Etuzu the Hunter

The story of Etuzu the Hunter is a popular fairytale told to children in the Hobgoblin realm of Mor Ughol. It tells of Etuzu, a hunter who lived with his tribe on an island off the coast of The Shattered Strand, in the times of old when Ustrul-Udu was still great.
Etuzu was of great pride, confident that he was the greatest hunter the seas had ever seen. Ever day he sailed the archipelago on his trusty canoe, stalking the beasts of the isles so that he might bring home the finest of pelts and the sharpest of beast-fangs. With great cunning, he lured sharks into the low waters, cutting his own flesh to act as living bait, and he speared the great beasts where they could not swim with elegance.
Years passed, but no matter how many beasts he slew, how many hides or shark-skins he brought to his tribe, Etuzu was never content. And with time, his red skin became sun-cracked, and he could feel his arms weaken and see his beard grow grey upon the water's surface.
Furious, he cursed and spat at the sea, cursed the god Hruggek who would not show him worthy prey. The sea in front of him began to boil and froth, and from the waves rose the terrible form of the Hunter-god himself, his spiked skull-mace in hand.
Etuzu became frightened, but his pride would not allow it to show. He continued to insult the god, and Hruggek was greatly amused by his bravado.
The god obliged Etuzu, and promised him that if he sought out and felled the Killer-whale Namidzerag, he would be known and remembered on every shore of The Red Bay for as long as there was water in the ocean and sand on its shores.
Etuzu knew of Namidzerag, but had always thought it to be but a legend. He accepted the task, and vowed to Hruggek that he would not rest until the great whale was dead.
He sailed the waters of the Red Bay, Heeding the legends and rumors of the tribes he saw. After three moons, he found Namidzerag's lair, a great forest of kelp and coral, nourished by the bones of his prey and the rotting remains of many a canoe. As Etuzu began to hatch a plan to defeat the whale, a great shadow was cast upon him, and he was swallowed whole by Namidzerag, the great killer-whale.
Etuzu was caught by surprise, but his panic quickly turned to anger, and he was furious at the beast who would deny him his prophecy. He pulled out his sharktooth blade and began to wildly slash and stab at the guts of the great whale, whose belly began to fill with his own dark blood.
As Namidzerag sunk to the ocean floor, the hunter within became trapped in the great beast's guts. Water filled his lungs, the fire in his eyes died out, and Etuzu the Hobgoblin was no more.
The Hunter-god, Hruggek chuckled at the sight. The form of the great whale began to shift and grow, its skin taking on a reddish hue. Its eyes flashed bright like a fire, and its name was Etuzu, the Hunter.

Though readers such as you and I might view the story of Etuzu as a cautionary tale, to be taken as a lesson against pride and blasphemy, the Mor Ughol do not share that view. To them, it is a tale of great determination and strength, and they use it to teach their children that only by being brave and ambitious will you reach your dreams.

— Translator's note from Red Reavers: Tales and Legends of the Mor Ughol, Translated to the Common Tongue.