Blood and Poison - The Hunt for Death (Open only to those tagged)

[Arrbi Betna]

Dxun
Base Camp
10:15 Standard


Camp had long since been set up, the tents standing around a central fire pit. The shuttle that had dropped them off had departed, leaving the small knot of hunters to their fate. Around them the jungle seemed oppressive, constricting. As if the very land saw their presence as an intrusion. For Dxun, this was normal. Sentient beings weren't welcome here and the massive predators that inhabited the planet made sure of it.

Strangely, though, the area was dead quiet. Where normally the calls of birds and distant sounds of predators filled the air, instead only the wind could be heard as it gently rustled leaf and branch. For a wild planet like Dxun with thousands of species among the trees, branches, and underbrush, the silence was unsettling.

Betna glanced at the hunters around him and nodded once before tossing a small device on the ground. As the holoprojector warmed up, he started speaking.

"The details of the hunt have been concealed until now, partially to give an atmosphere of mystery to the hunt but also to weed out the faint of heart. Before we begin, anyone who has second thoughts or cold feet need only speak up now. Those who back out can stay at base camp where it's relatively safe until the shuttle returns in three days."

He waited a moment or two, but none spoke up. The Mandalorian clan chief kept going.

"Today we're hunting what I've decided to call the Kyr'am Tigaanur, Death Touch in Basic. The locals simply call it Death," the holoprojector finally blinked once to show it was ready. Betna touched a control on his gauntlet and the display flickered to life.

"This is an artist description based on what little we know of the beast. Currently, there is only one survivor who made contact with the creature. The good news is that we have a rough idea on how big it is and the bare bones of what it can do. The bad news is that the sole survivor was rendered mentally unstable from the encounter. What we know comes from his mumbled ramblings, so accuracy is entirely based on conjecture," he shrugged once and killed the holodisplay, tucking the device back into his gear.

"What we do know is this: the creature is approximately two stories in height, possibly more. The thing is about fifteen or more meters in length and about half that in width. It apparently resembles an arachnid, but considering no one has heard of or seen this thing on this planet before, or anywhere else for that matter, any information on what exactly it is eludes us. What they could pry out of the poor sod who ran into it tells us that it seems venomous as his friends who weren't so lucky quickly lost consciousness after exposure. I do mean exposure, by the way. It didn't bite the victims, so assume a projected, ranged attack of some kind and assume its a contact toxin. As for anything else, all they could pry out of him was that it was extremely fast, agile, and vicious.

The victim was a member of an ecological group, something akin to a ranger service, investigating this region. Apparently, no large creatures have been seen or heard in this area for some time. He and his friends were sent to investigate. I think it's safe to say that the Kyr'am Tigaanur is responsible for that."

Betna gestured at the stacks of crates and cases piled up at one end of camp, many of which looked military grade.

"If there are no questions, gear up and get ready. Those crates are filled with damn near whatever you'd need or want, but be warned: we want the creature in more or less one piece. That means no thermal detonators, no huge explosions, and no disintigrations, understood?"

[member="Isley Verd"] [member="Clovis Torcularis"] [member="Seanna Vel"] [member="Laguz Vald"] [member="Gray Raxis"]

 

[Clovis Torcularis]

I walked around the outskirts of our camp, taking in the night-time scenery. Rarely do I have an opportunity to indulge in such an adventure that didn't include me taking direct orders from my superiors. This Arri Betna was in a way our leader, but his orders were not absolute. Meaning, as long as I didn't do anything stupid his orders where more or less guidelines for me to follow. Good conduct and a positive attitude seemed to be the main requirement from this man, and luckily I could posses both when it came to playing nice with others. Which was also another rare opportunity for me. I wasn't here on some First Order business, rather volunteered myself to be part of something magickal, perhaps even legendary and in the process of such an adventure, I might actually find some camaraderie among the fellow hunters. Which was also another rare opportunity for me.

I returned to the center of the camp, where the others where slowly gathering and took a seat on the ground. I soaked up every word Mr. Betna was speaking, but my hearing slightly faltered when I saw the image of the creature we would be heading out to hunt. This creature was beautiful, almost majestic in a way that I felt pained that it would die by our collective hands. I respected fear, even represented it against my former foes, but this thing was the epitome of fear. I don't know about the others, but this Kyr'am Tigaanur already earned my undying respect.

I grew even more fascinated as Mr. Betna explained the creature's venomous nature. I have seen some wicked beasts in my short time, but nothing that could actually project it's venom on to it's victims. Top that with the creature's high mobility rate and you might even be able to sway the galaxy that this is the apex predator of the apex predators. A bit of curiosity came over me as my mind began to indulge in a hypothetical scenario that pitted this fine specimen against that of a adult Bull Rancor. Under my mask I smiled, shooting small pings of pain through my body, as I saw the final outcome of such a deadly meeting.

At the conclusion of our little pow-wow, I stood up and shuffled on over to the crates. Outside my trusty lightsabers, there wasn't much I needed in the ways of weapons. But I'm no fool, I know there are alloys, minerals, ores, and even some hides that are nigh invulnerable against a lightsaber's blade. I respected this creature but I held my own life in higher regard, so I began to sift through all the wonderful objects. I grabbed a few flashbangs, because with as many eyes as this creature held it might be necessary to render it temporarily blind to get close. I snatched up a few stun grenades, with the hope that they could at least slow the creature down, but judging by the size of that thing, I grabbed a few more just in case. Finally, against my own better judgement, I grabbed some sort of high-powered assault blaster rifle; strapping it across my back. I was never keen on such uncivilized weapons, but if my lightsabers failed to do the trick, well, I needed a Plan B.

With my weapons picked out, the last thing I needed to complete my ensemble was protective gear; minus the headgear. Since my personal outfit wasn't ready for pick up, I opted to choose some of the more lighter armor available to me. This creature was extremely fast, and though I had the Force on my side, I still wanted to have that extra step ahead if that thingy began to chase me.

 

[Seanna Vel]

Pondering just what she had gotten herself into this time. After all she was one with her own personality to get herself into trouble more time then not. After all she was one that like to do something drop of the hat, not think things through. Either way she was here now she would finish putting on her armor before stepping outside of her tent. Didn't know who her team mates would be. It didn't really matter did after all she learnt to get along with those that she wouldn't dream to have to work with. It been enough time thinking and messing around in her not so big tent.

Grabbing her helmet she step out into air, finding the pit in the middle. That is when she saw the one that had put together this hunt. [member="Arrbi Betna"] Even so she was very int urged by the fact that maybe there was more. Just when she wonder this very point did he watch his simple act take place. Following with her eyes the hologram of what they would face together.

As he spoke on what was known about the creature she couldn't help but wonder just what this creature could do if one or in this case a group of hunter corner such a nasty creature like this one. With a lot of unknown to this one then the one wanting the beast itself wanting it mainly in tact this should make for a pissing good time. When said it was time for them to go over to crates to see what they could find to aid them. All to welling to it over there as she went though seeing some grafling guns. Putting two on either side of her belt. Then came the gas balls after all didn't know what the creature would react to after all hopping that everyone has a sealing helmet like she did. If not they better stay down wind if she had to use these babies. Picking out a smoke grenade and tear gas grenade she pause, looking over the darts for a long range rifle. This knowing would do her more good after all she could study not have to get so close to it to find maybe their week spots.

"Well, sugars I think I got everything I want..oh wait." as she reach for one last thing a climbing rope. "There think that will do it, I hope by a monkey lizard bare butt."

[member="Arrbi Betna"] /[member="Clovis Torcularis"] / [member="Isley Verd"] / [member="Laguz Vald"] / [member="Gray Raxis"]​

 

[Darth Metus]

The Hunt was in his blood.​

It was not often that the Mandalorian had the pleasure of standing in the presence of [member="Arrbi Betna"]. In fact, the two Clan Fathers had only met in passing and the occasional meeting of the Council. Yet today, Isley accepted an invitation for a rather momentous occasion. Today, the Mandalorian found himself standing on the world known as Dxun. It was a wild planet, one of similar characteristics to his beloved Dathomir. It sang with an ambiance that only the Wilds could possess: a symphony of energy that denoted a lack of civilization. There was power in the Wilds. Power that the warriors had come to Hunt.

Arrbi assembled the pack just outside of the Base Camp. There he briefed the cadre of warriors on what they were to pursue. A monstrosity. An arachnid of sorts. From behind his buy'ce, the beginnings of a grin formed upon the Mandalorian's face. He was...excited. Partially due to the fact that he would finally be able to join Arrbi in the field. Partially due to the thrill of the Hunt itself. Yet mostly? It was the Alchemist in him. The prospect of hunting down something unknown...something dangerous...stirred the creative juices. Perhaps something deadly could be born of this venture. Only time would tell.

Once the Father of Betna concluded his briefing, Isley simply stood ready. He was already garbed in his beskar'gam and was armed with the standard tools of his trade. However, his more explosive ordnance had been left behind. Sure, he had his Lazy Eye and the Darksaber. Sure, Sweet Mercy rested in its sling. Yet the flamethrower and wrist rockets? They were gone. Packed away. Sadly. Wouldn't do to char or obliterate the trophy though.

"Ready when you are, brother." Isley said, addressing his fellow Alor in their native tongue.

[member="Arrbi Betna"] | [member="Seanna Vel"] | [member="Clovis Torcularis"]​

 

[Laguz Vald]

Off to the side of the glorified monster-hunters, Mandalorians, and ill-fitting damsels stood a rather inconspicuous bush. It rustled surreptitiously in the faint breeze that picked up every now and then, its movement the only sign of life in the jungle encroaching upon the small clearing where the group lingered. This piece of shrubbery was, for all intents and purposes, altogether unremarkable. Its leaves were a dull green, and its bark was a gray-brownish sort of color that only served to blend it even better into the shades of, well, gray-brownish that comprised the fantastic panorama of the surrounding rainforest.

Naturally, this was Laguz Vald.

Though invited as an accomplished hunter xemself, the assassin had been skeptical to the extreme. Out of context, the doubt might seem rude, or perhaps even ungrateful, but a small tale from the mercenary’s past would well clear up any undue confusion.

You see, Laguz Vald was a name that had once carried – and perhaps did still – an impressive weight in the ranks of a particular religious cult. That is not to say that the sniper xemself was faithful, for in fact the exact opposite was true, but xe was nonetheless associated with the group.

Visibly.

The group that, for lack of a better term, invaded and sacked an important and sacred part of Mandalorian territory, once upon a time. While xe was a consummate professional, and therefore held no grudges that could obstruct xem from monetary or material gain, Laguz knew full well that most people took offense to having their home raided and scorched. Violent offense.

And thus we arrive full-circle to the unobtrusive foliage at the edge of the clearing, which was listening quite intently to the briefing given by [member="Arrbi Betna"]. This finally convinced the shifter that the invitation had in fact not been an elaborate trap set out for a former Exemplar of the Primeval, but rather a genuine summons to what looked, smelt, and felt like one hell of a party.

Ditching xir verdant cover with all the elegance and stealth of someone who’s been doing it for the past two centuries – and and then some – Laguz Vald walked up to the rest of the group with xir trusty Tessie slung over xir shoulder and a wide grin plastered all over xir features.

Features that, xe realized with a slight delay, were rather ambiguously androgyne. Oh, well. If xe made one more macho Mando question his proclivities, xir day certainly wouldn’t be any worse. Though xe was, admittedly, running out of place for notches.

“We really shouldn’t stand out here in the open, you know. That thing probably already knows we’re here.”

[member="Isley Verd"] | [member="Seanna Vel"] | [member="Clovis Torcularis"]​

 

[Gray Raxis]

Gray had become many things in his relatively short life so far. He was a mercenary, a soldier, a warrior, a business man, and now it seemed he was going to become a big game hunter. He had already been a part of two hunts for krayt dragons, the proof of one of them being his own light saber containing the pearl of the beast. He was now on a hunt for a mysterious creature. The invitation to the hunt had not told him a thing about what it was they would be after only that it would be dangerous. He took the invite partly for the fun of going on another hunt like this to a strange planet, but mostly he took it because the one hosting it was a Mandalorian with a lot of renown behind their name.

Gray was waiting around the base camp wearing his beskar'ika armor for protection and had his pistol strapped to his right leg as always. His light saber hilt hung next to his pistol. On his back he had slung his arc shadow rifle which he had been seeing a lot of use of since he bought it. Plenty of beasts had hides capable of withstanding blaster and slug rounds, but few could withstand electricity hitting them. He also brought his phrik halberd with him, but didn't really have a reason for it other than he felt like it. He felt a little loaded down with stuff, but his encounter with the krayt dragons had shown him he was better off having equipment that could allow him to keep his distance and armor that allowed mobility than to try to be up in something's face while tanking its assaults. So that was how he decided to go about this hunt.

Gray listened to the description of the beast and had to frown a bit behind his helmet. There was not much to go off of for it, which did not bode well for him. He could work with the info he had right now, but he always preferred to not go in blind into situations. He was also glad he picked his more mobile armor and more adaptive weapons as well for this engagement, with the halberd being the only exception. The thing was heavy and might prove to be more of a hindrance than a blessing if he needed to move out of the way of whatever it was that creature was able to lobe at them. He stuck around though and was ready to set out. He wasn't going to be able to use explosives or any other highly destructive weaponry after all. He was even more glad to be using his arc rifle now because it would be able to kill the creature without doing too much damage to its parts.

[member="Laguz Vald"] [member="Isley Verd"] [member="Seanna Vel"] [member="Clovis Torcularis"] [member="Arrbi Betna"]

 

[Arrbi Betna]

As the other hunters gathered their gear, Betna took a moment to obtain his own. On his hip he carried his tried and true .44 revolver and on his back in its scabbard sat a basic slugthrower shotgun. Various small explosives festooned his person ranging from flashbangs to smoke dischargers. A number of broad loops of ammunition belts and a satchel of power packs wrapped around his torso while the Hyperion SAW in his arms sat ready for use. His beskar ax was hooked through his belt and the shape of a dinu'ul could be seen fixed to his left forearm. To an experienced soldier or warrior, the tips of the slugs wrapped around Betna's body showed a salt and pepper ordering of armor piercing, tracer, and incendiary.

When the bush-turned-hunter stepped forward and stated she felt the creature probably knew they were there, Betna shrugged, the belts of bullets rattling quietly.

"Whether it does or not, we're not in the hunting area. Notice how quiet it is? You can still hear the faint call here and there from something in the underbrush? It gets dead quiet a kilometer in," he gestured towards practically the only thing dominating the landscape nearby, a lone, low mountain. "The area the victim spotted the creature is at the base of the mountain there. There are no reports of caves or crevasses, which means it's probably taking shelter in a thicket of jungle or possibly underneath the cliffs and ledges. If it actually is an arachnid, we'll most likely see webs as we go in. Something this size, probably be a lot of web."

Betna glanced around and saw everyone was ready and itching to get going. Nodding once, he pointed at the not-bush that he'd just addressed, [member="Laguz Vald"].

"You're on point."

He picked up a satchel from atop an adjacent crate and tossed it to [member="Seanna Vel"] before picking up another satchel and tossing it at [member="Gray Raxis"], a Mandalorian he'd not yet met fully.

"Medical supplies and skinning equipment respectively. Tuck them in your kit. We'll need those eventually. Seanna, you're behind me, Raxis you're ahead of me."

Betna looked at [member="Isley Verd"] and gave a thumbs up before gesturing to the back of the group.

"You're on rearguard, vod," he said. You placed your best scouts to the front and rear of a patrol, something that was an easy pick for Betna. "Alright, let's move out."

 

[Laguz Vald]

Unlike the rest of the hunting party, the shifter had elected to go with a very lithe and nimble build, same as always. Armor was about as useful to xem as a silencer on a shotgun, and so xe only donned it in extremely rare situations. This wasn’t one of them.

“If it’s actually a spider,” the shifter started as xe slunk to the front of the group, “it’ll hunt by vibrations.” Xe wasn’t talking out of xir ass either, but rather drawing on the rich experiences collected during xir interaction with a thousand and one species that inhabited the wide and wild Galaxy. Especially the former territories of the Primeval. The things that lurked there were enough to make any man go insane.

Luckily, Laguz was already too unhinged to be affected by such things, and had instead tried to emulate them with a disturbing amount of success.

It was that technique xe would employ today if things got up close and personal, but for now, the designated forward scout was perfectly content to assume a shape that wouldn’t alert the arachnid beast to xir presence. (Unless xe flied head-first into a web, in which case xe deserved to die anyway.)

Xir sniper rifle had mysteriously disappeared during the short stroll, and in the end, so did xir legs, while xir arms seemed to have transformed into something surprisingly reminiscent of wings. Xe wasn’t competing for the ‘The Best Shape Shifted’ award of the year here, mind you, but simply borrowing a neat tool that would increase xir chances of survival.

And lend a good vantage point, as it so happened.

Laguz gave a few test flaps to the new appendages, then promptly set out in the direction indicated by [member="Arrbi Betna"] a few minutes prior. Time to go.

[member="Isley Verd"] | [member="Seanna Vel"] | [member="Gray Raxis"] | [member="Clovis Torcularis"]​

 

[Darth Metus]

You always put a gun you trust at your back.

Rearguard was a responsibility that the Mandalorian could, and would, handle. He gave a nod to the Father of Clan Betna and stepped into place, removing the Lazy Eye from its holster. The Darksaber rested within reach as well, just in case anything got too close for comfort. However, before Isley could so much as ready the three hundred degree view of his buy'ce, there were wings. Big ones. It was something that caught Isley off guard, causing him to take an apprehensive step back.

Well. That. Was. Something.

In any case, the Mandalorian resumed his place and got to work. His vision rapidly expanded: a standard perk of buy'ce ancient and modern. For the average soul, such an experience would be jarring...but a lifetime of doing so conditioned the eyes. Isley blinked a few times and was good. He was like an exceptional parent or a keen teacher, literally having eyes in the back of his head.

[member="Arrbi Betna"]

 

[Seanna Vel]

Finding that she had a good catch still as the bag was thrown down to her. Giving a nod at [member="Arrbi Betna"]as she knew that she was some how the odd ball or in this cause the odd woman in the group. Even those she knew just one in the group that was [member="Gray Raxis"] giving him a nod. They had been on a few hunts together before. Knowing that he knew what she was could do, when hunting dragons. It was time to prove maybe learn something from these other Mandalorian.

Even those she only had to much of a twisted smile upon her lips. Understanding the words in their spoken tongue. That would be her little secret for now. Not knowing if she would every come out just who she really was or who her father had been. Either way she knew that all they seen was some fancy business lady that might have gotten bored sitting behind some desk of hers. She been on to many hunts to count, how does one get to be the CEO with out having business trips some was more productive then others.

Either way she would fall in line towards the back of the pack after all she didn't like having any one to her back she learnt that the hard way long time ago. Friend or foe beast or creature. Either way she to the time to [member="Isley Verd"]. Before she fell in step. Picking up on [member="Laguz Vald"] about using vibrations to pick up on the where the creature might be at. Either way she couldn't help but see now that more then anything she was now seeking to help bring down this beast.

Knowing that she wished that the man or any any the group before then would have left something behind that she could touch to get a picture of two from it just to see where or how it fights. Either way this was only the start of the hunt.