Taibhse

Eadric (Uncle, NPC)

Baelor (Brother, NPC)

Estyr (Sister, NPC)

Extensive Highvalley Kin

## Application Sheet

Taibhse was a pale-cream-furred she-wolf with pear-green eyes. Born in Highvalley, Taibhse was a noble Highblood who served her pack as a Seeker, before the death of High King Rodwen. When Vladimir moved the pack out of the Domain, Taibhse chose to remain behind, eventually making her way to Xassa, where she served as a Su'en. After encountering her cousin Alyan in a battle, she decided to leave the pack to find him, and has not been seen in the Domain since.

## Personality

* ***Intelligent*.** Taibhse is highly intelligent and calculating, able to out-think most other wolves she meets, particularly those outside of Highvalley. Her smarts make her an exceptional negotiator and has saved face for herself and the pack more than once.
* ***Loyal*.** Fiercely loyal to Highvalley and her bloodline, Taibhse holds the pack dear to her heart. Despite her tendency to make light of the pack, she'd defend it with her life if she needed to. She is able to see the problem in keeping the bloodline pure by inbreeding and isn't the biggest fan but she'd never want to do anything to bring shame upon her family.
* ***Charismatic*.** Thanks to her intelligence Taibhse has quite a way with words and her experience with meeting wolves from other packs has made her an expert conversationalist. She can come off over-confident and will often get on the nerves of those with short tempers for her kind of personality but she finds their ire more amusing than anything else.
* ***Flirtatious*.** Although Taibhse has little interest in actually taking a mate she will flirt with anyone. Their gender and openness to it make little difference to her. She enjoys seeing the reaction of those she flirts with and takes great pleasure in being a tease.
* ***Detached*.** Unwilling to let anyone too close to her, Taibhse doesn't remain attached to any one wolf. As much as she secretly wishes for a deep romance, akin to those in tales and songs, her only real love is the land of Highvalley. This attitude helps her to see things from an outside perspective and aids her decision making when on diplomatic missions to other packs, but it does little to help her maintain close relationships even to her family and causes her to come off as cold.
* ***Aloof*.** The petty squabbles of other packs mean little to her, much more of an amusement than anything to be taken seriously, although she'd never disgrace her pack and their name by voicing any of her distaste aloud while in the presence of those not of Highvalley. While she will defend even her Lowborn kin and follows the pack laws of respect devoutly she is very much of the opinion she is above becoming too involved with them.
* ***Self-Centered.*** While she loves her pack and her land, Taibhse holds her own interests above those of others. If she is called upon to do something she has little taste for personally or that would inconvenience her she has no issue voicing her displeasure clearly, even to her High King, as she obeys the order that has put her out.

## Pre-Group History

Being born to the prestigious Highvalley, Taibhse held her head high almost from the moment of her birth. While her father was a brother to High King Eadric and not High King himself, their blood position so close to the High King carried with it many benefits that Taibhse was more than happy to indulge in.

Taibhse held no real interest for the inner machinations of the pack, watching events unfold from the sidelines with a mixture of distaste and concern. While her puphood was filled with plenty of socialization and training, the troubles caused by the High King proved to be an unwelcome distraction.

The wars that raged as she and her extended family grew did little to endear her to forming close bonds with anyone. Her mother was a talented Seeker and taught her aspiring children well, the life of a Seeker being something Taibhse finally connected to, and she would often steal away to continue her training away from her siblings, determined to be the best of them.

The wars grew increasingly bloody and violent, and Taibhse saw much of the bloodshed on her excursions. While she wasn't especially squeamish about blood, having aided her mother in giving birth to later litters more than once, the death did take its toll on her. Having seen many wolves cut down by enemies she felt the need to intensify her training, learn how to truly fight so she would never be another broken, lifeless body laying in a pool of its own blood. Her unusual size made her a formidable force, while she didn't possess a particularly muscular body like her bulkier kin, her size and lean muscle made up for what she lacked in brute strength.

Her father attempted to convince her to become a High Guard, or at least a Keeper, both of which she would be good at with her training, but Taibhse refused. Her opinion of her uncle wasn't particularly favorable, and while she didn't mind her cousin Rodwen as High King she'd grown to care more about the land and her potential life as a Seeker more than anything else.

Her light-colored pelt and speed, added to her more singular existence as a Seeker, earned her a reputation among her kin and any loners or members of other packs who happened to catch a glimpse of her stalking through the land as "the Ghost of Highvalley". She prides herself on her knowledge of the movements of other packs and lone wolves who happen to venture within in any real distance of Highvalley borders, constantly watching from a distance and assessing the various alliances, disputes and daily lives of the rest of the Domain. She doesn't often approach others, preferring her position of neutrality as an outside spectator free of the biased comments and opinions of those involved.

Her reputation as ghost of the valleys and mountains pleases her no end, finding it a fitting and respectable title, and enjoying the reaction her presence will often inspire when she does make contact with those she's observed from her watches.

Taibhse's life is now solely focused upon being the best Seeker of Highvalley, helping her cousin to rebuild the pack from the tattered state Eadric left it in, in her own way.

## Group History

Taibhse only truly interacted with her Highblood kin, particularly Rodwen and his children. As a gossip-monger, she often entertained her kin with the latest gossip and news, and spent her time as a Seeker exploring the territory and doing her own thing.

However, High King Rodwen did have a crucial mission for her: to go to Vale and charm the Valerians into an alliance. She would find a relative of his - a nephew, Lycan - living there. She set off immediately, making her way to the pack in the northeast. Upon her arrival, Taibhse was granted an audience with Astir Loki, who was intrigued by the offer.

Taibhse's offer was simple: when the seasons changed, the two packs could meet and integrate. She returned home, victorious. She didn't know that the mission would never come to fruition, because Vale would leave the Domain...and later, so would Highvalley.

Upon her return home, there was a tragedy to confront: a massive flood. Many of her packmates were dead or injured, and many more were missing. She wouldn't admit it aloud, but she was rather shaken by the whole event. She used her position as a Seeker to wander to the far reaches of the territory to look for the missing...or their bodies.

Rodwen fell ill. Like the rest of the pack, Taibhse watched and worried over their High King as he struggled with his illness, but nobody seemed to expect him to die from it. When he did, Vladimir decided it was time to move the pack to new lands. Taibhse, however, refused to leave with him.

It didn't take long for the she-wolf, who had so enjoyed her solitary wanderings and the vast, empty landscapes of Highvalley, to realize how much she missed her kin. She left the Domain to find Vladimir and the rest of Highvalley's remaining Highbloods.

She searched for many moons, and found no trace of her former family now that they were scattered to the winds. Disheartened, she turned once again in the direction of the Domain where she could live out her days in a place that was at least somewhat familiar - although she couldn't bear to return to Highvalley's former territory.

Instead she turned northeast, skirting the coast to keep herself fed until she reached the mouth of a river. She chose to follow the river upstream, unknowingly walking directly into the territory of Xassa, where she was intercepted by Nineveh. The new Cyrus, enchanted by her regality and beauty, and eager to introduce some new wolves to the dwindling numbers of his pack, invited her to stay.

And so, she became part of Xassa, far from the world she was used to, and needed to find a new place for herself in the world devoid of Highvalley's Highblood status.

Admittedly, life in Xassa was vastly different from Highvalley, with its unpredictable seasonal changes, extreme heat, and unique culture. However, she shone as a Su'en for the pack, and won the honor of delivering the objective antler to the finish line for the celebration of Ba'aru.

Her noble upbringing meant that that Taibhse could give guidance (warranted or not) to the other she-wolves of the pack. In particular, she 'guided' Majavis, who had been wed into Xassa's own noble Susa Bloodline. Fortunately, though despite how cold and judgmental Taibhse could be, Majavis saw the noble she-wolf as someone to look up to.

She was chosen by Cyrus Nineveh to join the diplomatic party to Chandor. Unfortunately, this diplomatic party did not go well, as Rajbera attacked the Xassans. Diablo and Rajbera attacked Nouri, Caldera, and Nergal, but Taibhse was prevented from leaping into the fray...by *Alyan!* Her cousin! Rodwen's brother was living in *Chandor* all along!

Both former Highvallians were too stunned by the presence of the other to join the fight, and eventually, Diablo called for a retreat. Taibhse, the least-injured of the group, and the swiftest, was told to race back to Xassa to get an extraction team. They needed help to get Caldera, Nouri, and Nergal away from Chandorian lands without giving Rajbera a chance to attack again, or the Chandorians a chance to track them down and finish the job.

She delivered her message to Nineveh, and while he was away, rescuing his Xassans, she thought desperately on what to do next. She'd looked everywhere for her kin, and *here they were.* Yet, he was in a new pack, and happy, certainly. She decided that she would have to search elsewhere for her kin, now that there was *proof* Highbloods could be found.

Taibhse waited for Nineveh's return, and then, she brought him an offering of thanks and apologized for leaving the pack. Nineveh understood, and wished her well as she set off. She left the Domain to search, once again, for her kin.

Several weeks later, Alyan came to the borders of Xassa, searching for Taibhse. He was told that she had already gone, searching for Highbloods, and he went to find her. Hopefully, by now, the two have found each other, and perhaps, some of their other Highblood kin.

## Trivia

* Taibhse's name means "Ghost" in Irish Gaelic.
* She was much more comfortable in colder temperatures than warm, and often waded in ponds and streams to cool off in the heat of summer.

## Quotes

* "A gathering of families. When the earth turns and the land thaws. Allow our packs to integrate; provide the foundations for a fruitful union between two great forces." (proposing an alliance to Loki, *Diplomacy*)

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* KingWolfInk's deviantART Gallery