Phaeton

Ravka, Epione, Persephone, Hestia, and Helh (Sisters)

Orpheus and Thanatos (Brothers)

Hellion, Damien, Vergil, and Honiahaka (Half-Brothers)

Alastor and Renae (Unknown Half-Siblings)

## Application Sheet

Phaeton was a reddish-furred male wolf with grayish-turquoise eyes, who served as a Delta Magister in Vektren. He was the son of Mistress Hekate and her consort Lord Cobra Janus, in a litter alongside Orpheus, Hestia, and Helh. His older siblings were Epione, Ravka, Persephone, and Thanatos; however, he had many half-siblings on both sides of his family, including Hellion, Damien, Vergil, and Honiahaka...as well as some unknown half-siblings outside of the pack, Renae and Alastor. He was shattered by the murder of his mother and eventually left the pack, desperate to find her killer, Hellion, and bring him to justice. He was even provided a bodyguard on his task, in Eris, an Enforcer. He was created and RP'd by mongoosefangs.

## Personality

* ***Quiet and Withdrawn.*** A somber and withdrawn presence in Vektren, Phaeton carries himself as though he has the weight of the world on his shoulders- and as a surviving son of Herald Hekate, whose divine significance was never questioned, her words never accepted as anything less than the absolute truth- perhaps that was once the case. The daunting prospect of inheriting her legacy one day did (and still does) terrify him. Phaeton never lusted after the Alpha's position like some, and being overshadowed by his littermates as well as disfigured in his youth led him to resign himself to the background a long time ago... but now that his mother is gone, and his destiny no longer so clearly defined, Phaeton finds himself feeling utterly lost and alienated from the Vektren he *thought* he knew.
* ***Lost and Unhappy.*** To say that he struggles with issues of abandonment and paranoia after the war is an understatement. Many of the wolves Phaeton once admired have since disappeared, leaving him with little guidance and precious few friends he trusts. Though he strives to be a reliable member of the pack and support all his Brothers and Sisters by default, he rarely ever opens up to anyone these days. Phaeton has always been slow to adapt, resistant to change, and a wall is steadily going up between him and the new management as he continues to obsess over Hekate's memory and the shocking circumstances of her death.
* ***Oedipal and Hero-Worshipping.*** Phaeton has always been a little *too* fixated on his mother. All he ever really craved in life was her continued affection, and the Mistress of Vektren could never do wrong in his eyes. Months later he still feels the loss as if it was yesterday. He will never *not* idolize Hekate; if anything, his sublime impression of her will only strengthen over time, warped by Phaeton's own limited perspective and stubborn refusal to face the ugly facts. On some level he is probably aware that his family was less than perfect- certainly Janus had issues- but Phaeton desperately wants to believe they were only ever good and devout and justified; he will grasp at any straws to rationalize their faults and would sooner take the blame himself than admit that they were capable of treachery or error.
* ***Self-Loathing, but Intelligent.*** Self-flagellation is nothing new to Phaeton; even as he shies away from the spotlight, the pressure to be a model member of Vektren is still ingrained in him since puphood, and he curses himself for not being able to fulfill his own unrealistic expectations. It can be hard for him to separate his emotions from his duties as a Magister sometimes. Phaeton takes every failure extremely personally and assumes a far greater burden than he should. The sad truth is that he was never actually dull or inept- he just had the misfortune of being born 'good' in a family that demanded greatness. In actuality Phaeton is brighter than he gives himself credit for, with a keen memory and a particular eye for detail that is well-suited to herbalism. But all he ever sees is his own shortcomings and the wolves he couldn't save.
* ***Uncertain and Doubtful.*** He sometimes wonders why the Gods don't speak to him in the same way They spoke to his mother. Phaeton does not see spirits, hear voices in his head, or experience any of Hekate's divine... symptoms. He believes his childhood disfigurement was a sign from the Gods but beyond that he doesn't pretend to know what They want, he can only pray and try to honor the Herald's memory. Whatever Hekate would have done is what Phaeton wants to do. To that end he may agonize over even the smallest decisions, second-guessing his judgment and afraid to leave anything to chance as he asks himself what the one 'true' solution is.
* ***Self-Conscious and Sensitive.*** The one thing that could potentially draw him out of his shell to seek a leadership role is if he deems that Vektren is not being run in line with his mother's will, but Phaeton is otherwise a humble and unambitious wolf, and the first to admit that he's really not suited for the job. He is not even driven to pursue a mate on account of his looks and is often his own worst enemy when it comes to setting himself up for disappointment. Phaeton can take neither a joke nor a compliment. He's self-conscious, sensitive, deeply empathetic, and doesn't have a bloodthirsty or conniving bone in his body- the exact opposite of what a Vektreni heir 'should' be. And he's beginning to despise himself for it.

## Pre-Group History

Unlike their first planned union, the second litter of Alpha Hekate and Lord Janus came as a surprise. Phaeton was born in the middle of winter, in the midst of a war with Aryn, the latest in the long line of Vektren's heirs. He's got his work cut out for him.

## Group History

Phaeton was a bit of a timid pup, not really sure of what to make of the rest of the world outside of his whelping den. Some of his packmates tried to engage the youngster - including Vieste - but he was a tough nut to crack, preferring his mother's company and comparing everyone to her.

He grew up surrounded by other pups, such as Acheron (who he grew closest to out of all the pups), Morrigan, Ghislaine, Damon, and Demogorgon. He didn't engage much with the rest of them, except for Acheron.

As he aged, he began to fear that his father, Janus, was judging him, frowning upon him. Janus scared Phaeton a bit. He tried to learn more about the tasks of Vektren, hoping that, if he found his calling, he could start serving Vektren and maybe feel less shame around Janus. Miron taught him a little about being a Necrolyte, but that wasn't the path Phaeton thought he needed to take.

He went for a walk alone. He searched for some kind of a sign about the path he should take, and saw bubbles rising from the water. Phaeton sniffed at the bubbles, only to have his nose viciously attacked by a snapping turtle. It ripped the soft, fleshy, black part of his nose away, and he was permanently disfigured as a result.

He worked on recovering, trying desperately to hide his shame from the rest of the pack. As disfigured as he was, however, he was chosen to help Makenna around Vektren's territory when she arrived, and teach her about the pack's ways. The two would become friends down the line.

Phaeton worried about the religious implications of his disfigurement. He consulted with Miron, and the Magister reassured him that it didn't necessarily *mean* anything. Xibalten doesn't control *everything*. He also reassured Phaeton that his packmates *wanted* him to succeed as a Vektreni. This helped the young male feel a bit better.

He decided to set his paws on the path of becoming a Magister. Miron gave him some tips, for *his* mother had been a Magister. When Janus was injured in the pits by Tzuriel (taunting the Aryn prisoner), Phaeton forgot his fear of his father for a moment. Instead, he wanted to see what *monsters* were in the Pits.

He went to the Pits to confront the beasts, only to discover the wrong wolf: Raghaalr. It was an...interesting meeting, to say the least. He heard Raghaalr coughing, and knew that he needed to report it to a Magister with better training. The Mistress didn't want her prisoners to *die*, after all.

A plague befell Vektren. Actually, it was a series of three plagues. The first plague led to Phaeton being sick, and needing to be quarantined. Fortunately, he had a quarantine-buddy in Makenna. Terrified he might die, he promised to serve the pack and the gods better if he recovered. Vieste also helped to pass the time in quarantine, by telling stories. He comforted and reassured her through the darkest days, and she did the same for him.

Slowly, very slowly, Phaeton began to recover. In the plague of darkness, Janus lost his mind and attacked Vieste, fracturing her tail. Kiero Koi, who was mentoring Phaeton, instructed him on how and why they were going to remove the rest of Vieste's tail.

As he emerged from the darkness of the plagues, Phaeton was more determined than ever to serve his pack. He helped out by hunting when he could, and going beyond the borders to collect herbs (with permission, of course!). He was escorted by Hestia. While traveling, he encountered a loner - Hemlock - who wanted some of the prey Phaeton had caught. Phaeton, unsure of what to do, but not willing to just give it to him, told Hemlock to bring him some linden to take back to Vektren.

Upon his return, he was attacked by Hieronymus, but managed to escape relatively unscathed. However, his packmates, when they were attacked by Arynians, were less lucky, and needed his skills as a healer. In particular, he helped Acheron after he and Fornax were caught in a rockslide triggered by Elias.

After the Battle of Muckrun, Phaeton grieved the lost. Many wolves were lost between the start and end of the war with Aryn, and now, including his sisters Hestia and Epione. He mourned for the losses and wondered if Vektren could take any more loss.

*He* was nearly counted amongst the lost, when he and a packmate, Eris, were attacked by an Arynian Warden named Urs. She would have conquered Phaeton alone, but Eris gave her quite a run for her money. Phae and Eris both fled when more Arynian backup approached. He prayed the war would end.

It did...but not without incurring too high of a price.

His eldest brother, Hellion, killed Hekate when she and Janus tried to sacrifice his lover, Elisabet. The war ended with Hekate's (and possibly Janus's) deaths, and Nimh took over as the leader of Vektren. The pack mourned the loss of its Mistress, but none missed her as much as her desperately attached son, Phaeton.

He considered suicide. He really did. He couldn't survive in a world where his mother was no longer there. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He went, defeated, back to the pack.

Phaeton was inwardly disgusted and outraged that the new Mistress, Nimh, decided that the pack should introduce new life in Hekate's passing. Four females fell pregnant, and a dozen puppies were born. As a Magister, Phaeton was responsible for helping tend to the new mothers, but he didn't like it. He found it tasteless. He was mortified when he saw that one of Morrigan's pups, with a heathen *outsider*, had the pure white pelt of a wolf blessed by the gods. He felt it was an ominous sign.

This white-furred pup, Vanja, would later want to train as a Magister, as did one of Nimh's brood, Theodosia. However, Phaeton wanted *nothing* to do with training the young new Magisters, and left those duties to Kiero Koi.

The more time passed, as he witnessed Nimh's guidance of the pack, the more Phaeton began to doubt the story she told about Hekate's death. *Surely* Hellion hadn't killed their divine mother? Rather than confront Nimh directly, he decided he'd seek out his elder half-brother and confront *him* for the answers. This journey was going to take him out of the Domain.

Nimh blessed his quest, thinking he wanted to track down Hellion and punish him for his actions, not cross-check his story with hers. She hoped he'd take protection with him, and was surprised when her daughter Eris stepped up. Eris wanted to leave the pack, and so joined Phaeton at this first opportunity. Neither of the wolves have been seen since.

## Trivia

* Phaeton is primarily attracted to red-pelted females, the darker the better. I'm sure that's just a coincidence.
* He's an ISFJ and an enneagram 1.
* His alignment can best be described as Lawful Good; the actual morality of Vektren's practices aside, Phaeton lives by the pack's established rules and his own strong (if misguided) code of ethics.
* His Hogwarts house would be Hufflepuff.
* Phaeton has suffered a bite wound to the face, resulting in the loss of his black nose pad and exposing his nostrils in a patch of scar tissue. His snout is rounded off rather than pointed or squared (see illustration). His sense of smell is poor compared to the average wolf. He's prone to sniffling and sneezing.

## Quotes

* “I thought maybe… if I could make it out on my own, the Gods would give me a sign. If I could just prove… that I wasn’t stupid, or a coward, They would show me what to do.” (to Miron, *Soul Searching*)

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* mongoosefangs's deviantART Gallery