Nergal

## Application Sheet

Nergal was a gray-and-red male wolf with pumpkin-orange eyes. This wolf served as a Marduk in his youth, before he became a Nabu under Cyrus Nineveh. He served nobly during the Winter War, but vanished during the Hive Wars, and was never seen in the Domain again. Nergal was created and RP'd by toboe5tails.

## Personality

* ***Charismatic.*** Nergal has always been a friendly sort. Living out in the badlands one kinda has to be, it's difficult for a wolf to survive out there all on their own. He's quite chatty, and has a way with words, making him a talented public speaker. He's all too happy to oblige as well, when he's not busy with his task work he's often seen lounging in the sunlight, telling stories to anyone who'll stop and listen. Though it's not a trait he sees in himself personally, he's also surprisingly good with children.
* ***Flirtatious.*** Nergal is a shameless flirt. He enjoys the company of a pretty lady and he's not afraid to say it. Not to say that he's disrespectful of other's boundaries, not at all. He'll stop if he's asked to, he'd never want to step on any toes. Most of the time he doesn't really mean anything by it; it's almost become more of a habit for him than any genuine romantic interest. If he's seriously attracted to someone, he's got his own personal way of showing that to them.
* ***Quick-Witted.*** Being a former Marduk, Nergal has a talent for quickly assessing his options and responding in kind. While this can make him very quick on the draw, it's something of a blessing and a curse, leading him to make snap decisions and worrying whether it's the right one later. It's a mindset that's burned him more than once before, sometimes even ending in injury. This isn't to say that he's incapable of slowing down and being thoughtful, simply that it's not his first instinct to take his time.
* ***Secretive.*** Conversational though he may be, Nergal tends to hold himself with an air of mystery. He doesn't often speak his thoughts or opinions aloud with his packmates, and keeps most of his personal history tightly under wraps. Whether this is because he values his privacy or because he has something to hide is anyone's guess, whatever the reason may be he just doesn't like to talk about himself. You wouldn't be wrong to think he's keeping you at arms length, even as your friend.
* ***Manipulative.*** Smooth talker that he is, Nergal is a wolf who knows how to get what he wants from you. If you asked Nergal he would characterize it as being a good negotiator, or skillfully diplomatic, but point blank his tactics are manipulative. He's keen to get what he wants when he wants it, and will do whatever it may take to get it out of you. Embellishing the truth, turning friends against each other, neglecting to uphold his part of the bargain, none of it is off limits to Nergal if it will suit his needs. He tries not to inflict this tendency upon his fellow Xassans but...he's not taking it off the table either. Regardless, one would do well to be wary of his promises.
* ***Merciless.*** Many would consider Xassa's practices as dubiously ethical at best, but Negal takes no issue with them personally. What he does, he does in the name of Xerxes' Peace, and if that means inflicting some harm he will not hesitate to do so. Nergal is more than willing to fight for what his pack believes in when diplomacy fails. If you get in his way, you will find no mercy at Nergal's paws. With regard to traitors, well...as far as he's concerned, if you didn't want to be punished to the fullest extent, you wouldn't have committed the crime in the first place.

## Pre-Group History

Nergal was born and raised in the badlands. His puphood was spent learning to scale mountainsides, traveling over dusty plains, gazing down into impossibly deep canyons, and watching clouds roam through the endless skies. What memories he has of his parents he prefers not to reminisce on, they were relatively paws off and and he didn't resent them for it. If anything he appreciated being allowed to come into his own in the world on his terms, to learn about the world and decide how he wanted to live in it.

He'd always been aware of a pack living around his homelands, but he never strayed into their range until he was a young adult. His parents had mentioned their name once; Xassa, but otherwise they knew as little as he did about them. To his surprise though, the patrol that first found him wasn't hostile at all. It confused him, weren't packs supposed to be wary of strangers? They were strange, but willing to let him live on their lands if he cooperated with them if necessary. Those were terms he could live by.

In time he grew tired of his solitary life on Xassan territory. Answering to this pack while not being a proper part of it seemed redundant to Nergal, and so he made the move to join them as a full member. He was welcomed, though held at a respectable distance until he took on a task and witnessed the sacred caves. With his physique and his strength, Nergal chose to follow the path of the Marduk. It just seemed right to him, and he did his job well, defending Xassa from outside threats and marching along their borders to keep watch over their lands. It was nice, to return to his old ranges and see the familiar sights now and then. Slowly he rose the ranks as a warrior, as a defender. He made friends with packmates and superiors alike, and life was good.

But his good fortune couldn't last forever. The landscape was harsh, its weather equally so, and anyone underestimating it would get a rude awakening sooner or later. That awakening came to Nergal during a patrol of the borders, his group getting caught in a heavy rainstorm. A little rain had never worried him, but it wasn't the rain he needed to be concerned about, but the land. A mudslide flowed fast down the hills, catching Nergal in the current and burying him under a wave of earth. His patrol managed to dig him out, saving his life, but his leg was badly broken. It would take months for him to heal, and to be able to walk again.

During his months of recovery in the Gula's den, sickness began to sweep through Xassa, threatening the lives of everyone in its path. Wolves afflicted with the disease came in and out of the den for treatment that rarely helped, and Nergal could do nothing but watch as friends and allies withered away and died. His injury fully healed in the midst of the outbreak, and while he was fortunate enough to dodge infection, his leg had set improperly, leaving him walking with an odd gait for the rest of his days. Determined not to let this hamper his duties as a Marduk, he took his task back up as usual, but many of his fellows had died of the disease and he quickly found himself frustrated with his job. Between getting used to the state of his leg and mourning his comrades, Nergal began to despise his work.

He tried to soldier on, but it was no use. After the Zagros's death, Nergal was certain; he needed to leave the life of the Marduk behind, before it turned him bitter and withdrawn. He approached the new Cyrus, Nineveh, and requested a change of task. He'd settled on becoming a Nabu, thinking the role of a diplomat suited him with his silver tongue. Of course, this also meant he would have to begin his training all over again, but Nergal wasn't ready to retire just yet. Determined to prove himself as an ambassador, Nergal began his journey up the ranks of Xassa once more.

## Group History

Nergal was thrust right into his duties as a Nabu, when Nineveh sent him, Caldera, Taibhse, and Nouri to Chandor, in order to establish diplomatic relations with them. Unfortunately, the diplomatic party were attacked by one of the Chandorians - Rajbera - and a fight against her, Diablo, and Alyan started in earnest.

Nergal hadn't wanted to fight, but he was capable of holding his own against the Bear Totems. He and Nouri were able to restrain Rajbera after she ripped Caldera's eye out, and then, her packmates retreated, and Raj was thrown in a cave to be restrained. With Caldera injured, Nergal and Nouri sent Taibhse to alert the Xassans that they needed a rescue party, and she did so.

Nergal, Nouri, and Caldera would be rescued by another party of Xassans. As they approached, a Chandorian war party also set out to intercept the supposed 'invaders'. Nergal was backed up by Issa and Zarina as Nadia and Anakoni barged into the cave to rescue Rajbera. Nergal was attacked by Anakoni after goading him a bit, and then Nadia stepped in. The battle was fierce, and ultimately, Nergal had a bad paw injury, and Rajbera was rescued.

It was a long, difficult journey through the cold and snow (this was the Deep Freeze, after all!) they arrived back in Xassa. Nergal and the others were tended to by the pack's few healers, led by Majavis, feeling bitter about their loss. He would recover, though, and help his packmates with a bison hunt in the midst of the blinding snow and cold.

The winter passed without further war action, and Nergal settled into his duties around the territory. He joined other wolves like Odin on patrols, an awkward third wheel whenever Caldera came along. At the summer solstice, Nergal was a part of the black team during Ba'aru.

Unfortunately, Nergal would go missing from the pack in the midst of the Hive Wars. Nineveh misses the loyal Nabu, and everyone grieves his loss. They all just hope, somehow, he is alive.

## Quotes

* "We're emissaries from Xassa. Our pack has been secluded for generations, but those days are over by mandate of our Cyrus. Today we're here simply to make ourselves known to the world...perhaps your leader would be interested in what we have to say? We'd love to speak to them, and perhaps rest our weary paws. It's been a long journey after all." (introducing his diplomats to Chandor, before Rajbera attacked, *Xassa and Chandor...Diplomacy?*)
* "I guess being foolhardy runs in the family, then. How does a wolf get that big and still not know how respect his elders? Now hush, the grown ups are talking." (to Anakoni, *Winter War Chapter 1, Group B*)

## External Links

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