Hunters of Alrugard(Int.Check)

[Shimmerene]

Alrugard. The frozen world.


It is a world covered in a perpetual winter, nothing stays warm here. Through the ice and snow vicious predators pick off the weak and dying, for this is a land without mercy. Those humans that live here in the wastes of Alrugard do so in vast mobile colonies floating high above the frigid wastes. Death takes many forms here on Alrugard, however, and not even the skies are safe. Giant predatory birds wander the skies looking for anything to eat, sometimes even picking people off the streets of their floating towns. Lithe cat-like beings stalk the tundra looking for an easy kill. Even below ground predators lurk around every bend in the tunnel. Such a world is a harsh place to live, yet through antiquated science the humans stay above the harsh surface for as long as their fuel survives. And so it is that two groups have equal importance here, those who keep the machines running, and those who hunt the surface.

Those who dare to call themselves hunters are those who venture to the surface with little more than torch and spear. These are the men and women of the colonies who brave the hoarfrost blizzards, and the deadly landscape to hunt the packs of herd animals. They are those who keep the colonies fed, the ones who guard the machinists on fuel outings. They are the Hunters of Alrugard. This is their story, a story of bitter isolation in the unforgiving wastes of Alrugard. It is also a story of how they conquered the Galruvian Horror...


It is through our deeds that we can truly call ourselves worthy, for only through action can our valor be determined. This is the way we of the hunters live, this is our choice. We men and women of the colonies make the decision to provide for humanity by daily risking our lives on the surface of Alrugard. The life of a hunter is rough, everyday our life is in danger, be it the landscape of the creatures which call it home. Yet, even though we may die upon the surface of this cruel world, we choose to live there rather than within the safety of the colonies. We choose to separate ourselves from the possibility of becoming part of the society we support because of the society we support. The hunter cannot be loved intimately by one of the colonists because of the fact that we do not truly know if we will survive the night. Even when one of us has earned his stay within the colonies, we are still attached to Alrugard, choosing to go on what is known as The Great Journey. It is on this Great Journey that the hunters become fully one with Alrugard, the one thing that we of the hunters strive for. Yes, we choose to live within the natural laws of Alrugard, and in doing so we become the hunters of those who have stalked these lands for millennia. We keep the Alrugardian cycle as close to us as possible, hunting in accordance to our ancient terran ancestors. The only weapons we use are those we can make from the dead, spears from the teeth of ancient carnivores, clubs from the femurs of large bipeds, and anything the mind can imagine. We frown upon the weapons which kill from afar, choosing to go in and see our prey, and of course killing with those who have been killed. This is our life, a life we chose. Do not look down upon us as savages, for we bring food to humanity, and we do so with the skill of one who loves the very animal they kill. Do not look up to us, for we stand upon the brink of death at every moment, with but a breeze between us and a terrifying death.


For the last few thousand years humanity had struggled to survive on a planet so hostile to them that early colonists had declared it a death world. Humanity took root upon Alrugard on the verge of extinction, faced with being wiped out from within or a bleak existence upon Alrugard. While the records of the colonies do not have much from before Alrugard, they make it clear that all of humanity did not take to the frozen wastes. A great schism formed between those who took to Alrugard and those who chose to continue their travels, vowing to one day come back with proof of their success. Those who fled to Alrugard did so without remorse, as the people they left to the stars were no more their brothers than Alrugard their home. Alrugard, however, decided to make sure that the humans were very aware of what awaited them. As the massive vessels descended from orbit, a blizzard wracked the landing areas with such force that the vessels crashed into the mountains, destroying their hope of hitting the ground running. With their technology all but destroyed humanity was on the verge of extinction. Alrugard had proven to be a cold unfeeling bitch, and now faced with the unfeeling hostile environment, and the remorseless native animal-life, humanity rushed to find a way to stay off the ground. Risking only short trips into the wastelands, the first hunters were born. Forced to become one with the planet, they made do with what they had, creating weapons out of what they killed, and eating whatever they could kill.

It was because of this that when the other humans had been able to convert their orbital colonies into floating cities, the hunters were already too far distant from the humans they had protected and fed. While the years may have passed, the animosity hasn't, keeping the hunters mostly on what has been referred to Great Hunts. The rest of humanity doesn't seem to care that the hunters spend more time on the surface, as when they do return, they bring large amounts of flesh. So, while both groups may be content with their tenuous situation, it couldn't last for long. Just before the last moon cycle of the second era of humanity, disaster struck. A beast had been awoken from humanity's attempts to gather fuel for their floating cities, and the devastation it had wrought spread for miles around. Word got around to the other colonies by the hunters who had seen the devastation, provoking an order from the governors of each city to kill the beast. So it was that the hunters were gathered, and a Great Hunt was rallied for the beast that killed the city of Galruvia. So it was that they hunted a creature whose only knowledge they had of it was what it could do. So it was that they hunted the Galruvian Horror...

Regions of Alrugard
The Equatorial Tundras
The Equatorial Tundras are the only place on Alrugard where humankind can sustain itself. Even then, the Colonies maintain constant movement, always keeping their floating cities far above the ground in the clouds. Because of the Hunters, the Colonists never have need to leave the floating cities, and as such rarely travel outside the confines of their home city. On the surface the Hunters learn to hunt the more docile game of the tundras, and make the trips to the city-ports. The Tundras are also home to the only known water-formation on the planet, as the old cartographer's maps are long gone. This water formation is a large lake that is mostly frozen for most of the year except for a single month. It is during this month that some of the hunters decide to fish the waters and bring the rare delicacies of seafood to the colonies. The Equatorial Tundras is also one of the only regions where bows and javelins can be used to any effect, due to the milder storms of the region.

The Northern Peaks
The Northern Peaks are the mountainous regions north of the Equatorial Tundras, extending all the way to the unknown regions of the Northern Pole. Among the mountains stalks the most deadly predators of Alrugard, from the mountain snow-leopard to the Grixis, a large alien beast more often the end of Hunters than killed by them. The explored area of the Northern Peaks is considerably less then even the Tundras, due to the raging blizzards of the mountains restricting travel severely.

The Southern Ice Fields
The Ice Fields of the Southern Pole is actually one large sheet of ice over what is believed to be an ocean over the southern pole. More dangerous than the myriad ice-predators is the wind-shear of the icy plains, many times reaching upwards 95mph with razored ice-rain. The only hope for those Hunters trapped upon the plains is to lay flat and wait out the ice-rains.

The Hunters
The Coalition of Hunters
On Alrugard the Hunters which stalk its surface can rarely ever be regarded as an organization of sorts. Very few hunts require more than one Hunter, and as such the Hunters typically hunt alone. In the Equatorial regions, though, there can occasionally be seen a gathering of Hunters to discuss the happenings of the world. These gatherings are called the Hunter's Moot, and never do they last long, nor gather more than a dozen at a time, for Alrugard is no place for lingering crowds. These Moots only convene when events happen which may threaten the Hunter's way of life, and require a decision to be made. Outside the Equatorial Tundras the Hunters revert to their solitary nature. Northern Hunters are those who hunt the vast mountain ranges of the Alrugardian Peaks, and they hunt the most dangerous creatures of the world. Southern Hunters are those who stalk the Ice Plains of the Southern Pole, and are more often lost to the intense cold than the predators.

The Hunter's Way
Though the Hunters seem to be a barbaric lot, they have a strict honor system, and can be said to be the only humans who truly appreciate the world they live upon. Indeed, they can be said to love Alrugard, though she is a harsh mistress and demands the most out of any Hunter. It is out of this devotion to Alrugard, that the first Hunters decreed that no weapon could ever be used that had not come from an animal they personally killed. No hunter was allowed to wear a pelt he or she did not slay, and no Hunter ate meat from any but their own kill. No Hunter was permitted to kill needlessly, that no matter what the circumstances, they must take an item of importance from the creature they slew, for to simply leave the creature as it lay without honoring it's spirit would be to anger Alrugard. Because of this many of the Hunters maintain shrines to the World-Spirit dotted amongst the wilds of Alrugard.

So then, now that you are this far you may have an idea as to what this RP will be about. You would be absolutely right if you guessed "I'll be playing one of those hunters who go into DEATH to hunt DEATH in the middle of raging DEATH." You're dead wrong if you guessed "Go on a wonderful adventure involving happiness and pleasantry!"

Thoughts?

[Shimmerene]

Bump, some info added, adding more later.

[Phantom Sekai]

Pretty interested in this. So basically, sharp objects made of dead carnivore teeth, clubs and maces made out of thick bones, and maybe the occasional archer or two, a.k.a dawn of humanity level weaponry is all that's available to the hunters right?

[Shimmerene]

Dawn of Humanity is actually pretty acurate for the Hunters, except they don't use bows either.

[Phantom Sekai]

No bows, hm...Well, I'm not to sure if I want to play the standard clubs, spears, and crude sword user. I can understand the whole "traditions say no ranged weapons" but I would be up to being a more "new age" type of hunter, allow really new age only refers to bow and arrows, and maybe that twirly thing with the balls on each end a hunter throws to tie up the legs of their prey easily. If not, I guess I could be a standard hunter, but I'd rather at least have a bow.

[Shimmerene]

Hmmm.... I had this counter to your request regarding bows, but it fell flat as soon as I read it back to myself. I will have up a codex of sorts on the Hunters themselves, and the regions they represent. Needless to say the Hunters who hunt the most dangerous game still will not use bows or ranged weaponry of any kind. I will also have the Northern and Southern territories up later as well.

[Shimmerene]

Bump. Additional information added regarding the Hunters themselves.

[Meeky]

I'm interested. Expect a bone-wearing animal-claw-on-forearm hunter.

[Shimmerene]

Sounds good Meeky. I would like to see 6-8 people for the RP, although more may work, but less would only bring a very predictable end.

[Shienvien]

You can count me in.

What about tracking- or burden-animals, though? Are these occasionally used by hunters?