Predation. What could be a simpler topic! Predators eat prey to survive. Prey run from or fight off predators. What else is there to it? Well, a problem arose when all species, predator and prey, developed sentience at virtually the same time and honed their collective intelligence. Herds and packs became tribes. Tribes became kingdoms and city states. In that time incredible advancements were made but the shadow of predation lingered.
It is complex issue that has made the creation of civilization difficult and the goal of peace all but unreachable. For carnivores and omnivores, the predators, they had to eat but what they ate were each other and the herbivores. The prey. These species, from the rodent to the deer, vastly outnumbered those that wanted to devour them. This wasn't so much a problem when they were all stupid beasts but when a thousand voles are waving stone spears, well, what's a cat to do but make bronze swords and armor. For centuries this arms race went between those that wanted to eat and those that didn't want to be eaten, costing countless lives and consuming finite resources until the would-be civilizations were put on the brink of destruction.
The last Great War was a wake-up call for those that survived it. So little was left and so many had gone extinct that there was no choice but to find another way or else nothing would be left. The remaining leaders convened to find this new way but no one could come to an agreement over the issue of predation. After all, no one wanted to be food for anyone else! However, eating was a (desired) necessity while overpopulation and overexploitation of resources were just as serious threats to the continuation of all species. So, with heavy hearts, a compromise was reached. A system was created where the devouring of others, vore, was regulated and monitored by the newly formed government. While a variety of official and fancy names were used, to the common folk it was simply called The Hunt. Rules were put into place to ensure that it was as fair and 'humane' as possible. Rules and laws like a registration and licensing to hunt as well as seasons and limitations through tags issued per hunter. This all helped maintain the delicate balance between predator and prey, hunter and hunted, allowing civilization to finally flourish.
It was not something easily accepted by many in society but the hunt has since become an important part, integrating into every facet and level. Even whole industries have sprung up in support of the hunting events and so its footprint on the economy is hardly insignificant. Its effects are far reaching but it all has to begin somewhere and that is with the people who must live with this macabre system.
When someone is born, detailed records are created and kept by the government. Measurements, bloodtype, species. Everything is documented and filed away, to be updated every year, while each individual is assigned a unique identification number. This information is not just important for population census but also population control. With it the ruling body decides which species are eligible for hunting, how many should be culled, when a hunting season should begin, and how long the season lasts. Sometimes it is a single species but multiple being picked is not unheard of.
Members of traditionally predatory species are eligible to participate in the hunt upon turning fifteen. Ominvores and carnivores, from the diminuitive ermine to the mighty dragon, are all qualified but must first register with the state before they can join in any hunting seasons. As exciting as these events often are, behind the scenes there are mountains of paperwork that must be filled out. Every would-be hunter must get a hunting license and apply for permits. They must pass physicals and study the many pages of rules and regulations they will have to abide by. Only after that entire process are they ready. Then they must wait.
Even after receiving a license a predator cannot just run out and grab the nearest prey they find. To participate in a hunt they will first have to wait for a season to officially commence, receiving notification an hour in advance of when it starts and what species will be targeted. This period is referred to as the prowl and is used for preparation. Some choose to use this time to limber up or prepare their tools such as zip ties or leather straps. Others will scout out potential marks, though this runs the risk of tipping off prey species which will not only make it hard for themselves but other aspiring predators. At the end of the hour the hunt is announced to everyone citywide through internet updates, text notifications, TV broadcasts, and radio reports. Hunters are then free to act in what is dubbed the Pursuit phase.
When the hunt begins only the hunters know what species can be pursued, making everyone throughout the city understandably anxious. The first hour is the most tense as practically every citizen - every smart one - is looking over their shoulder trying to see who gets attacked while making sure they themselves do not become victims. At this stage hunters do have the advantage of surprise and can take their time if they like, but that means potentially giving up choice meals to more proactive hunters. The longer the hunt goes on the more aware and alert prey become meaning slimmer pickings and less appetizing targets.
After singling out potential prey, a hunter is free to decide how to go about capturing their quarry. Amateurs will typically charge in without a plan but the odds of success are low against anything other than the lame and stupid. Most smarter predators will rely more on stealth and setting up ambushes. This way they minimize risk of injury to themselves and reduce the chance of alerting others. Once prey is bagged, a hunter still has a few more steps to follow before they can eat or make off with their catch. Prey species still have rights and protections, after all.
In order to make a valid and fair catch, a predator must abide by a number of regulations. They must first make sure their catch is legal. That it isn't below a certain age or doesn't have a protected status. Government Employees and Emergency workers, for instance, are prohibited from being hunted. A hunter must also pull down the panties of their prey and expose their crotch. In doing this the prey ceases being a person in the eyes of the law and is little more than an animal. Little more than food. Otherwise, if the prey species is not depantied, she is still considered a person and others can try to intervene without consequence. Good Samaritans would be allowed to try and fight off the hunter or free the prey. Law enforcement are in fact required to chase off and arrest hunters caught in the act if they have not pulled down their catch's panties yet. But once the panties are pulled down, the would-be predator needn't worry and just has one last step to go - they must tag their prey. Every season a hunter is issued a limited number of tags per species that they cannot exceed without consequence. Once all these steps are completed, the hunter is finally free to enjoy their spoils.
A hunter has all kinds of options at this stage. They can savor their delicious catch immediately or wait until they get home without fear of repercussion, provided they followed all the regulations of course. Public fornication with caught prey is legal and happens frequently, often drawing crowds of onlookers. Much to the humiliation of those caught. There are also establishments where a hunter can bring what they catch, to prepare or cook at their leisure. Some sportsman enjoy the thrill of the hunt only. These predators catch prey and then release them, usually at the end of the hunt so they don't end up in someone else's clutches. Hunters sometimes take trophies, too. Either a selfie or else an article of clothing, typically but not limited to a girl's shoes or panties. However, there are also those who want to keep what they catch, even after the hunt ends. To do this, they must go through an application process that can be challenged at any point by the caught prey's family. If successful, the prey legally becomes a 'pet' that the predator can do with as they please. Piercings or body modification, such as breast expansion, is not unheard of.
There have been many updates and additions to the Hunt over the decades since its inception. Times can change, if only a little, and unforseen elements may arise. But while some rules may be amended or removed, others remain on the books if for no other reason than tradition. Regardless, hunters are required to know them by heart or risk penalties.
Tagging. Licensed hunters every season are issued a certain number of tags per species, limiting how many a hunter can claim. The more bountiful a species, the more tags in a given season. Exceeding the alotted number of tags can incur fines, jailtime, or worse. In this way population control and sustainability can be carefully maintained.
(Option 1, default) Tagging has been modernized to be almost completely digital. Everyone at birth is issued a datalink, usually in the form of a bracelet, that they must wear at nearly all times. It contains all vital information about the wearer and can be accessed by medical staff or law enforcement. To claim a tag, a hunter need only tap their datalink against their quarry's. They will know it is a success upon hearing a chime and the datalink changing color (if it has lights). Not wearing a datalink in public is punishable with fines, pred or prey. It is a mark of citizenship.
(Option 2) An actual tag of some sort must be attached to the caught prey's ear, neck, wrist, or ankle.
(Option 3) A predator using a wrist-mounted scanner must find a barcode on the prey's body, usually above the ass or between the shoulder blades. Everyone, pred and prey, has a barcode on their body somewhere.
The Panties Law. One of the most fundamental rules, dating all the way back to the beginning, is the law pertaining to the depantying of prey. A hunter must pull down the panties of their prey to expose the crotch and ass. If they do not, they cannot legally rape or eat their catch and people are allowed to intervene in accordance with The Good Samaritan Law. Once an in season girl's panties are pulled down, she is considered non hominem, or not a person. She will lose many legal protections, such as the Good Samaritan Law, and be at the mercy of her captor. Not a whole lot of people remember why it was instituted, though historians do speculate, but it is strictly enforced.
It should be noted that the panties do not have to be removed entirely to meet the requirements of the Panties Law. They just need to be pulled down far enough to reveal her butt and her vagina. In this way, should law enforcement inquire about compliance, a hunter need only show off the prey's exposed bits. And while technically not in the spirit of the law, hunters do on occasion molest their prey before removing the panties provided no one is around to stop them!
The Good Samaritan Law. Just because a predator is licensed and has all the correct permits, it does not mean they can hunt with impunity. Anyone, regardless of species, can intervene and try to stop a predator in the act. If these Good Samaritans are not a species that is in season, a predator may not subdue or eat them and can only fend them off.
Police and Security robots will also take notice and are legally required to try and intervene in an ongoing hunt. Assaulting an officer in this situation is still against the law and a hunter should always opt to flee when confronted. Any would-be hunters who are caught are fined, detained for the duration of the season, and publically humiliated.
The law does not apply to any prey in season whose panties have been pulled down.
Safe Haven. To preserve a sense of balance and fairness, certain areas are designated as “Safe Havens” where prey species are protected and cannot be hunted. Obvious locations include Hospitals, Government Buildings, and places of worship. Private residences are also restricted, meaning a predator cannot break and enter. However, there are exceptions such as if a prey species accidentally allows or invites a predator into their home or if the predator was already inside at the start of a hunt.
(Optional) The government has also established safe areas throughout the city to afford prey the possibility of escape and a chance to survive. These may look like rest areas or stations that are demarcated and clearly identified with signage.
(Optional) To maintain a balance, Safe Havens may have restrictions on them. They may only accommodate a certain number of people before closing their doors. And/or Not all Safe Havens may be open during a given hunt, with the number and location being random and changing for each new hunt. Prey may also be assigned a color or code, too, which will only work at corresponding safe havens. This means they must put in effort to find somewhere to escape to.
The Table Turning Clause. When a traditionally predatory species is in season, there is an additional rule that aspiring hunters need to watch out for. If their quarry should turn the tables and overpower the hunter, pulling her panties down instead, the formerly prey can legally rape and eat their would-be attacker. For an even greater humiliation, the now depantied hunter could even be taken as a pet.
(Optional) How very progressive! Even non-predatory species can legally turn tables, though they can only rape their would-be attacker or claim them as a pet.
(Optional) Just kidding, they can eat the failed hunter if they want.
Claiming a Pet. When a hunter catches their prey but does not wish to eat or release her, the hunter may apply to keep her as a pet. The prey must remain in their custody and full control until conclusion of the hunting season and then they must take her to a government office. Here they must fill out a number of forms to begin the process.
The subdued prey in the meantime will undergo a very thorough physical by a licensed official.
Once the application is accepted, the new owner can now have their pet modified or groomed. This includes injections that induce breast expansion or lactation without pregnancy. Certain piercings can also be applied and collars or other restraints can be purchased.
At any time during the process the family of the caught girl can challenge it and petition for their release. This is uncommon, however, due to the legal expenses and the core social values of "survival of the fittest" and "Natural Selection". If someone is caught, it can be reasoned they probably weren't fit or smart and are better off a pet.
The Trophic Law. (Optional) Life is in part influenced by trophic levels. A rabbit eats plants. A fox eats a rabbit. The dragon eats the fox (for some reason). It is the natural order of things and as such is written into law.
In practice this means that a licensed hunter can only hunt species on the same or lower trophic level as their own. A cat cannot hunt a dragon but can hunt a mouse. A dragon can basically hunt anything (lucky buggers).
(Optional) New laws! You can hunt higher trophic levels but you cannot eat them.
Affirmative Prey Action. (Optional) It happened. After years of lobbying, traditionally herbivore and prey species are now allowed to participate in the hunt. However, they are limited to catch and release or keeping pets.
(Optional) Unless it is their same trophic level or lower. IE a rat can eat fellow rats or insects but not a fox.
The Prohibited Hunting Status. There are individuals who cannot be hunted, even if their species is in season. This includes State and federal employees, government officials, first responders, doctors and nurses, emergency workers, law enforcement, and educators. On occasion the government will designate people as too valuable to society to be subject of the hunt, people who make important contributions to the arts and sciences.
The Cruelty Free Act. Under this law prey are afforded a reasonably cruelty-free end. They will not beheaded nor will their bodies be mutilated or gutted. Prey cannot be ground down or crushed.
Predators are, however, still permitted to snuff their catch. Legal methods include asphyxiation, breaking the neck or spine, causing expiration through exhaustive and intense sex, envenomation, or poison. This is a common practice for hunters who prefer their meal a little less squirmy or wish to keep their catch as a trophy rather than a pet.
The Endangered Species Act. Some species have small populations and rarely come up in a hunting season. Then there are the endangered species. Their populations are so small that they require federal protections and assistance lest they disappear entirely. This includes subsidized breeding! Hunters should be aware that some subspecies can also fall under the protection of this act, meaning they better check that unusual rabbit or odd duck if they do not wish to face severe punishment.
Anyone caught violating this law is severely punished. An offender will be put on display for public humiliation, vigorously raped in full view, before being eaten. Relatives of the victim are given the honor but if they decline, an official will randomly be selected to carry out the deed.
Demis or Furries? I wish to express, in no uncertain terms, this profile is not limited to furries. It can be demis, furries, or both. The only limitation is humans. This fantasy was no designed with normal humans or even elves in mind. Do not ask for an exception.
Exhibitionism. While not necessary, one of the elements I had in mind was exhibitionism when I developed this setting/fantasy. You can catch hints of it in the text above as well as some of the pictures included in the profile. Some hunts will conclude in the public, in front of people. Some of these will be subdued or anti-climatic but others may end up being spectacles. Predator and prey may make quite a scene in front of others and I'd love it attention was given to that.
This can take on many different shapes or even multiple. Whether it's the prey looking around desperate or the predator reveling in attention. Almost definitely the prey feeling the shame and humiliation of being subdued and rutted in front of others. And it's not limited to them; the captive audience or crowd around them would almost certainly react. Shock, jealousy, fear, approval. I do like it when NPCs (not controlled by me) react.
Optional Setup. We can certainly grab two characters and have at it, as per any standard scene, but there is an alternative centered around a fantasy of mine.
Whoever elects to be the “prey” assumes the role of game master. They don't control just one character but anywhere from a couple to a dozen. They will create and then populate an area or zone with these characters going about their lives moments prior to the formal start of a hunt.
The player who is the predator will then place themselves in that zone. Once the hunt starts, they are free to pursue whomever constitutes as legal prey while abiding by all the rules established above and any others established prior to the start of play.
By default, capture and consumption is not guaranteed under this setup. The predator may have to make some tough decisions, like between an easily caught prey and a more difficult to reach but more desirable specimen. And if alerted, all the other potential prey in the area may scatter. This will be a puzzle that the predator has to figure out but the difficulty can be scaled for our pleasure.
If there is no more prey to catch in an area or if they all escape, the predator can decide to move on to a new area. They can continue to do this until they have caught their fill, there is nothing easy left to catch, or if they hit the maximum allotment they are allowed to catch.
At any time, the predator may have sex with their catch or catches and eat however many they desire. However, the more full they become the harder it may be to chase prey.
