Deathdrop,
Yautja,
13 years ago
Feel free to use or discard:
Having thought about it for a bit, there probably shouldn't be very much snow. It's dry, yet cold. Everything is brittle and cracked, even the skin of the few remaining organisms.
Speaking of them, their demon-like behavior can be pretty easily explained: They're deranged. These were apex predators filling niches that made sense within the original ecosystem. With the ruined atmosphere and rapidly dropping temperature, that ecosystem has been destroyed. 99% of the plant life is gone, and with it went nearly all the herbivores these creatures used to prey on.
They're starved, crazed, wild animals living in an environment that's the complete opposite of what they're adapted for. It's like a Kangaroo living in Florida's wetlands; it just doesn't fit.
Still, these are some tough bastards. They've taken to eating anything, from the frozen remains of plants to garbage to feces to their own kind. Their skin is cracked and bleeding, and their bodies are emaciated. BOOM! Demons, or at least close enough for our purposes.
Seeing as how the place used to host a great deal more life, it makes sense that the Preds would hunt here. Back in it's heyday, there would have been a unique environment with dozens of species of dangerous creatures to hunt. There was a small temple set up here, possibly with a cemetery or something.
Point is, this was a place of some significance to the Preds. Maybe it was religious, maybe it was just a cool hunting spot, but whatever the case, they are PISSED about it's colonization. This isn't a hunt; the name of the game is slaughter.
Thing is, the Preds are going to have a rough time of it. Due to the cold, they'll have to wear full heat-suits (like the mesh except covering the entire body like a wetsuit or something) underneath full armor.
This evens things up a bit between the species, as the marines are going to be lighter and better able to move. They'll also have access to vehicles. Not that things are going to be TOO easy, though, considering how dangerous the planet is.