Monday, July 23, 2018

A Light Show Over Sans Culpra - or Sufficient

Night fishing crews all over Farovia were treated to a surprise display of fireworks more stunning than any in the last decade last night. Accounts placed the origin somewhere is the southern reaches of Sans Culpra and probably caused by a boat with multiple members using Fire Sludge outside intended waters, a practice discouraged in recent years by authorities but occasionally tried by a few die hards along with a sister technique of using a Cubie Incenerator to create a dazzling ice display.

It was a stunning show but new reports are hinting at a possible grim ending to their celebration. The show stopped abruptly after the display with a furious burst near water level according to other boats in nearby waters. The Farovia Coast Guard was called in and an investigation is underway.

Very late reports claim that a three man crew approached the scene to lend assistance and has recovered an old dinghy with five surviors. No other vessel has been spotted at this reporting although the three man boat reported seeing a fast moving light on the surface apparently going in the direction of Magma Reef.

More details will follow when they become available.

The Farovia Coast Guard is now confirming that a fire broke out last night on board the night fishing vessel for the Way Down In A Hole team, a consistant all time top ten contender and nearing a massive 3000 consecutive night multiplier. The boat has not been recovered but crews are stil searching in the area of Sans Culpra adjoining Magma Reef.

According to the five crew picked up by rescuers the team was celebrating some recent achievments by the captain and firt mate with apparently all 7 on board using either Cubey Incinerator poles or Fire sludge chum and fire broke out when a chum bucket of Fire Sludge was overturned.

Records list the captain as ML (Margie) Goodbread and the first mate as Steve Sherrill. Both are still officially listed as missing.

More details will follow when they become available.

More details are now emerging regarding the fire and presumed loss of a night fishing boat last night in Sans Culpra. A crew mwmber has come forward with this harrowing but improbable tale of the final moments of the cruise.

Captain Margie and Steve were both celebrating milestones so we decided to put on the best night show ever with the Magma Reef gear. The trouble started when Steve began his usual habit of parading around deck doing his "look at me, the trophy Nebula" performance complete with sound effects and other unpleasant attributes. He was obessed with the description of said fish as a "flatulant gas bag" and considered it a kindred spirit but he did provide a quite convincing replica. Making matters worse, the Kärlek Hotel up on Raukus Tarn held a chili cook off for the cowboys and lumberjacks last night and Steve had finished a solid 3rd in the all you can eat contest.

Well, when we knew this was in the offing so we put a dinghy in tow for a refuge for when things got too "intense" and that really saved our bacon last night. Steve decided we would go out in old captain Thomas' Mini Cruiser that they had seized for lost catches when the original captain quit and stranded them in Misty Cliffs almost 8 years ago. The old tub didn't have a working rocket booster for all we knew but found out different when the fire broke out.

We were real pleased with the fire and ice show and were certain we would be the talk of Farovia in the morning but then Steve started making his Nebula act a bit "too real" and we all retreated in mass to the dinghy for some fresh air. In all the shuffling, a chum bucket of Fire Sludge was spilled and the old boat was instantly in flames. Captain Margie and Steve got it all knocked in the water but that just caused the fireworks to start again. That is when the Ancient Mariner appeared after seeing all the trouble from his roost in Krakken Rocks.

He helped get all the fire controlled and then turned a stern glare toward Margie and Steve. They were told they could never again sail the seas of Farovia or Roperia but because their previously untarnished reputation could each choose a place were they could stay and fish as long as they wanted.

Steve immediately chose Snowpeak Summit. He had stashed all his gear in his old Sub Zero Survival Shelter and he had always liked it there. Captain Margie thought for a moment and said she had heard rumours of new and unopened regions above Red Love Bay full of Cowboys and Lumberjacks. She thought that would be a tremendous place to be. The Ancient Mariner was not happy with this but decided she was less to blame so agreed and cautioned that the only way to get there was to walk along a path through the forest from a hidden cove on Red Love Bay. He would take her to the path but no further. The captain grinned and thought that was even better. What better way to find some lumberjacks but to go wandering in a forest full of them she said and they were on their way with an admonishment to Steve to wait right there until he returned.

As Captain Margie and the Ancient Mariner faded into the distance, we noticed too late that a chunck of Fire Sludge had been missed and was lodged under the Rocket Booster. In a flash the fuel valve burned through and that old tub took off like a ruptured duck directly for Magma Reef. The Ancient Mariner returned and after we explained what happened he went searching for Steve and we stayed put waiting for rescue.

Nancy Trahn, the private investigator from Raukus Tarn kept hearing mentions of Magma Reef and decided to join the search efforts starting with Earl's Lava Shack. Earl was mostly awake but obviously exhausted from an unusually busy for him overnight. Earl confirmed that someone had roared up to his dock in the middle of the night in a boat so burned through it was held together more with memory than anything else. Darn fool jumped out just as it sunk into the reef with only a Lava suit, an ancient Cubey Incinerator - the kind that could only make ten casts in a day that we had to refit a couple years back, a Kelp Net like they use up in Doom Island and some snow shoes. He talked me into selling him a bucket of Fire Sludge and a small tin of Fish Guts some guy had left when he ordered a pole repair. Then he went out on the dock and commenced fishing like a mad man until I was sure that old CI was beyond repair and was about to join that boat down in my reef. Just then, he wrapped that cubie lure with the Kelp Net and started chuckin' the Fish Guts. The biggest Mother Cubey I've ever seen came boiling out of the water. 
Then that buffoon grabbed the snowshoes, jumped into the boiling water, snag the net and somehow got hold of the Mother Cubey. She spooked and took off like a torpedo for Icelantica with the guy hanging on for dear life.

Nancy Trahn found Steve in his survival shack on top of Snowpeak Summit where he told her the final chapter to the story. The Lava Suit had kept him more or less dry across Sans Cupra so the chill of Glacier Bay was not too much of a shock when the Mother Cubey finally slapped him away onto the shore. He had managed to keep hold of the snowshoes so started the long path to the summit. He was tormented along the way by a crazed penguin, a deranged racoon and a demented polar bear but they finally agreed to let him pass and stay in his shack on the summit as long as he left them alone and did not steal any more of their stuff ... and keep them stocked with plenty of fresh fish.

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And that my friends was my exit strategy for Fish Wrangler but the timing just didn't work out that way.

I have finished everything there is to do in the game and nothing is left undone - that is sufficient.

I have accumulated over a billion points, equally balanced my goodness / evilness points and caught the only fish completely barefoot with game chum that I had previously caught using either RED or Liquid Gold and those too are sufficient.

I am old, tired and choosing to retire at what I consider the top of my game rather than just surprise myself and the rest of y'all by not being able to log in any more one morning. I will still log in and hit the Fish Now from time to time when I get bored and may go after any new fish that catches my interest but do not plan to explore any further new areas.

I wish Joe, Jillian and the kids all the best. Thanks for nearly 9 years of good times. The seas were a little choppy at times but overall great fun and good memories.

Take care my friends, may you keep enjoying Fish Wrangler until you feel it has been sufficient also. It has been a pleasure sharing this journey with you. Fair winds and following seas and as always ... Fish ON !

--
Steve
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