#◜❝ 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙷𝙾𝚄𝙽𝙳𝚂. ⟩⟩ what doesn’t kill me makes me vicious. ❞◞

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tag dump #1

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the hounds are divided into a few main categories. of course, there is col, who is undoubtedly in command and makes all final decisions. and then there is azzy, who is second-in-command and can make most of the same decisions col might, or handle situations and meetings in his stead. and then there are the handlers - people who are in charge of a smaller subset of hunters. handlers have several years of experience under their belt, and are hand-picked by col and azzy to ensure loyalty. from there, hounds are divided into catch dogs and bay dogs. catch dogs are people who can handle the actual fight. like their namesake, they can hold their quarry in one place until their handler comes to see the job finished. bay dogs are people who gather information. they're good at blending into the normal population and traveling at a moment's notice to keep their eyes on various targets. any info gathered by them goes straight into a private database. last known location, new updates, relationships - everything is information to them that could possibly be utilized in the future. there's no fact too minor for them. a handler's group often skews towards more catch dogs then bay dogs, but there will always be both. all handlers are meant to ensure the loyalty of the hunters underneath them. a trickle-down effect that keeps the entirety of the hounds loyal to col. and subsequently, azzy.

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the hounds have been operating for hundreds of years. during that time col has absolutely pushed any development that could help them, and provided whatever he could if an initial pitch was good enough. there is a reason that, despite being mostly human-run, the hounds have been as successful as they have been.

one of these tools developed for their arsenal is a toxin that goes by many names: witchbane, magebane, magicbane, etc. it's effective at nulling a person's magic for ~12 hours. there's not much too it during that time, besides the panic a person might feel being cut off from something integral to them.

the worst side effects comes when it's wearing off, as many witches experience a terrible hot, painful sensation in the chest as well as an itching, burning feeling in the arms described as 'beneath the skin.' many victims have itched and scratched themselves raw and bloody due to it, and some carry scabs and fresh scarring on their inner arms from recent experiences with the toxin. other symptoms as it wears off include nausea and disorientation.

those are the lucky ones, however. the ones who got away. the unlucky ones were the ones who were defenseless during those first twelve hours, when the hounds came knocking.

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kind of referencing this post, the hounds are subdivided into many small groups, all of which consist of 3-5 hunters who are, nonetheless, skilled, but less experienced than their handler. like hounds hunting big game, they are there to harass, harry, distract, trap, injure, etc. they are there to distract until someone (their handler) significantly more experienced arrives to finish the job.

handlers are always chosen by both col and azzy, as well as trained by one/both of them. it is an unspoken requirement that a handler has loyalty to the both of them, and that the handler has the loyalty of the hounds working under them - a trickle-down effect that keeps the hounds a solid, working unit.

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this is why the hounds are called the hounds and io is always given the symbolism of a wild animal (wolf, lion, etc)

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before I get into anything about azzy, it's important to know about the hounds. centuries ago, lucius had the goal of trying to keep supernatural, non-human beings safe and to deliver justice where it was needed. all under the table, of course. somewhere along the way, between unsatisfied followers, his son, and his own murder, it was twisted into the supernatural hunting organization known as the hounds. the hounds have world-wide operations. they defer to their own people first, but allow non-hound hunters the opportunities to cash in on their own hunts if the hounds' bounty on the individual was claimable. the hounds work like this: there is their leader, col salvienus. lucius's son and driven by the same fervent ambition he had been driven by. he is also iovita's son, and is driven by the same blinding, hair-trigger anger they are. he is also CEO of venator, a maritime shipping company that allows his hunters other jobs, and provides funding for the hounds. there is his second-in-command, a human with... several names. his birth name is nothing but a memory. he likes to be called azzy. he was very lost in life, for a long time. col gave him a purpose. he is also the startlingly young COO of venator. handlers are people in charge of sub-groups of hunters. handlers are hand-picked by col and azzy to ensure loyalty. they are also trained by older hounds, and often azzy himself. in a handler's group are two kinds of people: catch dogs are people who can handle the actual fight. like their namesake, they can hold their quarry in one place until their handler comes to see the job finished. bay dogs are people who gather information. they’re good at blending into the normal population and traveling at a moment’s notice to keep their eyes on various targets. any info gathered by them goes straight into a private database. last known location, new updates, relationships - everything is information to them that could possibly be utilized in the future. there’s no fact too minor for them. a handler’s group often skews towards more catch dogs then bay dogs, but there will always be both. all handlers are meant to ensure the loyalty of the hunters underneath them. a trickle-down effect that keeps the entirety of the hounds loyal to col.

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          col decided to call the hounds, the hounds because he views the dog as a hunter’s best tool. even the most terrifying quarry can be frightened by the right thing. hounds can hold down wolves, hunt lions. they can tree bears and mountain lions and chase a fox for miles. and then… comes the hunter to finish the job. 

          the hounds are separated into many different groups. these groups consist of five or six hunters and then their handler. col usually makes sure to gain the trust, and loyalty, of the handlers in particular, and tasks them with gaining the trust of their subordinates. despite this, many of the lower-level hunters still have loyalty to col. they get paid well. they get a place to sleep and eat. they get jobs within venator shipping co., if they so desire. the hounds are not built on sticks and prayers. the hounds have roots like a forest. to break the organization apart would be beyond difficult, even if col were killed. there is always someone waiting in the wings to take the place of the fallen.

          all of the handlers work with and report to azzy, and are subordinate to him. he is often traveling, meeting with each of the groups and helping as need be. he takes suggestions, requests, grievances, and does what he can to fulfill them. if he can’t, the problem gets handed to col, who will pull whatever strings he needs to.

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          azzy is human but he’s also like trying to kill a cockroach. I say this as lovingly as possible. but he’s so hard to even get your hands on and if you do he acts like it’s all good fun (he also lacks self-preservation on an astronomical level). this is at least one of the reasons io cannot stand him. which, coincidentally, is also one of the reasons col hired him.

          no but on a serious note, azzy’s mother was a witch. he didn’t inherit magic or anything, just an uncanny ability to avoid magical curses. everything else is skill and experience. he’s hunted a lot of different nonhumans, and his failure rate is very, very low. he’s damn good at his job, you have to give him that. being underestimated is his greatest weapon.

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when it comes to the hounds, have they ever lost people trying to get to io? like new recruits being lost to io's flames?

          oh yes, for sure! io has killed cocky new recruits and older, wiser hounds and everything in between. genuinely skilled hunters have died at io’s hand. it’s even a known risk that io will kill hounds who are only watching them, and haven’t made a direct move yet - they’ve gotten very good at pinpointing hunters and attacking first. whether this be direct (fire) or indirect (poison, if they manage it). sometimes, they are, perhaps, wrong about actually figuring out who is a hunter and who is not, but everyone makes mistakes, right? :’)

          io doesn’t really care, either way. if I’m being perfectly honest. it’s not like it’s the opportune time to ask and make sure. and pain doesn’t lend itself to truth.

          it’s not an uneven balance, though, either. io kills hounds when they come knocking, and the hounds have severely injured io before, and probably will again. io fights for their life when it comes to col’s hounds, and sometimes they barely leave a fight with it.

@dcwnrisen , hc questions.

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