When it comes to the world of Norrath there is one subject that has many adventurer's thouroughly confused. That is the subject of overly aggressive fish. Where else to look, but the world reknowned and amazingly useful guide of choice? The Ultimate Adventurer's Guide to Norrath has this to say the matter: So you are an adventurer who happens upon a cozy little pond or stream that looks like such a wondrous fishing hole you just can't possible ignore. There you are fishing away--and having great luck mind you--with your feet in the water, when all the sudden a nasty bugger of a fish swims up and starts nipping at your dangling toes. Your first reaction is to kick at them with your feet hoping that will scare them off. But then the nibbling turns into full fledged bites, drawing blood, and in turn, drawing more agressive little bugger of a fish buddies. At this point the desire to keep all of your toes is rather--although illogical--larger than your desire to catch a nice lunker for dinner. You jump up and search out your boots to head off and catch yourself a land based meal. This is when things go horribly wrong. As you are lacing up your boots made from a previously killed deer you leap up in surprise when you noticed the before mentioned little bugger of a fish has managed to flop his way over to where you were sitting, and ever-so-casually sink its teeth into your buttock. Another mind-boggling suprise comes when you see his three friends have joined in the hunt. The inital reaction is to stand there with a stupid look on your face contemplating exactly how it is one should react in this situation, as this is obviously a situation one would never expect to find himself. The second reation is to run, all the while unable to comprehend why you are running across land from a fish, and unable to avoid the sinking feeling of embarrassment of not being able to outrun the flopping fish chasing. While there are other documentations of aggressive fish incidents in "When Dinner Attacks" by Wilferd Bazal or "What if Dinner Ate You?" by Shimila Josko, it is only in this guide that has documented the ways in which adventurer's have attempted to overcome this annoying situation. One fellow adventurer decided--after three laps around the forest glade--that if the fish were as fast as he was on land with no legs, then it was possible he could be faster than them in the water with no fins. He also believed that if they could breath air perhaps he could breath the water in which they had came from. It is unknown whether this theory is actually true as he was never found again to confirm one way or the other. This is a possible solution to overly aggressive fish (possible side effects: death). Another possible, and more logical solution is to ran as fast as you can to the guards. The only documentation of this solution at use resulted in the death of an entire guard patrol. Although the adventurer escaped the incident unharmed he was later hanged by the Queen's orders for the murder of her guards. The accused explained how it wasn't him, but a school of land faring fish he was promptly laughed at. [/QUOTE] A recent update in The Ultimate Adventurer's Guide to Norrath has this to say: It was discovered recently that the agressive land faring fish were, in fact, not agressive at all, but simply longed to be eaten. If an adventurer prepares a nice hot frying pan coated in butter, and lays it near him while he is fishing, the agressive fish will flop out of the water, across the grass to the pan, and flop happily in it. Let sit til both sides are golden-brown, then enjoy a nice meal. [/QUOTE] As to one theory on where in the world these types of fish came from The Ultimate Adventurer's Guide to Norrath has this to say: One Arti Zigglebinks, gnome scholar and alchemist, is believed to have created this amazingly--although annoying--mutation in the fish. Apparently he grew tired of adventurers coming onto his land and fishing out his pond. As a counter measure he spent three years preparing a Chloro Acid Reflux Potion that allowed the fish to breathe air, and later added a stimulant that enabled the fish to flop fast and ever-so-accurately across land. This indeed kept the adventurers from fishing his pond. The one unexpected side effect came when all his fish flopped out of his pond and to other, more desirable, waterholes, thus spreading the genetic mutation to every body of water in Norrath. Arti Zigglebinks--being too old and frail to catch land based food--later died of starvation. [/QUOTE]
I myself have experienced this while adventuring in the Forest Ruins just outside the Baubleshire. I was attacked by a school (herd) of vicious fish, who ascended up out of the pond and chased me all the way back to the gates of the city. I barely made it through the gate with my life. When I reported it to the authorities, they laughed at me!
