities

The Scavenger's primary weapons are its two enormous pincers, which generate crushing force sufficient to cave in armour and bisect lightly protected targets. At close range, the scythe-like legs are also used as stabbing and sweeping weapons, capable of impaling a target or launching them sideways with tremendous force. The creature's mandibles are also strong enough to sever limbs and kill prey if allowed to close on flesh.

The dense chitinous shell of a Carapace Scavenger is its primary form of defence. Any bladed weapons that fail to strike the narrow gaps between armor plates will slide uselessly across the armor. 

Behavior

Within the Forgotten Shore, Carapace Scavengers are most commonly found within the labyrinth of crimson coral, where they roam in loose groups or lurk in ambush beneath the mud and shallow pools of the dark, tide-swept terrain.^[7] They are opportunistic predators and scavengers alike, and are known to congregate around large carcasses to feed alongside other members of their kind.^[8]

When injured, a Carapace Scavenger might resort to ambush tactics, burying itself beneath the mud and waiting motionlessly for prey to stumble within reach of its pincers.^[9]

Weakenesses

Despite their fearsome defensive profile, Carapace Scavengers have exploitable weaknesses. 

Firstly, their tiny eyes are unprotected and provide a direct path to the creature's brain, making a precisely aimed thrust through an eye socket a reliable kill method for a sufficiently dexterous combatant.

Secondly, the joints and the concave connection points between plates represent the primary weaknesses of the carapace; a blade driven precisely into these seams will inflict meaningful damage on the creature’s mobility & offensive capabilities. 

Thirdly, the base of the torso that meets the lower half of the creature is another noted vulnerability, as demonstrated when Nephis severed a Scavenger's spine through a precise thrust at this weak point.

Lastly, the Carapace Scavenger's weak point is on its back, approximately at the level of the eyes. It is a slightly concave, discolored cavity in the shell, and is where several armor plates connect, resulting in the chitin there being comparatively thin. Once pierced, the Carapace Scavenger's brain will be destroyed directly. This fatal weakness was exploited by Sunny and Nephis repeatedly in the Forgotten Shore.^[10]

Habitat

The Carpace Scavengers occupy the crimson coral labyrinth of the Forgotten Shore. The labyrinth itself was a vast and multi-layered construct, made entirely out of a crimson, coral-like substance.

Soul Shards

Memories

[Memory]: [Azure Blade]

[Memory Rank]: Awakened

[Memory Class]: I

[Memory Description]: [On this forgotten shore, only steel remembers.]^[11]

Echoes

[Echo]: [Carapace Scavenger]

[Echo Type]: Beast

[Echo Core]: Awakened

[Echo Attributes]: [Strong], [Armored]

[Echo Description]: [A cursed soldier of the fallen legion.]^[12]

Notable Encounters

Sunny's first recorded kill in the Forgotten Shore was a wounded Carapace Scavenger encountered in Chapter 33, missing one pincer arm and bearing multiple cracks in its carapace from prior damage. Despite its debilitated state, it proved a lethal threat, seizing Sunny in its remaining pincer before he dispatched it with a bone shard driven through its eye. This creature left behind the [Azure Blade], which was the first weapon-type memory Sunny obtained in Shadow Slave.^[13]

In subsequent chapters, Sunny and Nephis engaged groups of Scavengers in the crimson coral labyrinth, refining their coordinated tactics against the creatures. Nephis would act as bait, while Sunny would stealthily approach and deal a killing blow with his weapon.^[14]

Trivia