Contacting Lucius Blackwood [Shadow Wolf] (TSO) [Pict Assassin]
Lucius Blackwood [Shadow Wolf] (TSO) [Pict Assassin]'s Interests
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Notations
Multi-para/ Novella Only
Comment=OOC ; Blog/Message=Roleplay
Obligations
Owe a starter to ______
Owe a comment to ______
Weapons
Bow and Arrow
Short Swords
Daggers
Lucius will at times use his native tongue in role play and status. Know that this is actual language when translated and not just a bunch of random letters thrown together.
As the last of the noble line of Blackwood Lucius holds an important role in the development of the Scottish lands. He is often seen with Phaedra, but can also be found with the King of the Pict′s Gorlacon. The insignia of the Blackwood is a burnt tree with two arrows at the base of the tree pointing vertically into the air at an angle on either side of the tree, with a black snake wrapping itself along the length of the tree with it′s head resting on the top of the tree. In the history of the Blackwoods the tree represents a land that has been destroyed, the arrows represent war, and the serpent represents new life rising from the ashes. "Though destroyed, through war and bloodshed, new life will rise from the ashes and strike when the enemy least expects it."
The Pict King
The Pict King Gorlacon took not only Lucius under his wing when his father died but adopted his childhood friend Phaedra Shira. The King is a man of noble standing and commands enormous respect from the Pict tribes due to his ability to hold off one of the largest empires in the known lands. Through his planning Scotland has been able to remain free from the grasp of the Roman empire and it′s corruption. Lucius holds this man with much respect and would die before he let anything happen to him or his daughter Phaedra.
The Roman Senate
After the assassination of the emperor Commodus Aurelius the Roman senate took over the controlling of Rome. Convincing the people of Rome that the empire was better run by a group of men all striving for a better Rome then another paranoid emperor like Commodus Aurelius. Moved by the senate′s proposal the people of Rome elected to have the body of the senate govern all the affairs of Rome from here on out. Never again would a single ruler sit on the throne of Rome. What the people didn′t know however, was that the corruption did not start and end with Commodus. The corruption had began with the senate, and would continue to grow as long as the senate remained the governing body of Rome.
The Eternal Stalemate
After decades of war between the Roman empire and the Scottish Tribes it was determined that it was too costly to continue the open battlegrounds between Rome and Scotland. Agreeing to a stalemate on large force battles the two countries continued to send small skirmishes to try and gain ground to no avail. Regardless of the tactics used by either side neither country could seem to get a steady foothold on the battle. Even with the fall of the emperor Commodus Aurelius the senate was quick to reinforce the borders knowing that the death of the emperor would deal a major blow in the moral of the empire. Determined to hold their lines the senate didn′t hesitate to continue sending skirmishes of roman troops to keep the Scottish tribes at bay.
Battle Tactics
With resources dwindling the Scottish tribes turned to the art of guerrilla warfare, using the very land itself to it′s advantage. As Romans grew bolder the Scottish grew wiser to their method of fighting. Setting up various traps and hazardous zones within their country the Scottish tribes were able to use the terrain when formulating battle strategies to destroying Roman troops. None the wiser the Roman empire continued to send skirmishes of troops to try and gain ground in the land of Scotland. With the entire country used as a giant strategy for battle the Scotland tribes were easily able to keep Roman armies at bay and kill any who entered their territory. Using stealth as their ally in destroying high ranking officers within the roman military first and then picking off the demoralized sentries, the Scottish tribes seemed to be unbeatable.
Poison Mastery
With Roman′s growing smarter to the piercing of arrows it was becoming much more difficult to use a bow to land a fatal hit. It was because of this that Lucius began to master the different types of poison extracted from the plants of Scotland. Crushing down the plants Lucius was able to extract and mix dangerous toxins to coat his arrows and blades in. Which quickly turned the non fatal hits into a slow agonizing death by very deadly poisons. It was because of these poisons that some Romans began to call the shadow in the night the butcher of Scotland. Using wounded soldiers that were hit with poisonous arrows Lucius would draw out even more troops to come to the aid of the wounded soldier and turn one kill into ten.
Assassin Armory
Equipped with only a few pieces of heavy armor Lucius uses the light black leather and cloth to help reduce the noise he makes while moving through the terrain. At night he is virtually invisible and is easily able to hide in plain sight during broad daylight. Using a black bow he crafted himself with a elegant looking short sword with a dagger that twins the hilt, Lucius has become one of the most infamous assassins in Scotland. Even now with the open war ended between Rome and Scotland he holds a high bounty on his head by the Romans. Having killed many of their high ranking officers and slaughtering hundreds of their men since the start of the war. Included in his armory of weapons are very dangerous toxins and poisons that are extracted from deadly plants and snakes located in the Scotland region.
Tools of the Trade
Among using his weapons with him he carries onto battle Lucius is very skilled at setting ambushes and traps for trespassers entering into Scotland uninvited. At times his traps would successfully cause the deaths of full skirmish groups ranging from twenty to fifty soldiers. He would eliminate these groups without having to fire a single arrow using the terrain as the staging area for his traps. As Romans and others are unfamiliar with the terrain it was extremely easy for Lucius to always have the upper hand in battle. It was said when a trap was successful he would leave a black arrow at the scene to let the Romans know it was him that slaughtered their entire Skirmish. Along with the nicknames the shadow and the butcher of Scotland he also attained the nickname the black arrow by doing this throughout the Roman legions.
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Lucius Blackwood [Shadow Wolf] (TSO) [Pict Assassin]'s Details
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Lucius Blackwood
The Pict Assassin known as The Shadow
Walking in darkness is what I live for. - Only roman blood satiates my hunger. - The shadow of the Princess. - Of noble Pict standing.
The Shadow of the Picts
Lucius earned his nickname in the Pict tribes (The Shadow) for his ability to immobilize groups of roman militia without ever being seen. From the time he was young the Pict focused entirely on his skills with a bow and arrow. Knowing that there would be times he would need to be up close to his enemy Lucius Blackwood also mastered his skill with short swords and daggers, the combination of his weapon choices making him one of the most ruthless assassin′s in the Scotland area. While in battle gear the shadow would dress entirely in black leathers and cloths with a few armored area′s for protection. The first person within the Pict armies that began to refer to Lucius as Shadow was the daughter of the King Gorlacon. She would use their native tongue when referring to Lucius as mo faileas. This stood for my shadow.
Growing up together with the Pict princess Lucius always felt it was necessary to watch over her. He was the one who was charged with nursing her back to health when they were but children when the Romans killed her village and her birth parents. Once the princess began to regain her health the boy continued to watch over her. Due to her reluctance to have someone follow her at the beginning Lucius trained himself in the art of subterfuge. Following the princess from a distance and staying hidden to ensure that she was safe in any of her travels. As the time progressed the princess grew to rely on this shadow to help her vanquish enemies that she could not see. Covering her from a distance with a bow and arrow her own shadow kept the princess safe on the battlefield, from enemies not seen and from those behind. Though they got older their connection with one another never dulled. Staying close at all times the two quickly learned that they could always count on the other to have their back.
As the war with the roman empire progressed deep into the heart of Scotland the shadow and the princess were two of the pivotal roles in keeping the roman armies at bay. Able to kill skirmishes of troops by themselves the two quickly gained fear from the roman soldiers. Many not wanting to ever break off from the main force in fear that the shadows of the Scotland forest would consume them before they were ever able to reach their destination. Lucius was widely recognized and celebrated as one of the most dangerous assassins in the land of Scotland. Always aiming to thrive in his skills Lucius quickly mastered the art of unarmed combat from many of the Pict generals. Adding yet another dangerous tool to his belt. Able now to quickly kill Romans without the use of a weapon in the cover of night. It was not far off to say that when the shadow and the princess chose to hunt at night they were able to easily wipe out small camps of roman soldiers by themselves without ever being seen or heard.
Though Lucius had no doubt about his skills with a bow and arrow he soon wished to master the art of mixing poisons to dip his arrows into. It was not uncommon after he had mastered his poisons that the shadow would take a non fatal shot at a roman soldier. Immobilizing the soldier Lucius would wait for other roman soldiers to come and try to help their fallen comrade and turn one slow death by poison into another four kills. His brutal tactics of turning one kill into ten at times by using wounded soldiers quickly became feared by not only the roman soldiers but the roman commanders. After so long it was not rare to see roman soldiers leave soldiers wounded by arrow behind to die in fear of the shadow waiting in the cover of the forest to kill even more. This brutal method of killing shook the foundation of the roman soldiers, changing their perspectives of leaving men behind to die. Before the shadow began this brutal tactic many soldiers wounded by arrow would be pulled from the fight and return to the battleground once they had recovered. With the fear of a trap from the shadow it was now common practice by the roman soldiers to leave any soldier hit by arrow behind to die.
With his show of brutality through the lands the shadow was picked as one of the right hand men of King Gorlacon. The king admired his deep hatred for the roman empire. When Lucius mother was killed by roman soldiers when he was younger his hatred for the roman empire began. Growing so close to Phaedra over the years also fueled his hatred for Rome, as she had suffered similar actions at the hands of the Roman empire soldiers. Lucius vowed that he would never trust a roman soldier, that unless directly ordered not to by King Gorlacon, he would kill every roman on sight without any hesitation or remorse. Choosing to understand further the intentions of roman soldiers Lucius taught himself the language of Rome with the assistance of King Gorlacon. As Romans typically got loud the more they drank the shadow would at times be found on the edge of a camp listening to the roman soldiers, trying to overhear any battle plans or officer decisions before he would kill them, so that he would know where to go next in order to further bloodshed and destroy roman progress.
The Blackwood Lineage
From the northern edge of Scotland the Blackwood family was among the noble class of the Scotland time. Gaining their prestige through trading they were well known among the lands as some of the most successful traders in the Scottish lands. With only Lucius and his mother and father the young boy thought he was on top of the world, that was until the roman empire learned of the importance that their village had to Scotland. A raid on his village left his mother slaughtered by roman soldiers and Lucius and his father fleeing from their village. Taken in by King Gorlacon Lucius′s father joined the ranks of the Scotland armies under the command of King Gorlacon. Wishing to educate his son early in battle his father would force Lucius to accompany him to battles to watch the slaughter of roman soldiers. In his fathers eyes this was a way for the young boy to find justice in what was done to his mother.
Over the years his father grew in rank within the Scotland armies and quickly became one of the Kings best generals. Having big shoes to fill Lucius put all of his focus in learning the art of combat to impress his father and the King. Years after earning much respect from the Scotland armies his father was asked to respond to a proposition of peace on a neutral ground established by both sides of the army. Not trusting the Romans to keep their word Lucius′s father ordered that he stay and take care of the young girl just brought in by King Gorlacon and his men that had suffered a terrible fate at the hands of the Romans. After promising his father he would watch out for the girl known as Phaedra he watched his father and a hundred of their troops ride off to speak with Roman ambassadors to try and establish a peace between the Roman Empire and the Scotland lands. As one of Gorlacon′s most trusted generals he was chosen for the task but insisted on the King staying behind in case the Romans chose to violate the terms of the meeting.
During the meeting of peace with the Roman empire the King had received word that the handful of soldiers sent to negotiate the terms of peace had been lured into a false arrangement of peace and all were ambushed and killed by the Romans. Just a way for the Romans to take out the King if he had decided to attend the meeting. Due to Lucius′s fathers advice however the King was spared the fate that he got due to his insistence that King Gorlacon didn′t attend the peace meeting. Being informed of his fathers death Lucius took his final promise to his father to watch over Phaedra to the next level and stuck to her like glue. He knew that this was the last way to honor his fathers wishes. With his anger of the roman empire fueled even further by their lack of dignity Lucius found himself much like Phaedra, an orphan in the land of Scotland. With Phaedra being one of the only ones he could remember his father by now he vowed to never let any harm come to her. As it was his final wish that Lucius take care of the girl.
The Shadows Main Connections
King Strife Dawnguard
More to come about the king as the storyline progresses.
Phaedra Shira
The childhood friend of Lucius also known as the wrath of the Pict King Gorlacon. This woman has earned her reputation in the heart of Scotland by hunting down and killing any roman that crosses the border of Scotland. Excellent at tracking and hunting she has gotten the title of She Wolf. As children Lucius and Phaedra use to participate in games of hunting and stealth. Choosing a more direct approach to battle Phaedra learned the art of battling with a spear in battle, where Lucius chose to stick to a bow and arrow in the shadows. Phaedra likes to refer to Lucius as mo faileas which stands for my shadow in scottish gaelic. Due to their childhood and how close they are seldom are they ever seen separated from one another. Moving a hand down one another′s face in a slow and affectionate way has been seen displayed by the two. The meaning of such an action unknown by even some of the Pict elders.
Sticking to the promise he had made his father when he was but a boy Phaedra has become a very important part of Lucius life. Recent events led a Roman commander in their midst that Phaedra seems to have a level of respect for. Though Lucius does not trust the commander he is not the type to tell Phaedra whom she can and can′t associate with. Though he knows all too well that Phaedra does not fully trust the Roman commander because he is in fact Roman, Lucius still hates the way that the man looks at Phaedra. Determined to keep Phaedra safe from friend and foe alike Lucius can always be seen watching Phaedra when the commander is nearby. Whether this is out of a protective manner or a jealous one has yet to be decided by even the Pict generals.
The Shadow Wolf
Letting a gasp escape his mouth the dark eyes of the assassin of old looked up towards the bright sky. The final moments he could remember was rushing towards Phaedra. He had made it to her but he was too late. He could see the blade come down upon her as she faced off against her foes, could feel his entire world come to a halt and come shattering down around him. His princess gone, his one duty in life to keep her safe, failed. Though they both knew how the outcome of this battle would end up, watching her fall, watching the soldier take her life, he was not ready. A man of the shadows such as him did well to hide his movements from one side of the battlefield to the other. He could see the crimson stain of her blood upon the blade of the soldier who had taken her life. Could see her body hit the cold ground at his feet. The once so careful pict assassin felt an anger like he had never felt before.
Placing an arrow onto the string of his bow all of his careful demeanor′s flew out of his mind, as quickly as the arrow flew through the air once released from his fingers. Watching the arrow fly toward the captain he would see it slam into the metal armor upon his shoulder and pierce his flesh. Dropping down from the tree a savage roar of blood thirst left Lucius′s mouth. Rushing forward he watched the captain focused on pulling the arrow from his shoulder. He could see the pain that the poison inflicted arrow caused the man and in some way it helped to soothe the assassins aggression enough to allow him to weave through attacks and fell soldiers in his way. Moving forward the assassin held his two swords within his hand. The sound of rushing soldiers could be heard from not far off. Lucius knew he was completely surrounded and out in the open.
Feeling the sharp sting of an arrow pierce his side the assassin used his endurance to fight off the crippling pain and continued on his pace towards the captain now yelling for assistance. As though the arrow were not in his side Lucius moved his sword up deflecting the attack of a nearby roman. Forcing his sword through the romans skull he watched the man fall to the ground. Quickly closing the distance between himself and the captain he began battle with the well armored roman captain. In truth the assassin could have ended him from far away, but he had to see the light leave the mans eyes, had to make sure he died the exact same way that his beloved Pheadra did, by a blade. Deflecting the heavy armored blow of the captain off to the side the quick and nimble attack of the assassin found its way under the roman captains armor stabbing him precisely where he had stabbed his beloved.
Listening to the coughs of blood leaving the captains mouth the scowl on Lucius face never once left as he felt multiple arrows slam into his back. Flinching only slightly through the pain Lucius forced the sword further up underneath the captains armor feeling the sword pierce the captains lung. Feeling another bolt from a crossbow slam into his back Lucius finally allowed the corpse of the captain to fall to the ground at his feet, watching the light fade from his eyes before falling to a knee beside Phaedra. Gasping for air the assassin had spent all of his endurance standing long enough to watch the captain die before him. Falling to the ground next to Pheadra Lucius weakly moved his hand towards Phaedra′s and took her hand in his own.
"Bidh mi a ′dol còmhla riut ann am bàs, coisich mi còmhla riut ann am beatha. Bidh mi an-còmhnaidh gad leanta." Feeling the last of his breath escape his world became dark. The closing darkness leaving the image of Phaedra within his vision as the last thing he would see within this world. As his mind lost all sense of time and reality his entire being would suddenly become numb. The shallow sounds of dense growls could be heard all around him as Lucius sat up in a darkened world. A world that seemed to be within the world he previously left, though some things looked different. Darkened ash or something of the like seemed to be falling from the sky like rain as far as the eye could see. The sound of a crunch could be heard closing in behind the assassin. Turning around slowly he would find himself face to face with a large black wolf, red eyes and a tuff of white fur along his chest and chin. "Welcome walker of the shadows, you have finally returned home to us."
"Where is this place, who are you?" Looking around Lucius could see that they were still within a forest. The forest he had died in, or at least thought he died in. Watching the eyes of the wolf narrow he could feel the wolfs words vibrate through his entire being. "I am you Lucius.."
Opening his eyes Lucius sat up on the bed letting his legs fall over the side while placing his forehead into his hands. It was always the dream of his rebirth. The whole ordeal seemed to play out in his head at least three to four times a month. When he had awoken he found himself in the company of the one known as Strife Dawnguard. The true King to the elder tribes of the wolf clans though he refused to accept his role as the King. Hearing a knock on the doorway Lucius stood and placed robes over his nude body and made his way to the doorway. Placing a hand against the door the assassin allowed his forehead to rest upon the wooden door as he closed his eyes allowing his reoccurring dream to continue in his head just within reach of remembering details. He looked for his beloved when he woke. The land had changed, as though hundreds of years had passed as he slept within the ground, and he had taken on his role as one of the last surviving shadow wolves to walk the planes and lands.
He began to think that such things were very rare occurrence, since he had awaken from death, he had not found another Shadow wolf like himself. Every day he thought of her, every day he remembered that fateful day he took the life of the man who had taken hers. Replayed in his head as a way to remember her or as a reminder of his failure to protect her he was not quite sure of. Another knock on the doorway finally convinced him to pry the door enough to see Strife on the other side of the doorway. Opening the door the rest of the way Lucius would bow his head to the noble wolf. "My Lord Strife.."
"How many times have I told you to just call me Strife, Master Lucius, there is no need for such formalities between friends."
"Perhaps, but I shall give them none the less, out of respect for your station and for the kindness you and your order have shown me in the previous days of recent. I will continue to stand by you as you ascend to the throne where you rightfully belong. Then perhaps we may find a way to locate Phaedra′s remains once you have all the elder shamans together so that we might put her to rest finally. She deserved to be returned home to her lands."
"The lands you once knew are long forgotten Master Lucius, but we will put our efforts to finding her just as soon as we are able to get all of the shamans united under one roof. There is a lot of time to cover between when you woke and when you fell. The land erodes and changes, we will find her my friend, do not fret, I promise we shall find her." Placing a hand upon Lucius′s shoulder he would get a nod from the assassin. "Come, let us go and speak with the other silverfangs, there is much to plan and there is much to cover on the grounds of the feral.
