Vulpine Slang Terms
Great Mother. A common slang term among the Vulpine and Felanus, equal to saying something in a shocking tone or in surprise. This can also be switched to Great Cat, for those who are among the Felanus race, or Great Sisters, for the more commonly held religion that has the Great Mother and Great Cat as sisters who helped form the world of Vulpinia Prime.
Motherless sons and daughters. While it is rare in Vulpine and Felanus societies, there are atheists. Many of the extremely devote will use this to describe anyone who is either a non believer, or of another race.
To big for his own tail. This describes what someone might say of another who they find egotistical.
Chasing tail. Not what one thinks. Used by the Main Authority, these bounty hunters use the term as a description that they are on the hunt for a dangerous bounty.
As dim as dirt. Self explanatory.
Filthy Jackai. A common Lupine slang term that has grown in use throughout the sector of space. This is the worst comment a Lupine could make about a person. Their level of respect for their Jackai cousins is rather low. A great number of curses revolve around the Jackai. Traitorous Jackai. Worse than Jackai spit. Would be rejected by a Jackai pack. May the Jackai pass you over in their hunt. This last one means that so little of a person is thought of, that even the scavengers Jackai wouldn't stop to look him or her over. Cackling Jackai. This one describes the calls the Jackai make, which are rather much like unsettling laughter.
Vulpine Ships and Associations
The Barrow's Revenge - The Barrow's Revenge is a refit Barrow Class Cargo cruiser. The Barrow Class never had weapons, but the first captain of the Barrow's Revenge refit the ship to have front mounted phaser cannons, side mounted energy cannons and aft phaser banks. The Revenge, as she is often called, also has a hangar bay which currently is home to the famed Midnight Squadron lead by Left-tenant Colonel Artemis Dawkins. The current Captain of the Revenge is Crena Clarendale, the seventh in her family to claim the title of Captain, as the ship is often handed down from parent to child.
The Midnight Squadron - The Midnight Squadron is a small group of fighter pilots who call the Barrow's Revenge home. Named for their leader's black fur (as well as the second in command, Sergeant Taggart, a black furred Felanus), the Midnight Squadron is made up of retired pilots who have vast years experience in aerial combat.
The Dorgatha - The Dorgatha is the only Jackai ship that is not a pirate ship. Registered with the Vulpine Trade Commission and the Lupine Star Alliance, the Dorgatha is a salvage ship primarily and a cargo ship secondarily. Captained by Red Streak, a full blood Jayna Tribe Jackai, she has gathered around her some of her most trusted individuals to work on the ship. These are not limited to Jackai, and include Vulpine, Felanus, Pantheran and Critainian crew members. The Dorgatha is named for a region of Lupinia Prime called the Dorgatha Ravine, which was an important Jayna Tribe hunting ground that came under attack during the Great Lupine Land War.
The Huntsman - The Huntsman is a science vessel, deep space exploration, Venture Class. A smaller ship, she does not have a hangar bay for defense, but she is fitted with forward and aft phaser arrays and forward photon torpedoes. The Huntsman is a registered ship within the Royal Vulpine Armada, and can engage in battle should she be called upon.
The Tritan - The Tritan is a Destroyer Class warship and the flagship of the Royal Vulpine Armada. She has two hangar bays and is home of the famed 76th Fighter Squadron, of which there are 150 fighter craft. The Tritan is presently sent on diplomatic missions, but she's also got teeth. Huge teeth. Forward phaser arrays and phaser cannons, plus a compliment of six photon torpedo launchers and aft phaser arrays and three photon torpedo launchers. Those weapons combined with the experienced pilots of the 76th make the Tritan a formidable ship. The Currnet commanding officer is Admiral Tor Clarendale.
The Royal Vulpine Air Corps – The RVAC, or The Corps as it’s known, is one of the most storied in the entire history of Vulpinia Prime. It began as a joint efforst between the nations of Ocata and Foxburrow and became a defense force in it’s early day. Pilots would patrol the Five Nations and assist with anything from rescue operations to transport of goods. When the frontier of space began to open up, new ships were equipped with full squadrons of fighter pilots, trained to fly craft in space. From there, they performed escort missions for their allies in other star systems, to taking part in deep space combat situations as was the case during the Vulpine Pantheran War. It is said that due to the dedication of the pilots and their ability to never give up, the Air Corps was the main reason why a peace treaty was signed between Vulpinia and Panthera.
The Royal Vulpine Armada – Much like the Air Corps, the Armada dates back to the days of the old sailing vessels, and the Armada was a joint venture by Foxburrow, Ocata and Sandicia. The Armada had a sole purpose to explore and chart the waters of Vulpinia Prime. When the peoples of Vulpinia began to explore space, the Armada became the main body that helped achieve this goal. Sometimes the Armada is also called The Royal Vulpine Armed Forces, as many of the ships contain ground troops, air craft and use naval personnel.
Time for some Rough Ball
The sport of rough ball is not exactly what would be called the sport of kings. Played by the Vulpine for centuries, it can be best described as a hybrid of soccer, rugby, lacrosse, volleyball and basketball. It is such a popular sport on Vulpine, there are even leagues that are spread throughout the two continents. At the end of the season, the best teams from each league playoff to see who is the best rough ball team on all Vulpinia.
The field is the size of a soccer pitch, with netted goals at either end. Those goals are approximately six feet wide by eight feet tall. Each team consists of nine players; a keeper that sticks close to the goal, wears a helmet and shin and shoulder pads, and carries a netted stick to catch the oblong ball if a kick attempt is made. There are three defenders, who are not allowed to cross mid field, four fowards and a center man. The center men will line up in the center of the field, marked by a circle nine feet in diameter. The referee will throw the ball up between them, and each center man will jump up hoping to bat the ball back to his or her teammates.
On an offensive push, the ball is predominantly passed from player to player, most often by kicking it forward. Players can also lateral the ball back to teammates, but must do so by bumping it back, not throwing it back. The ball has to be bumped back by hitting it with the ball of the hand. Players can run the ball, but must pass it before exceeding five paces.
The defenders will naturally attempt to intercept the ball, or down a runner. If the ball is intercepted, play begins to move the opposite direction up the field. If the runner is downed, players line up from the point it was downed, and a jump ball is called.
Points are scored in one of two ways. Either kicking the ball into the goal net, which gives three points to the scoring team, or by running the ball across the plane of the goal. The ball must be run through between the goal posts. This grants six points to the scoring team. The keeper will attempt to stop either play, and can do so by netting the ball if kicked, or pushing the runner back, using the goal stick as leverage.
Penalties do exist in the game. A player who runs the ball more than five paces must return to their own half of the field, to the left of the goal for another jump ball. Players interfering with a receiver can be called for interference or holding, and the team on offense will receive an automatic free kick. If the kick is successful, then a new jump ball is called. If not, then the keeper can toss the ball to one of his or her teammates up the field. The keeper is the only player allowed a forward pass.
Keepers can be assessed penalties as well. Sometimes the keeper might try to use his goal stick to hit a runner, which means an automatic free kick by the team not penalized. Should the runner be struck while crossing the plane of the goal line, that team will still receive a free kick. Because of these two penalties, one of which can set back a team by nine points, only the most disciplined of Vulpine are chosen to be keepers.
Games are an hour long, with two half hour halves. Time is stopped only for jump balls or player substitutions.
