Welcome to The Duality of Man, an original animanga role-play that features numerous supernatural creatures. Unfortunately, these various species have distanced themselves because of the war that occurred thousands of years ago, plaguing some with eyes that only see their dualism. While others meddle themself with their differences, two groups fight, each attempting to eliminate the other in for their definition of worldly peace. These two groups of the Terror Response Syndicate (TRS) and the Assembly of Phantoms (AP). With individuals fighting merely over their differences, it brings uncertainty to the outcome of this war.
We happily accept all role-players as long as they obey the rules and are capable of meeting our word count of 50. This does include those who are unfamiliar with this style of role-playing. The staff of The Duality of Man are willing to happily help those who are new to the role-playing world so they feel comfortable on site. Feel free to message the staff if you need help, they can be found here or in the site Discord and will gladly answer questions alongside calm concerns. If you have any suggestions we would love to hear them; guests may use the support board as a suggestion area as well. Should you decide to join, may I say welcome to the site and we all hope you enjoy your time here.
Yours Truely,
The Staff
season
Summer 2024
Heat has broken through into a glorious summer. The snow has entirely dried through the spring, leaving to the brilliance of the warmer months. Terror activity has risen as people are brought out of their homes, leaving the TRS in a position of consistent work. Each are attempting to maintain victory in the endless struggle for power.
Since the wonderful members of TDOM enjoy the site enough to play around on it, this thread is to assist with the site's tidying! Functionality is important and we want to make the site functional even if its activity will be minimal at best!
Zephyr blinked. He had always had a soft spot for animals, not just because he was a shifter, but because animals were innocent, pure. They did not betray, they did not lie, they did not cause harm solely for the sake of harm. And more importantly, they did not understand why others did these things to them.
The greatest weapon, and weakness of the Dire Wolf shifters, was their natural instinct to protect the weak and helpless, and Zephyrs own past, made this instinct all the stronger. He reached up to his charm, and spoke a single command word. In moments a small bag smelling strongly of dried meat had materialized in his hand. He withdrew one of the homemade dried jerky dog treats, which he had made himself. They were actually better than the Hunter Rations he had created some time back.
He knelt and held one out towards the pup. His normally hard, uncaring default expression turning soft, and warm.
"Come little one, you are safe with us. We will feed you, and keep you warm." his voice, normally stiff and a little rough, even around Nyla, was soft and gentle. Dire Shifters were not the most common, but they were common enough to be preferred as nannies and child care workers, because of their natural inclination towards the care and protection of young, even those of other species.
Zephyr had left late, he hadnt meant to. In fact for a change, he was ready to go on time, or so he thought. But a last minute emergency Repair Order came in. Requests he could put off. Official Orders, he had to finish quickly, more so if they were issued with a Code Damocles, meaning the item was needed for a high rank Hunt that was imperative.
He had affected the repairs, and deciding against taking a cab or running in human form, he had used his storage charm to hold his clothes as he shifted into his dire Wolf form, and bolted across the TRS HQ grounds, to meet up with Nyla.
While he still didnt quite understand WHY he felt as he did, he had at least, finally, come to understand WHAT he felt. Although it had taken Roland literally throwing him down an open elevator shaft in frustration to drive the point home.
Zephyr caught Nyla's scent, he was sure he could have picked her out of a sea of people, if need be, he knew her scent so well by now. He veered towards her direction, pausing just long enough to shift back to human form his charm putting his clothing back on him as he did.
He came up from her side, knowing not to come up behind her, and made sure his scent was being blown towards her by the wind.
Zeph raised an eyebrow. He honestly hadnt noticed the race of the wraith. The way he saw it, the world was divided into Good Creatures, and Bad Creatures. Half the time he only knew the race of someone he was talking to because they smelled of sulfur, dirt, water, or whatever else element their species came around from.
"Roland should be here, before too long. Probably another five minutes. As for the slave markets thing, well, Allura was one of those oddities. She bought slaves, so she could free them. It was a hobby of hers, as she calls it. Far as i know, most of the slaves in Avalon at the time, were criminals who opted for the life of a slave, over being executed for various capital crimes."
As he spoke, Roland arrived. The masked Lycan pushing through the people gathered, and sending TRS agents to each corner of the scene, to keep people out. The local police arrived, with the Hell Hound Sergeant who was always trying to get Zeph to make him a better gun.
It didnt take long for the scene to be secured, and the police to take Zeph's Statement, which consisted of "they pissed me off. so i kicked their asses, then one tried to kill me, and the Wraith killed him."
Roland merely watched, the normally disgustingly joyous expression and attitude that had earned him a reputation as a slacker and a moron, replaced with a serious, and stern look that promised a long lecture later on.
"The last time they put me on desk duty, I laced the cafeteria coffee pot with hallucinogenic mushroom spores. Some TRS agents like paperwork. I'm in Research and Development. I make things that slice, dice, and go boom."
He settled against the wall, waiting for Roland to show up with a clean up crew. Her mention about his size managed to elicit a small smirk.
"Dire Wolf Shifters are pretty rare. The last pure blooded one died in the 17th century, now its just mongrels like me, who are throwbacks to an earlier ancestor. Of course, even among dire Shifters, i am on the larger side. Usually Dire Wolves would max out at Mastiff size, but well, you could step off the roof of a small car, onto my back, without having to step down. As for finishing him off, i cant say i wouldnt have. Done it before, not that i like killing."
He paused. Realizing he hadnt given his name.
"Zephyr Wolfe, and yeah, the family name is because of my ancestress who was a wolf shifter in King Arthur's court. Her son, born human, took the last name Wolfe to honor her memory after she went off to kill a beast and didnt come back. Course, we thawed out of the magic ice recently, so you might see her wandering around, trying to find the apothecary or the slave markets."
He closed his eyes, the blood lust was still there, but it was a slow burn now, not the raging fire it had been.
"Listen, far as anyone is concerned, i tried to stop you from killing him, otherwise, i have to talk with the damn shrink at headquarters again about my moral compass, and right and wrong, like the world exists in a state of black and white."
Zeph did indeed catch the ID tags. Reading them he raised an eyebrow. Undead. Veteran. Yup. Soldiers were probably among the more common to see as undead. Lot of emotion, lot of hate. Whole lotta unfinished business.
When she spoke, he internal grimaced at the thickness of the accent. He could practically smell the dead humor behind it. Rather than letting it get to him though, he decided to sight fire, with fire.
"Well, thats wicked. Solja huh? Hot damn, ya relly got yaself inna pickle aint ya? Cummin all tha way upta tha Land o Maple syrup an' Moose. Sum wicked Scahs ya got they'ah. Got summa thos maself."
He pulled his shirt up to reveal the four long parallel scars from the night his parents had been killed. The Terror had carved him down to the bone, he had only escaped and survived because of his shifter abilities. Had he been human, death would been right around the corner.
"I tell ya, when tha' terrah got me by tha ahm, i though i was gonna die fa sha."
His thick Maine accent drove most people to the infirmary, and he was actually forbidden to let it creep out when he was around others at TRS HQ. Some of the higher ups had had to actually bribe him to stop him using it as punishment for pissing him off.
Zephyr eyed her. Under other circumstances, he might have been impressed. Not many were willing to get on his bad side, and only a few dared to tease him with half insults.
"This big bad wolf, is one you should be afraid of. I work with the TRS, in the Research and Development branch. I make weapons and armor, not just for use against terrors, but also against other supernatural beings who might pose a threat."
He placed a piece of paper over her firearm, and, with a drop of his own blood, activated the charm. He couldnt use magic, but he kept pre-charged charms in his near-infinite pocket, just in case. This charm preserved what was under it, until the charm was released. Worked for small items, but something as large as the dead shifter, would require an actual magic user.
"Got a name? Or am i supposed to call you 'wraith'?"
Zephyr was already moving, by the time he heard the call. Combat instinct was one of his stronger points. But the reason he didnt typically do field work, was because of his anger, his Battle Frenzy. Being one of very few Dire Wolf Shifters, no one was sure if it was just him, or something to do with what he was.
The sound of gunfire made him turn, the scent of death, and undeath, washed over. Good. His mind was starting to clear, but he still had one more punch left before he was satisfied. He slammed his fist into the skull of the unconscious shifter on the floor. It didnt kill him, but then, he still may not survive.
He turned to the wraith, which he identified by scent. Using the charm about his neck, he shifted back to full human, clothing forming from the magic that connected his charm to a warddrobe in his lab. He cracked his neck, and eyed the female wraith before him.
"Didnt need the help, but i wont be an ass, so thanks. Didnt really have to kill him, but he deserved it."
He turned to ask the shifter girl if she was okay, but the crowd collectively stepped back away from him. The usually reaction to his outbursts really.
Pulling out his phone he hit the speed dial for Roland, who was technically his direct superior.
"Roll. Get your ass to the mall. I lost my temper."
He looked to the wraith.
"TRS and Lorsette PD should be here soon. dont try to run, i hate the taste of undead."
Not that he thought she would run, but undead had a habit of avoiding the authorities, in his experience.
He didnt usually go out. But he needed to resupply on energy drinks, and the Mall had several shops running sales on his preferred brand. He had his energy drinks, his snacks, and a new helmet for his motorcycle, just in case Nyla wanted to go for a ride again.
He almost skirted around the crowd that had gathered. Until he heard the crying. Partially shifting so his ears would catch the sounds better, he listened, and made out the words. None of them good. None of them worth repeating.
Some assholes didnt understand that no means, and were apparently not happy with the rejection of an offer for their company. He hated those kids of people the most. He pushed his way through the crowd, some people turned to complain, but quickly snapped their jaws shut when they saw his eyes.
He reached the center of the crowd, entering a clearing, to find two half shifted Grizzly bear shifters. He knew them. Brothers. Known for thinking their size made them better than others. On the floor between, crying, was one of the girls from the Shifter Cafe. He dropped his bags, and was fully shifted just as he threw his entire, massive, black furred Dire Wolf form into the side of the larger brother, sending the bear shifter skidding across the floor.
He leapt back, avoiding a swipe from a large clawed paw, spun in place, and launched again, planting all four paws on the chest of the smaller brother, knocking hi down, and giving the shifter girl a chance to run. He half shifted, so he was once more walking on two legs, and swung a massive paw-fist into the jaw of the nearest bear. The sound of breaking teeth was almost as satisfying as the feel of the jaw bone grinding under his blow.
He swung back on one leg, ducking under a wild swat, and planted his half foot, half paw rear appendage solidly into the solar plexus of the still standing bear, knocking the other shifter to his knees, causing him to shift back to his human form. Turning to the other bear who was regaining his footing, bleeding from his mouth, he used his now larger form to wind up a left thrusting punch, directly into the bears half human face, with so much force, he was momentarily suspended in the air, before crashing onto his back.
The half shifted Dire Wolf, over come by his blood lust, proceeded to kneel on the bears chest, and pummel his face, repeatedly.
Zeph watched the dog eat for a minute, before returning to his project, and his sandwich. Why had the device exploded? He poked about the fragments before he spotted the issue. Corrosion on the upper seal. Hmm.
He picked up the seal, and dropped it into a beaker of the compound he had devised. the compound began to bubble and froth, and the seal began to break down.
"Huh. The compound reacts with the aluminum, oxidizing the metal, breaking the oxidized layer down, and the oxidized layer reacts further with the compound, causing it to convert a gaseous state. So i need a new material for the container."
He tested a few different metals before determining he would have to change the compound itself, as it did the same to every metal. At the very least he had found an interesting way to get past metal locks and bars. Iron in particular broke down rapidly with the compound. Maybe he could even device a grenade using a glass tube, and a thin steel shell. Toss the device, the impact breaks the internal glass, the device explodes into a nose numbing cloud.
Zeph shrugged, slightly embarrassed by the mess, but not really. His social skills had never really been great, although Roland would often say that as a youngling, he had been very outgoing, and was one of the most popular kids in his school. But grief does strange things.
He reached into his mini fridge and pulled out some ham, chopping it up and putting it in a bowl. "Here ya go bud. You probably came for this huh?"
He set the bowl where Bosco could get to it without needing to approach either of them. He could understand not wanting to be near people. Although Nyla was different. He wanted to be around her.
"Testing is on hold right now though. One of the stabilizing agents i used on a prior batch left me with a temporary case of Undead Tongue." The term undead tongue was often used due to the stereotype that undead had no sense of taste. He shrugged again, and pulled out a large glass pitcher out of the mini fridge. The pitcher was far too large to have actually fit there, with the smoked ham. If one looked closely they could see a series of Runes in the paint on the side of the fridge. The Runes granted a magical connection to a larger fridge in Zeph's personal quarters. It had taken months to get the spell to work, especially since Zeph couldnt work magic himself.
Some people thought it was a poor joke that one of the leading magical researchers in Lorsette was a magic-less Shifter.
"Oh, uh, i think he belongs to a Hunter, or something. He comes by now and then, eats, sleeps, and hangs out. I like dogs, so it isnt really a big deal. But, yeah, if you want to talk, ive just got some small projects going on. Nothing serious, just improving the rations a bit. Can't expect the Hunters to do their job with food that tastes like clay powder can we?"
Why did he say that?! He was supposed to hide his experiments from her...He moved back to his work space, letting the door open fully, revealing that, once again, his lab was a cluttered mess, but at least there were no food containers, and empty cans this time. Now it was just a motley collection of food crates, and chemical compounds in sealed canisters. All Food Grade. Of Course. Even HE wasnt crazy enough to use non-food grade chemicals to make food.
Although, frankly the number of times he had made artificial energy compounds to keep him going for weeks on end without eating or sleeping, might be an argument against that.
Zeph noted Bosco entering and sitting down, but was more heavily focused on his current project.
Who could he convince to try the new food? He could just trick some hungry hunters fresh back from a mission, not mention its new rations he made...but then he wouldn't get accurate reports on the taste, they could just eat it, and go pass out...
He eyed Bosco, but thought better of it. Poor dog didnt deserve that.
Then the knock...Zeph grinned, a bit evilly, until he opened the door and saw Nyla. Shock replaced the grin. Then a new grin formed, only to be quickly smothered, as he preferred to not be so open with his emotions.
"Nyla, did you need something?"
He needed to hide the project...she might..get ideas...
Zephyr eyed the dog, carefully slicing the ham and the cheese into smaller bits. He set the smaller pieces into a bowl, which he gave a quick rinse in his shop sink.
Setting the bowl down, he turned to make his own sandwich. Normally he would be getting by with energy drinks and protein shakes...but a certain fox shifter had gotten him suddenly interested in healthier living.
He grabbed another bowl and set it down filling it with water, while he grabbed a pitcher of iced tea from his fridge.
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credits
The skin is created by Wolf of Adoxography and Gangnam Style. The thread and conversation remodels are by Kagney. The Strange Reality board list, Heal My Soul info center, I Remember Now mini profile and Electric Requiem profile remodel is made by Pharoah Leap. The Who's That Member member list remodel was made by Tictactoe. The Cbox.ws Shoutbox remodel was made by Trinity Blair. All templates used for claims, information sheets, applications, etc are credited to their owners; credits for these can be found in the threads the templates are use on. Images that are used on The Duality of Man are credited to their owners, however, they have been edited by Zac with a few being edited by Chibi Magician. The plot, rules and various other information pieces for The Duality of Man are written by Chibi Magician with the assistence of her co-admins, Finnegan and Dremulf, alongside other unlisted people who were kind enough to give their input. The TRS, AP and face claim were all created by Fleur for specifically the use of TDOM. All plugins used on The Duality of Man are credited to their owners. The templates my members use are credited to their maker, if you find a template that belongs to you, but is uncredited, please speak to Chibi Magician or the member themself. Characters created on The Duality of Man are credited to their owners and should not be used elsewhere without the creator's permission.
Special thanks for the members of TDOM who make suggestions to help make this site better. Even though we can not accept all suggestions, we immensely appreciate it. Thus, we give credit to any additions that you thought of and were later implimented by the staff, because we are glad you give us these excellent ideas.