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"I should be good, though tents are always welcome," Jazzming told the others. "I tend to travel light for just this occasion, though I prefer being behind the controls of a ship. I do have some rations, and of course this baby." So saying, she reached into her large backpack and pulled out a large collapsible crossbow and slung it over her shoulder like Boreal's doshko. "This guy's never let me down before, and he's silent as anything."
Turhalu Point’s security forces are willing to drive the group about ten miles outside the outpost, but from there, they're on their own. Strict guidelines control vehicle traffic in this part of the reserve, so the group must proceed on foot.
The trek across Ukulam will not be easy; in this region, the days are long, hot, and muggy, with temperatures rising to above 90° F shortly after dawn .
"I'm trained in the art of navigation, let's see if my training serves me well"
It takes the the group about two days to traverse the grasslands surrounding Turhalu Point. The journey is not difficult, but the grasses are in a tall, seasonally dormant state that attracts few grazers to crop the vegetation. As a result, the grass ranges in height from three to eight feet tall, making it difficult to watch for wildlife. The yweather is a challenge, but there is always the night to recover from the tribulations of the day. Nevertheless, the group faces few dangers until they reach the edge of the jungle on the third day of travel.
As our heroes are a few hours into the jungle, they hear trees breaking now and then. Approaching carefully they finally see the animal responsible for that. A gargantuan creature that looks like a six legged dinosaur with the head of an anteater and and antelopes neck - the beast the size of a house - pushes through the jungle, sniffing something on the ground.
Further into the jungle you hear more of these creatures.
Reynotto says quietly "We should probably not piss them off, they go beserker when angered."[/b]
Manteca followed Reynotto's directions to a T, though he's sometimes a little slow to react to directions and he insists on dropping into a crawl when Reynotto stops them to observe the yaruks. He peers at them through the brightly colored binoculars from the Wilderness Explorer's kit, and makes a note in the back of the journal that came with the kit. He's been following the instructions from the Do Your Own Cartography kit, but the map is messy at best, and downright misleading at worst. No one has yet had the heart to inform Manteca that the kit seems to have been designed for children.
"They're huge..." the shirren says in quiet awe. "Hate to see what they do when they're angry."
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Jazzming did what she always did while in humid environments: tie her hair back in a ponytail and start sweating buckets. This wasn't her favorite type of place in the 'verse, but she went where necessary. As they walked along, she started up an old children's game that supposedly originated from before the gap. "I spy with my little eye something...yellow."
"Is it the size of a house? The Yaruk is my guess."
While you stand there in awe watching that unbelievable large animal, you have to decide, if you want to ignore them and move on, on your path that leads straight trough where the Yaruks graze.
"We need to take a more indirect path, or I'm afraid we will be heading straight through their territory"
EH-RK blinks a few times, those who've traveled with him long enough know this is his "tell" for thinking.
Human Reynotto O'Spec: I've calculated our distance traveled, likely routes and probability of causing a stampede. If we traverse the Yaruk territory we have a seventeen point seven seven percent chance to cause unpleasantness. That decreases to fourteen point three two if we leave the Vesk Boreal Typhon behind. Her presence has disturbed the local wildlife.
"I've never tried it in a non controlled environment, but I'm able to handle animals pretty well"
Reynotto says "Let me find some fungi, and I will see if i can try to handle one"
He begins to get on his hands and knees, looking around
Boreal harumphs at EH-RK but can't take offence. She knows that she has a tendency to attract fights.
"I say we let Reynotto try his luck, and be ready to drag him back if things go wrong."
"Thank you, Mrs. Boreal Typhon, that is much appreciated"
Looking around Reynotto finds almost nothing. The is a mushroom here of there growing on a tree, but from the smell of it he concludes that there are a lot of spores of the Yaruks favorite fungi are spread here. Which makes no sense when looking at the flora. There is growing some fresh and tasty fern that might please a Yaruk.
Reynotto gently tears a few leaves of the fern and approaches the Yaruk, humming soothingly
"Want some yummy fern Mr. Yaruk"
While thinking Please don't get pissed please don't get pissed please don't get pissed
The yard has an eye on Reynotto but decides to ignore him for now.
Boreal is impressed by the bravery of the man approaching the massive beast, with no visible concern, at least that she can see.
From cover, Manteca quietly turns on his personal datapad to 'record,' filming Reynotto's slow approach to the yaruk. Man, I hope this is an endearing moment and I'm not recording a "When Yaruks Attack" warning video, Manteca says telepathically to everyone except Reynotto.
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I laughed so hard reading that
The Yaruk raises a brow at Reynotto and simply moves on to the next lush bush to graze there.
He looks back at the group, raises his eyebrow, and holds the ferns out again
Now the Yaruk is annoyed and comes for Reyotto. Trampling over him.
Well that 16+3 REF was not needed, could that be survival, lol
Reynotto sees it getting annoyed, and begins to run, tossing the ferns in its direction.
Reynotto gets out of the way of the Yaruk and it's charge changes into a trot and a walk until it finds the next tree with tasty leaves.
As it looks now, you're not going to ride Yaruks.
"Sorry guys, I tried my best but some creatures just don't want to be fed"
Are there any other Yaruks I could try to ride?
As the group stands there considering the options they can enjoy the plentiful noises that come from all directions in this jungle. And every now and then there is a trumpet from another Yaruk here or there. But even with those huge creatures it is hard to get a glimpse of them as the green hides everything.
"I almost had the dam thing as well, whatever you say, mam, fricking ferns. As sick as that would have looked back to the original plan, around it is."
Boreal shoulders her pack and readies to follow the party.
The group gives the Yaruks a wide berth. But to your disappointment you find the path cut off by a river. Not wanting to swim, you check on your maps and notes and then move along the river back in direction of the Yaruks, as there is a bridge mentioned by Zan. And indeed you find an ancient bridge.
As you pass that and move on on your path you notice some other creatures in the trees that seem to accompany you and make a lot of noise that sounds like "kau-kar-eeee-keeee".
"I feel stupid asking this but does anyone know what those are?"
"What they are, is annoying." Boreal replies, stopping to try get a proper look at them
Humanoids: Those creatures are a slightly dangerous semisentient species of ape native to Castrovel. We should be prepared.
"Greeeat. So not just annoying." Boreal says sighing.
"How do they feel about killing the wildlife in this park?" she asks as she swings her artillery laser off her shoulder.
Manteca pans the tablet through the trees, capturing the sound of the ape-things, and then settles the camera on Boreal pulling out the artillery laser. "Oh gods, this is perfect," he says, going into a slow pan around the vesk.
The kaukariki jump through the trees having fun, throwing fruits at the group. The good ones the mostly eat themself. Only the rotten ones come down.
One of the kaukariki comes down and steals Manteca's needler gun.
"Ow, heeey!" Manteca wipes rotten fruit off his visor.
"Oh, this is just gross," gripes the shirren as he tries to polish the armor and just winds up smearing the rotted fruit around.
Manteca realizes too late that one of the kaukariki snuck up on him and runs away with his needler gun. Back in the trees it plays around with the weapon and as another one tries to take it from the aminal it goes off, shooting the Vesk.
"Can I shoot them now?" Boreal asks
"Wait, but look! It's like they're using tools!" cries the shirren. "Maybe we can make contact in a meaningful way and they're just give the gun back!"
The shirren approaches as close as he can, mimicking the motions of the kaukariki as best he can.
The one with the gun flees and all others group up to cover Manteca in rotten fruit and small branches and whatever they can find.
Manteca just stands dejectedly, covered in rotten fruit and jungle detritus. "I've changed my mind, Boreal Typhon, I'd quite like for you to shoot them," says the shirren out loud.
Reynotto begins to gesture at the kaukariki and make friendly sounds, hoping to have more sucess now than he did earlier