[Closed] Wolf Liberation Mission

[rocketraccoon]

Character(s): Rocket, Daud, Billie, Shura, Strange, Kylo, Dany, & Jon.
Status: Closed
Location(s): The City of the Free Peoples/Defenders' Warcamp
Date(s): February 1st, pre-kidnappings
About: A small team of riffraf break into the Defenders' Warcamp, steal an abused wolf, and then try to figure out what the fuck they do next.
Warnings: Animal abuse and the team kills some people.

They have had weeks to figure this plan out, the team spread across the cities during it but in contact via courier. Daud had used Mercy to get an idea of the routines they were dealing with and all that they had needed after forming a plan was the distraction to kick it off. That distraction came somewhat unexpectedly on the first of the month when the orcs belonging to a group that called themselves Tsekour's Stormers made a heavy return.

With a quick word passed between the members of the team, they gathered not far from the warcamp, avoiding the fighting going on between the two armies outside the city, and set their plan in motion.

As luck would have it, the city's resistance had decided to take the same opportunity and so they had had a surprisingly simple time rescuing the chained and caged wolf, cutting down any defenders that got in their way on the way out and leaving no survivors.

The only problem? The wolf is in a state that healing alone can't fix and the team is left trying to figure out what to do with a starved wolf that members of the team suspect may either be the missing captain or related to him in some way.

Comments

missing

[exaomori]

Shura was right in the middle of sending her own message to Daud when she receives his. She'll send a voice response in reply, mostly because screw text.

'No. I'm almost there, I'll see you in a bit.'

Because she's confident he's still in the basement with Captain Woof. He's at least someone Shura thinks can help with getting the silver out of the wolf, if only to hold him down. She'll keep her entrance quiet, gently shutting the door to the basement her so as not to disturb their new 'friend.' After everything they might have to do to him to get him back to his original form--

Well, they might not be his favorite after that. But that was a bridge they'd cross when they got there. For now, she wanted to sit for a minute.

"How's Captain doing?" She asks, thumping down wherever seems good. Maybe she should ask if Billie was late or something? Eh, he'd tell her if he wanted.

[forswore]

Daud is definitely still in the basement with captain woof because he's terribly unimaginative like that. When she turns up, the tiefling looks even unhappier than he usually does, which is quite the achievement given everything.

The wolf rouses weakly at Shura's entrance, but it seems she's caught him at one of his weaker periods, so he settles down with a soft rumble and a swish of the tail. Daud, having the actual ability to speak, will answer what Shura can likely deduce for herself.

"Not much of a difference. He's eating more, and he recognizes people. That's about all."

[exaomori]

"Getting an appetite back is a good start." But there were other things they were going to have to worry about soon. For now, Shura was just satisfied to see that Lykos was starting to recover instead of worsening.

But they'd have to start moving soon if they wanted him better before the full moon. Shura reaches into the bag she has, pulling out a book on alchemical seals and thumbing through to a dog-eared page and handing it over to Daud.

"Take a look at that. Familiar, right?" Maybe that would help that cranky expression on his face, maybe it would make it worse.

[forswore]

The crease between Daud's brows doesn't get any shallower, but the question gets him to direct that pinch-faced look at something other than his delayed ex-protege. Billie Lurk is many things, but someone who doesn't show up at an agreed time isn't one of them.

The frown evens out into an expression of sharper focus once he actually gets a chance to properly take in what's in his hands. He doesn't look any happier (by this point, it's hard to guess if 'happy' is ever really in Daud's repertoire of emotion) but he does seem more focused.

"Where did you get this?" he asks, turning it over in his hands to check the title.

[exaomori]

"The library, of course~" Shura says with a wink. She may not have technically been allowed to borrow the the book, but hey, she'd take them back eventually. It wasn't like anyone was really keeping track of that section, considering what other helpful books had been stashed right next to it.

"Never really had to deal much with werewolves before, so it ain't something I knew off hand. Hopefully it's just on his skin. Won't be hard to break it if we just alter the seal." There was the entire matter of cutting up a werewolf's leg to break the seal, but maybe Daud would have something in mind for that. He did seem interested in what she had, so that was probably a good thing.

"But here, look at what I found on the shelf next to that book." With that, Shura pulls out the other two books she found, a old leather manual and a newer book on curses, holding them out for Daud to take once he finished with the first book.

[forswore]

Well, someone's been busy. Hopefully Shura doesn't expect Daud to read this all at once, because he can't do so that fast. He'll skim the headings, at least, but he'll have to set them aside to peruse in more detail later. He does, however, understand one thing.

"So the silver has to come out, if we want to have any chance of him regaining his mind." However, more importantly, that points to something else, and his eyes narrow slightly.

"Orcs smart enough to know what sigil to use to keep a werewolf trapped in one form, but too inept at keeping him alive," he comments. "Seems unlikely, unless they've dealt much with werewolves before." He runs a finger over a line in one of the books, frowning. "It says were-venom's a component in berserker potions."

Not a good thing, in his opinion.

[exaomori]

"They didn't use the seal like you'd expect 'em to. I don't know if it's cause they had to move him or if they aren't used to using wards and seals like that." It's possible it was both. Shura sets a hand on her hip, glancing back to wolf.

"Honestly, there's no tellin' how much was on purpose and how much was just dumb luck. Those books were all together when I found them, so whoever dug the information up ain't lookin' to hide their tracks. Stealing him away was easy. Could be that they wanted to usurp Lykos, found a weakness, and they're now milking him for all he's worth." Shura shrugs; she isn't much for scheming and plotting. Daud can have fun with that if he wants. Scheming and reading books, sounds like a perfectly fun task for a fussy old man who needs a distraction.

"He's recovering with food, so we can probably try breaking the seal on him and picking the silver out of him soon."

[forswore]

"Orcs looking over books on were-curses in a library would be hard to miss," Daud states, bluntly. He knows he'd certainly remember such a thing; whoever tends to the books might do the same. It doesn't rule out the possibility of an accomplice not directly associated with the Defenders... but is that really any of his business?

He's set out to see the Captain restored and the city brought back from the brink of chaos. That's all, he affirms to himself, silently. If Lykos wants to find who let this happen to him, the captain can do that on his own time.

As Shura mentions the man in question, the tiefling's gaze drifts to him.

"Strange picked up a talent for manipulating metal," he says instead, apropos of nothing. "Perhaps he can get silver out of a werewolf."

[exaomori]

"Has he?" Shura isn't surprised that Strange could pick something like that up, but she still frowns a little. He'll probably brag about it to her at some point in the near future, but would he have the control needed for this? Strange might be an idiot and might bluster, but Shura had seen just enough to know he wasn't going to handle being close to an upset werewolf's jaws without some kind of assurance. She hums, running her thumb over her chin as she considers.

"Well, it's worth a shot. We'll have to muzzle Lykos or somethin' like that. Stange might get distracted, even if we have Lykos knocked out."

[forswore]

“I have a spell that could restrain him,” Daud responds, gaze turning to Lykos again, gaze calm and self assured. The wolf doesn’t appear to be sensible enough to realize he’s the subject of their discussion ... and that’s probably for the best.

“The full moon is coming. We’ll likely want to do it before then.” He pauses, then frowns at the door again, drawing his Courier out. He doesn’t speak out loud, sending a message by thought, and his tail twitches when the Courier responds immediately with a quiet sussurus of voices, layered over each other.

[exaomori]

"Good, it'll be easier if someone else can hold him down while I pick at the silver." Shura is less volunteering for the job and more aware that someone has to do it. She just had to hope Daud's magic would be enough to hold him down.

She wants to reply, but she'll keep quiet as Daud looks to the door. Without knowing Billie, she can't really say whether or not something's going on. But whatever was happening, she really doesn't want to draw the tiefling's ire to herself. But seriously, just what kind of sound was his courier making??

"The hell is that noise?" That's a new trick.

[forswore]

The tiefling's brow is furrowed, and he glances up at Shura, shaking his head briefly.

"It's what happens when I try to reach Lurk's courier," he says, slowly. "Since she didn't turn up for her watch."

It's not like her. That's troubling.

[exaomori]

"Huh." Shura's expression doesn't change, but if Daud is concerned, then a part of her is as well. "You know where she was supposed to be goin'?"

Shura knows she's probably about to volunteer to take over Billie's shift on Dog Watch, but it isn't like she has much else to do right now.

[forswore]

“She was supposed to come back here.” Daud shakes his head. “There’s the possibility the Defenders have caught on to us, but that’s unlikely.”

[exaomori]

“If it was that, then I assume they’d be pounding on the door by now.” Though that was assuming what was left of the Defenders were smart enough to have tracked her to the cellar in the first place.

“I haven’t heard it make that noise before. Something must be interfering with ot. Distance ain’t a problem for ours, so it has to be something else.”

[forswore]

It's exactly that 'something else' that Daud doesn't like the sound of. The tiefling's silent a moment, contemplating the Courier, before he stows it away and straightens up.

"I'm going out to find her," he says, finally, looking at Shura. "Can you stay with him until I get back?"

[exaomori]

Shura knew that he would probably ask. It was a pain, but it wasn't like she had anything else to do, so she won't whine about it. She had something she was wanting to practice, anyway.

"Yeah, sure. Just bring me back somethin' to eat." Better to let him go instead of being an ass and letting him stew in his frustration, after all.