217. The Southeastern Frontier
Janti’s map labels this series of lakes and streams as “Countless Claws”. There aren’t as many Snapmaws here as you saw in the Salt River, but the massive number of Glinthawks and Scrappers make up for it.
It takes a moment to notice, because it’s happening so slowly, but the Glinthawks and Snapmaws are fighting each other. A Glinthawk’s gyre will widen or tilt just enough to rain down freezing Chillwater onto a Snapmaw. If the hit is true, the Glinthawk will dive and try to rake the Snapmaw with its claws. Similarly, when a Glinthawk strays too close and low, a Snapmaw belches up its own Chillwater attack, also running in claws-first if the Glinthawk is knocked from the sky. Downed Glinthawks are rushed by Scrappers, while downed Snapmaws are rushed by more carving Glinthawks.
Both sides seem rather half-hearted in their attacks. Combined with each machine’s resistance to freezing Chillwater, it’s like watching a battle in honey. If you observe for an hour, you’ll see a single machine downed from each side.
Scanning with a Focus shows you what would be hard to see at this distance: the Glinthawks have an additional Status: Corrupted designation.
Similarly, the Snapmaws have an additional Status: Offline designation.
Characters which would normally be able to interact with (or override) machines from a distance will note that the Snapmaws are inaccessible to them. None of them seem particularly old, but something has been done to them to remove all communication capability.
The Old Ones would call this area Lake Eufaula, OK, US.
Tracking back to the center of Snapmaw activity, you’re led to the easternmost end of the lake system. Water flows through the sluice gates of a large dam patrolled by Snapmaws. The structure looks like new-machine construction and metal, while the ancient gray rubble below implies the Old Ones had a dam here, as well. A pair of doors at the base of the north end of the dam are Focus-labeled: PI-308. They seem operational.
Two Snapmaws guard the entrance. They are already alert, and will not de-escalate from this state. The door will need to be overridden to enter.
If you want to go inside, resolve an encounter with the two Snapmaws, which cannot be overridden, corrupted, or otherwise controlled.