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The Cartel

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The Cartel was a small, coyote-run drug cartel, presently a group of ex-Infernians and ruffians down on their luck, banded together for companionship and survival. They later joined with the Drygrass Posse to form the pack, Del Cenere Gang.

1.  History

1.1  Early Foundations

Formed in the aftermath of Inferni's disbandment, the Cartel has its origins in the thoughts and ideas of dissenters under Vicira Tears' rule -- including her own children. As the clan suffered from flooding, illness, and famine, discontent spread. Boone Lykoi declared his desire to overthrow his mother or desert Inferni, but the idea remained only an idea for some time.

On August 1st, 2018, Vicira disbanded Inferni. That night, she unexpectedly abandoned the remaining coyotes, with her mate Redtooth leaving in search of her. When neither returned, the small group (many of whom intended to part ways with the other stragglers) properly banded together. They crossed the mountains into The Dampwoods in search of security and better hunting grounds, only for the lean times to follow them.

In early November, 2018, the Cartel suffers a heavy blow when Merari Tears and Laurel del Bosque take off on their own to parts unknown. Shortly after Jethro Lykoi and Marlowe de le Poer also disappear without a trace. Magpie Trouillefou and Ichabod Bertram vanished shortly after, leaving the infant-staged Cartel to struggle. Mid November, 2018: Tamara de le Poer arrived and is taken into the Cartel's ranks as La Águila, The Eagle. Briarblack is also spotted, and roped back into the fold under the title El Halcón. Johnathan Winthrop finds young Larka - around the same time Rozenn is found, shortly by her companion, Noel Priyantha, and they're brought into the Cartel's fold. Bolstered with new numbers, the Cartel moved to Searsport that winter.

1.2  Growing Members

Dahlia de le Poer starts making regular visits to the Cartel, after discovering them, despite being tied to Salsola at the time. After a time, she joins up with their ranks, at the expense of their feeling of safety, and urges the group to move north, where they then settle at the northern point of Moosehead Lake. Lyssa Fontaine meets Cartel members in the search for the defunct Inferni, and they gradually welcome her in.

After settling in with The Cartel, Dahlia later returned to Inferni's old territory in The Waste to convince her half-sister, Hope Lykoi, to join the band. Hope agrees.^[1]

Dahlia also points Skeleton Key and Carnivore Creed toward The Cartel in early 2019, but it takes until April for Skeleton to finally join. He parts ways with his longtime traveling companion and sister Carnivore following a bitter disagreement.

1.3  Dawning Realisation

In late April, to celebrate the changing of the seasons, and newfound allies, members of The Cartel hold a dinner to get to know the Drygrass Posse. Members collect the snacks^{[2] [3]} and prepare for the party.^{[4] [5] [6]} During the dinner, members of the two groups realize that strange occurences have been popping up throughout the territory.^[7]

Strange things start to unfold throughout the week while members of the two groups investigate. Members discover a horse, still in full-tack, wandering through the woods,^{M [8]}, a camp is discovered, evidence of fighting in the newly-discovered camp are uncovered,^{M [9]}, a dead coyote-looking woman is found hanging from a tree,^{M [10]}, a loner is chased off in a rainstorm,^{M [11]}, and a wolf is interrogated.^{M [12]} These uncomfortable events all precede the final horrifying message: Calhoun Escuella's body is lashed to a horse, beheaded, and then his head placed in the saddle and sent to The Cartel and the Posse as a warning.^{M [13]} The two groups host a funeral for Calhoun.^[14]

1.4  War Rages

Still reeling from Calhoun's cruel murder-turned-warning, Solomon James and Pippin Hamer strike again to set the camp aflame.^{[15], [16]}

2.  Membership

The Cartel does not have ranks or hierarchy -- rather, characters are titled by their animal nicknames. The names arose as a joke made by Laurel and caught on, and may in the future serve as code names.

2.1  Current Members

Boone Lykoi, El Gallo (The rooster) Nazario del Bosque, El Zorro (The fox) Dahlia de le Poer, La Paloma (The dove) Larka, La Alondra (The lark) Lyssa Fontaine, La Cierva (The deer) Johnathan Winthrop, El Burro (The donkey) Skeleton Key, El Guyo (The weasel) Clover, La Perra (The dog) Vesper, La Abuela (The grandma) (NPC) Ronald Winthrop?, El Perezoso (The sloth) (NPC) Briarblack, El Halcón (The falcon) (NPC) Hope Lykoi, El Conejo (The rabbit) (NPC)

2.2  Former Members

• Magpie Trouillefou, El Mapache (The raccoon)
• Merari Tears, La Cerda (The pig)
• Laurel del Bosque, La Tortuga (The turtle) (NPC)
• Jethro Lykoi, El Gato (The cat)
• Marlowe de le Poer, El Caballo (The horse) (NPC)
• Ichabod Bertram, El Cuervo (The raven)
• Rozenn, La Serpiente (The snake)
• Laurentius Astora, La Luciérnaga (The firefly)
• Tamara de le Poer, La Águila (The eagle)
• Noel Priyantha, El Pez (The fish) (NPC)

2.3  Thread Log

2018

• [M] Sic Semper Tyrannus (July)
  Boone gathers conspirators (who will later form the Cartel) and decries Vicira's leadership.
• [M] Like anger, like smoke from an unseen fire (August)
  The group of coyotes band together, preparing to leave old Inferni territory.
• a dark wood where the straight way was lost (September)
  Jethro comes across a stranger who has connections to Inferni.

2019

• I know that apocalypse, that was where your heart is (January)
  Skeleton and Carnivore meet Dahlia. After some discussion, Dahlia tells the siblings about The Cartel. Skeleton is intrigued, but Carnivore is not yet convinced.
• I can't decide, whether you should live or die (March)
  Julius catches Dahlia planning her departure from Salsola and confronts her about it.
• It's not easy having yourself a good time (March)
  After Dahlia realizes that a member in Salsola has discovered her defection, she alerts Nazario and Boone. They decide to move the loner band to Moosehead Lake.
• Lost at Moosehead Lake (April)
  In her search to find Inferni, Lyssa comes across The Cartel instead, and joins the loner band.
• Nothing more, Nothing less (Spring)
  Dahlia asks Hope to join her in The Cartel; Hope agrees.
• Members of The Cartel and the Drygrass Posse collect snacks for the dinner. (April)
  • [M] In the snow or the rain or the ice cold wind
  • [M] In the truth we pursue
• Members of The Cartel and the Drygrass Posse prepare for the dinner. (April)
  • The past, she is haunted, the future is laced
  • her room is painted heron blue
  • Coco Bolivia
• but with it comes the knowledge of everything (April)
  During the dinner, members of the two groups realize that strange occurences have been popping up throughout the territory.
• Strange things start to unfold throughout the week while people investigate!
  • [M] have I ever told you 'bout the time I - (April 29)
    A lone horse, still in full-tack, is wandering the woods alone. A fleabitten mare with a gentle disposition, she certainly doesn't seem the sort to be turned out feral, but before further investigations can be made, she wanders back off into the forests from whence she came.
  • TBD (April 29)
    A camp has turned up, and while there are a myriad of scents there, a recent rain has washed much of it away. Swinging from some branches, though, are bloodied, soiled bandages; whoever was wearing them must not be in a good way. In a half-buried satchel, there's a series of wire snares.
  • [M] The Slip (April 30)
    West of the Cartel's camp, signs of a scuffle are evident. There's three scents here, one of which seems to smell coyote, but it's hard to tell amidst the smell of turned-up earth and mud and coppery blood - it seems fresh, perhaps a day old, and there's all manner of tufts of silvery hair thrown about. Nearby, further up a hill, there's rope.
  • [M] Thurday, 2nd May (May 2)
    A grisly discovery is made.
  • [M] And Storms Will Surely Come (May 3)
    A tiny camp is made to settle in at night, to wait out a storm. It's dark, and the fire can't seem to stay lit - the deluge picks up, and it gets hard to hear. Someone else is there. A scuffle ensues - and someone ends up with a minor injury, though the assailant is chased off, worse for wear. He vanishes, beneath the cover of night and heavy rainfall.
  • [M] the debt un-reconciled (May 4)
• [M] strange hands halted me, the looming shadows danced
  Calhoun Escuella's body is sent to the Posse's camp as a message.
• And we'll all go together (May 17)
  The Posse and The Cartel hold a funeral for Calhoun.
• With the warning still fresh on everyone's minds, conflict strikes.
  • [M] minute to midnight, don't be late (May 20)
    Solomon James and Pippin Hamer set fire to the camp. Johnathan Winthrop and Skeleton Key respond.
  • when the clock strikes twelve, does today become tomorrow (May 20)
    Nazario del Bosque, Boone Lykoi, and Dahlia de le Poer try to put out the fire.
• Conflict follows throughout the week, and the attackers are now identified.
  • I'm a little saint, I'm a little sinner
  • red stain on the grain of the timbers
  • i'll give the law a little shock, remember what i say (May 21)
• [M] there's a dead man in the back (May 26)
  An ambush fails, and the coyotes enjoy a minor victory.
• sooner or later God will cut you down (June 5)
  The Coyotes band together for safety, and strategy for their survival, and start discussing things such as leadership and community.
• Wolves have been harassing, and menacing the coyotes, but they drastically underestimate who it is that they're tangling with. With their camps partially destroyed, their spirits rattled, but their attackers now known, the coyotes double down in their defense. These wolves won't know what hit 'em.
  • TBD
    Rather than wait for the wolves to come to them, the coyotes start doing a little reconnaissance of their own! Fortifying their camps, and scouting out into the wilderness for signs of their hunters, the aim is to keep low, keep hidden, and keep track of these assailants.
  • TBD
    Nothing tells others to go away quite like making the land inhospitable. Find the wolves' old hiding spots, or camps, and thoroughly destroy them. Set traps, and conceal them. Better yet, leave warnings, as they sent to the Posse's camp - the coyotes won't be trifled with any longer.
  • [M] Reckoner (June 7)
    Some of these trespassers stray too close to some of the coyotes. Perhaps they should've been more aware, because the coyotes saw them first.
  • TBD
    Desperate, and furious, the wolves retaliate, but the attacks are thwarted. Thank God for the buddy system.
  • TBD (June 15)
    With nothing left, and shaken by the resolve of their quarry, Solomon James is baited into his final confrontation.