"Morrslieb touched the sun and everything went dark. Huge waves pummelled our ship. As soon as the eclipse was complete, a great jet of steam burst forth from the sea followed by jagged, toothy pillars. My crew thought we were going to be devoured by a Sea Dragon, but it was land, not a Dragon, that rose from the waves. We landed on that quivering island of dark rock and I led a small party inland. Picking our way over damp rocks and dying fish, we found the rotted carcass of a sunken Imperial ship. Inside was a hold filled with shining, Lustrian gold. When we ran back to the ship to get the rest of the men, I saw a terrible sight that will remain tattooed on my eyes long after I drink myself blind. A monstrous crab-creature bigger than a Kingship was devouring my crew; as I watched, it snapped the mast in one claw and crushed Strong Sven in the other. I won’t tell you a lie, we ran like scared children. Now, if you want to hear tell of the temple we found on that island and how I escaped it, you’ll need to refill this here mug. I can still see out of one eye, and I sees that it's empty."
A Promethean emerges from the deep to feed.
The Promethean is a massive crab that is believed to live on the ocean floor, only coming to the surface to feed. Its tough carapace gives it protection from most attacks, while its tremendously powerful pincers can rip apart masts, sails and superstructure.[1a]
Role[]
The Promethean is an immense crab, 30 feet across. Its eyes wave around on stalks, searching for prey to grab with its claws and shove into its gaping maw. Its carapace, overgrown with seaweed, is strong as steel. Although there was once a Chaos Cult dedicated to worshipping the Promethean, it is not actually a beast of Chaos, merely a powerful and destructive animal.[2b]
Certain scholars believe the Promethean lives on the sea floor, only rising to the surface to wreak havoc on ships or those close to shore when summoned magically. It is unknown whether the Promethean is the only member of its species, or whether there are several such creatures conflated together by sailors' stories.[2b]
Promethean Carapace Shields[]
A Promethean Carapace Shield[3a]
Prometheans, like their larger counterparts called Crustacean Leviathans, have thick shells. Shields crafted from such material are sought after, especially once it has been rendered free of the stench of rotten fish. A Promethean Carapace Shield, though bulky, is surprisingly light, which is perhaps to be expected from the outer layer of a creature that must float for most of its life. Promethean shields weigh less than a standard metal or wooden shield and offer better protection than those made of wood.[3a][4a]
It is hard to find smiths skilled enough to be able to forge such shields using a Promethean's carapace, but it is rumored that one of these artisans lives in the Tilean city-state of Tobaro.[3a]
Miniatures[]
Sources[]
- 1: Man O'War: Sea of Blood (Specialty Game)
- 1a: pg. 12
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: The WFRP Companion (RPG)
- 3: Man O' War: Corsair (PC Game)
- 3a: Hand weapons
- 4: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Imperial Zoo (RPG)
- 4a: pg. 113
Gallery[]
