Duel Fisherman's Duel

[Magimasterkarp]

Steve the fish had a good day. A shy rain shower had disturbed the waters surface a moment ago, but now the soft warmth of a late summer afternoon crept back into the world. Insect activity peaked, and as the rain moved inward it flushed all kinds of tasty critters into the lagoon via the small creek that had carved it out of the coastline. Steve left his hiding spot beneath a rock and went on the hunt. Soon he would have to start building up a fat stock to survive the winter. Ah, a tasty morsel, bobbing up and down.

"Another bite", thought Bill, reeling in his line. This was a prime spot for fishing, and the fish were biting like crazy. His boat, the Pilar was anchored near the opening of the lagoon, covering quite a large area with four fishing rods, both within the lagoon as well as outside into the open sea.
And in the middle of this net, Bill sat like a fat spider, drinking a beer, and occasionally singing a shanty to the tune of his creaking boat. This could spook some fish, but that didn't worry him much. He wanted to have a relaxing evening. When a particularly large fish passed under his boat, he threw a harpoon at it, staining the waters red for a while.

Spoiler: Bill's stats

Level 25
25*5=125
Human: +10 Vitality, +4 Strength, +4 Speed

Strength: 37+4=41
Speed: 27+4=31
-Movement Speed: 21
-Reaction Speed: 41
Vitality: 31+10=41
-Stamina: 41
-Durability: 41
Mind: 9
-Cooking: 18
Martial Arts: 21
-Spearfishing: 42

Professions:
Fishing 1 Star
Teaches values of patience and is a good source of food. Fishing rods can be used to retrieve far away things.

Bartending Wisdom 1 Star
A bartender has basic knowledge of every part of the food and drink service industry, and serves as an impromptu therapist for the drunk and bedraggled.

@Ziosa

 

[Ziosa]

Spoiler

View attachment 1285
Level 25
25 x 5 = 125
Strength: 33+8=42
Speed: 32+8=40
40x2=80
-Reaction Speed: 41
-Movement Speed: 39
Vitality: 39+2=41
41x2=82
-Durability: 41
-Stamina: 41
Martial Arts: 21
21x2=42
-Combat Rod: 42

Professions: 2 stars
-Fishing: **

Actions
"Talking"
Thoughts
"Attack Names"

Varan had spotted the lagoon earlier in the day when he got close to the island. His small rowing boat had then been caught in a current before he could reach the entrance and carried further along the shore. The Reptilla eventually managed to use his oars to get out of the undercurrent, but could no longer see any sign of the lagoon

After rowing to the shore, he gets out onto the slim beach that separates the sea from the forest and anchors his boat to a nearby tree. Varan then gets his trusty fishing rod from where it lay on the bottom of his small craft and checks its line. "Might need a second line...I have been using this one for two days so it might break..." Muttering to himself, the lizardman picks up his tackle box and puts it down on the gravel-like sand. "Should I bring one of the shorter ones or a longer one...The lagoon looked quite large but it might be super shallow so I might have to cast the line quite far into it. I guess I will bring a couple of spares, each a different length; so I'm prepared either way."

Satisfied with his decision, he checks the various boxes still on his boat; each one being arranged by what they contain. One had all of his fishing lines and the material to make more; another box had hooks, lures and weights/sinkers; and a big one at the back had his bait and various other fishing supplies. Making sure he had everything he might need in his tackle box, Varan replenishes some of the things he had used earlier in the day and then picks up his rod and the box. Checking that he was going the right way, he follows the beach for a bit before entering the forest and heading in the direction of the lagoon.

 

[Magimasterkarp]

Narration
"Shouting"

​

A seagull screamed overhead, and managed to barely dodge a harpoon thrown at it.
Bill's evening was going great. The fish were biting pretty well, and his beer was cold. He would have preferred to drink in a bar with other drunkards, but he could drink for a whole platoon of bacchanalians, and sing enough wrong notes for two. He smashed an empty bottle and threw the shards overboard. He started to get to work descaling his catches for the day. Properly stored this could feed him for a week.
Just as he was working on a particularly big one, his knife slipped and left a cut in his thumb. (First Blood: Steve!)
In the ancient tradition of sailors everywhere he began cursing: "Goddamn these fish, goddamn this knife!" He stuck his bleeding thumb into his mouth, without stopping his cursing. "Oi ohgh go fhroe ye ophergord, ye phon oph a bibph!" He pulled the thumb out again and inspected the cut. "Where's the goddamn booze? I swear, this ship is a mess!" He found a bottle of high alcohol booze and disinfected his wound, and then bound it with a cloth. "May the devil take that knife, dull blade and stupid hilt."

Just then he saw someone approach in the distance. A large figure of sorts. He called out:
"Yo, you there! Whaddaya want, lad?"

 

[Ziosa]

Varan wasn't sure how far he had traveled from the entrance, but it seemed to take him quite a while. Part of that was due to the terrain, the lizardman still wasn't used to some environments; forests being one of them. He tripped over a root for the umpteenth time but managed to stay standing, although he had to put the hand not carrying anything up against a tree to keep his balance. He was carrying the tackle box in his right hand and now had his fishing rod under the armpit of the same arm.

The fisherman couldn't be sure he was even heading in the right direction, as all he could see was trees and he might have got turned around at some point and just never noticed. He was fairly sure he was going the right way though, trusting his instincts as they were about the only thing he could trust unless he wanted to somehow find the coast and follow it instead. "Might not be the worst idea, at least I can't get lost when following the sea edge" He mutters to himself while climbing over a particulary large tree that had fallen over. While doing so he notices something in the distance, well notices something that isn't a tree anyway.

Walking out of the forest, Varan finds himself overlooking the lagoon; and a boat. The person on it seems to spot him very quickly after shouting something about a dull blade;

Just then he saw someone approach in the distance. A large figure of sorts. He called out:
"Yo, you there! Whaddaya want, lad?"

Not expecting company, the lizard takes a few seconds to think of a reply "Just here to catch some fish, I would've sailed into the entrance and joined you on the water but a current took my boat further down the island" He sets his box down and check his rod.

 

[Magimasterkarp]

Bill's ship, the Pilar​

Bill's ears were still excellent but he liked to pretend they weren't to annoy young people, so he shouted:
"What? You wanna join me for a water on me current boat? Why don't we crack open a few cold ones instead? Yer a lizardman, amirite?"
He noticed the professional looking fishing rod the stranger was inspecting with a small pang of envy. This wasn´t just some amateur fishing tourist, this was a possible rival. Bill's competitive nature couldn't abide that someone else might catch a bigger fish in the bay that day. This called for sabotage. He grabbed a bottle and used it to gesticulate towards his fishing rods, adding a drunken lilt to his voice to hide his intentions:
"Ash ye cud see, me rods 'ave the whole bay cov'rd. But ay seen some fishies o'er thar." He motioned at a place near the creek flowing into the bay, but looked at his hand and the bottle in it as if not satisfied with it's pointing abilities. "O'er there..." He leaned over the railing of his boat as if trying to reach the place he was pointing at. Failing to reach the other side of the bay with his fiinger, he looked again at his bottle. "You see, right there..."
And with that, he threw the bottle, right into the second best fishing spot in the entire bay, disturbing the peaceful waters and startling all the fish.

 

[Ziosa]

Not wanting to argue, the Reptilla doesn't correct their 'lizardman' comment; he had given up trying to explain what his race was actuallu called after the 10th incident. Although he wasn't sure if they were serious, the fisherman didn't think joining them on their boat was a good idea; mainly because they would be competing for fish.

Being a lizardman, Varan had sharper hearing that most humans; but that still didn't help him fully understand the man on the boat. At first he thought it was just his lack of human social cues; but he only kind of understood the end of the man's second sentence due to where he was pointing and the context he himself gave when he mentioned why he was here.

"Ash ye cud see, me rods 'ave the whole bay cov'rd. But ay seen some fishies o'er thar."

Varan could only stare as the man threw a bottle and disturbed the water, and by extension the fish swimming in it. Is he a very amteur fisherman or is he trying to get me to go somewhere else by using passive-aggressiveness? Despite most people considering his race as being not that smart, and it wouldn't be far off for most tribes; Varan is actually very smart and analytical. However he is still a Reptilla and he won't back down from a challenge "What do you think you are doing? Its going to take at least 10 minutes before those fish are calm enough to catch, and they could easily spread the panic to the rest of the bay; making it harder to catch everything"

 

[Magimasterkarp]

Bill had no way to read the strangers facial expression, what with the distance between them and his unfamiliarity with the Reptilia race, but he noted a satisfying level of annoyance in his voice.

"What do you think you are doing? Its going to take at least 10 minutes before those fish are calm enough to catch, and they could easily spread the panic to the rest of the bay; making it harder to catch everything"

Now was the time to keep needling. A bit more insolence and he might be able to get this potential rival to leave. "O' coorse ah ken that, boy. But mebbe yer juist nae a good enuff fisherman tae catch agitated fish, y' ever thougth about that?"
His boastful nature as an old sailor led him to add a personal fish story:
"Ya know, I once swam after a startled bonefish 'n caught it wit' me teeth. I'd like t' see ye 'ave a go at that."

Bill picked up his giant taxidermied spearfish, both to show it off, and as a weapon in case his challenging words made the lizardman go on the offensive or a fish came close enough that he could demonstrate his spearfishing skills. After all, hidden in the fish's large abdomen was a harpoon on a chain, and the head could detach, forming another pointed weapon with it's impressive nose spike, likewise connected to the body via a chain.
His fish in hand, he mumbled, ostensibly to himself, but clearly audible to sharp ears:
"Youths today don't even know what it means t' be a fisherman. All those bells and whistles jus' make it too easy."

 

[Ziosa]

Taking a few moments to decipher, the Lizardman took a few more to decide if he was going to reply and by the time he had done that the man says something else and then holds up a giant spearfish. Varan had actually 'caught' things with his teeth, but only rarely as a killing blow after a long underwater battle so he wasn't sure if they even counted. Some tribes of Reptilla could stay undewater for a long time but they still had to come up for air, but he was part Fishman and had gills.

"Youths today don't even know what it means t' be a fisherman. All those bells and whistles jus' make it too easy."

After Varan somewhat admires the fish, the man insults him again but goes a bit far as he was now calling the reptile's fishing skills into question. "Impressive but that is just a semi-decent catch in my Tribe, it would have to be bigger than your boat for me to even start to think you are a better fisherman than me." Having finished checking his rod a while ago, he gets some bait from his box "And I never said I couldn't catch them when they are agitated, it just makes it more tedious and wastes time".

As a sort of challenge, the Repilla casts his line so it isn't super close to the man's boat but is close enough that he would be getting the attention of the fish around it. Due to the angle and his positioning, Varan can't even see if there was anything worth catching in that spot; but was more concerned with annoying the man at the current moment. He wasn't even using good bait, just the stuff he used on a specific family of marine life that had a very precise preference; which had no chance of being in the bay unless it was a species the Reptilla was unaware of.

Neither of them notice as they are facing away from the entrance, but a large fin makes its way into the lagoon.

 

[Magimasterkarp]

Bill was a patient man. He had to, to be any good at fishing. He was teasing the stranger a bit, hoping he would leave, but he wasn't really serious. He could be quite amicable if he wanted to.

"Impressive but that is just a semi-decent catch in my Tribe, it would have to be bigger than your boat for me to even start to think you are a better fisherman than me."

He looked between the lizardman and his Spearfish, the trophy that fought him with the tenacity of a thousand cornered wolves.
"Ye dare insult my Pride of the Seas?", his roar filled the entire bay, echoing with his anger at having his worthy catch and companion insulted. The fishhead was off the body before he inhaled again for his next shout, the harpoon inside was in his hand right away.
"There's more fight left in him than an entire clew of sea kings. Ye'll see!"
And with a final shout of rage, he threw his harpoon right at the disrespectful lizardman, chain trailing behind.

Spoiler: Technique used

"Yer not getting away!"
The Harpoon or the Fishhead Lance gets thrown at the enemy. (ranged)
(31 Spear Fishing, 31 Strength) DPR C. The chain wraps around the victim, the barb on the harpoon or the teeth of the fishhead secure it in place.

Behind Bill's back a massive shadow in the water slowly moved into the bay and was already well within the radius of his fishing lines. In his rage Bill didn't notice how the water it had pushed into the bay with it's massive size gently rocked his boat.

 

[Ziosa]

Varan thought he was just an old fisherman who was annoyed at having his secret fishing spot be disturbed; and even if he wasn't, what was he going to do with so much distance between them? The shouting was kind of inevitable after the lizardman had insulted him and thrown his line near the boat. But he was caught comptetly off-guard when a harpoon was fired at him from the boat owner's prized fish.

Luckily there was a lot of space between them otherwise he wouldn't have reacted in time, it was that unexpected. Jumping backwards with his powerful legs, the Reptilla was now away from the shore and presumably where the harpoon was aimed at. Reeling in his line, Varan wonders if he could have avoided this by being nicer or whether it was inevitable If I had a special spot for fishing and some random came into it, I would probably threaten them. I doubt I would straight up attack them though.

Too busy watching the harpoon and the man on the boat, the lizard also doesn't notice the massive shadow in the water; despite it having such a big effect on the bay and causing the water on the coast infront of him to shift slightly.

Due to the time it had taken to find somewhere he could fish and the time it took him to walk after he missed the entrance, Varan didn't feel like going off to find another spot. So they were going to have to come to some kind of agreement, which at this point had a 99% chance of happening through violence.

 

[Magimasterkarp]

Still fuming, Bill reeled in the harpoon he threw so forcefully that his small cutter heaved and heeled, the chain gathering behind him. With the weapon back in his hand, he slung the body of the great Marlin onto his back and trained the pointed noise of the separated head on the insolent stranger while steadying himself with a leg against the railing to resist the rolling of his boat. Matching Bill's anger, the Spearfishes eyes glared along it's long hard rostrum as if it was still alive.
Satisfied with his threat display, Bill kept shouting:
"Ye see? 'e's a fighter. He fought wi' all his might, an' he hasn't stopped yet even after he died. He'll show ye `semi decent´, ye scurvy bilge rat!"
The Pilar was rolling pretty strongly now, way more than Bill could cause with his antics. The shadow in the water was now directly under his boat, insofar as it could even be considered so when it was almost as wide as the cutter was long, and it's tail was still not clear of the barriers of the lagoon. Powerful muscles undulated as the giant fish stirred up the water and silt with each anguilliform motion, probing the detritus for food with it's barbels.

 

[Ziosa]

The man was shouting again but Varan didn't really care about listening to his words at this point as they were probably just the same sort of nonsense as both. And in his mind if they were going to fight they should just fight; rather than arguing with each other until one of them got angry enough to just attack when both of them knew that's what the end result will be.

He quickly changes the line and hook on his boat, as he didn't use the same ones for fishing and combat. The Reptilla then turns his gaze back to the boat He is so mad that he is making that boat rock a lot, but I can't really take advantage as I'm so far away; my rod could probably but it won't be very accurate at this distance. I will need to find a way to- Varan interrupts his own thoughts as he realizes that its not the human making the craft roll so much.

They watch as the large shadow makes it way under the boat, still being clearly visible due to its sheer size. Its no Sea King, but that is still very large. How didn't I notice it before? Unless it was asleep at the bottom and we just woke it up. He knew there was some species that liked to just sit on the bed of lakes and lagoons, eating anything that came close to it; they generally weren't this size though. The lizard also notices how much rougher the waves were now hitting the shore and how much closer they were to him.

 

[Magimasterkarp]

Bill knew the value of striking a cool pose before going into battle. There was the factor of intimidatiion of course, but pausing for a pose also prevented you from rushing into a dangerous situation head first. It also meant that you were not directly on the front lines with all the other young hotheads who'd just race towards their deaths. This short pause before every battle allowed Bill to grow into an old hothead, so statistically, striking a cool pose practically guaranteed your survival.
He was about to continue verbally chewing out the lizard when he noticed that his boat was rocking way too much. His cool pose was getting unsteady, so he peered over the railing into the water to see what could shake his boat like that.
He saw muscles, rippling under scaleless skin, fluid like water yet stronger than steel, the massive back of a giant fish. The flat face with the barbels told him, this must be a giant catfish!
"Neptune's Neckbeard! What a monster. This might be the catch of the century!"
This was gonna be a massive catch, surely to be legendary, and it was swimming under his boat. It was his catch. With that it was clear who was the better fisherman.
"Oi. laddie! Look what just showed up under me boat! What a prize fish! Me'd like to see the youth of today lure in such a fine specimen. If'n ye help me reel 'er in, I'll let ye hold the tail in the photographs, even though ye insulted me biggest treasure!"
And with that generous offer, Bill threw the harpoon he'd just reeled in again, right towards the back of the catfish's head.

Spoiler: Technique used

"Don´t get hasty!"
The Harpoon or the Fishhead Lance gets thrown at the enemy. (ranged)
(31 Spear Fishing, 31 Strength) DPR C The harpoon or the Lance stabs into the victim and stays there, chaining them

41 Strength -> 1. Wall Tree level + C Rank (+1) = 2. Small Building level.