Tilika

Five Unnamed Pups (NPCs)

## Application Sheet

Tilika was a golden-furred she-wolf with blue eyes, the mate of Havir's alpha, Saurugol, and mother to his pups, Mohawk and Yuaei. She was a Hunt Master in Havir, and one of Saurugol's betas. After the destruction of Havir, she lived as a loner with her children until they could take residence in Highvalley. She was assassinated by Klaus and Jerikoh of Vektren. She was created and RP'd by Tazihound.

## Personality

* ***Composed.*** Tilika is a steady force. Her gentle composure and even-temper give her a rather elegant, relaxed air. Her presence can have a calming effect on her allies, however attempts to read her emotions are not easy unless she readily offers her sentiment. Her age and past experiences have prepared her for an uneasy existence, and so she is unfazed by the hardship of everyday life.
* ***Stern and Responsible.*** Instinctually Tilika is driven to help those around her survive, and so she can be unrelenting when it comes to the completion of a task. She frowns upon sloth and fully believes in an honest day’s work. Good discipline is a daily practice that does not go unseen by the Gods. Tilika is dependable, never failing to finish what she sets out to accomplish.
* ***Tactical.*** Due to her heightened awareness of life, Tilika is very skilled in making choices she deems right for Havir as a whole rather than focusing on herself. Her thoughts are very long-term and not satiated by short-term pleasures.
* ***Selfless.*** Tilika genuinely cares for the wellbeing of her pack-mates. She believes every one of them has great potential, and will always see the good in them even if they are incapable of seeing it in themselves. She is loyal to a fault, willing to risk her own protection in defense of her pack.
* ***Trusting.*** Blinded by her eternal optimism, Tilika can fail to see danger if it is disguised by polite conduct. She will always assume the best before the worst. Being a wolf of her word she can be blindsided by those ruled by deceit.
* ***Bold.*** She will readily offer her voice to a conversation and does not withhold her true feelings in a matter. She is willing to act out against majority if she disagrees with the masses, however she will do everything in her power to persuade an opposing party to see her viewpoint. She believes wholeheartedly that fortune favors the bold.
* ***Maternal.*** Tilika was born with instincts to nurture those around her. After seeing her own litter through to adolescence, Tilika has a tendency to see younger wolves as an extension of her own. Those she grows especially fond of will be cared for by her in a motherly way. She will never turn down one of her own, always available to come to for advice or comfort.
* ***Nostalgic.*** In many ways Tilika’s past has driven a hole through her that can never be healed, but she’s learned to accept the unpredictability of life. She knows their world is an endless cycle and lingering on past regrets only suppresses new experiences. Her faith in the Gods, though once slim, is now a source of great solace.
* ***Merciless.*** Though eager to embrace the good in all, Tilika is not known for her clemency. The guilty shall be judged and punished, for they choose their own fate. Those who double cross her will be met with an unforgiving wrath.

## Pre-Group History

In the heart of a great valley lay Tilika’s birth pack, known simply as Indio. Birthed to the alpha pair, Tilika’s litter was deemed a fortuitous gift, for the leader of the pack and the pups’ father was ill. This was his last litter, passing on shortly after the pups were weaned. The large pack bore the weight of their grief but kept a happy front for the pups’ sake. Tilika was smaller than her litter mates but her even temper and keen intelligence proved invaluable to the Indio wolves. She had a pleasant upbringing, doted on by the older wolves and taught the essential skills of survival. She was not the most talented in any one area but rather adequate in all, making her a well-rounded young wolf. As a juvenile she took on the task of a hunter, fueled by the praise of supplying her pack with a fresh kill. As time went on and the litter grew they became the strongest wolves of the pack. Her brothers left to start their own packs, but Tilika and her sisters remained. It was around this time Tilika grew close to a rogue wolf named Rowen, who the Indio wolves had taken in exchange for his obedience. Rowen was a serious wolf. He took everything literally and could hardly relax enough to enjoy a meal, but Tilika found him endearing. He became her closest friend in Indio.

When her mother passed, Tilika was promoted to the Indio alpha. She was not daunted by the position but rather rose to accept her role. She was an understanding yet firm leader, and in turn for her wolves’ loyalty, the pack never went hungry. Rowen never left her side, assuming the role as her Beta wolf and together they ruled over Indio. Tilika honored her late mother's legacy by maintaining the pack's alliances with neighboring clans, including the well respected Brazeau pack.

Later in the year, a band of rogue males drew into the territory, seeking shelter from the elements. Rowen warned against their stay, but Tilika, ever willing to see the good in all, welcomed them to her pack so long as they earned their keep. One such male, a dark wolf by the name of Akelo, took an immediate interest in the young Indio alpha. He was relentless in his pursuit, using his charm and wit to win Tilika’s affection. He began courting her, and eventually Akelo was deemed the alpha male of the Indio pack. Rowen was furious and heartbroken. He had loved Tilika all those years, but it was too late, she was expecting Akelo's litter.

Tilika bore five healthy pups. She was a patient mother, doing her best to balance the responsibilities of the pack with the struggles of maternity. They managed, however, with the assistance of the pack wolves. Rowen grew especially fond on the pups, often spending more time with them than Akelo did. Tilika eventually realized that she did not love Akelo, but still respected him for his strength, courage, and devotion to the pack wolves.

Indio suffered a tragedy in her third year of life. Word had spread among neighboring clans that the Brazeau had become a fearsome, power-hungry pack. Tilika put little stock in the rumors, maintaining that the Brazeau had been Indio's dependable ally for over a decade. After weeks or no news on that front, the wolves' tensions began to ease. That summer, a drought struck the valley, and Tilika made the decision to relocate the pack. She recruited several wolves to join her in scouting for new territory and left Akelo and Rowen in charge of overseeing the pack.

However, three days into their search, word was sent that Indio had been ambushed by the Brazeau. While many pack wolves fled, others, in their fear, joined up with the Brazeau. Those who fought back were decimated by the Brazeau's overpowering numbers. In a matter of minutes, Tilika had lost Rowen and Akelo. The Brazeau assumed rule over what was left of the Indio valley, and the few remaining wolves dispersed into new packs. These wolves from Brazeau were led by a wolf who would later enter the Domain: Alar.

Time helped to ease her wounds but Tilika could never forget those she lost, nor could she forgive her betrayers. Worst of all was knowing she lead her pack astray by not heeding the warnings, to which they paid for in blood. The thought of her pups, safe and thriving elsewhere comforted her. None of her children had been slaughtered in the attack.

Tilika lived as a hunter for a smaller pack before dispersing again in search of a new home. In her travels she learned of the Gods; the sun, the moon, and the sky. She learned of their divine duty to keep life in balance. She came to the realization that providence rests within the control of the Gods, and while she could make choices to shape her fate, it was the Gods who preceded over all things. Only they could comprehend the grand scale of life. Her faith was the answer to overcoming her grief. Tilika does not linger on the past, she strives always to see the promise of the future.

## Group History

When she arrived at the borders of Havir, Tilika met with a wolf named Silvanus. Silvanus was a highly-trusted member of the pack, the brother to the alpha Saurugol's stepmother, Hera - the High Priestess. He was willing to give Tilika a chance to enter the lands, and she was permitted to travel to the heart of the territory to speak with Saurugol. Saurugol questioned her motives for coming to Havir, and what she could offer to the harsh northern pack. Tilika was calm and cool, and informed him of her success as a huntress, though she was no braggart: she admitted that she was unfamiliar with the terrain of Havir, but it was an obstacle that she could overcome. Saurugol agreed to let her stay.

Upon the death of Zevahni, Tilika offered a faith-driven consolation to Saurugol, admitting that her road to Havir was not easy, but with her invigorated faith, she believed that there was a great deal of hope for being reunited with loved ones in Paradise.

Tilika was excellent with pups, and offered great comfort to young Arthur on his sister Zevahni's death. She also helped Saurugol and Malika, along with the rest of the pack, raise an orphaned pup, Neo.

When Saurugol and Ira were attacked by a bear, and Ira went missing, Tilika vowed to stay by Saurugol's side no matter what. He gradually began to heal, and realize how important she was to him, as a friend and advisor. He told Tilika that he wanted her to train in self-defense, and trained her himself. However, both seemed to realize a tension in their friendship that they hadn't realized was there before...an affection.

Then, several female members of Havir went missing. Tilika herself was not among them, but instead, was ready to go to war to bring them home. However, Saurugol, knowing of her innate authority, left her in charge of the pack while he took the rescue party of Sage, Faust, Cyrus, Quidel, Arthur, and Nadina to battle the captors.

After the decision was made, Tilika approached Faust, attempting to offer some comfort and reassurance to the broken male. He lashed out at her, accusing her of placing her faith in the gods over her care for individuals, but she assured him this was not the case. The two were not exclusive; she suggested to him that, perhaps, "the gods are representations of divinity. Maybe it's our very Earth that is divine." This was a point of view Faust had not considered before. She left him to his brooding. She went to Saurugol, concerned about Faust being a nonbeliever and being blinded by grief - would he be an asset to this rescue party, or a hindrance? Would the gods bless a war party with an atheist in its ranks? Saurugol reassured Tilika before they set off, and the pack successfully rescued its missing females.

Sometime after their return, Saurugol confessed to Tilika that he loved her. Tilika admitted her love in return, but told him they could not be together for eternity, for he was divine, and she was just a mortal. Saurugol scoffed at the idea, and assured her that her lifetime of trials had made her divine, and he loved her, his gift from the gods. They agreed to be mates. Shortly thereafter, Tilika announced that she was expecting his pups.

They were pups that she would raise alone.

While Tilika was away on a hunting trip, the territory of Havir was stricken by a meteor. Saurugol and Malika were killed instantly, and the rest of the pack struggled to find somewhere to call home. The refugees mostly traveled to Vale, but Tilika, unaware that *anyone* had survived the destruction of Havir, accepted the horrific fact that she was alone, and vowed to take care of her pups herself.

Tilika gave birth, alone, in the wilds of the Domain, to two golden-furred pups, who she named Yuaei and Mohawk. She worked tirelessly to provide for her babies, to give them joy and happiness despite their lack of a pack or a father. She tried desperately to remain emotionally strong and outwardly positive and peaceful, for the sake of the children, but there were times that it was too difficult.

When the pups were a few weeks old, Tilika was approached by Angus, a former Havirian who had vowed to take care of the kin of AdeSaurugol. They made their way to a pack Havir had long since dismissed - Highvalley. High King Rodwen had long been interested in introducing the Havirian lineage into their bloodline, and the arrival of the Ade's son and daughter was too good an opportunity to pass up. Tilika hesitatingly agreed to allow an arranged marriage between Rodwen's daughter Nike and her own son Mohawk.

Welcomed into the safety of Highvalley, Tilika took on the task of a Seeker, continuing her efforts of providing for her pack (and now, children) by hunting. As a Highblood, Tilika was granted a Steward, Shardae. Tilika didn't need a Steward, necessarily, but admitted that she would appreciate having a governess for her children, so they'd be tended to while she hunted.

What Tilika did not know, was that she would not live to see her pups grow up. She didn't even know that there was a contract on her head with the pack of Vektren. She was with Mohawk and Yuaei, near the edges of the Misty Lake, when a pair of Vektren's killers-for-hire - Klaus and Jerikoh - approached. Desperately, she told her children to run, to escape, and she stood her ground to fight for her life.

Unfortunately, Tilika did not survive.

It was widely believed by the Highvallians that a group of loners killed her; the connection to Vektren is virtually unknown by anyone outside of the cult itself.

Her children would grow up surrounded by love in Highvalley, but she herself went to join her beloved Saurugol in Paradise.

## Trivia

* Although Tilika was enormously affectionate towards Akelo and Rowen in her birthpack of Indio, she never became mates with either of them. Akelo would be decreed as the alpha male, and father her pups, but they were not officially mates, as she realized that she only admired him, and did not love him. She was devastated when Brazeau killed both males in their invasion.
* Tilika was from far south of the Domain, originally, and it took some time for her to become accustomed to the bitter cold of Havir.
* When Tilika birthed her first litter (prior to entering the Domain), she had not yet been exposed to the word of the Gods, thus her pups grew up not knowing the truth. Tilika feels this is a short coming only she is responsible for. She regrets this fault so deeply that it haunts her every day, knowing that she will not be reunited with her children in paradise.

## Quotes

* "The gods tasked me with a difficult journey, my Ade. They chose to show me the consequence of an agnostic life, one riddled with war, and famine, and suffering. Now they show me a life with faith, one of hope and security and love. I do not yet know why I was fated with this odyssey, though I believe it was divine providence that lead me to Havir." (to Saurugol, *Consolation*)
* “It’s ok to feel sad, Arthur. It’s ok to have a bad day, or two, or more. Don’t let anyone tell you having emotions makes you weak. Being able to voice how you feel takes courage, and it is brave.” (to Arthur, *Spirits*)
* *"The Gods had brought Tilika to him to teach him happiness, he was sure of that now. She was a gift, a gift that he would fight fiercely to protect and a gift that, regardless of what the future may hold, he would never let go."* (Saurugol's thoughts on Tilika, *You Win*)

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* Tazihound's deviantART Gallery