Dagger and Totem (Archive)

This page was archived in October 2015.
Dagger and Totem is a Horde RP guild that's been around almost long enough to be called a relic and which excels at progressing through intense cutting-edge content such as Naxxramas and Blackwing Lair. In IC terms, it functions as a multi-racial Clan which tends not to align itself one way or another- that is to say, it tries to remain neutral. It is a well-established presence on the realm, and active in the RP community, both organizing events, and attending them. It has a laid back approach to WoW life,with a diverse member base. It also strives to be as liberally accepting of all individuals as it possibly can. More OOC information can be found at the guild forums located at http://daggerandtotem.guildomatic.com/forums/
== Description (IC) ==
No one in Orgrimmar could really have predicted the rise and fall of Dagger and Totem.
In the very early days of the clan, the partnership of Gremkarc of Orgrimmar, Guak Guthang, Ciite Stonemane, Awqe, and several others was, in comparison to the rest of the Horde, absolutely tiny, and would never have made a serious contribution to the Horde war effort. Each of them were, however, unarguably competent soldiers and as a whole they worked well together, thanks to their deep, mutual trust and strong friendships. There were also signs, in the Blasted War, that Gremkarc would mature into a formidable leader.
The Horde was happy to have the clan around - they were all dependable individuals who respected the Warchief and would never deviate from his wishes. They followed the ideals that the New Horde had adopted - reverence towards the elements, care towards nature, mercy to their enemies - and when they met with other groups beyond Orgrimmar's grasp, they always represented their faction well. Dagger and Totem, then, were a positive force in the Horde, but there was no need to expand them. There was no point.
When the world's eyes fixed on Northrend, Dagger and Totem grew exponentially. This wasn't the Horde's doing though; this was all down to the clan itself. They looked after themselves and recruited with their own wits and instincts, bringing in old friends like Salax and Valtheras, as well as new, hitherto unknown soldiers. They were among the first in the Horde to welcome Death Knights. A bolstered roster meant that more grunts saw Dagger and Totem at work - arriving at battlefields the continent over to land the decisive blows that enabled the Horde to move further into the Frozen Wastes. Next to the often abusive and reckless Warsong Offensive, Dagger and Totem were a traditional and reliable group, and so Orgrimmar finally started to take a proper interest.
The Warlords and Commanders of the city started to send troops their way. Good troops. Other individuals made personal decisions to join (Dishka and Gulgrim among them), and the clan accepted as many new grunts as it could. Eventually, when it became clear that the Scourge intended to launch a massive assault against Warsong Hold, the Horde entrusted Gremkarc to lead the defence, and so the Warsong Defensive was born.
More and more sections of the Horde were becoming aware of Dagger and Totem, and not all of them liked what they were hearing. The Warsong Offensive, for example, classed Dagger and Totem as overly-moderate, thinking their refusal to outright condemn the Alliance as a show of lameness. When overseeing the Defensive, Gremkarc and the clan had been vocal about their views on the Horde - they spoke of compassion, and the need for consideration when approaching foes. They positioned themselves as ardent followers of Thrall.
That stance so nearly came crashing down on their heads when, in a long moment of emotional turmoil, Gremkarc did some very stupid things. The events that took place at the Battle of Undercity led, in a series of unfortunate events, to the shaman's self-imposed exile. Even with a new Chieftain - one that he had selected - the clan quickly fell onto hard times. Harder discipline for its members was introduced, and many grew disenfranchised, leaving. It was only when a beaten and harassed Gremkarc was funneled back into Orgrimmar and ordered to take the reigns again, that the healing process began.
It took a long while to recover though, and the clan was riddled with a new humbleness. In some corners, they were a laughing stock, and Orgrimmar grew indifferent - its trust in the clan was shaken. The clan had to set about re-establishing their credentials, but it took a long, grim time. New members, who were perhaps less aware of the previous months' misfortunes, signed up, and new sergeants were promoted. The Offensive went rapidly from strength to strength, while Dagger and Totem slowly climbed the ladder again. Despite his foolishness, Gremkarc had a lot of amiable contacts in the Horde, and they helped too.
Near to the end of the struggle against the Lich King, a fresh danger presented itself in Winterspring - the demons of Darkwhisper Gorge had become frenzied and unstable. The leadership of the Horde, thinking it had waited long enough a time to use the skills of Dagger and Totem again, sent them out. After a month of bloody, difficult warfare, the clan came out triumphant. Only allowing themselves a break over Winter's Veil, they then undertook a campaign in Icecrown.
Their participation in the War of the Loas came at a time when they were supposed to be wholly destroying the Scarlet presence in the Icecrown Glacier. As it happened, their choice to deviate from the norm was crucial: without Dagger and Totem's intervention, the entire southern jungle could have been consumed by an otherworldly war between vengeful trollish gods. This became big news to the Darkspear, and to the surviving grunts of Grom'gol, who reported the clan's self-sacrifice and bravery to Orgrimmar. Over a period of four months, Dagger and Totem had served the Horde admirably well.
This was also a time when new cultures began to take shape within the clan. The loas had risen into prominence thanks to the campaign in Stranglethorn Vale, and relationships between clan-mates began to brew. Dagger and Totem had become sizeable - more sizeable than ever before.
They were thus ordered to wage a new campaign, in the apricot woodlands of Azshara. The clan-mates were promised that, upon the total conquest of the region, they would be given the tools and manpower needed to construct a settlement; a village of their very own. So they set to work, throwing themselves into hot, heated battle with the coastal Naga, the deceptive Satyr, and even the all-powerful Blue Dragons. It proved to be a long and difficult campaign; where everything that could go wrong seemed to go wrong. The Naga, for instance, had acquired a number of eldritch artefacts - spheres that held Sea Magic within - and set to work using them against their enemies. The Dragons were in pursuit of these fabled objects too, and soon a sort of all-out war had broken out in the forests and headlands, as no one side could completely triumph.
Nevertheless, the clan persevered, bunkering down in their base-camp of Gorik's Hammer - named in honour of the late Sergeant Gorik Darkcast - and conjured plans and tactics to fend off and subdue their ancient foes. They deployed all kinds of tactics, from the headstrong and violent to the deceptive and cerebral, and did not shy away from the dangerous odds stacked against them. Eventually, the bulk of their enemies had been slain or routed, and construction of their village began in earnest. Dagger and Totem was about to enter into a new age of prosperity...
But what was this? Earthquakes? The disruption of elemental harmony? Increased sightings of the Twilight Cult? Warning signs popped up all across the globe, and the clan's abundance of shamans couldn't help but be worried about it. Soon they couldn't pass these phenomena off as coincidences; soon there was mayhem and confusion, and no one, not even the mighty Warchief, knew what was happening. Cities attacked? Black Dragons in full flight around Durotar? Rapidly disappearing citizens?
Once again, Dagger and Totem was there to defend the Horde. But this time, there was precious little they could do. Helplessly they watched as the world came to its supposed end, and a chilling uproar came from the elements. Some soldiers came to Gremkarc and the rest of the clan's shamans for advice and information. They wanted to know what was going on. But Gremkarc and his shamans did not know, and could offer no sincere comfort. They themselves knew that something terrible was about to happen, and the most they could do was to prepare for it.
Now the Aspect of Death has come forth from his slumber deep underground, Dagger and Totem have found themselves in a very new situation, and one they are loathe to suffer.
Gone is their influence. Their funds, their village, and their access to the best of the Horde's equipment are all gone. In this new era of Azeroth, where the son of Hellscream is now the new Warchief, Dagger and Totem are without their foundations. The plans they had for the year ahead have now been utterly scrapped, replaced with an uncertain, troubling future. The clan is now fragile, confused, and in a crisis of faith. What is the Horde now? Why has Thrall, greatest of all shaman, abandoned the Horde? Whose side should they be on? How will they continue to fight for what is right, when they must spend so much time in a bid to be self-sufficient? Who will want to join the clan, now that is a mockery of its former self?
Wisdom dictates that the clan must adapt. The trimmings of the military life can no longer be applied to a once promising part of the Horde, and so the clan now operates on a premise of equality.
Sickened by the thought that the militaristic, demanding sides of his clan could be accused of being similar to Garrosh's Horde, Gremkarc has abolished the clan's ranks and the dedication, discipline, and skill mantra. The clan still serves the Horde, but with the powers available to him, Gremkarc has repositioned it away from Hellscream's ideology, doing things that a year ago he totally wouldn't agree with, and to some extent still doesn't, but his contempt for the new Warchief has driven him into carrying out these changes. He's allowed the grunts more freedom to voice their concerns and opposing thoughts, and to argue back with their Chieftain. He encourages them to suggest where the clan should head, and thus increases their stake and influence to the guild. He allows votes. He accepts when the grain is against him.
Somehow, solidity remains. The clan is united under the leadership of a new Den Mother, Usann Bloodbreaker, and the same resilient Chieftain. Together they lead the Daggers and the Totems, coming up with new ways of earning their clan the greatness it deserves. Ready to answer their call is a line-up of professional soldiers, benign adventurers, learned mystics, and a group of undead who would rather fight for a clan than dwell in a crypt-city or a floating necropolis. With a pup on the way, and Deathwing still to vanquish, the clan has a challenging future ahead of it.
Upon joining the clan, your character will have, whether knowingly or not, made a stand. They'll have ceded the possibility of a comfortable, well-paid grunt's life in favour of teaming up with a clan that has been pushed out of Orgrimmar's inner circles. The clan that they have joined can only thrive if its members - fighting without a conventional wage - refuse to give up their moral compass for a new, Hellscream-designed one. Your character will likely be at the butt of overheard jokes, shared by the Kor'kron, shared by the Axebite, shared even by Orgrimmar's common grunts. But surely steadfastness to a cause and loyalty to friends will come with its own reward, in time? You'd better hope so. For now, your character must fight as if their clan was swimming in riches, facing enemies both mortal and otherwise, no matter the odds stacked against them. It will be an uneasy ride. How they deal with that is your choice.
==Description (OOC)==
Dagger and Totem are a medium RP guild, with an OOC guild chat, and an IC officer chat, available to all members. Their RP is based primarily on conflict. Regular Heroic Dungeons are attempted by the guild (emphasis on the word "attempted"), and occasionally even a few ultra-casual raids. Most of them don't even use Deadly Boss Mods, they're so dedicated to being utterly rubbish.
The PvP normally comes in the form of Tol Barad and Battlegrounds, as there's nothing quite like approaching Alterac Valley with a group of friends, and camping one of the Alliance graveyards. World PvP isn't as much of a focus, as the clan's loyalty to Thrall is paramount, but so is the defense of Horde settlements and interests. With this in mind, Dagger and Totem can often be found fighting back Alliance attackers at bases such as Razor Hill, Splintertree, and, yes, The Crossroads.
D&T is a guild of friends, and they class themselves as a family, both ICly, and OOCly. To that extent, they help each other out with dungeon runs, group quests, and equipment upgrades. These normally go to the lower-level members of the guild, so they have an easier time of getting up to the top levels so they can join in on the majority of the guild's activities. The guild bank is both revered and cursed - all kinds of things find their place in the "clan vaults", but never, and let the author of this Wiki page make this absolutely clear, Deviate Fish. A rant for another time, perhaps, but Deviate Fish is a plague upon the World of Warcraft. Only loincloths prevail.
==Meetings and Setting ==
Dagger and Totem tends to vary its meeting spots, though the clan is based in Razor Hill - where all the most important meetings take place. Horde territories are used most, whether in Kalimdor, the Eastern Kingdoms, or the Orcish homeworld. There has been a few meetings held in neutral areas, such as Gadgetzan and Zul'Drak's Argent Stand, but normally only when a mutual enemy is close by, and the Daggers are to assault them.
==Member List==
* Aedreglos Anoleis
* Aenon Redleaf
* Ailell
* Awqe 
* Brian
* Cerk'an Stormreaver
* Ciite Stonemane
* Desmond Hodges
* Dishka
* Gulgrim Duskbreaker
* Harg Mountainborn
* Khroga Spitfire
* Morothus
* Rinraja
* Sarfek, Son of Grukrek
* Segolia
* Shra
* Ursala Earthwielder
===Inactive or Past Members===
* Beansidh
* Grauhr Wildmender
* Jalek
* Kalsa Moiand
* Karrisend Coursemane
* Kergo
* Kruss Cragshot
* Naudiz
* Ryndra Arathane
* Salali
* Talmarisa Te'Valashir
* Tywly
More to come if and when members sign up to the Wiki!
== Recruitment ==
Dagger and Totem do not actively recruit. Friends of members and particularly impressive newcomers are occasionally invited into the guild, but by no means is this regular. When the clan does recruit, it is not done through a formal application basis - rather the guild leader talks you through the inner-workings of the clan (Dagger and Totem has been likened to a powerful and complex machine, put on this planet as a force for much good. But that's probably rubbish), and asks you rude and intrusive questions about yourself ("WHERE DO YOU COME FROM?", "WHY ARE YOU INTERESTED IN THIS GUILD?", "WHAT IS YOUR CHARACTER'S BACKSTORY AND PERSONALITY?", "WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF WOW?" and "ARE YOU SWEDISH?"), all in an effort to see if you'll fit into the guild OOCly and clan ICly
If OOC recruitment is successful, then IC recruitment kicks in. A reason is made up between the new member and the guild leader for the character to join, and once they have met up with the clan, the recruit(s) participate in an induction ceremony wherein they recite the clan oath. They are marked on the right hand with two fresh scars, cut into their flesh by a dagger imbued with Flametongue. These scars resemble twin lightning bolts - the symbol of Dagger and Totem. An exception to this is made for the Dagger (subterfuge) half of the clan, who are not supposed to be identified if they are captured or slain.
It's very nice, warm, and a complete contrast to the proceeding months of boredom, bullying, and snide jokes.
== Miscellaneous Stuff ==
D&T's Birthday Post
It should be noted that the banner from the top of the page comes from WOWHead's Azshara page. It was an image uploaded by a user called Koblec, and has been added to, for the purposes of this Wiki page, by D&T member Nelai, who is BRILLIANT.
==Stories Involving Dagger and Totem==
===General===
*Orgrimmar On Ice: The third Dagger and Totem story, with cameos from Big Chingo and Rensvind.
*Letters from the Wetlands: letters written by Ursala and Gulgrim, mentioning the clan's Stranglethorn Vale campaign.
*Letters from Duskbreaker: letters written by Ursala to various clanmates.
*Stalemate: a story about Ursala and Gulgrim.
*Shattering the Sunset: a story about Watrus, Gulgrim and Ursala fighting some Twilights.
*The White Troll - Part 1 : The first in the series of stories relating to the White robed Troll.
*The White Troll - Part 2 : The second in the series of stories relating to the White robed Troll.
===Dagger and Totem Birthday Stories===
*Zhevra Hunting 
*A Good Pair of Boots 
===Gremkarc of Orgrimmar===
*Pre-Clan Story: What A Pendant Is Worth 
*Training With the Chieftain
*Gremkarc's Warsong Defensive Journal: Final Entry
===Ursala Earthwielder===
*Ursala: Interesting Times
*Ursala's Fiction
*Yemoya and the Earthwielder
*Earthwielder: The Wetlands
*The Orc and the Swamp (continued)
*Earthwielder: Time to Run
*Earthwielder: Nagrand
*Earthwielder: Nightfall
====Kruga Otterbiter====
*What a Lemon is Worth
===Gulgrim===
*Isiliosis and Gulgrim
*What happens when Orcs get hit by falling rocks. Hard.
*A stitch in time saves drowning in the sea
*So a Troll walks into a Bar, right...
*The Journey - Entry One
===Desmond Hodges===
*Reports I Wish I Could Write
*On Leadership
*Zeppelin Rides
*After the Uproar
*Baring Teeth 
*We Praise Sylvanas 
===Kruss Cragshot===
*Training With the Chieftain 
*Hear It In The Rain 
*Stream of Relief 
===Dendera Blackthorne===
*Friends in High Places
==Dagger and Totem's Weekly Sack o' Reports==
One week, in September 2010, Sergeant Desmond Hodges wrote out a summary of events for the past seven days, as well as detailing the priorities for the next week. It was written in his official yet cutting style, and included excerpts from reports from Grunts and Sergeants sent to him in-game. It was meant to keep happening, but it only happened once. Here it is.
Weekly Sack o' Reports: 12th September to the 18th of September, 2010