There once was a fisherman who lived at the edge of the sea though never had put his foot in the water. Cautious and chicken-hearted, he found a sweet spot close to the shore where he could let down the nets, catching fish and marine animals. Seafood was a popular culinary delight in those parts, so the riches were willing to pay a pretty penny to have their tables covered with crabs, seahorses, sea urchins, rainbow trout, salmon, and whatever else you can get from the depths of the sea. Cautiousness was never in the way of our protagonist’s greed for profit. Crafty and cunning, he found a perfect way to achieve maximum output out of the fishery. Having cast the nets, he then returned the next morning to recover all sorts of seaside booty. Looking for the optimal efficacy, he then dared to violate the main principle of the fishermen - respect and gratitude for the gifts the sea brings. He never released the lesser fish that got caught alongside the bigger prey. He just threw everything he considered useless right there on the beach, leaving small fry there to die. He was splitting bigger fish to get his hands on caviar that was highly rated among his clients and tossed out the leftovers. He never respected the limit regulations applied to the rarest and most precious species and was catching them to an unwarranted extend. The other fishermen publically condemned and denounced him, calling him a cheapskate and penny pincher. Some would even go as far as curse him and pray for the sea to punish him. Our tradesman, however, didn’t listen to anyone, caring only about the increase of his wealth.

But his principles were about to be tested. One of these days, he was heading home from the city, happily juggling a heavy purse filled with gold, when he noticed a giant golden shimmering crab splashing in the water. “No way! This must be the legendary Golden Crab, the rarest thing in the whole world! - he thought - “So far away from the shore though. What should I do? I’ve never sailed away this far in my life. If I catch it though, I’ll never have to fish ever again, I will be provided for till my dying day.” This was the moment two of his predominant traits - cautiousness and greed - clashed against each other. The latter won the battle, leading our hero in the middle of the sea. Excited and hyped-up, he was rowing impatiently towards the desired target. Closer and closer, until he reached that exact spot the crab had shown up earlier. “Where are you? Show yourself!” - he muttered eagerly. As if responding to his call, the most magnificent sea creature re-emerged from the deep of the sea. “Got you!” - he screamed, launching a fish gig that plunged right to the core of the poor creature. The crab started twitching frantically, bleeding in pain and torment. Trying to escape from the deadly trap, almost at death's door, the crab tore itself away with all the strength that was left. The fisherman, not expecting this amount of pushback, plopped down right in the water, turning over his own boat.

No one ever saw the hero of our story ever again. Some of the fellow fishermen say, however, that the same legendary golden crab sometimes appears on the water surface. Those who managed to get close mention they noticed within the giant crab’s body a deformed intergrown human face frozen with terror.

Design par Great Grimoire

Exemple de peinture par Galthan Ironsturm

Website created with - Legal notice - Terms of Sales