Talk:Yurian

Given the differentiation in 5e between crab folk (MFF Vol. 1) and aldani (ToA), as well as the overall extreme differences in appearance between editions (save 2nd and 3rd), I think further inspection into whether all of the creatures described on this page are actually the same creatures at all, and not just superficially similar, would be in order. — Look-a-troopa (talk) 23:37, December 8, 2019 (UTC)
 * Is there actually any source for yurani and aldani being the same thing? --Dark T Zeratul (talk) 05:31, December 9, 2019 (UTC)
 * I've read through the sources. It appears that the idea that aldani are synonymous with yurians comes from Serpent Kingdoms, but because of the discrepancies in appearance with both Jungles of Chult and Tomb of Annihilation, as well as the very Chult-specific origin of the aldani, IMO this doesn't check out and was probably a product of wanting to cut down on statblock bloat. The crabman-yurian lineage seems to have gone like: 1E Fiend Folio introduces crabmen; the Fiend Folio Appendix (entry later reprinted in the Monstrous Manual) describes and depicts crabmen in a substantially different way; 3E Fiend Folio runs with the Appendix version but renames them to yurians; Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio recontextualizes the original depiction, calls them crabfolk, and gives them a new backstory.


 * I think the article should be split into: Yurian (Monstrous Manual, 3E Fiend Folio), Aldani (The Jungles of Chult, Tomb of Annihilation), and Crabfolk (1E Fiend Folio, Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1) (perhaps the last might not have enough of a connection to the realms, might have to dig for usage of the monster in 1E sources or wait for the newest version to be used in a FR adventure or something). — Look-a-troopa (talk) 17:04, December 12, 2019 (UTC)


 * Im not an expert on monster lore but it seems like there are some distinctions here. Look-a, would the Aldani be the same as the lobsterfolk? Ruf (talk) 17:22, December 12, 2019 (UTC)
 * Yeah, lobsterfolk is given as a synonym for aldani in ToA. — Look-a-troopa (talk) 17:26, December 12, 2019 (UTC)


 * Fix it please. I stopped working on this page because it confused the heck out of me because none of it made any sense. Gem Hound (talk) 06:57, March 16, 2020 (UTC)


 * I don't know how much help I can be, but allow me to interject what I've been able to establish through my own research:


 * Crabfolk, under the name "Crabman", debut in the Fiend Folio (page 21) for AD&D 1e. As with all FF monsters, they are presented as "setting neutral".
 * Crabmen are subsequently updated to 2nd edition with expanded lore in the Monstrous Manual; again, these are "setting neutral".
 * Crabmen are written up as playable characters in the article "Heroes of the Sea" in Dragon #250 (page 28). Once again, setting neutral.
 * The Realmslore sourcebook "Jungles of Chult" mentions the Aldani. Though their lore is incredibly brief, it is hinted they are a fairly advanced society, mostly through their tradition of using "courtly duels" to settle disputes - a far cry from the almost animalistic "generic" crabmen.
 * The Realmslore sourcebook "Sea of Fallen Stars" explicitly mentions crabmen and also makes it clear that it's referring to the generic crabmen from the Monstrous Manual, even pointing players to Dragon #250 and its Heroes of the Sea article in a resource appendix; there is no mention of the Aldani in any way, shape or form.
 * In 3rd edition's Fiend Folio, Yurians are introduced. Reading between the lines, it's suggested but never explicit that they are intended to be the crabmen of old rebranded with a new name, as their lore is all but identical to the crabmen lore from the 2e Monstrous Manual.
 * 3e Realmslore sourcebook "Serpent Kingdoms" mentions on page 117 that "Aldani" is a local name for Yurians around the Snout of Omgar.
 * Tomb of Annihilation finally brings the Aldani back for 5th edition and explicitly ignores all of the implied connections to crabmen from past editions, giving them an entirely new backstory as transformed humanoids - this is but one of many examples of races from the Realms and other settings getting drastic lore changes in 5e; see Grungs and Gnolls, just off the top of my head.
 * So... yeah, this is a big ol' mess of conflicting continuity. I think I'd personally separate the three races and note that they have at times been implied to be the same race, but the continuity has gotten snarled over different editions.Ranime Codexer (talk) 08:08, 20 April 2021 (UTC)