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Open The Underlegend
- Thread starter Coloursfall
- Start date
Sylph
Take me to Wonderland
Chandra smiles at them a bit, then hears that one wishes to go on a hunt. She looks out at the light outside the cave, seeing that there was still enough light to spot enemies in the distance.
Not that is was hard to see in the dark with their superior night vision.
"If you are to hunt. Be careful, and make sure to bring back what you kill so the rest may feed. We are a single clan, so we must support each other"
She turns, facing the mouth of the cave.
"I'll be scouting the mountain range for sight of the enemy"
With that, she left the cave and climbed higher on the mountain, the air becoming thinner and more natural to her.
"Ah...back to where I was born"
She takes a deep breath of the air before beginning her scouting.
Not that is was hard to see in the dark with their superior night vision.
"If you are to hunt. Be careful, and make sure to bring back what you kill so the rest may feed. We are a single clan, so we must support each other"
She turns, facing the mouth of the cave.
"I'll be scouting the mountain range for sight of the enemy"
With that, she left the cave and climbed higher on the mountain, the air becoming thinner and more natural to her.
"Ah...back to where I was born"
She takes a deep breath of the air before beginning her scouting.
allitersonance
Banned
Undergolds
Lakua and Vausse raced ahead of the hunting pack, each circling around one side of one of the fleeing deer. Lakua pulled ahead ever so slightly, and the deer turned, eyes wide in fear, toward Vausse - but Vausse was just too slow to pounce, and instead turned with the deer, with Lakua following. The chase continued, both Lakua and Vausse guiding it around to a much clearer path, one that would favour the deer, who was much faster on level ground. Lakua knew that hope would be flaring with the deer, and saw it run faster than before, breaking for the path where it would be more or less safe...
Then, suddenly, three undergolds dropped from the branches above, snarling and snapping at its legs. Lakua pounced, pushing it to the ground. Her claws digging into its side, she tore at the arteries in its neck. Blood spurted onto her jaws, dripping down her scales, and she leapt off before the next heartbeat.
Here she could see the reason why it hadn't been thrashing, and still wasn't now; its slender legs were torn open, ripping the muscle apart, and though it was writhing, this wasn't enough to loosen her grip. In short, the pack had done their job well. The wolves from which the undergolds had taken the name pack for their hunting parties would be jealous.
Soon enough, the deer stilled.
"Eat," she said, "just enough to fill you. The rest we shall give to the children and their mothers."
It was customary for whoever did the hunting to eat first, even before those higher in rank if that was applicable. In this case, it wasn't, but only because she had taken part.
She padded over to the deer, stepping over a long, thick vine that looked not too different from a tree root. It wouldn't kill her, of course, but it was unpleasant to be caught by any of the "killer vines", as the undergolds liked to call them.
Then she sank her fangs into the deer, the sweet taste of raw meat filling her mouth. She tore, swallowed, and ate again, but only until she was no longer hungry. If she ate her fill, she'd be unable to walk back, as she'd be too sleepy.
The others knew this too, so they soon stopped long before they would have been able to eat no longer.
Lakua smiled. "Vausse, Sathun, Phel. Bring the kill back." Those three were strong, so she knew they could manage. "Ranid, Guos, Sakaul, stay will them. The rest of you, with me."
She turned and left for their home - a wide expanse of the forest containing several clearings, but more importantly, filled with their burrows and tunnels. Though the entire forest belonged to the undergolds, it was this area that they could truly call theirs, rather than neutral territory. No undergold not directly under her command would show itself without her welcome there, and no rival predator would threaten the draclings. And, more importantly, it was where all of the undergolds had been born, and was a place they'd always instinctively know how to reach.
Lakua and Vausse raced ahead of the hunting pack, each circling around one side of one of the fleeing deer. Lakua pulled ahead ever so slightly, and the deer turned, eyes wide in fear, toward Vausse - but Vausse was just too slow to pounce, and instead turned with the deer, with Lakua following. The chase continued, both Lakua and Vausse guiding it around to a much clearer path, one that would favour the deer, who was much faster on level ground. Lakua knew that hope would be flaring with the deer, and saw it run faster than before, breaking for the path where it would be more or less safe...
Then, suddenly, three undergolds dropped from the branches above, snarling and snapping at its legs. Lakua pounced, pushing it to the ground. Her claws digging into its side, she tore at the arteries in its neck. Blood spurted onto her jaws, dripping down her scales, and she leapt off before the next heartbeat.
Here she could see the reason why it hadn't been thrashing, and still wasn't now; its slender legs were torn open, ripping the muscle apart, and though it was writhing, this wasn't enough to loosen her grip. In short, the pack had done their job well. The wolves from which the undergolds had taken the name pack for their hunting parties would be jealous.
Soon enough, the deer stilled.
"Eat," she said, "just enough to fill you. The rest we shall give to the children and their mothers."
It was customary for whoever did the hunting to eat first, even before those higher in rank if that was applicable. In this case, it wasn't, but only because she had taken part.
She padded over to the deer, stepping over a long, thick vine that looked not too different from a tree root. It wouldn't kill her, of course, but it was unpleasant to be caught by any of the "killer vines", as the undergolds liked to call them.
Then she sank her fangs into the deer, the sweet taste of raw meat filling her mouth. She tore, swallowed, and ate again, but only until she was no longer hungry. If she ate her fill, she'd be unable to walk back, as she'd be too sleepy.
The others knew this too, so they soon stopped long before they would have been able to eat no longer.
Lakua smiled. "Vausse, Sathun, Phel. Bring the kill back." Those three were strong, so she knew they could manage. "Ranid, Guos, Sakaul, stay will them. The rest of you, with me."
She turned and left for their home - a wide expanse of the forest containing several clearings, but more importantly, filled with their burrows and tunnels. Though the entire forest belonged to the undergolds, it was this area that they could truly call theirs, rather than neutral territory. No undergold not directly under her command would show itself without her welcome there, and no rival predator would threaten the draclings. And, more importantly, it was where all of the undergolds had been born, and was a place they'd always instinctively know how to reach.
Sylph
Take me to Wonderland
Nightstalkers
Chandra makes her way along the top of the mountain, scanning the area silently. She stops for a few moments when she spot two of her own kind out to hunt. Interested, she sits on the mountain top and watches them.
"My my...seems they are having troubles finding food."
She sighs, looking up at the sky.
Food is running low...but the mountains are still big enough to shelter my clan...for now
She picks one of the mountain flowers, twirling it in between her fingers. This flower would not effect her own kind with it's smell, but to those that don't originate from the mountains would find their scent too soothing that they'd fall into a deep sleep. Though the flowers doesn't do this to the Nightstalkers, it does have a strange effect when eaten, causing them to act strangely and silly.
She lefts the flower go and watches it fall from the hight of the mountain.
"So far...all is safe"
Chandra makes her way along the top of the mountain, scanning the area silently. She stops for a few moments when she spot two of her own kind out to hunt. Interested, she sits on the mountain top and watches them.
"My my...seems they are having troubles finding food."
She sighs, looking up at the sky.
Food is running low...but the mountains are still big enough to shelter my clan...for now
She picks one of the mountain flowers, twirling it in between her fingers. This flower would not effect her own kind with it's smell, but to those that don't originate from the mountains would find their scent too soothing that they'd fall into a deep sleep. Though the flowers doesn't do this to the Nightstalkers, it does have a strange effect when eaten, causing them to act strangely and silly.
She lefts the flower go and watches it fall from the hight of the mountain.
"So far...all is safe"
Blastoise Fortooate
Geographical!
A bone flew from a hole in a tree. After a pause, a dragon jumped out of the same hole and landed on a branch a tree over. He jumped from branch to branch, eventually landing in a clearing protected by his kind. Ambros sniffed and trotted over to a nearby stream, staring intently at the trickling water. He stuck his head in to drink.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
((Ambros is a bit of an outcast, but it isn't like everybody hates him. They do think he's weird for living in a tree in the forest, though. Is that okay?))
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
((Ambros is a bit of an outcast, but it isn't like everybody hates him. They do think he's weird for living in a tree in the forest, though. Is that okay?))
allitersonance
Banned
(( It's fine. Undergolds often might sleep in trees and are fairly good at climbing, but they tend to live on or under the ground and most of their socialising happens there. So that'll automatically make your character an outcast, if you need another excuse. ))
Several resting undergolds were startled when Ambros suddenly landed in the clearing, but they quickly returned to their own activities. Two undergolds lounging on a large tree branch looked down in amusement, but they too returned to their conversation, not really regarding him as important.
One undergold, leaving her three draclings with her sister, followed Ambros to the stream and drank beside him. "If you'd be so kind, stop doing that in front of the draclings. It teaches them such dangerous things. Vran's son tried branch-leaping and broke his neck and died."
Meanwhile, Lakua and most of the pack strolled into the clearing, along with another pack they'd met along the way, who were dragging another deer carcass. Her kill was dragged in soon after. Several of the draclings cheered and ran over to the two deer, practically swarming over them.
As Lakua watched them, she once again was reminded that, despite the abundance of forest, the Undergold clan was overpopulated. The clearing, like almost all of the clearings, was filled with dragons awaiting food from the hunting packs. And this was enough for the children, but there would be little left for their caretakers. She knew the parents could last another few days, but she also knew they'd be getting hungry. But not much food had been caught; they'd catch their own prey, yes, but those were not nearly as common as they used to be.
And she knew what happened to clans that grew too large for their forests.
She wouldn't kill any undergolds, of course. She would never do something like that, or restrict their ability to make children, but it was fact that there were too many of them. She couldn't drive out all of the other predators, either, or the other undergold sub-clans.
But if she didn't do something, most of them would die off, and weaken Lakua's clan... and destroy her control over the rest of the undergolds, shattering their fragile peace.
Several resting undergolds were startled when Ambros suddenly landed in the clearing, but they quickly returned to their own activities. Two undergolds lounging on a large tree branch looked down in amusement, but they too returned to their conversation, not really regarding him as important.
One undergold, leaving her three draclings with her sister, followed Ambros to the stream and drank beside him. "If you'd be so kind, stop doing that in front of the draclings. It teaches them such dangerous things. Vran's son tried branch-leaping and broke his neck and died."
Meanwhile, Lakua and most of the pack strolled into the clearing, along with another pack they'd met along the way, who were dragging another deer carcass. Her kill was dragged in soon after. Several of the draclings cheered and ran over to the two deer, practically swarming over them.
As Lakua watched them, she once again was reminded that, despite the abundance of forest, the Undergold clan was overpopulated. The clearing, like almost all of the clearings, was filled with dragons awaiting food from the hunting packs. And this was enough for the children, but there would be little left for their caretakers. She knew the parents could last another few days, but she also knew they'd be getting hungry. But not much food had been caught; they'd catch their own prey, yes, but those were not nearly as common as they used to be.
And she knew what happened to clans that grew too large for their forests.
She wouldn't kill any undergolds, of course. She would never do something like that, or restrict their ability to make children, but it was fact that there were too many of them. She couldn't drive out all of the other predators, either, or the other undergold sub-clans.
But if she didn't do something, most of them would die off, and weaken Lakua's clan... and destroy her control over the rest of the undergolds, shattering their fragile peace.
Coloursfall
THIS IS HOW WE BLEED
Redtails
Blood poked her head from the clan burrow after finishing her meal. Where had her clanmates gone to? She crept out of the hole and looked at the sky. The sickle-shaped shadows that meant Horrors From Above where gone, so she was more relaxed. She trotted to the oasis near the burrow and dipped her muzzle into the water. It was cool, which was a nice change from the sweltering heat that was the norm. Her large hind feet sunk very slightly into the small amount of mud the water made, and she squatted in it. Mud was cool, cool was good.
She yawned. There wasn't much going on, and as it seemed that the clan had left her to hunt or play. She didn't mind, since she knew that she would slow the hunters down with her large body. Soon enough, however, she could leave her draclings with the nannies and hunt with the rest of them.
A noise came from behind her and she stood up, whirling around. When her eyes rested on the cause of the sound, she relaxed. It was just her mate.
"Red, you scared me half to death!" She hissed, nudging his underside with her snout. He made an amused-sound.
"Calm down, Bloodling. I just wanted to report that we'll be scouting the mountain soon. So I and my hunting party should be gone for a day or two." He cooed, grooming her shoulder.
Blood poked her head from the clan burrow after finishing her meal. Where had her clanmates gone to? She crept out of the hole and looked at the sky. The sickle-shaped shadows that meant Horrors From Above where gone, so she was more relaxed. She trotted to the oasis near the burrow and dipped her muzzle into the water. It was cool, which was a nice change from the sweltering heat that was the norm. Her large hind feet sunk very slightly into the small amount of mud the water made, and she squatted in it. Mud was cool, cool was good.
She yawned. There wasn't much going on, and as it seemed that the clan had left her to hunt or play. She didn't mind, since she knew that she would slow the hunters down with her large body. Soon enough, however, she could leave her draclings with the nannies and hunt with the rest of them.
A noise came from behind her and she stood up, whirling around. When her eyes rested on the cause of the sound, she relaxed. It was just her mate.
"Red, you scared me half to death!" She hissed, nudging his underside with her snout. He made an amused-sound.
"Calm down, Bloodling. I just wanted to report that we'll be scouting the mountain soon. So I and my hunting party should be gone for a day or two." He cooed, grooming her shoulder.
Minnow
If you're gonna dig, dig to the heavens!
Redtails
After slowly extricating himself from a small, rocky bed where he had stopped to rest some time ago, Ayald gazed wearily at the sky above. He frowned. There was something wrong. Several clouds were oddly shaped, but Ayald too fuzzy to remember what they reminded him of. Shrugging, Ayald began to plod in a vaguely northerly direction.
Ayald walked along for a while, noting the increasing rockiness of the ground. He was right at the base of the small hill had had been planning to climb. He knew the general area, although he was out of the normal territory that most Redtails inhabited, and was pretty sure that this was the shortest way through these hills.
Suddenly, Ayald perked up his ears. He thought he had heard faint voices. I haven’t seen any of the others recently. I wonder who that could be? Swiftly, but cautiously, Ayald moved towards the sound’s origin. Although he was listening intently, he couldn’t quite make out what the voices were saying.
As he neared the voices he managed to catch a few of the words.
“-party should be gone for a day or two.”
Party? With a fleeting sense that this might be important, Ayald crept closer and quickly hid behind a small boulder. He let out a gasp as he peered over the edge of the rock. It was Blood! The clan leader! Ayald watched with fascination as another Redtail that he didn’t recognize nuzzled her shoulder.
Shame, followed quickly by fear, flooded through Ayald as he dropped to the sand behind the boulder. What could he do? He would never approach Blood uninvited under any circumstances, let alone one that seemed so personal. For an instant he considered asking them about the nursing dens, but he soon brushed that thought away. He knew that asking for help with such a superficial wound would making him seem weak. And he was terrified of Blood thinking he was weak. He could never forgive himself if he was demoted for weakness, by no less than Blood herself!
Ayald soon arrived upon a decision. He would ignore this. Leave, go to the dens. Pretend it never had happened. Sighing, he picked himself up and crawled away up the steeply sloped hill. Refusing to let himself glance back, Ayald picked up speed.
Suddenly, a crippling pain shot down his wounded leg. Ayald cried out and began to slip on the loose rocks. Tumbling, he felt his leg smack against a large rock and was instantly in the air. Instinctually, Ayald opened his wings. Tensing, he opened his eyes. And for one brief moment Ayald felt wonderfully weightless, gliding on the dry desert air.
Then he plunged to the ground, colliding forcefully with the small boulder before bouncing off and landing in the soft sand. Ayald moaned. He was covered in bruises, and, worse, he was in plain sight of Blood and the other Redtail. Looking down at himself, Ayald saw that his left leg was bent at an odd angle. Broken. A strange feeling suddenly came over him. His vision was fading.
Letting out a moan and shifting slightly, Ayald fainted.
After slowly extricating himself from a small, rocky bed where he had stopped to rest some time ago, Ayald gazed wearily at the sky above. He frowned. There was something wrong. Several clouds were oddly shaped, but Ayald too fuzzy to remember what they reminded him of. Shrugging, Ayald began to plod in a vaguely northerly direction.
Ayald walked along for a while, noting the increasing rockiness of the ground. He was right at the base of the small hill had had been planning to climb. He knew the general area, although he was out of the normal territory that most Redtails inhabited, and was pretty sure that this was the shortest way through these hills.
Suddenly, Ayald perked up his ears. He thought he had heard faint voices. I haven’t seen any of the others recently. I wonder who that could be? Swiftly, but cautiously, Ayald moved towards the sound’s origin. Although he was listening intently, he couldn’t quite make out what the voices were saying.
As he neared the voices he managed to catch a few of the words.
“-party should be gone for a day or two.”
Party? With a fleeting sense that this might be important, Ayald crept closer and quickly hid behind a small boulder. He let out a gasp as he peered over the edge of the rock. It was Blood! The clan leader! Ayald watched with fascination as another Redtail that he didn’t recognize nuzzled her shoulder.
Shame, followed quickly by fear, flooded through Ayald as he dropped to the sand behind the boulder. What could he do? He would never approach Blood uninvited under any circumstances, let alone one that seemed so personal. For an instant he considered asking them about the nursing dens, but he soon brushed that thought away. He knew that asking for help with such a superficial wound would making him seem weak. And he was terrified of Blood thinking he was weak. He could never forgive himself if he was demoted for weakness, by no less than Blood herself!
Ayald soon arrived upon a decision. He would ignore this. Leave, go to the dens. Pretend it never had happened. Sighing, he picked himself up and crawled away up the steeply sloped hill. Refusing to let himself glance back, Ayald picked up speed.
Suddenly, a crippling pain shot down his wounded leg. Ayald cried out and began to slip on the loose rocks. Tumbling, he felt his leg smack against a large rock and was instantly in the air. Instinctually, Ayald opened his wings. Tensing, he opened his eyes. And for one brief moment Ayald felt wonderfully weightless, gliding on the dry desert air.
Then he plunged to the ground, colliding forcefully with the small boulder before bouncing off and landing in the soft sand. Ayald moaned. He was covered in bruises, and, worse, he was in plain sight of Blood and the other Redtail. Looking down at himself, Ayald saw that his left leg was bent at an odd angle. Broken. A strange feeling suddenly came over him. His vision was fading.
Letting out a moan and shifting slightly, Ayald fainted.