*CLOSED* [H] <Vile Thorn> - Rogue Only - RP/PvP

After discussion with the Officers and a few Thorns, we've agreed on a slight change of direction for Vile Thorn.  This marks the start of a more role-play return to what we do, be it interactions, missions or PvP in the open world.  I felt we needed a purpose, so this is it.

I've written it up in the form of a story as it seemed the easiest way to explain it.  For info, Arli was once part of a 'Shattered Hand' group a long while ago run by Kaigron here on Defias, they were sort of the opposites to SI:7 at that time.  For those that hate poorly written stories that go on a bit, I've put a TL;DR at the end that you can use instead

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Arli paused, blinked and shook his head to clear it as he stepped away from the portal that had brought him from Ashran to Orgrimmar in a matter of seconds.  He was used to portals of course, being sin'dorei they had always been the preferred method for travelling any sort of distance and their use was commonplace.  However, the one from Draenor seemed to use a more raw form of magic - most likely because of the time travel element - and most travellers felt disorientated or even physically sick after using it.   Squinting a little as his eyes became accustomed to the darkness of the Cleft of Shadows, Arli started his way up the ramp that would lead him into the city itself.  It was rare that he visited Orgrimmar, it was too tribal and too dusty for his sin'dorei tastes.  However, the portal to Undercity was out of action so it was the circuitous route to Silvermoon, via Orgrimmar, or another goddam night in the prison camp they called his Garrison base.  He was looking forward to a comfortable bed, food that didn't stare at him as it was cooked over an open fire and most of all, bathroom facilities that didn't consist of thawed snow to wash in and a plank over a hole in the ground for everything else.  His rented room in Sab's apartment in Silvermoon had never seemed so luxurious as it did right now.

As he made his way towards the lift that would take him to the Zeppelin landing towers, he became aware of heavy footsteps behind him, first two, then four, his hands instinctively twitching as they itched to reach for his blades. He glanced over his shoulder briefly, just enough to see that four of the Orgrimmar guards were but a few paces behind him.  Arli kept walking, his brow furrowing slightly with concern as another four guards appeared ahead, marching towards him with the same steady step. "Paranoid"...he murmured to himself, altering his course to walk around the line of orcs, his brow furrowing further as the guards ahead mirrored his action and then stopped a few feet ahead of him, the footsteps behind similarly came to a halt.

"Easy way or hard way" grunted one of the Orcs as he stepped forward, the markings on his armour indicating his seniority of rank.

Arli casually looked around him, peering up, to each side and then glancing down before looking back at the Orc with a small smile.  The orc reached for his axe, his companions similarly drawing their weapons.  Arli's smile broadened "spooked em" he thought to himself with satisfaction before replying "Easy, of course".

The room was sparse, just a solid wooden table with two wooden chairs, on one of which slouched Arli who was doing his best to look calm, relaxed and not at all concerned by his surroundings.  The inner Arli however was frantically trying to figure out just why he was now left alone in what looked suspiciously like an interrogation room deep into the cliff-sides of Orgrimmar.  His comms had been taken as had all visible daggers, throwing blades and poisons, leaving him sparsely equipped with just the daggers slipped in his boot lining and the throwing knives secured on the underside of his belt.  He hoped that he wouldn't need them.  Arli didn't turn around as the door behind him opened, three sets of footsteps walked across the room, two stopping just behind him as a familiar looking Orc continued past him and sat in the chair opposite.  Placing a couple of plain folders to the side of him as he leaned forward and rested his clasped hands on the table as he fixed Arli with his gaze.

"Serrar"

"Not used that call-sign for a long while, discharged from service if you recall"

"Don't play the naive young elf with me" he replied "you know how it works when you are in service of the Shattered Hand."

Arli straightened up from his slouch and leaned on the table, copying the stance of his former senior "..and you know that it was always a temporary arrangement, you were fully aware that I'd return to Vile Thorn"

"Indeed and now you are Thorn Master"

Arli didn't reply, it was spoken as a statement of fact and he knew that they would have kept some sort of tabs on him after he left.

"You are of use to us" continued the Orc "...as are the unit you command"

Arli smiled and shook his head "No deal, my Thorns are independent, we don't work for the Horde......or against them either" he added quickly, aware of how literal some Orcs could take things.

The Orc placed the first file in front of Arli and opened the folder, one by one he spread out the sets of stapled pages in front of the elf and then sat back in silence.  Arli kept his face expressionless as he scanned across the sets of sheets, each headed with a summary of the contents - many showing the less than legitimately Horde contracts they had fulfilled, some mentioning work for Alliance organisations and some listing missing or dead Horde personnel with the chief suspects of their demise being Vile Thorn.  

Arli looked up at the Orc "..and?  We're mercenaries, we fulfill contracts...don't tell me Shattered Hand has never done a few deals that it wouldn't want heralded across the Orgrimmar noticeboards?"

The Orc took the second folder, opened it and placed it in front of Arli.  Arli's expressionless facade faltered as the picture of Robi, his long-time former Alliance lover, stared up at him with the words "Robinas Zaoldyeck - SI:7 Operative" printed in bold type underneath.  He stared at the words "SI:7", all these years, all the stories he'd told her and all of the decisions he'd talked over with her about Thorns and there it was;

"S..I...feckin'...7?"

"Serrar, you insult us both with the games you're playing right now" said the Orc with an annoyed tone.

Arli quickly composed himself "...so what if I was seeing her?  It was to..er..gain information" he answered falteringly.

The Orc nodded curtly, either ignoring or not noticing Arli's hesitation in his reply "Yet we saw nothing from you, no reports, nothing."

Arli shrugged "She isn't very senior" he replied matter of factly

The Orc reached and pointed to Robi's rank, clearly typed underneath her name "Really..."

Arli shrugged again.  "Fel...how could I not have known she was in SI:7?" he thought to himself incredulously.  "All the long visits to Stormwind, the way she always changed the subject when he asked how the trips had been...fel..."

"This doesn't look good for you, Serrar, nor for your Thorns.  Evidence linking the Thorns to sabotage of Horde resources and the disappearance of key Horde personnel, evidence of them providing assistance to Alliance...enough to hang you and all of your Thorns without even mentioning this...." he said as he tapped the picture of Robi "...regular, unauthorised and unreported contact with a ranked SI:7 operative"

Arli stared at his clasped hands as the Orc collated the paper and closed the folders.  

"As I was saying, Serrar, we have need of your assistance now that you have reached, and maintained, the rank of Thorn Master"

Arli looked up at the Orc and nodded slowly.

"There are certain tasks for which my operatives cannot in any way be associated, some of which may carry a risk that I find unacceptable for my agents.  I believe you and your unit of Thorns will fulfill that gap in provision of service to the Horde.  In return, you are allowed to continue operating providing that your blades do not turn against those whom you ultimately serve.  Is that understood?".

"Sure...on the understanding that you have no direct control or command over the Thorns nor do you task them directly.  I will fulfill contracts any way I choose...and..."

The Orc tilted his head slightly in question.

"...you pay us.  This has to look like contract work as some Thorns won't take too kindly to working for the Horde again".

"Very well"

"...and you keep out of my personal affairs."

The Orc grunted non-commitally as he stood up.

"Gentlemen, see our Thorn guest out of the premises"

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TL;DR

We work for the Shattered Hand indirectly, they have no authority over us directly but can assign us missions.  The reason we do this is because they just have too much damning info on all the bad stuff we've done in the past.

This guild always makes want a belf rogue.

Thats one great story! Keep up the good work.

Shadows protect!

The decision has been made to move Vile Thorn to Argent Dawn as of 13th March.

Shadows protect,
Arli