Vladimir

Klaus (Brother)

Sveta, Ava, and Nike (Sisters)

Extensive Highvalley Kin

Quailmix (formerly)

## Application Sheet

Vladimir is the High King of Highvalley, taking the mantle from his father Rodwen when he died of illness. Vladimir led his pack outside of the Domain, to find new hunting grounds. He is the brother of Klaus, Sveta, Nike, and Ava, and half-sisters Naava and Lapis. He was designed by Tazihound, created by Quailmix, and later adopted by Naviira, before ownership passed to InstantCoyote.

## Personality

* ***Strong-Willed, Pragmatic, and Inquisitive.*** Vladimir is well learned, inquisitive and pragmatic, steadfast, and strong willed. Overall, he has many qualities that make him well suited for the role he plays in the pack and its future. A perfectionist to the core, he always strives for the best in himself and the best for his pack. However, his ambition can be overwhelming at times, and may lead him to more harm than good.
* ***Self-Confident and Independent.*** Vladimir exudes an air of self confidence which can easily be mistaken for arrogance. He has little patience for the lazy or stupid, and any who cannot keep pace with him are quick to lose his respect, even his superiors. As a natural leader, if he notices a superior slacking on their duties, he may even take it upon himself to do the job for them (even if he knows that this will publicly shame them). Although he understands his culture's laws of respect, his independence of mind frees him from constraints of authority and propriety. That said, he does understand how to be strategic in his actions. He knows how *not* to upset the balance of those around him, and he won't, as long as it's not in his best interest or the best interests of the pack. However, his idea of "best interests" may not necessarily be the same for him as it is for others.
* ***Impersonal and Aloof.*** Perhaps it is because of how he was raised and what he picked up from his father, but Vladimir's downfall is his impersonal heart. While he has strong love for his pack in a patriotic sense, the individual love he has of each packmate leaves something to be desired. He lacks empathy for others, sometimes even outright ignoring unpleasantness if it allows for a more ideal outcome in the long run. He forges strong relationships out of favor and need, but not out of love or admiration. The only exception to this is his siblings, whom he loves deeply, perhaps more than he can even understand. Although, he still believes he knows what is best for them, and would hurt them if he perceived that it was for the greater good. Vladimir is often called stone-faced, as he is hard to read and rarely is expressive unless angry. This aloofness, paired with his hubris, leads him to be either unlikeable or unattainable to others; something that he would not necessarily see as a bad thing.
* ***Insecure (Privately).*** His insecurities, though he strives never to reveal them, stem from wanting to prove himself to the pack and to his father. Although he is the second born son, he has believed since birth that it is his right to succeed his father's throne. He does not want to be seen as second best to his first-born brother, even though he has left the pack, and so does all that he does in order to be received as the better prince and heir. His prerogative is to forget the past, forget Klaus, and move only forward to the future where he will one day become the alpha of Highvalley.

## Pre-Group History

Vladimir was born out of necessity, a noble litter in a mateship that called for peace after years of war between two packs. He was the second born of the litter, with one older brother, Klaus, who claimed the birthright of heir, along with two sisters. Yet even at the teat of their mother, it was Vladimir that excelled in strength and size. As they grew, Vladimir was raised to know jealousy, as he coveted all that his brother's title entailed. In his mind, he was the stronger, smarter, more suited brother. He was the one that should take the throne. Throughout puphood and adolescents, the boys challenged one another's intellect and abilities. Often, Vladimir came out on top. And yet, he was always the second born, the second best.

As the brothers almost reached their second year, Klaus challenged Vladimir to race across the ice fields; a dangerous zone which the brothers had been warned not to enter. The warning was not enough to deter either brother, who both wanted to prove their bravery to one another. The two ventured out, with Vlad at the front. Only minutes into the race, a large gash in the glacier formed beneath the golden male, and he plummeted through and into a cave beneath, nearly to his death. Klaus, being the only one there, managed to work his way down into the cave and revive Vladimir. The two were stuck there for nearly a day before Vladimir had the strength to climb his way out.

Klaus felt responsible for Vladimir's fall, as he had been the one to propose the race. In Vladimir's arrogance, he had even accused Klaus of this while they were stuck in the cave. This event changed Klaus, who later fled the pack, his duties, and his future. Vladimir had mixed emotions about this. He believed it was fate that he would be able to gain his birthright; the right to rule as he should have left the womb first. He had always known that. But he did have a love for his brother, for their competition, and for his loyalty. He would always be in debt for the day Klaus saved his life, even if it had been his fault to begin with.

## Group History

Vladimir was *furious* about Rodwen's decision to promise Nike to Mohawk. As the remaining emblem of his late mother and as the symbol of Highvalley's purest bloodline, he *refused* to have his bloodline be soiled by such filth. To Vladimir, the Havirian refugees are mere lowbloods with no right to wed into the noble Highvallian bloodline. Rodwen, however, was quick to put his eager son and heir back in his place, insisting that it is *his* decision, as High King, was to keep the royal line of Havir alive through this marriage.

He remained close to Sveta, gently chiding her for being so snappish with Ava. He took keen interest in the work of his packmates, making sure all duties were being performed (plus, as one of the highest-ranking Keepers, he needed reports on the happenings around the territory and its borders). Thallo approached him one day to ask about whether Robin had been sighted - she'd been missing for so long. Vlad was curt - but reasonable. He agreed to send a Seeker - for two weeks - to search for Robin.

Vladimir worked hard to train the other Keepers in the pack, too. He held training sessions with Hayes, Alyan, and Alpine, under the oversight of Rune. Vlad kicked the new kid, Samwell's, butt in training. Rodwen noticed Vladimir's skill, and called him, Sveta, and Gwyndolyn to him one day, to appoint each of them as Betas - Generals - in their professions. Vladimir practically *swelled* with pride for this accomplishment. Another step closer to his dream, of becoming the pack's alpha.

He couldn't always be professional. Sometimes, his snark came out, especially when it came to his cousin, Gwyndolyn. The two of them often butted heads, since childhood. He also didn't necessarily get along with his cousin Vysariel (he *tolerated* his exuberant relative). So he invited Vysariel, on occasion, to patrol. While Vysariel was overjoyed when Vladimir acknowledged his existence, Vladimir almost immediately regretted the decision. Ah, family!

Family *was* very important to Vladimir, though. He and his father Rodwen were safe in Highvalley's den when the massive flood swept through their territory. Immediately, Vlad and Rodwen rushed to aid their packmates. Even though it meant wading through muddy water, Vladimir charged in, to find his kin and save them, to do everything he could. They found Edythe and Livia - Vladimir sustaining an injury in the process, getting banged against a log. But he was alive, and he was a hero - Livia thanked him profusely.

Rodwen searched tirelessly for his daughters. Ava, Nike, and Sveta had all gone missing, and weren't recovered in the first few days of flood recovery efforts. Vladimir tried to make sure the High King got enough rest, going out into the wastes to find his father and encourage him to rest. Vlad himself began to have some doubts...would they ever find his sisters?

He did find other wolves. Terah was stuck in the mud, just about ready to give up hope, and Vladimir came along to rescue her. Other wolves (thankfully, including Ava and Sveta) trickled back to the pack, slowly but surely. Including, much to everyone's surprise, Robin! Vladimir was the one to greet her, and while she expected a warm welcome, Vlad was immediately snarky and sassy with the little she-wolf.

Rodwen's tireless searching led to him becoming ill. So ill, in fact, that he requested Vladimir serve as his Regent until he recovered. Vladimir was willing, convinced his father would get better soon enough, and know that Vladimir was a better choice for the next High King than Klaus ever could be.

As the Regent, Vladimir called off the search for flood survivors...including his youngest sister Nike. Many didn't agree with the decision (though only Roran voiced his concerns, and Vladimir quickly put him down), but it was accepted. And he continued to worry about his father's declining health.

He had every right to be concerned.

Rodwen would die after a few months' struggle with the illness, making the Prince Regent into the High King of Highvalley. Vlad was shaken by this turn of events, and even though he was thrilled to finally have the power he had craved, everything about Highvalley suddenly seemed overwhelming. Between poor hunting, and the flood, and his father's death, and more wolves growing ill, he decided it was time for the pack to find new hunting grounds.

Vladimir gave his packmates a day to decide whether or not to follow him, and the next day, he guided Highvalley out of the Domain as his first act as the High King. The pack has never been seen again, nor has its High King, Vladimir.

## Trivia

* Vladimir and Sveta were very close growing up. They have an unusually strong and rather strange bond with one another. Their connection goes beyond the ties by blood, and the pair are rarely seen out of one another's company.
* According to records, a bundle of twigs was bought for Vladimir, suggesting that he was considering wearing a 'crown' like Adela's, but this was never depicted in art.
* Being a Highvallian means that Vladimir had extensive familial relationships in the pack. Her first cousins were as follows: Thorn, Gwendolyn, Quilo, Aspen, Alpine, Lycan, Amara, Rholdar, Avalon, Vysariel, and Amalthea...and several NPCs!

## Quotes

* "I’m your superior both in rank and in class, need I remind you? I don’t need to tell you why. But you’re right. My time would be better spent doing something else--defecating, for example. But we can’t always get what we want, can we?” (to Gwendolyn, *Cousin's Squabble*)
* “King Rodwen is dead. We can no longer stay in this territory. It is killing us all. There is not enough food to sustain us, and should we stay, we will starve. We will leave tomorrow, and we will find a land not destroyed by floods where we can once again thrive. I won’t let any more of us fall to the face of famine or malady brought on by this land. If anyone wishes to stay, I wish you the very best. Everyone else, meet me at the Valley of the Rocks at sunrise. We will leave then.” (announcement of leaving the territory, *End of an Era*)

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet (Naviira)
* Naviira's deviantART Gallery