Rhaegan

Aleksey and Reicher (Brothers)

Renier and Enzo (Half-Brothers)

Polaris (Sister)

## Application Sheet

Rhaegan was a brown-furred male wolf with deep red eyes. Born to Ivan and Hexa alongside Polaris, Reicher, and Aleksey, Rhaegan spent most of his life in exile - belonging to no pack and no one, though he spent time in Chandor (being raised by his Uncle Davis), Vale and Tentaka. He played a pivotal role in the Blutwald-Aryn War with his thirst for vengeance against Blutwald, but ultimately, found himself redeemed in the eyes of Finarel, who would later become his mate. The pair left the Domain to start their lives together. He was designed by Tazihound, created and RP'd by WynBird.

## Personality

* ***Reserved and Self-Reliant.*** Not the most approachable of wolves, Rhaegan has traditionally found difficulty forming bonds with others. He is selective about displays of intimacy or empathy and rarely manages to develop strong ties with others. As a result he often appears cold or haughty at face value. He readily acknowledges the strength wolves can find in one another and does not scorn companionship, but having more or less raised himself, solitude is the way he is accustomed to and most comfortable with. Intelligent, intimidating, and indomitable, the wolf is a force to be reckoned with. Not one who needs to use tooth and claw to make a point; Rhaegan projects a deadly aura which is enough to deter most opponents without him needing to prove that his bite is far worse than his bark. Though a keen listener, Rhaegan often fails to respond or even adequately acknowledge the opinions of others. Despite the deep well of convictions which drives him, it can be difficult to know where he stands or what he feels, as Rhaegan is content to keep his own opinion to himself most of the time. He does not waste words and when Rhaegan does choose to speak, he doesn't sugar coat it.
* ***Inquisitive, Dauntless, and Sensible.*** Rhaegan has an inquisitive mind and the unfamiliar or unexpected tend to pique his interest. He will investigate anything he's never seen before, regardless of whether or not it might be dangerous. Though he prefers to apply tried-and-true solutions to problems, Rhaegan draws from a deep well of experience that is ever-growing. Rhae isn't afraid to bite off more than he can chew. When he sets his mind to something, defeat is not an option. He will pursue his goals tirelessly, to the point of impracticality, and woe betide the wolf who gets in his way. The sheer force of his will has enabled Rhaegan to survive countless battles and betrayals, making him a formidable enemy. Stupid isn't good. Stupid gets you killed. Rhae's impulsiveness is tempered by the school of hard knocks. The wolf was raised in exile and wasted most of his youth courting vengeance and warfare. He's learned many hard lessons in that time, and knows intimately that going about affairs sloppily can be a fatal mistake. That notwithstanding, Rhaegan can be proud to the point of arrogance, which means for all his sensibilities he often fails to anticipate failure or formulate pesky *"exit strategies."*
* ***Dedicated, Honorable, and Loyal.*** Rhaegan believes in a world of good and evil, and attempts to align himself according to his perception of justice. In the past he clung to honour like a lifeline, using it to justify his crusades. Time alone and a lot of self-reflection have led Rhaegan to seek new ways of understanding the world. He feels regret for the sins of his past and wants to be the sort of wolf Ella always believed him to be. Rhaegan favours open challenges of merit, and is exceptionally disdainful of schemers and deceivers. Senseless killing is not his style, but Rhaegan revels in spilling the blood of those he considers his enemies. Though it may take a long time and a small measure of luck to gain Rhaegan’s trust, once his confidence has been earned Rhaegan makes an unshakable ally. He is fiercely protective of those he considers his family, defending their interests as readily as his own. There is no one the wolf is more devoted to that Finarel.
* ***Hopeful and Questioning.*** Rhaegan is somewhat lost these days, caught between who he is and the terrifying possibility of who he *could* be. This dissonance no longer feels like a condemnation, as it did in the months following his exile from Vale and the severe depression that followed. He wants to know what the world can offer him, and perhaps for the first time, really believes peace might be within his reach. His chaotic life left him considerably disillusioned. Having lost faith in the greater good at a young age, many of Rhae's better qualities disappeared deep inside him. Finarel's warming influence has given Rhaegan reason to find wonder in the world once more, and he is learning to push back against a lifetime of self-doubt and all-too frequently realized fear of betrayal.

## Pre-Group History

The offspring of Hexa and Ivan, Rhaegan and his siblings were born shortly after Stallion's violent takeover of pack Blutwald. His parent's were fiercely loyal to the old order, and so were cast out of their home, forced to scratch out an existence as exiled loners. Hexa was crippled and nearly killed by Stallion in her attempt to avenge the old ruler, Roman's, murder. She endured long enough to birth Roman's grandchildren, the rightful heirs of Blutwald, and then drowned herself. Being only an infant at the time, Rhaegan has little memory of his mother. His earliest recollections are those of his brothers and father, the only 'pack' he knew as a pup.

## Group History

The suicide of his mother and subsequent disappearance of his sister, father, and brothers has left Rhaegan with a deeply rooted sense low self-worth. They were his only *real* family, now they're gone, and he couldn't help but wonder if his own inadequacy was to blame for it somehow. Rhaegan built up a considerable amount of bitterness and frustration over Ivan and Hexa's abandonment, an anger he leveled on the only thing left out there to blame - *Blutwald*. Originally this had been an outcry, a child's attempt to earn the approval of his absent parents. Over time it grew in a deeply rooted hatred, devoid of reason, and the quest for vengeance consumed Rhaegan entirely. Though he recognized that his family was not altogether faultless, Rhaegan desired wholeheartedly to avenge his parents and grandfather. It was the only sense of value and purpose he could cling to, and so he clung to it with fanatical desperation. What Stallion did to Roman and Hexa was utterly unforgivable.  For season upon season he haunted the borders of the Red Pack, seeking a way to meet his goal.

Though he'd been taken care of by his uncle Davis and his partner, Magpie, until he was old enough to care for himself, Rhae still felt abandoned and alone. As a loner, he met several wolves, like Vaiyalhi, Charaka, and Nahimana (who treated his wounds after he attacked Bloom). He harassed Blutwald at the borders, attacking wolves like Caidan, waiting for his chance to get Winema and Stallion. He was temporarily distracted from his harassment of Blutwald when a wolf named Valda asked his help in kidnapping her nephew Veron, and Rhaegan brought Veron to Hekate. He returned to the lands near Blutwald, and waited to enact his revenge once more.

Opportunity struck when Aryn pack found itself locked in a cold war with Blutwald. Rhaegan quickly made his services available to the newer pack, realizing the opportunity war would bring. During a peace talk between the two packs, Rhaegan launched an ambush, effectively destroying any opportunity for peaceful resolution between Aryn and Blutwald, in order to complete his quest for revenge. He attempted to kill Stallion's daughter Bloom and his mate, Winema. Though both assaults ultimately were not fatal both wolves suffered gruesome wounds. During the battle Rhaegan was reunited with his lost sister, Polaris, only to discover that she held allegiance to Stallion's kin and wanted no part of her true family. Even as Blutwald fell apart in the war, Aris remained steadfastly loyal to Stallion and rejected her trueborn brother. Winema ultimately forgave him for his assault. Rhaegan's great victory was the crippling of Winema and downfall of Blutwald, but this no longer felt like enough and Rhaegan wondered when he would begin to feel glad of his triumph.

Conflicted by Winema's forgiveness and Aris's rejection, he very briefly joined Fellfang, but did not truly feel part of it. Those that knew him were wary, and he was too proud to make any attempt to repair his relationships. He met Rutnik and Syber, but didn't connect. Fable offered a new start, but Rhaegan had not been ready to accept it. When a dark wolf named Renier found Rhaegan, claiming to be a son of Hexa who was searching for his lost brothers, and even more importantly - to know where to *finally* find the traitor, Stallion himself, Rhaegan left Fellfang to follow Renier without so much as a goodbye. Blutwald's demise had not sustained him, but claiming vengeance on the murderer himself? Surely this would be enough.

But Renier proved problematic. Using trickery to cheat his way to victory, Renier took over a nearby pack known as Vale. Enlisting Rhaegan as a soldier, Renier murdered the alpha, Faust, and subjected the pack to new, harsh law that severely limited the freedom of the wolves within it. Blinded by hatred and the promise of Stallion's death as a reward, Rhaegan eagerly took part in the assault. But afterward, the weight of his decision began to weigh on Rhaegan. He realized that in helping Renier take over Vale for a personal vendetta, Rhaegan had done to Vale what Stallion himself had done to Blutwald, all those seasons ago. Guilt was almost overpowering as Rhae found himself no better than those same wolves he had sworn to destroy.

Around this time, as Rhaegan dealt with his emotions and thoughts, he learned from some of his packmates about normal things, like hobbies and whatnot. He saved Uhera, interacted with Gunnvarr, Nyru, and Akuto, and even offered to help Brunhilda with her children.

Unrest spread through Vale, and it did not take long for Rhaegan to pick up on the signs of a brewing rebellion. In his attempts to hunt down 'traitors', he came across a young she-wolf known as Finarel who seemed neither frightened nor suspicious of him. This was a strange sensation, and upon realizing that Finarel was one of the rebels, Rhaegan could not bring himself to turn her in to Renier. He began to realize that perhaps his path to atonement lay in helping Finarel and her family reclaim their freedom. Even if that meant betraying Renier.

Soon the unrest in Vale turned to violence, and sensing the opportunity, a snake in the den made his move. Alar, one of Renier's Watchmen, tricked Renier, and Renier's estranged mate Wren, into leaving Vale and then took steps to ensure Renier never returned. Their young daughter, Shenandoah, was quick to believe it when Alar attempted to blame the 'death' of the monarchs on others - and Rhaegan, who's sympathies to the rebels were known, made an easy scapegoat. Accused of murdering his own brother, Rhaegan was beaten senseless by those who he had once served alongside and then left to die. The rebels, particularly Loki, attempted to aid him after he was thrown out, but utterly broken, the wolf was prepared to commit suicide rather than live in disgrace. Only when Finarel discovered him was his plan for self-destruction challenged, and under her careful nursing Rhaegan was restored to life. But he remained listless, unable to find any purpose to cling to and feeling the void of that lack of direction keenly.

In a last ditch effort, the Rebels gathered once more to attempt to oust the new false king Alar. Rhaegan joined them. It was a suicidal mission, and he was not yet strong enough for battle, but Finarel had chosen to fight and if Rhaegan was going to die, it seemed that dying for her would be the best way to go. Her stubborn affection for him was the only thing Rhaegan relied on any longer. But as the rebels attacked and were quickly overwhelmed, a miracle happened. Faust, long believed dead, returned to rally his people and vanquish Alar. Cries of terror turned to cheers as the true Alpha of Vale reclaimed his title. Rhaegan was relieved for the wolves of Vale but realized quickly that Faust's return would mean Rhaegan's time in Vale was at an end. Faust would know Rhaegan only as a traitor, and Rhae would never be trusted in this pack after helping to enslave it in the first place.

In the dead of night, as Vale celebrated it's freedom, Rhaegan slipped away into exile, and left the Domain for several months.

For seasons afterward, Rhaegan wandered without hope for himself. But time brought healing, and eventually the loner realized that he could not go back to the wolf he was before - and perhaps this was for the best. He no longer desired a life alone, fighting the battles of other wolves. And for the first time, he began to wonder if such a life might be possible. Rhaegan returned to the Domain seeking the truth, and hoping to reunite with the one who first showed him that there were things worth living for, *Ella*.

After some leads from the loner, Kaiser, Rhaegan found her in Tentaka, and was overjoyed to find her. The pair settled there, for a time, Rhaegan recovering in her presence, basking in her light. They became mates. He took on a task - becoming a Delta *Tora.* Things were great. He met wolves like Qiang and Reahla, tried to prove himself to Akuto. But they decided life here in the Domain was not what they wanted anymore. They wanted to spend some time, just the two of them. And so, Rhaegan and Finarel departed Tentaka - and the Domain - and haven't been seen since.

## Trivia

* He hates coyotes, after almost being eaten by them as young pup.
* WynBird describes him as her bloodiest character, an apt description, considering that he fought so many wolves and nearly succeeded in killing Winema and Bloom. He has so many scars and old injuries (many covered by his ragged fur) that we aren't even sure which were caused by which fight!
* Rhaegan's "Code of Honor" is based on early Southern US and Japanese culture - particularly in regard to families bearing responsibility for the actions of individuals.

## Quotes

* "I wanted you to know I would be the one to undo you. This ploy of your mother will not succeed. There will be war. And when it comes...*I'll be waiting.*" (threatening Bloom, *Sins of the Fathers*)
* "LOOK AT ME! I have given my *life* to fighting, and see what is left? You think you have felt betrayal...you think you understand the need for vengeance? You *are* a fool. None know these things better than I. And I've suffered for it. Greatly." (to Loki, *Indifference*)
* "I never should have left you. *Never*. I've been a fool all my life, but that was the worst mistake of all. I won't, not ever again. I'll stay until we're nothing but dust and memories. If you allow it." (to Finarel when they reunited, *Never is a Promise*)

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* WynBird's deviantART Gallery