I think that's a really fun idea! Running into them might be a way you could get Lore, maybe buy items, perhaps replenish your Shell-Specific Currency, or another fun way to interact with the mechanics. I look forward to seeing what you come up with, and would be very excited to help brainstorm!
I don't want the price of SHELL to be a barrier for anyone who wants to make stuff for it, so I've added a few more Community Copies. Please feel free to take one!
If you have any troubles parsing the gameplay loop, Spencer Campbell made a bunch of great videos explaining the way RUNE works, and SHELL is very close to that gameplay loop, so they could be a good resource: