Waveskimmers:
A wave skimmer is the traditional fishing vessel of pack Seabird. These solo operated crafts are made up of a tear drop shaped piece of oak wood that get thinner the closer it is to the tip. around the middle of the board is a large sail that can pivot allowing the sailor to turn the board. on the bottom are 3 metal blades that help the craft cut over the top of the water. Between the 2 rearmost blades is a small hook used to attach a net that will drag along under the board while in motion. Depending on the type of prey being hunted the size of the board will vary with some styles opting for slight lips on the side to protect ankles from jumpy fish.
Trained sailors of a wave skimmer can easily get the craft moving about 35 miles per hour, while experts can ride as fast at 50. However this fast moving activity requires lots of agility, as such is often left to younger hunters who aren’t ready or able to dive for urchin. Many make a sport of how fast they can get their vessel moving while still able to maintain control while maneuvering around the jagged rocks along the many cliffsides.
Sailors on board a wave skimmer hunt by using a seabird who will fly overhead to find a school of fish or other prey, different birds are trained to find different kinds of fish and many hunters have a preference of things to hunt. Once the prey is found the hunter throws a short barbed spear, that is attached by strong cord to the base of the sail shaft, into the animal and pulls it in. Skilled hunters tend to avoid killing the fish and instead put them into the nets under their board so they will maintain their freshness for longer.
Urchin Divers:
There are 3 main types of urchin that live in the waters near pack Seabird, Green, Red, and Black. All of the urchin are very different with different regulations and practices on how to gather them. The Green urchin is a rather large specimen about the size of a newborn’s head. It has a rough but rather squishy texture and can be found in the most shallow water off the beach, never more than 5 feet under. Its not uncommon during low tide to see dozens half buried on the shore. As for potential hazards they are probably the most harmless thing in all of the world. Because of this they are often left for young children to gather as its a good opportunity for them to practice swimming and getting accustomed to finding prey under the water.
Green Urchins inhale water into a small opening in their top and waste leaves through a hole in the bottom. Resulting in the urchins sitting atop small mounds of a sandy soil mixture full of nutrient waste. This waste is known as Pevte. The process of harvesting the urchin is rather easy as what they lack in natural defense they make up for in numbers. The process in which the flesh is harvested from them is a more complicated matter. It has been found best to submerge the urchin in frigid fresh water which kills the urchin and makes the outer shell stiff, easy to pry open. The meat is then harvested and dried. Green urchin is a weird mix of sweet and unbearably salty. It is often ground into a spice used in many recipes but also is a favorite treat of the gulls who call pack Seabird home.
The Red urchin is the less abundant of that of the Green, but is much more favorable a flavor and easily farmable in the warm water of the kelp farms found 100 feet below the wake. The bright green kelp that grows in this area is a favorite food of the Red urchin and the more kelp in the area the more urchins that can be sustained. This relationship gives way to the profession of kelp farmers who tend to large patches of kelp, using Pevte to help the plant grow, and weeding the gardens from more invasive mosses. The danger involved with harvesting Red urchin and that with kelp farming comes from the uthtari eel. A large serpent like creature with 6 inch fangs and faster then an arrow. Growing upwards of 10 feet long these ambush predators burry themselves in the sand and wait for any prey large enough to get close.
Red urchin gets it name from the color of the water after a naive hunter unknowingly gets to close to the waiting predator. While it would be easy to remove all the uthari, they keep away other mammals like seals and otters who gorge themselves on the Red urchin resulting in a failed harvest. After a dangerous dive to the floor of the kelp forest 100 feet below, skilled harvesters gather Red urchin in large sacks. an average trip can gather around 50 urchins.
After being gathered the Red urchin is cleaned in warm fresh water and baked in their shell. After cooking the shell becomes brittle and flakes apart, leaving a hearty meat behind. The flaked shell is then ground into a fine powder used more all sorts of things from paints, house construction, to some medicinal uses.
The Black urchin is the deadliest of all 3, being used for it many alchemical properties. The skilled divers who take the risk of harvesting it are paid handsomely. Being found deep, well below 300 feet, under the jagged spikes where the current is strongest these urchins are highly stubborn. They have 3 inch barbed spikes that dig into the side of rocks and leak a corrosive toxin that causes the rock to melt around the barbs creating a stronger hold. The toxin itself besides melting the flesh from your hand has a strong paralytic effect causing the mussels to freeze for a short time. Not normally deadly on its own, 2 minutes of being unable to move that deep below the surface is a death sentence. There has been one reported survivor of someone who was pricked by the urchin on their dive.
Not only is gathering the Black urchin so dangerous because of the urchin itself, but also the darkness of the sea that far below the surface. Before a drive, hunters will take a small blue fungus found inside the Great Forest that emits a soft glow with them, giving a tiny amount of light. There have been some reports of divine spells giving a glowing aura but because of the danger involved testing is limited.
If the current doesn’t pull you into the sharp rocks, and the urchin doesn’t send you sinking into the nothingness below, gathering more than one is almost impossible because of the limited time you have that far below. When a hunter does manage to retrieve one they are almost instantly bought by Pack Sunskiss. No one knows why they so eagerly want them only that they will pay very very well.