Monster Poacher

Base idea by Volt, Drackzahn and Goldie
Written by Drackzahn and Goldie

"Any idea what this is? Of course not. It is sheep wool, but not the normal one you get from normal sheep. This one is from a sheep-human, more specifically a sheep girl I caught some days ago. And you know what is special about it? The worth. This wool alone is enough to get me over the next month!" Monster Poacher while recruiting a friend.

by Drackzahn

Monster poachers try to get their hands on products from the diverse monster species of Earth and Bardor. There are several different kinds of poachers and the techniques they follow. Generally, there are three different levels on which they operate:

Collecting Poachers. These just try to collect waste products illegally and rarely come in direct contact with monsters.

Hunter Poachers. They hunt valuable monster girls and get their products directly. Depending on the cruelty and the exact product that is in demand, this may be painless for the victim or not. Most poachers will not hurt their prey, as they know exactly that this will increase the punishment they may receive drastically.

Slaver Poachers. The most professional poachers are these that catch their targets and hold them as slaves for longer durations. They harvest their wanted products and can earn huge amounts from them.

Career

Qualifications

Monster Poachers have no qualifications. Everyone with enough criminal energy can begin hunting for the monster species of Earth or Bardor, as it is illegal in nearly all regions and all nations. A basic understanding of the monsters to know which parts are valuable and how to get them safely to the buyer are the most important feats of any poacher.

Payment & Reimbursement

Poachers earn money by selling products from monster species. Depending on the rarity of the product and the region they are selling it to, the payment varies heavily and can be anything from just some meal money up to enough to buy yourself a villa at the beach. As only very few poachers take all steps of selling the products themself, they often need to share their income with the smugglers or the brokers that they work with.

Perception

Purpose

Poaching is illegal and has no value to society. Rich individuals pay huge amounts for illegal products due to their exclusivity and the special effects that they may have. Products like the aphrodisiac residue from Goobunnies or the soft fur of an Icewolf are not available on the free market and only a poacher can get them for the paying illegal customers.

Social Status

Poachers are mainly criminals and are prosecuted by the police forces. For rich customers, a good poacher is highly valuable and can easily rise in their social standing due to the connections they form.

Demographics

Poachers are often coming from poor regions of the world and hunt the easy and quick money. Sometimes, hunters who want the extra adrenaline also become poachers. Population-wide, only a very small part of it ever even thinks about becoming a poacher. Especially rich countries have nearly none of them.

History

Poaching is as old as the idea of laws and regulations in societies. It always existed and will always exist.
The more modern monster poachers of Earth appeared around 2019 in the Slimean Lands due to the new monster-human hybrid species. The materials and products that they produce are often very exclusive and not exported outside of the Queendom of Slimea. With the security rising, the first wave of poaching quickly cooled down. It became just too risky and getting caught was too common. With the increased trade with other nations in 2021 and the spread of monster-human species in other countries, poaching became a problem again. The police forces could not control all areas of a country, especially not the more rural regions or the wild parts of the land. That marked the beginning of the second wave of poaching. While it is not as big as the first one, it is more stable and still ongoing to this day.
In the The Sylvan Queendoms of Bardor, hunting members of other species to sell them or their products is common and near impossible to prevent. The far lands are impossible to secure and the availability of Magic Bubbles makes poaching a nearly easy task.

Operations

Tools

Most modern poachers use non-lethal weapons and trapping devices. Most products of monster humans are regrowing, especially the worthy ones. That makes it way more beneficial to catch prey and harvest their products over longer durations. The most typical devices are traps to hold prey in place, like typical hunter traps that are used for ages. Magic Bubbles and Balloons are often used as well, as they are one of the most perfect tools to catch prey. Often, the poachers are mistaken as Hunters, which let the prey realize too late in which kind of dangerous situation they are in.

Workplace

Poachers rarely hunt in urban areas, as the density of police forces is too high. Rural areas, especially deep forest areas, are way more common "workplaces" for them.

Provided Services

Poachers can provide their customers with products that they can buy nowhere else. Many products can be harvested from the monster species of Earth and Bardor and the demand for them is huge in many parts of the world. The following examples are nowhere near complete.
The aphrodisiac residue of Goobunnies is valuable in many illegal clubs as a drug and can receive huge price ranges. The relative safety of the product makes it a welcome drug for rich kids of high society.
Wool of Sheep-Humans can be bought to a certain extends, but especially the wool from the chest is rare to get on the free market. Its softness and durability, combined with its warmth and texture make it a perfect base for many cloth articles.
Base Honey, the honey that Beegirls uses to feed their offspring is rarely sold to outsiders. They only sell different kinds of honey. This makes it a good product for poachers if they can get their hands on it. The high nutrition and the special taste make it high in demand.

Dangers & Hazards

Besides being hunted by the police forces of different countries, there is another big risk for monster poachers: The target itself. Many monster girls and boys, especially those with the most valuable products, are very far from helpless. They often turn around the hunt and it is not rare that the poacher becomes the prey and ends up in the hands of their target. No one should underestimate how well a Sheep-Human is in ramming its hard head against their enemy or how fast one beegirl calls her sisters. If an Hunter observes a poacher during their work, they most often will begin hunting them as well, as they do not like seeing them in their territories due to the bad feeling that it gives their own prey.
In Bardor the risks are far greater. Not only do The Sylvan Queendoms take a very severe stance on slavery and imprisoning, but the world is far more open and wild. A poacher can easily encounter hazardous flora or fauna that will permanently alter their lives or mental state. Not to mention various races and entities unaffiliated with The Sylvan Queendoms that could just as easily enslave the poacher, there is very much still a black market in Bardor for human slaves.

Alternative Names

Unauthorized hunter, Trapper

Type

Agricultural / Fishing / Forestry

Demand

Medium; Especially rich individuals pay big amounts to get fresh products that can't be bought legally.

Legality

Poaching is illegal in nearly all regions and countries. Getting caught means nearly always getting punished. Depending on how a poacher acted and how much damage they caused, the punishments may be mild or very harsh.

Characters