Thread: Sanguinary Transformation -[Haru*Himeko]-

The lands of Veneritium , ruled by the various shifter clans. Fulgasa to the South, ruled by the lions. Gadiatoro in the West, ruled by the tigers. Laboteli in the East, ruled by the bears. Balcoli in the North, where the wolves preside. At least, that was how things were split up within the shifter clans themselves. No matter how they divided the land themselves, their numbers were still far outstripped by the humans, elves, dwarves and other sentient races that made Veneritium their home. Especially the humans. Still, the shifters are territorial, as they are wont to be, and have stayed within their lands so as to prevent war and conflict from raging across the continent. There are, however, those who seek to make something altogether different. Not quite human, not quite shifter, but something wholly unto its' own, and entirely controllable. Or so they can only hope. In recent years many wolves of the Balcoli Clan have gone missing, their whereabouts unknown. It is rumored that the humans have taken them, for even as humans tell their little ones stories of the wolves robbing them from their cradles, so too do the wolves relate stories of evil humans stealing their cubs. It seems that there might be a kernel of truth to some of these tales, and the Ruling Council has deemed it necessary to try and find out what has happened to their kin. The shifters do not reproduce nearly as quickly as the humans, for often cubs are lost if a mother cannot keep herself from transforming during her pregnancy, the fetus sluffed off as extra cells unneeded by the body of the mother. So naturally born shifters are considered very precious. Most wolves are turned and brought into the clans. However, all those that have went missing have been pureblood, which arouses suspicion even more. Who would know that they are pure, unless whomever is taking them has been told just whom to take? The Council assigns one of their best warriors to this task, a warrior by the name of Hell . A staunch male who has yet to take a mate, his experience with a sword, and also with tooth and claw, make him preeminently capable and a fine choice. Though their clan resides outside of the village of Volvata, the Council has deemed that Hell should travel eastward, to the city of Caminata, along the Caminata Bay. There, in the city of humans, they hope he might find a clue to where his kin have been taken. The journey begins like any other, with Hell gathering the supplies he needs and the horse he will take. His weapons and armor have been in his family for generations, specially made to allow his transformation, should he need it. However, the hope is that he will be able to retain his human form throughout and not give away his true nature. That remains to be seen. Heading east from Volvata, Hell follows the Vol River, which will take him directly to Caminata. His steed , Kaija, was faithful and bred for war. She wasn't spooked at all by his predatory aura, and had even been around humans. The end of the first day saw Hell stopping a bit before dusk to set up camp and to fish in the river, hoping to catch some dinner, or at least something fresh to supplement the food he'd brought with him.