Spondees
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This article is related to the Pterodactyl Hunt. |
Monster name: Spondee Dates used: 2004-current
Spondees are immature Pterodactyls. They have small wings, carry small, short-range squirt guns, and nervously attack everything that moves. Special 'spondee bait' can be used to lure them in with its rhythmic squeaking so that hunters can slaughter the baby dinosaurs.
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Evolution and History
Date of Creation: 2004 Creator: Jillian/Sarah/? First Players: Noda, ChrisW, Megan
First suggested on the Hunt list, the spondees ran through several discussions before they were playtested. It was discovered that the waterguns were very powerful, and thus, a method of making the spondees impotent was needed. After a brief period in which one had to hide one's sword to safely approach a spondee, the squeaky things were eventually decided upon.
I think they actually were first thought up, not on the hunt list, but while a bunch of people, myself and SarahHartman included, were sitting in George inventorying stuff. (This was the first time we attempted to move George, when we discovered that we'd been told to use the wrong room, but hadn't yet discovered that our key opened both.) Someone observed that there were squeaky things (they're the squeaking ends of a certain variety of Fun Noodle that was once the only available kind). Someone else observed that there were small squirt guns (which had been donated by JC). People were discussing monster ideas, and I said something about how there should be something small and dactylic to wield the small squirt guns. Sarah promptly proposed that they be Spondees, and the squeaky things were mentioned at least once by somebody. They were discussed on the hunt list after that, and Arthur wanted them to be trochees, but we deemed it to be less cute, if more accurate. --JillianWaldman
Costume and Equipment
Wings
Spondee wings are costuming, not target area, unlike the full-grown pterodactyl's wings. The original spondee wings were cardboard, cut out in a wing-shape, spray-painted bright yellow, with "Pterodactyl Feathers" (the six-inch-long strips of foam that are a by-product of cutting down the handles of foam swords) glued all over the backs. They were held on with yarn.
When they were remade for the second year, each wing was a trapezoid of green foam with feathers stapled to it, and the edges stapled together so they came to a point. We still haven't quite figured out how to attach the wings to people -- probably straps should be attached somehow, as with the Dactyl wings.
Venom
Spondees are armed with small water guns of the dollar-store variety. They're transparent, colorful plastic, and while they have less range than the Dactyls' water guns, they're still pretty powerful. Each spondee only wields one at a time, although since they run out quickly, a spondee generally carries two or three.
There should be a box of such water guns in George. They were originally purchased for a Grand Melee-era water gun event.
Bait
Like spondee wings, spondee bait is a by-product of the foam sword-making process. Each piece of spondee bait is a small red-and-blue cylindrical noisemaker from the top of one of the special yellow fun noodles with noisemakers at the top. When shaken, they make squeaky noises, which mesmerize the Spondees and render them cute, harmless, and pathetically easy to kill.
Spondee bait can be purchased at Hunt Central for gold.
Illustrious Spondees of the Past
- 2004: Michael Noda '04-, Chris White '05, Megan Nelson '07
- 2005: Lisa Spitalewitz '06, Jackie Werner '07
- 2006: Anna Melton '09, Mark Kharas '08
Glamour shots
Assorted photographs (other than the one at the top) of the monster in action.
Characters in the Pterodactyl Hunt
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|---|---|---|
| Admins | Hunt Wizards | Squires | |
| Current | Pterodactyl | Jabberwock | Vampire and Shadow | Black Knight | Oracle | Race Kings | Orcs and Hobgoblins | Werewolf | Dactyl Guards | Cat | Fishmonger | Hydra | Kobolds | Turtles | Sphinx | Spondees | Phoenix | Imp | Troll (treasure) | |
| Planned | Grue | Kraken | Assassin | Dragon | Harpies | |
| Retired | Cardboard Tube Samurai | Achilles | Wraith | Siren | Medusa | Bug-Blatter | Unicorn | Grunts | Troll (riddle) | Necromant | Thief |
