Crab Rider

A Crab Rider wielding a spear on its mount

The Crab Rider is one of the few beasts in the 2018 indie video game, Return of the Obra Dinn, that attack the ship during its voyage to the Orient. It is a fictional creature that has no existing connection to nautical lore, being made up by video game developer Lucas Pope. In a previous chapter, the crew brought mermaids aboard, not knowing their true power and intelligence. The mermaids call upon the Crab Riders, and their only goal is to free the Unholy Captives, and kill anyone in their way.

Description

Appearance

The Beast are separate entities, the Crab and its Rider. The Rider is covered in dark shroud that covers it head to toe. It is unknown whether or not it is apart of the creature or whether its a sort of clothing. It is a humanoid beast, with two arms and legs, and a bipedal stance. It has five fingers, bright, glowing eyes that shine through its shrouds. The Beast wields a serrated spearing its right hand that it uses to impale its victims, though as shown it the game, its not the most effective weapon in the monsters arsenal.

The Crab Mount is similar to a Japanese spider crab, only thrice the size. The Crab has four long, flexible, legs on each side of its body, and two large pincers on its front. These pincers are very strong, being able to rip tool out of someones hand, as well as easily severe a human head. The legs are fast and agile, being able to navigate down stairs and move around in seconds. The ends are sharp and can pierce skin, as well and being able to balance on small poles. The Crab can knock down opponents with ease and can beat any close range foe.

The Crab has many spikes protruding from its lower back, which the Rider uses to hurl at its attackers. This is shown to be a very effective method of dispatching the Beasts adversaries, as it it can throw many at a time. These spikes are a at least 1.5 feet or roughly half a meter long and are extremely sharp, cutting right through bone. These spikes are the Beasts only long range attacks, making them incredible useful. The Beast uses this attack many times during the battle. This makes it dangerous to be out in the open with a firearm, as you are a threat and may be killed early.

Role and Behavior

As the Beasts board the ship, they instantly spear a man on the rigging, showing they are here to fight, not negotiate, which implies lower intelligence than the bargaining mermaids. The Beasts make their way down the bow staircase, as they are heading toward the mermaids, which are held in the Lazarette on the cargo deck at the aft of the boat. They fight off their attackers, but only killing main threats, as speed is needed. 

The Beasts were called upon by mermaids, requesting freedom. The method in which the captives used is unknown, but it is shown that they have a deep connection with the sea, as they also call upon a Kraken. Only two Crab Riders board the Obra Dinn, though there may be more in existence. It is unknown how they were able to swim up to the Ship, though the land might have been shallow.

The creatures make two distinct noises. One is akin to a deep bellowing of a cow or gorilla that happens in quick succession, and the other a high pitched clicking that can be sped up to sound like a reeling of a fishing line. Its unknown which sound belongs to which part of the Beast, but the clicking seems to happen when the crabs life is threatened, while the bellowing happens regularly. It is also possible that one part of the beast makes both sounds, but unlikely.

Journey and Fates

Beast 1

The first beast to board the Obra Dinn is also the one who managed to kill the most crew members. As it boards the Ship, it uses its spear to impale a unsuspecting topman, and frighten all the hard working seamen to run below deck.

As the Beast make its way down the bow staircase, it hurls four spikes at the carpenters mate, who threw an axe that the crab deflected, three making contact, killing him instantly, and the fourth hitting the carpenter in the shoulder, but not killing him. 

It heads toward the aft staircase on the orlop deck hurling more spikes and striking the ships steward, decapitating two attackers with the crab's pincers, knocking over a midshipman with a leg with ease, and throwing more spikes at attackers. The parts of the beast act on their own, further proving that they are separate entities.

During the battle, a lantern hits the Beast, setting it on fire. It stumbles its way to the stairs throwing more spikes at the butcher, before collapsing, as a midshipman has found a way on top of the burning creature. They simutaneously burn to death on the floor. Shortly after, the butcher bleeds out. This Beast killed 6 crewmates.

Beast 2

This Beast followed the first down the bow staircase, but it killed no one. Unlike its partner, this Crab turned around on the orlop deck and when down the bow staircase connected to the cargo deck. It fights off the first mate, and narrowly dodges a bullet from the Bosun's mate, which hits a man dying from an earlier spike.

It reaches the stairs, but the carpenter waits for him with a shotgun. The Beast uses its crab legs to stab the man, and slams its spear into the carpenters chest, but just before dying of his wounds, the man pulls the trigger of the blunderbuss, killing the Rider.

Meanwhile, a seaman hides underneath the stairs, attempting to ambush the Beast with a spear. The weapon pierces though the Crab, killing it. This Beast got only one kill, but indirectly got another killed.

Trivia

• During a previous chapter, two men were pulled overboard by mermaids. Many fans believe these two men were changed into these Crab Riders.
• They are the only beasts in the game that are completely made up by Pope, though there are similarities to other tales.
• In the first scene, lightning strikes a man in the rigging, leading some to believe the Beasts summoned a bolt. While this is possible, its is most likely a symptom of the supposed curse that the mermaids created.