By the Rivers of Analand (Part 2)

GIANT ELECTRIC EEL (#16/31, #229/365) [OOTP IV]

SKILL: 8

STAMINA: 8

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Large Bite and Electric Pulse

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: +1 to Damage Roll

HABITAT: Seas, Sea-shore, Lakes, Rivers

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1

TYPE: Fish

REACTION: Neutral-Unfriendly

INTELLIGENCE: Low

Also known as the Electro Eel, the GIANT ELECTRIC EEL is a much larger version of its Electric Eel relatives. Growing up to four metres long or more, the Giant Electric Eel is brightly coloured, with vivid green and purple stripes running the length of its body, that ripples with elemental energy all over its skin. It has a long snake-like head with black eyes, and a mouth with bulbous red lips and protruding needle-like teeth. The Giant Electric Eel is territorial and will attack any large creature entering its domain, usually a coral grotto or rocky tunnel in the side of a high reef atoll.

The Giant Electric Eel can bite to defend itself, but its most potent weapon is its ability to emit a pulse of electricity every three Attack Rounds that will cause 3 STAMINA damage to everyone in the water (double damage if they are wearing metal armour). This attack does not affect other Electric Eels, Giant or otherwise, and indeed these creatures are immune to all electrical damage. Even brushing against the Giant Electric Eel with bare skin causes 1 SKILL and 1 STAMINA point damage due to electric shock, while striking the creature with a metal weapon causes 1 STAMINA in shock damage to whoever is wielding the weapon.

The electricity-generating Conductive Gland of the Giant Electric Eel is a strange bulbous brown muscular mass that comprises most of the creature's tail. It is highly valued by alchemists, artificers and enchanters for its ability to independently generate bursts of electrical energy. When skewered onto the end of a pointed or bladed metal weapon, it will cause an extra STAMINA point of damage per successful hit (or 2 STAMINA points if the victim is wearing metal armour), for 10-60 minutes until finally drained of power.

MUTTON FISH (#17/31, #230/365) [OOTP IV]

SKILL: 8

STAMINA: 13

ATTACKS: 2

WEAPON: Very Large Bite

ARMOUR: Medium

DAMAGE MODIFIER: +1 to Damage Roll

HABITAT: Lakes

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1

TYPE: Fish

REACTION: Neutral

INTELLIGENCE: Low

"Recently a merchant ship from Brice set sail on a trading mission to Khare. Its captain, Sante Shaaman, arrived at the Cityport at dusk. While his crew unloaded the cargo, Captain Shaaman made his way to the Wayfarer's Rest to spend the night. It was there that he heard of the MUTTON FISH.

A fisherman in the inn was talking of huge fish swimming in Lake Lumle - fish so large that they would provide enough food for a month of banqueting, and with flesh so tasty and tender that those of the crew who tasted them soon became hopelessly addicted to their flavour.

An idea sparked in Shaaman's mind. If the fisherman's words were true, this could be an opportunity for him to make some money - perhaps even his fortune. If he could take a catch of these fish back to Brice, this cargo would be of inestimable value - provided that the taste of these fish truly was as addictive as the fisherman made out.

The next morning, his ship sailed from Khare into the great lake, with his crew's eyes peeled for signs of the Mutton Fish. It was late afternoon when the storm broke..."

- Out of the Pit: The Apes of Mauristatia, Steve Jackson (Warlock, issue #5 (2:1), 1985, p. 4)

The Mutton Fish is an enormous freshwater fish known only from Lake Lumle in western Kakhabad, hence its other name, the Lumle Fish. It is at least six metres long, and often much longer, with a thick muscular metal-grey scaled body. The dorsal surface is adorned with several horizontal white stripes, while the few blueish fins are small and spined, apart from the broad, powerful tail. The Mutton Fish has a prodigious underbite of spike-like teeth; if it rolls a double six for its Attack Strength in combat, the Mutton Fish has swallowed its opponent whole (who has as many Attack Rounds as their current SKILL score to cut their way out or die, while taking regular bite damage every round).

This rarely happens for the Mutton Fish is a docile creature, generally eating only shoals of smaller fish, lake-weed, and freshwater mussels. However, during spawning season, those Schoolfish that can swim up the Jabaji River and run the gauntlet of nets at Khare, are then preyed upon by Mutton Fish as they emerge into Lake Lumle. This varied diet is believed to make the Mutton Fish's own flesh so agreeably delicious to consume with its delicate, sweet flavour, costing between 10-60GP per Provision-sized portion (each Mutton Fish provides around 4-24 Provisions worth of edible flesh, which is salted and stored in barrels). 

Despite the exquisite taste, it is not particularly nutritious, restoring only 2 STAMINA points per Provision, and, worse, is highly addictive. Anyone who eats Mutton Fish will refuse to eat anything else for 1-3 days, even if they may potentially starve to death! It is easy to see how control of the lucrative Mutton Fish trade from Lake Lumle has led to the current political unrest in Khare between Sansas the First Noble and Garin Alderay, leader of the Merchants' Guild!

ROCKFISH (#18/31, #231/365) [OOTP IV]

SKILL: 6

STAMINA: 5

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Small Bite and Venomous Spines (see below)

ARMOUR: Heavy

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Rivers, Lakes, Marshes

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1-2

TYPE: Fish

REACTION: Neutral (but see below)

INTELLIGENCE: Low

As if the Death Fish did not add enough danger to the treacherous waterways of northern Khul, yet another lethal piscine from this region is its relative, the deadly ROCKFISH. This is large, heavy-set creature at least a metre long and often longer, with tough armoured grey-brown scales that camoflage the fish's appearance, hence its resemblance to a big rock. The Rockfish will lie in wait, in shallow river waters, or even disguised as one of several rocks in a series of stepping stones across a narrow stream, until suitable prey comes within range. Then, the lightning-fast reflexes of the Rockfish will cause deadly needle-like spikes to spring from its back and shoot into the victim, releasing a dreadful paralyzing poison!

This sudden attack requires a Test for Luck to avoid. If the victim is successful, the Rockfish will swim off to find other prey, but will defend itself if cornered with its toothy jaws. If the victim is unsuccessful in avoiding the venomous spikes, the poison will spread through their body and cause them to scream in pain. They have 1-6 Attack Rounds before they fall unconscious. If this happens while they are in the water, they will drown and be eaten by the Rockfish. If they can get to dry land, the victim will lose 4 STAMINA points, and be unconscious for 1-3 days, looking like they are dead and enduring a long, dark dream, before regaining consciousness several days later. Because of these powerful effects it is perhaps no surprise the venom of the Rockfish is highly sought after by both apothecaries and assassins alike for its nerveless efficacy.

SCHOOLFISH (#19/31, #232/365) [OOTP IV]

SKILL: 6

STAMINA: 6

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Large Bite

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Rivers, Lakes, Sea, Sea-shore

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 3-18

TYPE: Fish

REACTION: Neutral

INTELLIGENCE: Low

Related to the smaller salmon and trout, the SCHOOLFISH is a large migratory fish that hatches from eggs in fresh-water lakes across the Old World, swims downstream and spends its life in coastal saltwater, and then returns to its ancestral home to spawn and die. Schoolfish travel in large groups, hence their name, and grow to two metres long, with pale red scales, green fins and tail, and two sabre-like fangs protruding downwards from their upper jaw. It will use these fangs to bite when threatened, but they are generally peaceful travellers, intent on swimming from one destination to another.

Schoolfish flesh is tender and edible, if not as tasty as its smaller relatives, providing 2-4 Provisions per fish; nonetheless the fish is also preyed on by larger creatures such as Mottled Kraken in freshwater and pods of Bullwhales in saltwater. They are found, in various life-stages, in all the major lakes and rivers of the Old World, and the coastal seas as well. 

Indeed, the Schoolfish River in Far Analand, that runs from Lake Libra to the Bay of Gumm, is so-named because it absolutely teems with roaming shoals of the creatures. (Incidentally, the word 'Gumm', also alluded to in the name of the nearby city Gummport, references the other useful resource of the Schoolfish - its fatty liver can be boiled down to make Vials of Glue!) The Schoolfish was also the name of a coracle-ferry between Daddu-Yadu and Daddu-Ley on the Earth End Coastline, under the command of Captain Unzana of Dhumpus, and, in her words: "The only boat that can cross the Jabaji River between here and the cityport of Khare."

SCORPION-FISH (#20/31, #233/365) [OOTP IV]

SKILL: 1

STAMINA: 1

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Small Bite

ARMOUR:  None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: 1 Damage

HABITAT: Sea, Sea-shore

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1-6

TYPE: Fish

REACTION: Neutral

INTELLIGENCE: Low

Related to both the Death Fish and the Rockfish, the Scorpion-Fish is a marine creature, usually found living in small schools around underwater rock outcrops or coral reefs. They are little brightly-coloured red-orange fish with spiny fins, that feed on even smaller fish, molluscs and crustaceans. They are not generally aggressive but will sometimes band together to drive off an intruder. The scores above represent one Scorpion-Fish; for each additional fish add +1 SKILL, STAMINA and ATTACKS.

Scorpion-Fish get their name from their venomous fin-spines, used defensively, which secrete a toxin that causes a painful throbbing and swelling around the wound. Anyone grabbing a Scorpion-Fish with their bare hands or striking it in combat using either the Brawling or Martial Arts Special Skills, must Test their Luck; failure indicates they have been stung by the Scorpion-Fish's spines and must reduce their SKILL by 2 for 2-7 days until the swelling decreases. This is another venom used by Sea Elves on their crossbow darts, though they increase its effectiveness to a -4 SKILL penalty, causing partial paralysis in the victim!

TIGER SHARK (#21/31, #234/365) [OOTP IV]

SKILL: 8

STAMINA: 15

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Large Bite

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: +2 to Damage Roll

HABITAT: Sea, Sea-shore

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1-2

TYPE: Fish

REACTION: Unfriendly-Hostile

INTELLIGENCE: Low

The TIGER SHARK is one of the largest carnivorous Sharks on Titan, usually six metres long and sometimes even bigger. It is a huge fish, with a sand-coloured rough-scaled hide covered in broad black stripes that fade as the creatures ages. Like all Sharks, Tiger Sharks are drawn to blood in the water, moving in rapidly to bite at potential prey with an enormous mouth studded with sharply curved and serrated teeth. For every wound inflicted, either on the Tiger Shark or its opponent, there is a 1 in 6 chance that another Tiger Shark will arrive and attack the creature that was injured!

Tiger Sharks are found across Titan, typically in warmer waters, preferring deeper offshore haunts during the day before ascending to the shallows during dusk to hunt and scavenge upon whatever they can find. They are feared equally in all areas where people depend upon the bounty of the bounding main, from the Sea Nomads of the southern coastline of Lendleland to the pearl-divers of the coral atolls and islands that dot the Black Ocean. Tiger Sharks are not without some use however; their rough skin is used to make Shagreen hide (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 77), while their teeth are important components in enchanting magical sharks' teeth necklaces (rumoured to protect the wearer against shark attack) or rituals to summon the dread Bone Demon.

WRAITHFISH (#22/31, #235/365) [OOTP IV]

SKILL: 10

STAMINA: 12

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Very Large Bite

ARMOUR: Light

DAMAGE MODIFIER: +1 to Damage Roll

HABITAT: Sea

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1

TYPE: Fish

REACTION: Hostile

INTELLIGENCE: Low

Down in the darkest depths of Titan's oceans lurk all manner of hideous deep-sea creatures. One of the more well-known, not that that is saying much, is the enormous WRAITHFISH, a silvery-grey beast related to the smaller angler-fish, and at least five metres long. This abyssal horror has spiny fins, great staring eyes, a bristly-jawed mouth full of needle-sharp teeth, and an appendage like a fishing rod, coming from atop its head, which emits a blinding light (equivalent to a permanent Light spell in dark water, can be turned on or off at will by the fish).

The Wraithfish uses this light organ to lure prey, such as smaller fish or large crabs, within range of its gnashing jaws, with which it will lunge forwards and attack. If it rolls a double six for its Attack Strength in combat, the Wraithfish has swallowed its opponent whole (who has as many Attack Rounds as their current SKILL score to cut their way out or die, while taking regular bite damage every round). If the Wraithfish is slain, its light organ will fade but can be used as an equivalent to the Glimmer cantrip for 10-60 minutes before it finally dims. This is not the only useful feature of the Wraithfish; they are known as quite the hoarders, and their lair will always have lots of metallic bits and pieces strewn about (roll on the Humanoid Type on the Treasure Table).