Faolan

Aislin (Sister)

## Application Sheet

Faolan was a small, silver and black pelted wolf with light blue eyes. She and her sister Aislin were born far beyond the borders of the Domain to their parents, Kiel and Eideard (NPCs). She was among the original Mhorians to settle the valley, but never felt comfortable within its boundaries, and had a wish to continue traveling even once they found a place to call home. Currently, she is a Guildmaster Scourger who lives with her familiar and companion, Sekuli the barn owl, and her story is ongoing. She was created and RP'd by PaperElk.

## Personality

* ***Adventurous, Observant, and Loyal.*** Having grown up traveling for her entire life, Faolan has an insatiable thirst for adventure, and makes no qualms about exploring new territory, dangerous or not. She is eager to do her part for Mhor, and to help expand their borders… and to cross others. Keen eyes and sharp ears make a better wolf, according to Faolan. She never stops listening, watching, observing both her family and her opponents. Some for signs of weakness, and others for signs of distress, so she can roll out the actions best suited for either. Once you’re in Faolan’s good graces, you’ll never find a more loyal friend. She will go to the ends of the earth to do well by her loved ones. Loyalty, in Faolan’s opinion, is the best trait you can have. ‘Be good, be bad, but be loyal to those closest to you.’
* ***Quick and Instinctual.*** Whether it be hunting or fighting, Faolan needs to be quick on her toes - and for good reason. With a taste for challenge as big as Faolan has, she needs to have the agility to keep her out of harm's way; and out of the jaws of someone, or something else. Unfortunately, this trait can make her a bit foolhardy, feeding into her ego and perpetuating her ‘can’t be touched’ attitude toward combat and hunts, and it’s only a matter of time before she’s proven wrong. Thanks to her quick mind, Faolan will often shut off the more 'unnecessary’ parts of her brain during a hunt or a fight, to allow her more maximum efficiency with her instincts. She trusts her body and wit to work together to make her victorious, but this also means she can be thick-headed and hard to work with in a group, and can commands from teammates. She doesn’t ignore her superiors on purpose; she fully intends to follow their lead, but sometimes it’s hard to reign herself in when she’s in the heat of the moment. In light of the increasing attacks, Faolan has done her best to learn better teamwork, and has made vast improvements.
* ***Vindictive, Blindly Faithful, and Prejudiced.*** While not her biggest nor her most apparent flaw, Faolan has a vindictive, vengeful streak that runs deep. While it is reserved for very few creatures, when her mind decides that you’re on her list, you STAY on that list until your soul finds itself to the Otherworld… And sometimes beyond that. It’s not something she ever discusses with others, but it’s there. The other side of the adventurous coin, Faolan is likely to take unnecessary risks, particularly in the face of her emotions. This doubles when someone is in danger, and while being a quick thinker can get her and others out of tough situations, it doesn’t always mean that her short plans are good… or safe. Because of her impulsiveness, she can occasionally find herself prone to outbursts, especially if she feels someone is being unfair; she’s no stranger to raising her voice. A rather new development in terms of her progression, Faolan has started exhibiting prejudiced thinking, convinced that should she and Rowena expose the truth that Mhor would surely crumble or fall into chaos. These thoughts are completely unfounded; she has no real reason to assume that this would happen, yet the fear in the back of her head keeps her from being able to so much as think about the truth of Rowena's identity without a mental flinch.

## Pre-Group History

Faolan and Aislin were born in the midst of a roaring thunderstorm, (with Faolan being several minutes older than her sister, she’ll have you know) curled under a large rocky wall as their father stood steadfast, blocking out what rain and wind he could as the storm threatened their small pack. There wasn’t much time to rest before they were moving again, and while the pups weren’t able to see or walk, they quickly got used to the jostling and busy life of their group.

Being constantly on the move might not have been for everyone, but it was definitely for Faolan. Always seeing new places - new sights! The tallest peaks, the lowest valleys, winding rivers and sparkling lakes, all of which Faolan and her mother spent a considerable amount of time exploring and scenting new creatures, predator and prey alike. Quick wits and curbing her fears were paramount when adventuring with Eideard, and while her mother was fiercely protective of her small explorer, she knew it was important that Faolan learned the ins and outs of traversing such places.

Sparring was another favorite pastime between her and dear old mom, and the two of them would often wrestle, their boisterous personalities creating a fun competitive atmosphere. Faolan was smaller than Eideard, but that certainly didn’t stop her from trying to win against her! Usually her mother would simply squish her, looking smug as her daughter tried to wrestle out of her grasp.

She and her mother bonded closely over their love of the chase, pelting through the grass or trees at breakneck speeds, racing each other, Faolan getting stronger and faster with each growing day. It was her absolute goal to make her mother proud, and having these moments with her meant the world to her. She knew someday she’d be able to provide for the pack, just like her mother, and the thought elated her.

When that day came, it was the happiest of her young life, and when the hunt had ended, she could only stand and beam, ever proud of herself and glowing under Eideard’s praise.

She and Aislin had an inseparable bond as well, the two of them being opposites in many ways, but that only made them closer. Aislin could always mellow her out, and she could always get Aislin to go for a little adventure with her. The two spent many nights swapping stories, Aislin telling her the old histories and legends passed on to her by their father, and Faolan regaling her with the exploration her and their mother had gone on, the two enraptured in the other’s tales. Even if they weren’t always together during the day, the night was a time for them to be together as sisters, and they relished the time they had together.

Then the sickness came, slow and deadly, just shy of their second year. First her sister fell ill, and Faolan could do nothing but throw herself into her work, overworking herself to the point of exhaustion to make sure her family was fed, and to keep her mind off the potential of losing her best friend. While this made her prone to sickness, mercifully it never touched her, though it only took another short time before her father began to weaken.

Faolan might not have been as attached to her father as her mother, but their family was close and the sadness that gripped her heart at the prospect of losing him too had her paralyzed. Aislin recovered, but Kiel did not, his old body too weak to carry on, and while his passing was as peaceful as it could be, the loss punched a hole in Faolan’s heart.

And the next month would only bring her more grief.

Their mother became withdrawn and quiet, and as much as Faolan tried to bring her back to them, Eideard was despondent, only going about her duties, as though the rest of the pack wasn’t there. Faolan, unable to understand how her mother could act like this while her and her sister were still present and alive, took it personally deep down, a small bit of anger starting in the pit of her stomach. Her mother and her had been nearly inseparable, more of a duo than even Faolan and Aislin, and now she was acting as though she were invisible. When Eideard started snapping at them to leave her alone, her heart was thoroughly shattered, but quickly replaced with a bitter disdain for the wolf she loved so dearly.

Still raw from the death of her father and the social death of her mother, Foalan decided to pass up on an early morning hunt one day, wanting some time alone. Though the weather had been warming, she didn’t feel too keen on getting her toes covered in frost that morning, and elected to stay in camp, away from her mother who refused to look her way in recent days. The thought was like an angry dagger in her chest.

They would be given her ragged corpse for burial only a few hours later, and Faolan’s anger melted into guilt, her chest constricting. Could she have tried harder? Could she have gotten through to her?

The grizzly that had taken her life had also taken their dinner, and in a burst of stupidity and fearlessness, Faolan tore herself from their small camp, deep into the woods, nose burning with the scent of bear. Running on pure instinct, there was no plan this time as she had on all other hunts, and she saw red as she bounded through the wet underbrush.

Finding the bear was no hard task; the cave it had lumbered off to reeked of it, and while the deer had already been devoured, Faolan wasn’t about to leave. Not while the thing that stole her mother from her was right in front of her.

The grizzly must have thought it funny, a creature a fraction of its size posturing up to it, but surprisingly she was able to snap around it’s ears a few times before it could actually catch her. And catch her it did. The claws that tore across her cheek and ear had her screeching in pain, and it was only through sheer luck that she managed to escape anything life threatening, tearing home with her face half soaked in blood.

Aislin found her first. Of course she had. Her sister had been nearly starving herself from grief and distancing herself from the rest of the pack, and the two of them had a verbal blowout at the crest of a hill, demanding better of each other in the wake of their parents’ death. They needed to be there for each other. Aislin needed to take better care of her health and stop isolating herself, and Faolan needed to be less rash and think of her actions and consequences.

If anything, the loud confrontation only lead to them being closer than ever, and Aislin gingerly helped Faolan clean her wounds. They were blessedly shallow, though the damage to the skin on her cheek was extensive, and in the coming months, fur would remain unable to grow back over the scar tissue, even as it shrank to a manageable size. The slices out of her ear would never grow back, but it was barely noticeable.

They pushed on, Faolan greeting each day with more and more optimism as time moved them ever further toward their goal, over mountains and fields, through valleys and rivers. The new adventures made her chest ache from loss at the thought of the mother who once shared in these adventures, but she found solace in the fact that she was still journeying on with her sister, and her pack.

Alchalar’s betrayal came as a complete shock to her. She hadn’t noticed the microaggressions, the looks, the small arguments.

The night had been calm and full of warmth, and while she hadn’t been able to connect to any past life she might have had, her slumber had been awoken by the sounds of ripping and tearing, snarls and roars pulling her from her sleep.

The scene shocked her, and for a few moments she stood, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Teeth flashed in the moonlight and blood was shed, and she found herself unable to move. But when she saw Aislin, she was able to discern who to fight.

When all was said and done, Faolan’s teeth were stained red with guilt, having bitten deep into the pelts of the betrayers, and she stood strong beside her friends and sister, watching as the would-be usurpers fled into the woods. Her eyes blazed with anger as they watched Renwythe’s passing, only adding fuel to the fire. How many more needed to die before they reached their destination?

She didn’t blame Rowena. She was young, but she was chosen, and there wasn’t anything in the world that could keep her from standing up for her against any naysayers. Especially not now. Insurgents needed to be weeded out, and with the problems dealt with, they carried on in their journey to… wherever they were headed. To Faolan, following Rowena was a noble duty, and she was to uphold that at all costs.

Winter bit at the heels of the pack, and in the dark of a frosty, damp cave, Rowena decided to take them no further. The valley in which they had settled, surrounded by the tall towering peaks, would be their final stop. Their home. And with it, their name.

The name felt good on her tongue, strong and wild.

*Mhor.*

## Trivia

* Faolan was voted the **Fall 2021 Character of the Season**, making her the second Mhorian to achieve this accomplishment!
* Puppies make Faolan nervous, despite thinking they're cute. She's not sure if it's because they're small and fragile, or maybe because she hasn't spent much time around them!
* She smells of pine sap and balsam fir needles.
* She absolutely LOVES raspberries, and will go out of her way to take the longer scouting trails just to nibble some on the way.

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* PaperElk's deviantART Gallery