Hunting in Avanthal: I'm a Little Lost...

[Lyrri Snowsong]

Hi! Ahh, I started a flashback thread about a week ago to further Lyrri's hunting skill... Then I sort of realized that I've never been hunting, and I really have no idea how the Vantha would go about it. I know they go on expeditions, and there are horseback-hunters and spearmen and so on... But I'm a little worried about posting when I can't be more specific. The Hunting Skill isn't actually fleshed out, and the basic knowledge I have isn't really enough to balance out how much I'd be making up. >_>

So I guess my question is, how would you go about it? Has anyone around here gone hunting in the Northern Reaches? I'm sure there's something big I'm missing, but if you could lend me a hand, I'd be much obliged.

[Noblesse]

Hi Lyrri! I will try to answer your question as best as I can.

Hunting is an everyday occurrence in a city that is heavily dependent on the meat brought back by its hunters. Although most of the food they eat are brought in by the Coolwater Hold from sea mammals, Frostfawn hunters are important because they bring a considerable share of food back to the city too.

There are two areas a Frostfawn can comb for animals: the Northern Reaches and the Northern Wastes. One is different from the other so the specific hunting style for the two would differ to some extent. Since you asked for how a hunt would go in the Northern Reaches, I would focus my explanation around that.

The most important thing to consider here is a Vantha generally does NOT go on hunting trips ALONE. Considering the word "Talderan" is comparative to "unnaturally big", going out alone would be suicide for a hunter in the unfortunate event the poor chap would chance upon the larger beasts of the tundra.

Hunting is commonly done early in the day through mid-afternoon. The size of a hunting party mostly depends on what the party plans to hunt, usually ranging from a number of 5-20 people. Those who plan to capture the small, tamer animals are fine with at least five people, but tackling a large dangerous beast will need 20 people in a group. Numbers can go higher than that, but those would already be very elaborate hunts planned for a special event or situation, most likely by the Hold leader himself.

You already know by reading the Vantha lore that Frostfawns are mostly horseback hunters. I'd just like to add that teamwork plays an important role in hunting expeditions like these to make sure that they actually bring home something. That and everybody comes home alive. The Vantha knows the dangers lurking outside their Icestone walls as well as the importance of hunting for their sustenance so they take these hunting trips very seriously.

If there is something specific you want to ask about hunting, don't hesitate to ask it here. I may have missed something since I am not sure exactly what it is you wanted to know here.

[Lyrri Snowsong]

Uwahhh, that helps a lot, thank you!! I think I only have one question left. :3 About how far would a hunting party of 5-10 people want to go from the Icewall Gates? Would it be a day's ride, or more, or less? And would they spend multiple nights camping out?

... That was more than one question, wasn't it? XP

Again, thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!

[Noblesse]

It's usually just a day's ride away from the city. Hunters make sure they are back in Avanthal by afternoon so they don't stay that long in the tundra. The dark encourages many of the more dangerous monsters to roam around and they try to avoid encounters such as these. However, there may be instances when hunters camp out. Both the Northern Reaches and the Northern Wastes are very vast. Sometimes one has to travel very far from the city to find an elusive prey.

Take for example the Northern Reaches. There are some animals which prefer the shade of trees to the barren wastes of the ice. It is, however, about five day's worth of travel from Avanthal just to find the first hints of trees in the Northern Reaches. In cases like these, only the best hunters are sent out, always often with the assistance of Icewatch patrol guards.

So to sum up what I've just said, the number of days they would spend outside the city gates depends on what they are hunting or tracking. They generally go home before the sun sets, with or without a catch. For animals they know lives on the farther end of the tundra, they prepare for a few days' worth of travel and bring some Icewatch guards with them for protection. The hunters would only really try to find animals such as these if it is very important that they do though.

[Lyrri Snowsong]

Fantastic! That makes it a lot easier.