Rudyard

Atallos (Stepfather, NPC)

## Application Sheet

Rudyard was a dark russet-brown male wolf with bamboo green eyes. He lived as a loner, and then a member of Tentaka, before leaving the Domain. He was created and RP'd by FrostedCanid.

## Personality

* ***Haughty, Vain, and Proud.*** Rudyard grew up believing he was the pinnacle of excellence. He's having a very hard time letting that go and acts as haughty as possible not only to convince others of his worth, but also to try to reassure himself. He sneers at lower wolves, and uses whatever power he has in his rank to the fullest extent. Though he has come to question a lot of things, he still believes that he did not deserve what happened to him and is somewhat in denial of his bloodline revelation.
* ***Ambitious, Manipulative, and Flirtatious.*** Rudyard will do anything to get what he wants-or get out of hard work. He uses flattery and a silver tongue to get others to do his bidding. Especially now that he's cast out into the wilderness alone, he'll need to use what little skill he has to ensure his own survival.
* ***Non-Physical.*** Rudyard adores the cozy and lighthearted life of the upper class. If he'd been born human, he would have sought after the life of a Rococo aristocrat. The frivolous, decadent, affluent lifestyle. He would be happy never to lift a finger for the rest of his life. He is a poor hunter and fighter, and the most physical activity he can usually stand is a stroll in the sun. (As a youngster, however, he enjoyed sparring, but his mother steered her children away from this for fear of physical harm coming to her delicately-boned offspring)
* ***Clean*.** Germs! Mud, bugs! No! If there's one thing Rudyard cannot stand, it's getting dirty or being around germy things. He prides himself on keeping a perfectly groomed coat (which looks scruffier than usual because of his recent lost-in-the-woods-ness). He will not eat any food over a day old (which may explain his Disney Princess waistline). This has caused him to be a little more sickly than he would if he would relax. Now that he has no choice, however, some changes may need to be made.
* ***Internally Emotional.*** Probably the biggest prima donna to ever walk the earth, Rudyard's feelings are as fragile as a flower. He can feel light as a feather one moment, and wilt the next. Never really having to deal with the hardships of life as a youth, Rudyard's recent hectic life has left him quivering like a mass of jello. He is outraged, horrified, and frankly pretty heartbroken. He wouldn't let anyone know this, of course, and keeps a cold facade as often as possible. But when alone, you'd better believe the emotions fly off him like a spring shed.
* ***Intelligent*.** Rudyard was educated extensively during his upbringing and has vast historical and scientific knowledge at his disposal. (However, all this history was passed on by the upper-class, the winners. so his perspective is drastically one-sided.) He is curious about history mostly, however, and loves stories about rich and successful kings.
* ***Shallow*.** Rudyard doesn't see much under the surface. He's very superficial, and has been trained to look for wealth above anything else in his friends. What are virtues if you sleep in the mud?
* ***Easily Flustered.*** Rudyard doesn't very well understand emotions, even his own. The notions of pain, challenging thought, and true love are foreign to him. When confronted by anything that causes him to have to get outside his comfort zone (which is very, very small) he won't know what to do and might blush, fumble, or snap at whoever is "aggravating" him.
* ***Insecure and Lonely.*** Rudyard, as mentioned before, doesn't know how to deal with life problems. The recent events in his life have caused him to suddenly question everything, and he's not sure where to turn. His haughtiness is a shield of everything he knows, but inside, he feels a great emptiness in losing his royal status and is at a loss. Beside his education, Rudyard doesn't have much going for him. On his own, he wouldn't last very long, and realizing this has shaken him to his core. Even in a pack, he can't feel secure in a lower rank. He is averse to hard work because he doesn't have the physical ability for it. As a result, he lashes out at wolves of lower blood in an attempt to make himself feel better. Despite being raised to see other wolves with disdain, a part of Rudyard craves company. He does recognize that the upper class relationships he cultivates are artificial and cold. He has never felt able to speak his mind or pour out his heart to anyone, and sometimes wishes he could. Especially now, he wishes he had a real friend.

## Pre-Group History

A foreign queen from the coast, the flaming beauty Valentina, was wedded to King Attalos in an attempt to both bring two kingdoms together, a classic story. Pups were a top priority for the royal couple, but after a long fruitless time, the queen realized something was wrong. The king had a blueblood line, but it was rife with inbreeding. She could come to no other conclusion than that Attalos was barren, and panicked. She could not suggest such a thing to him, though she had a feeling he knew. If she were to bring it up he would likely blame her instead. What if he decided to rewed? Her home kingdom would crumble without this pack's aid! No, something else had to be done. After a time of thinking up ideas and dismissing them, Valentina realized she had but one choice. She must bear pups, and there was guard in the pack, a hard-working but not at all aristocratic wolf named Bard, who bore a great resemblance to the king. Despite her early worries, the queen decided to ignore whatever scenarios came to her mind, and one night drew the guard aside to discuss with him the guileful plan. An honest wolf, at first he refused, but the queen threatened him with exile if he did not do this for her. After all, it was in service to the kingdom, and after all, would it not be comforting to know that his own blood would be living as kings? This caused him to reluctantly agree, and before long the queen gave birth to a litter whom none could question but had been fathered by Attalos.

Rudyard was born very curious, but his mother wouldn't allow him or his siblings out of her sight. They were kept in the main densite and educated, while lower class pups of the same age learned trades. Rudyard ate up his studies, fascinated by tales of quest and conquest, enamored by tales of great treasure. He wasn't completely isolated at home, however. Hunting was still a necessary skill as a prince, as was fighting. But Rudyard's paws had already grown soft. Even among his siblings, he was very lazy and would rather study kings than spar.

The russet prince grew into a charming prince, but because of his upbringing soon grew selfish and materialistic. Not at all becoming of a representative of his pack. His parents turned a blind eye, but Bard noticed. He had been strictly forbidden by Valentina to interact with the children.  But he'd been watching his unknowing son and was beginning to wonder if his restricted involvement was a bad thing. Rudyard had become something of a sinful character in the family, almost a black sheep. He didn't care for hard work or diplomatics, wasn't at all a good hunter or fighter, and treated the lower-class wolves with such disrespect it made Bard sick to have been involved in the wolf's conception.

One night on his way to the royal den, Rudyard bumped into Bard and began cursing at him for being in the way. Bard was unable to handle the strain on his morals any longer and blurted out that Rudyard shouldn't be allowed to treat other wolves this way, calling him a spoiled brat and a royal pig. Outraged, Rudyard ordered the guard to be killed for his transgression. Bard was a very well respected member of the guards' guild, and on being called the other guards hesitated just long enough that queen Valentina, who had been in the den, rushed out to the scene. Rudyard stood over Bard snarling, ordering the guards to execute him that instant. The queen's heart broke for the guard, and she couldn't hold onto her secrecy any longer. But she should have kept quiet. The truth spilled, the guards heard, and the entire balance of the pack tilted. The scandal didn't take long to catch like wildfire, and the king was among the first to find out. Bard was executed. Valentina was sent back to her kingdom. The pups were disowned and chased off.

Rudyard, alone and confused and equipped only with some historical knowledge, is unprepared for the world.

## Group History

Rudyard arrived in the Domain, battered, terrified, uncertain of what to expect next. He spent some time as a loner, skirting the edges of Highvalley, entranced by the royal wolves who lived there, in their nobility and beauty. He felt he belonged amongst *them*, and he spent a great deal of time trying to figure out how to be welcomed into the pack.

He never joined it, though. Instead, he found himself getting unexpected aid from a scrappy blind loner named Akuto. She agreed to teach him how to hunt, and ultimately, this resulted in his joining her new pack, Tentaka, when it was formed. He took on the task of Kage, for a short time, before he felt restless in the pack and decided to leave the Domain. This fluffy aristocrat hasn't been seen since.

## Trivia

* To quote FrostedCanid - "I pity whoever meets this overgrown puppy."
* His birth pack was called Fellheim.
	+ He never knew this, but he was related to the Highvallians via his unknown biological father.
* To quote Fireshrike, Rudyard is best described as "Very Fluffy Aristocrat."

## Quotes

* "I just ah - couldn't help myself. I've never real - don't tell anyone or I'll have you sacked - I've never ah - *hunted* - before. I suppose my natural instincts kicked in?" (to Akuto, *Curious...*)

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* FrostedCanid's deviantART Gallery