Alar

Luna (separated)

Hala and Olive (Sisters, NPCs)

## Application Sheet

Alar was a sooty-gray male wolf with piercing orange eyes and a thick beard of fur around his neck. He was formerly the King Regent of Vale after manipulating Shenandoah and deposing the former King Renier. He was called "The Raven King" and was often accompanied by the white raven, Raban. He fathered several wolves with a variety of former mates: his first mate Luna bore no pups; his second mate (NPC) bore Ranna; his last mate was Lilith, who bore four children he would never know: Aivar, Daphne, Miriam, and Claire. This crafty male entered the Domain as a loner before infiltrating and taking over Vale through methods of manipulation and deception. He departed the Domain some time after he was deposed, and after his usefulness to the Vektreni ended. He was created and RP'd by Naviira.

## Personality

* ***Astute and Intelligent*.** Alar has an incredibly sharp mind and possesses an uncanny ability to accurately assess situations which he can then turn into his advantage, this is in part due to the fact that he understands wolf behavior at a deep psychological level. Lacking physical prowess, Alar makes up for it with his rare intellect.
* ***Diplomatic.*** Due to his astute and cautious nature, Alar is capable of dealing with sensitive matters and individuals. He shows great skill in negotiation and can find ways to obtain his own demands while avoiding too much opposition and repercussions by others.
* ***Cunning, Charming and Manipulative.*** To those who don't know him, Alar can seem very charming due to his courteousness and polite façade. However, he uses his charm in ways of deceit to get what he wants. Due to the rest of his detestable and manipulative personality, he struggles with making any genuine or lasting relationships.
* ***Playful and Sarcastic.*** Alar finds small pleasures in playfully mocking and toying with other's emotions, but will only go as far as he thinks he can get away with. His humor is considered bizarre and may seem odd and unpleasant to those receiving it.
* ***Cowardly*.** Alar is the kind of coward that prefers to manipulate others to do his work for him. He’ll avoid getting himself into physical fights, and will bail on those he considers his friends and family should his life be in danger or if a better alternative rolls around. His biggest fear is death, and he’ll do anything to postpone it.
* ***Narcissistic*.** At the end of the day, the only person Alar cares about is himself.

## Pre-Group History

Alar was born to the alphas of a small, hardy pack of nomads. The pack would rarely hunt, rather they would scavenge and steal kills from other predators. They learned how to read the world around them in order to survive, rather than relying on strength in numbers alone. They practiced many strange traditions. Heartless traditions where wolves are abandoned as yearlings and then re-initiated into the pack before the following winter should they survive. Those who did were worthy enough to carry on the family line.

Upon the anniversary of his birth, Alar went through such a ritual. For eight months he struggled with hunger, rival predators, and unforgiving weather alone. He returned to the pack as a different wolf, one more hardened and callous than before. Soon he grew discontent within the pack. The affections he had once held as a pup between his own blood had been lost during his time in isolation, and as a result he dispersed, looking for a new life. While he had been undergoing his ritual, however, he had met and befriended a white raven by the name of Raban, who would become the only constant companion in his life.

Before long, Alar joined a large pack known as the Brazeau’s. They were different from his birth pack, a large clan of bison hunters; strong, fierce, loyal and adored by many. However, Alar wasn’t any of these things, rather he was frail, weak, cowardly and disliked. Despite this, over time he put his intellect to use and became the liaison between surrounding packs, proving himself to be a skilled diplomat and strategist, forging many new alliances with former rival packs thus achieving a state of prosperity never seen before.

Even with his “efforts”, he couldn’t help but feel self-pity for being held in contempt with members of the pack due to his lack of strength and dexterity. The reason behind this however was of his own making, though credited it to the fault of others. The intense jealousy of his pack mates concealed with self-hate, need for control and a desire to not appear weak, caused him to construct an absurd but severe superiority complex, provoking others into disassociating themselves with him. Knowing he could never achieve their state of reality, Alar denied his feelings and claimed to hate them, when in reality he wanted nothing more to be just like them: strong, fierce, loyal and loved.

Out of spite, the young brute made use of his intelligence, position and connections to plot against them, turning alliances into hostile rivals in order to drive the pack to the ground. Those who survived were exiled, and a new pack took its place. Because of his efforts in usurping the Brazeau’s, Alar was given power and courting rights. Over the course of many years, three more packs succumbed to the same fate as the Brazeau's at the mercy of Alar's scheming, and each time was given more and more power. Alar's reputation grew, and before long many surrounding packs grew to fear and detest the name.

Alar met his first mate then, a she-wolf named Luna. Luna became smitten and it seemed her feelings were mutual to a degree. The two became mates with the Alpha pair's permission but they were not granted permission to have pups. They'd never have a chance to gain enough trust from the alpha to do so, however: in part, due to Alar's manipulation, wolves began to turn on each other, fragmenting the pack. Some of them began fighting and even killing each other until finally it became clear that two wolves of the Guard were at least part of the cause. The two usurped the reigning Alpha pair, killing them so they could never take their rank back. Luna could only cling to the fact that she still had Alar but even that came to an end. He abandoned her to take the former Alpha's daughter as his mate and exiled her. Luna left, and Alar was able to remain in the new Alpha's good graces for a time.

Alar's latest Alpha however grew mad with suspicion and paranoia. He believed that Alar, his anointed beta, was plotting to overthrow and betray him like he did to so many others. Alar tried to reassure him the idea was delusional, but the Alpha insisted otherwise and ordered for his execution. Alar fled, barely escaping with his life, gaining a new scar in the process. The only reason he survived was because he happened to stumble upon the she-wolf Kimber, who was provoked into an attack and killed one of Alar's pursuers, before the others ran back to their pack - they weren't willing to risk their lives to take Alar's. Alar and Kimber parted ways immediately. For months he traveled far and alone, except for Raban, relying on the skills learned from his birth pack for survival. Having been exiled, the lone wolf now looks for a new life far away from his homeland in hopes that no one from his old life will ever find him.

## Group History

Upon arriving in the Domain, he lived a short time as a loner before traveling to Vale and skirting its edges, trying to learn about the large and impressive pack from a distance. After a time, Alar was approached by a Valerian, Nyru, who asked as to his intentions. He wanted to join. Nyru hesitated, and told him to wait at the border while she went to inform the alpha of his intentions.

King Renier came around and consulted with Alar, eventually agreeing to take the loner into the pack. Originally, took on the task of Outrider, before eventually joining Renier's Black Watch, alongside the King's brother, Enzo. He took great pride in his power, and used his ravens to keep an eye on potential threats to the monarchy. He also kept the Valerians from interacting with Queen Wren, per Renier's orders, and sent Loki away on more than one occasion.

While living in Vale, he met a loner named Lilith on a cold night. He accidentally fell through the ice, and she debated about rescuing him or not. She did not, choosing to laugh at him instead, and Alar managed to rescue himself from the icy water. They parted on uncertain terms, each amused a little by one another.

When Wren bore Renier's single pup, Shenandoah, members of the Black Watch took turns guarding the little pup, and Alar was amongst them. Alar was often irritated by the pup's antics and playful attitude, but he gradually began to formulate a plan, which meant he'd have to get close to the princess. He put on a cunning act, scheming to take power for himself - and that meant winning the little princess's affections and trust.

In order for his plan to work, Alar needed the wolves of Vektren, which Renier had permitted to roam the territory in exchange for extra protection and force, to be away from Vale. His opportunity came when he stumbled across a wolf from Aryn - Adrian. Adrian was looking to collect herbs from Vektren lands to heal Gabitrix, but couldn't sneak in and get them. Alar made a deal with Adrian - *he* would bring Adrian the herbs, if Adrian could convince Mistress Hekate that Vektren was in danger, so she would keep her Vektreni close to their own territory, and not be able to defend Renier when he acted. Adrian performed his duties well, and Hekate's wolves began to appear less and less in Valerian lands.

As he collected his herbs, he met two familiar faces: Roan and Hidde. They wanted to kill him, but Alar persuaded them to allow him to live, in exchange for places of power in his *new* pack, Vale. He told them of his plan, and recruited them to help, as a part of his new Black Watch, once it was established.

Originally, Raban was willing to help Alar with his plot, enjoying spending time with the young princess and willing to do what he could to help his wolf friend, but as the moment of truth approached, he pleaded, one last time, with Alar to refrain from going through with it. However, Alar was firm: the plan would continue.

One night, with the Vektreni wolves away, Alar sent Raban to Shenandoah's den, to entice the princess to go on an adventure to see something 'really cool'. With the princess out of the den, and a powerful blizzard storming into the territory, Alar was able to convince Renier and Wren that Shenandoah was missing. The two immediately went out to search for their princess, their only child.

Alar swept into the den to wait for Shen's return. He told her that her parents had been killed by Valerian rebels, though he did not know which ones, though he had some ideas. He tried to explain that they'd want to hurt Shen as well, and he made it his personal duty to make sure she remained safe...his duty, and the duty of the Black Watch. He said he would lead the pack until Shen was old enough to be Queen herself.

He summoned the Black Watch to break the news, and to gauge their loyalty to him. Uhera, Savoy, Enzo, Rhaegan, and Kimber were assembled. Though some were unconvinced, everyone was shocked when Alar accused Rhaegan of being responsible. He lunged at Alar - Shen leapt to defend her guardian - Rhaegan accidentally knocked Shen away, and Kimber leapt to the pup's defense. Immediately, Kimber and Uhera turned on Rhaegan for attacking Shenandoah; the 'traitor' begged Enzo for assistance, but Enzo refrained from joining the fray. He demanded that Rhae be disposed of, but his life was spared.

He appeared to the wolves of Vale, announcing that Renier and Wren had been *murdered,* by rebels in their number, and by the will of the princess, Alar was to become the King Regent. One of his first orders of business was to expose one of the 'traitors', and identified Brunhilda to Shenandoah. Initially, Shen wanted Brun *executed,* but amended her decision to exile. Alar managed to convince her to allow publicly attacking Brunhilda instead.

He thought he'd established a suitable Black Watch, but he was wrong. Enzo, outraged by the death of his brother Renier (which he was *convinced* was because of Alar) and what he believed to be the execution of his younger brother Rhaegan, attacked Alar, intending to kill him. Alar managed to survive, with Kimber and Shen returning to defend Alar from the attack. Enzo was then exiled.

The King had a lot of physical and mental strength to back himself up. He continued to exercise control over Shenandoah; he had established what he considered a trustworthy Black Watch to guard him, including Roan, Hidde, and Kimber; he also had his ravens, to keep an eye out for traitors. They reported back to him a meeting between Loki and Keme, in which they discovered a plot to overthrow the King.

As King of Vale, he extended an offer to Lilith, who he had been courting for a time, to become his Queen, and she agreed. His next order of business - dealing with two more traitors, Keme and Loki. He assembled Roan, Hidde, and Shenandoah, to punish the pair. They left Roan to brutalize Keme while Loki watched, desperately trying to protect her, only to be restrained by Hidde. Keme was hideously disfigured by Roan, and Alar took his leave, satisfied with his work.

One day, while walking with Shenandoah, they encountered a wandering pup. This pup was none other than the Vektreni prince, Dante - or, Hellion, as he would later be known. He decided to use Hellion's arrival on the borders as an excuse to travel to Vektren, to speak with Hekate again. He secured an alliance with her, which was much-needed, as he needed to protect his assets...especially since Lilith was expecting his pups.

The Vektreni moved around Vale, just as they did when Renier ruled. Tensions within the pack were only growing, and they were about to come to a head.

Nyru had organized the rebels: Brunhilda, Quinn, Loki, Kyros, Kimber...they were all with her, to overthrow Alar. They meant for no harm to come to Shenandoah. Alar had been away from the camp as they attacked Roan and Hidde, and was intercepted by a fleeing Lilith. Alar spoke with her briefly, trying to offer comfort, before sending the Vektreni he was entertaining to defend his claim to the throne. Hekate and Klaus were sent in.

When Alar saw that the battle was not going his way, he fled, leaving Lilith behind.

As he fled, he was discovered by Ira, the mate of Faust, the leader deposed by Renier, long ago. Ira attacked him viciously, and Alar, in his desperation to flee, kicked her pregnant stomach, *hard.* Ira fell back, and Faust fell upon Alar in raw fury. Shenandoah, who had been searching for Alar as she fled the camp, found them and rushed to Faust, *begging* him to let Alar go, insisting that he was attacking the wrong wolf: *she* was the Queen of Vale, and she was surrendering.

Faust wanted to kill her, for a moment, for she was Renier's child. But she was also Wren's daughter. He permitted Alar and Shenandoah to run. As they ran, Ranna - Alar's own *daughter* - chased after them, wanting nothing more than to kill her father. She tried, but Shenandoah put up a vicious fight to protect the tyrant.

Shenandoah and Alar traveled far from Vale, to heal from their injuries and keep one another's spirits up, at least a bit. Alar was completely unconcerned with Lilith's whereabouts, or the fate of their children, though by now she had borne four pups and been killed by Hidde. In the end, Alar only cared for Alar - and keeping his relationship with Shenandoah stable, as she was his strongest (and only) ally.

The pair wandered too close to Vektren's borders, and Hekate fell upon them. She wanted to kill Alar personally, for losing their Valerian alliance when he was deposed, and for his former trickery in deposing of Renier. However, as a last-ditch effort, he offered her information in exchange for his life: *Adrian* had tricked the Vektreni into leaving Renier unprotected. They turned their fury upon Aryn, and permitted Alar and Shenandoah to live at the outskirts of the territory.

Shenandoah began to befriend some of the Vektreni, like Jerikoh, and Hekate offered her a place in the pack. She didn't want to leave Alar, however, and remained a loner alongside him. But she eventually learned the truth about their relationship: Alar thought she was as 'dumb as a hare' and he had been manipulating her since she was a *child.* Shen fled from Alar and his manipulations, turning, instead, to Jerikoh and leaving her abuser behind once and for all.

Alar was never seen again after that. Nobody knows what became of him, whether the Raven King managed to slither away from the Domain to wreak havoc elsewhere, or if his past cruelties and manipulations caught up with him. All we know is that he is gone from the Domain.

## Trivia

* Alar has been described as one of the most selfish wolves in the Domain.
* At a very young age, Alar could normally be found quietly observing ravens from a distance. On occasion he would intentionally leave scraps from his meal for the ravens to study their behavior. He has a slight obsession with the birds.
* He has had four mates and three litters over the course of many packs. Most of which were either exiled or killed.
* During his time in isolation, Alar made a pact with a raven named Raban and continues to hold command over his small flock to this very day.
* He prefers rocky terrain as opposed to flat grasslands and open meadows.
* He finds hunting in packs troublesome and will always try to find a way around it.
* He is an extrovert and enjoys meeting new individuals.
* He learned how to fish from his mother.
* He has never killed a wolf with his own jaws, rather he has done it indirectly by manipulating other wolves to do the work for him.
* Alar is terrified of death and will do anything he can to postpone it for as long as possible.
* His favorite part of the animal to eat is the hindquarters, and his favorite prey usually lives at higher elevations (mountain goats and marmots).
* He holds tremendous respect for elderly wolves and takes a keen interest in them. He also secretly admires loyal and honorable individuals and deeply envies them.
* Alar is a light sleeper and sometimes suffers from insomnia due to his obsessive thinking.
* His favorite season is autumn when the larch trees turn yellow-orange.
* He is sometimes referred to as the "Raven Master" due to his indisputable knowledge about the ravens.
* He is greatly annoyed by the chirping sound that ground squirrels make and repeatedly claims that he'll "kill them all."
* His manipulative and controlling personality causes others to disassociate themselves with him, making matters worse. The only genuine relationship he's ever had has been with Raban, his raven companion. While Raban has plenty of other raven friends, he too enjoys Alar's company and seems to be the only one who can tolerate him enough to stick around. Without Raban, Alar would probably be worse off than he is now.
* Alar was the **Winter 2016 Character of the Season!**

## Quotes

* "Don't think I won't hesitate to do it again. I'll rip apart every pack I can sink my jaws into. I'll '**destroy'** them. I'll break their spirits. I will wreak havoc in this domain like I did the last... and I'll start with '**Vale.'**" (to Lilith, *Don't Touch My Stuff*)
* "Until [Shenandoah comes of age], let it be known that I will breath down a reign of fire and blood - a crusade of vengeance and justice against all those who are found in association with such scum. Oppose us, and blood will flow." (taking power, *A New King Rises*)
* “You like games? Ha, what am I saying, of course you do. Me? I love games too. I like seeing how far things will bend before they break. Usually it doesn’t take much force. Most things snap under hardly any weight at all. Even if you find something that appears unbreakable, step on it enough and eventually pieces start coming apart, *one* by *one.* It’s a joy to watch.” (threatening Keme and Loki, *Do Your Worst*)

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* Naviira's deviantART Gallery