Crawdad Creek

The Bridge Over Troubled Water

The old stone bridge at Crawdad Creek has been here longer than anyone can remember. Moss hangs from its arches like green curtains. The water below runs fast and clear — usually.

Today, the water is muddy. And there's a LOT of commotion underneath.

Gumjo peers over the edge. "Oh boy," he says. "They're at it again."

The Crawdad Construction Site

Under the bridge, hundreds of crawdads are working like tiny armored construction workers. They're carrying pebbles, stacking mud bricks, and arguing loudly about measurements. A crawdad foreman with a tiny hard hat (a walnut shell) shouts orders.

Bandit drops from a tree branch and lands on Gumjo's back.

"I've been casing this operation for three days! They're building a FORTRESS, Gumjo. A crawdad fortress! With battlements and a moat — well, they already have a moat, it's a creek — but they're building battlements!"

Gumjo sighs. "Bandit, why are you spying on crawdads?"

"Because they found something under the bridge! Something ancient! A stone tablet with weird symbols on it. I tried to... borrow it, but they have surprisingly good security."

The Crawdad King

A giant crawdad — easily the size of a boot — emerges from under the bridge. His claws are enormous and he wears a crown made of twisted wire and a blue bottle cap. This is King Snapper, ruler of Crawdad Creek.

"GUMJO!" King Snapper declares, snapping his claws. "You're trespassing on sovereign crawdad territory during a CONSTRUCTION ZONE. Do you have a permit? No? Typical."

Gumjo grins. "Hey Snapper. Nice crown. Is that new?"

"It's KING Snapper. And yes, I found it yesterday. ANYWAY — state your business or be escorted out by my elite guard."

Six crawdads in formation raise their claws menacingly. They're each about the size of a finger.

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The Negotiation

You have three options for how to handle King Snapper:

Option A: The Diplomatic Approach

Gumjo puts on his best manners. "Your Majesty, we heard you found something interesting under the bridge. A stone tablet? My friend Professor Hoot at Firefly Grove might be able to read it for you. Trade of services — we decode, you share?"

King Snapper considers this. "Hmm. The symbols ARE confusing. My royal scholars (Greg and also Greg) couldn't figure them out. FINE. But I want something in return — a batch of Mama Magnolia's biscuits."

Deal! Head to Mama Magnolia's to get the biscuits and bring them back, or go straight to Firefly Grove to tell Professor Hoot about the tablet.

Option B: Bandit's Plan

Bandit whispers a scheme: "While you distract King Snapper with a riveting conversation about bridge architecture, I'll sneak under and photograph the tablet with my... uh... my eyes. I have excellent memory."

Gumjo frowns. "That's stealing."

"It's not stealing! It's unauthorized cultural documentation! Museums do it all the time!"

This plan is risky. If Bandit gets caught, the crawdads will be angry. But it's fast...

If Bandit succeeds: He memorizes the symbols and you can take them to Professor Hoot at Firefly Grove without needing King Snapper's permission.

If Bandit fails: You get chased across the creek by a hundred angry crawdads. It's hilarious and also slightly painful. You end up at Mama Magnolia's getting claw-pinch bandages.

Option C: The Discovery

You notice something nobody else has seen: the stone tablet isn't the only artifact down there. Half-buried in the creek bed, there's a brass compass with a crawdad engraved on its lid. Captain Crawdad's symbol!

This is one of the three treasure pieces! The compass points toward the other two pieces. Currently it's aimed at The Sunken Ship and Firefly Grove.

King Snapper sees you looking at it. "Oh, that old thing? It washed up last week. Doesn't even tell north properly — it keeps pointing at the old shipwreck. You can HAVE it if you get those biscuits from Mama Magnolia."

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Where To Next?