Crab's Claw Coast

The Crab's Claw Coast was a patch of crooked costal cliffs on the Sword Coast North, to the southwest from the city of Daggerford.

"Why do they call this part of the coast the Crab's Claw? I don't see any crabs about. Who makes up these names I ask you?"

- Purfbin Doogrick

Description
The coastline was named after numerous curved high cliffs that ripped the shores into dangerous steep ridges that plummeted into the Sea of Swords. The shape and curvature of the cliffs resembled the claws of a crab. The cliffs had several paths down to the water level where small patches of shallow sends could be traversable on foot during low tide. The bottoms of the Crab's Claws hid numerous natural sea-formed caverns.

Geography
The Crab's Claw Coast laid to the south from the Lizard Marsh, past the area known as the Blade Cliffs. A hamlet of Liam's Hold and its Wild Pastures laid to the northeast from the Crab's Claw, as well as the busy Trade Way.

Flora & Fauna
Crab's Claw Coast had a healthy population of hungry seagulls and majestic ospreys that used updrafts to glide over the clifftops. Sometimes the sandy shores at the bottom of the cliffs were used by local fishers; however, the area was dangerous due to high sahuagin activity. Curiously enough, despite the name, Crab's Claws had little to no crustacean marine life.

History
In the ancient and long-forgotten past, a strange winged, mirror-skinned creature, Metastakixx, was sealed in a hidden temple deep in one of the coast's caverns. It was left there by its forgotten creators as a sentry, kept in place unmoving by strange magical wards in the shape of mirrored vaporizer spheres and surrounded by shadows – the Fragments of a Corrupt God. Metastakixx waited for its creators to return, but in the countless centuries that have passed – they never did. Metastakixx waited in oblivion. More centuries passed, it forgot the creators, just like the rest of the world did, it forgot itself, it forgot its purpose, but it remembered only one name, the name of the individual destined to release Metastakixx from its eternal guard duty.

Historically, the Crab's Claw Coast saw few visitors. The shoreline was too dangerous for most merchants, smugglers, and pirates, and the area was mostly deserted. Circa the, one of the well-hidden sea-level caves was used by a band of smugglers sponsored by the Zhentarim. The illicit operation transported weapons and armor for a hidden army of orcs and Tanarukka that was swelling numbers to raise the city of Daggerford. In 1372 DR, the pirate cavers were raided by the Hero of Daggerford and his companions as they investigated suspicious ledgers from the Barracuda (ship) and its Captain Herab.

Appearances

 * Video Games
 * Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford