Crawler

Description

Members of the Crawler gangs ride "crawlers", which are constructs of various sizes that they use as vehicles to race across the plains. Many of the Crawler gangs are scavengers, finding war materials outside of trade-protected jurisdictions and utilizing whatever is necessary to be cobbled and added to, or used to repair the crawlers should they undergo any sort of damage. Imahara Joe is a well-known and respected tinkerer in The Ends of Bassuras (where most of the crawlers are assembled) who builds and repairs crawlers for the various gangs, pricing a purchase of one of the baseline model as "a little over 1000 gold"..

Of the crawlers seen by Bells Hells, one was a massive machine with wide wheels covered in scaled spikes that ground into the dirt. Its back resembled the rear side of a horse with a pair of back legs that could grind and push into the ground with metallic claws. It was steered by handlebars. There were more of the same general build, but they each appeared to have been cobbled together with whatever could be found and to fit the personality of its owner.

Types of crawlers

Although each crawler is unique, being individually assembled from whatever pieces and parts were at hand, there are a few named styles.

• Skirmish-crawlers - Massive machines that produce a heavy, metallic growling sound and kick up large dust clouds. They have wide wheels covered in scaled spikes that grind into the dirt, built with a center wheel in the front and large, almost clawed horse-like hooves in the back that grind and push into the ground with metallic claws. They are steered by handlebars. They each appear to have been cobbled together with whatever could be found and to fit the personality of its owner. The style most frequently used in the Deathwish Run.
• Mammoth-crawlers - Massive metallic constructs that consist of two platforms atop five to six curled spider-like legs, primarily designed to quickly move a lot of gang members in battle, or to parade in a show of power and influence. They hold two platforms, the top one a lookout with a mounted long rifle, and the lower one capable of holding a larger number of individuals.
• Ruin-crawlers - Rare craft that were used during the Apex War but are no longer much manufactured. The old ones are kept in repair for either gang wars outside the city or for sacking other villages. They cost about 8000 gold. One three-legged heavily armed vehicle about 18 to 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide with a massive mounted gun turret on its top attacked Bells Hells near Bassuras and was destroyed by them. Another was guarding the base of the Malleus Key and the Bloody Bridge when Bells Hells infiltrated the area. It was initially drawn away from the party, but returned in time to hit Chetney Pock O'Pea with a shot from its gun turret before the group escaped via the Bloody Bridge.