welcome to your new hell, Welcome to the Menagerie. Or as we like to call it, Dome Sweet Dome! We are an eight-year strong futuristic shapeshifter and sci-fi creature roleplay, dedicated to bringing you a world unlike any other; a world in which your character has become an experiment and must fight for survival in a domed city, cut off from the rest of the world. Choose to be any animal in your fight for survival in an artificial world built by the Keepers as they subject you to experiments beyond your control. Choose to wander the world inside the walls alone, as a Rogue, or find safety in numbers in one of the groups known as Rings. How will you survive?
60 - 65 ºF
blustery with scattered showers spotty sunshine
YEAR 2309
shift bans.
» Cougars (aka Puma, Mountain Lion, Panther)
» All Tiger Species
» All Lion Species
» All Wolf Species
» African Leopards
group bans.
none.
encouraged !
FEMALE CHARACTERS! create a RETRO or ANTHRO and get 250 CP + a free skill! read me for more info!
last updated: april 19th, 2016
Click on each Ring or Retro group image to view their ranks!
GROUP UPDATES
CARNARING
Jocelyn Edelwolfe is the new Alpha! Seija Mulviene is the new Beta, and Grey is the new Delta. Lead Hunter is now Boone Haywood, Head of Border Patrol is now Noelle Ndango!
FALLENRING
-
FULSIRING
Fulsi has a standing treaty with the Nakoma, granting limited access to their fresh water.
NAKOMA TRIBE
-
ANALOYA PRIDE
a while back, the Analoya suffered a suspicious poisoning of their river, luckily with few casualties; the Bellator are suspected of having taken part in it, and there are whispers that Pride leader Wanderer is talking alliance with the Nilda for access to their clean water.
BELLATOR HERD
As new leader of the Bellator, Loril has instituted some rank changes. See this thread for more information!
LAWAII FLOCK
no updates!
NILDA PACK
no updates!
CARNARING QUICK STATS
ALPHA -- Jocelyn Edelwolfe, Clouded Leopard, played by IronChild
BETA -- Seija Mulviene, Spotted Hyena, played by Seija-chan
DELTA --Grey, Mackenzie Valley Wolf, played by Kriss
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Grey preferred being on night patrols for several reasons. The first of these was the fact that it was hot during the day, and at night the temperature dropped considerably. Actually... That was the only real reason.
He was alone that night. The man he was supposed to be patrolling with, Rev, had ended up sick. Not just a little cold, either. Full blown shakes, temperature, and vomit. Grey hadn't stuck around for long after checking in with him, and he just decided that instead of scrounging up a Tenderfoot, he would go alone. He liked it better that way, anyways. Most people had a way of getting underfoot, when they patrolled with Grey. Maybe he just set a fast pace, or maybe he was the one who got underfoot of them--not that it mattered, much.
It was a cool, clear night. The stars--fake as they probably were--lit up the sky brightly, and so did the moon. He moved easily through the lowlands along the Carna-Fallen border, his eyes flicking occasionally down to 'enemy' territory. There were occasions where saw sentries on the others side, vague silhouettes, but they were always on their side.
Until, quite suddenly, they weren't. Grey caught the scent of Carna near the border, towards the foothills, and he paused. His nostrils flared with the distinctly salty, sea-water odor, and his ears pinned to the base of his skull. The wolf (with a tiger's mutations, striping his body and lengthening his tail) picked up his pace, moving from a quick walk to a lope. It was several minutes before he found some intact footprints (the wind had a way of erasing them quickly) trekking deeper and deeper into Fallen territory.
His lips twitched over his teeth. The open desert made for a good place to spot intruders, and as he crested a particularly tall dune, Grey saw the trespasser--he was at the base of the dune, moving steadily. Grey lowered his shoulders and moved his body into a quick, loping crouch. Then he realized. Fallen's policy was not, exactly, "attack on sight". He straightened, before the Carna saw him, and shifted into his human form. "Excuse me," Grey began, with enough sarcasm to drown in. He slid down the hill on his heels, moving quickly as the sand gave way. "I would like to inform you, you sonuva--" he cut off, arched his brows, the implication clear regardless of the pause. "--that you are trespassing, and I would advise you to get your ass off of Fallen territory, before I have to show you out. I'll count to three." Grey rolled his shoulders and eyed the stranger. "One..." He reached for the knife at his belt. "Two..." He arched his brows. "... three."
He raised the knife, and moved into a fighter's stance. He waited for the Carna to make a move--either leave, or remain. Those seemed to be the two choices that Grey was offering.
James padded silently across the loose sands as the moon lit the desert up around him, as good as daylight to his eyes, light and shadow falling across his pale, striped coat as he moved sinuously over the dunes. The sands were thick with the scent of the fallen, but he was unconcerned. Most of the Fallen he had met were pacifists, clinging to their idealism and looking down on the Carna for their willingness to fight and kill. They weren't all like that of course, some of them were fierce fighters, the deep scar on his shoulder was reminder enough of that. He itched to repay them for the wound, casually disregarding their borders seemed like a good way to find the opportunity.
He wasn't just here for his own entertainment though, as he trekked over the sands his eyes darted around him, picking up every detail as he scanned the dunes for the small creatures that ventured out under cover of darkness. Most of the prey on offer was rodents or small lizards, not exactly a feast, but if he was lucky he would be able to get enough small prey to make the hunt worthwhile. He spotted a reasonable sized hare off in the distance and flattened himself to the ground, stalking towards it as quietly as possible. The hare's ears twitched, alerted by something, and it went back to ground. He grumbled quietly under his breath, his nose twitching as the fallen scent grew stronger, hints of dry dust and desert winds laced over the pungent smell of a large animal.
He straightened, turning around as he heard a voice dripping with sarcasm from the dune above him. He gazed calmly at the other shifter as they slid down the dune, coming to a stop in front of him, and shifted into his human form to match the stranger, raising his eyebrow at the obvious threat in his voice and pulling his best puppy dog eyes.
"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know I was in Fallen territory, honestly," his eyes glimmered and his voice dripped with over the top sincerity, if this little smarta** was going to give him sarcasm he'd throw it back in his teeth, "Maybe you should put up a sign or something to clear up confusion, something simple, easy to understand, like 'please don't come into out territory or we'll ask you really firmly to leave'." He huffed a laugh, easily amused at his own humor.
His hand hovered over the hilts of the throwing knives fastened to his hip, fingers twitching like a dueling cowboy, his other palm was open and crackling as he built up electricity, daring the Fallen to make a move. The Fallen looked quite willing to offer a fight if he didn't leave his territory, and he was more than happy to oblige.
Last Edit: Jun 21, 2013 3:08:50 GMT -5 by James Colt
Grey wanted to laugh. He really did. And maybe he would have, if the guy smelt like anything other than good-for-nothing, man-eating Carna. His lip curled in a sneer. "We tried that, but half of you are too dumb to read--we put up a picture for a while. A little Carna with his head cut off." Grey gave an over-exaggerated sigh. His show of nonchalance was just that, however--a show. He flexed his fingers, keeping a firm grip on the KA-Bar.
Grey did not miss the other man's knives. His eyes lingered there for a moment, and then he raised his gaze to meet the Carna's. The ferocity went out of Grey then, and he seemed to contemplate the situation. He slackened his shoulders. "No harm's been done yet," he said, quietly. For all appearances, Grey seemed to be rethinking the encounter, after seeing the throwing blades. "If we both just walk away, I can say I never saw you. Deal?"
He raised his gaze at the same time he dropped to the ground grabbing a fistfull of sand to fling at the Carna's eyes. In the same movement, Grey shoved the knife back into his belt and shifted into his wolf form--he lunged at the Carna, initially head on, but at the last second he would tuck his shoulder in a half-roll and attempt to hit James in the side of the legs, his teeth aiming for his calf.
ooc: let the games begin! >3 hope the post was okay <3 fightingcanbeatouhysubject, but if you want me to change anything I will happily oblige c:
Post by James Colt on Jun 23, 2013 20:14:44 GMT -5
James grumbled in disappointment as the Fallen who had confronted him seemed willing to just let him walk away. He had hoped he'd actually found one with enough of a spine to give him the fight he was looking for. He didn't take his eyes off the other shifter though, even after he seemed to relax, dismissing a threat was a surefire way to get yourself killed, especially in here. Because he was watching he saw the moment the Fallen dropped to the ground, and, moving as fast as he can he launched himself sideways, twisting to the left to avoid whatever attack came. His right eye stung and teared as the sand that the Fallen had thrown hit it, but his left was unimpaired.
He saw the Fallen shift into something that looked like a wolf and charge at him. He shifted, throwing himself sideways again before the wolf could collide with him. At the last moment the wolf rolled and went for where his legs had been a heartbeat ago. He flattened himself to the ground, swiping at the other shifter with his left paw and circling to the right, keeping some distance between himself and his attacker.
"I have to say,"
[/color] he started conversationally, slightly breathless as he kept circling, looking for an opening, "You've got some moves Fallen."[/color]
Growling in excitement he went on the offensive, launching himself and attempting to land behind the wolf shifter, intending to rake his long claws down across his opponents shoulders and back. If it landed he knew from experience the long cuts were quite painful, but they wouldn't hit anything important, just leave the Fallen with a few reminders. The last thing he wanted to do was end this fight just when it was getting good.
The Fallen would probably try to kill him, and he knew that eventually he would either have to kill or incapacitate his opponent, but, for the moment, he was having too much fun for that. It had been too long since he'd had a real fight, and the adrenalin coursed through his blood, making him feel more alive than he had in a long time.[/blockquote][/blockquote]
Last Edit: Jun 23, 2013 20:15:59 GMT -5 by James Colt
You've got some moves, Fallen. Grey didn't say anything immediately, being that the two of them were locked in a circling match, with Grey's ears pinned against the base of his head and a snarl-yowl building in the back of his throat.
It was honestly more fun than Grey had had in a long time. Fallen wasn't exactly keen on starting fights, particularly ones that you were more than willing to finish, as Grey always was. The fact that the tiger was willing to indulge him only made Grey giddy on the thrill of adrenaline and the fight.
The Bengal was suddenly airborne--Grey dropped and twisted, feeling the rank of claws along his ribside and haunch. Grey did not dwell on it--he continued through the twist of his own body, so that he was once again facing the tiger, his hackles bristled, but he released a cat-like chuff that sounded a lot more like laughter than anything. "I have to say you've got some moves, Carna."
Grey parroted the words back to him, before rolling his shoulders and charging forward. He felt the stitch in his side, but it was not severe enough to hinder his next attack--Grey launched himself forward with a coil of his haunches, and the intention of slamming into the front of the tiger, one of Grey's felinesque paws going to brace against the tiger's face and the other, followed by his forearm, attempting to lock over the tiger's neck.
Post by James Colt on Jun 24, 2013 19:55:00 GMT -5
His blow landed and he felt blood on his paws, the heady scent making him giddy as he bounded off the other shifter, ready for whatever came next.
He chuffed a laugh as his own words were thrown back at him, the Fallen seemed to be enjoying the fight as much as he was, and he couldn't help the feral grin that spread across his face, even as he growled fiercely.
The Fallen came in head on, and he raised himself up on his hind legs, spreading out his front paws to meet the Fallen in what looked like a bear hug, complete with claws. He felt a cat like paw impact his face, opening a bloody cut above his right brow, and a foreleg wrap around his neck. It wasn't the best position to be in admittedly, but the close quarter fighting was more than familiar to him.
"I appreciate the hug,"
[/color] he gasped, struggling to get loose but unable to keep quiet, "But I think we should just stay friends, a bit awkward ya'know, Carna and Fallen? It would never work out."[/color]
He tried to wrap his muscular front legs around the Fallen, attempting to use him as temporary support while be brought his back legs up to kick at the other shifters belly. At the same time he twisted his head left and right, opening his jaws and trying to get a hold of the arm encircling his neck. He wasn't sure if either attack would work, so he began to focus on building up an electric charge again, preparing to shock the shifter holding him so he would be released.[/blockquote][/blockquote]
ooc: Sorry but he flirts with anything that stays still long enough, apparently that extends to people trying to strangle him ;D
Last Edit: Jun 24, 2013 19:56:25 GMT -5 by James Colt
There was a brief instant of stalemate once the goliath's collided. I appreciate the hug. The wolf let out a snort and a rueful chuff--he had to give the Carna props, if nothing else, for his sense of humor. "What? You don't want to get to the kissing, Carna?" As if to add emphasis, he snapped his jaws.
The Carna shifted his weight in an attempt to bring his legs up--and to an extent, it worked. The problem? Grey had been leaning against him, using the tiger's weight to keep him upright. The two of them were collapsed sideways as the tiger's hind claws ranked slashes down his ribs and abdomen (not as deep as Grey had feared they would be, at least, perhaps due to the fall) at the same time the Carna's jaws locked around his right foreleg, and Grey immediately seized the opportunity that presented to snapped at the crook of the tiger's shoulder, wanting to bite, hold, and shake.
Grey felt the adrenaline in his veins, the pure thrill of the fight. It had been ages since he'd had such a good scuffle, and his eyes glinted with a mixture of raw rage and then enjoyment. But the enjoyment would only last as long as the Carna did not directly threaten his Ring. Regardless, the pains of the fight were now fueling him, and Grey tried to brace his free leg against the side of the Carna to hook his claws into his ribs.
ooc: here ya go! tell me if you want anything changed. and just a recap--James succeeded in hitting his stomach, but Grey lost his balance and fell in the process, so they're both kinda sprawled on the ground, I would think xD ALSO FLIRTING MADE ME LOL <3 If Grey wasn't straight, he'd hit that B| imeanwut.
Post by James Colt on Jun 24, 2013 21:40:25 GMT -5
They fell together in a tangle of limbs, James still snorting in laughter at the Fallen's response, it appeared the Fallen had no problems matching his sense of humor. This fight was just too much fun.
His teeth clamped on the wolf's right foreleg, and he held on tight, despite the sharp, tearing pain he felt in his right shoulder as the wolf bit into it and shook. A few moments later he felt a burning across the ribs on his right side as the other shifter hooked his claws in.
He couldn't help but yowl in pain around his mouthful of flesh and fur, the scratches on his ribs were only a stinging pain at the moment, easily ignored, but his right shoulder had only just healed and now it had been wounded again. A red haze filtered over his vision, the combination of pain, anger and the taste of blood driving him deeper into rage.
Driving his front paws into the wolf's chest he discharged the electricity he had been building up, at the same time ripping his jaws sideways to do more damage before letting go of the other shifters leg and breaking free of the wolf's hold, leaving a good chunk of fur and skin behind. He backpedaled, putting distance between them again as he shifted into his human form, drawing the long, curved kukri off his hip and spinning it threateningly.
He was still grinning, but the blood staining his teeth and the enraged, slightly crazed look in his too blue eyes made it look more than a little sinister. "Kissing on the first date?"
[/color] he spat, a touch of humor even through the venom in his voice, "I'm not that kind of girl Fallen! Oh, who am I kidding, I'm exactly that kind of girl, but you haven't even bought me a drink yet."[/color]
He launched forwards off the balls of his feet, left hand reaching for two throwing blades and tossing them at the other shifter faster than he could blink as he closed in and slashed at the Fallen's right shoulder with his kukri, determined to pay him back for the pain in his shoulder.[/blockquote][/blockquote]
ooc: Oh, now you've done it, James is never going to stop flirting with Grey now. He's getting a little bit tetchy now, so we might want to start getting the fight a bit more intense? I'm up for James to get injured reasonably badly as long as it heals and he's not maimed, and it might take a bit of doing to put him down when he's this mad.
Last Edit: Jun 24, 2013 21:41:02 GMT -5 by James Colt
One second? The two of them were locked together, teeth ripping and claws tearing. The next? Grey was sprawled out with a tingling feeling reaching from his toes to his fingertips to his ears. His body locked for several seconds, and then he managed to convince his limbs to move. He coughed, rolled to his paws, only to discover that his left leg was ripped and bloodied. He tested his weight on it, glancing at the Carna with a snarl. It still held him, and he doubted bones were broken, but it hurt like a bitch and would need some stitches.
He shook his ruffled fur out and shapeshifted to match the man. The both of them, Grey imagined, were a sight to behold, with blood down to their chins. Grey gritted his teeth in what could hardly pass as a smirk. "I think the bottom line of this story is that you're a girl, Carna." He gave the man a wider smile. "Plus, I doubt you can hold your alcohol."
Throughout the entirety of his reply, Grey watched the other shifter, palming his KA-Bar knives into his hands--he fell into a knife fighting stance, his legs shoulder width apart, the right leg placed slightly back, his weight leaning forward. His head was low, and the knives glinted in his hands. He waited for the slightest movement, and there. The Carna flicked two knives in rapid succession--Grey dropped into low crouch, narrowly dodging the two blades, but it was not the same with the kurki. The Carna was already swinging the blade downward when Grey was rising.
He saw the glint of the blade and in an attempt to dodge the full wrath of it, he jerked his forearm into the Carna's, feeling it rock into his elbow. It disrupted the downward swing enough that the other man didn't butcher him, but Grey still felt the harsh sting of the blade along the side of his neck, and then down the crook of his shoulder. Enough of this! Grey carried through by sliding the length of his forearm down the Carna's once he finished the strike, twisting his knife in an attempt to open a gash along the Carna's arm from the elbow down.
Grey did not leave it at that, however, He shifted forward on the balls of his feet, keeping low, with the aim of slamming into the Carna and twisting the knife held in his left hand low, aiming for the side of the Carna's thigh.
Christ, this hurts. Grey would have to end it soon. He was taking more blows than he felt comfortable with, and his fingertips were still numb from the blow of electricity.
Post by James Colt on Jun 24, 2013 23:16:02 GMT -5
James felt the Fallen's blade slice into his right forearm, opening a slash that was deeper than he wanted to think about. His right arm was rappidly losing strength, his right hand was slippery with blood.
With his right arm caught up like that he was vulnerable to the fallen's other knife as it sliced towards his left thigh. He moved his left arm down in an attempt to at least slow the knife, but it still bit into the meat of his thigh, although not as deep as it could have.
He twisted with the knife still embedded in his leg, causing more damage as he tried to get away, but he had no choice if he didn't want the fight to be over in a matter of moments. He was inflicting a lot of damage on the other shifter, but he was in a bad way himself, risking too much for too little reward. He needed to get away and end the fight before it ended him.
He stood with his knife held low and threatening in his left hand, knees bent, almost crouching as he kept circling. He was bleeding heavily from his right shoulder and arm, as well as the stab wound on his left thigh. It was getting to that stage in the fight where both were wounded and tired, where a mistake could cost you the fight, it was do or die time.
"Whats say, after we finish kicking each other around, we get a drink,"
[/color] he panted, almost jovial, "Cause I think I could drink you under the table, and heck, even if I can't it would be fun to try."[/color] He chuckled tiredly.
Building up as much of an electric charge as he could, he rushed the fallen, no grace, no strategy, just intending to slam into him and do as much damage as possible.[/blockquote][/blockquote]
ooc: do we want to bring the fight to a finish and move on to a "James getting dragged into the cesspool and thrown in a muddy hole" thread, or have them keep slugging at each other for a while longer?
Grey felt the weakness in his limbs, a telltale shake that spoke of exhaustion, but he wasn't about to lose his life to this Carna. The tiger shifter broke away from him, and Grey's knife came out with a slick sound. He wiped it against the outside of his thigh, and rolled his uninjured shoulder to loosen it. From the looks of other man and himself, the fight was going to end soon, one way or another. They circled each other, like a pair of wary animals.
"Aw, don't make me put you to shame twice, Carna. Grey smiled almost sweetly, but the blood on his mouth prevented it from being such. Besides, the Carna was rushing towards him again, unbridled this time around. Grey's eyes looked for some hint of what he was going to do, but for all he could tell, the Carna was just charging him like an enraged bull. Stupid. Grey rolled onto the balls of his feet and, at the last second, twisted low and away, and to the right of the Carna, avoiding the brunt of his attack and his knife. He continued through with his momentum, aiming to strike the Carna hard between the shoulder blades as he twisted in semi-circle, wanting to unbalance him.
Grey did not pause. Hesitation is what cost you, in a fight. He moved precisely, slamming into the Carna's back to finish what he had started, sending him to the ground. He kicked the knife away, and proceeded to straddle the Carna at the hips, pinning him there. Grey pressed the knife to the indention in the side of the Carna's neck, just above several arteries. It would be easy to kill him, and the blade pricked his skin. It was a threat, or a promise. "Are you done?" His voice lost its jovial tone, replaced with some dark and threatening. Grey sheathed his second knife one-handed and gripped the Carna by his uninjured arm, twisting it behind his back at a painful angle.
It was taking more and more strength to stay upright, as his blood dripped to the ground. Grey fought against previous training--and instinct--that told him to just stick the knife into the trespasser, and be done with it. But he didn't think murder was praised in Fallen, particularly if it was avoidable.
ooc: sorry for the PP in this one! I just figured we could move on to the cesspool thread? ;D If you want me to change it though, I will happily do so <3
It was hard to tell what had happened, one moment, he was charging at the fallen, the next he was on the ground, his ears ringing as he struggled to clear the dark spots dancing in his eyes, thoroughly winded. He felt the prick of the knife on his neck, cold and sharp, and held himself still, knowing that with one slice the Fallen could spill his blood all over the desert sands. Are you done?, he heard through the blood roaring in his ears.
He took stock of himself, he was bleeding from his right arm and his left leg, his shoulder was a mess, and every time he took a breath he felt one of his ribs shift in a way it was definitely not supposed to. His face was pressed into the sand, his left arm twisted away and his knife gone. He didn't think he could throw the Fallen off his back and the knife was all the warning he needed to know that was a bad idea.
Part of him, still filled with rage and adrenalin, urged him to try it, told him not to let himself be taken alive. He should fight, even if it was hopeless, if he didn't he'd be tied up and caged again! He didn't know if he could handle being caged again. The urge to fight was beyond tempting, a year ago he wouldn't have hesitated. But now... he wasn't so sure. Was it better to die in an instant of blood and adrenalin, or should he try and keep himself alive?
The knife jammed tighter to his throat, a small trickle of blood winding down his neck, clearly the Fallen was getting impatient. Disgusted with himself he raised his face out of the sand a little, spitting out blood with a growl, "I'm done,"
[/color] he growled quietly, turning to a cough halfway through as he spat out more blood, "You win. You can get off me anytime now."[/color][/blockquote][/blockquote]
ooc: No, this is fine, hope you don't mind me controlling the knife hand a little, I'd imagine Grey would have gotten a little impatient with James taking so long to make up his mind whether to surrender or not.
In the silence of the lull, Grey regained his breath and took inventory of his injuries. Throughout the duration of this, he kept a sharp eye on the Carna, but he also made sure that he wasn't going to bleed out. There were the cuts on his abdomen and ribs, more on his back and hip, the gash in his shoulder. And he still felt weird after the electricity, tingly and stiff.
Grey lost patience, and prodded him more harshly with the knife. The man wasn't answering quickly, and that meant he was probably debating retaliation, which meant that Grey would kill him and have to explain it to someone, maybe Iskander. He probably wouldn't be chastised for it, considering the whole incident with Skye. It would be a whole lot easier than dragging this sunuva gun to the cesspool.
"Don't move." Grey released one arm only to wrench the other one back, and then hold him by both wrists. He shoved the knife in his belt loop and then proceeded to rip a line from the bottom of his shirt, one that was roughly two and a half inches in width and a couple feet long. He proceeded to tie the Carna's wrists with the cloth and haul him to his feet. Once he had one hand free, Grey pulled out one of his knives again. He arched his brows. "You try anything, and I'll kill you." It was not an idle threat.
ooc: I figure I'll just start the cesspool thread and pm you the link to your James account <3