The Black Company

[MajesticOwyn 334]

The Black Company

Grim sat perched outside his small tent which was nestled in the mountainsides of Hanseti. Snow fell thickly from the large clouds in the sky, covering everything in a soft woolen blanket. It was as if Honra was attempting to bury the land beneath an icy tomb, he had never seen such force from a blizzard.

“This land breeded stronger men than that”, he muttered. “Mirtok was one of us. It will take more than this to rid the land of his “new” order.” He mumbled a silent prayer to Honra, urging the snow to fall faster, thicker.

Grim peered through the snow in the direction of the city, trying to make it out. All he could see were shadows and silhouettes through the thick flurry of snow that fell upon the land. Chuckling, he stood from his place of seating and began to gather his things around the camp. This place was merely a shadow of its former self, that was clear. He had been called something else once, a man named Haleth Morin. A Sariant in the Teutonic Order, Haleth had been nothing but loyal and honourable, fighting in the name of the Order without fear of death. As all things, that had changed. As Hanseti was now a ghost, so was Haleth. It was time for Grim to leave his exile and return to the Realm of Asulon, to find a new place for himself. The time for change was at hand, a different life, yet similar. He would find Brotherhood once more.

It was time for The Black Company to rise, just as Hanseti had fallen. It was time for the children of Honra to unite again, to become whole.

The Company

The Black Company is a group of elite mercenaries that know only bloodshed and battle. Led by Captain Grim, they are brothers-in-arms that fight for coin and the thrill of battle. Soldiers, knights, and fighters make up the Company, men who wish to forget their past and start a new life among those they trust and respect. We do not care about your past, nor what crimes you have committed, we demand only loyalty and brotherhood. The Company will take jobs that others will shy away from: raids, murder, ambushes, causing chaos in the lands of their enemies. Their services are yours, for a price. Finally, they have one rule; once a contract is accepted, it can not be broken unless it is fulfilled or every member lays dead on the field of battle.

Grim’s past is largely unknown, only that a series of events led him to create the Company. He is known as a hard man, quick to anger and extremely violent to those that he deems his enemy.

Nonetheless, he is a leader and a soldier, and respected amongst his men. While The Black Company is largely considered neutral, this is not true, in a way. Grim has an extreme hatred for the Orcs and will never work for them. This hatred fuels his own little personal war against the beasts, one that will not end until every single one rots upon the sands of their “War Nation”. Additionally, Grim had always believed in a unified humanity, dreamt of it even. Finally, the time had come for that dream to be fulfilled and yet, a sour taste remained. He looks upon this new Oren with scorn and doubt, despising this new “Emperor” and his lords.

Ranking System

The Company does not put much weight in a ranking system but even a mercenary group needs a defined leader to enforce order and discipline. We do not need flashy titles by our sides, only our blades.

Hopeful

Hopeful’s are those who are allowed into the company but not fully accepted. Hopefuls will have to gain the trust and respect of their brothers if they wish to be welcomed to the Company. During your time as a Hopeful, you will be watched carefully and trusted with nothing.

Black Brother

Black Brothers are those that have been accepted into the Company with open arms. One will only achieve this rank if he is considered trustworthy by his brothers. All Black Brothers will be paid their cut of the earnings from war, as well as given supplies and armor. In return, duties will be handed out and everyone must earn their keep, the Company is alone, after all, and they must rely on each other or fall to the decay of time.

Chronicler

The Chronicler will keep a record of our exploits and contracts. The glory that the Company earns on the battlefield will be turned into epic stories and tales that all will be stored in a grand library. It is the job of the Chronicler to keep track of the members of our Company, as well as their personal accomplishments.

Lieutenant

The Captain’s right hand, only one may achieve this rank. The Lieutenant’s job is to help with the burdens of training and leadership, as well as being second in command. Should the Captain fall or become indisposed, it is the duty of the Lieutenant to take over and preserve the Company and its ways.

Captain

The Captain leads the Black Company and everything involved. It is his primary function to make the contracts, train the soldiers, and lead them into battle. The Captain also manages any lands that the Company may hold, as well as signing duties to each of the brothers.

Goals

The Black Company exists for the thrill of battle, as most of its members come from a background of war. Why not profit from something you are good at? The Company wishes first and foremost to offer a place of brotherhood and safety. These men wish for the simple things in life; money, ale, women, and freedom, though the last sometimes proves to be all but simple.

Prices are discussed as a case-by-case basis. Some examples of our services are:

- Raiding villages, farmland, or supply routes.

- Guerrilla Warfare.

- Destroying infrastructure and causing chaos among civilian populations.

- Fighting in large scale battles.

The Company does not shy away from the killing of civilians and our men are unmarked on the battlefield. This allows us to do the dirty work without being identified or affiliated with our contractors. Additionally, we keep our contracts and those we work for among ourselves.

Rules

While the company promotes values such as brotherhood, equality, and freedom, there must be a set of rules in place if it wishes to survive. Below are a list of strict rules that must never be breached, for if they are, you have put all of your brothers in danger. Keep this in mind and operate with caution.

- Only the Captain can work out contracts.

- You are expected to remain loyal to the Company at all times. You will not be forced to serve in the Company for life and all members are free to go as they please. However, should you decide to part ways, you must keep our ways and secrets to yourself. The Integrity of the Company and its members must be upheld.

- We will not boast or bring attention to the Company and its location in any way. We must be kept secret from our enemies and their attention must lay elsewhere.

- Betrayal will not be tolerated, traitors will be dealt with by pain and torture. They will beg for death, but not receive. All records of their deeds and exploits will be erased, they will become but whispers in time.

- We are alone, thus we can only trust each other. All precautions must be taken for our self preservation. Locations, brothers, and contracts will be kept silent or it will be treated as treason.

- Contracts will always be honoured, and never betrayed.

- Orc savages will not be allowed into the Company, for they spend their time fighting each other as much as others. Such beasts can not be counted on for brotherhood and loyalty.

Application

This application is just to get a general idea of your OOC mindset. If accepted, it does not mean you’re in the Company right away, you must go through the proper RP and earn the trust of the Company. Keep in mind that I’m looking for good role players, as well as good pvpers. Despite the fact that we are a mercenary group, we will not let our roleplay slack and we’ll often take part in role play fighting. This is not a “PvP” guild. That being said, we do expect to take part in PvP, be it from raids to actual battles. It merely depends on the current contract we hold.

OOCly I expect everyone to act maturely and rationally in situations. In-game I expect quality roleplay, as that is our job as Villains.

A raven sits perched upon the railing, staring at you with expectation in its eyes. As time passes you wonder if this is the right decision, if this path is the best one for you to take. With a final sigh and a swift stroke, you remove the parchment from the bird’s leg and begin to fill out the form.

[color="#FF8C00"][size=”4”][b]General Questions[/b][/size][/color]


[color="#FF8C00"][b]MC Name:[/b][/color]


[color="#FF8C00"][b]Real Life Age:[/b][/color]


[color="#FF8C00"][b]Character Name:[/b][/color]


[color="#FF8C00"][b]Race and/or Sub Race:[/b][/color]


[color="#FF8C00"][b]Military and Combat experience:[/b][/color]


[color="#FF8C00"][b]Are you currently wanted by any Nations/Towns?[/b][/color]


[color="#FF8C00"][b]List your skills (and levels), as well as any RP skills your character may have:[/b][/color]


[color="#FF8C00"][b]How long have you been on the server?[/b][/color]


[color="#FF8C00"][size=”4”][b]Additional Questions[/b][/size][/color]


[color="#FF8C00"][b]Accepted Villain Application link (Required):[/b][/color]


[color="#FF8C00"][b]Define metagaming and powergaming thoroughly:[/b][/color]


[color="#FF8C00"][b]What are your expectations from The Black Company?[/b][/color]


[color="#FF8C00"][b](Optional) Link me any RP posts you have made, be it stories or events:[/b][/color]

[MajesticOwyn 334]

Through the drull sound of the raining torrent to the quick snaps of thunder in the distance, one sound could be made out. Saws and hammers could be heard even by the man sitting at a tree across from the building, his hearing had served him well even in his old age.

Grim sat and watched his fellow brothers work on their new home. A large building to house all of them, it was the perfect place and the first home he had had since Hanseti. A sharp crunch was the sound the apple made as Grim tore into it's flesh. He had never had much chance to take a break from his life, to just sit back and forget everything that troubled his mind and enjoy the beauty. Not since Lyra, at least.

The thought of the woman he once loved flooded his head, attempting to destroy his calm composure that he tried so hard to keep steeled. Just as it had come, it as gone, he had become a master at shutting out the emotions that didn't matter, the ones that served no purpose on the battlefield. Angrily, he tossed the apple aside and stood from his rest.

"Arm yourselves, it's time to go visit some friends. Blood will be ours, soon."

[MajesticOwyn 334]

The view before Grim was nothing short of organized chaos. Arrows whizzed and snapped by his head, burrowing themselves into the dirt, trees... and armored men. Wounded Dwarves lay around him, groaning with pain and anxiety. He had just finished dragging one into the treeline out of fire before an unlucky arrow burrowed itself into the Dwarf's skull.

"A bloody waste." He mumbled "These Orcs fire at random and good men die, bah!"

He was apart of a group of archers, the Company had been ordered to protect them and assist in laying down fire on the keep, if it could be called that. To his right were Cairne and Willow, to his left Silent. Hayes could be seen up in the tree line, watching the keep eagerly for any sorties. A smile invaded Grim's face as he watched. It had been long since he fought a proper battle alongside his brothers, there was nothing like the adrenaline rush that it brought.

Suddenly there was a loud bang, then a crash. Cannons. That had been their job, to cover the engineers as they put the behemoth weapons into position. More thumps, then crashes. Grim looked up to the wall and saw a portion of it was beginning to crumble under the onslaught. Quickly, he nocked an arrow and fired to the top of the keep, aiming for the large armored figures at the top. It was always easy to see an Orc. He fired again and again, nock, draw, release. Years of discipline and study assured that he would never lose his rhythm on the battlefield. A few of his arrows had struck true, most impaling themselves into the flesh and armor of the large beasts. He fired again and watched as the cold steel tipped arrow flew through the air, his messenger of death. A whoosh and then a scream signaled he had hit home. A large brown Orc had been the recipient of his message and ran forward, screaming, clutching at the arrow that dug into his neck. With that, the beast tripped and fell over the ramparts, plunging to the swampy depths below.

The weakened wall crumbled away at the whim of another cannonball and a dust cloud rose, obscuring vision. A large group of Dwarven soldiers ran forward and started to crawl over the rubble through the breach. Many began to fall as a barrage of arrows flew towards them. Accurate, Grim thought, those were not Orcs. He fired off his last arrow and dropped the bow to the dirt, unsheathing his great sword "Sorrow". It had been the last thing he had made before he put down the blacksmiths hammer, now it would be the last thing these Orcs would feel as it cleaved into their chests. With that, he charged through the breach and yelled a war cry he hoped was drowned out by the screaming and clashing of steel.

"For Hanseti, for Honra! Enclusa guide my blade as you did my hammer!"

It was his turn to spill some blood.

[Sargeblub 78]

Hayes sits behind a tree, watching the volleys of arrows go from fort to forest, and then return. He looks to Grim, giving him a silent nod, hopeful that he saw it; and then hops out from behind the tree and unleashes an arrows that was knocked in his Elven bow. The arrow flies straight and true, almost impossible for him to miss after so many years spent with a bow in his hands. It connects with an Orc, blood spattering the wall he stands upon. The Orc goes down and doesn't get back up, Hayes lets out a battle cry and grins behind the cover of the tree. After 15 years of battle, it never gets old. Hayes looks around to see if the group of Rangers he was tasked with protecting were still mostly alive. He scans the tree line and his gaze meets the shiny metal of the cannon just as it fires.

The boom rings out across the forest, almost as if thunder had struck the forest floor. Hayes waits for most of the Dwarves to rush out of their positions and then he draws his blade and follows suit. He hops into the river, half swimming and half trudging through the mud. He climbs up the rubble of the wall and into the keep, grinning as he sees his Battle Brothers all around him. He climbs up onto the wall using a ladder and then dashes down the battlements, trying to get to the other side of the fort. As he's running, he catches a human in armor unawares. He silently steps behind him and slides his blade through the man's throat, cringing as the man's blood spatters his face. Hayes then throws the man's body off of the battlements, his adrenaline fueling him. After a few more screams and 'bangs' it all goes silent.

Hayes looks around from his vantage point on the battlements and sees the remainder of the Dwarves and the entirety of the Company standing in the keep, covered in blood. He laughs morbidly, then drops himself onto the edge of the battlements. He sits and watches the aftermath of the quick battle in peace, knowing he's going to walk out with a fat coin purse and a stomach full of ale.

[Abeam 510]

Cairne stands with his back to a tree, watching a Dwarven Ranger notch an arrow to his bow, firing it at a large silhouette on the wall, no doubt an Orc. As a scream rents the air, the Orc falls from the wall, landing in the blood stained water surrounding the fort. As Cairne turns to notch an arrow to his own bow, he catches the eye of his comrade, Hayes, nodding to him. Turning, Cairne launches an arrow toward a head peeking over the rampart, nodding with a smile as he see's the head impaled by the shaft. Suddenly, a resounding boom racks the air, and a portion of the wall falls into the moat. A cheer erupts from the Dwarves, as they charge into the gap. Cairne turns to make sure the Rangers around him are alive, he then nods to his brother standing next to him, before letting forth his own battle cry, and rushing into the breach.

As he rushes into the gap, sword drawn, he see's the Dwarves slaughtering the survivors within the fort, Human and Orc alike. Eyeing a wounded Human lieing against a wall, Cairne grabs the man, stabbing him in the stomach in the process. Blood flows like a geyser from the mans stomach, as he screams once, then goes limp. Throwing the corpse to the floor, Cairne rushes up to the battlement, watching the scene taking place.

As he looks from the wall, he notices his Battle Brothers standing side by side with the Dwarven army, blood coating their armor from head to toe. Heading back to the ground floor, he quickly meets up with Grim, "Good fight ehh?" he remarks to Grim. "Almost as if they let us win." Grim states in return. Nodding with approval to the cheering Dwarven army, he smiles as the victory party is announced, looks like he is getting paid drunk this time.

[MajesticOwyn 334]

The shadows twisted Grim's mind as his thoughts raced into focus and out. He was having trouble thinking of late, the last few days had moved fast. It would seem as if every time a question was answered a dozen sprouted up after it. Like weeds, he thought, uncontrollable. He didn't like it.

The sudden smack of a hammer brought him out of his mind and into the realm of the living, to his relief. He watched as Willow and Silent began to nail the lid of a large container. Something lay in there that could change the lives of many, most for the worst. Such was the way of life, he thought, the few make the decisions that kill the many. A sad smile bloomed on his face as he thought about the absurdity of it.

Grim began to move to the small bench nearby and picked up his great sword "Sorrow". He kept the blade with him nearly at all times, even when sleeping. Any fool knew that such a weapon would be useless should he be attacked in close quarters, asleep, but it still gave him comfort. Besides, that is what his knife was for.

Chuckling, Grim motions towards the two near the crate. "Aye, load her up, we have a delivery to make."

His tale of Vengeance was about to begin.

[MajesticOwyn 334]

Sharp piercing cries came from the cage as Grim approached. Reaching out, he went for the cage door and opened it. The hinges groaned in protest as the way was opened and bird within hopped out. It looked at him inquisitively, tilting it's head left and right. Finally, it's curiosity sated, it hopped out onto his outstretched wrist.

Euphrates was a falcon he had captured in the forests nearby, a skill he had learned from his youth. He had always been good with animals and had even oversaw the breeding and management of four large pens, once. The bird would serve as a means for him to send his messages, once it was fully trained, but he wouldn't deny the fact that he just wanted a companion. A sad smile bloomed on his face as he walked over to the window. Outside sat a gazebo that was occupied by half a dozen people trying to escape the merciless heat of the afternoon sun. Grim extended his wrist and whistled, prompting Euphrates to leap off his perch and dive into the fresh air. He smiled as the animal raised up into the sky and then dove again with immense speed, plunging directly into some nearby brush and out again. It looks as if the birds prey would be an easy catch today.

Grim eased down into the chair beside him and continued to observe the melodic movements of the birds flight. He had spent his time doing this a lot lately, using the time to plan for the incoming war. Once it began, there would be no more time for any of them to rest.

[nppeck 601]

This current Guild has been deemed inactive and has hereby been moved.

If you wish to appeal this decision you must present evidence to myself proving the guild is still active.