1-10. You don't know exactly what happened, but somehow you have wound up tangled up in a fishing net, out in the middle of the ocean. You thrash around and try hard to free yourself, but all you wind up doing is breathing in the salt-water. Thankfully, you're fished out by your fellows, untangled from the net, and dragged back to shore. Outside of being a little traumatized, roll a D4 to see what the results of your poor fishing happened to be!
Quote:
Your net was torn badly, and is now unusable. Any fish that might have been in the net are long gone, and you're not returning with a net loss of... a net lost! Not only that, but your nose burns, and you're not feeling too great thanks to your half-drown experience. Blegh. Better report the lost net. [-10 points]
A'mor wrapped the ruined net across his shoulders as he stood dramatically after being fished out of the sea. He was half drowned and this spitting out water but it was definitely an experience. An adventure even! Though he wasn't looking forward to telling his dads that he ruined a net and lost his catch. He had been hoping so much to bring in a bunch.
51-60: As you're preparing to run your net, you discover that the beach is swarming with spiderclaws. You decide the fish can wait, and instead, start gathering the shelled creatures. That's good eatin'! You are successful and able to bring back quite the haul! +15 points
"Look at all those spiderclaws!" Eri exclaimed as he helped haul nets to the beach.
For all that he couldn't help with the nets once they were actually in the water, R'bin had taken to allowing his nephew to join him on his assigned fishing duties whenever it was practical. The youngster seemed to enjoy it, and R'bin couldn't help but be glad to see him having a good time. His first turn at the Weyr had been so miserable. In fact, it was only recently that Eri had begun to relent a very little bit about dragons.
"I see them," R'bin replied. He was actually doing the wher's share of the work carrying the nets, and tended to find them completely unlike harnesses, which he was used to slinging around casually. Having a young child holding onto a few of them, moving at a different pace, made them positively unwieldy.
"I really like spiderclaw," Eri commented wistfully. "Do you think if we brought back a few, the kitchens would cook them up for us?"
R'bin had no idea how Eri had discovered this fondness for spiderclaws. To his knowledge, the boy had never eaten one in his life, but that was neither here nor there. He did know that the kitchen would be just as happy to have spiderclaws as fish, and that his wingleader wouldn't take him to task for returning with a different sort of seafood.
"How about we just gather those instead, and bring back enough for everyone?" R'bin suggested. "It looks like there're more than enough."
Eri's eyes lit up and he immediately began scrambling after the scuttling creatures. R'bin snorted and went to work figuring out how to transport them back to the Weyr.
31-40: Surely you have a knack for this, for the water is teaming with sea life. Roll a D4 to find out how plentiful your catch is!
Neuwith was still excited about having fishing as an extra duty, and while Taibbi was decidedly less so, her dragon's enthusiasm was infections. Particularly on days like this, when the sea seemed so bountiful and the waves relatively mild, which wasn't to say Taibbi didn't feel like she might lose some toes to frostbite, but at least she was managing her balance fairly well. In the past sevenday she'd learned to keep her knees bent and her body turned so that it was sideways to the oncoming waves, and it had made a tremendous difference, even though it meant her thighs burned at the end of a shift.
Weary muscles or not, Taibbi was deservedly pleased with her luck this time around. She and her partners had pulled in the fattest flatfish she'd ever seen. At first, Taibbi had thought it was a different kind of fish entirely, and then she'd been worried that it was sick and had a tumor or something, but someone on her team who knew more about sealife than she had laughed and told her that the fish was pregnant, and its belly was fully of a delicacy they'd be lucky to get a taste of once they brought it back to the Weyr.
Neuwith had been leery of the idea of eating fish eggs, but she was indignant that her human had helped to catch this fish, and wouldn't even get to partake of the supposed treat it contained. Taibbi, as uncertain as her dragon about the idea of eating fish eggs, assured the green it was more than all right and got back to work, glad that she'd never been one of those girls who cared about the softness of her hands.
You fish with a net, and while there were a few tangles early on, you find your stride. Within your haul you find a rare but very meaty and very pregnant flatfish. This thing is ugly but its meat is known to be smoked--and its eggs are a true treat even Lord Holders pay a pretty penny for. Casgar and the kitchenfolk will be more than pleased! +15 points
71-80: You're doing all right! The haul you bring in is modest, but every little bit helps. Roll a D4 to see what you managed to gather from the sea! +5 points
What do you think of leaving the Weyr and signing on with a fishing crew? Csinda asked Tijuth.
I think it's a brilliant idea, Tijuth replied, swooping low to the water so that Csinda could drop her net. Think how much easier it would be if I was only responsible for protecting a single ship from Thread.
Csinda dutifully did as her dragon instructed, and instantly came up with a problem: You'd have to fly the whole Fall. Even just protecting a small ship, that's a long time to be in the skies without a wing to back us up.
Tijuth made a sound that meant she was pretending to sulk as she looped back to where she and Csinda had begun dropping nets, several kilometers away. Many didn't seem to have much in them, but she nevertheless snagged them in her claws and Csinda hauled them into a large sack to sort out once they returned to shore.
On the beach, Csinda slithered off her dragon and set about seeing what their catch had been. The nets were, by necessity, fairly small so that a lone person could maneuver them from dragonback, and so their catches were likewise smallish, but there was a good-sized school of fingertails which would serve well.
I really think we'd make good fishers, Csinda repeated, patting Tijuth on the side. Maybe when we retire.
Tijuth laughed and helped herself to some of their catch before Csinda could stop her.
81-90: The line snaps and slices your hand right open. Ouch! Not only did you lose the haul, but you now have to visit the healers and get the wound dressed. Roll a D4 to see how severe your damage is! -5 points
Z'men was not attending to his lines. He'd buried several poles in the wet sand, anchoring them with hefty rocks, and then settled back against Brilath's side and proceeded to admire the clouds despite the chill breeze coming off the water.
Z'men, one of the lines is moving, Brilath said some time later. The dragon seemed as surprised by this as Z'men had been. Neither the blue nor his rider knew how long the line had been moving, since their attention had been elsewhere, but it had been several minutes, in fact.
"Oh!" Z'men exclaimed, moving to the pole which was bending and beginning to come unmoored. In truth, Z'men had not really planned to catch anything. He would've been pleased to do so, naturally, but he'd also selected a spot where it was unlikely. Fishing was, in general, a great excuse to nap and pretend to be helping. It was pretty great, in other words.
Whatever it is, it must be big, Brilath opined as he rose to his feet to get a better look, and Z'men was inclined to agree. The creature at the other end of the line was really fighting him!
Until all at once it wasn't. Z'men fell backward, landing on his behind where Brilath's side had once been. It took another moment for his hand to begin smarting. When he looked, his right hand was deeply scored and bloodied. Instinctively he curled it against his chest and climbed awkwardly to his feet. Something didn't feel right about the way his fingertips were going numb.
Infirmary, he told Brilath. See you in a bit.
As it turned out, it was somewhat longer than a bit until he saw his dragon again, but the two remained in constant contact while the healers examined his hand, tutted, and remarked that he seemed to have cut into a nerve, and may have permanently lost feeling in those fingers, though time would tell.
Ah, well, Z'men thought to Brilath as he added some felis to his wine that evening, per the healers' orders. If I can just keep mobility, I'll get much better at pinching out flames.
Totals
R'bin & Huarangith: -10 +15 Taibbi & Neuwith: -5 +15 Csinda & Tijuth: +20 +5 Z'men & Brilath: +15 -10 (out for the rest of the game)
Ouch! This is deep. You have either lost a finger, or have cut into a nerve. This means you are out for the remainder of the game, and your grip will be permanently weakened. Take an extra -5 points for this roll
31-40: Surely you have a knack for this, for the water is teaming with sea life. Roll a D4 to find out how plentiful your catch is!
4. You head out with a few others to fish the deeper waters, and lo and behold, you successfully return with none other than a massive deepfish! It was a fight to catch, but outside of being covered in saltwater and seafoam, you're practically a hero! Deepfish! Deepfish! +20 points
If you are a rider, take your two highest stats. Whatever the total is, add those to the points you earn! 12+7 = 19! TOTAL: +39!
Marasemeth was content to do as he was told and wheel overhead as G'ar and several others towed lines through the deeper waters... at least, that was, until he saw G'ar's line bend and nearly snap, and his rider gave a yelp as he was almost hauled overboard! With a trill of anxious excitement, the blue swooped down to help, splashing into the water despite his rider's calls to stay back (stay safe!). Of course, in the end even the mighty deepfin was no match for the crew of riders and the dragon, and was hauled aboard (minus a few bite and scratch marks the ble had taken out of it) to be cheered over.
71-80: You're doing all right! The haul you bring in is modest, but every little bit helps. Roll a D4 to see what you managed to gather from the sea! +5 points If you are a rider with XP, luck was with you this day, so double your haul! +5 More for Riders with XP
2. A good mix of some yellowfin and redstripes! Yum, yum, yum!
This week seemed more fruitful for the once-fisher-turned-rider... although at this point any week where he didn't end up tangled in a trawling net was counted as good. More content to work alone, as he always had done (barring Alcherath, who was ALWAYS included), the quiet man managed to bring in a small but respectful haul of flopping, shiny red and yellow fish. It might not be enough to keep them all fattened up, but no one would starve this week at least...!
41-50: As you begin to reel in the net or line, you are overpowered by a strong wave, and your catch is set free. Shardit! That had been a good haul, too!
If you are a rider, your dragon is able to support you, and you manage to bring in a full net of packtails. Riders with XP points add 5 points to their total.
A'iel had never been large, or tall, or strong, really, as far as riders went. He always looked younger than he was, always was in the short end of the pool... so it wasn't shocking really that even modest waves gave him trouble. The nets were heavy, and while he was tough as any rider ought to be, it was a lot for his smaller frame to handle. When the wave hit, and sent him sprawling with a squawk of indignity, it was only Nasath's bulk, shoring him up even as the dragon tangled a claw in the net to keep it from slipping away, that salvaged the catch. The net was... a bit ripped, for the trouble, but better than being lost with the fish inside it!
41-50: As you begin to reel in the net or line, you are overpowered by a strong wave, and your catch is set free. Shardit! That had been a good haul, too! Nonriders or riders without XP points, take -5 points.
Another week, another rogue wave to send Jacquol tumbling and paddling back to shore in soggy disgrace. Jubath, tingling with the light anxiety of her high-strung nature, had managed to keep the net from being washed wholly away... but whatever had been tangled in it was well and long gone by the time her rider bothered to find her feet, and grumblingly set to hauling it back towards the Weyr.
41-50: As you begin to reel in the net or line, you are overpowered by a strong wave, and your catch is set free. Shardit! That had been a good haul, too! If you are a rider, your dragon is able to support you, and you manage to bring in a full net of packtails. Riders with XP points add 5 points to their total.
There must be something up with the weather this week, Amna idly thought to herself as she watched a third or fourth person end up a**-over-tea-kettle in the surf thanks to the waves rolling up and down the shore. Of course, she was smaller too, and none too nimble... but when the foamy waves came crashing against her, she held firm, net tight in her hands. As the wave rolled back and eased, Zunulth's head snaked over her shoulder, the white dragon's steadying and strengthening legs and chest relaxing against her back. The idea wasn't to work harder, after all—just to work smarter. They might both be small, but together they were amply strong enough to keep their catch and haul it in!
