The Meat Traders of Baldoshi OOC

[shisteer of nothing much]

Is it possible for vermin and woodlanders to live in peace? Some say yes, many say no. I myself am willing to give it a go, but there are certainly obstacles that must be overcome, chief of which, so far as I can see, is diet. That class commonly known as 'vermin' require more protein, usually found in meat, than their woodlander neighbours. However, meat is not the only means of a healthy diet, and a society cannot function on a fox gnawing the leg of his mouse comrade when he gets hungry. Cheese, meadowcream and eggs from non-sentient birds are all sufficient for my vermin subjects.

I hereby declare that the consumption and trade of meat, and any other product related to the killing and eating of sentient creatures, shall henceforth be punishable by any means deemed just by the courts, including but not limited to death or lifetime imprisonment.

Thus decreed IronWill, first King of Southsward

This law has lasted generations. However, some beasts consider rules to be made to be broken, and meat is not a food easily given up. Over the seasons, many laws have been enforced, broken or ignored, and this one is no exception. Smuggling is a career known in every society, be it to avoid tax or make available illegal substances, and thus is borne constant conflict. The Meat Traders of Baldoshi have been a business long in the running. Cunning and difficult to catch, the weasel family from the Islands of Baldoshi have been a thorn in the side of many a Southsward King and his officials. Matters came to a head a few seasons ago, however, when the Meat Traders decided they needed new blood in their stock, and began kidnapping beasts, preying on lone travelers or the vulnerable. King Matthew Ironcrutch has decided to take the meat traders down, once and for all, and to do so, he has planted spies, valiant beasts willing to have themselves captured so that Southsward may find out where the Baldoshi Islands are, and put an end to them forever. May they be filled with courage, strength and wisdom, and may the seasons be always with them in their mission.



~~~~~



And now for the OOC. I might come back and edit that a little later, but it'll do for now. I'll just summarize the above, in case anybeast missed the point.
The Meat Traders of Baldoshi are a group of mostly weasels who kidnap beasts, breed them for meat, and then smuggle the meat into Southsward. The Southsward Authorities are unimpressed, and the current King has vowed to take them down, with the help of brave beasts ready to go into the jaws (literally) of death for the sake of their country and kinsmen.
So, as far as characters go, I think the best way to run things is if everyone has a good guy (either one of the spies, or maybe a beast that got kidnapped without signing up for it) and a bad guy (a weasel, ideally, although I may allow other vermin species if there's a good reason for them to not be a weasel).
I'll come back hopefully soon with character sheets, but I thought it sensible to get this up so people can start thinking about it, at the very least.

Spoiler

Character sheet:
Name:
Role:
Species:
Gender:
Age:
Appearance:
Personality:
Backstory:
Other:

[close]

~~~~~



Okay, I'm going to put all the character sheets here for convenience. I'll try and keep this updated, but if you see any problems, lemme know and I'll fix it.


Bad guys:

Praff-Dann's baddie

Name: Praff

Role: Bookkeeper, sales manager, negotiations, interim inspector

Species: Weasel

Gender: Male

Age: 28

Appearance: Praff is rather common looking amongst his kind, with mild, reddish-brown fur, a soft white underbelly, and large brown eyes. Even his garb is often rather plain, regardless of his rather significant station within the Trader's, the respect he has garnered, and the affluence that followed. Most days he can be seen wearing a neat grey or brown tunic with dark breeches and an almost black cloak which he has a habit of sticking feathers into near the right side of his neck and the corresponding shoulder, arcing elegantly a short ways down the back. One can still spot some of the trappings of his wealth in the form of amber colored sleeves and embroidery on the cloak, a rather high quality snakeskin belt, and his favored purple scarf. Footwear varies depending on his environment, ranging from sandals to boots.

Personality: Sociopathic, the weasel does not care for anything that does not bring a quantifiable benefit. Oddly enough, this tends to work out in the prisoners favor, as he has no interest in unreserved cruelty in the same measure that he does not care to act for their benefit. Aside from simply being uncaring, Praff is really just... bored. In likeness to how he feels nothing in regards to the feelings and treatment of others (be they woodlander OR vermin), he feels a similar lack of stimulus in his day to day. It is more than likely that his primary position of keeping the records naturally fell to him as a result of never putting up a fuss wherever he was sent, as no job or location was more or less boring than the last.

Backstory: Born and raised on the island, Praff is a fully organic result of his own temperament, and the environment it grew in, seeing nothing wrong with the actions that were taken around him, regardless of whether he himself did not understand the draw some of the more sadistic Trader's found in their actions. A descendant of the head family, he essentially had his pick of the industrial litter, but his lack of interest saw him bouncing from job to job until his value in the records and associated work was discovered. He was neither for, nor against the job, and in like turn, neither for or against lounging around verifying records and transcribing details of every variety.

Other: May or may not be the only creature on the island that is fully aware of Nibble and his circumstances.

[close]

Torgen-Teer's baddie

Name: Torgen

Role: Ship's captain, chief smuggler

Species: Weasel

Gender: Male

Age: 30

Appearance: Pale brown fur and dark brown eyes, Torgen wears a dark red tunic over black breeches. When around home, a heavy leather vest covers most of the tunic, though while out sailing, what appears to be a snakeskin belt is much easier to explain to the authorities. He carries a scimitar and a long dagger, as well as a few knives scattered about his person.

Personality: A people person, but not a people pleaser. Cunning and conniving, he generally knows how to get what he wants. A master of expression, he can put a beast at ease with a single smile, or chill the blood of the boldest enemy. His motivation is for honour, riches and glory.

Backstory: Growing up on Baldoshi, Torgen was always an ambitious beast, set on growing through the ranks to be the greatest and the best. He became an acolyte at a young age, as many of the young beasts did, progressing to a temple guard a few seasons later. Bouncing between jobs, he eventually became a sailor and smuggler, and stayed there, enjoying the adrenaline involved.

[close]

Cuffa-Jazz's baddie

Name: Cuffa

Role: Guard/Butcher

Species: Weasel

Gender: Female

Age: 34

Appearance: An unkempt and scarred female weasel with a light brown topcoat and white underbelly. Her eyes are dark, almost black. She wears leather armor and is usually seen carrying a cutlass and a whip to intimidate weak-willed beasts. One of her ears has seemingly been ripped off.

Personality: Cuffa is somewhat feral in nature. Cruel and bloodthirsty, it seems only natural that her work would involve keeping prisoners in check and relishing in the screams of the dying. She's greedy, always looking for an opportunity to snag some fresh meat. When she does get it, she's very protective over it, snapping at anyone who gets close.

Backstory: Cuffa was born and raised on the island by her parents, Valis and Rixx, and is one of many siblings. Being one of the fiercer kits, it didn't take long for Cuffa to establish herself on the higher end of the family's pecking order, something her parents encouraged. Cuffa learned quickly how much she could gain if she was mean enough. Regularly she would take from her siblings and beat them down if they tried to stop her. Of course, not all of them were spineless. Some fought back, and gave Cuffa quite the challenge. A sister, Crim, was responsible for taking her ear. In the end, though, she was the toughest of her siblings, and when she was old enough, she sought out work that allowed her to bully the weak as she loved to do. She joined the guard, and was given a position to watch over the foodbeasts, as well as aid in their butchering. She loved it, and Cuffa's been in that position ever since.

[close]

Dartur-Skarzs' baddie

Name: Dartur
Role: Brute muscle
Species: Weasel
Gender: Male
Age: Late 20s, but it doesn't matter to him.
Appearance: Dartur is a hulking beast of a wease, sporting the usual markings of the Baldoshi weasels, brown fur with a white belly. However, due to some misshapenness of his back and face, and a head that seems too small for his bulk, some speculate the purity of his weasel blood may have been tainted with that of a ferret.
Personality: If Dartur were not told to change his clothes, they would turn to rags on his shoulders. He is not a wholly stupid beast, but his ability to be independent has been stunted, in opposition to his size. Somewhat dull witted and quick to anger, he is a dangerous creature who is unpredictable to those he does not take command from.
Backstory: He was born on the islands and was suckled on the sweet meats of the trades from the moment he had grown his needle-like teeth, and he has developed the desire to taste every variation of bird or mammal the world has to offer. Luckily for him, he was born into the right trade for that very goal. Currently, he serves wherever he is needed among the islands as an enforcer or if there are heavy tasks to be done that meat would not be trusted with.
Other: He is handy enough with a spear or a cudgel, but every time Dartur has attempted to use a whip it has been a recordable incident.

[close]

Good guys:

Nibble-Dann's good guy

Name: Nibble

Role: Food

Species: Mouse

Gender: Male

Age: 26

Appearance: Abnormally small in stature on all accounts, sporting fur of motley browns in a patchwork over most of his body whilst his underbelly and sides are a mild grey. His eyes are a contrastingly vibrant, yet dark green. In the midst of the holds, he has managed to fashion for himself an almost not raggedy off-white/brown tunic, sinched at the waist by a braided-grass cord.

Personality: Anxious, but with an almost abject refusal to acknowledge his fear, choosing to bury himself in trying to offer the tiniest of comforts to any of his fellow victims lest he be overcome by the horrid despair that haunts the reeking isles, and swept away by the tide of misery and pitiful surrender that always follows.

On the flipside of this, frankly, unavoidable, depressing nature, Nibble is a curious and compassionate sort, all the more extremified both by his circumstances and the means by which he attempts to survive in both body and mind.

Backstory: Nibble was born and raised on the island, subject to the rule of the traders from his very first breath, and as such, has little to tell. Parents and friends are all gone, with the latter being rotated out at a truly depressing rate. With both the constant... departures of those he's known, as well as his age, one would have expected Nibble to have long since passed under the butchers' blade, but as luck, or rather in this case, size would have it, he has slipped through cull after cull due to his lack of nutrition/value. Similarly, he cannot be inducted into the other side of the operation for fear of his small stature spreading through any bloodline that comes from him. And thus he sits in limbo, simply for the fact that using resources to so much as figure out what to do with him are simply not worth the expenditure on somebeast so utterly insignificant.

Given all the time he has on his hands in comparison to his quivering compatriots, Nibble has learned the basics of several skills. Most notably, sewing & tailor craft, cooking, field aid, and foraging. He is quite talented at recognizing and acquiring odd bits and bobs that may or may not be in some way usable, and has thus dedicated himself to finding those uses if only to assuage the tears and cries of those who suffer around him.

[close]

Kurlan-Skarzs' good guy

Name:Kurlan
Role:Food
Species:Otter
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Appearance: Lithe and strong, Kurlan is an athletic specimen, as many healthy  otters are. He doesn't sport any tattoos like his father did, living the life of an pld seadog, but he does share his old man's eyes, gray-blue like a southern storm. His wax cloth jerkin and a pair of salt-crusted pantaloons are all he has to wear, held up by a bit of hand-twisted fiber rope, since his belt had been taken away.
Personality: Kurlan is a rambunctious type, free-spirited and quick to speak his mind. Despite his sometimes contrarian nature, he is loyal and willing to help those smaller, weaker, or less fortunate than him.
Backstory: Kurlan is the son of a merchant ship captain, and he helped his father on his ship as soon as he could walk. Much of his demeanor he learned from his father, as well as how to sail the seas and deal with difficult customers. On their most recent voyage, they were waylaid by another vessel, a vessel that quickly bristled with foe beasts and attacked them. Many of the crew were captured, many were killed, and some were lost overboard. What fate his father met Kurlan does not yet know.

[close]

Morgyn-Teer's good guy

Name: Morgyn

Role: Stud

Species: Squirrel

Gender: Male

Age: 19

Appearance: Soft, red brown fur and green eyes. Heavily built and strong, with a long scar across his face. He's well-fed and skimpily dressed, clad in an old, patched tunic that used to be green and some undyed breeches.

Personality: Fairly quiet for the most part, but stubborn and always watching. Despite the three long seasons he's been here, he hasn't been fully broken yet, and he vows he never will be. Fearless, almost to the point of not seeming to care at times, but infinitely loyal all the same.

Backstory: Morgyn grew up in the untamed regions just inside Southsward, technically under Ironkin rule, but largely outside of interference unless something really bad happened. He learned to walk with the aid of a sword, but went questing and got rounded up by Baldoshi kidnappers. Being strong and fit, he was used for breeding, rather than meat, and ever since he's been waiting, watching for the right opportunity to put an end to the evil around him.

[close]

Sallow Pikeball-Jazz's good guy

Name: Sallow Pikebrawl

Role: Stud/Farmer

Species: Otter

Gender: Male

Age: 18

Appearance: Sallow is a young otter with dark, ruddy-brown fur and soft, brown eyes. He's of average size and build for an otter his age, with a good amount of muscle thanks to swimming, netting and, occasionally, sparring. For clothing, he wears pair of faded green breeches, and a wooden tail bangle with various shapes and patterns carved into it.

Personality: Sallow is a gentle, soft-spoken otter, though he carries an air of sadness about him. He has a good heart, hard-working and mindful towards nature, never taking more than what's needed to survive. Though he has basic self-defense training, Sallow is a pacifist in nature, only ever killing to eat. Only having the briefest of encounters with non-otters growing up, he'll approach other woodland beasts with child-like curiosity. Weasels terrify him, especially after his sister's death.

Backstory: Sallow was born in Southsward to parents Marna and Reedmace Pikebrawl, and is the younger of two children. Both he and his older sister, Bevy, were born and raised separate from the Southsward Otter Holt, only having each other and their parents for company. Marna and Reedmace were paranoid, disillusioned by the holt and the law when word of woodlander disappearances showed no signs of stopping. It was their belief that their children would be better off hidden away, where vermin wouldn't think to look. Sallow grew up under strict rules: never was he to leave the den by himself, and training in combat was a must. Protecting himself and his family was a priority, and outsiders were to be chased off, lest they attract vermin. Bevy was a more rebellious otter, curious about the land beyond their home and not wanting to live in fear. This resulted in a lot of arguments in the home, which Sallow kept out of. One night during the spring, Bevy planned to run away, and offered Sallow to join her, to see Southsward with their own eyes. Sallow was terrified, but agreed to come as long as Bevy promised that they both would return home by summertime. Bevy agreed. Their journey started with excitement as they explored the woods and avoided their parents, however this joy was short-lived. Kidnappers spotted them and ganged up on them. Bevy wasn't willing to be taken without a fight, and was slain. As Sallow wept over his sister, he was knocked out, bound, and brought to the island.

Other: Sallow likes to liven the mood with music, which he makes by thumping his rudder. He also enjoys stories, and can be coaxed into telling a few (though he'll skim through the more violent bits). He's been on the island for about 2 seasons.

[close]

Bryant Albrush-Corn's good guy

Name: Bryant Albrush

Role: Just captured/Spy

Species: Squirrel

Gender: Male

Age: 22

Appearance:  Bryant is of mostly average height and build, although his mostly slimmer frame is hiding decent strength for his size. His eyes are a rich chocolate brown - Truly, nothing out of the ordinary at first glance other than his startlingly bright white fur. He was born white and while his parents hoped it was just his baby fur it was permanent. If one looks closer, they might notice that his fluffy brush was cut a bit short, as a very large chunk had been severed in a fight seasons ago.

Personality: Known to be blunt, but charismatic, Bryant has a way of swaying others to his side with the facts whether they like it or not. Despite that, he is overall very sweet, caring, and has been described as "endearingly awkward" at times. Bryant is very passionate for the things he believes in, and will fight to the end for those he perceives to have been wronged - A product of being bullied for his coloring when he was younger.

Backstory:  Bryant grew up in Southsward, hearing rumors swirl about the Baldoshi meat traders as young woodlanders disappeared at alarming rates. Those rumors became all too real when his older sister was stolen at a picnic when they were young - She had gone to the river for water and the last he ever heard from her was panicked screaming for Bryant to run. When he was old enough, Bryant enlisted in the King's Army and quickly rose through the ranks. He was always very vocal about his feelings about the meat traders, granting him a spot in a comparatively newer division dedicated to tracking and shutting down the Baldoshi family. He was assigned to spy on the traders once they finally discovered a link through Torgen, and allowed himself to be captured.

Other: Fares pretty well with swords, but can only barely use a bow or anything else long ranged.

[close]

Damsey Thornton-Jazz's good guy

Name: Damsey Thornton

Role: Southswardian Spy/Farmer/Potential Food

Species: Hare

Gender: Female

Age: 24

Appearance: Damsey is a tall haremaid with greyish-brown fur, darker ears ending in black tips, a paler underbelly, and bright, amber eyes. She carries some scars from past fights. Before arriving to the island, she wore a cork oak-based leather armor with her mother's light-blue kerchief around her neck. While that armor has been stolen and replaced with slave's rags, she keeps the kerchief around her neck.

Personality: Damsey is a haremaid fueled by anger. Though she technically has good intentions, those intentions are tainted by the hatred she has for vermin. Because of this hyperfocus of vengeance and duty, she finds it difficult to truly connect with other beasts. She sees other woodlanders as creatures she needs to protect and kill for, rather than valuing them as individuals and friends. She's hurt, and in need of healing. Like most hares, she does enjoy some good food, and it can pull her into a lighter mood, if only for a short while. Typically, she's suspicious of vermin, or beasts who typically fall under that category, but if they prove themselves to be decent, then she can tolerate them.

Backstory: Damsey was born to a small agrarian community called Loamwell, nestled within the lands of Southsward. Her parents, Purslane and Hofewold, tended to a lovely orchard of fruit trees, and named Damsey after their delicious damsons. Hofewold, as good-natured as he was, was a fierce protector, claiming to come from a legendary Salamandastron hare. He and other strong-willed beasts served as Loamwell's protectors against potential vermin attacks. Damsey quickly grew to hate vermin thanks to her father's tales of combat, and Purslane worried that it affect their daughter poorly. Damsey was eager to train as a Loamwell fighter, and undertook novice training when she was old enough. When she was about 16, an incident occurred when thieving vermin attempted to threaten the community for food during a harvest, taking a youngster as hostage. Some many were willing to give up food for the child, Hofewold was certain that a rescue could save them and prevent Loamwell from caving to vermin demands. The rescue was successful, but as fate would have it, Hofewold was struck down by a vermin's arrow during the escape. It changed Damsey's life, and though Purslane tried to comfort her daughter, it was useless. Damsey continued her training, making it her priority. In time, she valued crushing vermin over her home, and left it to wander the Kingdom. She heard whispers of vanishing beasts, taken by vermin and never seen again. Interested, Damsey would find herself in the hall of the King, offering her services. She learned of the spy plan, and, much to her chagrin, allowed herself to be snagged and shipped off to Baldoshi. Now, she bides her time, gathering information, and waits for the chance to strike.

[close]

[The Skarzs]

I will make a character later! Remind me of I don't

[Dannflower Reguba]

Weeeeeee're BACK babyyy!

Do the Traders have a brand/mark of any kind for their merchandise? What details can we know about the trader's practices? Things like how do their cullings/harvests work? What age is generally the harvest age (I was assuming it'd be between 16-21 to try and maximize meat output while avoiding populations of adults that could mount a coup)? How does the process of shipping and sale work (I would ask about offloading, but that one should be figured out later )? What kind of structures comprise the island, like the holding pens, personnel lodging, offices/records storage, crop fields, docks, etc.? How is the "food" fed ( )? And just any other general tidbits that may dictate certain rules for how we behave ourselves.

I will likely have additional questions later.

Additional questions section:

How are the food stock generally identified? I would assume the Trader's don't tend to bother with names for the home grown ones, and would more than likely only catalogue the names of the captured beasts for research purposes (best to know who you've just scooped from society after all)

Do the Trader's have a head family of some sort? Something like the founder's name, from whom several of the modern workers have been born. Also, do they do external recruitment?

Characters

Name: Nibble

Role: Food

Species: Mouse

Gender: Male

Age: 26

Appearance: Abnormally small in stature on all accounts, sporting fur of motley browns in a patchwork over most of his body whilst his underbelly and sides are a mild grey. His eyes are a contrastingly vibrant, yet dark green. In the midst of the holds, he has managed to fashion for himself an almost not raggedy off-white/brown tunic, sinched at the waist by a braided-grass cord.

Personality: Anxious, but with an almost abject refusal to acknowledge his fear, choosing to bury himself in trying to offer the tiniest of comforts to any of his fellow victims lest he be overcome by the horrid despair that haunts the reeking isles, and swept away by the tide of misery and pitiful surrender that always follows.

On the flipside of this, frankly, unavoidable, depressing nature, Nibble is a curious and compassionate sort, all the more extremified both by his circumstances and the means by which he attempts to survive in both body and mind.

Backstory: Nibble was born and raised on the island, subject to the rule of the traders from his very first breath, and as such, has little to tell. Parents and friends are all gone, with the latter being rotated out at a truly depressing rate. With both the constant... departures of those he's known, as well as his age, one would have expected Nibble to have long since passed under the butchers' blade, but as luck, or rather in this case, size would have it, he has slipped through cull after cull due to his lack of nutrition/value. Similarly, he cannot be inducted into the other side of the operation for fear of his small stature spreading through any bloodline that comes from him. And thus he sits in limbo, simply for the fact that using resources to so much as figure out what to do with him are simply not worth the expenditure on somebeast so utterly insignificant.

Given all the time he has on his hands in comparison to his quivering compatriots, Nibble has learned the basics of several skills. Most notably, sewing & tailor craft, cooking, field aid, and foraging. He is quite talented at recognizing and acquiring odd bits and bobs that may or may not be in some way usable, and has thus dedicated himself to finding those uses if only to assuage the tears and cries of those who suffer around him.

Other: [Further details possibly pending based upon what is learned of Baldoshi operations]

* * * * * * *

Name: Praff

Role: Bookkeeper, sales manager, negotiations, interim inspector

Species: Weasel

Gender: Male

Age: 28

Appearance: Praff is rather common looking amongst his kind, with mild, reddish-brown fur, a soft white underbelly, and large brown eyes. Even his garb is often rather plain, regardless of his rather significant station within the Trader's, the respect he has garnered, and the affluence that followed. Most days he can be seen wearing a neat grey or brown tunic with dark breeches and an almost black cloak which he has a habit of sticking feathers into near the right side of his neck and the corresponding shoulder, arcing elegantly a short ways down the back. One can still spot some of the trappings of his wealth in the form of amber colored sleeves and embroidery on the cloak, a rather high quality snakeskin belt, and his favored purple scarf. Footwear varies depending on his environment, ranging from sandals to boots.

Personality: Sociopathic, the weasel does not care for anything that does not bring a quantifiable benefit. Oddly enough, this tends to work out in the prisoners favor, as he has no interest in unreserved cruelty in the same measure that he does not care to act for their benefit. Aside from simply being uncaring, Praff is really just... bored. In likeness to how he feels nothing in regards to the feelings and treatment of others (be they woodlander OR vermin), he feels a similar lack of stimulus in his day to day. It is more than likely that his primary position of keeping the records naturally fell to him as a result of never putting up a fuss wherever he was sent, as no job or location was more or less boring than the last.

Backstory: Born and raised on the island, Praff is a fully organic result of his own temperament, and the environment it grew in, seeing nothing wrong with the actions that were taken around him, regardless of whether he himself did not understand the draw some of the more sadistic Trader's found in their actions. A descendant of the head family, he essentially had his pick of the industrial litter, but his lack of interest saw him bouncing from job to job until his value in the records and associated work was discovered. He was neither for, nor against the job, and in like turn, neither for or against lounging around verifying records and transcribing details of every variety.

Other: May or may not be the only creature on the island that is fully aware of Nibble and his circumstances.


.... Man, RP'ing really is like riding a bike, ONE OOC post and I'm mentally pacing in wait for the next one XD

[shisteer of nothing much]

This is exciting.

Okay, so there are three main Islands, with a few smaller ones that are only really there at low tide.
  The biggest island, conveniently in the middle, is used for farming, both beasts and food for the food. There's a fairly sophisticated village of stone pens, with wooden shelters over half of them to provide shade or protection from the rain. These are mostly populated by women and children. At the top of the island is a large temple combined with an administration office and rooms to house the guards and acolytes. Besides the port, the rest of the island is used to grow crops, mostly tended by the meat.
  To the west and slightly behind, a smaller island, rocky and forbidding, looms its way out of the sea. This is the stuff of nightmares, made up of sharp rocks and steep cliffs. The solitary building does nothing to ease the mood. It is a stark, stone place of death, divided into three sections, butchering, drying and tanning. Long used for its deadly purpose, the stains of blood and despair are permanently etched into the stone.
  The third island is almost totally unlike the others in their purely functional decoration. Here dwell the farmers themselves, with all their families and comforts. As one might expect from the owners of a longstanding, highly successful business, their quarters are nothing short of luxury. Large trees, clear pools. Mansions designed to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. There is a definite class distinction between the top families of Baldoshi and the more insignificant ones, but even the lowest of society is by no means poor. There could be no want in this place, and consequently, there is always greed, and the meat traders can never stop searching for greater wealth.

Stock on the island is divided into species, gender and age, with ear tags to keep track of where a beast belongs. The young will typically spend the first 7-8 seasons of their life with their mothers, and then the males will be separated into their own generational pens, while the females will stay with their mothers until 13 seasons, when they'll be deemed ready to start breeding themselves, at which point they'll get their own pen to prevent inbreeding. The males will begin to be sent to the works around 12 seasons, but some as late as 24, while the studs will be kept around as long as they continue to be profitable. The females are thinned at 16 seasons, with the least profitable breeders being cleared out to make more room for others.

Sales are typically made on a contract basis, with merchants ordering a certain amount of meat, and then selling subtly to their individual customers. About half of the merchants are independent, while the others are part of the Baldoshi business. Only the ones involved with Baldoshi sell the leather and pelts gained from the business. All merchants, regardless of independence, supply information on what's happening in Southward mainland in return for business. Meat crates are unmarked, besides cryptic notches to tell what's what, but Baldoshi leatherwork will have the outline of the main island, with its temple.

The Baldoshi family are almost all related at this point. The business was begun by a weasel called Baldosh, before meat trade was banned in Southward. When it became outlawed, him and his seven sons, with their wives and children, took operations underground with the help of some half a dozen families. Since then, with marriages and the like, almost everybeast has some link to the original family, at least through law. Fresh blood is usually brought in by merchants or ships crew falling in love, and step-children have been known to come in, but there is a high level of secrecy and it's unusual that a beast will be involved (besides being food) without some sort of familial tie.

Did I miss anything?

[Dannflower Reguba]

Do the food animals have any individual identification, or is everything done in batches?

Oh, and are my characters acceptable? Might tweak some things yet, but they're mostly finished.

@The Skarzs Consider yourself reminded

[The Skarzs]

Name:Kurlan
Role:Food
Species:Otter
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Appearance: Lithe and strong, Kurlan is an athletic specimen, as many healthy  otters are. He doesn't sport any tattoos like his father did, living the life of an pld seadog, but he does share his old man's eyes, gray-blue like a southern storm. His wax cloth jerkin and a pair of salt-crusted pantaloons are all he has to wear, held up by a bit of hand-twisted fiber rope, since his belt had been taken away.
Personality: Kurlan is a rambunctious type, free-spirited and quick to speak his mind. Despite his sometimes contrarian nature, he is loyal and willing to help those smaller, weaker, or less fortunate than him.
Backstory: Kurlan is the son of a merchant ship captain, and he helped his father on his ship as soon as he could walk. Much of his demeanor he learned from his father, as well as how to sail the seas and deal with difficult customers. On their most recent voyage, they were waylaid by another vessel, a vessel that quickly bristled with foe beasts and attacked them. Many of the crew were captured, many were killed, and some were lost overboard. What fate his father met Kurlan does not yet know.
Other: Nothing at this time.


Let me think of a baddie later

[shisteer of nothing much]

Things are mostly done in batches, with a few exceptions. A lot of beasts are processed, so it's not super unusual for one or two to slip through the cracks, in which case they'll usually just get put in with the next lot to go. Nibble can probably just go in with all the males kept for breeding, seeing as all his age mates are well and truly gone.

Your characters are most acceptable.

Name: Morgyn

Role: Stud

Species: Squirrel

Gender: Male

Age: 19

Appearance: Soft, red brown fur and green eyes. Heavily built and strong, with a long scar across his face. He's well-fed and skimpily dressed, clad in an old, patched tunic that used to be green and some undyed breeches.

Personality: Fairly quiet for the most part, but stubborn and always watching. Despite the three long seasons he's been here, he hasn't been fully broken yet, and he vows he never will be. Fearless, almost to the point of not seeming to care at times, but infinitely loyal all the same.

Backstory: Morgyn grew up in the untamed regions just inside Southsward, technically under Ironkin rule, but largely outside of interference unless something really bad happened. He learned to walk with the aid of a sword, but went questing and got rounded up by Baldoshi kidnappers. Being strong and fit, he was used for breeding, rather than meat, and ever since he's been waiting, watching for the right opportunity to put an end to the evil around him.

Other:



Name: Torgen

Role: Ship's captain, chief smuggler

Species: Weasel

Gender: Male

Age: 30

Appearance: Pale brown fur and dark brown eyes, Torgen wears a dark red tunic over black breeches. When around home, a heavy leather vest covers most of the tunic, though while out sailing, what appears to be a snakeskin belt is much easier to explain to the authorities. He carries a scimitar and a long dagger, as well as a few knives scattered about his person.

Personality: A people person, but not a people pleaser. Cunning and conniving, he generally knows how to get what he wants. A master of expression, he can put a beast at ease with a single smile, or chill the blood of the boldest enemy. His motivation is for honour, riches and glory.

Backstory: Growing up on Baldoshi, Torgen was always an ambitious beast, set on growing through the ranks to be the greatest and the best. He became an acolyte at a young age, as many of the young beasts did, progressing to a temple guard a few seasons later. Bouncing between jobs, he eventually became a sailor and smuggler, and stayed there, enjoying the adrenaline involved.


Other:

[The Skarzs]

So, I had just kinda thrown out there that my character was taken by some seafaring ne'er-do-wells, but would it be possible that it was Torgen who brought Kurlan in?

[shisteer of nothing much]

Quite likely, in fact. Let's go with it.

[The Skarzs]

Eeexcellent

[JazzOfRedwall98]

This looks really exciting! I think I'll join in! If anything needs to be changed as more info is released, I'll be sure to make edits as needed ^^


Character #1:

Name: Sallow Pikebrawl

Role: Stud/Farmer

Species: Otter

Gender: Male

Age: 18

Appearance: Sallow is a young otter with dark, ruddy-brown fur and soft, brown eyes. He's of average size and build for an otter his age, with a good amount of muscle thanks to swimming, netting and, occasionally, sparring. For clothing, he wears pair of faded green breeches, and a wooden tail bangle with various shapes and patterns carved into it.

Personality: Sallow is a gentle, soft-spoken otter, though he carries an air of sadness about him. He has a good heart, hard-working and mindful towards nature, never taking more than what's needed to survive. Though he has basic self-defense training, Sallow is a pacifist in nature, only ever killing to eat. Only having the briefest of encounters with non-otters growing up, he'll approach other woodland beasts with child-like curiosity. Weasels terrify him, especially after his sister's death.

Backstory: Sallow was born in Southsward to parents Marna and Reedmace Pikebrawl, and is the younger of two children. Both he and his older sister, Bevy, were born and raised separate from the Southsward Otter Holt, only having each other and their parents for company. Marna and Reedmace were paranoid, disillusioned by the holt and the law when word of woodlander disappearances showed no signs of stopping. It was their belief that their children would be better off hidden away, where vermin wouldn't think to look. Sallow grew up under strict rules: never was he to leave the den by himself, and training in combat was a must. Protecting himself and his family was a priority, and outsiders were to be chased off, lest they attract vermin. Bevy was a more rebellious otter, curious about the land beyond their home and not wanting to live in fear. This resulted in a lot of arguments in the home, which Sallow kept out of. One night during the spring, Bevy planned to run away, and offered Sallow to join her, to see Southsward with their own eyes. Sallow was terrified, but agreed to come as long as Bevy promised that they both would return home by summertime. Bevy agreed. Their journey started with excitement as they explored the woods and avoided their parents, however this joy was short-lived. Kidnappers spotted them and ganged up on them. Bevy wasn't willing to be taken without a fight, and was slain. As Sallow wept over his sister, he was knocked out, bound, and brought to the island.

Other: Sallow likes to liven the mood with music, which he makes by thumping his rudder. He also enjoys stories, and can be coaxed into telling a few (though he'll skim through the more violent bits). He's been on the island for about 2 seasons.

---

Character #2:

Name: Cuffa

Role: Guard/Butcher

Species: Weasel

Gender: Female

Age: 34

Appearance: An unkempt and scarred female weasel with a light brown topcoat and white underbelly. Her eyes are dark, almost black. She wears leather armor and is usually seen carrying a cutlass and a whip to intimidate weak-willed beasts. One of her ears has seemingly been ripped off.

Personality: Cuffa is somewhat feral in nature. Cruel and bloodthirsty, it seems only natural that her work would involve keeping prisoners in check and relishing in the screams of the dying. She's greedy, always looking for an opportunity to snag some fresh meat. When she does get it, she's very protective over it, snapping at anyone who gets close.

Backstory: Cuffa was born and raised on the island by her parents, Valis and Rixx, and is one of many siblings. Being one of the fiercer kits, it didn't take long for Cuffa to establish herself on the higher end of the family's pecking order, something her parents encouraged. Cuffa learned quickly how much she could gain if she was mean enough. Regularly she would take from her siblings and beat them down if they tried to stop her. Of course, not all of them were spineless. Some fought back, and gave Cuffa quite the challenge. A sister, Crim, was responsible for taking her ear. In the end, though, she was the toughest of her siblings, and when she was old enough, she sought out work that allowed her to bully the weak as she loved to do. She joined the guard, and was given a position to watch over the foodbeasts, as well as aid in their butchering. She loved it, and Cuffa's been in that position ever since.

Other: Nothing at the moment, but if something comes up, I'll make an edit ^^

[shisteer of nothing much]

Welcome aboard, Jazz! Sallow will fit in well, but I'm not sure Cuffa's story fits in with everything as is. The Baldoshi Islands are very well organized, and the clan is very wealthy. A Baldoshi family does not go hungry for a winter, and nobeast roams the islands without being allowed. However, feisty behavior is certainly encouraged and fostered, so she can definitely still work, it'll just need a bit of editing. I think she's going to be a super fun character to play with. Let me know if you need any help brainstorming.

[JazzOfRedwall98]

Welcome aboard, Jazz! Sallow will fit in well, but I'm not sure Cuffa's story fits in with everything as is. The Baldoshi Islands are very well organized, and the clan is very wealthy. A Baldoshi family does not go hungry for a winter, and nobeast roams the islands without being allowed. However, feisty behavior is certainly encouraged and fostered, so she can definitely still work, it'll just need a bit of editing. I think she's going to be a super fun character to play with. Let me know if you need any help brainstorming.

No problem! Lemme fix that! ^^

Edit: Alright! Hopefully, Cuffa's backstory is looking better!

[shisteer of nothing much]

That's perfect! Good job!

[The Skarzs]

Was @Cornflower MM going to be joking this one?