It wasn’t the first time Swan had had an offer like it – one job, one payment that could turn his life around. They tended to be too good to be true. He took a look at another ne’er-do-well patronising the Salty Sailor as they went by, a very lank man with thickly matted hair, watered down rum sloshing out of his glass. Fenryr’s teeth, he had to get out of this dump. Back to Stormwind – No, back to the sea, with a new ship. Triple masts! Do it right this time. Set sail and never look back. Find an island, buy it up, and live the good life. He could do it. He could do it all, if he just had a little coin…
“Act fast,” Marley had said, before she went back out on her ship. Awful, gaudy-looking thing, only fit for a goblin like her. “It’s silly money, and I’m only telling you ahead of time because we go way back. Word is, it’s going to be a free-for-all as soon as the paperwork is all official. And the early bird, Swan…”
He caught himself wringing his hands where he sat in the dark corner with a table to himself, trying to filter out the yelling and fighting that seemed to come from all sides. That was what he wanted. To be a free spirit, like his namesake. A bird, with leave to go wherever his heart desired, not to roil and fester with the other worms in this dive.
It was risky business. Contract killing was no way to make friends; there was the law to deal with, and other hopefuls, just as ready to put a knife in your back as the target’s, to keep business all to themselves. This was all assuming that the offer was for real, that he wouldn’t take one step outside and find himself looking down the barrel of a flintlock in the hands of some forgotten rival.
On the other hand, a Marley tip was a good tip. It was Marley that set him on the Krasarang job. He’d cleaned up nicely there. She practically gave him his start, and–
Swan looked up and froze, eyes wide at the sight before him. Opposite his table, a gnome with her red hair in pigtails slapped parchment against the wall, and reared back with a hammer.
"OPEN CONTRACTS
GOOD MONEY
NO STRINGS"
The simple text framed a lithograph of a man’s face, one he’d seen before, on a sketch in Marley’s journal minutes earlier. It was official! The gears were in motion! He practically sprang from his seat, cutlass and pistol jostling noisily on his hip as he barreled down the length of the mezzanine and crashed into the sloppy drunk with the rum, who seemed transfixed at the sight of a duplicate of the poster. In fact, from where he stood now he could see three-- no, four more!
Swan shoved the stumbling man away from him, and made for the stairs.
“Out of my way, worm,” he thought. “I’m not like you. I’m not like any of you. I’m no worm, but a bird, free to fly where I please… And this bird must not be late!”
Hello! This initiative aims to flesh out some of the underworld of Azeroth and give a focus for character archetypes like assassins and bounty hunters that can’t typically live out their core fantasies, mostly because setting out to kill other people’s player characters is understandably a no-go!
I’m excited to do this without all the ties of guild membership and great big efforts to coordinate with a large number of people – for now the target will be a single person, played by me on a character that I know will likely die.
It would be helpful if people that are interested could post to say so, but it isn’t a requirement – there are no sign-ups necessary! It would, however, help me to gauge interest.
Here’s how it will work at its simplest:
- A post here by me will contain details (ranging from rich to scant) of a character a mysterious organisation has put a bounty on.
- Players are then free to hunt around to pursue clues and/or locate the target.
- The player to successfully complete the contract will be understood to have been well rewarded IC, with gold, most likely. I am afraid there is no in-game gold reward.
- I’ll keep an OOC tally here in this thread of successful contractors, so you can have bragging rights or keep your murderous secrets hidden as you choose.
I am hopeful that the real reward we can all reap is that folks will have fun following clues, tracking targets, plotting, and then executing the perfect kill.
To reiterate: these contracts are free for anyone (Alliance-side – if this is successful I would happily port it to Horde, also) or any group of people to pursue. New roleplayer, veteran, contract killer, first-timer looking to make a buck, psycho on the loose, well-organised career bounty hunter group looking to split the rewards – these are all fair game.
If any of this is unclear I’ll be happy to answer any questions!
Until then, the first contract awaits…
Contract #1 - fulfilled by Boltick
Target #1
Status: FULFILLED
A poster seen in many settlements, particularly those outwith the purview of the law:
OPEN CONTRACTS
GOOD MONEY
NO STRINGS
WANTED DEAD:
ADERWALD BYRON
HUMAN, 60S, AVERAGE HEIGHT, HEAVY BUILD, GREEN EYES, GREY HAIR
TARGET RESIDENCE IN REDRIDGE MOUNTAINS
AVID NIGHT FISHER
PAYMENT ON COMPLETION IN GOLD ONLY
These details accompany a lithograph of an aging human male, with long hair but balding. He sports distinctive mutton chops and a moustache.
Contract #2 - fulfilled by JessĂe & Jonáthan
Target #2
Status: FULFILLED
New bounty posters in a similar style begin to appear in similar locales to the last:
OPEN CONTRACTS
GOOD MONEY
NO STRINGS
WANTED DEAD:
OGNUS SHORTBEARD
DWARF, DARK-HAIRED, TYPICALLY ARMED
TARGET A FREQUENT PATRON OF BIZMO'S BRAWLPUB
PAYMENT ON COMPLETION IN GOLD ONLY
These details accompany of a lithograph of a male dwarf with a prominent widow’s peak, and a thick, short beard, without moustache.
Contract #3 - fulfilled by Boltick
Targets #3 & #4
Status: FULFILLED
OPEN CONTRACTS
GOOD MONEY
NO STRINGS
WANTED DEAD:
TANNIEL BURROWS
HUMAN, DARK-HAIRED, ARMED
TARGET A MEMBER OF THE DARKSHIRE NIGHT WATCH
=====================================
WANTED DEAD:
EMILY SANDRIDGE
HUMAN, AUBURN-HAIRED, ARMED
TARGET A MEMBER OF THE DARKSHIRE NIGHT WATCH
PAYMENT ON COMPLETION IN GOLD ONLY
These details accompany two lithographs. The first depicts a man with deep-set eyes, medium-length dark hair, a moustache and goatee. The second depicts a woman with long hair of a medium tone, pushed back to reveal two ear piercings on one side.
In addition, what appears to be a reproduction of a sloppily scrawled letter:
TB,
M gone, no doubt.
Your job now.
Begin at RHC.
Take girl; good shot.
~ LV
Contract #4 - fulfilled by Spellbell, Joachìm, and Boltick
Target #5
Status: FULFILLED
OPEN CONTRACTS
GOOD MONEY
NO STRINGS
WANTED DEAD:
THARKHOS THE SEEKER
DRAENEI, LIGHT-HAIRED, PREACHER
TARGET A DEVOTEE OF THE LIGHT
PAYMENT ON COMPLETION IN GOLD ONLY
These details accompany of a lithograph of a male draenei with a large, loose bun of light hair, sideburns, and a small moustache and goatee. On his head is a prominent diamond crest.
In addition, there is a recreation of a flier of some sort, in strange Common:
Friends of city of the Stormwind!
We are all a brothers and a step-sister in warm embrace of the Naaru, and the Holly Light!
Come find me as I minister to the unbelievers, give charity to the sick, and heal the poor!
I will ask your questions on the nature of the Light, come all!
Together under the Big Light, we may all be washed soapily of our sins!
Tharkhos! The Seeker!
Contract #5 - ACTIVE
Target #6
Status: ACTIVE
OPEN CONTRACTS
GOOD MONEY
NO STRINGS
WANTED DEAD:
CODENAME: “LYNX”
PAYMENT ON COMPLETION IN GOLD ONLY
This time no lithograph accompanies, but a note does:
S,
Our woods the dragons blackened with flame are home to two herbs whose initials stand for cardinal directions.
I will wear a herb whose initial stands for another. Bring a herb whose initial stands for the last to where the wolf-lion rests, at night, to make yourself known to me.