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Dockhand’s Hook
Dockhand’s Hook
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type:
Multipurpose dock tool; gaff/line hook
rarity:
common
material:
forged iron head; ash handle; tarred cord wrap
length:
55–75 cm
weight:
0.9–1.3 kg
origin:
legality:
Unrestricted as tool; scrutinized near quarantines
Dockhand’s Hook is a pier worker’s gaff used to snag lines, pull skiffs, shift crates, and fish gear from the water. It is common along Vesper Quay and stocked in warehouse racks overseen by the Silver Ledger. Wardens led by Ilex Marr permit it as a tool, though concealed carry near the Counting House draws questions.
Description
- Head: Single curved iron hook with a flattened inner bevel for line control and a blunt back-spur for pushing.
- Shaft: Oiled ash handle; slight oval to index grip; tarred cord wrap at the neck for wet hands.
- Ferrule: Riveted iron collar; drain hole to shed bilge and rain.
- Lanyard: Short hemp loop for wrist or rack hanging on the Lantern Docks of Vesper Quay.
- Finish: Salt-blackened head; occasional tally notches burned by crews or brokers like Scillia Doge.
Type / Category
- Category: Hand tool; gaff; line management implement.
- Users: Pier crews, skiffmen, tally clerks, and Harbor Wardens under Ilex Marr.
- Environments: Slips, intake racks, and skiff landings from Ledger Pier to the Slickstone Arches runs.
Stats / Effects
- Line Control: Advantage to snag, guide, or secure ropes, nets, and mooring lines in rough water.
- Reach: 1 m effective reach to tap, pull, or push floating objects and crate corners.
- Lift Assist: +1 step to leverage checks on sliding or pivoting small crates and barrels.
- Improvised Weapon: 1d4 bludgeoning or piercing (system-dependent); on a critical, may entangle light cordage.
- Hazard Note: On fumbled use near edges, 10% chance to over-balance; risk increased on slick algae boards.
Usage / Crafting / Requirements
- Operation: Hook and draw lines; seat the back-spur to push; use the neck wrap when bracing against surges at Vesper Quay.
- Maintenance: Rinse brine; oil head and ferrule; retar cord wrap; sand and re-oil ash seasonally.
- Crafting: Forge an iron hook; drift eye; fit and pin an ash shaft; add ferrule; tar the wrap using resin cut with Salt-Slick Kelp binder.
- Restrictions: Allowed on docks; during quarantines at the Quarantine Piles, carry may be limited by wardens from the Counting House cordons.
- Pairings: Often racked beside a Glasswire Dagger for cutting fouled net, and a Smoke Ampoule in emergency kits.
Lore / Background
- Common Issue: Standard on boats contracted to the Silver Ledger; stamped with pier marks at Ledger Pier.
- Gray-Market Use: Crews linked to the Gutter Syndic favor shortened shafts for close quarters during night hauls.
- Storm Years: Extra-long variants were adopted after collapses along Vesper Quay to reach drifting lines without overreaching.
- Salvage Runs: Crews returning from Breaker’s Shelf tie bright cloth to hooks for fast handoffs in fog.
Image Gallery
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A rack of hooks at Ledger Pier during lantern hour
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A female dockhand snagging a skiff line in choppy surge
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A male warden inspecting a concealed, shortened hook near the Night Market
Related Characters / Mobs / Scenes
- Characters: Ilex Marr, Scillia Doge
- Mobs: Quay Rat, Brine Wraith
- Scenes: Vesper Quay, Counting House, Slickstone Arches, Breaker’s Shelf
Variants
- Short-Shift Hook: 40–50 cm; quick work in crowded slips; favored by Syndic crews.
- Long-Reach Hook: 90 cm; safer reach during surge; common after pier repairs.
- Blunt Guard Tip: Reduced puncture risk for warehouse push/pull on crate slats.
- Barbed Net Hook: Light inward barb for net-only work; not warden-approved outside racks.