ROLEPLAY HQ - azure-wolf

TW: Dark themes, violence, fantasy racism, gore, harsh language (edited)

The kingdom of Gyrindor is one of proud people, skilled artisans and valiant warriors. Their soldiers, known far and wide for their strength and strategy, are legendary archers and brawlers. Gyrindor artisans create goods that are sold all over the world, made out of the finest stones, metals, and silks. Weapons sharp enough to cut through steel, pottery that can withstand the greatest of earthquakes, gowns that make anyone look like the most beautiful person in the world.. They had it all. Their politicians were loved by all, and nothing ever goes wrong, right? Well, not quite. While it is true that the world at large sees Gyrindor as a place of wealth and prosperity, and in many cases it is.. Beneath that pearly facade, there’s always shadows that follow all that dazzling light, no? Yeah, the humans, the dwarves, the elves.. All those races you expect to see, they all have great lives because of their alliances and agreements. But what about those behind the curtains? Your Orcs? Tieflings? Trolls? Hell, any kind of monstrous race. They all get treated as second-rate, no matter their origins. Typical humans, hating on anything that has any kind of storied past with them.. At least the storied past that the people up top want them to know. Hidden libraries and the longer-lived races speak of conflict between the allied races however many hundreds of years ago, in hushed whispers of course.. And don't even think about magic within their cities, unless you're a state-sponsored mage or a clergyman. Presumably due to these past wars, the people of Gyrindor have a severe distrust of magic as a whole, unless it is tied to nature and actively helping them. Rogue mages, called Apostates, are hunted down and executed on the spot in many cases, since any kind of unregulated magic could lead to widespread death. That’s what they say, anyway..

04:28

So imagine the situation I’m in. I’m a tiefling, with lycanthropy, who sought forbidden dark magic in an attempt to cure myself.. To say that I try to keep myself hidden at all costs is pretty damn accurate. I have yet to find the cure I'm looking for.. But that doesn’t mean I’m just going to sit around and do nothing. I travel from city to city, hunting down criminals and doing odd jobs under the name of “The Azure Wolf”, or “Vice”. Either works for me. I wear thick clothing and a mask to conceal everything about my appearance when dealing with people.. So it makes it simple to keep myself safe while I search for a cure. Plus, doing these jobs gives me the coin I need to do my research. Believe it or not, but finding reputable sources for dark magic isn’t cheap. Someday I’ll be rid of this damn curse, and be able to live a fairly normal life. That is, if I don’t die first.

--- It seemed like it'd be another typical day for the Azure Wolf. Someone had contacted him about hunting down a particularly violent man, known for many different kinds of heists targetting wealthy people. He'd evaded capture for years, so the client had called in a professional.. Someone who did things just a little bit differently, less above the board. Just the type of person to get past the intrigue surrounding this criminal.. Stepping into a quiet establishment, a quaint little bar by the name of "The Bard's Quill", he took a seat at one of the tables off to the side and ordered a drink, waiting for his contact to meet him about this 'lead' they had talked about. Despite him proclaiming that he'd be able to do the job without meeting up beforehand, the client insisted that it'd be better if they met up, since they 'had something that'd help with the job'. Whatever, as long as he got paid, he didn't care how it happened in the end. After about half an hour of waiting, two figures quickly approached the table. A thin, short human man, and someone else. The human slid into the seat quickly. "Wolf?" The Azure Wolf nodded, his eyes locking with the human's behind his mask, which was made out of a dark metal and was separated into several segments that locked into eachother, giving the appearance of a fearsome wolf with curled blue horns jutting from its skull. "Yes. You're Zieth, I presume?" The man nodded. "And who's your companion here?" "Oh! She'll be accompanying you on this job. I thought two people would have a better chance than just one at taking him down, so.." The Wolf let out a sigh. Normally he worked alone, for both his safety and everyone else's, but if it was the will of the client, he couldn't really argue, so he turned his attention to the other figure, examining them. He wouldn't hesitate to leave if they slowed him down. @silistraatheria

Muscles ripple and shift beneath tawny green flesh as the Amazonian orc treads through the doorway shadowing the human leading the way ans ignoring a few curious glares in the process.. she already forgot the human's name but not the promise of reward offered to her. Nah, she would never let that detail leave her. Names were hard but she'd remember the faces of those that paid her well enough. The dim lights shift over the olive flesh of her fiercely toned form shrouded in a motley of old and new leathers as though she simply patched the gear up instead of replacing it. splashes of vibrant green paint layered her masculine features; it did little to soften the cruelty of her expression. Her stride would halt when the human began chatting with another. One veiled in mystery, she cared little about him; He simply was just a means to an end, the heavy burden of her hammer sitting comfortably at her back. She seemed honed for battle and her flesh was a history of scars to attest to it. Talha NoTusks takes a moment to disregard the blue wolf of a male and allow her eyes to scan her surroundings, one busty barmaid caught her attention and for a few long seconds she found her emerald hues wandering along the female's appealing form before duty begrudgingly had her seeking out the new face. Taking in his mask and gear, sizing him up with a notable sneer. Their eyes would meet at some point if they were both doing the same thing; evaluating the other. The towering female lifted a brow "I am Talha," her voice rang out causing a few people to turn to peer at her in confusion of the outburst not so surprising from an orc. Startling nonetheless. She was clearly not built for speed, the way she was sculpted it was clear she intended to bring a lot of pain and crushing to the duo. Taking a mug off a nearby table she downed the contents without caring what it consisted of, the brown liquid sloshing along her chin and chest before tossing it over her shoulder somewhere behind

05:22

her someone yelled after being struck by it, but once they realized the mammoth of a creature that threw it they decided to keep their personal insult to themselves. "Tell me the details again.." talking to the human with the name lost to her. @Cecil-Cola

Here he was, a hunter known for his efficiency and subtlety, and this human thought that he'd work well with someone who was obviously a brute? Either this was a sick joke, or the human was quite the idiot. It didn't surprise him that the lighter races tended to think of orcs as barbarians, if most of their race acted like this one. Not that he was one to talk. He noticed a lot of things, the nervousness of the man in front of him, the apathy of the Orcish woman, the way her eyes wandered.. With a silent curse, he wondered why the hell he'd have to work with her. It was clear she wasn't going to work with him. Talha, she said her name was. "..You may call me Wolf. Or Vice. Whichever you prefer." The masked man responded with a practiced calmness, despite his annoyance. His eye twitched when the Orc stole someone's drink and downed it, causing trouble by throwing it behind her back. Subtlety was the better part of living in this damn country, as one of the darker races.. But apparently that wasn't a memo that she had gotten. Turning his attention back to the man, he nodded. "Yes. The details." "Of course!" The human pulled out a piece of paper with a rough sketch of a man in his mid-30s, with ragged, shoulder-length hair, a vicious scar over his left cheek, and a cruel grin. "This, as I'm sure you both know, is Lucian Blackthorn. Criminal mastermind and ringleader of an extensive network. I'm offering a thousand goldins for him to be taken down, plus an additional two-fifty if you manage to take down other prominent members of his ring, each." He pulled out a smaller paper, with a list of names. "Here's a list of some of his associates, including his higher-ups, gotten from someone on the inside. The ones I want taken out are Lucian himself, and his major allies: Isabella Montoya, Roland Delacroix, and Evangeline Ravenswood. All four of these are dangerous individuals, and I would advise caution when dealing with them." @silistraatheria

Talha nodded looking over the etching, allowing the details of the features to imprint in her mind as best she could focus. It was hard because to her they all looked the same, she squinted her eyes at the image again the scar she would better remember because she was curious on how he achieved such an honor. She would have to remember to ask him, you know before crushing his skull into pudding. There were many things about Talha that made her beneficial but she did not care ro make a "good" first impression, best to leave people wondering. Have them surprised at what she could accomplish, this mountain of a female. Based on the contents of what was shared, she disheartening realized this would require more tact than brute force. Disappointing for her really, she rather charge into the mouth of battle than tiptoe like a common rat within the shadows of stealth. "Danger is good, no honor or pleasure in easy pickings." Came her words. "So..Wolf and I go hunting.." pulling her hood over her head, might as well have still been a singular tree in the meadow. She stood out like a sore thumb. Plus. She was getting distracted again by the top heavy bar maid. This could definitely prove to be a terrible pairing. @Cecil-Cola

"I'll get the job done, no need to worry. I'll find you when it's done." The Wolf said, dismissing the human with a wave of his hand. "Oh, but leave the drawing and the list. I'll make use of them." After the human left, the Wolf grabbed the papers and began inspecting them closer. Pulling out an ink pen, he began writing in the margins of the list, writing out several notes on each of the people on the page, as well as a couple of names for each one. "You going to sit down so we can discuss how we're going to do this job, or are you going to keep ogling the staff?" The question came suddenly, without him looking up at the Orc. "Don't know about you, but a thousand goldins is worth taking a job seriously." Whether or not she sat down, he continued. "Any skills outside of.." He eyed her hammer for a few moments before looking back at the paper. "..Swinging that thing around I should know about? Tracking, stealth, any experience with subterfuge?" This would be so much more annoying if the only thing she could do was fight, but maybe he'd come up with a use for her. @silistraatheria

Arched the brow at the Blue Wolf, she settled in the chair and it gave an uncomfortable creak as it sturdiness was tested. "I track, I fight, I Fook.." winking to the barmaid again, been a few days since she had a lady friend keep her entertained. She was use to the way he was peering at her, she made it easy for others to underestimate her and again that was a trait she enjoyed. "Stealth..not so much, but I am capable of it.." leaning back in her chair. Her dark red strands were pulled up in a thick ponytail and bobbed slightly as she listed off her abilities. Her head would tilt and a loud cracking around could be heard, "when stealth doesna work..I silence your enemies if they escape..no one escapes." Stated so matter factually it wasn't a boast, it was just a way of living. She was not small or fast, but relentless in her pursuit of her target.

At least she had some skills outside of swinging a hammer around.. Though there didn't seem to be much to her. When she said that she 'fooks', his writing slowed for a moment as he scowled underneath his mask. If she wasn't going to be able to focus on the mission because she wanted to go find some 'company' for the night.. Damn horny bastards. "There's more to this than just stealth. Unless you want to be killed in the middle of the night, it's not a good idea to be rushing into these kinds of things." He'd been working against these kinds of people for years now. They weren't stupid, and Talha stood out like an extremely sore thumb. The moment they realized who was fucking with their operations, there'd be a target on her back. His notable features were hidden, so he wasn't that concerned about himself.. Nobody knew what he was, who he was behind the mask, or where he lived.. Such an identifiable Orc, however, would draw so much attention that, if they didn't dismantle the operation quickly, she'd just get herself killed. Maybe she'd enjoy the encounter, however.. Whatever, it wasn't his problem. "When it comes to dealing with people, let me do the talking. When it comes to killing people, i'll let you deal with it, deal?"

08:03

@silistraatheria

Gives a roll of her eyes, her heavy chest heaved an annoyed sigh. The tendons of muscles tightened in a shrug, "Deal." The sound of her patchwork leather rubbing against each other could be heard despite the bustle of the structure they nestled in. She gave a nod though to reaffirm despite her mannerisms she understood what was at stake. She had no allies, no tribesmen, no one that'd miss her when she was gone from this plane. Her name would die with her, no one would sing songs of her adventures and she would be erased from history. So why not take a few fuckers with her? Eradicate them from the very dirt of this earth. Her eyes fixing on Wolf, she would let him lead for now. Talha would fall silent for now only accepting another mug when the barwench stumbled by, relaxing in the creaking chair while downing the brown liquid. "Ready when you are boss" @Cecil-Cola

He didn't know why that human thought it'd be a good idea to hire two people.. Whenever he did work, he made it very clear that he tended to work alone, because it made things simple. He didn't have to worry about someone messing things up when he was sneaking through buildings or having 'negotiations' with criminals.. Whatever. If it meant he had more muscle to work with, he'd just have to deal. Unlike Talha, he believed that people would rejoice with his death.. After all, if people knew what he really was, and what he could do, they'd absolutely want him dead. That was just the fact of things in this kingdom.. The moment a lesser race had magic, or anything that made them stand out, they were hunted down by knights and the mages in the lighter races. That fact.. Well, it pissed the Wolf off, but there wasn't much he could do to change it. It was just the way things were. Prosperity comes at the expense of others, it seemed.. Reaching into his cloak and pulling out the bottom jaw to his mask, he clicked it into place, completing the vicious grin of the mask. "I have to meet with some of my contacts regarding getting information on Roland. His operations, what his security tends to be.. He's the main muscle of Blackthorn's operations, so taking him down'll weaken the others. You're free to come with, or you can spend your time here." A quick glance toward the barmaid, a roll of his eyes, and a shake of his head spoke volumes about what he thought of where her attention had been, and precisely what he expected she'd do. Then, he turned and started to walk out of the bar. @silistraatheria

The large female rose slowly, rolling her massive shoulders back and giving wolf a look over. She was only an inch or so taller than him, but she nodded to him. "I'd rather stick with you. Get paid sooner when job is done..then I can bury meself between the thighs of tavern wenches and sloots." Nodding as she stepped back to give him room to move, she would follow him like a weird towering shadow. The tendons along her back stood out against the leather patchwork of her armor. There was time for poundtown later, she had a job to do. Though she knew her partner was not thrilled with the prospect of her. He was stuck with her for now. She would grow on him, like a wart, but still she'd grow on him. @Cecil-Cola

"Don't get your hopes up. This isn't the kind of job that'll be done quick." He shook his head as he walked. Dismantling an organization like this required finesse and a steady hand- Destroy them too quickly, and you create a power vacuum for others to exploit. Destroy them too slowly, and they'll go into hiding. The Wolf's eyes narrowed behind his mask as the Orc spoke so vulgarly. Clearly her mind was focused on one thing, and it certainly wasn't the job. Whatever. He wasn't one to talk, as he had his own things he was focused on behind the scenes, though they certainly weren't anything that Talha would understand. What he worked on would certainly get him killed if anyone discovered it.. So he had to be careful. The Wolf couldn't use those abilities where she'd notice them, lest she brought him the authorities.. He brought them through various alleyways, moving with a focused quickness before he stopped at a seemingly random spot. Leaning against one of the walls, he tapped against it in a rhythmic pattern. A voice responded: "The pale moon rises." "The howls of the mighty rise to meet it." Then, a small secton of the wall seemed to swing open, and the Wolf stepped inside, glancing back at Talha. @silistraatheria

The hulking female arched a brow at his enigmatic ways and found her self intrigued by him. Like studying a creature she has never came across before, but she kept any opinions to herself. Like a lumbering shade, she would follow him. Trying to avoid bumping into anyone as they made their way out of the tavern, before long they were stopped in an alleyway. Did he have to take a piss or..? But then she saw him knocking against a nearby wall and the wall was talking back. Her eyes widened at the sorcery of it all, but she kept her comment to herself especially when the wall opened and the Wolf stepped inside. Awkwardly, she would follow a look of age and wonder on her stunned features.

It wouldn't have surprised him if she said that she was intrigued by him. After all, he kept himself very much guarded, only showing what he absolutely needed to in order to get by. Anything else was too dangerous. Through the opening in the wall was a small landing, with a short man sitting on a stool near the righthand wall. This man wore dark robes, and had a similar mask to the Wolf's, except this one was of a hawk, wide eyes nearly piercing into Talha's. The Wolf and this short man began to speak to one another in a language she didn't understand, one that had a combination of smooth and harsh sounds, and clearly had a sense of danger to it. Like the sound of metal sliding against stone, or the clattering of pebbles before a landslide. The short man clearly seemed agitated, but the Wolf was unbothered, and it became clear that they were talking about her. Several seconds of back and forth, and the short man just made a motion to go down the stairs, muttering to himself. Without looking back, the Wolf motioned for her to follow as he descended the staircase. After walking down what felt like several hundred stairs, the two of them found themselves in an expansive tunnel network, with several parts seemingly carved into the stone by hand. Several cloaked figures moved through the tunnels or spoke amongst themselves, and as they moved through the tunnels, it became clear that this was almost like a second city beneath the surface- One for rougher folk, the darker races, and other outcasts to society. Talha was getting all kinds of looks from most people they passed by, many seemed like they were trying to size her up, others looked scared, many were indifferent. Suddenly, the Wolf opened a door and stepped inside, approaching a counter with a curtain behind it. Placing the list of names on it, along with a bag of coin, he spoke. "Zephyr. Need info on some names." @silistraatheria

The orc watched the exchange her eyes darting back and forth between the pair. Yes, it was clear their discussion was serious, the body language and the change in tone. It was quite evident they were discussing her presence there, when they looked at her she gave them a awkward wave. Then suddenly as if the shorter man gave up due to the Wolf's persuasive nature or words they were going deeper into the bowels of the establishment. "Do I get a mask too?" She whispered to Wold, nothing all the looks she was getting she chopped it up to her being a fine set of orc meat. Would shadow him so closely, letting him deal with his dealings on his own. instead would perch up on a nearby wall arms crossed against her large chest. The biceps and triceps of her arms standing out against the olive hue of her skin. The orc had so many questions, but she would reserve those for a separate time. For now just watching those around through half lids. Shifting her shoulder against the wall to gain comfort she did not even try to listen. She thought she heard Zephyr but she figured if she was to be privy to the conversation he'd let her know. Maybe. @Cecil-Cola

"If you want a mask, feel free to get one for yourself. Everyone who wears one either made it themselves, or had it made, because they have a reason for hiding their face. Maybe it's too dangerous for them to show what they are. Maybe one look at their face is enough to kill a man. Who knows?" He shrugged. "It's different for every person." After several seconds of silence, a face poked out of the curtain. It was clearly on the younger looking side, and quite feminine. The woman had light blue skin, unusually long ears, and white hair that seemed wild. "Wolf?" The young woman spoke, her voice like a quick breeze on a summer day, before she bounded out of the curtain. "Hey, Wolf!" Zephyr stopped at the counter, looking over at Talha for a few seconds. "Who's your friend there?" "..Someone working with me." "Aww, you're no fun.. I want names! Background! You know how I am!" She pouted. "There'll be time for that later. I need names on someone from Blackthorn's ring. Roland. I need info on the people under Roland Delacroix." Zephyr looked surprised for a few moments. "You're taking on Blackthorn? You sure you aren't suicidal?" Neither of them could see the Wolf's reaction from underneath his mask, but the moment of silence and the glare from what could be seen showed his disapproval. "I get things done, Zephyr. You know this." "..Yeah, yeah. Just don't yourself killed, man. You're one of the few who actually can have some fun down here.." She mumbled to herself, disappearing into the back for a minute or two before returning with a bundle of papers. "Take a look for yourself. Here's everything I've got on Roland's lackeys." Then, the small blue-skinned woman turned her attention to Talha. "..And what about you? Who're you?" @silistraatheria

Seemed to have been in her rown little world. The muscles of biceps would flex beneath the tawny olive flesh, criss crossed with scars from battles long passed. Though being incognito was not her strongest suit. She nodded in regards to the mask, she carried nothing of concealment upon her person. Towering height that she was, she was not even sure how a mask would conceal her identity. There were other attributes on her person that marked her as Talha, would she garb herself in dark fabrics? Could she? She shook her head at the thought about to protest when a someone called Wolf fun. She chuckled at the idea, there was nothing fun about Wold, but once more before she could voice her concerns for this mislabeled event. The orc attention was drawn back to the woman before her, tilting her weight to be more directed towards the blue female. She offered a chaotic smirk, "Talha." Was there a bit of a lilt to her singular word. A flirtatious tint added to her name. "Friend of?" hooking s thumb towards the assuming scowling wolf. @Cecil-Cola

The Wolf began to inspect the papers as Zephyr turned her attention to Talha. A lot of things he read were what he expected- Routes, names of lackeys, general equipment.. Roland's specialty was close-quarters combat and training the new recruits. He seemed damn good at his job, and was one of Blackthorn's strongest and most trusted individuals. Wolf pulled out a small, leather-bound book and wrote down several things from the pages. "Talha, huh? Orc, obviously.." She narrowed her eyes, scruntizing just about everything about the woman, taking note of the flirtatious tone. "You could say that, I guess. We've known eachother for several years now, and he comes to me pretty much any time he needs any info on big guys like that Roland guy. What about you? How do you know him? What kinds of things do you do? You're big and strong, and that weapon makes me think you're a warrior, but I wanna hear it from you." @silistraatheria