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| Initial thoughts on the new ideas being implemented? |
| I'm excited to see how they work out! |
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100% |
[ 3 ] |
| I think it's a cool idea, but not sure the application is practical |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Too complicated and messy! |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Neutral vote |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
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| Total Votes : 3 |
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 Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2014 4:51 pm
Steelspark frowned but didn't argue. True, the increased altitude of the den meant it was less likely to be flooded, but that didn't mean there wasn't danger from all the water. It made the rocks of the mountain their den was set in slippery, so that you had to pay more attention to your footing when you climbed. There was also the possibility of a flood coming down the mountain, sweeping away them or any loose rocks that happened to be about. They didn't even have to be big rocks, for even one the size of half her paw could cause great damage if carried along at the speed of flowing water.
The thoughts flickered through her mind and were pushed aside as she renewed her concentration on the area ahead, straining forward as she ran and hoping to catch a scent that meant food.
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Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2014 4:58 pm
Starblade busied herself arranging the bedding to her precise liking, then going around the cave and doing the same with all the loose rocks she found. There wasn't much else to do, not even exploring, since the cave extended only about 20 yards into the mountain before ending in a wall of solid rock. Outside the sky slowly grew darker, darkness coming early due to all the thunderclouds. She was in the middle of rearranging her rocks for the second time when Thundercloud and her mother finally reappeared.
She jumped up with a toss of her head, throwing back her shoulder-length hair. "Finally! How was the hunt?" She didn't really have to ask. The grumpy expression on both adults faces and their lack of any burden was answer enough.
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Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2014 5:04 pm
"Well we're in no danger of starving just yet, but unless Iskiri had any luck it will be empty bellies for us tonight." Thundercloud shook his coat, emptying it of what felt like a pound of water before he moved further into the cave. Behind him he could hear Steelspark grumbling as she did the same.
"Bad break, mostly. All the prey has stayed cooped up today, and with all the constant rain there's no real scent trails to follow. We tried a few spots hoping to get lucky, but the most we saw was a rabbit. Saw us as soon as we saw it and it bolted. Too far away for us to do anything." He grinned at Starblade and winked, leaning forward and lowering his voice like he was whispering a secret, though it was plenty loud to be heard in the whole den and amusement radiated from his posture. "Your mom over there kept griping if we had scented it before breaking cover we could have caught the thing. She's a bit put out."
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Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2014 5:11 pm
Steelspark growled softly in the back of her throat while the pair giggled like a couple of loons. She was still convinced they could have had that rabbit if they'd moved a little more cautiously, no matter what Thundercloud said about scents and their own bad luck at coming out in that little clearing where they had. She debated giving their alpha a good whack with her tail, but in the end decided not to. It would only add to their impression that she was sulking and fuel their amusement further.
Plus she'd just shaken all the excess water out of her tail, so the blow wouldn't have been as effective as she would have liked in her current mood. She didn't really feel like going back out in the rain just to relieve her piqued feelings.
Grumbling under her breath Steelspark stalked over to their bedding and curled up on the choice spot, turning her back to her pack mates and trying her best to ignore them.
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jinxgirl5 generated a random number between
1 and 5 ...
1!
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Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2014 5:27 pm
A new week is starting! Here's our forecast. Season: Spring Temperature: High of 78°F, low of 56°F Weather: Cloudy, scattered thunderstorms Weekly news
I'm a little late with the new week, but I'll probably be a little late posting the fourth week so that's alright.
New poll! I thought about making a map, to give a more precise idea of how exactly their territory is laid out. It might take me a while, given that I want it to be as accurate as I can make it, and if no one is too interested in seeing one made I figured it would be better to put that project aside for another time.
Implementing a new idea! Every week I'm going to randomly generate a number between 1 and 5 to symbolize the pack's luck with hunting. I thought it would be an interesting addition to the reflection of their lifestyle, same as the weather forecasts. Eventually I'll put up a poll to get some opinions on whether ya'll like the idea or not, and we'll see if the idea becomes permanent. If it does I have some ideas to expand on this!
1
0% to 20% chance of success on a hunt.
2
21% to 40% chance of success on a hunt.
3
41% to 60% chance of success on a hunt.
4
61% to 80% chance of success on a hunt.
5
81% to 100% chance of success on a hunt.
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jinxgirl5 generated a random number between
1 and 5 ...
1!
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2014 7:47 am
A new week is starting! Here's our forecast. Season: Summer Temperature: High of 80°F, low of 61°F Weather: Scattered thunderstorms Weekly news
Last week, need to get in the rest of our monthly posts! Anyone pack members who swing by, try to post!
1
0% to 20% chance of success on a hunt.
2
21% to 40% chance of success on a hunt.
3
41% to 60% chance of success on a hunt.
4
61% to 80% chance of success on a hunt.
5
81% to 100% chance of success on a hunt.
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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 1:40 pm
Iskiri sighed as his stomach rumbled again, it was slim pickings at the moment around the pack lands, they just were not having a lot of luck with hunthing. It was starting to wear on him. What they did catch was shared and he worried about everyone's health.
He had managed to catch a vole and he placed it at the den entrance, he was one of the one who had eaten more rescently so he left it there for those members whose turn it was.
(I think the hunting roll is neat)
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 1:57 am
Starblade was feeling quite happy, even though the sky overhead was filled with grey thunderclouds that rumbled ominously and her stomach occasionally answered with equally ominous rumbles. The bad hunting had continued to dog them. Most days there was no food at all, and even when they did manage to catch something the prey tended to be small. Everyone was hungry.
Which equated to grumpy, in half the pack's case.
She'd had to argue with her mother, who kept trying to give Starblade her food in addition to what Starblade already got. Thundercloud had to intervene, and issued the ultimatum that Steelspark teach Starblade to hunt. Steelspark hadn't been happy about it, but it was to the point where they needed every set of paws they could get. She was determined to prove she would be an asset, not a liability.
It was just her and Steelspark, sweeping east of the end. Iskiri and Thundercloud were hunting the western side. Starblade was hoping she and Mom succeeded today, so they could surprise the boys!
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 2:11 am
The set of Steelspark's shoulders was slightly tense. She still disagreed with the decision to bring Starblade along. Her daughter had the makings of a fine hunter, but she was still young and inexperienced. Ideally they would have taught her during times of plenty, when misses weren't that big a deal. Better to have someone who knew that to do, to up their odds of success. But Thundercloud thought Steelspark's experience would be enough to balance Starblade's enthusiasm, and that she was as ready as she could ever be. Logically Steelspark had to agree, but she still wasn't happy about it.
They hunted the forested regions of the east, leaving the plains and mountains in the west to the males. They were more likely to find larger prey, herds of grazers or maybe a flock of mountain goats looking for fresh grazing. The forest offered chances for smaller prey, less dangerous for a new hunter to go after. The prey might also be more numerous among the trees, especially if and/or when the threatening rain began to fall.
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 2:21 am
Thundercloud scanned the horizon, making sure his sharp eyes missed nothing. Numerous as the dips and folds of the mountains and plains were, what was once empty land be hiding prey just out of his sight. He hoped the clouds moved on without releasing their burden of water; most creatures went for cover when storms started up.
Part of him wondered if they should relocate, or if their bad luck was linked in with all the storms and all that was needed to turn their luck around was patience and clear skies. They could ill-afford to go tromping over the rough terrain to a new den if the hunting was going to be just as bad. He would give it another week. If things didn't pick up, he would speak to the pack about relocating.
Thundercloud stood and shook out his fur, then resumed climbing the mountain slopes. It was his hope that with height he might notice something that had previously escaped his eye, or that he would stumbled across a hiding spot that couldn't be seen from below. It was a long shot, but things were tough enough that he was willing to risk it.
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jinxgirl5 generated a random number between
and ...
!
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 2:06 pm
Steelspark slowed, and behind her heard Starblade do the same. They were nearing a thicket. It was a good place for small animals to try to hide, and without enough hunters to watch it there could be any number of small burrows the animals inside could use to escape while bigger animals tried to tunnel in. Usually it wasn't worth having many hunters around just for small prey, but at the moment they would take whatever they could get.
Steelspark explained her plan to Starblade and watched as her daughter slowly began to circle around the thicket. She'd have preferred to go herself, since she had more experience in sneaking, but her bright fur would stand out more than Starblade's dark blue, and at the moment they could use every single advantage they could get. When she deemed an appropriate amount of time had passed, she made her way to the thicket's thorny walls and began a slow process of tunneling in.
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jinxgirl5 generated a random number between
1 and 5 ...
4!
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2014 2:16 pm
Starblade's steps were slow and careful. She tried to hurry so she could be in position in time, but she didn't want to rush and bungle everything before it all began. So whenever she thought she heard any sort of rustling, like small animals moving about, she would freeze and listen, and only move when she was sure it was safe to. She kept one golden eye trained on the thicket at all times, and the other roved around to survey the ground and the trees for anything that might be trouble or food.
Once set, Starblade sat and waited. She didn't want to risk burrowing into the thicket. She didn't have the experience, so her fur would get all tangled up and she'd be likely to get stuck just when she needed to be most mobile. Instead she kept her eyes trained for any signs of movement, her ears pricked forward and occasionally flicking to the side, hoping to see, hear, or smell her prey long before it could spot her. Assuming there was anything worth catching in here. There was no guarantee there was, only a likelihood.
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jinxgirl5 generated a random number between
1 and 5 ...
3!
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 10:16 am
The pair trudged wearily back towards the den. The results of their hunt wasn't too heartening. Steelspark held a squirrel by the tail, and a single mouse was digesting in Starblade's stomach. Everywhere else they tried it seemed as if all prey was hiding, though once, when they topped a rise in a hill, they had seen a herd of deer vanishing into the trees far to the south. Bright streaks of lightning colored the sky and Steelspark could see rain coming towards them, so she had called off the hunt for now. She tried to memorize the place where the deer had been though; perhaps later the whole pack could venture after them.
They made it to the den just in time. As their paws scrabbled over the rocks, fat drops splashed down, increasing in strength, and as they cleared the den entrance the sharp clacks of hail shattering against rock added to the din.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 10:23 am
Thundercloud was feeling quite proud of himself. He had beat the others back in the den and ate the vole Iskiri left, though he left his prize untouched. On the floor of their den lay the carcass of a young mountain goat. He'd stumbled across the herd as he wandered, and a foolhardy youngling happened to be close and slightly separate from the herd. Taking his chances he had pounced. Luck was on his side, for he managed to perfectly grab his prey by the throat. Biting down hard so it couldn't escape, he had turned and fled as best he was able. He didn't want the goats to decide they were feeling bold and attack him.
After his prey finally stilled in his jaws he headed back for the den. Though it hardly made up for the weeks of scarce prey, though would all have full bellies tonight. He waited for the others to return, guarding the kill and watching the clouds on the horizon. When he saw Starblade and Steelspark approach he felt a brief pang of disappoint to see their luck had not changed for the better. He moved back into the cave, listening to the sounds of thunder overhead becoming louder and louder.
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Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 1:53 pm
Starblade blinked owlishly while her eyes adjusted to the gloom of their den. Though she couldn't see quite clearly, her nose picked up the scent of fresh blood and animal musk mingling with rain and stone. A second later Thundercloud's bright pelt came before her vision, and she let out a soft bark of excitement. Her disappointment from their bad hunt melted away at the thought of a full belly.
Next to her she saw her mother move forward a little and deposit the squirrel on the ground. "I see your luck was better than ours," commented Steelspark, and Starblade sighed in agreement. It would have been nice if they were the ones bringing home a good kill. She waited until Steelspark mentioned the herd they had spotted to Thundercloud, then asked, "Is Iskiri here?"
(( If you want Iskiri to be there before the girls, you can make it so he came in after Thundercloud. Maybe they talk a little or something, that's fine. If you want him to come out of the rain instead, that's also fine! Whatever ya want : ) ))
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