Clawfane, Deep Sea Nomads

Clawfane “My shell [family] and I have worked these fields for nearly a century. We mean no harm to anyone. We ask for nothing from anyone and offer our food and shelter to anyone seeking it – that is the way. Any who would defile our lands, our people, or our rites would be our enemy until they are no more.”

Grackak, clawfane farmer.

“I’d rather chew me own arm off than deal with a ‘fane. Do’ya’know I once fell asleep whilst the damned things were talking about a simple trade? Woke up to find they’d not near finished discussing the thing. That’s when my First Mate attacked them. Now… look at us…”

Captain Halliban Caddespaddle, of the Bonny Prince

Partially related to the Chuul servitor race, clawfane are sometimes called crabfolk.  Isolationist by nature, these exoskeleton-based crustacean humanoids build massive fortresses of stone, shell, and cemented sand.
 Their culture remains obscure to most outsiders, but their ultimate goal is to harvest their algae crops, study and researchn and live in peace. When that peace is threatened, they become fierce warriors, who tend to obliterate the threat to extinction before resuming their quiet lives as farmers. This is perhaps a failing of the race, but they can be exceptionally single-minded and tenacious. War with the clawfane is likely to last decades, and although they have been known to sign truces and peace-treaties, is it exceptionally rare and takes tremendous skill to negotiate.
The language of the clawfane, known as Clawn, is a complex series of uttered sounds and snapping of the pincer to make clicks and banging noises. No other race can speak Clawn unless they have two heavy objects to bang together, like coconuts or rocks, during the conversation.
Adventuring A clawfane might go adventuring to study the world around them. Single-minded but also curious, the clawfane are aware of others beyond their massive fortresses and knowledge is always useful. Generally, permission must be given from the Clutch Mother, an equivalent of a queen, before an individual is allowed to explore and also given a time limit, usually ten to fifty years is considered sufficient, to spend amongst the surfacers or non-clawfane.

Basic Information

Anatomy

One of their arms ends in a giant claw, the other in a pseudohand capable of gasping and manipulating small items. This physical imbalance is not common in most humanoid species where symmetry has resulted in successful species survival. The clawfane however, evolved from their crab-like ancestors into humanoid beings and have never questioned why they are so.

Ecology and Habitats

They create underwater vessels that serve as mobile homes, often times gathering in large air bubbles to trade with other Clawfane or other intelligent sea creatures
Their design and architecture often represent a love of balance and symmetry, perhaps a deep-seated desire or just a good sense of style.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Clawfane Names Generally impossible to pronounce without holding two pieces of wood to bang together, the best approximations are presented here, and considering the clawfane are asexual there is only one gender presented. Claxba, Thadklap, Cluklape, Paplown, Thathatha, Babanux, Clathaba.

Lifespan

Age. clawfane can live remarkably long lives, often reaching 500 years or more. Adulthood begins for most clawfane with the fourth Molting, when a clawfane is too big to fit inside their own carapace and must shed it and grow a new one.