[NEXUS] HALO 165: Disturbing the Fishy Neighbors Since Forever

[Lady Serpentine]

"Hm. Why is it you rescued her?"

She sounds curious.

(Also, another twenty minute deadtime for me. )

[Quinsar]

I...
He looks down.,
My family, my "pack" are a group of demons that hunt people down to sell them into slavery... I was the second in command, I was the mate of the alpha... Very important, even though I didn't really do anything...Because of that I never really had to deal with the "business" end of things... I-I got to know Lisa and... It wasn't right... So I took her and left... I tried to take more but I couldn't, so I just saved Lisa... even though I was living a life of luxury I couldn't live withw hat we were doing...

[Lady Serpentine]

She nods, and smiles at him.

"I can understand that... I did much the same, at one point. How did you get to know her, if you didn't have much to do with the slaves?"

[Quinsar]

It was a case of mistaken identity, my h-the alpha was gone and they were unsure of who I was and they had me work...
I met her there...

[Lady Serpentine]

"Ah. That makes sense... Though I have to wonder why they didn't know you were the second-in-command."

[Quinsar]

I wasn't exactly the face of the heads, I was just there to "serve" the alpha, people new the alpha had a husband, but not who he was...I was really just a bitch...
He frowns a bit.

[Lady Serpentine]

"Odd... I'd have thought they'd want to know, if only so that they didn't cause trouble involving you, and drag the alpha into it. But I don't really know that much about your family's organization, obviously... It sounds interesting. Do you mind telling me more about it, at least at some point?"

[Quinsar]

Sure, what would you like to know?...

[Lady Serpentine]

"More about how it's set up, to start."

[Quinsar]

Well, we have a male alpha, women are seen as lesser than men in my culture. The alpha has gotten to that position through violence, dethroning his predecessor with force. Anyone that wants to can try to take his place in honorable combat. The alpha has a mate of his choosing, and member of the pack on any level. They can have more than one mate if they want, and are the second in command, sort of... They take charge if the alpha dies, but most of them are from the lower classes and are swiftly dethroned in most cases since they don't know how to lead... Under the alpha and his mate is a warrior and broker class, the warriors are used to gather slaves from the real world, and often go out in raiding parties in easily accessible areas. The brokers negotiate the selling of slaves to third parties. Under them are a worker class, they deal with the slaves and other menial tasks around our society. There is also a class of banished individuals, those that have committed crimes or that have failed and have been marked as unsuitable for proper life... If they are allowed to live they often live as personal slaves to my people...

[Siena]

Priscilla, that woman that Kwen dumped carried into the infirmary a few days ago, was beginning to wake up. She muttered something unintelligible and shoved her head back into the pillow.

[Mee]

Priscilla, that woman that Kwen dumped carried into the infirmary a few days ago, was beginning to wake up. She muttered something unintelligible and shoved her head back into the pillow.

"Riiiiight, pain meds have worn off by now, haven't they?"
Kwen asked, blinking herself back into wakefulness when Priscilla moved.
"You all right?"

[Lady Serpentine]

"How did the brokers work? I'd assume that your species weren't exactly accepted, given that you were a group of slave-trading demons... So how did they approach potential buyers without getting killed on sight?"

[Quinsar]

People looking for slaves came to us, rich people that were okay with slaver I guess.... I dunno, I never teally dealt with them.

[Siena]

"Riiiiight, pain meds have worn off by now, haven't they?"
Kwen asked, blinking herself back into wakefulness when Priscilla moved.
"You all right?"

They probably didn't work in the first place. Priscilla peeked one eye out from the pillow to look at Kwen, maybe glare a little. She thought about bringing something up with Kwen, but this probably wasn't a good place for it...
"...Alright, I guess," she said tiredly.

[Mee]

They probably didn't work in the first place. Priscilla peeked one eye out from the pillow to look at Kwen, maybe glare a little. She thought about bringing something up with Kwen, but this probably wasn't a good place for it...
"...Alright, I guess," she said tiredly.

Not that Kwen would know if they worked or not. She's just being all happy, friendly, cheerful, and her normal Kwen self. =D

"Mmmmkay. You able to walk?"

[Siena]

Not that Kwen would know if they worked or not. She's just being all happy, friendly, cheerful, and her normal Kwen self. =D

"Mmmmkay. You able to walk?"

"...Yeah, should be." Priscilla wasn't sure how well, but was determined she could walk at least somewhat. Still, she wasn't going to try unless she needed to.

...Right on time, Dona appeared in the Base again and knocked on the infirmary door frame before entering, just like last time. "Kwen," she greeted.

[Mee]

"...Yeah, should be." Priscilla wasn't sure how well, but was determined she could walk at least somewhat. Still, she wasn't going to try unless she needed to.

...Right on time, Dona appeared in the Base again and knocked on the infirmary door frame before entering, just like last time. "Kwen," she greeted.

"Hey, Dona. What can I do for you?"
Kwen asks, looking up from Priscilla, who would have gotten an answer, but she got ninja'd.

[Lady Serpentine]

People looking for slaves came to us, rich people that were okay with slaver I guess.... I dunno, I never teally dealt with them.

"Makes sense, I suppose. Was there any way to move between castes?"

[Quinsar]

The warrior and brokers each had noble houses. The broker houses were the Arsentray, the Miuk, and the Rindo, the warrior houses were the Gindauk, the Hiolosh, and the Maracane. You could be born into these houses, but they each selected a limited amount of worker class to join the houses. The selection process is very strict, and many of my people die yearly, some years no one is even selected... It ensures the upper classes are fit and that they do not swell in size... Anyone could challenge the alpha in an honor duel, even a banished, if they were victorious they would become alpha. The alpha's mate is chosen by the alpha.
Becoming a banished is as easy as committing a crime... If you're not in another class you automatically become a worker.

[Lady Serpentine]

"What sort of tests were there? Did they test intelligence, or simply strength?"

[Quinsar]

A... Gauntlet of both. You had to be mentally and physically excellent.

[Siena]

"Hey, Dona. What can I do for you?"
Kwen asks, looking up from Priscilla, who would have gotten an answer, but she got ninja'd.

"Nothing would be convenient," Dona said to Kwen, walking right up next to Priscilla's infirmary bed and extending a hand to the bandaged woman. "I think it would be best if you lived someplace else for awhile, where you have time to yourself."
"...Yeah, probably..." Priscilla agreed, possibly actually pouting about it. It was hard to tell with the pillow.
"Um... Kwen, I... can I drop by to talk to you sometime...?"

[Lady Serpentine]

She nods, looking thoughtful.

"You said anyone can challlenge the alpha, and the winner is the new leader. What would happen if a female challenged him and won, since you said that the alpha must be male? And what about if he refuses a challenge?"

[Mee]

"Nothing would be convenient," Dona said to Kwen, walking right up next to Priscilla's infirmary bed and extending a hand to the bandaged woman. "I think it would be best if you lived someplace else for awhile, where you have time to yourself."
"...Yeah, probably..." Priscilla agreed, possibly actually pouting about it. It was hard to tell with the pillow.
"Um... Kwen, I... can I drop by to talk to you sometime...?"

"Of course, Priscilla. I'll be . . . Somewhere."
Kwen says, shrugging.
She could be here, she could be back in the castle, she could be in the trash-heap . . .
She'll be somewhere.

[Quinsar]

Then she would become alpha... It just never happens and is socially unacceptable, there aren't laws saying it can't happen... I mean most of the successors are female, my alpha was an exception, most don't have husbands, the women just usually hand off the alpha position immediately... Refusing a challenge is an admittance of weakness and an aknowedgement that you're giving the title up.

[Lady Serpentine]

"What happens if the alpha is challenged while they're injured? Would the duel be postponed until they were healed?"

[Quinsar]

It would be immediate, a leader must be able to lead at all times. If the leader was physically unable to fight then the second in command could take his place...

[Lady Serpentine]

"What if both of them were incapacitated at once? For example, if they were
both poisoned, and it didn't quite kill them, but they still couldn't do anything."

[Quinsar]

Then they would not be fit to lead and apower struggle would start. If they were truly fit to lead they would reclaim the throne when they recovered. I would like to point out that challenges are very rare things, most o =f my peopleknow theirplace and are not greedy like many humanoid races.