Asterion

Denali (Brother, NPC)

## Application Sheet

Asterion was a gray-furred male with silver eyes, who served as the loyal Beta Sage in Heyl. He was doting mate to Samhradh, and father to Sagitta, Sarin, Leo, and Orion. Born outside of the Domain, in a pack sharing the beliefs of Dawnguard, he joined Nahimana's pack before the pack became Heylguard. He relentlessly pursued a cure for the Curse of Pajackok before the last vestiges of Dawnguard were erased from the Domain. He would die in a confrontation with Prince Eir, falling to his death clutching his beloved Samhradh in his arms. He was created and RP'd by LunarShadowCreations.

## Personality

* ***Noble and Diligent, but Weary.*** Asterion is often viewed as a noble wolf, who has worked hard to earn a place as a Beta of Heyl. The sarcastic, irritable and angsty Asterion of youth was tempered into a weary soldier. Asterion has worked hard to preserve his pack and his family, diligently serving as a Sage and trying to be a diplomatic representative when moving throughout the Domain on Sagely tasks.
* ***Family-Oriented.*** Though wary of the great task of fatherhood, Asterion proved himself to be a loving father and mate. Though he can be defensive of his family - sometimes too much, particularly with his daughter and his son, Orion - that's because he cares so much.
* ***Harshly Judgmental, but Motivated to be Better.*** In his youth, Asterion was bitter, sarcastic, angsty, cruel, and introverted - a wolf few truly knew and fewer wanted to know. After his introduction to the bubbly, optimistic and undeterred Samhradh, he found himself wanting to be *better*, for her. His determination to become better peaked after an avalanche nearly cost him his life, and he was finally able to expose his innermost core to Samhradh, and find that she reflected back to him nothing but love. He is prone to make harsh judgments but has worked through the years to pause and consider before making these judgments known.

## Pre-Group History

Dawnguard is the best pack there is, no question about that. At least, that's what Asterion will tell you. The strength of faith and spirituality in his pack is felt deep in his soul, and he loves it dearly. His parents also felt the same way. Perhaps that was why they fell in love.

His pack was a pack which followed the traditional beliefs Nahimana would later form into Dawnguard. Nahi had been born in a nomadic pack, one of several which had the same beliefs but roamed without a specific territory, and Asterion was from one of these branch groups. His branch was fairly large, and had dropped its nomadic lifestyle, taking a broadly generalized territory as their own, and organized themselves with tasks and ranks. Elihu, Asterion's father, was a *makoce*, a hunter for the pack, while his mother, Kendra, was a *randi*, a guardian of the pack.

They ran into one another frequently when they were not performing their duties, and grew to be more than just pack mates. They spoke about things beyond this earth, about spirits and concepts beyond themselves, and found love in one another. The pack was small at the time, and in need of fresh blood, and the *Ylva* granted them permission to have a litter of pups.

It was summertime when Kendra gave birth to her and Elihu's pups. There were two - a smallish litter, for the summer warmth, but nonetheless appreciated. Elihu and Kendra adored their sons, and gave them names. One was named Asterion, for a starry mark on his chest. The other was named Denali. He was the runt of the litter, and she named him with a name of magnificence, of strength, in the hopes he would grow to be big and strong. The pups weren't terribly interesting at the beginning of their life - they nursed, they slept, they whimpered and yipped and whined and kicked one another as they scrambled to start the whole process over. Kendra grew restless nursing them, and other wolves stepped in to watch the pups when Kendra went out to stretch her legs. When she was around, and the pups' ears and eyes began to open, Kendra would speak to her pups about the wonders of the gods they worshipped.

There were so many spirits, who did such incredible things, Asterion could hear the breathlessness in his mother's voice when she described the miracles of the world. He found himself swept up into her descriptions, her tales of the gods, of the ones who could become other animals (he found them to be super cool). He found a particular, peculiar fascination with Pajackok, the God of the Skies, Storms, and Death. Able to appear as a black eagle, he could summon storms. There were many storms in summertime and the approaching autumn, and while some wolves feared the storms, Asterion found them incredible. He thought the power was unearthly, and took it as a show of divine power. His mother didn't see it like that, but she let him enjoy his bemusement and awe. The gods, after all, were to be revered. Both of her sons seemed to show the expected reverence.

As the snowy season rolled around, Asterion grew dissatisfied. Prey became scarcer. The deer would strip the bark from some of the trees, leaving them ugly and barren. Prey was all tough and dry, and there was less of it. There were some nights Asterion and his brother would go to bed with growling stomachs. Asterion didn't appreciate that at all. Snow was pretty, and the northern lights that would sometimes shine were breathtaking, but he missed the summer rain and storms and warmth. Kendra sacrificed nearly all of her food that winter to her sons, despite Elihu's protests. She grew thinner and weaker, but insisted the gods would sustain her if it was needed. When she joined Elihu and a few other pack members on a hunt, they tracked down a young male elk. They decided to try to catch it, knowing it would help to sustain the pack in these hungry days.

Elihu organized the attack. They split up, surrounding the elk. When the pack attacked, the elk kicked out with its forelegs, and a hoof hit the leaping Kendra in the chest. Normally, it would only be enough of a blow to wind her. Some rest and herbs would make her feel better within a few days. But in her malnourished state, she crumpled under the impact. She couldn't breathe. The kick had shattered her ribs, punctured a lung. The pack brought down the young elk, but the cost was too great. Elihu blamed himself for Kendra's death and couldn't bring himself to go back to the pack's gathering place just yet. He sat and mourned while the hunters went to fetch the pack to come and eat.

The other pack members braced Asterion and Denali for the devastating news. Asterion didn't know how his brother reacted, initially, because he was swept up in the shock and despair. *Dead? Mother can't be dead!* He raced through the snow to where Elihu was crouched, sobbing softly, over Kendra's body. He broke down beside his father, pressing his nose into his mother's pelt. The pack mourned silently, but Asterion didn't pay attention to anybody. He pulled himself away and looked to the first stars emerging in the night sky. *Pajackok, Lord of the Skies and Storm, the Bringer of Death...escort my mother safely to Paradise. Send ravens to collect her soul and make sure she finds a place beside you.*

The Ylva said the traditional words over the body of the deceased: **"Gaho, the Great Mother, we ask that you bless these bones. Guide this Spirit to the One Pack in Paradise, where we hunt proudly for eternity".** Asterion prayed to Gaho, too, and every other spirit he could think of, to guide his mother. She had believed so strongly in the gods, they had better grant her peace for it.

Asterion and Denali, after Kendra's death, spent the nights curled side-by-side. There were no words needed - they just needed the comfort of one another's presence. Ever since then, they have never slept separate from one another. In fact, the brothers were so close, Asterion never really attempted to make any other friends in the pack, either. Later in life, he would find himself to be distant from his pack mates. Speaking of distance, Elihu grew distant from his sons, especially Denali, who looked so much like Kendra. Asterion knew this hurt Denali greatly, but it hurt him, too. He went to his father, tried to reason with him, insisted they needed their father more than ever now that their mother was gone, but Elihu didn't relent. It wasn't until springtime, when the pack was able to plant a sapling over Kendra's grave to grow into her spiritual tree, that he relaxed, was able to calm down and come back to earth. He tried reconnecting with his sons. Asterion welcomed his father back into his life with open arms.

Asterion, Denali, and their father heard rumors of a wolf with their beliefs forming a pack, far away - a pack called Dawnguard. The three males discussed the best course of action, and decided to leave for this Dawnguard, for a fresh start on life, with new packmates who shared the same beliefs.

## Group History

Asterion was welcomed into the pack, along with Denali and Elihu. Shortly after their arrival, however, Elihu and Denali decided to return to their old home, to be close to Kendra's gravesite. Asterion was determined to remain, however, and make the most of this new life...though, admittedly, their departure left him pricklier and more closed-off than before.

It was time to meet new packmates. The first wolf he really got to know was named Samhradh. She was a bright, bubbly she-wolf colored like the sun, and Aster was originally irritated by her babbling and playfulness. However, once he learned how seriously she took her duties as a healer, Asterion found himself wanting to learn more about her.

An earthquake rocked the Domain, and Dawnguard's territory flooded, as did the territory of a neighboring pack, Heyl. The alphas of the two packs - Nahimana and Fitu, respectively - encouraged their packmates to engage with one another, to learn from each other. Asterion was a bit grumpy and didn't want to participate, but Fitu approached him and showed him deflection fighting. Asterion was amazed that Fitu was able to fight him off without harming him. Even more surprisingly, the wolves of Heyl - who Asterion had viewed as crippled, weak, and malformed - were equally capable with their 'deficiencies'. Fitu taught him a valuable lesson about what *weakness* really was, earning Asterion's utmost respect.

Heyl and Dawnguard would move to a new territory together, since the floodwaters were not receding, and became a single pack: Heylguard. Asterion wasn't impressed, not fully trusting the Heylians, but he decided he'd at least give them a chance. After all, Samhradh wasn't a Dawnguardian originally, but she was quickly becoming his closest friend. Maybe other strangers would be alright, too, even if they didn't share the same faith or traditions.

Asterion met other packmates. He bonded with Shiver over a fascination with Pajackok; he taught hunting skills to a young she-wolf named Shoshana; he was intrigued by the parental instincts of a flamboyant young male named Ivichi. Still, he didn't know what the merging of the two packs had in store, and he and Samhradh sought comfort in one another. Despite losing their "Dawnguardian" identity, they were still themselves.

He continued to interact with his new packmates. Saphira was kept up late at night, thinking about her lost brother. He tried to comfort her, but he wasn't *great* at that.

Something terrible was settling over the territory of Heylguard, however. Nobody knew what it was, but a large herd of elk was found, dead of unknown causes. Wolves began to get sick from drinking water and from eating dead prey. Asterion approached Fitu, concerned, and asked what they should do. Fitu decided to send Aster and another Sage, Saphira (a young adult by now), to ask the other packs for aid, and Asterion requested Samhradh, a healer, come too.

The three wolves set off, to find a cure for this so-called Curse of Pajackok. They went to Chandor first, but Nadia's healers, including Jaci, didn't have a solution. They went to Aryn next, but Athena and Alcatraz also had no solutions, except the suggestion that they check Fellfang, whose Witch-Doctors were renowned for their skill. Finally, they traveled to Fellfang, and Asterion waited in anticipation for the alpha to grant their audience. Jarl Fable agreed to send two of his Witch-Doctors - Grendel and Winema - to aid Heylguard.

When they returned, Heylguard was a disaster. The wolves were sick and starving...wolves had *died* or fled the pack. The cause of the disease - algae bloom in the water supply - began to be filtered out of the water, and Grendel and Winema were able to help the remaining Heylguardians to recover their strength and appetites before returning home, with the pack's gratitude. Asterion, Samhradh, and Saphira were honored for their actions.

Asterion was desperately confused, though. *Why* had Pajackok harmed his followers? He and the last remaining Dawnguardians - Samhradh, Hedda, and Felgar - went to the top of the mountains to seek answers. The stars seemed to swirl into the shapes of wolves, and they watched in horror as Icadorityl, the Heylian deity, chased Pajackok from the skies. An avalanche was triggered, and the four Dawnguardians tried to flee, but were caught up in the deluge.

Asterion helped Samhradh to escape from their snowy prison, and they returned, traumatized, to Heylguard's camp, and it was after this that Fitu decided to strip Heylguard of its half-Dawnguard identity. Asterion normally would have protested this, but his faith was completely shattered, and he was ready to give up his Dawnguard identity *entirely*. From now on, he was a Heylian.

Asterion and Samhradh struggled to cope with the avalanche, Asterion developing PTSD, but they found comfort in one another, as always. They admitted their love for one another and became mates, bearing a litter of four puppies after Fitu led the Heylians back to their old territory. Aster was terrified at the thought of fatherhood, but he fell into the role well, doting on his children: Sagitta, Sarin, Orion, and Leo.

His previously irritable, critical, and brooding personality had changed slowly with time. The difficulties of the Curse of Pajackok, the responsibility he had taken on his shoulders to protect his packmates, and the lessons he'd learned from wolves like Sam and Saphira (as well as the traumatizing experience on the mountain) had left him a weary adult with a noble mindset, dedicated to his pack and its welfare. He rose to the rank of Beta, along with Samhradh, and the two were well-respected by their packmates.

Asterion was favored by his anxious little son, Orion, who reminded him so much of Denali. He also was intently focused on his daughter Sagitta, because she was both his only daughter, and she was blind (confirmed by Medicine Keeper Laur). He and Samhradh raised their litter of pups well, though Aster could be overbearing and overprotective. When Orion and Barbosa were attacked by a raccoon, Asterion criticized Barbosa's caretaker, Crow's, parenting style. The two nearly came to blows, but he managed to calm himself and take Orion back to the den.

As Sarin grew up, he and Aster had a bit more strained of a relationship, due to Sarin's displeasure with the 'weakness' of Heyl, but Aster would greatly miss Sarin when he eventually decided to leave for Highvalley. Asterion turned his 'excess parenting energy' on Fitu and Kestrel's daughter, Andi, who wanted to learn about being a Sage from him. He was all too happy to tutor her, and Sam helped too.

Asterion and Samhradh had more losses, as Orion left the pack to follow Barbosa on her wanderings, and Sagitta left for unknown reasons. Still, they were steadfast in their service to Heyl, caring for all of their packmates. After a few seasons, Orion returned, having been attacked by a bear. Samhradh tended to his wounds, and Asterion fretted over his boy, and they waited for him to wake up from his fever-induced delirium and unconsciousness.

But while they waited, Fitu made an announcement that shocked Heyl. He was stepping down as alpha, putting his sister, Poppy, in his place as the alpha. Asterion didn't love the idea of this, but thought Poppy was a better choice than Fitu's eldest son Eir. Eir didn't think so. Eir thought *he* should have been made the leader, and made an attempt on his aunt's life.

Thinking that Eir would be upset by his father's decision, Samhradh and Asterion decided to find the young male and talk to him, but by the time they found him, he was bloody from his assassination attempt. They tried to get information from Eir about what had happened, whose blood it was (the blood was his brother's - Hannibal had moved to save Poppy and Eir had ripped his throat, but Han survived). Desperate to escape Aster and Samhradh's questions, Eir lashed out at Sam, damaging one of her forelegs. Asterion was incensed at the sight of his mate's injury, and lunged at Eir, who pushed him off the cliff and ran away. Asterion was slipping from the cliff, barely clinging on, and Samhradh desperately tried to save him. The injury to her leg, unfortunately, left her unable to haul him up, and though Aster begged Sam to save herself, she refused to leave her mate to die alone. The rock crumbled away beneath them, and the betas of Heyl fell to their death, clutched in one another's arms.

The pack fell apart after this, and everyone grieved the loss of their beta pair, none so much as their sons.

## Trivia

* Asterion has a strong faith in the goddess Icadorityl, but firmly believes that there are other gods as well.
	+ Asterion fears the gods and understands that they have great power. He tries to follow the lifestyle laid out by Icadorityl, which isn't always easy.
* Asterion's backstory has been retconned on account of it not making sense. Instead of Elihu and Denali being NPCs in the pack (which had originally been permitted), they were in Dawnguard only briefly before returning home.
* Aster secretly wants to have another litter of pups, but fears them leaving like the rest of his children.
* He doesn't think he's good enough for Sam, and pushes himself everyday to be worthy of her.
* Asterion struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) until his death. After dealing with the Curse of Pajackok, and then the serious avalanche which nearly cost him his life - and Samhradh hers - Asterion suffers from PTSD. Though his symptoms have grown milder with counseling, comfort, and time, he still has difficulty discussing or thinking about the event. In addition to the difficulty thinking about the event, it will sometimes reappear involuntarily in his mind's eye - when going about his business, something minute may trigger a memory of the crushing weight of the snow, the difficulty breathing, the inability to move - and the fear normally sets in within seconds. He's often paralyzed when accosted by memories of the event, but it lasts only a short while. Symptoms he had closer to the event included difficulty sleeping, irritation, an exaggerated startle response, feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing, disinterest in activities, isolation, and persistent anger and fear. Fortunately, these symptoms have been worked through, though 'episodes' will cause them to recur for a while, typically the rest of the day.
* Asterion was the **Spring 2017 Character of the Season!**

## Quotes

* "I love that we're *we*, you know that? You make me happier than I could ever imagine." (to Samhradh, *After the Eclipse*)
* “Any pack would be lucky to have you. I...strongly encourage you don’t spend much time alone. Even though you are more than capable of taking care of yourself, you’re still vulnerable. I-I’m sorry that Heyl isn’t what you wanted it to be. But I’ve seen you and I know that your abilities can take you far beyond our pack of healing. You’d have been wonderful here - but you would be so unhappy. I love you too much to try convincing you to stay here.” (to Sarin, *Shooting Star*)
* “Being an Envoy requires diplomatic skill. Being a Sage requires...a different kind of determination. It’s about gathering knowledge and…Well, it’s about being the right paw of the alpha. My knowledge is critical to how your father runs the pack.” (to Eir about his duties, *The Princeling*)

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
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