Rowenova checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 19 higher.

Josephine takes People's Tournament 1010 - Great Fishing Derby Winner from Stormryder's garment bag.

Rowenova checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 16 higher.

Rowenova checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 20 higher.

Rowenova checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 9 higher.

Rowenova checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 23 higher.

Rowenova checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 12 higher.

Rowenova checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 11 higher.

Rowenova checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 10 higher.

Rowenova checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 35 higher.

Magpie checked strength at difficulty 15, rolling 3 higher.

Raymesin checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

Turtle, 2 Culler Brutes, 3 Culler Hoodlums arrive, following Orathy.

Raymesin checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 3 higher.

Raymesin checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 3 higher.

Raymesin checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 1 lower.

Raymesin checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 1 lower.

Raymesin checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 15 higher.

Raymesin checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 11 higher.

Orathy is overheard praising Josephine.

Turtle have been dismissed.

2 Culler Brutes have been dismissed.

3 Culler Hoodlums have been dismissed.

Once again, Mirella arrives at the dockyard looking like any other random commoner, though perhaps a bit spookier with the pale skin, the dark linen clothes and the ink-black hair pulled back in braids away from her impassive feature. Duskstone eyes look over her surroundings with the sharpness of a razor's edge, sizing up the competition in a coolly appraising way that seems to indicate some manner of confidence in her chances of doing well here. Jeffeth gets a bit of a squint, as though she's considering him a possible opponent, but then the Lycene woman shrugs and takes a bucket handed to her by her bodyguard Stefano -- a man equally as deadpan of face as she. In the bucket? Wiggling things. Worms, shrimps, all manner of proteins that'll attract big juicy catch, and in such abundance that Mirella has to keep on lifting a leather-gloved hand to wave her crow away from the feast of foul-smelling grossness. "Get away, Carmela. Get out! Shhhhsht!" Finally throwing a bit of meat somewhere else, away from the bucket, the woman turns to Stefano as the crow flaps away to descend with gusto upon the tasty morsel. Mirella's tone is conversational. "Watch and learn, Stefano. If it's not a shark, I can catch it. Caina is known for its big fish, and my parents were very, very poor."

The beaches and the gray rivers are packed with people noble and comon alike as they descend for the next event in the People's Tournament. There's bound to be less dramatics and flying crates of wine. Well, one thinks. One should still be careful.

Participants have been given their choice of using a pole - their own or one provided, a net, or their own bare hands. Technique, after all, varies from village to village. Some people are derssed to wade into the cold water, others have oil cloth and stand at the rise of the river with thier poles and nets. Others have opted to take the harbor and along the dock, beach and spread out. Find less competition for the fishing.

Children screech and scream and play, a light wind to ruffle the top of the harbor waters and members of the Arcuri family and those hired to act as referee for the event, mill about to weigh fish, keep counts and keep things running smoothly.

Makes one wonder who's manning the shop.

But some preliminary fishing to test the waters has shown immense promise and contestants are called to go find their spots, the call going along the docks, the shores, down the beach and the river for people to get their bait, their buckets and tools all ready. And then, just like that...

"FISH!" is called out.

1 Crimson Blades Sergeant, 1 Crimson Blades Lieutenant, 1 Crimson Blades Private arrive, following Cillian.

Magpie Grayhope isn't one to quit while he's behind! OH NO! He is not a quitter! He may have done average at best in the wagon run but this tournament is not over! The smuggler arrives with that long red stocking wrapped about his brow again as a bandana. He's looking a little haggard with bags under his eyes and his brown curls hanging tangled about his face. Did the man even sleep last night? It doesn't look like it. He's carrying a net against his shoulder -- his own *personal* net -- and has loaf of bread in his other hand. A kid runs over to the man, begging for some of the bread and the man looks at her in horror. "Gods! No! Not this bread. You cannot have *this* bread. Cost me a fortune." He gives her a couple of silver and shoos her off after hugging the loaf closer to his chest.

Magpie has rolled a critical success!
Magpie checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 26 higher.

Stefano, an inconspicuous Lycene bodyguard, Carmela, a gleaming dusken-feathered crow, Alba, a small, azure-eyed white cat leave, following Mirella.

Stefano, an inconspicuous Lycene bodyguard, Carmela, a gleaming dusken-feathered crow, Alba, a small, azure-eyed white cat arrive, following Mirella.

Stefano, an inconspicuous Lycene bodyguard, Carmela, a gleaming dusken-feathered crow, Alba, a small, azure-eyed white cat leave, following Mirella.

Stefano, an inconspicuous Lycene bodyguard, Carmela, a gleaming dusken-feathered crow, Alba, a small, azure-eyed white cat arrive, following Mirella.

Cillian checked strength at difficulty 15, rolling 7 lower.

Cillian checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 32 higher.

Cillian checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 7 higher.

Cillian checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 22 higher.

Cillian checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 17 higher.

Sparte has camped out in a promising spot with a long wooden pole, fishing the way that seemed simplest to him. Hang about, watch the water, move the pole if a fish bites. Bit different from watching a doorway all day, but guards will be guards.

Magpie looks up and down the river with a thoughtful study of bloodshot blue eyes, then just wades right into the river as if he were just at home within the water as out. He heads waist deep and starts tearing off bits of the bread and sprinkling over into deeper waters. "Heeeere fishies. This bread is gonna make you soooo relaxed. Enough Haze in it to take down Jeffeth." He says in a singsong, coaxing voice. And as the hungry swimmers ascend for the free snack the man is ready to make a sweep with the net -- his *personal* net from his ship. He offers Sparte a brief smile and a wave. "Got my special bait!" He calls.

Among the would-be anglers is one Raymesin Ulbran. With a bucket next to him on the jetty the tall man is eyeing the water thoughtfully; he's foregoing a shirt today, revealing several old scars marring his pale flesh, along with a few newer ones. And when the contest is opened he drops to his belly on the jetty, there to wait for a moment before plunging his hands in. It's not a huge fish he comes out with, but it's not a tiddler either.

Jeffeth checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 16 higher.

Sparte raies a hand over to Magpie in an easy smile, that fades as he realizes what he said. "What, are you using /that/? On fish?" He lets out a groan, shaking his head to himself and looking back to his own pole.

Jeffeth checked strength + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 43 higher.

Cillian decided to go fishing like they do it back home, he has stripped down out of his silk shirt and is in his leather pants and boots but no shirt showing off what ink he has done mostly images of wild life if one looks closer at him. He has a net in hand and moves out into the water it does not bother hm it seems as his eyes look to the waters waiting and then throwing out the net. The youngman is thin but seems build enough to hold his own as he works to catch fish like he use to back home.

There is a long sidelong look from Jeffeth to Magpie, just now range in the water. The behemoth stands barechested in the water holding a net, his brows creased in a squint towards the Grayhope. Before a sly little smile curls up his lips. As Magpie goes about getting his net ready, Jeffeth slowly backpedals in the water. Swish. Swish. Swish. He's a big man, so he's hard to miss, but he has been learning how to move quieter.

Getting in position behind Magpie, when Jeffeth throws his net, oops, did he miss. Well it will go into the water and possibly get maybe a fish. But it also hopefully will get a much bigger fish. In the form of one Grayhope. Jeffeth smiles brightly. He's going to get yelled at a lot for this. His smile is gleaming.

Commoner events still need the Iron Guard right? To help keep the peace? That's what Kenna's doing. Of course, she's found herself a nice place to sit that's just a little bit above the normal (not weirdos like Jeffeth height) people's heads. There she can snack on some nice lightly fried fish filets that are not at all dubious in origin as she scans the crowd and occasionally lets out a whistle when someone does something cool.

Maja checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 5 lower.

Apparently Stefano isn't too impressed by Mirella's boasting. His arms are folded across his chest and he watches in rather bored fashion as she pulls a handful of bait from the barrel and lobs in into the river. There seems to be a bit of a ripple on the surface even before Mirella starts to wade in moments later, with only a faint gasp as the water sinks up to the tops of her knee high boots and over into her leggings. A few more minutes pass thereafter, the small woman waiting patiently, bent over with hands dipped into the water as smaller fish wiggle around her legs. She doesn't move, standing there still and quiet, until suddenly her hands dart down like watersnakes. Submerged up to her backside in the river, Mirella seems to be wrestling with something under the water, her teeth gritting into a snarl. Shoulders straining, feet braced upon the sediment of the river's floor, she finally grunts in triumph and stands up with an huge armful of struggling carp, which she stunbling heaves over to the shore with great gasps (from both woman and fish) and dumps into a wagon that serves as a handy receptacle for her unfortunate piscine victim. It's actually enough to make Stefano blink in horror.

Between Guardsman Sparte and Sword Cillian, there is a fishing structure which has been set up by Scout Rowenova, something which looks like a half bridge jutting out from the sandy beach to several meters above the water surface, barely above it, even. Scout Rowenova lays out upon said the wooden structure thatched together by wild trees from the grey forest, holding onto via her left hand whilst her right one slowly swirls within the water below, doing so whilst attracting fish with the twinkling light of her star iron wedding band before suddenly grabbing their faces and tossing them into a wooden cage, one which is half submerged beside the fishing structure.

When Maja arrives, it is clear that she's dressed for the occasion -- that is, if the occasion is 'Fishing for Compliments'. The young apprentice Whisper is decked out in a lovely seasilk outfit. Her makeup on point. Her curls carefully styled into organized chaos. Lovely! As always: looovely!

The young woman seems surprised that the fishing derby actually involves fishing. Like, by /her/. "We can't coax people to fish for us?" she asks, all wide-eyed innocence and shock! "Since we were allowed to convince others to load the wagons for us the other day, I thought.." She smiles and flutters her hands. "No matter! What fun this will be!" She looks at her options: net, pole or very own two paws. Considering her noodle-arms, it seems unlikely that she will be able to even handle the net or pole soooooo .. hands it is!

"I don't want to get my frock wet," she murmurs to no one in particular as she considers the water. So, she does what any poor person who wants to take care of her fine things would do -- she strips down to her under-shift and delicately folds her finer things. After giving her gown and slippers to an admirer she earned yesterday -- "I will take care of them, Queen Darling of the Wagons!" -- she wades into the water.

It's December. It's effin' COLD, bro.

She tried to muffle a shriek but /damn/. Daaaaamn. "C-c-c-come here, little f-f-f-f-f-f-fishy.." she chatters, grabbing for the first slippery thing that swim past her. She manages to catch the little thing and holds it up with pride as if it were Moby Dick.

Sir Floppington notices Cillian over there and bounds at a high rate of speed toward the Blackwood Sword, getting ready to leap at him with such vigor!

Sparte is busy seeing nothing and not grinning ear to ear at what Jeffeth is doing to Magpie. Just quietly fishing.

Iron Guard are indeed present and some pick pockets and the like have been caught and hauled off to be dealt with. Kenna as she nibbles on some of the street food that's brought down and drinks, catches something going on at the docks. (Private emit being sent)

The kerfuffle that is happening between Jeffeth and MAgpie certainly scares fish away from their area, tails flipping at the surface and steering far far away. One right into Magpie's arms obviously and my it is a big one. One makes it into jeffeth's net and won't be winning any awards. Not in the least. "MAGPIE GRAYHOPE! I LOVE YOU!" Comes a groupie squeal from the crowd, the red linin stockings from the wagon derby being waved in the air. Someone's groupies also showed up along with Maja's.

Across the docks people are starting to reel in fish, small or large, hoots nad hollers to be had. Some take this -very- seriously and there's some fights that break out and more than one person takes a fishing pole to the back of the head - and thus get disqualified.

Kamon is there, somewhere near sparte, steadfast and diligent in the task he has set himself. He casts his pole out with a smile, happy just to be fishing on this cool fall late morning.

Everyone seems to be trying to catch fish, even a few children who are there iwth parents, not participating but at least coming and doing something with their hands.

Magpie is just bringing his net to bear with a smug grin on his face as fish are going for the bread. But then there's another net at play!! Jeffeth's! He gives a little yell. "Hey! What the fuck are-" He twists about and spies the knight, then just snickers. "You ass. I'm a married man already. You can't catch me!" A pause, and he asks, "Want some bread?... It was baked fresh this morning." He's trying to hang onto the large fish and the bread both, and that doesn't leave much room for escaping the knight's net.

Magpie checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 6 higher.

Jeffeth checked perception + empathy at difficulty 15, rolling 8 higher.

Kenna lets out one more whistle, probably cheering Jeffeth on or something, before something catches her eye. She watches the man with the bucket for a good long second before pushing herself out of her sitting space and beginning to weave her way through the crowd. There's a cheerful wave and a word to the people Kenna knows as she goes. All is well, okay? She angles herself to intercept the dude with the bucket of fish. Cheerfully, "HEy! So, I'm //pretty// sure that the rules state that you're suppose to //catch// the fish." Approaching this assuming that the guy is totally not cheating. (He's totally cheating.) Same time, Kenna's ready to try to catch him if he should run.

Magpie checked charm + manipulation at difficulty 15, rolling 33 higher.

The big man looks down at the bread. Didn't Magpie just say something about him. Something something. But it is early. And he is hungry. He's a growing boy (hopefully not anymore). Jeffeth takes a step forward, looking up to Magpie, looking down to the bread, Magpie, bread, Magpie, bread, Magpie, bread.

Jeffeth slowly reaches out and takes the bread. Though he doesn't immediately eat it. He gives Magpie a little smile, "Thanks." Before going to throw his net once more (one handed). This time he retrieves a sizeable little sucker, looking quite proud.

Jeffeth looks sidelong at Maja, smiling brightly. "Morning Darling!"

Carmela the crow is having an absolute day of this too. Sailing around the periphery of the river in wide circles, she occasionally sails down to pluck a bit of errant bait from the water, sometimes even a small fish. That's crows for you -- smart little creatures. Meanwhile Mirella has squelched her way back to the waters, and has assumed the pose once more. A crouch with her hands in the water, eyes staring down into the rippling liquid, by now speckled with all manner of horrid bait. Though she's straight-up shivering now, knees and teeth trembling due to the cold air and the coder river, she's going for another big fat fish, it would seem. Meanwhile Stefano is passing coins over to one of the dockworkers -- a bet is going down, no doubt. Anyone near that group of enterprising fellows might hear the Lycene bodyguard mutter, "I hope she falls in." But she doesn't, not yet. She just wrestles another carp out of the water, getting its slime all over her clothes and hissing at it in a hoarse Lycene-accented slew of complaints.

Maja checked wits + streetwise at difficulty 15, rolling 27 higher.

Raymesin checks around him, then plunges both hands in again and comes out with a similar-sized fish to the first. Again, it's not huge, but at least it's a fish - and there aren't that many people near him, which is nice and restful.

It's been some time since Jeffeth was /really/ a part of the Lowers but Maja, she's only a few years out of it .. and, honestly, she's still got a toe (or a foot) still in. So she has suspicions about Magpie's bread. Strong suspicions! Is she going to warn Jeffeth, the sweet, innocent, dummy that he is? Save him from a potentially bad trip?

Naaaah! Everyone should get high at least once in their lives.

So the curly-haired Whisper grins brightly at him as she shivers and chatters from her spot in the river. "Mornin' J-J-J-JJJeffy! That's some tasty lookin' b-b-b-read you got there!" Something else swims past her and she quickly makes a grab for it. It's HUGE! HUUUUGE! But, being the noodle-armed wimp that she is, Maja immediately drops it back into the water the moment it starts wriggling. "Dang it," she huffs, grabbing through the surface of the river. What she comes up with next? It's only slightly bigger than her first.

Oh sorrow! For the one who got away...

Cillian continues to do his fishing he spots Magpie and Jeffeth shaking his head and looks back to the water ready to put his net out again, but hwen he does he spots the on coming ball ot wet fur! Mr Floppington. "Oh man." he says in his thick northern shav accent, "Mr Floppington, no no no." he braces ready for the dog just incase holding his net tight in his hands. "My fish not yours!" he tells the dog as get gets the fish from his net and put in a large busket near him.

Magpie just gives Jeffeth a grin and a little salute, "My pleasure!" There's a charming smile as he gives him a chunk of the loaf. Now that he's free of the knight's netting, he swings his own down into the water and snags a smaller fish that's picking at crumbs along the surface.

Magpie checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 1 lower.

Dusty arrives, following Brady.

A ways away from the yelling fans, the Northern woman (Nova) glances over to the yonder hubub, doing so with a wolfish grin as she quietly rests with her front side lain down upon her fishing structure out there (something like a half bridge held up by a few thick sturdy stumps to be above the water level, all grey forest pine). She does not actually speak, though, staying silent to hopefully draw more fish. Slowly now, with her right arm dangling down into that chilly water, she continually draws one fish here, then one fish there. That star iron and ruby heart upon her ring finger effectively lure those interested fishies into her grabby hand then the half submerged wooden cage which is not far away. Looks like that last one was decently sized, even!

When Cillian speaks up to Floppers, the soulful hound's floppy ears bounce up alongside his houndly face. Sir Floppington slows down, but there is still plenty wet dog here wiggling up to Cillian and probably whapping him with the drenched tail and getting swaths of water upon the Sword of Blackwood and... those nose prints, too! Thankfully, the bucket of fish is safe because the elderly hound knows not to knock over human containers unless they have mead (might be part of Halfshav training). Though, he probably steps on Cil's boot and peppers the poor man with sand due to his excited doggie bouncing around.

Magpie and Jeffeth seem to have found a new friend in the form of a very drowsy-eyed crow. Carmela has found a perch above the two of them, tilting her head and cawing at them gently as if to say, 'Got any more of that bread?' And she's not the only one, either. She seems to have found a few winged companions who are doing the same. Just staring, and cawing. Possibly gently tripping balls. No, *definitely* tripping balls. Little crowballs. But the friendship is short-lived, however, as Mirella tosses another handful of crawly bait into the water. Many of the crows, Carmela included, flap away in a lop-winged fashion to pluck up protein-filled munchies. The rest just stay next to Jeffeth and Magpie on their respective perches, with their plumage fluffed up and their gazes a little somnolent. The birds, that is.

Overhead, seagulls - sky rats - are circling, some are pretty bold to go up to buckets and try to steal a fish or some bait and get away before they can be shoo'd at or hit. Some swoop down to try and take Magpie's bread. The loaf. The crumbs. These are easier targets than the fish below.

Maja is spared having to wade back at least and put the fish in a bucket and one of her admirers in full seasilk himself is wading in to hold the buck up. "We have your back Maja! Concentrate! Show them how the whispers fish!" One imagines, it is not in the water, but more at the market that they fish. But points for this whisper for doing it as she is.

Kenna is faced by the man, blinking and looking at the bucket and then back to the Guardsman. "I'm not participating. The fish are pretty heavy here today. Getting some food for the family I am. There a problem with that? Looking for a fish to take home that you didn't have to work for eh?"

Sparte and Kamon, fishing away. Poles swish and fly, fish nibble and are caught. Whatever they are using, it's clearly well liked by the fish, but not by the BIG fish. The big fish seem to be heading for Rowenova and she finds herself surrounded by them. THey do indeed love that glint of light from the rings and a particularly large one doesn't exercise his brain and only his tomach and makes for the woman, that finger and... into that submerged cage he goes.

There's yelling on the water as two fishers in boats are smacking at each other with oars and demanding that the other cede fishing grounds to them. One gets in a good hit and overboard he goes, and the other dives in and soon enough, there's fighting in the harbor waters and people on the docks are diverting their attention from the fishing to the fighting in the water.

Meanwhile, Mirella's crow is tripping balls.

Magpie is tossing more torn pieces of the bread into the water, but then there's an all too familiar sound approaching. 'Mine', 'Mine?', 'Mine', 'Mine!'... SEAGULLS! The sailor looks up in horror. "NO!! Get!! SHOO!" The white and gray-feathered rats of the sky flock over, taking to the water fearlessly to begin snatching the pieces of bread. "SCRAM!!" It seems the Magpie is not mightier than the seagull just now.

Magpie checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 3 higher.

Kenna keeps beaming at the man as she gestures in the direction away from where the competitors are at. "How about I just walk you this way and we can make sure everything is all good? Unless you're going to claim that your family is on a boat?" Kenna's got an eyebrow raised up to dare the man to claim his family lives on a boat.

The large man has not yeat consumed the bread. He's mostly looking up at the crow. Very distracted by it. In fact /extremely/ distracted by it. The net gets thrown into the water half-heartedly as the big man watches the flight of the crow, almost entranced by it. Though, that chunk of Jeffeth's bread. Still not eaten. Just in his hand. Slowly. Ever so slowly his bread starts to raise up to his mouth, his lips part and--

Maja is shiver-talking to him. "Darling." Jeffeth murmurs with a light frown. "You're cold." The bread lowers, and the behemoth standing in the water bare chested who does not seem to be effected by the cold at all, slowly drags his net towards Maja. "You want some?" He goes to push up next to her, to share some of that body heat (and scare away fish) as he throws his net out distractedly once more, eyes flitting back to the crow.

Raymesin may be stripped to the waist, but he's still got a knife at his belt. When someone gets a bit close he rolls smoothly to his feet, and after a look at the tall man's scars the other person decides that discretion is the better part of valour and retreats. Raymesin glances over towards the seagulls, Magpie and Jeffeth - is that bird over there flying upside-down? - then goes back to fishing. It's a bit of a tiddler in the bucket this time, but it's still a fish, and a pointed look at a nearby seagull keeps it in the bucket. Hell of a trick, that one.

For one of the few times in his life, Brady's not actively seeking attention. At the end of a dock, he sits in a rickety old chair and uses a simple cane fishing pole to slowly and calmly pull in fish. A bucket of nightcrawlers, a day at the docks, and several chilled beers. Is he fishing in a competition, or just taking a day off. So far, he's gotten three moderate to small ones pulled from the brackish water and hanging by some line off the dock. He just hums to himself and baits his hook again, casting out.

Cillian laughs at the old hound moving a hand to pat his side as he trots all about him stepping on his boot and getting him with sanf and such. "Ok! Ok! I missed you too!" he laughs as he tries to continue his fishing, "Come on floppers help me get some fish." he winks at the dog as he continues to try and get fish in his net seeming determined to get as many as he can.

Mirella is full-on gasping and red-cheeked now as she hauls another fish out of the icy water. This one is especially big, and it almost pulls itself from her hugging death-grasp as she tries to haul its bulk over into the fish-filled wagon. It's probably half her size, this one, and maybe half her weight too, but like a complete soldier the small woman wrestles it into submission. There's a nasty snarl afterwards as she looks over at Stefano and the small group of friends he's acquired. They're all drinking giant tankards of booze that seem to have appeared from thin air, and they're chuckling at the complete chaos that's occurring -- the crows flying wonkily away as those bastard screaming seagulls descend upon bait and fish alike, and the boat jousting between the fishers and their subsequent dip. "You could help me instead of standing there, Stefano!" She nods over to where Maja is getting a helping hand from her silk-clad admirer. The only response she gets is a cackling round of laughter from her bodyguard and his salty pals.

"Jeffy!" Maja laughs, holding an arm out to keep him from coming too close. "You are chasing all my fish away!" And it's true! There were several big ones lazily swimming her way but they now race away out of reach. Poor woman! She's in last place and unless she hauls in something big soon, that is where she will stay.

She grabs another minnow and passes it over the her bucket-helper. "You are such a sweetheart," she tells him, placing a kiss upon the fellow's cheek and sealing it with a wink. If only she could have charmed /him/ into catching her fish for her! Just look at the arms on him.

But there is an offer of bread hanging in the air. What's she going to do? Trip balls with Jeffeth oooor.. "Sure," she lilts as she gives him a nod. "But let me finish fishing first. Save me a piece and I will eat it once I have won this contest."

Narrator: there is no way she has any chance of winning this thing.

Merek checked stamina at difficulty 15, rolling 6 higher.

Merek checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 5 higher.

Merek checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 2 higher.

Merek checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 6 higher.

Merek checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 5 higher.

Merek checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 3 higher.

Merek checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 19 higher.

Scout Nova wolfishly grins after having caught that BIG fish and doing so via her right hand with her wedding ring as the reflective lure. Cil and Flop are briefly regarded with a musing look before she gets ready for the next fish. Meanwhile, Flop slows down a bit more and tail wags as he moves out into the chilly waters to help herd these pesky fish into Cillian's net, if he can!

Those in the know, wait.

With baited breath. Jeffeth eat the damn bread they all chant in their heads. He may be one of theirs, born and bred in the lowers and turned to the faith but they still wait to see.

Brady's not alone, there's a few people with him in chairs too who are not taking the competition so seriously like the two in the water are. Though mostly by now, the two in the water seem to be drowning? And so some folks jump in to try and haul them back in before there's a death that isn't that of a fish.

Up and down, all around, Arcuri family members nad volunteers measure and weigh the fish that are caught. There's no small share of blue lipped people who opted to cast their small personal sixed nets or hand nets, or even using their hands.

Still Cillian leads, that oathlander with skilled fingers and Rowenova still with that winking ring.

It's Mirella's catches that gain a few gasps as the woman throws the whole of her into catching the fish and one sympathetic bystander moves forward, hooking a hand through a gill and helping her to haul out her catch. "ooh, that's a big one lass. Gotta be at least thirty pounds." He assures her. "Alsot as big as you." And then he's gone and she's left alone again. Darn Stefano.

The man with his bucket of fish looks to Kenna and rolls his eyes. "Of course they're not on a boat. Are you daft?" But he doesn't object, and as she starts guiding, he goes. But there's a glance over his shoulders to someone and then off he goes with the guardsman, away from competitors.

Somewhere, there's a lanky man with a dejected look. A cheater thwarted before they could follow through with a plan.

Merek makes his way to the docks so that he can fish, while he picks up his pole he has with him. He settles in to catch up while he fishes with the other folk, his cloak on for the weather with hood up, while rolling in each fish, so he can have them weighed up to the point everyone else is at.

Magpie whips the net around at the seagulls to try and drive them off, but most of his bread is gone by now and he's not getting any better fish! He notices Mirella hauling massive catches and just stares for a moment, then he hears it.. 'Jeffy'. He bursts out laughing. "Jeffy?! She calls you Jeffy? I love it!" He says with laughter, then makes a few swipes with his net but between the birds, shennanigans and *some* people stealing all the biggest fish (MIRELLA), there isn't much left in the water. But wait! Is that a gilled guppy down deep beneath the surface? Could it be a true beast beneath the breaking surface? The smuggler sucks in a mighty breath and dives beneath the surface with his trusty net after... something!

Magpie checked luck at difficulty 7, rolling 11 higher.

The poor cheater-helper's life just gets worse and worse as Kenna talks his ear off as they walk. When they get to the end of the dock Kenna leans against a pole and gives tiny finger waves every time the man looks back at her to check if she's still there. Yep! Hi! Bye! Only when he's out of sight does she turn back into the crowd to find a new vantage point and see Magpie dive down. "DON'T DROWN MAGPIE." Because that's helpful to yell.

Princess Sally Acorn, an acorn toting red squirrel, Princess Muffin, the fluffiest white mountain dog leave, following Kenna.

Princess Sally Acorn, an acorn toting red squirrel, Princess Muffin, the fluffiest white mountain dog arrive, following Kenna.

"Everyone in the lowers calls me Jeffy." Jeffeth rumbles over to Magpie with an arched little brow. "Guess you were spending too much time in the Upper Boroughs when we were all younger." Ohh poverty to lower middle clas burnnnn.

That crow still gets a healthy amount of Jeffeth's attention though he does stop when Maja directs him to. There's a little shrug and jeffeth finally takes his first bite of the bread. Throwing out his net once more. He's pretty distracted in this entire thing, but occasionally he's getting some pretty good fish!

Raymesin manages to catch himself another tiddler. It's probably just as well he isn't trying to make a living as a fisherman. Something over Magpie- and Jeffeth-wards has him grinning, though he keeps that grin mostly for the fish. Which is probably why there aren't many near him.

Mirella just about manages to pant out a thank you to her guardian angel of fishy-catchingness, and then she grits out a yell over to Damn Stefano. "See! Some people are helpful, *Stefano*." He doesn't hear it over the noise of rushing water and seagulls and yelling, however, so instead he just pulls a 'yeah, okay?' face and shrugs to his employer. The guy's going to get a telling-off later, but for now he's standing around with a bunch of other dudes and he's drinking away and life is good, so whatever. And so it is that Mirella heads to the water once more. Whereupon, covered in fish-slime and bait and muddy water right up to the waist. she waits. After some time she seems to notice something BIG swimming under the surface. Something of catfish proportions that would probably require her to slam one hand down its throat and another into the gills as before just to be able to get a grasp on it. But this one's heavier than her last catch, by a few pounds at least. And so she stares at it for a long while, teeth chattering. Thinking. Waiting, yes. And then she goes for it. Makes a grab. Surely this could not go wrong.

Sparte continues to fish all nice and quiet like, grinning ear to ear as he hears the banter between the other contestants and the crowd. He seems particularly amused by Jeffeth and Magpie's exchange, shaking his head a bit to himself. Can't laugh, that'll scare his fishies.

The river-soaked Whisper-in-training grabs a few more small fish, moving them from the river into her bucket. None of them are anything to speak of but she has the biggest, widest, smiley-est grin on her face. Could that be because Jeffeth has finally taken a bite? Maaaaaaaybe.

"How's that bread, Jeffy? Is it as t-t-tasty as it looks?" she asks, grabbing a wee-trout. That makes .. what? Six fish? Seven? Actually, it makes it her /last/ fish because she decides: "Alright, I think I have frozen myself enough for one day." Maja slips her hand into the outstretched one of her bucket-helper, allowing the seasilk clad man help her out of the river.

Brady plucks up a beer from beside his chair on the docks and offers it casually over to Merek. "Fish are good," he says, laconically. He reels in a little scrappy fish, and has to swing his pole at a couple goofy, squawking seagulls to keep it, but there it is. He squints at the crazy nonsense in the water from his safe perch up with other more casual fishers, and shakes his head, smirking.

Nova slowly swishes the star iron on her right hand through the fishy water, hopefully attracting yet another fish to face grab. The fur of her wolf pelt softly flutters from a chilly breeze which brings out a relaxing sigh from the Northern lass, comforted as much by the winter wind as the Southerners are by their Summer Wind.
Meanwhile, Sir Flop keeps trying to somehow help Cillian, doing so however a noble canine possibly can!

Cillian wrinkles his nose, "Oh man Floppers! come on come here come sit." if the dog comes back over he pats the dogs side, "Thank you for trying to help!" he tells the dog and looks over at Nova with a smirk.

Of course, Sir Flop is the bestest good boy ever and a good listener, too, so he immediately moves to do whatever Cillian tells him to do, and he looks up with those soulful eyes to the Blackwood Sword while fervently whapping him with a wagging tail (a wet one), too!

Sparte's fish seem to be getting bigger and bigger. Maybe it's the quieter area where they are? Maybe it's that Kamon's fish seem to be bait for the bigger ones? Who knows. But slow and steady may not win the race this time around, but it keeps him in the fight and the fish that bites on his pole is not one to scoff at, as big as Mirella's was almost.

Those birds that ate the bread first? Some dive into the water along with Magpie, grabbing at the sall fry around and burst back out of of the water and flap around, scaring off other fish, causing confusion and no small amount of mayhem as one fisher looks to be reeling in something large and it suddenly jerks off the line when a bird starts to get too close.

"PETRICHOR'S LEAFY GREENS! GRAYHOPE! YOUR BREAD HAS THE BIRDS ROLLING! IF I LOSE IMMA COME AFTER YOU!" He yells, waving his pole in a threatening manner.

Kenna's cheater just balefully looks back as the five hundred thousand silver fades away before his eyes and he kicks his bucket with a yell.

Fish go spilling, flopping about from lack of water to breath.

The fighters from the water are out of the water, wrapped in blankets and seem to have somewhere between the boat and the beach, forgiven each other. The addition of swill in mugs passed to them may be perhaps helping.

Maja's erstwhile supporter, when she declares she's done, sweeps her up in his arms. "To the shore!" he declares. "BLANKETS! FIRE! WARM DRINK! LETS GET HER WARM! My darling, you are blue in the lips!" He looks distressed. "But still fetching."

Brady is chill, the seagulls, maybe not so much and one hopeful moves in that plodding way that the sky rats tend to have and edges toward his bucket before suddenly it just .... sits. Sits beside the bucket, chilling. nary a ruffling feather. A man, and a bird. Maybe it wants a beer too that was handed to Merek.

Over in Cillian's area, Row's still getting the fish but Cilian, one particular wag of tail by the dog sends the fish swimming. Gone. Not even a single darn minnow. So when the dog is called and the towel thrown in, Cilian can look upon his catch with satisfaction. particularly that first fish. WHen the records will be tallied, it'll be hailed as the biggest fish in the competition and no doubt, be tastiest at the street party.

Merek pulls another fish in, while he checks on it once he has it. He smiles a bit, a little satisfied with his catch, as he takes a moment to have it weighed also.

Kenna is overheard praising Josephine: Running such an event.

Cillian is overheard praising Josephine.

Merek is overheard praising Josephine.

Raymesin too nabs another fish, his biggest yet. It's actually a respectable size - if not quite the size that some of the others have acquired. His scars are standing out more than usual, though, and his lips are turning blue - it looks as though he may not be in the competition for too much longer. Northlander he is /not/, but then he's never claimed to be.

Raymesin is overheard praising Josephine.

Brady is overheard praising Orathy: We all appreciate the hard work.

Magpie bursts up out of the water from his deep dive, little droplets of brackish glittering as they spray through the air around him. He draws in a breath and raises his net in triumph! Oh, look at that. It's a little snapper, barely enough for one meal. Then a seagull makes a dive at his head and he's getting yelled at by another fisherman. He turns a glare on the man, "You really want to threaten coming after Grayhope, Lannis?! I should make you give me your fish!" He shakes the water from his hair, then gasps! His red stocking bandana! It's gone! "Shit! My lucky charm!" The man abandons catching more fish as he begins floundering about, trying to find the linen that's floating away.

Brady is overheard praising Josephine: We all appreciate the hard work.

Cillian is overheard praising Orathy.

Merek is overheard praising Orathy.

"Oh, you're a big one. I'm taking you back to the barracks." Sparte grins as he looks over the last fish he caught. "You'll make some guardsmen happy come dinner, absolutely. Second best fish of the day, have to serve some of you to Michael."

Stefano got his wish. Mirella falls in. Or rather she allows herself to fall into a relatively clean patch of water, head still above the surface so she doesn't drink it in. What starts as laughing from the bodyguard and his friends peters off when they realise Mirella's having to kick her legs furiously so as not to get dragged under by the huge fish she's somehow got a hold of. And so with a sigh, he dashes over to the river, wades in and does his best to help his fellow Lycene not, like, y'know, drown. Because if she does drown, he oesn't get paid. Basically there's a load of splashing as they work together to subdue to riverbon beast, then a load of Lycene-accented yelling (one feminine, one masculine) as they stumble gasping out of the river, and then *so* much grumbling as they pull that whooper of a catch up into the wagon to meet its dead friends. Covered in bair, slime, dirty riverjuice and mud, the Southeners trudge away still grumbling, over to they laid out huge buckets of clean water. Stefano throws one over his head, then one over Mirella's. Gasping, teeth chattering, grouchy, both of them.

Cillian is done catching the fish he smiles at the amount of fish that he got, he pats the dog at his side. "Such a good boy, here ya go." he gets a small one and hands it to the dog as a prize of his own. He moves out of the cold water that did not seem to bother him. He moves to get te fish weighed in whatever and then puts his request in that half go to the festival for eating and the rest to the lowers for those in need of a hot meal that night. He looks around spotting Sparte and Nova smiling and nodding to them.

"It's alright." Jeffeth rumbles with a little shrug to Maja, throwing out his net once more. He looks down at the bread, with only one little bite taken. He glances over to Maja, and breaks up some of the bread as he retreats with his last adequate fish, the throws the breadcrumbs out into the water. That last bite tasted strange. Though he makes sure Magpie doesn't see it, tries to anyway. He wouldn't want to be rude.

Kenna was watching, but gets distracted by something going over there in the shadows. Quickly stepping through the crowd Kenna goes to get a better look at it.

An apologetic look briefly shows itself via her cobalt-blue, khol-lined eyes as Nova quickly glances to Cillian, but then she looks forth to a whole school (medium fish) which swim by. Three more are easily tossed into her fish cage, but then there is a BIG one, even bigger than the BIG one snatched up before.

With utter awe, Nova silently watches it come up and actually attempt to... swallow down her whole arm on the right side! Nova lets out a sudden yell whilst the big fish clamps down its fishy mouth onto her toned bicep before Nova suddenly grabs it behind its gills, not only with her external hand but also the swallowed one, too! Floundering around atop the fishing structure, which was pretty steady for smaller fishing, Nova finally rolls off into the chilly water with a hefty SPLASH! There is a big fish and wolf scout who are flailing around and throwing water every which way before she finally makes that slow progress to the sandy shore, emerging victorious with a low groan, and... a huge fish on her right arm! "I wanna take this one home!" says she!

Sir Floppington happily accepts that small fish, looking up with grateful eyes and wagging tail to Cillian, indeed! He certainly appreciates the gifted fish!

Carried out of the river and wrapped up in a warm blanket, Maja holds court with her charmed admirers. "Oh thank you, I /will/ have some warm cider," she says as a mug of something steaming is handed to her. She's still shivering and her teeth continue to chatter but she's feeling better by the moment.

Between talking to her group of companions, her dark eyes continue to flick toward Jeffeth. As he comes back into shore, she waves him over. "Jeffy! Jeffy! Over here," she calls. Motioning him to bend his ear to her, she whispers to him when he stoops down. What's she saying? Is she revealing his future like the very worst kind of fortune teller? Whatever she says, she comes away from the whisper smiling and patting his arm.

Raymesin takes his last fish, then rolls away from the jetty's edge, ending his attempts in the competition. His lips and nose are blue, his ears are blue, and his scars are even more hideous than usual on his too-pale fish-belly skin. He brings said bucket to the nearest Arcuri for weighing, because that seems to be the thing to do; warm cider, the perfect end to a competition that... well, at least he didn't lose.

Brady sets his pole aside after catching some -absolutely- average fish, and cheers for Rowenova, "Go Nova! Yeah!" Him and some of the other dock-fishers marvel at the size of it, before Brady eventually starts packing his things up. He leaves an open beer beside his seagull friend, but it's up to him to figure out how to drink it.

The large man lowers when he arrives at Maja, arching his brow. When Maja whispers to him, Jeffeth slowly looks down to Maja clear bewilderment in his features. Slowly that bewilderment groes to a soft smile and he reaches out one massive arm to hug Maja into his side, murmuring something just as soft back. Though when she reaches up to pat his arm of course there is a reflective FLEXXX of those massive tree trunks of arms.

With that soft smile, Jeffeth goes to take one of the mugs of cider, looking around at the small gathering Maja has accumulated giving an amused grin and a little shake of his head.

Such strong! So muscles! Wow! Maja grins up at her giant friend and just watches him with a bright, dancing gaze. When is it going to hit? When are things going to start getting weird for him? She keeps the conversation going around her but her attention sticks with Jeffeth. A glance is given to Magpie and her smile is highly amused, laughter being held back but it's there. In her expression. Waiting behind her grin. Wrapped around her demeanor.

"Did you catch a lot of fish, Jeffy?" she asks. Keeping the man talking will make it easier to see when she needs to step in and save him from himself. To serve as his bread-trip sitter.

Cillian smirks at Nova looking to her, "Come on flops." he starts to head over to where Nova is, he smiles, "NOva!" he greets the woman with a cheerful greeting.

Merek gathers up his fish, while he keeps one of them for his own self and family, as he takes a moment to settle the others someplace. He applauds for the winner, while he makes his way to settle his pole back into his belongings.

It will be one hour when all is said and done, the time limit on fishing and soon enough calls go out for people to put their nets, poles and hands away.

The birds in the area are a mish mash of sober and... well... high on edible containing bread and they do the odd swoop down to buzz people. Rowenova's catch is oooh'd and ahhh'd over and after weights are done, fish are being divy'd up to be taken to the soup kitchen, the tragedy, to various people's homes and for the street festival. No doubt the lowers will eat a little better tonight but also be able to dry some fish for the winter through the generosity of the others present in the lowers.

In the end though, Rowenova, the Redrain scout is declared the winner of the derby and a gaudy but beautiful and heavily encrust crown of glass, imitation stone and steel is passed over by one of Josephine's children and people retreat to partake of commoner quality alcohol, some food and even some fresh roasted fish.

Sparte finds himself clapped on the back by other members of the guard, Maja's groupies all pat her shoulder in consolation as it turns out, Whispers aren't -that- good at fishing. There's remarks that Mirella surprised man, some fish as long as her almost - exaggeration - and more than a few slant looks at Magpie for fouling up thier catches with his... bread. Kamon though, the man who happily sat and casted his line out sees to fare on the lower end, but the smile on his face never falls. He caught just as many fish, it seems, as he wanted to.

There will be time to mill about, perhaps fish a little more at ones own pace and others head off to prepare for the city run. And the mud.

Stefano, an inconspicuous Lycene bodyguard, Carmela, a gleaming dusken-feathered crow, Alba, a small, azure-eyed white cat leave, following Mirella.

Stefano, an inconspicuous Lycene bodyguard, Carmela, a gleaming dusken-feathered crow, Alba, a small, azure-eyed white cat arrive, following Mirella.

Zavi have been dismissed.

After falling down a few times, getting up, and turning in the big fish (pulled off her right arm with some help from a couple people), then the Halfshav scout is finally free of the giant one. She will donate all the smaller ones but that big one will be going home later! Nova turns back a ringed wave to Brady and Cillian, "Thank you so much!" Sir Flop bounds along with Cillian until he gets closer to Nova who crouches down and hugs him up. "Sir Floppers!" In that moment the gaudy crown is suddenly donned upon her drenched, wolf-framed noggin between the triangular ears.

Raymesin, making his way past, nods to Rowenova. "Congrats," he says to her, his heavy Lowers accent conveying more warmth than the rest of him appears to be feeling. "Good fishin'."

Brady offers his congratulations, and in some cases, consolations, before being encouraged by some of the other fisherman to buy them all drinks. His well-known generosity a curse, he accepts it and heads off with his new 'friends'.