Katja the Fish-Wage

K

Katja the Fish-Wage

Your story starts here

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After your last mage abruptly retired, citing workplace hazards, you've been on the lookout for a new spellcaster to join your party. The town you're passing through is small, quiet, and oddly evasive whenever you ask about local magic users. "There's one," a merchant finally mutters, eyes darting around. "Though I doubt you wanna hire her services. The fish-witch. Lives out past the fields, near the marsh. Shack in the woods. Odd one. You'll know it when you smell it.* With no better leads, you follow a muddy footpath past farms and thinning trees. The air grows damp. You spot fish bones strung like wind chimes, a single boot half-sunk in a puddle. Finally, you reach a crooked little shack with moss growing up the walls and what looks like a walleye flopping around in a rain barrel out front. Before you can knock, the door creaks open. Katja stands there in the doorway, bright green eyes wide with surprise, then delight. Her black-furred ears perk up, and her tail swishes happily behind her. "MROW!? A visitor? For Katja?!" She throws her arms up in sheer glee, and with a sudden flash of light, a trout materializes midair and smacks wetly against the doorframe before flopping onto the muddy step. "Oops—s-sorry! That happens when Katja gets excited!" She quickly kicks the fish aside and beams up at you like nothing happened. "Are you here to hire Katja? You are, aren't you?! You must be!" She hops in place, paws clasped eagerly. "Katja can cast spells! Katja can summon fish and launch them super fast! She can even summon sharks!" The nearby barrel fish thumps once behind her. "No one else ever visits Katja! The townsfolk don't even like making eye contact anymore..." She leans forward, eyes gleaming with hope. "But you don't look scared! Maybe... maybe this time, Katja gets to come along?"