Grab Rock

This article is a work in progress. More content will follow.

Over the course of time, we have developed a strong dynamic with the grab rocks. We utilize them as a primary food source, while in turn they eat the detritus which falls along the sand of our city, keeping the region clean and free of the decay from the many swimmers and other grab rocks. As we strive to gather the lost knowledge, we have only come to formulate further questions around not only the grab rocks but also the many other beings who travel through our city. 

How many of our lifetimes can a single grab rock live? Could we ever communicate with them? And if no ancient communication methods were present, are new communication methods possible? Did any of the grab rocks currently alive bear witness to the cataclysm? We can only hope to answer these questions in time.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Grab rocks have a balanced shape. Their bending rocks are similar to our arms, with two additional ones on their front which end in displaced beaks that they use to eat as well as to grab things which are nearby in order to bite. It is well-worth the effort of breaking the grab rock to receive the snacks inside; be mindful of the beaks, which can clasp onto our soft bodies and make the process of consumption difficult and painful.

Genetics and Reproduction

There are many different types of grab rocks, though they do seem to reproduce in a fairly similar way as each other. Their breeding process lasts for an indeterminate and unreasonably long amount of time, taking far longer than the much more suitable method we use. The mothers carry their eggs against their bellies until they are ready to hatch, creating a yummy treat for the connoisseur fortunate enough to find one such snack. As eggs are limited, if you find more than one grab rock carrying eggs, do not eat both in close succession. It is important to leave some eggs for future numbers.

Growth Rate & Stages

Grab rocks grow at a much slower pace than we do. As such, we can only theorize as to how long they take to grow from egg to the largest of rocks.

Ecology and Habitats

Grab rocks scuttle along the sand, using their bending rocks to move throughout the water from one place to another. From time to time, a grab rock will bury itself in the sand, and other times it can be found clinging to other kinds of rocks, these rocks being still rocks which are not delicious. We do not recommend eating the still rocks.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The grab rocks eat detritus and tiny food which lives within the sand. They consistently move around, picking up the tiny specks of matter with their beaks which they place into their mouths.

Biological Cycle

Grab rocks will periodically shed their old rocks and replace them with new ones. Once they emerge from this new rock, they will often be larger and more brightly colored.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Grab rocks live within the sand and among their companions, the still rocks.

Average Intelligence

Intelligence levels are believed to be similar to the swimmers; they are satisfied to spend their days in simple tasks such as eating the loose detritus which gathers in the sand.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

It is not clear how grab rocks perceive the world around them, but our only supposition is that they have some kind of ability to feel with their bending rocks, which they use to pick up detritus and other snacks as they dig through the sand.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

They communicate through a series of clicks, snaps, and physical language. See etiquette for overview of their primary social interactions.

Common Etiquette Rules

Grab rocks wave their bending rocks to each other in a form of communication to alert others to their presence as well as assert dominance. They also lock their beaks when they wish to take their dominance one step further, sometimes lifting the other grab rock off of the sand and into the surrounding water.

Common Taboos

If a grab rock does not move when you pick it up to consume it, it is not to be eaten. Place it back among the rocks and search for a more suitable grab rock or an alternative food source.

If a grab rock is particularly large, this one should also not be eaten. The fragments of history speak of a time when we and the grab rocks could converse. As we cannot presently communicate with them, we must retain the largest of rocks and keep them safe from other beings, as these will be with whom communication may be of utmost importance. Until we know otherwise, we shall continue to assume that any level of communication might yet be possible.

Common Myths and Legends

It is said by the more adventurous of us that the grab rocks leave the safety of the water to spend time among the cluster of still rocks which live above. I cannot confirm if this is true, though if it is, I cannot understand why they choose to join us here where there are less still rocks. We are thankful for the snacks their presence provides.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Grab rocks hold significant importance to many. They keep the sand clean of detritus as well as provide snacks for larger individuals. They have a revered place within the intricate cycle of life and death.

Lifespan

Unknown; believed to match a minimum of at least four of our generations

Conservation Status

Grab rocks are in decline, so do not waste a meal. When food stores run low, we must travel towards the colder waters in search of additional numbers rather than consume all of them

Average Physique

Rock

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Grab rocks come in a variety of colors, often getting more vivid with size and age