90th Mutt Information

Mutt List

For the 90th Games mutts are grouped into each area by attack type and so each mutt will be limited to fighting with a single weapon type. This standardization is intended to promote consistency and to remove both mutt writer and GM bias when setting up fights.

• Badlands: knife & poisonous
• Cornucopia: blunt & poisonous
• Den: javelin
• Junktown Proper: knife
• Junkwall: sword
• Overgrown Gardens: whip & poisonous
• Scrapyard: glaive
• Underground Oasis: non-combat

BADLANDS

DIRE VENOM COYOTE** - poisonous
A derivative breed from the hell hounds, these nasty little creations aren’t just canine. They were created for one purpose — to shred — and the jaws are all alligator, with sharp teeth and the muscles to slam their jaws closed on a piece of prey and toss it around until enough pieces fly off to kill it. The name did come from somewhere, though, and the majority of this mutt is in fact canine in origin. The creature looks like a monstrous wolf — strong fighter, enduring runner. Just to add to the disturbing factors, the eyes are more vein than sclera, turning them red. The ears are long at birth and need to be cropped to keep from flopping dangerously close to the teeth; that trait is from the bloodhound genetics that allow the Hounds to track their prey even when it seems impossible to do so. For this arena they have been bred to have fur the color of sand, the better to blend in with their surroundings. However, the most disconcerting difference between Hellhounds and Dire Coyotes is that the latter creatures howl non-stop whenever they have found prey.
• Note: damaged targets become poisoned.


JACK RATTLER - poisonous
This mixture of jack rabbit and rattlesnake was used primarily to distract rebels; Capitol soldiers would let one loose across a rebel’s path, so that its uncanny rattling sound would serve as an ample diversion, allowing the Capitolites to swiftly capture or kill the enemy. This worked for quite some time, until word of the rattling rabbit and the misfortune it brought passed around the rebels, and it became common knowledge that if you heard its telltale rattling, do not investigate; instead, keep on alert and run in the opposite direction as fast as possible. Frustrated with their failure, the Capitolites gave up on the creatures and allowed them to run amok in the wild as they pleased, and soon it was not uncommon to spot a rabbit with the tail of a rattlesnake in some of the warmer district climates. Don’t get too close, though; its snake genes give the Jack Rattler a pair of pointy, poisonous fangs and a bite that brings quick death.
• Note: damaged targets become poisoned.


LITTLE DEAR - edible (large game)
A living trap, it's difficult for anyone humane to resist the urge to come to the aid of these innocent-seeming deer. Sent out with terrible injuries - arrows and axes lodged deeply into their flesh - and their keening cries genetically modified to sound childlike, from a distance they seem like escaped victims of a hunting encounter. However, advanced medical technology has made it possible to heal a spear through the heart to little more than an artificial wound, all while leaving the weapon in place. To the deer it is the equivalent of a scraped knee and anyone kindhearted enough to attempt to come to its aide will discover that the great antlers atop its head have been sharpened into a jutting mass of deadly blades. Also too late comes the realization that the deer is panicking not because of its wounds, but because their head has been encased in a mask that renders it blind, deaf, and unable to smell. Even if the person following their aching heartstrings thinks they know the wounded Little Dear, precious and worth saving, it does not know them. It knows the only way to be saved here is to save yourself.
• Note: restricted to hunting.


MACROMANTULA - poisonous
The intent was to create a larger species of spider, one that would spin thicker, stronger silk that could be used by the Capitol for various purposes. Capitol scientists were able to achieve this with the genes of a normal tarantula and some growth hormone; however, rather than the house cat-sized spider they’d been aiming for, they’d ended up with a massive brute of an arachnid, as tall as a small elephant with a leg span of over ten feet. These beasts were untamable; they would encase their caregivers in thick webs of silk, then inject their lethal poison into their bloodstream, killing them within the hour. After seeing how serious the problem was, the Capitolites decided that these creations could not be allowed to live; they managed to kill most, but some of the Macromantulas escaped into the wild.
• Note: damaged targets become poisoned.


PITFALL LIZARD - poisonous
Parts lizard, snake, and some trapdoor spider, this grotesque beast was originally designed to take out supply roads and other paths frequented by rebels. They were designed to dig networks of tunnels and caves under the specified area so it would collapse when enough weight was placed on it and perhaps kill the rebels involved with its lethal venom. However, these Lizards were deemed inefficient, given that their "traps" so to speak — nearly 25 feet deep, wide holes about two feet from the surface of the ground — did not always collapse, were not always dug in the right place, and were not always inhabited by a Pitfall Lizard to finish off any unfortunate being trapped. Like many of the muttations, the project was abandoned — however, few of the Lizards were actually found by the retrieval squads. These are completely inedible — even their bright orange eggs are poisonous. If you manage to get bitten, you have about three hours to live.
• Note: damaged targets become poisoned.

CORNUCOPIA

KANGA* - edible (large game)
Kangas aren’t quite big enough to get the roo part of their names. At their tallest, they’re waist high, and the domesticated pet versions in the Capitol are quite similar to pet dogs. But the ones injected with growth hormones in the arena, while not any taller, are notably stout and pack a powerful punch.
• Note: restricted to hunting.


PATHFINDER BUGS** - poisonous
Pathfinder Bugs exist in swarms of hundreds or even thousands, dense enough to pack a solid punch when moving as a compact group. They are no bigger than a speck of dust and in daylight look almost identical to a swarm of gnats. The main difference is the sticky slime covering their entire bodies that gets left behind on anything they touch. For this arena they’ve been altered to be toxic, glowing deadly violet in the dark. Pathfinder Bugs are very attracted to the smell of sweat and will follow a large mammal around for days feeding off it. Not only do Pathfinder Bugs cause any human they're attached to to glow brightly in the dark (lasting long after the residue has been scrubbed away), they also leave traces of their slime behind on anything around them they happen to touch. This creates a clear path to any human target.
• Note: damaged targets become poisoned.


PYGMY CATTLE - edible (small game)
One crazy Capitol scientist was working on a project attempting to develop cows that produced lactose-free milk, frustrated by his own lactose intolerance. On the front of it, his work seemed like a complete failure: the resulting cows produced no milk whatsoever, and, to top it off, were roughly the size of a house cat. However, the meat they produced was not only delicious, but the Pygmy Cattle were easier to keep in smaller spaces and produced much less in terms of byproducts. Unlike their giant counterparts, the miniature cows, however, are very skittish and actually burrow, much like rabbits.
• Note: restricted to trapping.


The Static* — poisonous
Originally known as Static Blossoms, these plant-based mutts were originally made fully of vegetation and greenery with a beautiful bright colored flower in the middle, but over the years these plants have changed. While they still function the same, their appearance had changed over the struggles with the districts themselves. The plants were made to dispose of the junk and trash from around the districts during war and every day use, mostly a simple solution to a growing problem. The plant would melt down the junk in it's acid inside of the large and colorful flower, giving it nutrients to live, but over the years districters and capitolites began to see these plants transforming. Evolution taking over after noticing animals targeting these plants for their highly sought after nutrients; the plant began to pile garbage onto itself to camouflage from predators. After a few incidents of small children falling inside them, capitolites pulled them from Panem and kept them locked away until now.

Now with the 90th games on the horizon, a new interest has been taken in this plant. Growing in size and covering itself with more junk than before; television screens having become it's favorite form of hiding. The plant waits with a new hunger for junk and meat. Using the junk around it to attack and having more movement than before. The televisions capable of running anything the gamemakers could dream of, but mostly stuck as static when not in use has given the plant it's new name. A simple name for a monster that's capable of moving now. The Static.

• Note: damaged targets become poisoned. The television screens flicker between footage of old mech tournaments and advertisements for the 90th Games' many snack food and energy drink sponsors.

THE DEN

IRONSKULL* - inedible
These glittering gray giants lack all the awkwardness of their ancestors. They move like liquid silver: quick and fluid. They stand taller even than the giraffe they are based upon, with some noticeable exceptions: Silver, wiry fur, glowing blue eyes, and sharp, jagged crystals jutting out directly from their skulls like sinister tiaras. You know how giraffes defend themselves by flinging their heads around? Those crystals make that a much more serious threat, and combined with their increased size and speed makes them terrifying opponents indeed.


FRILLED SPINY LION* - inedible
Owing its hulking size (roughly 300 pounds) to an extinct strain of marsupial lion megafauna DNA, the frilled spiny lion is adept at climbing and possesses muscular jaws with a tail strong enough to enable standing on its hind legs. This alone would have been unsettling, but a particularly bored scientist felt the need to see what would happen if a little frilled dragon and echidna were in the mix. The result? Semi-opposable thumbs with powerful digging claws, a coat of quills — each spike measuring well over two feet in length — that could be launched like small javelins, and a large ruff of skin, which usually lies folded against its head and neck, supported by long spines of cartilage connected to its jaw bone. When threatened it will produce a startling deimatic display by raising its body, gaping its mouth, and spreading its frill. This is very similar to its courtship display. The exception, of course, is that in matters of territory dispute the abrupt raising of the frilled spiny lion’s mane tends to launch a deadly wave of quills.

JUNKTOWN PROPER

ARACHNOBAT - inedible
Despite the misleading name, Arachnobats contain no genetic material that is exclusive to bats; its creators had intended to call it a trapeze spider, which is much less misleading — if less creative — than the portmanteau of 'arachnid' and 'acrobat.' The trapeze spider was not originally designed for use in the Hunger Games, but instead for a less brutal form of entertainment: the circus. Arachnobats were designed to be much larger than your average house spider. They are similar in size to a golden retriever and just as trainable — provided, of course, that they were brought up around humans; those born in the wild are no more friendly than a feral dog or a wolf. Their creators had expected their striking patterns and wide color palette to endear them to Capitol audiences; however, not even their splendid appearance was enough to overcome the arachnid's reputation with mainstream crowds, and thus, the creature was relegated to the Hunger Games.


BURNNY RABBIT - edible (small game, pre-cooked)
The Burnny Rabbit is a capitol creation originally used for fire and meat on the go, in form of a cuddly companion, but got discontinued due to the danger of spontaneous combustion. That, and many Capitol soldiers didn't want to kill their pet rabbit... The rabbit was designed to be rather adorable, to appeal to the soldiers as a companion when things got lonely. It's the size of a normal wild rabbit, with a bit more meat on it. Its fur is fluffy and black, again for appeal, but also since it's meant for the winter, it's far easier to spot. This might also be a genetic side effect to being combustible. It has a patch on its head whether you can strike flint on it for the rabbit to catch fire and eat. It naturally gravitates towards humans as it's been designed to be a companion, but this causes more problems than it solves, because from scratching and moving, it catches fire. Other times, it just bursts into flames. This is why it had been implemented into the games. It kept bursting into flames in the arms of the capitol soldiers as they slept (or in broad daylight), causing severe 3rd degree burns. They have been re-designed to combust whenever it's near something emitting heat, for example, humans or other mutts. Once it is dead, it cannot combust.
• Note: restricted to trapping.


RHOGS* - inedible
After popular Capitolite vacation spots became overrun with mosquitos and black flies, these creatures were the new eco-friendly non-pesticide solution. Insect-hungry frogs were spliced with rhinoceros DNA in order to make them hardier and to help them survive harsher climates. Able to withstand extreme temperatures and dryer areas, the bug problem was quickly taken care of. The only problem? They're still hungry. Affectionate but territorial creatures, they can be seen playfighting with their primary horns or hopping around with baby Rhogs on their backs.


KAWAILA* - edible (small game)
A new staple in teen trends is the kawaila: koalas who have been genetically altered so that their eyes glitter like galaxies and their fur to grow in a pastel hue of pink, green, blue, purple, or yellow. Their temperament makes them perfect for children, really. Even when agitated to the extreme and sent into the arena, they only ever seem mildly perturbed or violent at best.
• Note: restricted to trapping. May be kept as animal companions.

JUNKWALL

HELLKAT 09** - inedible
Based on the classic hellcat mutts, the HellKat 09 was originally built as an automated security guard. With a physique borrowed from tigers, lions, and extinct saber-toothed cats, these glowing amber-eyed robots are efficient at patrolling even the most difficult terrain. The feline design makes them agile climbers, while their finely-tuned programming and eight-inch steel fangs result in deadly battle strategies. Although lacking their counterpart’s keen sense of smell, they compensate with reliable heat sensor technology.


SABERTOOTH BAT** - inedible
At first glance, Sabertooth Bats appear to be regular bats. They come in various shades of black, brown, gray, and even reddish-orange, and dwell in similar types of places. If you saw one flying at you, though, the difference between the two species would be immediately apparent: protruding out of the mouths' of these Capitol muttations are two fangs that grow up to six inches in length. The Capitol combined the genes of large fruit bats, long extinct Sabertooth Tigers, and even a species of viper to create a creature with a wingspan of up to 6 feet with superior night vision, perfect for tracking rebels who may try to run under the cover of night. Their one weakness, though, is that somewhere in the mix they acquired glowing eyes; if you spot a luminous pair of orbs in the darkness, you may just have a chance to escape.

OVERGROWN COMMUNITY GARDENS

DEVIL’S POISON IVY** - poisonous
This fast-growing plant has evolved in such a way that has made it carnivorous, meaning that, should a person accidentally step over one of its waiting vines, the violence that ensues won't be pretty. A unique, poisonous variation has been cultivated for the 90th arena, stabilizing its ability to survive with a phosphorus deficiency. This deficiency results in an overall faded yellow coloring with bronze splotches and crispy, warped leaves. Sometimes the stronger vines turn red or purple, despite their leaves being just as likely to crunch and crumble away beneath a wayward step.
• Note: damaged targets become poisoned.


SUNSCORCHED SNAKEROOT** - poisonous
There are snakes in the grass, but they hadn't always been there. The species are a deviation from and a grotesque fusion between mambas, vipers, and ivied flora, but once, they were just mere pets in the capitol's most beautiful botanical gardens. The strong, pinecone-like leaves they have in lieu of scales flowed so cohesively with the flowers and their colors, which spun the illusion that mother nature herself moved and danced. But all pretty things have flaws, and theirs was engraved onto their genetics. The creatures, instead of feasting on insects or photosynthesizing through the skin, turned those sharp fangs to the humans instead. Even when tethered together with the lifeless ivies, these mambas did not lose the graceful ferocity that makes a snake. Now they roam, leaving trails that are unseen through the grass plains, but their scales sing a discordant melody of tree bark and coarse movement. Sunscorched snakeroot are a particularly poisonous and pale-barked variant of their more common relatives, primarily utilizing taipan DNA.
• Note: damaged targets become poisoned.


WEEPING VARNISHED GUM TREE* - poisonous
This rare variant of eucalyptus vernicosa is both more shrubbery than tree and more animated than one generally prefers their plantlife to be. Boasting white flowers with a spindly, almost feathered appearance (lacking petals, they compensate with a downright lewd number of stamen), it’s important to note that while the fruit of the weeping varnished gum tree is edible and the leaves are useful for a number of medicinal applications, the flowers are sticky with poison. It is recommended that one appreciates this fascinating shrubbery from a safe viewing distance, as its weeping branches are likely to whip into a frenzy when approached during its flowering season. However, if one is lucky enough to sneak a closer peek during its dormant season then the unique, nearly geometric bark patterns of its branches are a natural marvel not to be missed!
• Note: damaged targets become poisoned.

SCRAPYARD

GARGANTUAN LAND HERMIT CRAB* - spare parts
Varying in size from roughly a small house cat to an unsettlingly large dog, gargantuan land hermit crabs are actually quite extroverted for crustaceans… over-enthusiastically so. While not always the fastest of creatures, they will do their best to rush to greet any oh-so-welcome guests that wander into their communal dens. Truly, they would love nothing more than to shake your hand, pull you in for a hug, offer up some high-fives, or to impress you with their skittering dance moves. In fact, these ten-legged multitaskers are apt to attempt all of these activities at once, unaware that glaive-like claws and unchecked enthusiasm aren’t always such a fun time for their softer-skinned friends.

As these hermit crabs grow, they must exchange their shells for larger ones. This particular faction has taken to primarily residing in scavenged mech suit pieces. Since this is not an unlimited resource, there is frequently strong competition for available shells, and arm wrestling is not uncommon. Here, occupied boots and helmets with Class War Veteran logos emblazoned on their sides attempt to scale the abandoned battle dome, often resorting to dangling midair from chains in order to escape their own battle challenges. The largest of the crabs have attempted to inhabit full mech suits rather than settling for the tight squeeze of smaller pieces, dragging their hard-won prizes around territorially.

• Note: defeating them wins Scavenged Scrap Metal [spare part; +5 torso armor]. Tributes visiting the scrapyard may request a hunting encounter, if they have not already been mandated to fight them. Scavenged Scrap Metal can only be obtained once and is only obtainable prior to the Top 12.


METAL MUNCHERS* — spare parts
Originally created as a compact metal snake, the Metal Muncher was designed to recycle metal debris in the massive garbage heaps outside of District Two. It was built functionally, designed to dive into mounds of decaying food and plastic in search of something valuable. In the first version it had a hollow abdomen for storage and didn't have any facial features. As far as robots go, it was exceedingly efficient, finding every bit of steel and iron and sometimes far more valuable metals. It was this quality that made it a favorite pet of the junkyard master. Over the years he modified the machine, building back in some of the metal it had found and keeping the bits of gold and silver to make himself rich. By the time he died the Metal Muncher acted as a bodyguard for the garbage heap. After his master died, the Metal Muncher kept the Peacekeepers guarded his corpse for hours until heavier artillery arrived. By then, a Gamemaker in the Capitol had radioed to grant the machine clemency.

Many years later and much more refined, the Metal Muncher stands at nearly nine feet tall. He has a fearsome face, leading with his rows of dagger-like teeth. Every part of him, from his skeleton, to his joints, to the small red metal detector atop his steel skull is made of refined scraps. Now, thanks to the Capitol improvements, the Metal Muncher is able to take any sort of metal and incorporate it into his own body. He is constantly upgrading himself, endlessly seeking another metal morsel.

• Note: encountered by RE only. Defeating them wins Scavenged Scrap Metal [spare part; +5 torso armor]. Scavenged Scrap Metal can only be obtained once and is only obtainable prior to the Top 12.

A deep gash (6+ damage) from a Metal Muncher will damage a tribute's mech suit IC (ripping out wires, etc; the specifics of this damage are at the discretion of the tribute and mutt writer), causing it to malfunction and be disabled for the rest of the day. Once a tribute's mech has been disabled, that tribute will no longer be of interest to the Metal Munchers and they will cease to be attacked. However, that tribute will not be able to use any mech items until the following day. If the mech of all tributes in a Mech Muncher fight is disabled then the mutts will flee. If the Mech Munchers flee then no Scavenged Scrap Metal may be obtained at the end of the fight.

UNDERGROUND OASIS

DREAMTIME SPORE** - hallucinogenic
Originally used as a hallucinogen, dream spore is said to bring all of a person's wildest fantasies to life while they are under its spell. It was highly sought after by the poor man, who wanted nothing more than an escape from mundane every-day life, but it was soon discovered that the visions a person saw reflected entirely upon their state of mind. If a person was under stress, their dream-visions were more nightmarish. If a person were to incidentally ingest dream spore in, say, an arena, well… then they should be thankful that the variation cultivated for the 90th Games encourages relaxation and euphoria.
• Note: consumption by request only. Hallucinogenic effects dissipate by the next Games day.


SONGLINE KODOMA** - inedible
This species of cave-dwelling kodoma is even smaller than most, rarely taller than ten inches, with patches of moss and lichen growing on their sandstone hued bodies. If one were able to look closely they might notice subtle bands of varied color and hints of petroglyph carvings, as if these kodoma had carved themselves from the surrounding stone and marked each other with stories of their ancestral past, but the wariness of these creatures generally prevents such proximity. These kodoma are fond of singing and while their songs are as softly pitched and faint as their forest-dwelling cousins, there’s something reassuring about the harmonies of their rhythmic clicking and wavering melodies. It is said that a knowledgeable person could navigate caves by the kodoma’s songs, the same way sailors navigate by the stars. Language is not a barrier because the melodic contour of the songs describe the nature of the land through which the songs pass. The rhythm is what is crucial to understanding and listening to the kodoma’s songs is the same as walking on and observing this subterranean landscape.
• Note: gifts edible and medicinal plants (requires plants station).


EVERYWHEN NAKOM** - inedible
Occupying the Underground Oasis long before people lived here, this species of bioluminescent nakom is a particularly peaceful counterpart to the destructive variants traditionally utilized in the Games. Evolving from the glowworms that thrive on the cave system’s ceiling, they feed primarily on minerals that collect as water passes through the surrounding stone. Everywhen nakom are of vital importance to ceremonies that were once performed here, helping the life force of the local environment to remain active and continue creating new life. They are considered to have survived the poisoning of the land, when so much else could not, due to their understanding of the pattern of life and their nature of being unfixed in time.

It is said that everywhen nakom are children of Dreamtime, spirit beings born from visions of God. They protect the dreaming track of these caves as rememberers of the world-dawn. If one devotes themselves to studying these creatures then perhaps they might someday understand their all-embracing way of being, a lived daily reality of peace with the natural environment, where they are born again and again as interconnected stars reflected within the galaxy of an eternal underground river.
• Note: reveals community relics when followed.


*new mutt
**updated variation of an existing mutt