Ask Welcome To The Jungle

[Elidan]

Myrkr was an interesting place. This forested planet was close to the borders with the Expansion Region and had a great diversity of fauna and flora. It was also believed to be the home of the mythical Neti species. Since this world attracted little attention, it was frequently visited by smugglers, fugitives and all kinds of other outlaws, which were known to build secret bases in the depths of Myrkr's forests.

Due to its biological diversity, it was a good place for the study of Biology. A field trip was organized by Master Bheva Traylessend to visit Myrkr and to watch the creatures that live there. However, due to it also being a dangerous place, the Morellian Knight had decided to come with them.

Elidan had decided to come on this trip due to the opportunity of being able to learn first hand about the amazing creatures and plants that lived there. He would love to see them and perhaps even take some pictures with his Datapad. Biology was starting to become his favourite subject. Perhaps because Master Traylessend was a good teacher.

As always, he was avoiding the other Padawans. At this moment they were at Hyllyard City, the capital of the planet. It was a small frontier town and also served as the commercial hub and largest urban settlement on the planet. They were waiting for Bheva to find a transport that could bring them to the forest.

While the other Padawans were talking with each other and looking at some products being sold in some stands, Elidan was in a corner reading an article on his Datapad. He felt a bit awkward there and hoped that the Knight would return soon.

@Darasuum @Zay

 

[Jaecar Algyr]

THEME​

Jaecar knew from looking out of the ship's viewport that the planet was covered in forests. However the Hyllyard City seemed to appear much like a desert world having been deforested in its immediate surroundings. People moved through the streets and occasional shuttles or other commercial transports would come in every half our or more.

Myrkr was rumored to have mighty beasts. Perhaps one of them would make good prey for the sixteen year old Deucalian. It was different from Savareen or Tolvis, that much was for sure. Even walking through the city, he could feel a different sensation from the planet. It wasn't the atmospheric pressure or temperature that he felt but his sixth sense, The Force.

Garbed in his patchwork armor, Jaecar had removed his head protection and rebreather in favor of taking in the planet's fresh air. Even in the city, the world smell fresh and lush compared to others. His short cropped red hair rustled faintly with the occasional breeze that gently blew through the streets of Hyllyard City.

Traveling to the wilderness would take some time by foot but it was doable. On Arkania, Jaecar had treked through the mountains to find a dragon nest. By skill and by luck, the young Deucalian had managed to steal a dragon egg and then have it hatch. Now the young drake, named Hraun. The winged reptile sat on Jaecar's left shoulder, cocking its head and occasionally letting out a chittering squeak or jumping off to catch an insect before returning to its perch on Jaecar.

The munching of an exoskeleton being crunched in the young dragon's mouth actually made the deucalian a bit hungry. Making a slight detour towards some food stands, he saw some street kebabs and bought two with some credits he fished out of a pocket. There was not a lot left so getting off planet might be harder without any money. But he needed to eat and so did Hraun. The dragon took an occasional bite from a raised kebab. Jaecar knew Hraun would have probably nipped at his ear or cheek if he hadn't bought a second one. The dragon pet was a growing beast and someday would be huge. But for now he was a snippy and mischievous reptile. This way Jaecar could eat his own food too without risking frustrating his pet. The arkanian dragon prefered to hunt live prey and then crisp it up with his breath a little. But in the case of cooked meats Hraun only blackened it a bit further.

By the time the young duecalian finished his own street kebab, Hraun had finished the first chunk of meat on his kebabs and seemed satisfied. Jaecar ate the rest of the second kebabe and stopped in a pedestrian intersection among the stalls. There were jingling of nick-nacks and trinkets, various items and objects being sold for practical and aesthetic purposes. Jaecar lacked coin and thus didn't bother looking closely at the wares or the prices. Instead there were a group of youths in the direction he was headed. The short redheaded teen looked around to just make sure he was heading in the right direction. The vehicle rental office was in the direction beyond the group of youths in robes. Occasional a passerby would look at Jaecar and his pet but passed without so much as a comment.

Jaecar's eyes glanced at the dragon close on his shoulder before speaking. <"Maybe we should find out more about good hunting grounds. Do you feel up for that Hraun? Think they have something bigger than a Rancor?"> Hraun gave a trill in response. <"Probably wise to ask other tourists. The guys around the hangar looked like they wanted to grab me...or you."> He was wary of strangers, especially adults. As a kid trying to be an adult, Jaecar knew he was still seen as young and naive.

Walking up to the youth with a datapad, he stopped in front of him. "Hi. Are you from Myrkr?" He seemed more like the studious of the group of kids. Maybe it was a school field trip or something. But rather than ask one of the kids looking at stalls, Jaecar figured he could earn more info from asking the one with the piece of technology. A datapad was another purchase the Duecalian would have to make eventually. The technological level of the galaxy was greater than what he had expected months ago when he left Nelvaan on his quest for New Deucalia.


@Zay @LouJoVi

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

"You may walk with the stars, my son, but do not forget the gods, and do not forget your purpose."​

Leon was perched over his plasma bow adjusting the electrotensioner. He'd distanced himself from the group sent on this field assignment, not because he wanted to be alone, but because he was tired of the language barrier. His accent and broken basic made it frustrating to socialize with his peers. He'd been assigned to this field trip as part of his general curriculum, but the only thing he was interested in was The Vornskr.

The Vornskr was the apex on Myrkr. It's ability to hunt using the force made it an ideal specimen for him to study. His time on Yavin IV had dulled his blade. It was too safe, too comfortable. He was ready for more, but he was refused actual missions until he completed the basic regimen. If he could take down one of these beasts surely that would prove he was ready for action? It didn't matter. His purpose was greater than the desires of the order.

The Deucalian lifted his bow and gave it a pull. Satisfied, he collapsed the weapon then scanned the area. Most of the padawans were horsing around. Leon sighed resettled himself on the bench he'd been working on and pulled out his knife. Just as he started to sharpen the sound of a familiar accent reached his ears. Leon closed his eyes and focused on the voice. The Padawan's eyes opened and he looked to his left.

In a corner of two buildings, a young man with a small dragon on his shoulder was speaking to one of the other padawans. Leon's memory grouped for the other's name, but he couldn't remember. Curiosity spurred him into action. Sheathing his blade he approached the pair and in Deucalian he called out, <So, there are more of us among the stars! Are you here for the hunt as well, brother?>

@LouJoVi @Darasuum

 

[Elidan]

Since Bheva was taking much time to return, Elidan started to read another article. This one was about predatory animals that were Force sensitive. There was the Vornskr of Myrkr and the Hrosma tiger of Baskarn, both mighty predators that used their abilities while hunting. Unfortunately, it attracted the attention of smugglers and hunters.

Elidan was so distracted reading the article that he didn’t notice another person approaching him. When the Padawan heard a voice calling for him, he turned to look at who had done it. The half-Sephi swa a teen, who probably had his same age, with some type of winged creature at his shoulder.

The auburn-haired boy looked at it wide eyed when he noticed that the creature was a young Arkanian dragon. It was impressive! Elidan had thought that most of these creatures were extinct by now. However, now wasn’t the time for him to admire the dragon, he still had to answer the teen’s question. “No, I’m a Padawan and I’m on a class trip.” he showed the message with his Datapad to the other. “Sorry if this is strange, but I have mutism.”

Before he could ask anything about the dragon, another person approached them. This time was another Padawan. Elidan didn’t know his name, but he seemed to be happy to see the other boy. When he started to talk in a language that the half-Sephi didn’t know, Elidan wondered if they knew each other.

While the three were there talking with each other, a group of suspicious individuals would be carrying several crates out of a nearby building and inside a speeder. If someone paid close attention would be able to notice that some of these crates were shaking. These individuals would also discreetly look at the Arkanian dragon.

@Darasuum @Zay

 

[Thayd Karkoza]

Don't believe the slander about the business on Myrkr, folks. Fugitives, they say, smugglers. See these hunters now, returning from the forest with their hard-won prizes. First, a light billow in the canopy, a ripple in the treeline. Soon there’s a whole reeking blood battalion pouring down main street on a shambling zoo of incongruous mounts — flesh, furred, scaled, metal — clad in trophies of meat; medallions of gammon, marbled barons of beast. Aw... hell, somebody get the mayor down here, ready your fattest bluest “#1 Best Hog” ribbons for those uhhh... things they got in cages... entire flatbed trailers stacked with plundered rarities of the beating-heart variety, their eyes glinting, flashing yellow fangs, stewing, hissing in their confines as this black market buffet keeps trundling along...

Onward rolls the scum parade, careening in their fall-apart fashion toward the center of town amid shouts and cheers, the pounding of feast drums, shrieks of crooked laughter, a black blizzard of gnats and flies clutching upon this column like the jungle's own fist sworn to drag them back again. Children run among them, darting with their quick hands for strung up viscera and pelts and ivory pieces, like guppies flossing the teeth of a vast, well fed whale, and streaming out unscathed, up toward the head of the procession where one among a cluster of lieutenants is doling out to them fruits of all kinds.

Zoom in close here. Amid this river of slouching tatterdemalions, festooned in armaments modern and antique, elegant and barbarous, that man, though nominally a party to their twisted roster... well he wears a different uniform. He rides saddled atop some traumatized four-hoofed animal. Upon his head is a large straw hat, wide and wild, spiky all over the place with rogue bits of straw jutting out wherever like a nest for some coked out raptor. The little children scamper ‘round him, holding up their hands, and from a bag at his waist he produces fruits and tosses them down to squeals of delight, as if he were just a merry conqueror of orchards. When the bag is empty, he hands out flowers. Flowers cover this man. Flowers, and raw meat, draped bleeding across him like a parody of an honorific sash an admiral would wear at... well, a parade. So he hands down these bright, opulent blooms, big as their young skulls, white as wedding cake, freckled only here or there with little nibbles of gore, and by the time he’s down to his last flower, pinned to chest prom king killer style, they’ve all moved on to clean out another rider.

Suddenly there’s a tug at his waist. A little girl is straggling alongside him, pulling at the lightsaber hanging from his belt. She looks up at him with an expression of pure contempt. “Give me!” She says, pulling harder at the lightsaber. “I bet you stole it anyway!” Thayd slowly turns and looks down at her. The shadow of his vast straw hat falls across her summery face, darkening to *gulp* autumn, *double gulp* winter. Craning down at her over the brim of his hat, a filthy black raven, dandelion’d all over, blinking, head cocked like it’s about to ask what’s the hold up. The lightsaber slips from her fingers and she stands in the road staring after him as he goes.

In minutes they pass under the tall archway, into the town square right in the middle of Hyllyard, like emptying into the sea, and the convoy dissolves amid the greater chaos of the market as its members disembark to sell or store their collected wares. Before he dismounts, Thayd thinks he sees... what the-, starts noticing khaki-colored little Jedi all over the place. Not little Jedi, what was the word, pa-, pa-, paladin? Peregrines? Junior Jedi milling around at the different vendors, better see whas goin on... Hasn’t seen other Jedi in years at this point. He’s uhhh... been on sabbatical! Mhm. Thayd straightens his hat, gotta be presentable, adjusts his sashes of meat like one does a disheveled a necktie and directs his mount to ferry him over to where Elidan, Jaecar, and Leon are gathered. They’ll see him coming up on this hoof-having, quadrupedal pack animal with a long snout and sorry eyes that the bugs like to sip at. A dark mesh netting hangs down from his hat like a veil, blurring up his face. Under all the rest there’s a tunic that at one point might have been white. Meat-bedecked, flower-chested, raven-roosted. He’s not from Myrkr. Big voice. Needs answers.

“Now why would they send a bunch of fine young Jedi all the way out to this place?”

@Darasuum @Zay @LouJoVi