[A] The <Theatre of Blood>

A History of Blood:
Note: Most of the following is our history as it occurred on The Venture Co. before our servers were merged and was all roleplayed between 2009 and 2014 before we were connected. We've been here for awhile now, and I see no reason not to expand this section to include all of our history. Obviously, we're still keeping it concise; five years is a long time.

The Theatre of Blood was founded shortly after the events that unfolded on Outland by Master Assassin Eyriour Lolindar Seragon, who had previously trained and proven his expertise at Ravenholdt Manor. The Theatre of Blood was founded in order to serve the Alliance from the shadows in the war against the Horde, and was swiftly conscripted to Northrend to serve in the war against the Lich King. The Theatre swiftly rose from a small group of like-minded founders to an organisation of over 100 individual members. During this time, the Theatre of Blood relayed information about Lich King's forces to the Alliance Military, and after the Wrathgate were employed to keep tabs on Horde movements throughout the frozen continent; assassinating Horde spies and assassins, drawing the ire of the Horde Assassins the ‘Vile Thorn’, and tracking the Horde’s campaign against the Lich King. The work of the Theatre culminated in the Storm Peaks, where a withdrawal of Alliance forces from the plains around K3, on Theatre intelligence, saved a Darnassian regiment led by the enigmatic Commander Fey from Horde ambush. Several members of the regiment, including brothers Naroma and Valik Herandir, applied for transfers from the Sentinels and joined the Theatre of Blood.
Back home, the Theatre's newly appointed Director, Skaraa Mikolaas, stood secretly within a group of Alliance home defence organisations called the ‘Last Alliance’ led by the experienced Dwarven mountaineer; Snoggi Firebeard. Their works with these organisations lead to campaigns against the Horde across northern Kalimdor, the Eastern Kingdoms, and even Outland.
With the attack on Icecrown Citadel the Theatre's founder Eyriour Seragon, and several experienced warriors, departed the Theatre to join an elite group of Alliance warriors known only as 'Nemesis'. Master Tharnenheim Stormhammer was left in charge of the Theatre in Eyriour’s stead. Master Tharnenheim was a Dwarvern 'noble' of a minor family, and as such his political machinations kept him preoccupied from the intricacies of running an Assassins Guild; leaving the day-to-day organisation to the Director Skaraa Mikolaas. It was during this period that the Theatre was deployed against a Burning Legion cult known infamously as 'The Dead Rose';  victories against this secretive organisation were modest, but a combined effort of Alliance home defence forces eventually lead to the death of their demonic leader. An Infiltrator within the shattered Rose was planted and, whether or not due to the Theatre, the organisation has never been heard from publicly again. With the death of the Lich King, the Theatre’s funding by the Alliance Military suffered, and it was at this moment when the Vile Thorn struck; assassinating Theatre spies, and crushing their safe house network. With the Theatre crippled, ‘Order 666’ was sent out to all Theatre operatives, instigating them to become sleeper agents and lay low until summoned.

With the coming of the Cataclysm the Herandir brothers were recalled to their old regiment to serve with Commander Fey in the defence of the hallowed Mount Hyjal, and Eyriour Seragon was announced MIA upon those same slopes. Director Skaraa Mikolaas, during his work against the Dead Rose, had befriended a Troll Voodoo Priest, a mage, by the name of Zulgenji Gen’Zultuk – they both held a deep longing for peace between the Alliance and the Horde, and so they worked together in an attempt to further that end; some of this work was sufficient to mark Skaraa as a traitor to the Alliance, years later. It is hard to say precisely when Skaraa fell into madness, but over the coming Cataclysm he began work against another Burning Legion threat; an insane Night Elf Warlock named Chagidien. At some stage, he became morbidly obsessed with preparing Azeroth for the prophesised final battle between the Holy Light and the Dark; several less reputable Theatre Assassins were called out of hiding and were directed against citizens of the Alliance whom Skaraa felt burdened his preparation efforts. Most notably, Isidore Sinnette became a notorious serial killer within the area of Ironforge and Stormwind. Skaraa had spent much of this time Infiltrating a private army known as the ‘Wardens of Azeroth’ and held a Commander rank within their organisation, all to further his own ends. As the Mists were unveiled upon Pandaria, Naroma Herandir returned to the Theatre of Blood; bringing with him the son of the Theatres founder, Eyri Seragon. Eyri was trained by Skaraa to become a warrior of which is father would be proud, and together Eyri and Naroma discovered the depraved depths to which Skaraa had fallen. Ultimately the reason for his promotion to Director, his meticulous obsession with paperwork, was the reason for his downfall and the two discovered proof of his treason against the Alliance. Capturing the scholar and bringing him before the people of Stormwind, Skaraa Mikolaas was hung for the crimes of; conspiracy, assault, use of forbidden magic, murder, resisting arrest, and treason.
The fabled, and now retired, Commander Fey sent an ambassador of Darnassus to the trial, and combined with the works of various Theatre military veterans, the Darnassian pressure upon the Stormwind Noble Courts were sufficient to grant Naroma a single chance to change the way that history would remember the Theatre of Blood. Master Tharnenheim, who had allowed such treason to go on unnoticed beneath him, was deposed and Master Assassin Naroma Heradir took control over the Theatre of Blood on court order. ‘Order 636’ was initiated across all former Theatre Agents, and a few steadfast spies and assassins returned from their sleeper status to serve the organisation once again.

With this new dynasty of the Theatre’s leadership, Naroma planted Eyri Seragon as the new Arbiter of Blood; a leader of the guilds Assassins. Tharnenheim was, generously, made a Director of Theatre spying operations. It was under this leadership that the Theatre entered into a new era of their history, under SI:7’s watchful eye; over the following year, the Theatre of Blood assaulted multiple Horde outposts across Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. They sabotaged the oil operations of the Horde in Stranglethorn Vale and Domination Point, struck against the magisters of the Sunreaver Onslaught, and even peacefully ended a feud between two Stormwind Noble Houses. Finally, they weakened the defences of Bilgewater Harbour in preparation for the Alliance sea assault against Orgrimmar. They had proven themselves, just as on Northrend so many years before, to be loyal members of the Alliance. In the wake of the Siege on Orgrimmar by main Alliance and Horde rebellion forces, the Theatre occupied itself with assassination of remnant Kor’kron loyalists across the continents. Now, the Theatre has turned its attention to the clans of the Iron Horde; fighting upon the front lines just as it did in its glory days against the Horde and the Lich King…

Theme of Events:
The majority of our events are aimed at moving against the enemies of the Alliance, most often the Horde. Typically a series of events are broken down as follows (all pre-planned events at least partially use a DMed and rolling system. Though we try to use common sense over rolls, where applicable. You're not liable to miss a shot from point blank range into an Ogre, for instance):

Meeting of Blood - Meetings are generally once a week, and it will be at a meeting that a mission (whether planned by the Theatre or ordered by their superiors) will be presented.

Scouting Missions - Once a target has been chosen, a scouting plan will be put into action. This is where our spies show their worth. They will go out in their own time during the week (as "random RP") and scout out the area where an assassination or other such mission will be taking place. They will need to avoid notice and identify routes in (and out) of the area, this is vital for the next stage of planning. We have some very good strategists in the guild at current; each scouting mission presents a puzzle that these members, and you, will overcome.

Meeting of Blood - This gives members the chance to take part in planning, for better or for worse. Failure is, importantly, always an option; poor plans and execution are justly defeated, whilst initiative and fast-thinking are greatly rewarded. This is where the information obtained in the scouting is brought to the forefront. You don't have to remember everything; things will have been noted down ready to prompt you if you forget something that your character surely knows from the previous weeks scouting.

Operation - This is where everything comes together; execution is key here. If you've come up with a bad plan or missed something vital whilst scouting, this is where it most certainly will come back to bite you. Failure is always an option, you may get out alive; but at what cost? You don't get payed for major screw-ups, and getting a bollocking from a government official always leaves a foul taste in your superior's mouth. Success, however, is greatly rewarded; promotions, monetary bonuses, spoils that you may have found before extraction, and new equipment are all up for grabs for a distinguished spy or assassin. Not to mention knowing you've been sticking it to the Horde!

RP-PvP Events - We'd love to get involved in much more of these now that we're on a larger (connected) server. With our old rivals The Vile Thorn just around the metaphorical corner, who knows what lies in store for the Theatre in terms of PvP? We have OOC points of contact in several Horde guilds on Defias Brotherhood and are greatly interested in establishing more, so these will hopefully soon to be a semi-often occurrence.

Ranks and Progression:
What could be considered OOC privileges such as bank use and gold allocation increase steadily as you increase in IC rank, this is to account for the time you have likely spent in the guild and subsequent increased level of trust.

Contact - A contact is an OOC member of the guild, used primarily for alts, this ensures that members have a place to put their leveling characters and provides a stepping stone for those joining the guild for the first time.

Apprentice – An Apprentice is an initiate to the order. They will be trained in the philosophy of the code, stealth, combat, and various other useful skills. They must prove their worth before being progressed onto one of two trees; the Path of Blood, or the Path of the Theatre. ((OOCly this could be considered our trial rank, though we use it primarily as its RP purpose describes)).

The Path of Blood (Assassin Tree):

• Assassin – A trained killer with a passion for dealing justice under the Theatres code. A Theatre Assassin is a force to be reckoned with. Assassins make up the very backbone of the order and are expected follow the Theatres code of honour.
  
• Bloodletter – An elite amongst their own, a Bloodletter is an extremely skilled individual who will uphold the code at any cost. Justice is swift by their hand. Bloodletters are expected to show leadership qualities, most often by taking a Shade or Assassin under their wing.
  
• Overseer - Arbitor – An Arbitor, or Arbitor of Blood, is a guild official. They are distinguished in their path, and display great leadership qualities. Being made an Arbitor is the greatest honour that the Master Assassin can bestow upon a Theatre member, with this honour comes great responsibility. ((Overseer is an OOC and IC Officer rank)).
  

The Path of the Theatre (Spy Tree):

• Spy – A Spy could be a kindly old man who frequents the local tavern, or a shadow-skulker who watches the movements of their target from the tops of roofs, or the dark corners of alleyways. A spy is always on the job, listening out for useful information. All spies within the order are expected to keep their affiliation a secret where possible.
  
• Infiltrator – Infiltrators are more than just the eyes and ears of the order, they are skilled and talented at hiding in plain sight. An infiltrator no longer requires the shadows to stalk their target, and may even hold positions of power in the organisation that they are tasked to observe.
  
• Overseer - Director – A Director takes under them the responsibility of paperwork, filing, and distribution of information. They may not become a full-time ‘desk jockey’ but they know that the paperwork is the legs upon which the Path of the Theatre stands. They are experienced leaders, and hold the Theatre together with their endless work. ((Overseer is an OOC and IC Officer rank)).
  

The Path of the Specialist (Support Tree):

• Operative – An Operative could be a tavern worker or all manner of other citizen who supplies either resources or information to the Theatre of Blood. They might also be messengers or gryphon masters - keeping the guild afloat with their supportive roles. Operatives may one day become a spy or assassin, and receive training during their time working with the Theatre.
  
• Specialist – Specialists gather supplies, provide portals, and support the guild in its efforts both on and off the battlefield. They might be an adept spellcaster, an engineer or blacksmith, or some other artisan with qualities as diverse as the rank itself.
  
• Overseer - Quartermaster – A Quartermaster is a procurer of fine items and important resources. They take upon themselves a supportive role within the Theatre; providing equipment, intelligence, and all manner of mission-essential assets. They are experienced leaders, and provide the Theatre with everything it needs in the battle against the Horde. ((Overseer is an OOC and IC Officer rank)).
  

Master Assassin – If the trees were the lungs of the order, then the Master Assassin would be its heart – the Master Assassin binds the rest of the order together and reserves the final say in all major decisions. Directors and Arbitors answer only to the Master of the Theatre, and advise him in their respective specialties. ((This is our OOC Admin/IC Guild Leader rank)).

The Code and Philosophy of the Theatre
The advent of the Code marked the criminal beginnings of the Theatre of Blood, under the Director Skaraa Mikolaas; a chaotic individual determined to prepare Azeroth for the final battle between the Light and the Dark. The code was used extensively as a brainwashing technique, forcing members to recite it multiple times daily and enforce its philosophy into their lives.
The code no longer holds such sway over the Theatre of Blood or her assassins, but remains in some mild, and slightly altered, capacity all the same. The code is as follows:

Honour, to my enemy and to my superior.
Loyalty, to my cause and to my Theatre.
Truth, to aquire and to uphold.
Justice, to be swift by my hand.
These are the creeds of our order, these are our virtues.
No innocent need ever fear our blades.

In a nutshell, the code is pretty simple; respect your enemies corpse, respect your leaders, be loyal to the Theatre of Blood, seek knowledge and truth (in other words, keep your ears and eyes open for useful information), don't lie to your superiors, and don't be afraid to get your hands dirty. Most importantly, don't kill innocent people. We're not common cut-throats and murderers, in fact, we look down on that kind of thing. We are military assassins and spies.
How do we define innocence, you ask? If you don't have a bounty on your head and you're not a fighting member of the Horde, you're probably innocent. No killing baby Orcs or random commoners. Orcish Peons are situation debatable, Forsaken are never innocent, and generally holding a weapon is a ticket to a dagger in your back. Assassins are expected to use their common sense in this matter; there is a difference between murder and military assassination - or that is the stance of the Theatres leaders.

Recruitment and IC Membership

We accept all races and classes into our fold. Everyone; be they a bartender, medic, warrior, or full-blown Archmage, have a unique skill set which can be useful to the Theatre and its operations.

The Theatre of Blood pays all of its spies and assassins through secret bank accounts and/or dead drops. This is to ensure the identity of members are kept secret, which is most important to our spies and particularly our infiltrators. Assassins are payed bonuses for successful jobs, and can be deducted payment for major failures. Likewise spies may be granted bonuses and deductions for their work in the field but generally have a much more steady income.

All members of the Theatre are granted a single gold coin upon their full initiation; this coin is blank on one side and inscribed upon the other with the Theatre symbol and the word 'THEATRE'. This coin is enchanted, and capable of calling the Theatres Arcane Familiar; a rather tricky character who relays orders to agents in the field and is capable of anchoring incoming portals from Theatre magi - used primarily for transportation purposes (note that opening a portal takes too long to be an effective means of extraction from a hostile area).
Minor Note: Obtaining one of these coins from say; a dead assassin,  is pretty simple, and as such they represent a security risk to the Theatres operations; though the Arcane familiar isn't stupid, he also knows about recent and past orders and could potentially be coaxed into giving away some of this information - Poke me OOC if you want to take advantage of that.

The Theatre's history with experienced mages means that their Headquarters is magically warded, though it is to be noted here that I consider merely rubbing out the wards to be a very effective way to bypass them (sounds simpler than it is, but there are multiple ways to break in). Again, poke me if you want to break in to our Headquarters - which you can locate by yourself IC, I'm giving nothing away here.

Our current officers are:
Master Assassin Naroma Herandir
Arbitor of Blood Eyri Seragon
Director of the Theatre Tharnenheim Stormhammer, Director of the Azerothian Spy Network
Director of the Theatre Oacenth, Director of Draenor Scouting Operations
Director of the Theatre Webbles Boozeboat, Quartermaster