Watching the hunting party continue on in the fading sunlight, Poltergeist shrugs and bends down to study the plant some more. He has no idea what this one is called, but its leaves were broad and vibrant green, waxy, and berries grew from some of the stems that he dare not eat. He leans down, careful to avoid the berries, and snaps a bit of the plant off with his teeth and carries it along with him anyway. It takes some of the work away if he doesn't have to double back this way and could just wander off to where he pleased afterwards.

As he slithered through the grass, taking quiet and careful steps with his eyes trained on the backs of the lions ahead of him, a scent hit him in the nostrils. Prey. Two hippo calves lie ahead, and suddenly, the party is on the move. Poltergeist focuses on the two large (but not) shadows on the horizon and hangs back. Eventually, the scent of blood hangs thick in the air, and he wanders off entirely. /exit

art + code

The animals the group is stalking eventually make themselves known as two large silhouettes appear on the horizon, painted in the reds and oranges of the dying sunlight. Two hippo calves playing in the dusty flatlands of the fields, dust clouding their position, encircling them.

"Maua give us strength to successfully bring these creatures down..." she murmured a prayer under her breath as they all ebbed closer to their prizes. Fury knows this hunt won't be an easy one, not even with the potential numbers of this group.

And it isn't, but they are somehow successful in bringing both animals down. It is perhaps fitting, though, as such a large group would need large prey to feed them all. Fury waits her turn, but gathers enough meat for her meal, to which she eats a few feet away from the carcasses. When she feels her hunger is sated, she wanders back towards the rock to grab her stashed herbs. Idly, she heads back in the direction she came, but pauses as she realizes she'd again come across the plant that looked like a toxin.

Placing her bundle down, she examines the plant one more time, making note of the leaves, their color, and the purple berries growing from some of the stems. Deciding that it'd be easier to identify later with an actual sample, she leans in and carefully snaps a branch of it off, avoiding the ones with the berries. Dual-toned eyes note that another was here as well, by scent and by sight. One more of the branches of the plant is missing in action and there's an odd aroma lingering here. Still, she spits the sample into her bundle, pushing it far in so that she has less of a chance at poisoning herself, and then carrying it off, making haste to leave the area. /exit


[medic xp] (doubled)
+10 Collect herbs
+10 Study the flora of a neutral territory
+10 Participate in a hunt

code x art

IANTHE

Paths had been trampled in the aftermath, clear-cuts through the long grass where predator met prey.
Ianthe stands over the aftermath, chest heaving and paws aching. She thinks she might have trampled over a few rocks, at one point, and certainly some of the blood on her paw-pads was hers. With a sigh, the mire princess examines her injury while the rest of the hunting party takes their share. There's a slight gash on the widest part of her metacarpal pad, and while it hadn't really hurt before, looking at the proof of it causes it to sting.
Ianthe's mind is no longer on the food, but it does seem wasteful to have injured herself only to go home hungry. She begrudgingly takes a few bites, and then decides to go find the nearest clean body of water to wash her paws in.
She leaves to the collect the pile of unearthed devil's claw into her bag, and heads over to the watering hole.

/exit

double exp event

+10 participate in a hunt using the rolled hunt system
+10 gather herbs for nursing or birthing

coded by flea

 

The dark male waited, and while he did so, he observed those who arrived after him. He passed his lunar gaze from predator to predator, yet stopped on one in particular: a plum-coated lioness who had noticed him. He blinked, wondering what she wanted, why she was making her way over. The shadow narrowed his eyes, carefully scrutinizing the mischief he thought he found hiding in her expression — before she asked him for help removing a …

Oh, yuck.

The taller yearling revealed that there was a leech stuck behind her ear, and she wanted HIM to remove it. Mithril was helpless to stop his nose from wrinkling as his eyes landed on the parasite that clung to her. “Uh — ” he hesitated, his tone unwilling and somewhat disgusted. He wavered, not wanting to touch the vile thing but …

Grimacing, he reached a paw out and with his nails unsheathed, hooked the curved end into the body of the leech and with a flick of his wrist, pulled it free. A second shake of his paw sent it flying, possibly toward another lion. “Uh,” he said again. “You’re all good.” For good measure, he gave his paw another flick, to rid it of any leech goo.

Mere seconds later, his attention was grabbed by the appearance of a baby hippopotamus. Mithril blinked in surprise — he knew there was a watering hole nearby, but he’d not expected the creature to wander so far away. He almost felt sympathetic. Fortunately, even with its thick flesh, the calf wouldn’t withstand the numerous teeth and claws that sought to bring it down. There were too many predators that would make quick work of it.

And they did — the calf was quickly overwhelmed by the might of the hunting party. Mithril only managed to sneak a mouthful of its flesh, but it was better than nothing, especially with as large as the group was.

As he turned to depart, he paused to seek out @Birdie again. “Try some locust beans for that,” he mumbled, motioning at her ear with his paw. “Just in case your leech had any … parasites.” Then, leaving her with his advice, Mithril slipped away.

Exit

Paladin - Double XP event
+10 Participate in a hunt using the rolled hunt system

artwork • coding

She reveled in her sunbathing as others labored over what Anniston would not. Of course, the thudding of many paws against her earthen pillow was not as serene as she might have wished, but the young heiress had a point to prove in refusing to agonize over mere scraps. She squinted one eye open as the sounds of the hunt came to a climax, just able to see faint shadows of flying tails and bounding paws. Hmm. Lifting her head slightly, she was able to make out a vague silhouette of their prize – larger than she had expected, for sure. Anniston pursed her lips and was quick to return to her sleeping facade, deciding instead to hang back until the others left so she might swipe a morsel.

Except, she had such a considerate brother. The lioness thought nothing of the sound of rustling grass nearby, with so many fleeing the scene as quickly as they had come. Oh, but that squelch – that flop of dripping, fatty meat upon her polished crown! Anniston twisted her face in disgust as she jerked upright, immediately latching her sights upon the bronze traitor.

"Oh, you rat!" She squealed, scampering to try and chase after him before inevitably returning later for that prize.

---

-exit- @Kian
+10 - Slack off or shirk one's responsibilities (Sept double XP)
+10 - Refuse to help another character (Sept double XP)
+10 - Sunbathe or take a nap (Sept double XP)

ART BY DRIFTY, CODE BY LARS

Veros lingered purposely in the back, studying the animals ahead and watching the dust fly in the air. He hadn't known if it was just one lion that signalled the start, but they began to move. Creeping slowly through the grass, closer and closer towards the calves.

He wasn't the first to spring, and he certainly wasn't the second, either. Lions around him shot out of the brush, scattering the pair of calves until it was obvious which group pursued which hippo calf. Veros chose one at random, remaining steadfast in his decision to not help. The large animal made such a large dust cloud, he could feel his eyes burning even as he dawdled behind it. Soon, thankfully, the Hippo calves were taken down, and he'd collect a large chunk of the winnings for himself before moving on. /exit


[beatnik xp] (doubled)
+20 Have another character perform a task or favor for you (didn’t help in the hunt, others took down prey)
+10 Slack off or shirk one’s responsibilities (didn’t help in the hunt)
+10 Participate in a hunt [...]

I'LL BURN THE WORLD AND SING UPON THE ASH

code x art

ฝhen the full moon turns ฝhite

his own hunt, it seemed, had been well-interrupted. hippo. granted, an adult was not worth the time it took to look at them; claws could not pierce the hide of a fully grown hippo, no matter how otherwise frail. but strang young, wandering, unattended to? the potential to fill their caches could not be ignored.

as always, the hunt for beetle was simply going through the motions. a well oiled machine, moving almost on autopilot, the details lost amongst the fray. and then, once all was done, he did not waste any time in removing himself from the presence of so many others.

exit.

double exp event~
paladin;
+10 - Participate in a hunt using the rolled hunt system
outlaw;
+10 - Complete a hunt in neutral territory using the hunt system

The fields are, unsurprisingly, an excellent place to hunt. The tall grass helps obscure the hunting party -- even as large as it is. Like a snake slithering across the dunes he treads forward, parting the dry and dying grass as they press forward. The hunt starts and ends easily, with rhe two calves a small feast. The fields are quiet in the aftermath, open and vast still. The lack of cover ( aside from the grass ) makes his skin prickle; he's used to the openness of the desert tbht this is different. It's too... open. Glancing quietly to the rest of the group he's eager to take his leave, his stomach full and mind filled with more and more information. Slowly the map of the island in his mind is being filled in, his very purpose in coming here originally.

Exit

+10 scout a neutral territory
+10 participate in a hunt using the rolled hunt system
+10 take part in a successful hunt

BG — ART — CODE

It unfolds much the same as any other hunt would, and seeing as Maven was coming to be quite familiar with how these spontaneous events worked, she feels quite confident in that assessment.

Though a pair of bumbling hippo calves waddling through the tall grasses is a bit of an odd sight. To put it lightly. Was there an extra watering hole around here somewhere that she just didn't know about? Maybe. Probably?

Well, those are questions for later, after the plump beasts had been led towards an untimely demise, and Maven's belly was comfortably full with rich, fatty meat. If she was honest, maybe she'd felt just a little bit bad for the young creatures for a few moments there, but their sacrifices were not to go in vain. Circle of life, and all that.

Now, she can consider looking around for some sort of hidden water source, departing from the group with one last curious glance towards the tigress. Nosing thoroughly through the rolling grasses, she does find that there are actually quite a few ponds tucked away in a valley here and a dip there. Upon further study, she's not entirely sure they're big enough for a hippo to comfortably splash around in, but it's something.

Anyway. It was growing dark, and another brisk jog might do some her good. She probably shouldn't go too fast with a full stomach, but it was a decent opportunity to squeeze in a last bit of training for the day.

And it got her home faster.

/exit Maven

Paladin:
+10 Exercise to gain endurance (excluding spars)(x2)
+10 Participate in a hunt using the rolled hunt system (x2)

Erudite:
+10 Study the natural world (x2)

You're only sixteen, going on forever

art + code by sammiie

thankfully they do not seem to spot her, or more likely they do not care. they are strangers to her, her scent unfamiliar to them (if it is noticeable at all) or all but lost over the scent of prey. della remains tucked in to her hiding place, watching as two young hippos amble on to site. they are visible even in the long grass, and again she considers that the fields are an ideal place to hunt. it is easy to nearly disappear, and the rolling hills give more than a few decent vantage points.

it doesn't take overly long for the large group to take them down, and della watches closely as they do so. it is chaos but it is effective, and she grins to see the success. then, as the group is mostly distracted, she slinks out of her hiding spot and heads back towards home.

-exit-


+20 Sneak into a pride or group without getting caught
+20 Remain undetected in a large thread (5+ characters)
+10 Study the landscape of an area

art by kim