03 - Crabster

A PROFESSION THAT IS CONSIDERED DIRTY

Not everybody gets to be a local hero or celebrity star. When hundreds of people come home from a day at the beach they bring with them hundreds of the Portrood Horned Crab that need to be dealt with. These are usually older members of the community that can't perform physically demanding jobs but still need to contribute somehow. It's not complicated work and with the modern tools crafted from the shells and further enhanced with the sheathing process it makes for a peaceful repetitive task than can be quite soothing once you get used to smelling like crab guts.

Despite being integral to the survival of the town, these folk tend to be looked down on as doing menial work or being somehow less worthy of people able to do more active or dangerous work. There are those who even refuse to work the crabs because they are concerned that their peers would judge them for being lazy or useless. The most experienced or pushy person usually leads the job and organizes whoever shows up to help. Mostly it's young teens who are too young to journey to the beach or elders who can no longer casually trek to the beach unaided who sit around and exchange tales and experiences.

In an attempt to curtail the negative perception of this vital work, Arivid Khallupi, a respected town elder and wiseman began attending the shelling shifts. He does almost no actual work but his incredible storytelling and wide range of experiences entertain everyone while they work. This new social connection has had the unexpected effect of also drawing a small flock of admirers to Arivid, which is something he's never wanted but is beginning to find convenient now that he's getting older - or so he says.

Type

Public Services