The Culling - Team Ram

Fri Jul 27, 2018 7:04 pm

The gathering was huge. The meeting had been called the previous trial, spread by word of mouth to be at The Pit by the break of dawn if you wanted to hear the news and participate in a special hunt. There had to be at least 40 people all gathered around. This early in the trial it wasn't normally this busy, but people were having their breakfast as they waited for the meeting to start. Ellen'Wyn arrives and as she look over the scene, there are hunter's young and old. Whisper's in Xanthean and Common are filling the the space in the early morning. She isn't able to spot Noah nor Qit, but she can be sure that they are there.

In the distance birds and other natural sounds fill the air as the crowd slowly starts to quiet down as a person stands up on top of one of the benches with a little help. An older man, looking tired and worn out, as if worries of the past had drained him of some of his vigor. He wasn't so old that he would be considered an elder though, it was strange still, as silver streaks of hair peppered his long black hair. Many respected this man, and many more had learned the hunt from this man. He spoke out in Common, his voice husky and had a hint of a rasp.

"For those who don't know or don't remember, I am Kata'Uhk Te'Sune. We are here today at the will of the Oludïbọ Cïkäkkẹn. They need our help. Rumor's have spread, so I'm sure that you have all heard already or at least figured out. It is time for a culling. We never thought that for this creature we would have to do so as they had always been so rare, but it has been confirmed by multiple sightings on multiple fronts of the Makubwa Lori that there are far too many of these creatures, and that it's upsetting the balance of our lands. For those of you who aren't aware yet, we will be hunting the Nàhb'àífinju. Locals call it the Beautiful Nahbi as it's hide is quite coveted by crafter's of all kinds."

Excited whispers filled the area once again. Though as soon at Kata'Uhk put his hand up, the whispers started fading once more and once again all eyes were on him.

"I have been asked to split you all into groups, 5 groups to be exact. We will be mixing experienced and inexperienced hunters together. Take care to learn from each other, and don't shun those that don't have a lot of experience. This is no competition. If you attempt to make it so, you will put yourselves in danger. Our prey isn't the only one out there. As for the groups, let's see.. we'll have Team Ram, Team Snake, Team Deer, Team Panther, and Team Wolf. Stay where you are, and I'll start assigning groups."

As he jumped down from the bench, people started cheering. Everyone seemed pumped and ready to get things going! People were starting to fidgeting, they were ready to get the hunt on. With all the people as a few more trickled in, it ended up that each group had 10 people in it. As promised, Kata'Uhk went to every single individual and sized them up before picking a team to put them in. Including himself in Team Deer.
When he came up to Ellen'Wyn he smiled softly. Almost a knowing smile as a flicker of recognition flickered in his eyes, like he had seen her around before in the forests of Desnind. He put a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her.

"Hello there huntress. You have been here before, I feel it. You are welcome to join Team Ram, please take care out there."

As he walks away he points her to where he had the group go and then turns away and talks to some of the others. A woman smiles at Ellen'Wyn and waves her over to the group. Once the groups are all set, they start to introduce themselves. When the started they all looked to Ellen'wyn to introduce herself first. Many curious about her looks.

After Ellen'Wyn introduces herself, everyone else introduces themselves as well. Ellen'Wyn would most definitely take note of Aku'Hasa, the woman who'd waved her over. She was in her 40's, yet she looked as young as any of them, and stronger than most. As well as Nuha'Tikan, a young male, and probably the youngest on this trip, a 10 year old boy, who seemed close with one of the other hunter's of the group, Tai'Guana, it was easily assumed that she was his mother figure. The other's stated their names and their specialty's and it was clear that there was a good mix of new and old hunters. of the ten there, there was 5 archer's, 3 spear throwers, 1 knife thrower and 2 trapper's/tracker's who were okay with swords.

They stood there, all of them, waiting for all the groups to get done with the same and then looked to Kata'Uhk to see what direction they would be heading.

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Wed Aug 08, 2018 2:58 am

She could feel the excitement in her bones. Her feathers bristled with it. Expectation, curiosity, and wonder--she was eager to see how this would all play out. Ellen had never participated in a hunt of this magnitude. She'd gone out with groups before, but this was something else entirely. People chatted and ate, smiles all around as they talked among themselves, speculating about the event. The half-breed saw Kata'Uhk rise. She recognized his face but couldn't remember his name, though that was quickly cleared up when he spoke as a silence fell over the crowd.

She'd never hunted Nàhb'àífinju before, and felt her excitement grow with the announcement. It was official. A smile spread across her face as calls and cheers rang out. They were ready to go, and eventually the older man approached her. He put a hand on her shoulder, grinning slightly at her. With a firm grip he welcomed her and wished her luck, and she nodded to him, practically beaming.

"Thank you, and you as well." He nodded again, and then he was gone with a motion in the direction of the rest of her team.

They were quite a mixture of individuals and specialties. The most interesting with them was the youngest--barely more than a boy, and fidgeting with excitement. Awkwardly, she greeted each of them, drawing her wings in tight as she tried to ignore some of their blatant stares. There were ten in all. All the groups were large, but she wasn't sure yet whether that was good or bad. So used to hunting alone as she was, the largest group she'd ever been with was four.

"Èrè ies ibiti tä laiyara ke’u," she said with a slight dip of the head.

All they could do then was continue to wait. Ellen gripped the bow string stretched across her chest, rolling it impatiently between her fingers. She shifted from foot to foot, exchanging glances with a few of her new companions.

Thu Aug 09, 2018 2:01 am

The Culling - Team Ram

All of the groups had done what they could to get to know each other at least in a short span of time. It seemed as if every soul was restless. The people wanted to move, to hunt these creatures. Even so, there were still some, those of the older generations that seemed so calm it might have come across as something unnerving. They seemed at least know of the prey. To somewhat know what to expect. And there was something that hung in there air, like someone wasn't saying something that should be said. As soon as Kata'Uhk stood up on high ground once more though, that feeling was pushed aside by all with a new wave of excitement.

In this moment, a hush fell over the boisterous crowd. He looked around at all the people gathered. He knew that things could go horribly wrong today, that someone would get hurt, but that was okay, As long as they all were prepared for the worst, he didn't think he could hope for anything more than the best outcomes of each situation that did happen on this drizzly day. He took a deep breath and looked around at the groups.

"In this hunt. You must be careful, we are not only hunter's but prey while out there in the Lori. You must tread carefully, work together, and stay calm. Dedicate a few people to a medical emergency team, each group should have a few people that have decent skills with medicine. We are in this for a long run, make sure that you are prepared to sleep out there in the Lori as well. Dwell not on pain, only think of moving forward. Ram team, you go east, Snake team, you go south east, Deer team, we go south, Panther team you go south west, and Wolf team you go west. Try not to stray too far out of the Lori if spot the quarry. They like more plains like areas, but aren't afraid to try and hide in the woods. Make sure to rest up when needed, but do not dwadle in one spot for too long. We all have had some sort of close experience with death. Remember that as you travel. Good hunt to you all! Oh! And one more thing. Only 2 kills per person in the group, not killing the young, and by no means do I want to hear that any of you caused any trouble. I taught most of you myself after all!"

Laughter filled the air at that last bit. It was true, most here had been taught a thing or two from Kata'Uhk, the smile on his face as he came down from his perch said it all. He was proud of every student he'd had. It was nice to see one so proud of their work. To-trial was going to be a trial unlike any other. So many large groups going out at once. It was going to be a wonder if there would be anyone left to watch over Desnind while they were all gone. No need to worry though, Many of the local guard were already walking around and some even guarding the Itoju.
After announcement's were made Nuha walked up to Ellen and smiled up at her. Tugging at the end of her shirt and looking around to the group.

"I think Ellenni should lead the group! She big, seem strong and has wings! Can soar above spot quarry from afar! Also guide us through bad parts of Lori!"

The group smiled and chuckled a bit. Nodding in agreement and some even ruffling the boys hair. He was smart, and it wasn't hard to see why he'd been allowed on the hunt. He had a good head on his shoulder, that and he was one of the 5 archer's of the group. But it was up to Ellen'wyn if she agreed to the position. It would be known that they would need to figure out a formation, as well as who in the group was going to handle medicine or emergency send backs, as well as seeing if anyone would know anything about their quarry for the trial. There was a lot to get to, and little time to get it all done.

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Wed Aug 15, 2018 5:21 pm

Two kills per hunter were reasonable when she considered the scope of this endeavor. With so many groups going out, if each were successful they would be bringing back a lot of meat. More than enough to feed the whole city. Ellen smiled to herself, already wondering what her group might do.

It was the young Nuha that pulled her from her thoughts with a gentle tug of her shirt. Her brows rose high as she looked around at the faces of their team, all visibly thinking or smiling their agreement.

"What--? Are you sure?" Ellen didn't seem particularly convinced, but the others did. It seemed the boy's reasoning was enough for them. The redhead took a deep breath through her nose and folded her arms. "Alright then... So be it."

She'd never really considered how much of an advantage she had by being able to fly, but thinking about it now gave her a small sense of pride. She cleared her throat suddenly, banishing the thoughts quickly. There was no time for that at the present.

"I need to know how many of you are familiar with the eastern region of the Lori." She looked to the two trackers then. "You will help me search for the Nàhb'àífinju. I want you to fan out on either side while I take point. If something happens, one of you will help lead the others back in case of emergency, or go find help. Who among us can handle injuries?"

Thu Aug 16, 2018 4:05 am

The Culling - Team Ram

Like any event, it was hard to keep any group in line for long. They had only just started and some of the younger ones were getting fidgety and seemed to just get a move on. Though Nuha seemed to be fine. He watched Ellen'wyn expectantly, with a huge smile on his face. Tai came up to her son and held him and whispered something in his ear and his eyes lit up, probably some really good news to hear especially before a hunting event. Along with Aku'Hasa who stepped forward towards Ellen'wyn as she spoke up.

"I, Zah'Mia, and Koh'Relli hunt together in the east often. Only I have seen the beasts we seek though. I know how to track... though... this hunt is more than it seems. We must be careful...Stay close as possible. Though they will be the best ones to handle healing along with Tai''Guanna. Koh strong man, good with spear along with Zahmi. Could carry someone if needed."

As she spoke, Aku'Hasa pointed to a woman and a man that stood together, they looked like a young couple, possibly married even with the way that they looked at each other. And it was clear that there was a great bond of trust there. The man nodded brusquely but the woman just smiled softly. Both of them with a grouping of spears on their back. though each had one matching spear that seemed larger and stronger than the others.

The Tracker's nodded, they seemed to be siblings, but they didn't seem to want to say much at least at this time. They looked quite dependable though. When everyone told her what they were capable of, it was clear that Kata'Uhk had set up the groups well. Making sure to take advantage of everyone's strengths and weaknesses. Once they figured out how they were going to stand, the were off to the Itoju and to figure out how to get to the best part of the forest to find these creatures.

It was still a fresh morning and they were lucky that the weather was cooler than it had been. It's been practically unbearable almost all Suan, it's no wonder so many people were getting sick and or dying. So much death, and the elders were on edge about something. If asked about it though, most probably wouldn't share. Not in front of children no less. Not over the worries that they had.

So the group was out, spread thin like a wire. Ellen'wyn at the front, they took almost a formation that looked kind of like bowling pins. Or sticks for stick and hoops, which would be a game they'd all know. Common for kids to play around Desnind. They weren't spread too far out though. Aku'Hasa had already gone over with everyone what the tracks looked like, the trappers would take one person with them whenever they'd go off to the side to set a trap. They set them so fast though that they would catch up with them fast. All were told to look for blue, and bird like beaks. As well as listen for the sound of hoof clopping on the ground and a screechy gobbly like sound. This was all that Aku'Hasa could easily explain other than what was already known. They traveled in large families, loved herbs, and weren't very high on the food chain.

After about a Break of their trek, it was Nuha who made a fist with his hand after a short whistle calling for the group to stop and they all looked in the direction he was looking, what would Ellen'wyn have them do, split up or go to whatever Nuha spotted together? Nuha looked really pale face and even gulped like he'd stopped something from coming up.

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Wed Sep 19, 2018 1:40 pm

Ellen'wyn nodded in silence, listening close to Aku'Hasa's recommendations and explanations. They had a strong group, but it would be strange to work with them--let alone lead them. She had never expected that they would even consider placing her in such a respected position at the head of the pack. Ellen had a bit of a reputation from her formative years. Some thought of her as a hot head, or simply an animal. Growing up had been a struggle, and she'd made more than her share of bad impressions with her short fuse, sharp tongue, and destructive tendencies.

She was trying to put all that behind her, and there seemed to be progress. She had more control of herself lately, and the strange looks she sometimes received were fewer and further between since returning home. It bolstered what little confidence she had, but it was enough. Her group watched and listened expectantly for her commands, and there were smiles all around when they finally set out into the forest.

"Koh and Zahmi, you'll take the rear. Watch and listen. If you see or hear anything strange, let us know. Tai'Guanna, you will help the trackers unless someone gets hurt, then you do what you do. You too Nuha, you'll be close to me. Let's go."

They trekked a while with no clear signs of their quarry. Sunlight filtered through the canopy ahead, lighting their path in broken patches. It would be a while before the sun was at its zenith, so they would be able to enjoy the cooler morning a while. It made their pace quicker. Without the characteristic heat of Saun weighing them down, the hike wasn't half as exhausting as it could have been. Ellen climbed over fallen trees, jutting rocks, and at one point they had cross a wide creek. They stepped from stone to stone, careful not to tumble in.

It went on like this for a time, and she kept track of where the sun was in its climb. Finally, Nuha called them to a stop. The sun had moved visibly in the sky, but not dramatically. They hadn't been out long yet. She motioned with a hand for all of them to close in on him, and in silence the group converged. He was pale. The half-breed's brows furrowed and she glanced into the trees.

"Stay together and stay alert," she commanded everyone quietly, then squeezed the young boy's shoulder. "What is it? What did you see?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper. The breeze that rustled leaves overhead almost drowned it out.

They were a large enough group, but there were many things in this forest that could give them trouble. Ellen's ears were straining for the slightest sound. Her hearing was good, but only compared to the average human.

• Event • The Culling - Team Ram

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