Gemborne Salmon

Endemic to the lake and rivers of Carcassonne, the Gemborne Salmon is an angry looking, ugly fish. Heads of dark off blue with big sassy fish eyes. Their teeth curl into a permanent snarl. Scales form a light armor around the sides. When submerged they are near invisible. But, when they leap out of the water into the sunlight it has a prismatic effect. As if a fish somehow fucked glitter. That's Gemborne Salmon. The people of Carcassonne would later discover veins of lapis lazuli within the skulls of the salmon. Intricate and unexpected patterns. Some say runes. Others see the stars. Perhaps, in just the right light it could be anything. They are prized for their mystery as well as their beauty.

Some say that they can used to divine the future. The legend is that the spring from which the river is fed, high up in the mountains, is a source of primordial force. A window into fate. The fish that reach it return with knowledge. Or so the legend would say.

Fished from Lake Anguish in Carcassone

Gemborne Salmon Skull

Trade Good

Uncommon

The salmon that live in the lake in the center of Carcassonne are coveted for their gem inlaid skulls. After collection and cleaning, these skulls are often presented as gifts during the Lapis Festival. The skulls, inlaid with naturally occurring lapis lazuli, are brilliantly blue. Veins and seams of the gemstone material creating detailed and unique patterns in the bones.




It is said, that if someone catches the salmon themselves, the seams of gem in the skull can be read as though a fortune. A single question can be asked, and when the skull is shattered the breaks and cracks reveal an answer to anyone who knows how to read the fishbones.

Cost: 50 gp - 500 gp
Weight: 1 lb.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Gemborne Salmon can reach up to 4 feet in length as adults, and reach sexual maturity at beyond 2 feet in length. They have tensely muscled fusiform body, a torpedo shape. This allows them to be incredibly fast swimmers, and climbers.

Genetics and Reproduction

To reproduce the Gemborne Salmon must return to the place it spawned. All Gemborne Salmon were spawned at an unknown source somewhere high in the mountains. A river that runs down into the Carcassonne Valley. No one has discovered the location they spawn at, but there is an annual migration up from the lake into the mountains. It is a sight to behold, as the rivers become alive with their relentless passage.

Dietary Needs and Habits

They are a carnivorous fish. Young salmon eat insects, invertebrates and plankton. Adults eat other fish, squid, eels and shrimp. And possibly the neighborhood cat Mr Bigglestuff, but really the cat's eyes were bigger than its stomach and you can't blame the salmon for that.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

There are rumors that they can sense the future.
But it appears they are actually just a fish.

Scientific Name

Fish