#a version without eel/fish

[alcruid]

Back in Sumeru...

Each expression is from a different manga, can you guess them all?

[eustasskiddsprosthetic]

"I trust you. I like you." — a potential fic based on this (x) Detailed notes on Sabo's design below!

For him, I initially thought of him as a shark of all things. I say that despite not knowing how to draw sharks uh. Here it is below.

I wanted him to be a big boy and have this immense size difference with Law. He's the tallest among the ASL trio and that meant he should be the biggest merman out of the three. He's not necessarily buffer but he just has a larger frame and a longer, more muscular tail.

I also wanted him to look like a freak, a huge figure with obscenely sharp teeth. I found images on Pinterest with sharks with scars that seemed to slice through their skin and I wanted to incorporate that throughout the design. A homage to Sabo's scarred eye, if you will.

He had horns too, for some reason. I just thought it looked cool.

However, what I didn't like about this design was that it didn't read like Sabo, or at least the version of Sabo I envisioned in my head. Hence, I gave up on it. It was sort of devastating because I wanted to try something new, but we move on!

Without a clear idea for what I wanted, I spent a lot of time struggling with not just Sabo's design but with what I wanted the illustration to be overall. Later that evening, I scrolled through Pinterest (again) and found images of eels and that just clicked.

They're just the right combination of cute and just downright weird. They have that snake-like look to them, which echoed my initial shark design. On top of that, they don't look as derpy from the front as compared to sharks.

I did try again to make Sabo freaky, as shown by this sketch below. It's based on a scene from that potential fan fic, where Sabo saves Law from drowning and his inner freak shines through. I imagined a dark lighting situation where Sabo's scars are the light source. It'll be quite creepy and I'd like to manifest this vision someday!

Anyways, from here, I focused on making Sabo look cool and pretty for the illustration. I retained his human face (I am not good enough for furry art) and focused on making his tail look SUPER cool.

It's interesting to me that with this revision, I found inspiration in my initial 'failed' design. I still kept the star-shaped scars and placed them on his tail and body.

They're blue because (1) I wanted to respect Sabo's colour palette and (2) I was inspired by those ocean creatures who glow underwater. I feel that would be a good plot point like Sabo would be insecure about that because it's admittedly kinda scary but Law would think it's reassuring.

That's all I have to say about the designs. I have ideas for Ace and Luffy, but I haven't sketched them out concretely yet. I'm thinking lion fish for Ace and a cute black fish species called the Pinnate Spadefish for Luffy.

The Pinnate Spadefish has one bold red/yellow stripe and I like to think that Luffy as a merman just painted it on to look like Ace. He shifts between red and blue to imitate his Cool™ older brothers.

But yeah, that's all. I needed to yap about this, so if you read this far, thank you for reading!

[encyclopika]

Animal Crossing Fish - Explained #244

Brought to you by a marine biologist continuing with eels...

CLICK HERE FOR THE AC FISH EXPLAINED MASTERPOST!

So, yesterday we covered yet another moray eel, and today, we won't! Of the eels present in the Animal Crossing franchise, moray eels still make up about 44% of them, even when we include today's new eel, the Darkfin Pike Eel.

The Darkfin Pike Eel was available in ACPC throughout the summer of 2023 and hasn't returned. It was uncommon at Saltwater Shores, but being under a long, thin shadow, as other eels are, might have made it easier to sus out.

I find it funny that the English version of the game calls this the Darkfin Pike Eel, which is the common name used in Australia. The more widespread common name is the Daggertooth Pike Conger (Muraenesox cinereus), with "pike congers" being a brand new group of eels AC hasn't included until now! Pike congers are true eels in the Order Anguilliformes. Their Family, Muraenesocidae, is within the Suborder Congroidei, which includes the proper conger eels. This means today's fish is more closely related to our garden eels (the splendid and spotted) than it is to our morays and other eel friends. ACPC did a great job on this sprite - the important details are in the well-developed pectoral fins this species has, the long, pointed face, and the sharp teeth!

From Joel Sartore's (National Geographic photographer and speaker) Photo Ark - https://www.joelsartore.com/product/photo-ark-book/

And it's in the game because - you guessed it - it is a popular food fish in Japan. They actually have a very hefty fishery and are considered a delicacy in some parts of Japan.

The Daggertooth can get pretty damn big, with large specimens growing to 7ft or over 2m. They live throughout the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to IndoChina and Japan. They have well-developed jaws and...their teeth are just crazy. The upper jaw has a single row of teeth down the middle instead of being normal. The end of the lower jaw almost resembles a spike ball, with large dagger-like teeth just springing up from the gums. That's probably where it got its name. I'd also hazard an educated guess that these teeth are amazing at catching and holding onto slippery prey like fish, which they do feed on.

Eels, in general, and for the most part, are naked. That includes the Daggertooth. They don't have scales, and if they do, they are embedded deep in the skin, very much unlike the type of fish scales you would first think of. Lots of fish are naked, which I know from experience doesn't really register to most people. That is, unless you're Kosher, in which case, this can actually turn into a big deal, depending upon how strictly you observe. For the rest of the class, "Kosher" refers to food that adheres to Jewish dietary laws. One of these laws states that to be Kosher, you mustn't eat seafood unless it has scales and fins. This basically rules out all types of crustaceans and mollusks, or really anything that isn't a fish. For some people, as long as it's clearly a fish, it's fine, but others do go further and avoid scale-less fish, like eels. The more you know!

Scales are important to the fish that have them - they provide an extra layer of protection from predators, parasites, and also just simply scratching themselves on something in their environment. For some fish, though, scales aren't worth it. Eels, and lots of other naked fish, cover themselves in very thick coats of slime to protect themselves in the way that scales might. Without scales, they also have behaviors that protect them. They may be great at camouflage, they might burrow into sediment, or they'll hang out in very narrow crevices all day, all as ways to circumvent the fact that they are naked and vulnerable. As we have covered many times on AC Fish Explained, all traits have pros and cons. Losing a trait and thriving anyway (there are just about 1000 species of eels) probably means you're better off without it. (And by "better off" I mean, the animal can now use the energy and resources it would have used to build and maintain scales on some other trait, or becoming more fecund (aka having more babies), or getting bigger, etc etc etc...)

And there you have it! Fascinating stuff, no?

[friendlyneighborhoodamara]

Ranma 1/2 Review: Bakusai Tenketsu Arc

Alright, so back on reading and watching Ranma 1/2, and I'll be casually looking at the arcs in both the manga and the 1989 animated adaptation. I'm happy to say I quite enjoyed the Bakusai Tenketsu Arc in both the manga and the anime!

They're quite similar, with only a few minor differences, but I'll be going over which changes improve the story and which ones weaken it.

Starting things off, I love the title pages for the manga (I use the Chapter 51 title page here), remind me a lot of reading scans of the Dragon Ball manga (RIP Toriyama). The title card for the anime is great, don't get me wrong, but it's slightly more generic since it's the same image every time, albeit with different Japanese text.

Anyways, the manga's story begins with Ranma reading a letter of challenge from Ryoga, with panels of him emerging from his training in the mountain (and holding a wild boar! Very amusing how Ryoga's animal motif is the pig, given...well, y'know.) It's very quick and succinct, but a bit...too quick. (I'm reading the Viz version since I'm not, y'know, bilingual, so if this was in the original Japanese but removed, please inform me w/proof.) We don't really see how Ranma feels about this challenge because it immediately cuts to Ryoga heading to exact his revenge.

Comparing it to the animated adaptation is interesting because we get a minor but in my opinion good change: we not only see Ryoga writing the letter - at first trying to be polite then deciding to not bother (very tsundere-ish of you Ryoga), we also see

(1) Ranma read out the letter to the Tendo girls,

(2) Ranma arrogantly dismiss it as a threat in a very characterful way while the kinder Akane is worried for his safety (oh yeah, this is the source of the "Ranma, Friday is today!" clip from the dub that became a minor meme on Twitter),

(3) we see Ryoga running across the landscape in a nice gag (albeit with lower animation quality than in Season 1) that plays the melodrama of Ryoga's personality for laughs,

and (4) a logical reason why Ryoga is in P-Chan form in the next scene. Speaking of which...

In both the manga and the animated adaptation, Cologne tries to boil Ryoga thinking he's an ordinary pig, and Shampoo (despite hating Akane) does her best to save Akane's pet. Ryoga explains why he has a grudge against Ranma while denying any friendship with him. Cologne offers Ryoga training, only for him to (rather uncharacteristically brusquely) refuse...then get lost in their house. Not much to say here, it's rather amusing but we've seen the "Ryoga has no sense of direction" gag before, so let's move on.

Lol at Genma the Rankane shipper in this brief anime-only scene, in which Akane agrees to buy Sukiyaki for their noodles. It's a bit pointless filler (and a clear cost-saving measure since the camera just pans down the Tendo estate) but not the worst thing in the world, and it does come back in the episode in a minute.

Anyways, Ranma brings home eels from Dr Tofu in the manga and a black fish from him in the anime. It's rather random of a change. Another anime change I do like is how Ranma and Ryoga meet: in the manga, Ryoga gets the drop on Ranma with a surprise attack; in the anime, they happen to walk past each other. The bit where the musical instruments just stop as the two freeze like "Wait a sec" is such a good bit. That being said, I also love the casualness of Ranma dodging Ryoga's ambush in the manga, as pictured below.

The dialogue and action here is mostly the same between the original and the adaptation: Ranma dodges Ryoga's attacks without too much effort and quickly gains the upper hand, eventually dangling Ryoga over a water fountain just as Akane shows up. In the manga, she just happened to be walking by, while in the anime she's buying the Sukiyaki. Again, unneeded change that I assume is just there for budgetary reasons.

Akane kicks Ranma away by about 500 feet in the manga and just shoves him into the fountain in the anime. One change I find interesting is how she's more righteously angry on Ryoga's behalf in the manga while in the anime she's more like "I'm straight up done with your bullying shit, Ranma, stop being a dick".

Another change, from what I assume was a budgetary limitation, is how in the manga Ryoga's body is all twisted up, cartoon-style and he hilariously crawls away, while in the anime he's in his regular body shape (it's probably easier anatomy-wise to draw the latter than the former.)

Anyways, regardless of version, this is a very pleasant scene: despite what a lot of Western fans will say, Akane's a very kind person and she's especially sweet to Ryoga, who in turn comes off a bit of a melodramatic crybaby in both but especially the manga (where he's more clearly pathetic in this scene, a plus in my book), and it's a nice insight into a relationship very different in dynamic from Rankane while still being both comedic and heartfelt.

Girl!Ranma is so adorable uwu :D

Anyways, one change that isn't necessary but is quite nice is an explanation of why Ranma and Genma train in the mountains: in the manga, they just go just because; in the anime, Ranma has his father test to see if he's become stronger, only to be lose and be called out on his overconfidence. I like this, it's good foreshadowing to when Ranma nearly loses to Ryoga because he arrogantly trained only one facet of his skillset.

In both versions of the story, Akane gets stuck doing cooking and chores for Ranma and his father for "fiancee training" purposes (Akane should be allowed to kill misogynists imo) and a plus of the animated version, besides an extra gag of panda!Genma hitting his foot and running off, is THE FUCKING MUSIC I LOVE THE MUSIC IN THE 1989 VERSION!

One change I find to the detriment of the anime adaptation, even if it is an individually funny joke, is how Colonge randomly decides to teach Ryoga the Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire attack. It makes sense logically, but (1) I feel Ryoga, even if he couldn't master it, would be somewhat less caught off guard by the trick Ranma uses to win the day if Cologne didn't mention it, and (2) I love the thematic foil of Ranma using speed to defeat Ryoga using strength.

A change I find myself rather indifferent to is how the scene where Akane cooks curry gets moved to before Ryoga first tries to shatter the boulder. Fine scene, even if (1) Genma you are a grown ass adult, cook for these kids and stop being a lazy, sexist bum, (2) Akane my beloved make sure to pay attention to the labels of the bottles you use.

She's adorable omg :]

Anyways, another anime adaptation change I like is how Ryoga runs into Akane: in the manga, she gets frustrated at Ranma rudely dissing her food and throws a rock into the brush, which just happens to hit Ryoga...even though there was no explanation for him to be in that part of the woods. The anime changes it so that Ryoga was chasing a rabbit to eat as part of his training, which makes it a bit more seamless.

Akane makes the curry again, only to fuck up again, and ngl the expression when Ryoga eats it is good in the anime adaptation but AMAZING in the manga.

Expressions amirite? (I will say Koichi Yamadera's over-the-top gratitude for the horrific curry is a treat though. Ditto with Kappei Yamaguchi talking like his tongue is swollen)

Ryoga brown-noses up to Akane about her food quality and she breaks up a fight by taking, and before a fight between Ranma and Ryoga breaks out, Cologne steals Ryoga away with the promise that they will fight in a week. The anime, sadly, cuts a cute gag of Ranma deciding to eat Akane's nasty curry to prove he can stomach her food just as well as Ryoga.

Anyways, we see the Bakusai Tenketsu technique, or the Breaking-Point Attack. In introducing it, the anime adaptation combines two scenes from the manga together, rather seamlessly in my opinion: in the manga, the scene of Ryoga splitting the rock only for Cologne to demonstrate how to shatter it took place before the curry scene, while the bit of Akane seeing how scary the technique is took place after said curry scene. In the adaptation, however, Akane runs off with Ryoga and watches the demonstration and has her "If Ryoga were to master it, then Ranma..." bit. Very nicely done.

(Also I defy anyone who says Akane doesn't care about Ranma to rewatch scenes like this.)

The scene of Ryoga trying to hit the breaking point is mostly the same in both the manga and the anime. Ironically (at least ironically to me, given a lot of manga-only fans give the '89 adaptation grief for making Akane too aggressive), the anime cuts out a scene of Akane beating up Ranma that was in the manga (and, shortly after, a scene of Ranma being needlessly rude to Akane about her cooking again.)

Genma tells Ranma about Ryoga's technique in both. It's rather short and purely functional in the manga, but it's quite a bit funnier in the anime adaptation with Ranma's laidback snark and Genma's...pessimism.

The training (where Ranma has to hit bees without getting struck, paralleling Ryoga's training with the Breaking Point attack) is mostly the same in both the manga and adaptation. The main changes in this sequence are:

(1) we see Akane hanging out with Ryoga and Cologne, cooking for them

(2) More scenes of Cologne pressuring Akane to dump Ranma in favor of Ryoga. I do think the brief panel of Akane sleeping makes the reveal of her kidnap later make some more sense as a bit of foreshadowing, but I think that this was a good change as it reminds us that Akane will always choose Ranma, especially important as we see Ranma's jealousy of Akane's seeming closeness, what with Akane deciding to hang with Ryoga for this whole week.

^^^Also know that if you don't like Akane or spent 25 years hating on her, you are weak + even in the '89 adaptation with all its faults, she's a total sweetheart.

Another anime improvement in my eyes is that we actually see Ranma and Ryoga master their respective techniques, whereas in the manga we cut from Ryoga's last failure to do the Breaking Point technique to the day of the fight.

Another cute scene, straight from the manga. The dialogue of Akane drowsily hoping Ranma's okay is anime-original, though. Nice addition imo! Also I think that Cologne kidnapping Akane is set up a bit better in the anime as well: she tried nicely getting Akane to step aside for Ranma to marry Shampoo, so Cologne is using more, ahem, vigorous methods.

The subsequent Ranma vs Ryoga fight is very fast-paced and fun, even if I prefer their first fight. The artwork is great with nice posing and clever choreography of Ryoga blasting debris in Ranma's face. However, the fight is a bit stronger in the manga since there's more OOMPF to the hits Ranma lands, while it's slightly more sluggish in the animated adaptation. Akane disses Ranma's overconfidence in only training his speed in both.

However, one of my favorite adaptational changes comes when Ranma says he isn't fighting for Akane. This is...a bona fide lie in both versions, but it's clearer that that's the case in the anime: in the manga, Ranma simply says "I'm not fighting for you!" but in the anime, Akane interjects by saying if Ranma loses she has to date Ryoga, and Ranma is like "Isn't that how you want it?" It's so brilliant in its simplicity: Ranma denies wanting to date Akane, then immediately goes for a passive-aggressive dig like, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you didn't want me, dingus /s" That, that right there, is the cruz of their romance: Ranma is clearly, definitely, in love with Akane, and vice versa, but they are stupid, hotheaded teenagers with mouths and egos bigger than their brains so they refuse to communicate in a mature way but it's so obvious that they have each other's backs. It's so perfect, and this subtext was created with just two extra lines...I love it :D

Anyways I think Ranma stole his ultimate technique from Joseph Joestar. If you know, you know.

Btw Akane's fit is cute af in this scene, I love her pink, autumn-y camping get up in the anime and the athletic short shorts + tank top in the manga. (Did I mention the music goes hard as hell?)

The fight ends in the same way, with Ranma defeating Ryoga's super toughness by landing hundreds of punches super fast in the same spot over and over again, then having the Bakusai Tenketsu blast them in the air so that Ranma can use the momentum of falling downward to make the Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire attack land even harder.

Girl Ranma! My transfemme self loves her so much :DDDD

Anyways, the Bakusai Tenketsu only works on inanimate objects (what a cute twist), and Ryoga leaves respectfully. There's a nice comedic book-end in the anime of Ranma eating Kasumi's cooking, but other than that the two endings are the same.

Overall, this was a quite enjoyable, lighthearted arc in both versions! However, I honestly found the anime adaptation, to my surprise, was superior: the additions it made to the manga's storyline served to make the plot feel more alive, and gave the story a bit more room to breathe, while making Rankane somewhat more likable. I'm looking forward to the next arc I do a comparison on, and I hope you had fun reading this. (Also stan Akane, she's my baby daughter.)

[thejoyofseax]

Tart de ffruyte

Casting about for something to cook at Dun in Mara's January Arts & Sciences Day (because one should never pass up a chance to experiment on an audience, I feel), I found a recipe from Harleian MS. 4016 (an English cookery book from about 1450). It goes: Tart de ffruyte. Take figges, and seth hem in wyne, and grinde hem smale, And take hem vppe into a vessell; And take pouder peper, Canell, Clowes, Maces, pouder ginger, pynes, grete reysouns of couraunce, saffroñ, and salte, and cast thereto; and þeñ make faire lowe coffyns, and couche þis stuff there-iñ, and plonte pynes aboue; and kut dates and fressh salmoñ in faire peces, or elles fressh eles, and parboyle hem a litull in wyne, and couche thereoñ; And couche the coffyns faire with þe same paaste, and endore the coffyñ withoute with saffron & almond mylke; and set hem in þe oveñ and lete bake.

So the overall gist here is a pie of figs and raisins, salmon (or eel) and dates, pre-cooked in wine, with a layer of pine nuts, and flavoured with a set of sweet spices. The combination of fish, fruit and pine nuts was unusual enough that I couldn't quite guess at what it would be like (I'm usually good at this).

I cooked down about 600g of dried figs in half a bottle of white wine, and mashed them into not-quite-a-paste, along with the spices (black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, mace, and ginger and salt). I left out the pine nuts from that mix, since I'd be putting in more on top, and those things are _expensive_, and saffron, since it'd almost certainly be drowned out by the other spices, and I don't care about the colour there.

That went into a (bought) pastry case, and then the layer of pine nuts on top (after some debated, untoasted), and salmon and dates (poached in the other half of the bottle of white wine) on top of that. The salmon flakes nicely so that it's almost spreadable, the dates not so much. That got capped off with a pastry crust, which I glazed with milk (not having almond milk to hand, and again not being bothered about the saffron colour). The whole thing got a little over half an hour in the oven at 200C. It came out of the oven coherent, and not overflowing anywhere, which is frankly unusual in my pies.

It was fine. The tastes didn't integrate worth speaking of; it was fish alongside fruit, and the pine nuts kind-of vanished (I might toast them next time). Thinking about it, it needs something else to bring it together, and I reckon a sauce to apply over the whole lot is the way to go. What my palate wants with it is a sharp fruit sauce - raspberry, say - but the only raspberry sauce I can find around the same period is German, and noted by foreigners there as being unusual (thank you, Maestro Giano).

It is slightly more coherent, taste-wise, when re-heated, but applying grated cheddar cheese or a modern chutney-ish relish (Ballymaloe) was definitely the thing to make it work properly.

A few people at the A&S Day had suggestions - lemon, a white-ish sauce, probably not garlic considering the fruit - and I poked around a bit in godecookery.com to see what I could find. There were a couple of possibilities - a walnut and garlic sauce, a ginger and mustard (from the same manuscript, even) suggested for roast heron, a Lumbard mustard from the Forme of Cury, and slightly more exotically, a blackberry sauce from Martino.

However, there's a recipe for "breney" in the the Noble Boke off Cookery, which has a sauce: "put wyne in a pot and clarified hony saunders canelle peper clowes maces pynes dates mynced raissins of corans put ther to vinegar and sett it on the fyer. and let it boile then sethe fegges in wyne grind them and draw them through a strener and cast ther to and let them boile to gedur" - and that has basically all the same ingredients, so would work perfectly as a sauce for this pie. So next time (possibly with eels, for variety, if I can get hold of them), I'll try that. (There are two different versions of the breney in Two Fifteenth Century Cookery-Books, too.)

[lonksadventures]

Hello it is I, the simp (platonically) for your fishy warlock man in the reblogs. I just wanted to say I love him. The art? Gorgeous. The character design? Stunning. Me? Asking for his hand in marriage. Me again? Also asking to pet the dragon/serpent please. I want his gender and also to hold his hand.

Um so I don't know if you have spoken about him on your blog or if you want to but if you have any information to share I would like to listen :]

OKAY anyway I hope you have a wonderful day and I look forward to hopefully more fishy boy content but also just any of your art!!

HI IM GLAD YOU LIKE HIM!! He’s from a pirate dnd campaign I play with friends :D

Oh boy time to talk about Len lore. SO Len, or Laurelen, is a fathomless warlock with amnesia who knows absolutely nothing about his past life except that he’s pretty sure the the fishy parts and scales weren’t always there. He kinda washed up on a beach and was found by an old lady who taught him how to speak common, walk around on land and how trying to bite people is considered rude. And then the party kinda kidnapped him because pirates and shenanigans happened.

Currently in the campaign he’s learned that he is in fact a warlock, and while he doesn’t know the details of his pact, knows that he’s basically merged with an ancient sea monster (also called Laurelen hmmmm) and isn’t supposed to be mucking about on land in his current incomplete form. His “patron” (said ancient sea monster) is kinda stuck as a spectral sea serpent thing that only he can see and likes to spout super helpful wisdom like “jump in the water” and “eat raw seaweed”. He is a bastard and can sometimes possess Len's body much to the concern of the party. He has been dubbed Ghost and/or the Ghost Noodle and we hate him. Len is very much against becoming a whole ass sea monster and probably losing what little piece of his mind he still had left, so is ignoring everything Ghost says and instead is focusing on trying to recover his memories and finding a way to separate his and Ghosts souls that are kinda intertwined.

When the campaign started he was a very wholesome lad with no idea what was going on but, after some time at sea with the rest of our problematic party and a spectral noodle that scream in his ear, he's learned to be more guarded with his feelings and even learned some swear words! Man is actually pretty good in a fight if you disregard his dumbass demeanour. Though he is currently struggling a bit with the morality of killing people and generally being a pirate now but he’s fiiiine. He’s very self conscious about his appearance and knows all the scales and teeth scare people so he tends to hide them with bandages and baggy clothes. (His green eye constantly looks like a swirling kaleidoscope so he tries to cover it usually)

Fun facts about Len include:

Despite having gills and being a literal fish man he is scared of the ocean/swimming and due to fun patron curse shenanigans seems to pass out in a barrel full of salt water or more. (Yes we did test how much salt water it took we were really bored).

Being able to eat a whole seagull (he was possessed at the time it doesn’t count).

Having way too many teeth.

Assuming most animals after a form of cat.

AND FINALLY is wanted by the navy for having generally bad vibes and also being a pirate I guess.

ALSO DO NOT PET THE SERPENT that is Ghost and he deserves nothing. All he does is scream and be a little shit. Also I did not convey this well in my most recent art but he is way more horrifying in the campaign and also is just full of teeth. Moray eel combined with a sea snake but worse. And no one but Len can see him! :D

Please enjoy some of the many doodles I’ve accumulated of this man over the campaign (the “human” version was him using disguise self and trying to guess what he’d look like without scales)

[tanasha-not-yet]

Whats your favourite fish. Or your top 3 favs

im really not a fish pro as i claim to be but i certainly have favs. may be a bit corny, but they deserve attention and they will get it

1. OARFISH or king of the herrings (or queen♥️)

• big girl

• looks scary As Fuck (panik)

• but shes actually harmless and can't even move fast (kalm)

• but if you see a big one near the shoreline it means that the sea is getting hella stormy bc nothing aside from poseidon himself can bring This up (panik)

• the way she swims is kinda goofy, shes so long that sometimes she just waves w her dosal fin and thinks that's enough. girl is doing The Bare Minimum and honestly? productivity is overrated.

nothing can beat oarfish for me, though marine life is fascinating and here are other fishies that deserve attention

top 3 lil aquarium bois:

1. glofish. i remember seeing a giant vertical aquarium with these in the zoo when i was little and it probably changed me forever. they somehow managed to put the thing that makes jellyfish glow in their regular fish - im telling you, GLOfish is not just a name.

2. gourami. when we had axolotls we also had these baddies in the aquarium with them. they may seem pretty regular when you google them, but they are literally aliens. their ventral fins are long and thin and honestly pretty useless for swimming ig.... they use their fins... to touch things. have you ever seen a fish with arms. it was magic for little me.

3. ghost glass catfish. wish i saw them irl, unfortunately i only came across it when i googled the references for subnautica spices. they're described as energetic social guys, and damn i Wish there was a way to light an aquarium to make them shoot rainbows from time to time. sometimes the variety of catfish forms fascinates me, like they all have whiskers but they're soo different! we had little spotted catfish that liked hanging on the walls and an adhd shark catfish who was constantly swimming from side to side (ig they need it to make their gills move, same as sharks) but there are so much more including giant ones even.

top 3 deepsea esoteric bimbos:

1. barreleyes. idk which particular spices is the one from the pic, they all are quite similar for me bc i haven't spent much time researching. they all are equally gorgeous cousins for me. no comments. you knew i would put it here; i knew i would put it here; she deserves to be displayed and cherished. they say she can move her pretty eyes but i haven't found any good footage. the concept kinda reminds me of that squid w one big eye for looking down and one little eye for looking up. they are very.. direction oriented girls, tho there is a spices that looks forward w her barrel eyes.

2. goblin shark. they're just a lil person. a lil sib. not very photogenic, their photos are quite creepy but the video of their attack may actually be the best illustration to the word 'ñom' ive ever seen. they goofy. look at them. just caught a fishy and pretend it's not them. they make me feel Emotions

3. snailfish. ive watched a bunnch of whalefall vids but i don't remember the decomposers being fish? like usually they're some mollusks like octopi, or mb crabs or worms. but apparently i missed these guys, they looked pretty fishy, i checked them and boom. snailfish. these bros do the important job of cleaning the bottom. pretty boys, it's a pity that i haven't discovered them earlier. i usually don't like the boney deepsea gulper eels or anglerfish so it's nice to see such pretty creatures down there. also poor crabs lol, these fish lay eggs in them :(

top 3 beautiful 'regular' fishies

1. gobys!!! damn himbos, they cant find a way without a map and they have no pens to draw maps so they are disoriented ! found one in a dolphin's skull, he was legitimately like 'where exit :('

2. ruffs!!! i didn't even dare touch the adult versions, even lils are so sharp 😭 i get you bbg i get you. they have sharp spines and they are Mad at you all the time. i connect with them on a deeper level.

3. me. im a nice fish.

[endlich-allein]

I wonder why Till picked eels as his tattoo. I mean, it’s a big one! I guess we’ll never know.

Now I understand what they meant when they said “everything he does is extreme”. Most people get a tattoo, then maybe another one, and he goes in and -bam!- covers his entire back.

The eel nest... That's a good question ! It's true that it's a big tattoo, and according to the tattoo artist, Till didn't move an inch during the days he worked on it, I really don't know how he did it but as he has a great resistance to pain, that must help.

Only Till, and maybe the artist who tattooed it, know the true meaning of this tattoo, so I can only offer you interpretations (this is going to be a long answer) (and before anyone asks, yes I had researched the meaning of eels before, I know it's weird).

There are two mentions of eels in Till's works : the first explicit in Knebel's video ; and the second in the lyrics of the song 'Mutter' ("In ihren Lungen wohnt ein Aal" / "An eel lives in her lungs").

Knebel's version is interesting because according to Éloïse Mozzani : "Ingesting the hot heart gives the talent of prophecy and [...] it "will bring back to life everything that will be presented, and will restore it to life as before". (I don't remember any other mentions either in the lyrics or in the poems...)

It is Knebel's video that is chosen by artist Randy Engelhardt in his presentation of Till's tattoo.

The eel is a snake-like fish with a slimy body, reduced fins, able to breathe out of the water and which lives in rivers, ponds and meadows but goes to the middle of the oceans to lay there. It is sometimes confused with the snake, and therefore its symbolism too, just as it resembles the serpent and the dragon of the Middle Ages.

In French, there is an expression which says : "il y a anguille sous roche" (literally "there are eels under the rock") which amounts to expressing one's perplexity vis-à-vis a situation that one considers questionable. A second expression says : "filer comme une anguille" ("flee like an eel") which is said of something that escapes without being able to hold it, on which nothing can be founded.

The eel is intimately linked to water as an element and to the moon as a guide because eels find their way thanks to the moon. And indeed, a study conducted at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research has just confirmed that the moon influences the migration of these fish.

For Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant in their 'Dictionary of symbols' : "The eel - for us elusive and a symbol of dissimulation - is linked both to the snake by its morphology and to aquatic symbols by its habitat. It was, in the Ancient Egypt, the emblem of the Harsomtous of Dendera, rising sun, symbol of the primordial manifestation emerging from the waters. A familiar animal in Japan, it is considered there as a divine messenger : iconography associates it with the turtle. [...] At a lower level, the eel unites the symbolisms of the snake and water. It has kept a sexual connotation in modern slang which sometimes uses the image "eel in the underwear" to designate the penis."

In my native region, Brittany (West of France), the eel is sacred, as Éloïse Mozzani confirms in her book 'The Book of Superstitions, Myths, Beliefs and Legends' : "According to a belief in the Middle Ages, eating eel was harmful to the voice and made young girls sassy with men. However, these few pernicious effects were nothing compared to the magical and medicinal properties attributed to a fish whose divine character the ancient Egyptians recognized - only priests were authorized to consume it - just like the Bretons of the last century and the Japanese who still consider it a divine messenger."

For Didier Colin author of the 'Dictionary of symbols, myths and legends' : "[...] the eel is a symbol of secrecy, mystery, concealment, but also of something which escapes us, which slips between the fingers, which one cannot retain, grasp, understand. However, because it lives in clear waters, it has a much less bad reputation than the snake. [...] The appearance of an eel in a dream can therefore announce to you that "there is an eel under the rock", that is to say that you are being told something that you will not take long to learn, or that you are hiding a a fact of which you will soon have the revelation ; Similarly, in the tradition of omens, seeing a living eel swimming at the surface of the water is the announcement of a secret that will be revealed to us or of a confidence that will be made to us. to find an eel under a rock is to learn a surprising fact that we did not know, but which nevertheless existed without our knowledge. To see a dead eel is to discover a fact relating to a past circumstance or an event which is no longer relevant, but which was concealed from us in its time, or of which we were fooled."

For Melissa Alvarez, author of 'Meet Your Energy Animal', the eel is defined by the following characteristics : "The eel symbolizes transformation, mystery, disguise and hiding. The eel is excellent at using camouflage to protect itself from predators. It is fast and swims by moving her body in a sinusoidal fashion. The eel's electric shock can produce a six hundred volt shock that paralyzes its prey. The eel tends to have poor vision, and it relies on its radar-like sense of perception to search for food. During the day, she buries herself in the mud and rests there until she is ready to go back to hunting. It talents are : Attractiveness ; Ability to relate ; Flexible ; Privacy ; Night ; Sens of observation ; Sensuality ; Vitality. And it challenges : Evasive ; Reserve ; Too cautious ; Lonely ; Fleeing."

John Matthews makes it a powerful totem in his book 'Celtic Animal Totems, A Shamanic Journey to Meet Your Allied Animal' : "A great source of wisdom and inspiration like the salmon (on which it feeds), the he eel also has a reputation for protection. Irish mythology suggests that certain eels could transform into destructive weapons when wielded by a warrior. This is how the name of the famous spear Gae-Bolg belonging to Cuchulainn, comes from the Eel Morrigan herself assumes the form of an eel in magical combat with Cuchulainn. Given its ability to insinuate itself into the least accessible places, the eel is an ally of choice when seeking the answer to a difficult question, requiring subtlety and flexibility in its approach. Totem precepts :

Pathfinder : Anything can go like water flows.

Protector : Beware of treacherous currents.

Challenger : Actions always have consequences.

Hint : The deep waters contain treasures."

There must surely be other meanings to this animal, and an intimate meaning specific to Till of which only he can speak. But I think it might give you some directions...

[vertebrae-entertainment]

19.05.23 - A small update!

When designing stylized and animation-friendly characters first, for a game that will likely contain more detailed versions of these same designs... you eventually hit the wall of ‘how?!’

The heavy inks are a strong contender, But as always, the scary part is nailing down the final designs! After all, they’re gonna be the same even as i improve on drawing them. I have more than enough to do as is, and i wont be able to redraw character portraits forever! Some of these already have serviceable sprites in-game, but most are already a couple of iterations old. Such is the horror of working on longer projects!

Anyway, here’s a few sketches. Portrayed here is our main character being bothered Alta, the smug, self-declared king of botany.. who happens to have a liking for strong monster-wrangling men like yourself!

Second picture is our lovely shopkeeper Selma, who is your go-to woman for any fishing-related needs! She is a goth moray eel mutant, and mother to the precocious, cheerful Sara- who at times seems to be taking the business more seriously than her mother.

I’m looking forward to spriting Alta and Sara, as i have a vague idea of how i want them to move. Selma will probably need some further concepting, as i dont think i’ve animated someone as wide as her before. I really enjoy her design, and i want her to look cool as well!

Without a doubt though, i think Alaska will be the most challenging and demanding. Now THERES a can of worms- Selma will probably be great in preparation for that.

I hope you all are well! Summer is approaching now, and its very welcome. Its been great seeing the ground again after the sheer amount of snow we had this winter.

-Hauk

[forgotten-realms-atlas]

Reconstruction Junction: Yartar

The title of this type of entry will be workshopped. However, it is key to my history of the Realms that I start somewhere in my lofty aspirations to chronical and redraw areas of Toril. 

Today, such a journey begins with the city of Yartar. Why, you may ask? Because the name is fun to say, and because I have a personal project that does, at some point, utilize Yartar as a setting.

Where, you might ask, is Yartar located? For this I will point to our most recent canonical map of the Sword Coast.

As the griffon flies, it is about 250 miles (~375 km) from Neverwinter, and 283 miles (425 km) from Waterdeep, though the actual journey usually takes a longer route. 

Yartar is situated in a region known as the Dessarin Valley, which has a rich history, and information that can be found as far back as in the original AD&D books. The most information comes from The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier, a 1996 box set, in which I was able to discover so many things about this small town full of thieves and rapscallions, run by a longsuffering public servant. 

Sadly, the things that 5e brought to Yartar were mostly changes for the worse. I can’t blame them for not following previously laid out details: a lot of change happens in 130 years to a town. But let’s go over some of them. 

Governing Body/Person’s title: Waterbaron

The Waterbaron is so named for the three rivers that connect nearby to Yartar, and the prominence the rivers have on life there. The position is elected democratically and directly by the citizens of Yartar, and serves a life term. The current Waterbaron at any given time inhabits and holds court in the Waterbaron’s Hall.

Important details:

Population:~6,000 in 1366 DR, more by 1491 DR. Mostly human.

Alliances: Member of the Lords Alliance. Other factions operate throughout the city.

Main industries: Barge-making, fishing, trade

Factions: Hand of Yartar, Harpers, Zhentarim, and the Kraken Society, among others

Totally-Not-Petty Rivalry: The town of Triboar

The first map of the town of Yartar (I would hesitate to call it a city), appears in Volo’s Guide to the North (2), with a colored version of the exact same map appearing in the box set The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (1). The map above is from the latter.

Yartar is, first a foremost, a town with a reputation for less-than-legal dealings. As described in Cult of the Dragon, “Yartar is a caldron of bubbling plots schemes, and under-the-table alliances- but without any single unifying evil presence”(1). Previous Waterbarons, such as Alahar Khaumfros, had ties to the Kraken Society (8), while the Zhentarim always had at least a few agents to keep an eye on the place.

The Hand of Yartar is a group of young thieves that have struggled to truly form any real guild over the decades. Sources as far back as 1366 DR describe the group as being mostly young and female (7), but by 1491, the group has a reputation of being all-female (5).

Legal trade exists as well, as merchants and caravans are almost constantly passing through the town, as well as coming by water via the three rivers. The Fishyard, the marketplace in front of the Waterbaron’s Hall, brings fresh fish, crab, and eels every day to the citizens of Yartar (6,7). Several stores also surround the market, primarily providing goods and services that are in-demand for the adventurers and merchant caravans who pass through (6). The Lionshield Trading Coster operates out of Yartar, but is known throughout the Dessarin Valley (5)

It is at this point that I risk becoming a wiki page for this little town, so let’s mix it up.

There are some key features of this city that I immediately fell in love with.

The first are the Light Lasses. I don’t know if that is an official title for these girls, but it’s the closest thing I could find. By tradition, Yartar is not lit at night, except for the torches that burn around the Waterbaron’s Hall. Anyone who wishes to brave the city in the dark can either take their chances, or hire a Light Lass, who knows all the streets by heart, and carries a small light with her (6).

Though I understand that this sounds dangerous, that any thief might be able to take advantage of the lasses, I will point to the mostly/all-female thieves’ guild. My theory is that either the lasses and thieves have an agreement and help each other, or perhaps that the Hands of Yartar are (sometimes) also Light Lasses, who can pull a knife in the blink of an eye should a client try anything. That also implies that one of the Hands of Yartar could simply take a client into an alleyway (of which there are many) and mug them, then put out their light to leave the poor person blind.

Beldabar’s Rest is a lovely inn that is built almost entirely underground, which actually really helps in keeping it at a reasonable temperature regardless of the season. I have a plan of making a separate write-up on this establishment in full at a later date. 

Halassa’s Waterwell & Fine Wines gets a small mention here, at risk of me getting carried away, because each day, Halassa provided one free bucket of water to each household in Yartar. There is no mention of her past 1366, but I would like to imagine that someone else has taken up the mantle of carrying out this public service.

The Wink and the Kiss is a fun and informal feast hall that I hope to one day map out. In 1361, it was owned and run by two brothers, Beldorm and Asklar, two humans that stood at 7 feet tall (6). This place was intentionally built to be a labyrinth, with secret passageways hidden behind tapestries and under tables, and many twisting corridors. Of course, in a city of illicit deals, the brothers had to establish some rules. The Wink and the Kiss has been declared a safe-ground by the Hand of Yartar, and the staff put rules in place.

The thing is, unlike a number of places that will ask you to leave your weapons at the door, or just ask you not to fight, The Wink and the Kiss in the 14th century DR required all gear and even clothing to be removed. Patrons then donned costumes provided by the establishment (changing rooms were provided) before being sent into the fray (7). 

This is just the most delightful thing I can think of. I want to go to this place. I can just imagine it, the food is hardly more than mediocre, but the atmosphere? Delightful. Sure, shady dealings may go on, but also you can travel secret passageways in the funny outfit they put you in, place hide-and-seek, drink something silly and themed appropriately. I am so disappointed that when The Wink and the Kiss appeared again in 5e, that this concept for the feast hall had been removed. At some point in the 125 years between 2e and 5e, the costumes fell out of use, and even weapons were no longer required to be left at the door. At least, this is the conclusion that I am drawn to, considering one of the encounters in Princes of the Apocalypse that takes place in The Wink and the Kiss can result in a character’s bodyguards drawing blades on the player characters (4). What I’m saying is, the old management would never let that happen.

Princes of the Apocalypse does provide something that I did not expect: an updated map of Yartar. It doesn’t cover any new area from the previous map, sadly, but it does show some of the buildings that remain. 

This map is entirely lackluster. The rendering leaves something to be desired, even if this image didn’t have the warping from my scan. The Market, the Waterbaron’s Hall, the The Wink and the Kiss are the only things that are truly the same. The Cointoss, a tavern bar, seems to have been entirely demolished or merged with its neighbors, whereas Halassa’s place seems to have been merged with Winter Winds, which was a clothing store, and Beldabar’s Rest. Since the Rest is underground aside from a gatehouse, it is possible that it still exists. It is also possible that the buildings were renovated into some sort of strip mall setup, as odd as that seems in such a setting. Between Winter Winds and the Waterwell, I firmly believe that the well has remained in operation all these years, because it’s a useful service, even if Halassa has long since past on.

One Foot in the Boat, a tavern known for being noisy and crowded (7) also appears to still be standing, though whether or not it is the same business is neither confirmed nor denied. If it was as busy as it is described, I am certain that it still stands, though likely under new ownership.

To the west, just above Y2, should be the Pearl-handed Pipe, an inn that could accommodate for about 600 people a night. This business is confirmed to still be around, and to have kept its reputation as an excellent place to stay (4). Likewise, the White-Winged Griffon, a rather rickety old inn, remains standing somehow (4). It is, presumably, located north of the upper right of the new map, based on the older one (7)

The Happy Hall of Fortuitous Happenstance would be just north of the upper left corner of this map. This temple to Tymora, known oft as “Two Hap Fort Hall” or simply “Two” by the locals, often sponsored groups of adventurers, and is known throughout the valley for the festival it holds on Shieldmeet (7). Again, I will perhaps some day make a separate write-up on it, for this has gotten too long.

The Shield Tower: On the west bank of the Surbrin River, this tower is a fortress for the city guard. 150 mounted guards act as law enforcement within the city, and a militia outside of it, mostly to keep monsters at bay (7). The tower has an inner and outer wall, the former far stronger as the latter crumbles. It is said that the space between the walls is warded to conjure guardian skeletons if anyone goes there without authorization, but no one has tested it in years (4, 7). Paddocks for traveling livestock are here for public use, and there are docks built into the side, where the Waterbaron’s Barge is stored.

Other known areas:

Fields, North of Town: The Hiring Fair, held each year that Shieldmeet does not occur, is said to take place here. It is likely that these are outside of the city walls (7).

Three Rivers Festhall: Was once, and might still be, a front for the Kraken Society (8).

Dannath’s Pickles, Nuts, and Food: A provisions store, where in 1366, Dannath and his “three strong daughters” sold preserved goods for travelers. It was known to be expensive, but worth the cost (7).

Esklindrar’s Maps, Books, and Folios: A store for maps, books, etc. ran by an eccentric old human. A map of Faerûn was painted onto the ceiling, and I would kill to see it (7).

Firelust Fabrics and Tailoring: A multi-generational and highly talented family of tailors. High prices, but worth the coin (7).

Hasklar’s Arms and Armory: A collection of every type of metal armor and weapon in all sorts of sizes. No metal smith (7).

Docks, along the river(s), for the fishers.

A bridge on the west side. It is wide enough to “accommodate two wagons with room to spare,”(4).’

The Villa, a Harper base in the heart of Yartar, made from a crumbling building and with a beautiful garden behind its stone walls (5).

The Glowing Gem: An inn. This appears to be the starting point for the Gateway to the Savage Frontier video game for the Commodore 64, Amiga, and DOS. I will not be playing this game for my analysis. However, it does say that this inn was close to the western gate.

Actually, looking into this game I found a map that includes a portion of Yartar close to the western gate, as well as a number of other things. This map was put together by user MicktheMage on Old Games, click here to see the interactive version. I was going to just have this as a footnote, but forgive me, because I may have stumbled onto something.

This gives us a few more names of things to work with:

Frydhazes’ Shop of Unusual Items

Boat Rentals

The Tired Traveler (Bar)

The Yartar Armory (Shop)

The Hall of Training

Yartar Bargeworks

Because of the extremely limited constraints of this map, it is unlikely I can really base much of my final map on it, but I do appreciate the insights given, as well as the depiction of the river running through the middle of the town.

Additional known names of alleys/passages (8):

The Long Creep

Mindulspeer Lane

Dead Cat Cut

Shadowskulk

Spitting Adder Lane

And so, I begin sketching.

I’m not normally a city planner, but I do know that there are often things that are often missing from fantasy maps, usually to make life easier. These include things like chicken coops, public spaces, greenspace, livestock paddocks for residents as well as travelers, wells for water, etc.. It’s really easy to design something that looks and acts like our world today, whether that be a strict grid system or a cul-de-sac neighborhood. But people from other times and places have very different needs to ours, and a naturally growing village in Faerun is going to look much different from a small town in rural America.

Updates as the project continues.

Bibliography under the cut.

(1) Cult of the Dragon. TSR, 1998.

(2) Dragons of Faerûn. Wizards of the Coast, 2006.

(3) Power of Faerûn. Wizards of the Coast, 2006.

(4) Princes of the Apocalypse. Wizards of the Coast, 2015.

(5) Storm King’s Thunder. Wizards of the Coast, 2016.

(6) Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide. Wizards of the Coast, 2015.

(7) The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier box set. TSR, 1996.

(8)  The Savage Frontier. TSR, 1988.

(9)  Volo’s Guide to the North. TSR, 1993.

Other sources:

Lost Mine of Phandelver, Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set. Wizards of the Coast, 2014.

Silver Marches. Wizards of the Coast, 2002.

[silyabeeodess]

FusionFall Headcanons: Striding Eels

If you've ever had to travel around Leaky Lake on foot, there's a good chance you'll have spotted these monsters at least once--guarding its coast as well as patrolling the paths and any connecting sources of water near it in order to ambush fusion fighters. Only experience can really teach you how to get around their usual lurking grounds. Be mindful of their movements or you could be in for a real shock.

Despite having legs, the Striding Eels move pretty clumsily on land. Their lack of arms means that they also lack the balance and momentum to move well. Even when they try to compensate for this with their wide fins and bobbing head motions, it's still difficult for them. However, you will not be able to match these things in the water: They may not be the fastest swimmers, but they'll most certainly be faster than a human. As they have every advantage in the water, steer clear of them when possible.

Even without arms, these monsters are still very much capable of latching onto prey with their fangs. Their bipedal stance on land can often make people forget about their ability to stretch their long bodies forward in a quick strike. This gives them an increased range that some close combat fighters can easily fail to account for.

Like real electric eels, they have the ability to control the voltage of their shocks. On one hand, the voltage doesn't seem to differ much from the real animal. On the other hand, the fusion monsters strike with the intent to kill rather than out of defense. In other words, a shock alone is unlikely kill you, but it can still paralyze you just before one of these beasts deals a lethal blow. If they manage to stun you in the water, they'll use that chance to drag you down into its depths and drown you. If they stun you on land, they'll attack with their teeth and/or the long claws on their feet.

No one knows where they picked up the habit, but while on land, the Striding Eels will sometimes flare out their fins like Jurassic Park's version of the Dilophosaurus (the spitting dinosaur with the neck frills). This is an intimidation tactic, making the fusion monsters seem much larger than they already are. However, the frills can still be as dangerous to touch as the rest of the body for the electricity they too give off.

Their underbellies aren't as armored as the rest of the bodies, with the section of the inner legs being the weakest/lacking the most armor. It's not the easiest spot to aim for, but damaging the legs enough to disable them can sometimes mean the difference between you being the predator or prey. If you absolutely have to escape by water, taking them out this way on land first can keep them from chasing after you. Meanwhile, for ranged fighters on land, succeeding with this tactic can make the rest of the fight feel like you're shooting fish in a barrel.

Simply because of their ability to stretch, that tactic isn't as recommended for close-combat fighters though. You can deal a lot of damage there, but it's not a vital area for these fusion monsters. As such, the best thing to do in a close-combat situation is to look for the chinks in their underbelly armor. Slash up/downward along their bodies in an effort to make deeper, longer cuts.

[mikyapixie]

48 years ago today Jabberjaw premiered on ABC!!!

Honestly the fact that this didn't lead to ska version of jabberjaws as a cartoon is an absolute CRIME!!!

🎼🎵🎶🎼🎵🎶🎼🎵🎶

Me & my friends get no respect

What does Scooby do that we neglect???

We be puttin' all our foes in check But me & my friends get no respect

So what??? Who cares???

We're doin' it how we like

I'm singin' into my mic, (a special underwater mic)

Who's gonna save the world??? Who's gonna save the days???

From Ahab Crabs who steal & eerie eels with evil rays???

Who's gonna talk like Curly, since Curly isn't here???

Who's gonna chase down villains & then turn around and run in fear???

You know who I'm talkin' about

He's fat & short on brains

And I do not mean Captain Caveman

I mean Jabberjaw!!!

He tries to further justice without making waves & to impress the ladies but his subtle ways Get lost between the sediment & water mains

"I will never date you cause you smell like bait"

“No respect”

So what??? Who cares???

When a supervillain plots

To send an army of lobster bots, to tie you up in sailor knots???

"Who's gonna save the world??? Who's gonna save the day???

From Ahab Crabs who steal & eerie eels with evil rays???"

Who's gonna talk like Curly, since Curly isn't here???

Who's gonna chase down villains & then turn around and run in fear???

Who's gonna stand for justice, when bad guys break the law???

You know who I'm talkin' about

From Ahab Crabs who steal & eerie eels with evil rays???

Who's gonna talk like Curly, since Curly isn't here???

Who's gonna chase down villains and then turn around and run in fear???

You know who I'm talkin' about

We're Clamhead, Shelley, and Bubbles, and Biff, And if you're catchin' a whiff of fish It's Jabberjaw!

🎼🎵🎶🎼🎵🎶🎼🎵🎶

[tiredgamergirl]

As of update 0.6.4, the game got a update with the fishing minigame and collectibles, along with some achievements that are linked to the new mechanic.

To get your first rod along with some bait and the tutorial, head all the way south until the beach and by the pier, you will find the new NPC, Hikari, that will teach you the basics.

The short version of it, click in the water to cast the line and then wait until the float is submerged to click to reel in. Hold the right button while moving the bar to where the fish is until it is finally captured.

There are two types of water: freshwater from rivers (south of your property and on the farm) and saltwater; and four different types of lure:

Worm: you can get by digging with your shovel

Larva: acquired when cutting down trees

Meat bait: crafted in the Tackle Table you can buy from Hikari

Seafood bait: crafted in the Tackle Table you can buy from Hikari

Lure: bought from Hikari for 4 silver and 50 bronze coins each

You can use vegetable meat made from soy for the meat bait and you can also use the mussels or the urchins you can collect in the beach for the seafood bait.

In fact, it is possible to complete the "Piscivore" achievement without fishing by simply using urchins, mussels, scallops, and clams for your dishes.

Achievements

Hot Rod Obtain your first fishing rod.

Walk all the way down to farm and keep going south until you reach the beach and the pier, this is where you can find Hikari. The first time she will give you the cold shoulder. Come back and try again the following day for the tutorial and your first rod.

Small Fry Catch a minimum-sized fish.

Prize Catch Catch a maximum-sized fish.

As long you keep fishing you will eventually catch both the smallest and the largest possible.

Reel Pro Catch 10 different types of fish.

After a few catches, Hikari will give you a quest to catch 8 different types of fishes, so keep fishing and you will also get this achievement. Once the quest is completed you get a new rod and unlock the shop.

More fish in the sea… Catch 25 different types of fish.

Refer to the Fish listing so you can know where to get the missing fishes. You can buy hints from Wilson using his coins, but it is a waste of resources.

Piscivore Serve 1000 seafood dishes.

Keep making the dishes using fishes. Clams, mussels and the scallops also counts as seafood, along with the crabs that you can wrack with your broom.

Fishing Master Catch 200 fish.

As you work towards the other achievements you should make some decent headway towards this one, so unless you are looking forward some specific fish for recipes you can switch to the worm bait until you complete it.

The Fishes

You don't need to catch all the fish for the "More fish in the sea..." achievement, but the chances are you might while making your way to complete the "Fishing Master". It is also very likely that "Small Fry" and "Prize Catch" will come naturally when trying to complete the 25 fishes caught achievement, so keep fishing away. Some fishes can be also caught in fish traps, but they won't count to the collection.

Some fishes are repeated in the list for convenience. The ones in orange are exclusive to that season.

They are organized by lure and location, this way you can pick a spot and keep fishing until completing all possible fishes and then switch the bait. Rinse and repeat until moving to the next location. Sometimes your character will mention the fishes aren't biting, so you might try another bait or change to another screen.

All year-round fishes:

Meagre - Worm - Freshwater and Saltwater

Piranha - Meat Bait - Freshwater

Black Goby - Seafood bait - Saltwater

Spring fishes:

Eel - Seafood Bait - Freshwater and Saltwater

Perch - Larva - Freshwater

Salmon - Larva - Freshwater

Trout - Larva - Freshwater

Barbel - Meat Bait - Freshwater

Catfish - Meat Bait - Freshwater

Pike - Lure - Freshwater

Sea Bass - Worm - Saltwater

Anchovy - Larva - Saltwater

Horse Mackerel - Meat Bait - Saltwater

Dusky Grouper - Seafood Bait - Saltwater

Megrim - Seafood Bait - Saltwater

Red Scorpionfish - Seafood Bait - Saltwater

Sargo - Seafood Bait - Saltwater

Stingray - Seafood Bait - Saltwater

Cod - Lure - Saltwater

Red Porgy - Lure - Saltwater

Cuttlefish - Lure - Saltwater (also acquired in fish traps)

Summer fishes:

Eel - Seafood Bait - Freshwater and Saltwater

Tilapia - Worm - Freshwater

Goby - Larva - Freshwater

Salmon - Larva - Freshwater

Trout - Larva - Freshwater

Sunfish - Larva - Freshwater

Barbel - Meat Bait - Freshwater

Catfish - Meat Bait - Freshwater

Pike - Lure - Freshwater

Gilt-Head Bream - Worm - Saltwater

Turbot - Worm - Saltwater

Pomfret - Worm - Saltwater

Anchovy - Larva - Saltwater

Horse Mackerel - Meat Bait - Saltwater

Moray - Meat Bait - Saltwater

Red Scorpionfish - Seafood Bait - Saltwater

Sargo - Seafood Bait - Saltwater

Sardine - Seafood Bait - Saltwater

Red Porgy - Lure - Saltwater

Squid - Lure - Saltwater (also acquired in fish traps)

Cuttlefish - Lure - Saltwater (also acquired in fish traps)

Autumn fishes:

Carp - Larva - Freshwater

Goby - Larva - Freshwater

Trout - Larva - Freshwater

Barbel - Meat Bait - Freshwater

Catfish - Meat Bait - Freshwater

Sea Bass - Worm - Saltwater

Gilt-Head Bream - Worm - Saltwater

Turbot - Worm - Saltwater

Moray - Meat Bait - Saltwater

Dusky Grouper - Seafood Bait - Saltwater

Megrim - Seafood Bait - Saltwater

Stingray - Seafood Bait - Saltwater

Sardine - Seafood Bait - Saltwater

Cod - Lure - Saltwater

Hake - Lure - Saltwater

Squid - Lure - Saltwater (also acquired in fish traps)

Winter fishes:

Eel - Seafood Bait - Freshwater and Saltwater

Carp - Larva - Freshwater

Perch - Larva - Freshwater

Moray - Meat Bait - Saltwater

Dusky Grouper - Seafood Bait - Saltwater

Megrim - Seafood Bait - Saltwater

Cod - Lure - Saltwater

Hake - Lure - Saltwater

[possiblycringe]

Kinda wanna say my thoughts more for this Slosher is really good because Flyfish are ANNOYING one of the worst bosses to deal with because A, its a shore boss so beating it isnt very efficient for eggs, and B, its REALLY good at killing people especially if they arent focusing on it, and C, its hard to kill in one cycle because you need to throw the bomb, recharge, then throw again with perfect accuracy while the lessers are coming for you. If you dont get it first cycle it takes forever to come back. There are two strategies to make it easier, get two ppl to go for it or use a special, but both waste resources. Two players on one boss is rlly bad efficiency wise, and a special is precious enough that unless your actually SWARMED with flyfish its better to try and take it out regularly. Plus not all specials work with it. Now, all of that is nulled by a slosher. One player can kill it WHENEVER without waiting for it to start its attack! Thats really valuable, but theres also the fact that it can mow through lessers, which is very helpful. Treat it like a long range weapon, stay away from lessers, if lessers get close, take em out with a bucket and ask for a crewmates help, and enjoy taking out all the shore bosses without having to get away from the egg basket. The roller is pretty much the opposite. Its great for getting really IN THERE and even though its not the best for like half the bosses, if you have ppl with other weapons they can take care of the other bosses, and the ones you CAN kill easy you can kill easy and FAST. And its also great for egg carrying since unlike most weapons you dont have to worry about getting swarmed while your throwing eggs because a lot of the time! You dont even have to throw the eggs! Your so fast that you can just run back and forth! The same applies to the dualies, except since they are a shooter weapon they are a bit better for enemies but worse with the stuff that the roller is amazing at, because of that I think the rollers are a taaaad worse the roller but still really helpful. Like the dualies, I consider the splatana a worse version of the slosher! It can do the things the slosher can do but you need to get up close. its still really good because it can play the slosher role well enough if you dont have a slosher (minus stinkin FLYFISH) the charger is AMAZING because it has range and strength, so you can carefully choose where you want any boss to die. Kill them right next to the egg shooter, from the comfort of your basket! Oh no, your co worker having trouble with a steel eel? Dead. As long as YOU are safe, you can play amazing support and help your teamates stay alive. Plus your rlly good at making them alive if they die! Just dont get up and personal down there. its specifically good for Drizzlers (not as good as slosher, but its helpful when YOU have the charger and ppl are being dumb and not killing the drizzler), and gives you the ability to control the battlefield in a way that is helpful if your coworkers are good at keeping you safe but bad at killing the subtley annoying enemies. The bow is. Aight. Its good for killing a large amount of enemies and regaining a TON of ink coverage from far away. Up close its bad but thats like a general bow thing. Time the bow right and you can take out the lessers that might be annoying to your coworkers! Brella and Blaster are good for. Uh. Getting ink on the field and firing really fast? I dunno I dont think they are the best. With this, I think the best team is a roller, a dualie, a slosher, and a charger. The slosher and charger take care of things and bosses from the back, the roller and dualie take care of the closer enemies and cart the eggs. I add the Dualies because fish sticks are kinda a problem if you dont have that one weapon that isnt neccesary but can take care of it while the others do their jobs! I might be comPLETELY wrong about this I dont read abt strategy much but thats how I feel abt this!

my grizzco weapon tierlist to celebrate the best big run ever forever. ask me questions/throw rocks at me in inbox/etc. if you want i'll explain

[idv-sunsxin3]

->Riddle Rosehearts & Twin Brother! Y/N HCs

Note// This is a random AU Brainrot, I don’t take constructive criticism,,, :3

Kinda like an AU.

I’ll rather call the twin brother “Rusen Rosehearts” rather than Y/N to be honest- 😅

The name “Rusen” means jovial and cheerful, the twin brother is technically a little bit opposite of Riddle.

But you’re still studious, polite, and a little serious when necessary like Riddle of course-

Thanks to Riddle, you are pretty much familiar with the 810 rules- 😥

Besides being around Riddle, you would wonder around and go do chores or help others around(baking with Trey, painting roses red with Cater, etc.-)

Imagine Ace freaking out at first when he first saw you and mistaken as Riddle in Chapter 1(where he had to come to Riddle to apologize but was stopped by Cater-)

He got puzzled by your kindness until you clear the misunderstanding that you’re no Riddle-

Rusen// Oh Cater- what’s with the noisy ruckus…?

Ace// H-Housewarden!!!

Rusen// …? *looks behind, then left and right, before looking puzzled at Ace *

Ace// ….???

Rusen// …! Oh! Ho ho, no no! I’m not Riddle… I’m his twin! Don’t worry fella. (n-n

Ace// …Oh-

As a twin brother, you have a deep connection with Riddle- you both pretty much read each other’s minds or make hand motion messages- one smiley look from Riddle and you already know that the person in front of him is actually vexing him.

Your dorm uniform is similar to Riddles but without the cape and crown- you always hold a croquet hammer with you- (to bonk any sussy bakas that come near you and your bro-)

At Unbirthday parties, you’re often seeing next to Riddle on the left side as Trey stays on the right side.

You’re not my OC(Hana Dyanthus), but similar to her, you are a twisted version from King of Hearts.

Riddle also gave you a similar crown as his so you both can match- 🥺

Unlike Riddle, you seem very calm and cheerful and pretty talkative- you may seem as nice, but you’re also scary whenever someone messes with Riddle or when they are saying foolish things-

Riddle pretty much grabbing your hand for a run whenever he spots Floyd approaching- oh no.

Riddle’s mind going like: hell nah, Rusen shouldn’t be near that maniac-

But too late, Floyd already calls you “Koi-chan” (sayings that Koi fish is Kingyo fish’s younger brother- but let’s just say no one is older than the other,,,, x’3)

Floyd// Ne, Jeido! Isn’t that Kingyo-Chan and Koi-Chan?! :D

Jade// Oh, indeed…~

Floyd// Let’s go say hi-

Riddle// Ah! 😥

Rusen// Is there anything bothering you, brother-

Riddle dragging you// RUN-

Rusen// EEP! (0A0

Floyd trying to continuously encourage Riddle to have a “double twins hangout”, but Riddle just keeps saying no-

Too late, Jade just kidnapped you to show you his mushrooms as Floyd and Riddle were talking HAHAHA-

Besties with Jade- :DD

Pretty much having a common thing with the eel- being fond of nature.

You have a lock screen picture of you playing pampering the hedgehogs with Riddle,,,, Both of you were smiling warmly at the camera. 🥺

You’re a 2nd year like Riddle, but pretty much being known as the “Sweetheart Senpai” by the 1st years.

Rusen// Sorry, boys… Rules are rules, you can’t use me to your advantage to get away from Riddle-

Ace// >:(

Deuce// :(

When Riddle is upset, you’re upset- wiping each other’s tears and comforting one another,,,, qwq

You both pretty much sharing the bedroom but with separate beds-(tho sometimes, one of you would come to the other to sleep closer-)

(No, your twin bond with Riddle is platonic, not incest- 😑)

Pretty much some students trying to court you while Riddle goes “IN YOUR DREAMS, LOVER BOYS!!! OFF WITH YOUR-“, overprotective twin go brrr-

Ehhhh- your unique magic would vary depending what you like it to be, but it would be nice that you can actually make objects talk to you for a temporary amount of time by chanting “Hey” three times- Riddle sometimes needs your help to track down people or get intel-

Rusen// Hey Hey Hey, Ace’s pen- do you have any idea where Ace is?

Pen// I recently heard him scream in panic that he’s going to hide at the library-

Rusen// Thanks buddy- *looks at Riddle who nods with gratitude and starting to stomp angrily on his way to Ace-*

NRC staff and some students accidentally mistaking you and Riddle sometimes in the first few days of school-

So you both have to differentiate by putting a rose pin on your NRC uniform bow instead of a crown pin- you even try to button your uniform to distinguish a little more.

[merakiui]

I like your word funny writer (both joking and serious)

I can see Azul doing all of it..

also funfact:

The dream of the fisherman's wife painting is actually of an consensual devils tango than tentacle grape (without the g)

There's a translated version of the story and what it was inspired on in Wikipedia...cause I don't wanna spoil it too much

Anyways azul is a big boi..i thought he would be shorter than me but he's taller than me like my childhood friend who's like 6'f+

....... actually how big is he in his merman form... (>_>) cause if he's like 12f long or longer then i would loose my shit all over him..tho if he's like the irl version of octopi then he would be a small guy...just big enough to fit my palm...(would be such a cutie)...tho if he's like irl version....his mom would be a big momma and idk if i can hold back..(i just have a really intense size kink, not a mommy or daddy kink mind you)

I would really be that holding back horny meme...

Last thing before I'm off:

Your view of moray eels may be ruined by the twins...but i? It was the goddamn rhyme/meme (this was before twisted came about)

'if an eel bites your thighs, then you bleed out and die, that's a moray'

Now ever since i got introduce to the twins....it doesn't help my horny ass mind... cause is the twins know of that rhyme then i......( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

I read the translated version of the story, and now that I think about it the twins would definitely bully Idia into adding them into the art commission once they learn of it. They will pay him two times what Azul's paying, and even though Idia doesn't truly need the money he takes it and does it anyway because the Leech twins are terrifying. (Idia doesn't dare tell them he needs a reference, but if he did they would definitely make Idia watch them fuck you so that he can see the anatomy of eel mer and human in real time. farewell Idia's sanity; he can't get away from 3D fish porn.) Azul is given his version of the commission, which is just him and his darling in the same situation as Tako to Ama. And the twins are given the version with them and you. Wait until Azul finds it hanging in a nice frame in their dorm room and he's like, "Who made this???? Why are you slimy fools with my beloved?????? And why is it in that exact situation????????" Another L for tako... orz

The trio are all so tall!!! Azul is 176 cm and the twins are 190 and 191 cm respectively. And they're even larger in their mer forms. orz I think the exact size of Jade and Floyd in their eel forms was mentioned once, but I could be wrong. I do know that Azul is much larger than both of them combined (I feel like Floyd pointed this fact out at some point in the story?). Either way, Azul and his mother are definitely bigger than eel mers. I feel like size kink works well with any merfolk because they're probably all much larger than humans.

Tiny Azul is cute to consider!! Make him Ponyo-sized. :D Omg imagine Ponyo-sized Azul who you rescue from drying out and you care for him until he's ready to be released, but by some terrible luck you find him stuck on the shore again. And so you take him in once more and nurse him back to health before releasing him, only for you to find him back on the shore the following week. Again and again it happens, until you realize he's deliberately trying to stay with you. So you keep him in the bathtub for now. Months turn to years and you and Azul mature and he grows much larger than you thought he ever would, and all those times you would lightheartedly tease him for being so small and cute are gone. Now he gets to tease you. >:D

Oh, I have never heard it before, but that's a fun rhyme!!! Even when I read it I can picture the twins hehe. Octavinelle is just engraved into my mind. There's no escaping the mermafia. T_T