Populate The Great Hunt || SO Populate of Seswenna

[Naamino Zuukamano]

Deep Core
Stewjon
Tags: Lysander von Ascania | Naniti | Varin Mortifer | Ghruna
Wearing
Wielding: Zhaboka, Vibroblade, Length of Fibrocord
​

As the others went to attend to something they'd heard nearby, Naamino diligently continued the work of preparing their kill for travel. First he found a suitably large branch and tested its strength, picking his hurled zhaboka up on the way back. The extra time of searching meant the buck was more thoroughly bled when he returned to its side. Naami knelt to carefully truss the buck up in preparation.

Time passed, Naami surveyed his nearby surroundings, until finally he grew tired of waiting. A small part of him might have even been concerned for his friend's safety in this unfamiliar territory. Eventually he comm'd the others to find that they'd stopped to help an injured comrade. Not only did a fellow acolyte require support, but it sounded like they needed to secure her kill. That left Naami to handle theirs.

With a sigh that belonged to a much older man, the zabrak stood and got to work. He'd been taught how to extract a large kill on his own when he was growing up. The grasslands were a significantly harder place to sneak up on prey, but much easier for such an extraction. He'd need to build a solid sled. After collecting two dozen suitable branches, Naami made quick work of smoothing them down with his vibroblade, cutting off twigs and getting the branches ready to be dragged across the earth with as little resistance as possible.

That done, Naamino untied the stag from the singular branch and used the cord to lash the branches together into a makeshift platform. The same could be done to drag injured soldiers from the field, but here it merely needed to be sturdy enough to hold the weight of one buck. Using the old branch that he'd originally thought would be how they'd carry the kill out, he turned that into a yoke for pulling and pushing. All said, he made quick work of the task. With a grunt and heave, Naami deadlifted the beast carefully onto the sled. He comm'd the others to tell them his rough eta and then got to work. His quads and knees would soon be burning from the effort but that was for the best, he hadn't gotten a leg day into the training circuit this week.

[EXIT]​

 

[Naniti]

Naniti looked at Ghruna, but didn't bite back at the woman. Sure she wouldn't refuse help. Of course, she wasn't that stupid. Whatever she said.

Then the bleeding woman made The Call. Unexpectedly, Varin stepped forward first. Admittedly, Naniti had a mind to, but she wasn't exactly as well-built as one of the men. Varin was rather sizeable at that; should be more than enough to shoulder the other woman. More, he even complimented her. Conversation or trying to distract her from the support?

A soft sigh escaped the Togruta as the pair turned to make their way through the brush. Then her attention swung over to Lysander as he moved over to Ghruna's kill. Naniti watched him work from nearby without intruding. He knew how to ride a horse, and tie up hunted prey. Noble sportsmanship? Could be useful knowing how to use cord in that manner.

She nodded and reached out to take the excess cord. "You don't want to levitate it in midair the whole way back?" It was half a jest. Suspending something so bulky could hardly be considered easier than hauling it back over your shoulder. Naniti hadn't ever tried doing it at length before. Usually telekinesis was only needed in short bursts. "I'm here how ever you need me, Lysander. Even if it's just to be your ranger in the woods." At least Lysander wouldn't fall victim to the same circumstances Ghruna had. No slight on the woman, but Naniti wasn't against using her abilities to see the threat coming -- learning life's lessons by hardship be damned.

At his signal, she knelt down to help roll the beast onto its flank as he'd asked. "I mean it. If you want me to help carry this burden... And Naamino isn't going to wait for us to come back, are they?"

Lysander von Ascania | Varin Mortifer | Ghruna | Naamino Zuukamano

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Naniti Naamino Zuukamano Varin Mortifer Ghruna
​

Despite any feelings of indifference earlier about the hunt, he found it pleasant to just exist in the moment, away from holos and noise, something only his homeworld ever seemed to allow.

Telekinesis had crossed his mind as well, only to conjure a picture of a buck suspended and catching all the branches on the way back to camp. “I thought about it,” he admitted. Emerald irises drifted to the canopy in contemplation. "Could totally escalate as a consistency issue though. It always starts as a convenience and ends as a commitment. I'd rather not make a practice out of it. Carrying it back sounds.. healthier.”

Lysander shifted a little closer, bracing against the dense muscle, trying to gauge how much resistance the beast might offer when they rolled it. The answer came quickly: it would not be cooperating. One shoulder rose and fell in a small shrug while gazing across to Naniti. “I won't say no to a ranger at my side. The last stretch of a hunt isn’t something we should hurry through. It’s probably best to make sure everything’s done cleanly, the way it should always be. We've got time.”

His gaze flicked to her hands as she knelt. “Naami should be fine. The guy has two hearts and enough stubbornness to count for a third. I bet he’s halfway home already.”

A single nod passed between them. Boots began biting into soil, and he could feel the fur against his sleeve.

“On three.” A smile followed the words.

The count began.

 

[Skadi Lightbane]

Tag: Aerik Lechner
​

Every part of Skadi was poised for action; her eyes were sharp, alert, and missed nothing. Her ears had become attuned to the sounds and movements of the misty and damp Stewjon forest around her, and she heard noises that others might miss. Her body, tense with the readiness to move through the forest as silently as she could, waited for her to command it to move. For now, she waited on Aerik, waited for him to digest what she had said to him through hand signs, and for them to come up with a plan of action.

Aerik shifted closer to her, and his voice reached her ears. He spoke in a low tone of voice, his words measured. He agreed with her assessment of the ravine, and warned her that they would bolt if pushed - and she agreed with that wholeheartedly. Skittish prey, when they knew they were being pursued, would jump and bolt at the slightest disturbance.

His idea was to wait for them to settle, to make their mistake, then they would move. She nodded in the low light conditions as she analyzed his idea. If they did it right…it would work in their favor. But she knew that hunts didn’t always go according to plan.

That was why it was called a hunt, and not a slaughter.

A sharp snap from ahead of them echoed through the darkness, and her gaze snapped in that direction once more, eyes finding the gleam of hide before it disappeared. Tension rippled through the air, the space around the forest, the distance between hunters and prey. She was silent, waiting to hear the sound of hooves moving at a fast pace through the forest…but she heard nothing.

The herd of younger animals was still, no doubt expecting the terrain around them to conceal their presence from the hunters.

But Skadi knew they wouldn’t remain still for long. They were young animals, and they no doubt would not like being separated from the rest of their herd. They would seek to rejoin the others soon.

Aerik caught her gaze, and told her in the same low voice the next part of their plan: when the tension broke, she would take the high ground and he would pressure them from below back towards the creek and the ravine. There was to be no sound until they ran…then she could use the noise of the herd to cover her other movements to get into position. She nodded once more in understanding, then following along behind Aerik as he led them further into the forest and towards their skittish quarry.

The forest seemed to settle just a little more; the herd hadn’t moved far, they were settling, though still somewhat alert. Already, Skadi could feel her pulse elevate as the thrill of the hunt began to truly fill her veins. Her grip tightened on the bow in her hand; soon, she would have a chance to actually use it.

"They're close. Stay ready."

Skadi was ready; she knew what to do, when the moment came. She offered a silent prayer to her goddess, seeking guidance and favor for this hunt. Any moment now…and things would surely ramp up. The young Valkyri woman kept her eye on Aerik, as well as on her surroundings, waiting for him to give her the signal to take the high ground.

 

[Naniti]

Naniti looked up at Lysander. "Too much time. Where's the threat of impending death if we fail to meet our instructor's insane timetable?" Interesting to hear him talk about the Sith doing something clean. Victory at any cost was more often than not the aim.

The Togruta shouldered the weight of the beast with a grunt and clenched teeth. "Three hearts. Great. So he's got one up on us." If Lysander thought he was going to solo this, Naniti was determined to prove him wrong. Show them all she could carry her weight. Considering everyone else had done most of the hunting and she'd just helped corral the prey, she felt particular keen about contributing.

"You want me to scare away others that get close, or drop them just to shatter the idea it's a rare catch?" she asked in jest after they'd turned the carcass. She intended to keep Lysander safe with that burden on his shoulders; but if he wanted a second trophy Naniti wasn't against being a little irresponsible.

Lysander von Ascania

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Naniti
​

The roll was work in the honest sense of it, nothing like the perfectly balanced heavy circles of a gym. Weight shifted wrong before it shifted right, hide rather slick beneath Lysander’s palms. For a second or two, it almost felt like resistance, stubborn as any living thing tended to be after it had been killed.

He glanced down at the carcass for a long moment before sliding back to Naniti. One eye narrowed, thoughtful in a way that suggested the answer hadn’t disappointed him. Lysander’s expression went on to shift by a few degrees.. enough to register amusement.

“Bold strategy, Naniti. So, you’re proposing we carry more weight, correct?”

A thumb rolled the cord once more, testing its tension. Mostly out of habit.

His gaze then snapped back to the Togruta, bright with a thought that had clearly wandered off on its own, a look she was probably no stranger to. “I suppose we could give the woods a chance to behave. But.. no guarantees if it decides to get all ambitious on us.”

Sliding the loop over his shoulder, he rose back to his full height. The beast’s weight answered immediately; his breath caught once. Hips set, back straight, he let the strain travel as it would. In truth, the thought of asking for help crossed his mind, and he dismissed that just as quickly. For some reason, it felt wrong to do so.. at least until he could see what it demanded.

A step forward was taken, then another, easing into the carry.

Progress was made in small gains.

“It hasn’t won yet. I’ve had worse arguments.”

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"The farce of your impotent vengeance, Lina Ovmar." He broke the blade-lock, slipping into a rapid series of strikes and slashes to drive the smaller woman back with overwhelming ferocity. The Dark Lord was virtually unrivaled in direct one-on-one combat, and the longer He kept His opponent engaged the more dire their circumstances became. He was boundless energy, never tiring even as fights became more and more intensive and vicious.

Never mind the fact He'd been deliberately holding back.

His lightsaber spun like a fan, a circular whoosh of red plasma that cut deep gouges in the ground at Lina's feet. Loose foliage curled and blackened from the heat of His blade, twirling whispers of smoke rising up from the fresh ash. "Your desperation is nakedly plain. Even though I cannot read your thoughts, your intentions are well writ across your face. Another scheme cooked up in the throes of your own victimization." He angled His blade until the tip was pointing directly at her.

"What would you do even if you got what you sought? Do you think it'll be the key to unlocking your wildest desires?" His expression shifted subtly, almost paradoxically wistful and introspective. "Do you really think you can destroy me, Lina? Do you think there's anyone living now who can? Or has that time long since slipped out of your hands? Out of all of their hands? What if you are too late, Lina, what then? What if what you're planning ends up with nothing, worse than nothing. I'm tempted to let you try, secure in the knowledge that if you fail..."

Danger flashed in the sulfuric mirror-sheen of the Dark Lord's eyes.

"I will not hesitate to finish what I started."

Lina Ovmar ​

 

[Naniti]

Naniti watched Lysander thoughtfully as he tested the haul. "Might give me a chance to show everyone they can't underestimate a hungry Togruta," she said lightheartedly about the more weight angle. Not that she wanted to haul a massive beast back on her shoulders, but she wouldn't cry about it if things happened. Did they say the carcass had to be in one piece?

When he took the first few steps forward, Naniti grunted. "Any of those with me?" Nothing like a little verbal trap between friends.

"Alright, I'll stay a few steps ahead." Wild animals wasn't the only thing she'd keep an eye out for. The woods could have all kinds of hazards for someone walking through them -- especially when carrying a load. Strong and capable as Lysander was, it gave Naniti some responsibility. Doubtful the animals were going to circle back like a bunch of angry Sith would. Wouldn't hurt to keep an eye out for any traps another Sith that had stalked them might have set. They'd already found one person that'd happened to be nearby on the trail.

Hopefully he'd tell her if he needed any kind of help before she heard him hit the ground. Well, nothing wrong with a little stubbornness.

Lysander von Ascania

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Tags: Darth Carnifex​

The strikes came as she expected them to come, her own blades moved a blur of red, the forest around them filled with the sound of each crack of their blades. Lina knew the folly of keeping him engaged for this long, that was why she was taking the path that she was, that was why his undoing would not come from her blade, but from the forces beyond the veil that bent to her will.

She stepped back from the swirling heat of his blade as it scorched the earth between them, exertion showing in the rise and fall of her chest, the glisten of sweat on her brow as she took the reprieve of his monologue to reassess, to shift her angle. The angry hum of their blades loud in her ears.

Lina lifted her chin in defiance, a smile curling her mouth as his blade lifted to point at her. "My own victimization?" she tilted her head. "Did you not drag me out of the shadows and use the woman I loved to force me to bend the knee? And then give her to your firstborn while you branded me and marked me a slave?" She shook her head. "Of course you did. And that's not even covering the fallout of you showing your idiot of a son the truth of what I am."

She stepped forward till the heat of his blade was close enough that the heat of it stung her skin, the pain focused her, hardened her resolve. "You think that your physical destruction is my ultimate goal? That I am so naive to think such a thing is possible? Maybe. Maybe it is. Or maybe I seek destruction of a different kind. You won't know until it lands, and it will land, Carnifex."

Her smile faded, her hatred replacing the facade. "I want you to remember that you created this. You sought to bend me to your will and in the process made your very own monster. And she is relentless."

The force swelled in her, blades rising to cast his aside, driving forward with her own ferocity as she sought to push him back with her own assault, knowing that in order to get close enough to get what she needed, in order to have his guard fall…

She would have to lose.

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Naniti​

Lysander had a feeling the weight would be a doozy before he even took a step. Sure, it’d be a challenge for just about anyone. The real question was whether the stubborn load would start fussing right away or wait until he was fully locked in. Unsurprisingly.. it picked the latter. The carcass pulled against his shoulder. After just a few steps, he had to widen his stance and brace his hips, making sure it didn’t decide to slip off.

“Go ahead, ask me again in a minute,” grumbled, a tired smile following.

Or two minutes..

At some point, he found himself leaning back into the Force, almost on autopilot. Just a little nudge to listen closely. Even with hands tied up, and Naniti leading the way, Lysander couldn’t help sneaking a peek down the path ahead of her anyway. Old habits didn’t just quit it seemed. And luckily the way was clear.. no pesky surprises waiting in the bushes Well, that didn’t mean safety.. but nothing was shouting. Maybe the warmth fluttering about inside him from that made the labor feel less like work at all.

Breath quickly came heavier, deeper through the nose. Sweat gathered along his brow. He pushed on a little more anyway, stubbornly, because he kept telling himself it was possible.

After hopping between a couple frozen planets recently, the notion of being a team had cropped up on one of them. Or, you know, acting like one. So.. it only seemed right to give that a nod too.

Eventually he came to a stop and called out. “Naniti,” her name spoken clearly.

His next words were kind of embarrassing. The blonde blurted them out anyway.

“I could use your help back here.”

They felt odd rolling off his tongue. If she happened to look over, it would probably looked like he’d bitten into something extremely sour.

 

[Darth Strosius]

​

Tags: Madrona A’Mia
--------------------------------------------

As per usual with the Neti's explanation, Darth Strosius found Himself with far more questions than when He had asked the initial one and with little to no time to ask for additional clarification. He understood the concept vaguely enough to know that whatever it is that they stood on must have been some sort of convergence or reservoir of latent power in one form or another, likely due to the sheer amount of life and lifeforms within the forest that surrounded it. The exact details of how such energy gathered in such a place or why it could craft entities was still a mystery to Him however.

Regardless of how lacking her remarks might have been in terms of exact answers, He knew better than to interrupt her rapid response. Even if it did leave Him somewhat bewildered in the process. What actually kept Him silent for those long moments wasn't just the words that she spoke, but rather the expression which spread across her features in the wake of them. A'Mia always had this...composed nature about her. To the point of seeming rather distant yet deceptively benign at almost all times, all those that He had seen her at least.

However for a few precious moments, she didn't have the placid expression of a wizened scholar but rather the genuine awe that everyone experienced at one point or another. The genuine amazement had Him not only stunned into silence but also resigned to it for fear that if He spoke He would be the cause of such a rare and eye-catching sight disappearing. Unfortunately it didn't last nearly as long as He would have liked regardless but Darth Strosius couldn't find it in Him to complain too much.

The masked man jolted in place slightly when she looked back at Him and quickly nodded as though He'd been paying full attention the entire time. He hoped that it was convincing enough to ward off any potential inquiries. "Transmutation, and more ancient than Sith Alchemy?" It sounded unlikely in concept but having seen the results in practice He certainly couldn't deny that whatever was behind these ruins was certainly more esoteric and eldritch than what He'd dealt with before.

Darth Strosius took an idle step back as the Neti rose and summoned forth some very unusual, albeit somewhat familiar given their resemblance to the feline creature that had emerged from the water, and gave Him a look that He found to be rather suspicious. "The reality of an alternative to the Sith arts would be incredibly inconvenient if knowledge of it became known, you have my silence in this regard." The full implications necessitated further thought and He could only think clearly when A'Mia wasn't right in front of Him in such casual clothing.

She had far better facilities for exploring and reverse-engineering these ruins than He did anyway, the masked man severely doubted that He'd be able to fit them in His workshop aboard the Harbinger at least. "Deal." Without a second though Darth Strosius brushed a spare bramble off on His robes before taking the offered hand and bowing His head in kind, His visor reflecting the Neti's impish expression. "Although please don't hesitate to let me know when you've figured out some manner of prototype, I'm eager to see the fruits of your research."

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

The smile widened upon her face and she relished the formality of a pact made. Secrecy and mutual benefit from this discovery was the best outcome possible. Not to mention it would give her yet another reason to be in contact with the Prophet.

"Excellent!"

A rumbling, rending, and earthen tearing sound immediately arose as A'Mia instructed her Sithspawn to extract the stone hewn shrine. She'd already gathered notes and photographs, mentally annotating the energetic signatures of the surrounding area. All that was left now was to haul the thing out of the forest. Easy enough work for her burly creations.

"You'll be the first to hear of a prototype, I assure you Alisteri."

She turned to regard the opposite shore where she'd left her basket of mushrooms, struck by a thought that the fell presence of the Butcher King had not yet diminished from the land. A'Mia also did not wish for her time with Alisteri to draw to a close just yet. She looked back at him, her demeanor suddenly softening from the previous fervor of discovery.

"Would you accompany me on a more carefree stroll? Now that we've unearthed a treasure unlikely to be matched this night? The diversity of fungi here is impressive, many medicinal and poisonous varieties."

Soil spilled toward them as the Sithspawn finally pulled the stone free from the island. They were bogged down by its weight but still able to move at a reasonable pace. Soon they sank into the water moving toward the shore they'd come from.

A'Mia watched them go fondly, before turning back to hear Alisteri's response.

"What say you, friend? Shall we make an adventure of the rest of our evening?"

Darth Strosius

[Exit]​

 

[Naniti]

The Togruta was standing before Lysander almost as soon as he called out her name. "Carry the back half?" she asked without any comment about needing help or in what way she could help.

She reached out and pressed the palms of her shoulders to the fronts of his shoulders. A few seconds later the ache in them would lessen a few degrees. Naniti's lips twitched. "We'll do it together." With that, she lifted her touch to step around to get an angle of attack on their load.

Lysander was free to give guidance on how he wanted to redistribute the weight. No point wrenching the man's shoulders trying to solo it without his involvement after she'd just tried giving him some endurance back. Better they were on somewhat even terms exhaustion wise when they started. Hauling that thing back on her own because his strength gave out entirely was doubtful. He'd lasted longer than she would have under those conditions.

"This just means no one gets to claim my share of the meat," she clarified in case Lysander needed something to alleviate a burden of payment or exchange. No need for him to think too deep about it.

Lysander von Ascania

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Naniti ​

Attention stayed locked ahead. An ingrained reflex, perhaps. Only after that did his gaze truly land on her, green narrowing a touch as he took the Togruta in.

The ache receded slightly. Of course, Lysander noted it; Naniti treated him with a fairness that the galaxy rarely extended. He couldn’t pinpoint what he had done to earn such, but he chose not to ponder it.

“That’ll work,” came easily as he widened his stance. “Just give me a second to get my footing right.”

For now the carcass wasn’t fighting him outright, but.. it was still ready to argue. Softening his knees dropped him to let the load settle more into his legs too, instead of climbing up his spine.

“You should match the hips first,” Lysander said without looking back. "If you lead with the shoulders, it’ll hurt when you turn."

A second later he glanced over his shoulder to confirm her setup, then to the load. “Slide left,” added quietly. “Knees in when I move. You want to keep them loose.”

Somewhere along the way that he entered coaching mode. Maybe it was from spending so much time in the gym and teaching at the academy. Most likely it was both combined.

The hint of a smile found him. “Step with me, alright? One.. two, breathe on the second. If it slips, just yell before it decides to be difficult.. and I’ll catch it.” Or manage it and still fail. Sometimes, presence sounded cooler than physics.

“Right,” settled in as his grip found purchase. “I wouldn’t dream of shorting you, Naniti.”

When the load answered, he began to step forward, and their work carried on.