It's the end of the 19th century and the end of an era. Humankind begins to expand into Mother Nature's domain, leading to disastrous consequences for the natives of the land. Many grow desperate to maintain their territory or stake their claim in any land in any way they can. As human settlement continues to threaten nature, the wolves of the five western states face a grueling decision: survival by all means necessary or die trying.
We are a semi-realistic, liquid-time, sandbox-esque wolf roleplay very loosely based off of the world of Red Dead Redemption II. Vestige offers a variety of diverse regions spanning five different states to explore, an automated shop, and user-led packs. How will you leave your pawprints on the world of Vestige?
WEATHER Snow finally arrives to the West with the arrival of winter! Ambarino's nights get colder and longer, while the states of West Elizabeth and New Hanover get their share of snowfall. New Austin and Lemoyne are spared from the frost, but there is a distinct, wintery chill in the air.
EVENTS Rumors spread of NEW PACKS FORMING throughout the five states. In addition, canines in the region of BIG VALLEY, WEST ELIZABETH are having more frequent run-ins with hunters seeking out prized commodities: wolf, coyote, and fox pelts to trade.
updates
PACK & STAFF TRYOUTS We are hosting staff tryouts HERE! Pack tryouts are also linked in our Events section on the left.
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With the passage of time so grew the young wolf's familiarity with the land she considered her home. It was vast and open, until suddenly it wasn't; flat until it was hilly; wild and natural until there was a settlement. Toxx didn't think she would ever truly grow used to the relative close proximity to humans, but as the days passed and became cooler she became a little more comfortable with it.
Tonight she found herself at a crossroads; at least, that's what she had heard it was. The eagles who frequented a large lake of sorts which the thin little wolf liked to swim in told her that these well-trodden paths most notable for their unusual width were called "roads". When multiple roads came together, it was a crossroads. Toxx thought this was a wonderful word, and sought out these locations on occasion to associate the word with the feel of the land beneath her paws as she trod across them. Every so often she would hear swift hoof-beats complimented by brief shouts, at which point, she would dart away anxiously; but for the most part all was calm and good. This crossroads she had stumbled upon early yesterday, and because it had grown so late in the morning, she had simply found a nice spot far off the side of the road to rest. For most of the afternoon and early evening, the wolf had explored along the various paths that converged at the crossroads, but now she stood in the center.
Had she a voice, she would howl. Nonetheless, she lifted her chin and smiled, eyes closed as she let the cool autumn wind rake through her fur and whistle past her ears.
Post by Maximilian on Dec 28, 2021 19:40:55 GMT -5
It felt like eons since he had last left the Tall Trees territory, and much, much longer since he had ventured into Big Valley. How many years could it have been? Not that many. Ain't you a lil' over three? Pushing three and a half, he resolved, though he wasn't quite sure himself; the number was a mere estimate at most.
Of course, leave it to Max Caputo to have arguments with himself in his head. Whatever, asshole. Point is, it hasn't been forever. It sure has felt like it. Since he last saw his family, he reckoned. After that incident, he ended up drifting further away from snowy Mount Shann's view and towards the towering redwoods, where he eventually made his home. So what brought him here, precisely? There was a simple answer: nothing, nothing at all. On a stable, calm day, Max had gone out for a walk to enjoy the absence of buzzing and clamor in his head. His journey took him past the Aurora Basin and, unknowingly, over the Upper Montana River, which he had mistaken for a lesser body of water until his wits came about him as the thunder of horse hooves grew louder and louder. Shit.
It was then that he realized exactly why he didn't visit Big Valley.
The male was flattened behind an impressively-large rock beside the roads, his head hesitantly peeking over from the side from time to time to let his anxious eyes dart around. Surely he was near some sort of human settlement, for the powerful scent of smoke was in the air and being carried towards him, albeit somewhere up the road. There was some distance between him and the nearest settlement, but Max knew that it didn't take much to spook a human and encourage them to sic a posse of hunters on horseback after him, eager to sell his pelt for a pretty penny or use it as a delightful carpet. He prepared himself to turn around and sneak off back into the forest, retreating back to the solace of Tall Trees, when something—someone—on the road caught his attention.
Is that...aw, fuck.
She couldn't be here. Especially not her. Not with her issues. Not with that pelt. They'll skin her alive to get it off her. Maximilian could not call himself attached to the loner that sat open the crossroads just now, but the overwhelming sense of pity that overcame him forced him to stay put, to try to get them both out of this situation intact. After all, if he was afraid of himself being caught by hunters and skinned, imagine what could be done to a wolf with purple fur. Truthfully he still was not aware of her history, her true capabilities, but he acted solely based on his own assumptions, which clearly stated that she was in just as much, if not much more, danger than he was. Especially sitting dead in the center of the crossroads.
Maximilian waited for the road to clear, one final horseback rider taking off towards the scent of smoke (whatever town they belonged in). Cautiously he jutted his head out from the rock, his eyes flickering about constantly to check for signs of life other than the loner. Her name? What the fuck is her name? GOD DAMN IT ALL.
A light switched on in his mind, enough for him to finally call to her, his voice timid and just barely a shouted whisper. "Psst, Toxx! Over here!" He shook his muzzle, gesturing for her to come over, only for him to pause at the realization. Nope, can't see you doin' that."Come here!"
// written assuming that at some point between their last thread Max had learned her name lol
Her ears flicked as a familiar voice touched them with a sense of urgency. Max? Past the distant sounds of hoofbeats and hollers which she had grown accustomed to - though they set her on edge - she listened again. There it was, Max's strained whisper. She wondered what he was up to, being this far from his own pack land; not that she was upset. Max's presence thus far had always been a welcome one, a sentiment which persisted this evening. He had been the first fellow wolf she had met since being forced to migrate to this unfamiliar land, and it had been purely a stroke of luck that the first wolf she had met had not tried to kill her on the spot. Oh yes, Toxx appreciated Max very much. So when he beckoned her over, she spent very little time in hesitation, turning and standing to plod carefully toward the sound of his voice and the distinct scent of his fur.
Beside stubbing her hind paw lightly on a rock, the thin little wolf made it over without issue, carrying herself confidently but carefully as she always did. She greeted the other with a soft smile and a tilt of her head after moving around the rock. Just as she did that, there came a howl. It was not a wolf howl, but the song of a hunt straight from the throat of a dog. Toxx had not met many dogs before, but she knew they were not like her, and they all had the lingering, overpowering scent of man. Wherever there was a dog, man was sure to be close behind, storming along loudly on those large beasts of burden. Suddenly, the air seemed colder to her, the wind spoke ominously as it whipped around her. She crouched momentarily, then bolted off in the opposite direction of the crossroads. Toxx vaguely knew which direction she had come from to get to this crossroads, so in following her own fading scent, she backtracked toward the lake, hoping that Max would either follow or split away to reach the safety of his own home. Secretly, she hoped for the former, he had only just arrived and she had been growing a little lonely once more.
A surge of relief instantly flowed through him when the loner's head snapped towards his direction, sparing no time to make her way towards him. Oh, thank goodness. He was wary of raising his voice much louder than his previous tone for fear of unwanted parties catching on and reacting aggressively. Fear had an iron grip upon the male at the moment, reducing this broad-shouldered, sturdy beast to a creature ducked behind a stone, desperate for undetected escape. He sunk even lower towards the ground as Toxx approached him.
"What d'ya think you're doing?" Max whispered, his tone bitter yet filled with a distinct concern for the other's safety. "Someone's gonna see ya out on those damn roads! They're gonna see your fur, an-and — oh, take no offense, your fur is very nice, very, ah, unique, but — look, y'gotta-"
He wasted too much time trying to explain his presence. It seemed that they had already been spotted.
A sharp noise that unlike a wolf's broke the air, interrupting the Alpha and prompting him to turn towards the source of the clamor as Toxx did. Too late."Shit," was all he could say. The settlement dogs were coming, and with them inevitably humans. Just as he had feared. Panic froze his paws to the ground, and he could only watch on in horror as the first hunting beast came onto the road, gnashing its fangs together in excitement as another one came chasing after it along the path. Max couldn't tell how many would be coming, but he had a strong feeling that they would be outnumbered soon. Breaking free from his trance, he glanced over to see...nothing. Toxx had already disappeared, a wise enough decision. His breath growing shallower, Maximilian forced his petrified paws to be put into motion, sending him in the opposite direction and into the trees, where he had gotten a whiff of the other wolf's scent.
He looked over his shoulder to see the first hunting dog still in pursuit, howling for the others to follow. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK! Turning forward, Max noticed the lake in the distance where Toxx's scent trail led to. There had to be some way around the lake, right? Either way, he had to get off her trail, lest he risked leading the dogs to her as well. At a certain tree the male made a sudden maneuver in sharply turning left where the loner once turned right, breaking off in the opposite direction and hopefully leading the dogs after him instead. Weaving through the clusters of trees amidst the thick forest, he was starting to distance himself from the sound of barking and war howls. It seemed they were off his trail, but he could only imagine that they got lost chasing him.
Anxious pants erupted from the male, and his alert gaze shifted back onto the lake. Now it was just a matter of meeting up with Toxx again.
Though not fully panicking - yet - Toxx thought about what Max had said before the hunt had begun. What was that about her fur? No one had ever really told her what she looked like. Color was a foreign concept to a blind wolf, and even before the sickness had taken her voice, she had not felt the need to ask. Vanity was simply burdensome. To be fair, her own concept of beauty was what she strove to be, and if she achieved that then it didn't matter what she looked like. Unfortunately, humans didn't seem to feel the same way, at least not the ones she had any memory of encountering or hearing about.
At the growing sounds of commotion the thin wolf raced forth, throwing caution to the wind and beating the same path back which she had made. It was the only way she'd know where to go in such a rush, but she knew it would also be harder to shake her pursuers this way. By the sound of it, Max had split off in a different direction and - by some divine intervention - had taken most of the hunting party with him. Toxx felt a little bad about it; she didn't wish this hunt on anyone, especially not her friend. But, she had very little time to think about it or feel strongly either way. This was life or death for both of them, now, and as long as the other wolf knew what he was doing and where he was going, she had faith that he'd stay alive. She, however... While she could not tell how many people and dogs were racing out into the wilds to chase down either of the two wolves, Toxx could tell that at least one person had broken from the hunting party to continue the pursuit. A set of hooves and the bay of a hound traveled quickly to deliver a message of utmost urgency to her. At this point, she could only run and hope to outwit the hunters.
A yell, followed soon after by a bang and an explosion of earth. Could she yelp, she would, as dust and debris flew into her face and punctuated the fear coursing through her. The hunters were catching up, and now gunshots pierced the air in almost a rhythm. Something whizzed by her ear so fast she thought she'd been hit, which spurred her on and caused her split-second decision to veer off in a different direction. Now she was on an unfamiliar path across unfamiliar terrain. Her stance shifted, and she slowed just in time for another shot to ring out and something to fly by her face. Skidding to a brief halt, she scrambled off in yet another direction. After a few slow seconds more, Toxx glanced off what she supposed was an enormous boulder and felt the ground beneath her paws change as she headed straight into a familiar smattering of trees. Her gait shifted once more, and she swerved around the rock formation she had just bumped into. From the other side, there could be no easy line of fire and from now on, she would have tree trunks and rocks to dive in and out of cover from. Even a sighted beast would have trouble keeping up as long as she kept weaving and running. As predicted, the moment the wolf reached a rocky hill, the hunting party fell further behind. The dog, whom had been allowed once more to chase closer once more, tripped around a bend, and the horse whinnied as it skidded to a halt and moved around to run a more stable path. Wherever Max was, Toxx hoped he was having good luck. Eventually, her pursuers gave up and left, but for a while now every step felt like fire on her paws. The exhaustion was settling in, washing over her as the adrenaline died down; every muscle ached, her paws were numb, and her mind was fuzzy. As she flopped onto the ground in the tall grass around several large rocks, she heaved and panted and listened to the crickets and the wind.
Burn (guest): Hello, just thought I'd say that this is a really awesome idea for a roleplay! Wolves and westerns are two of my favorite things; I'll definitely be stalking this! Best of luck with your roleplay ^^
Aug 12, 2021 14:06:24 GMT -5
psy: Thanks Burn! Feel free to hop in our Discord if you're interested in keeping up or if you have any questions ^^
Aug 12, 2021 18:02:29 GMT -5
Sacred Hearth: so i can't seem to post in affiliates as a guest. I already added your button to our website (sacredhearth.proboards.com) Was trying to get you guys to do the same
Aug 16, 2021 18:01:31 GMT -5