Tetsuoh
Member since: 2010Nickos sighed heavily, his breath getting the better of him.
Damn this world and how its air is so heavy, He thought to himself. I can't wait to be off this rock...
"Rick! dis trail be fresh! Must Hurry!" Nickos was still having trouble with these catfolk's language, he barely understood a thing Brahan had just said.
Hurry, he got. The south was nothing but a line of black storm clouds rapidly approaching and there was no way to know if the trail the grey furred primitive was following would last through the rain.
"Soon we no longer walk, we ride my friend..." Nick turned to Rohl and nodded as he stretch his arms. Hopefully the old bushy tail was right, he was tired of walking day after day, and they needed to move faster if they wanted to evade the Imperials. He started forward then turned to look back on the trail of refuges behind him. But one was missing...
Seriously?, Shes running off again?!
"Anyone seen Tisara?" He asked. The group turned to each other and looked confused.
He sighed again. They really hadn't noticed?
"TISARA!" Bala roared. Nick cupped his one ear. Jeez ya big, loud, lummox.
His wife Veta and Rohl joined in as well.
Screw it. Nick cupped his hands and prepared to yell when her white fur popped up into view next to a nearby thorn tree.
"I got her.." He jogged off through the tall grass. Besides, he thought, I still got no idea what's with this girl.
"Look" She said as he came up to the tree. She turned and knelt.
Nestled among the large trees roots was a very large nest. Lining the dirt and debris were countless bits of a shell and a single large brown and red mettled egg, the size of his head..
no its bigger... "What is it? This what we're looking for?" He asked. Tisara shrugged and reached into the nest planting one hand on the broken shells around it, and reaching in.
"Right, your not from around here either... Thought you were scared of the Plains?" Tisara froze and drew her hand back. "Heh scaredy cat"
"HEY! we know what lays big brown and red eggs?!" Nick yelled back at the others.
"They leave it... to die...so sad..." Tisara mumbled.
Nick noticed Brahan and Rohl running very quickly and looking worried. "RERY BAD!" Brahan yelled.
Tisara gasped. "IT ALIVE" Nick turned just in time to see Tisara with the rock...
"NO!... dammit" She had already smacked it and began to claw at the shell.
Brahan reached them first, bounding on all fours. "IT SANKEN NEST!" He exclaimed.
"Ah, and whats that? he turned and yanked the egg from Tisara's claws and continued to snap off bits of shell.
"Big bad - rery mean - lots teeth - eat tribe!" Brahan tried to take the egg from Nick's hands, but he turned from him.
"Ah, gotcha.." Nick suddenly got a wicked idea, and continued to peel the shell, soon revealing a large gore covered head that looked right at him.
"Kinda cute if you ask me..." The creature rolled its head free and squalled loudly. Whoa, lots a' teeth is right.
Brahan tried saying something but Nick didn't pay him any attention. He pulled the creature free and tossed the egg aside.
"Here Momma!" Nick held it out to Tisara, a surprised look on her face. She took it gently.
"RERY BAD! REAL MAMA HEAR! SHOULD KILL!" Brahan shouted.
The baby squalled again, loader than before. Tisara quickly tucked it away from Brahan's grasping hands.
Suddenly, a roar pierced the sky, sending a chill down Nick's spine. He quickly turned to Tisara and yanked the hatchling from her grasp slicing his hand open along the spines on its back.
"RUN!" He yelled at them and quickly ran as he turned to face the direction the bellowing had come from. There in the distance among the large rock crags suddenly loomed a terrifying sight. The creature was as large as a rancor but built for spead, its massive jaws lined with crooked teeth. He gasped, there was no way he could outrun this.. this monster...
It stopped and raised its head to the sky, sniffing....
It didn't see me? Nick quickly squatted down into the plains grass. Don't smell me, don't smell me!
It barked. An odd warbling tone. What is it....? OH SHI... Nick quickly tried to place a hand over the infants mouth but in return the infant reared its head back and nipped his hand before calling back to the parent. "YOU LITTLE FRACKIN!" He tossed the hatchling as far as he could and quickly turned back.
It was looking right at him. Nick quickly fumbled with his rifle, the gash on his hand bleeding badly.
"FRACK! FRACK! FRACK! Gonna die! I'm gonna die!"
The beast bellowed at him as it began its charge. He leveled his sights. Thunder rolling in the distance.
Shes actually gonna get me killed this time.... He squeezed the trigger.
The shot went wide. DAMMIT!
The beast was steadly getting closer, the ground shaking as it bounded. He tried to level another shot, when suddenly a stun bolt struck the beast in the side. It didn't even flinch. NO!, I TOLD THEM TO RUN! He couldn't even aim straight the ground shoke so hard, but he pulled the trigger anyway.
It stuck the beast right below the eye and burrowed deep. The beast reared, roaring in pain as in hit the ground and skid to a stop kicking up dirt and dust all around.
.......It ain't dead.... I know it aint dead!....... Nick stood trying to get a clear view, when suddenly the ground began to shake again.
Another one!? There was another one!? He turned in a wide arc trying to see where it was coming from as rain began to fall. Thunder rumbled.
It didn't stop. The thunder carried on. Suddenly the sounds off countless squacking a screeching begain to filled his ears. He turned to face the noise, his blaster ready.
A wave of beaks, spines, feathers, and powerful legs rolled over the hill and in between him and the fallen beast. He lowered his rifle in confusion.
They were birds, a giant flock of them... flightless birds... RANPARI!! These were the beasts Rohl had them hunting!
They wheeled and turned and broke around him, the dust and dirt they kick up was relentless even as the rain began to poar ever heavier.
Oh crap the grenades! He quickly fumbled for the stuns grenades as the flock broke to either side of him and tossed them. Numerous hit the ground squaks and squalling, He heard yelling, and more blaster shots in the distance.
That didn't them lo.... Suddenly through the dust one of the larger ones barreled right towards him. He quickly dodged to the side only to have two more almost trample him as he rolled to his feet. Dangerous, this is getting Dangerous!
He witness as some of the ones that he fell were quickly trambled while others parted around their fallen. Then a flash of white to the left. Tisara. He locked eyes with her as she cried out to him but he could't hear her over the cacophony of the flock, She held a blast pistol in her hand as she tried to shield her face with her arms. Then she was gone, lost in the flock's stampede. No, No, NO! Ducking and wheeling he tried to run to where he had spotted her.
At first he saw nothing, heard nothing. THERE!
He hesitated, even as the flock reeled and roared around him. He stared at her limp form laying crumpled in the dirt and mud... blood running down her forehead even as the rain soaked her fur.
Then her ear flicked, her tail twitched. He ran forward and scooped her up, running for the far edge, ducking and weaving through the chaotic mass of beaks and talons, out of the flock's path.
She coughed as he lay in the grass.
To his right, the beast. As he turned it began to stir, it's tail whipping along the ground, its nostrils flaring.
He unshouldered his rifle and ran to its massive head, planting a boot on its upper jaw, releasing shot after shot.
Quickly, Rala and Trahk ran to join him and they pelted the creature with blaster bolts until it breathed its last.
He turned to see Veta tending to her sister in law as Tisara sat up in grass and looked toward him, before turning away with a dejected grimace.
He couldn't yell at her... he wanted to.. but he just couldn't...
Suddenly a series of cheers and roaring broke him from his stares as he turned to see Brahan and the others casting nets on the slumpering beasts that they had fallen.
Rohl approached as Nick stared at how thin the travelling tradesman was with his hair matted to his body.
"Star Weapons indeed my friend..."
Trahk Thumped a heavy paw on his shoulder.
"YES! "You do it Rick!" Sanken Dead and...." Nick rolled his shoulder from under the big tiger man's hand and walked over to kneel beside Tisara.
She turned to face him but quickly cast her eyes to the ground in guilt.
"Hey...." She looked up to meet his gaze. "Gotcha lunch." He pointed over his shoulder at the fallen behemoth with a smile on his face.
Sorry for the long as hell intro. Hope you liked it though.
Ranpara (Plural Ranpari) are a flightless herd style of flightless avifauna that I came up with for my current campaign. Hailing from a previously unknown world in the midrim that is also home to a a primitive feline humanoid raced named the Soua. (The technology level of the Soua varies by region with the lowest being members of jungle/plains natives of stone age level, and highest being that of the middle ages, with steel armor and weaponry)
They are used by many of the native cultures of the planet as beasts of burden and mounts.
They are incredibly fleet of foot and strong legged.
Not unlike the chocobos from the Final Fantasy Series honestly.
They defer from them in looks however as The Ranpari feature a series of four spiked protrusions from the back of their skulls, as well as two from the rear of the lower jaw, and a feathered tail for balance when running. Their "Horns" are often used as mooring points for the bridles used by the natives.
Frill/SPine Example - http://img12.deviantart.net/8521/i/2013/114/9/8/bird_alien_by_aylagigac…
Chocobos - http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100505191310/finalfantasy/images/1…
Predominately Orange feathered, coloration varies to include hues of brown and rarely red or even black. With more vibrant colorations such as blues, greens,reds,and even purples appearing as adornments to the head frills and wing/tail tips of the males.
And yes, once again - not unlike final fantasy - the more cultured civilizations of the natives do have at least one nation that utilizes the Ranpari as the mounts for their army and armors them.
Sanken are monstrous Avifauna/Dinosaurae predators of the plains region and are as described as larges a rancor (larger than a T-Rex in point of fact.)
In terms of description - Imagine a Utahraptor of the size described - meaning fully formed forearms and a build meant for speed, think the jurassic park franchises Spinosaur before modern science sent its design down the rabbit hole. (they do prey on the Ranpari and the Ranpari can reach speeds akin to the modern ostrich)
Utahraptor - http://dibujando.net/files/fs/p/c/600x600/2011/234/utahraptor_22162.jpg
Spinosaur - http://www.kidsdinos.com/images/dinosaurs/Spinosaurus1140815284.jpg
They have a blunted snout however - akin to a carnotaur - and feature a jaw similar in tooth lay to that of a crocodile (Teeth mored in and outside the lip on both upper and lower sets)
Carnotaur - http://img05.deviantart.net/385b/i/2014/027/9/d/carnotaurus_by_brynnmet…
Feathered and spiked as well - but their feathers are very sparse - namely the head ridge and a tail plume, and their spikes are more numerous and include a scale ridge along the spine - similar to that of an iguana.
http://www.xromm.org/files/images/projects/iguana-breathing/Figure1-Gre…
To anyone who takes up either (or both) of these creature concepts - I and my group thank you beyond measure. And will be eagerly awaiting your rendering of our ideas.
Speaking of which - I do hope creatures fall into the character category - It seems the other was meant for technology based requests. *grimace and crossed fingers* - Sorry if I got it wrong.
Apologies for the horrible grammar - I thought I had fixed everything.
Is there no edit option?
Sorry, no edit feature. Just a thought here, but if this is a request, I'd suggest putting the request first, and the story last. If you like I can delete this, and you can repost it with better grammar.