IC Story Thread: Chapter 1, Gamorr - the Diplomats

Cevron tries his ploy of being a bit loud without seeming to intend to be disruptive and it largely works! While after the first few times, the Gamorreans do begin to become uncomfortable with it, they don't get upset or even aggressively silence him. They do make quieting gestures and start to cut him off when his words drag on - and he can sense he's on the edge of social acceptability, but... he gets away without notice for now. Meanwhile, Kolibri has sent his rawwk into the air to see what can be seen through the eyes of his bonded animal-friend... He quickly finds that the canopy is too thick from above for the scouting to be productive via that method, and so the flight must be made lower - within the branches that hold up the leafy ceiling overhead....

Back closer to the Citadel, Lucien goes to watch the pod-races.

The Gamorreans have an entire complex devoted to the sport. It has stadium seating for many thousands of observers which line the starting point (which is also the finish line), it has service bays for the racers and their pods, and towering above it all is an indoor area with further observational seating, as well as holo-screens to broadcast the entire race, and an area for gambling.

As Lucien enters the complex grounds, he's of course rather quickly recognized as a Jedi and while many just stare in wonderment, a small group of 3 Gamorreans approach him, apparently eager to interact with the odd intergalactic traveler.

They grunt and squeal excited introductions, and - if his mission primer did him any service - he believes they offer him food and drink (although they have none on their persons).

Individual Gamorreans begin breaking off from your main group, to set and monitor traps, to start using "calls" (the metallic jingling cans), while others continue on to stalk and look for roosts.

...

At the pod races, the Gamorreans take Lucien up into the structure which towers over the pod race starting/finish line, which also towers above all the surrounding landscape and structures, with the exception of the Citadel (whose central keep is the taller).The three chatter at you in their grunts and squeals - largely too fast and informal for you to fully pick up on the meaning of - but they also make gestures, mimicking lightsaber swings and Force thrusts and things as you all walk.

Perhaps they're asking you to demonstrate? Our perhaps they're just enacting the legends they've heard?

Eventually you arrive at the observation deck which over-looks the horizon, and has holo-screens everywhere you look to broadcast the race (there is one that has already begun), as well as bookees for gambling (mostly droids), and several cantina bars serving food and drink.

There are Gamorrean people - most clearly citizens, some either guards or military or otherwise of their warrior-class - everywhere.

The gamorreans head to one of the cantina bars and start ordering.

A couple Gamorreans nearby are at first confused but also fascinated by Kolibri's use of his animal companion.

Having a hunting-beast? They get.

But as he uses the Force to see through the eyes of the rawwk, it becomes obvious that he goes "somewhere else" for a time. Cevron can see the Gamorreans jostle each other and gesture at the Bothan, muttering in slurring grunts to each other as they parse what they think is going on, as their new comrade is mentally displaced, and his eyes flicker, seeing things they cannot see.

To Kolibri, he is navigating the canopy of the fungi-laden jungle. The rawwk deftly scrambling, leaping, and gliding through open spaces in the leafy branches. After some time he catches sight of something through the branches, and due to the rawwks animalian appearance, he is able to get close enough to see some Quizzers.

They are strange looking creatures...

Reptilian in appearance, at first, he soon realizes though that they are mammalian. You observe them being very social - nesting and congregating nearby each other, grooming each other, chasing each other in apparent play or perhaps very localized territoriality, mature specimen sharing food with young. They communicate through various chirps, barks, and howls, and are intelligent enough at least to use the branches they sit on to smash open fruits or nuts and craft large nests for themselves our of twigs and leaves and things.

And you also know they're apparently attracted to shiny things, based on the gamorrean hunting tactic.

Then... after some time of sitting and observing the quizzers, the rawwk narrowly avoids a strike from a snake-like creature in the tree! Sending it fleeing in panic through the canopy!

The scuffle draws the attention of the quizzers who begin hooting raucously and pelting the reptile with sticks and partially eaten fruits, causing it to leave the area.

The rawwk takes some minor bumps and bruises in it's hurried retreat, but is ultimately able to return to you safely.

The gamorreans are delighted as Lucien mimes the stance and motions of the Niman form for a moment. A coulple of them quickly drop low into a wide athletic stance, and mime the footwork of their ponderous and powerful vibroaxe-style, in response. And for a moment it's as if they're in an imaginary contactless sparring match.

As the Jedi rises out of it they hoot and grunt and squeal at the little moment of comradery, gripping his shoulders and shaking him and clapping him on the back.

When he sits, even near a window, Lucien can only see a small fraction of the race course - the mile-or-two stretch that is both the start and finish line. Pod racers move very fast, and the courses are famously long and riddled with obstacles, turns, and obstructions to keep things interesting, and so most of the watching of the race must be done through holo-screen.

There is a Gamorrean color-commentator announcing every jockeying-collision, turn, over-taking, and crash in a boisterous voice that, to his human ear, sounds something very much like livestock being slaughtered, it is delivered so urgent and emotionally.

When they return, they're bearing 4 flagons of some drink, and a tray with several small bowls or plates of finger food.

They're talking amongst each other and the jumble of gamorrean tongue makes it impossible to catch everything, but he picks our enough to gather that they're talking about a couple of the pod racing pilots.

They plop a flagon down before him and the tray at the center of you all, they gesture at the spread before Lucien and say something including, "Eat" and "Jedi".