Chisel Claws are small, crustacean-like creatures composed almost entirely of compacted stone. Unlike their salt-water cousins Cast Crabs the Chisel Claws are found in lakes and riverbeds. They live in sprawling colonies that coat the sediment floor like a layer of animated gravel. These hardy creatures consume the surrounding substrate—mud, clay, pebbles, and minerals—to continually reinforce and evolve their rocky exoskeletons, integrating tougher materials as they grow. Over time, their constant consumption deepens the bodies of water they inhabit, gradually reshaping the landscape. Some riverfolk even tell legends that lakes and rivers were originally carved out by ancient colonies of Chisel Claws tirelessly burrowing downward.

Their stony shells act as both protection and courtship display; within a colony, the individuals with the most durable and aesthetically impressive exteriors are considered the most desirable mates. Crabs incorporating rare minerals or polished gems into their shells are often revered—or fiercely contested.

Chisel Claws also possess a curious, shared magnetic polarity that keeps the colony loosely bound together. This invisible force not only prevents them from drifting apart in fast currents, but also causes them to move in near-perfect unison, leading scholars to question whether a colony of Chisel Claws is in fact one single elemental entity with many limbs. When viewed from above in clear waters, a colony’s synchronized motion creates the eerie illusion that the lakebed itself is shifting or breathing.

Though not palatable to most predators, Chisel Claws are highly prized by treasure hunters and unscrupulous collectors. Some believe that rare gemstones can occasionally be found lodged within their bodies, polished by years of internal abrasion. Catching and cracking one open, however, is difficult and controversial, as colonies are fiercely protective of their own and have been known to swarm and immobilize perceived threats with grinding, coordinated pressure.

Despite their small size, Chisel Claws are vital to freshwater ecosystems—acting as natural tillers, cleansers, and even geological shapers over generations. Their presence is usually a sign of ancient, undisturbed waters, and among druids, they are quietly respected as the slow, enduring engineers of the wild.