Cragnon
- “This is land of Cragnons. Me Cragnon, him Cragnon, this land of Cragnons.”
- —Chert, Super Paper Mario
Cragnons are a species of strange, tribal, cavepeople-like creatures capable of speech. They appear in Super Paper Mario, where they live in the aptly named Land of the Cragnons.
The name "Cragnon" may be a play on the word "crag", meaning a steep, rugged rock, which is appropriate given how Cragnon physiology and culture is centered around rocks. They even worship a benevolent stone deity known as the Big Rock Who Watches, and most Cragnons are named after rocks, minerals, or rock formations. "Cragnon" may also be a pun on "Cro-Magnon", which refers to early types of modern Homo sapiens (humans); this may be a reference to the stereotypical "cave people" motif projected by the Cragnon society. However, despite living in the "stone age", Cragnons possess highly advanced technology, such as television (Cragvision), video recording, and radio, much of it made out of rocks, in a manner similar to the people in The Flintstones.
Cragnons have the notable habit of replacing many words in the English language with "crag" and "brah" (such as, "You getting your crag on, brah?"). Almost all Cragnons speak in third person.
Cragnon faces resemble pieces of abstract art.
History
During the game, Cragnons are being kidnapped by the Floro Sapiens, who live in caves nearby. Scared and defenseless, they pray to the Big Rock Who Watches for help, and when Mario and his companions arrive on their quest for the Pure Hearts, the Cragnons understandably attribute their good fortune to their god. Mario and co. set off to save the Cragnons, only to discover that the Floro Sapiens had their prisoners brainwashed (turning them into Floro Cragniens through the use of Floro Sprouts) and working in the caves, mining jewels for King Croacus IV.
Upon defeating the king, Mario and the others are informed that the Cragnons had inadvertently polluted the Floro Sapiens' water by throwing their garbage into the river that served as the Floro Sapiens water supply, which is what caused their ruler's madness and spurred them to retaliate against the Cragnons. Upon learning this, the influential Cragvision star, Flint Cragley (who accompanied Mario to the Floro Caverns), promises to spread the word and ensure his people manage their wastes with more care.
Notable Cragnons
- Chert
- Flint Cragley
- Gabbro
- Hornfels
- Jasperoid
- Kimberlite
- Marbald
- Marl
- Monzo
- Norite
- Skarn
- Tuff (citizen)
- Tuff (guard)
- Websterite
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ロック人[?] Rokku-jin |
Rock People; shared with the brainwashed version of Cragnons | |
| German | Klippulaner[?] | From Klippe, which means "crag". | |
| Italian | Cromagnoide[?] | Pun on "cro-magnon" | |
| Spanish | Rocolita[?] | From roca (rock) and the suffix -lita (-lithe) which refers to a rock |
