Tilbak

Not much for a meal, but they'll buy you more than you'll ever need.
The hard part is catching them. You need the right stuff, and the connections, too.
I wish you luck getting it.

Tilbak are an elusive, golden-scaled fish which can be found in the Gilded Reefs off the coast of Stykker.

Gilded Scales

With beautiful, golden scales, the tilbak are living works of art. It is no surprise, then, that they are the primary export of cities situated on the Gilded Reef's shorelines.
Tilbak are fished and sold primarily by the Tilbari, who earned their name precisely for the trade of this valuable fish, with the greatest Tilbari populations living in the city of Gold Port.

Blood in the Water

Where there is tilbak, there is profit, Stykker residents often say. And where there is profit, there is always someone who wishes to benefit from it.
These fish were found to be so valuable that a civil war was fought in their name, and against impossible odds. The Gold War was fought between the Undmãr Council and the Tilbari Resistance over oppressive taxation policies centered around the export of tilbak. This threatened to ruin local fishermen, while lining the pockets of the Council further inland.

You'd be amazed, the small creatures that can be worth fighting wars over.

Creature Type
Fish
Color
Gold
Location
Gilded Reefs

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Old Wive's Tales

A popular old wive's tale says that one should refrain from eating fish scales, lest you grow gills and must go live in the ocean forever.
Generally, the effects of consuming fish scales are inconsequential, though the scales of the tilbak are known to be unsafe for consumption, which may be where this old wive's tale originated.

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Sign of Wealth

The most established Tilbari fishing families keep small schools of tilbak in their homes, a show of the pride they have for the industry that brought them prosperity.
This is a bold move, and they must trust the security of their homes, to display such valuable fish in a place where they may easily be captured and stolen.

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The Right Vehicle

I saved up for my entire life just to buy one of these glorious little boats. Don't let that scare you... I happened to be making only... however much copper I found on the market streets per day back then. It wasn't too expensive, really. I didn't have a job then, but I sure can earn a living now! Watch out tilbak, here I come!

— Enthusiastic young Gold Port fisherman

Tilbak are not quite as easy to catch as the average ocean fish, being a very timid species that lives within the coral formations of the Gilded Reefs. Normal boats scare these fish long before you will reach the reefs in which they hide, which means that those who wish to capture these golden creatures require a specialized boat known as a Tilbakarin. Through generations of trial and error, the Tilbari developed these specialized canoes which are less likely to spook the tilbak, and carry traps which attract them.

Exclusive Equipment

Tilbakarin are elegant canoes constructed out of Stykker's local hard woods. The wooden frame that makes up the bulk of the boat is covered with pitched smooth bark to make the canoe waterproof. Despite the quality of materials and level of care that goes into the construction of these twelve-foot boats, they are relatively inexpensive to purchase. However, in order to purchase and use a tilbakarin for its intended purpose, one must be registered with Gold Port's fisherman's guild.
These canoes are the only effective boats in regards to fishing tilbak on the reefs, as any other type of vessel appears to dissuade the fish from revealing themselves or leave the safety of the nooks and crannies of the reef. The canoes are built to support the attachment of up to twelve fish traps at one time, which trail behind the boat at near-reef depth with the goal of capturing tilbak.
Because these are geared to be oceanic fishing boats, the wood is heavily treated to resist damage caused by prolonged exposure to saltwater. In addition, the boats are built for optimal stability when dealing with ocean waves, rather than for speed and maneuverability, which are often not very necessary when fishing on the reef.