Leto

Taras (Brother)

Two Brothers (NPCs)

## Application Sheet

Leto was a near-black wolf with sap green eyes. Born outside of the Domain, he eventually made his way to Aryn with his brother, Taras. He served as a Gamma Warden until disappearing mysteriously from the pack with Taras, and hasn't been seen since. Leto was created and RP'd by speckledplanet.

## Personality

* ***Decisive.*** Leto often focuses his goals on realistic terms which allows him to be successful in picking and choosing what he will or will not get done. He doesn't shy away from the idea of being stern in order to resolve and issue.
* ***Adventurous.*** Ever since he was born, Leto has had a driving desire to see the world with a practical eye. He enjoys spending his time in nature and with others and will often find his free-time filled with studying the world around him however and whenever he can.
* ***Considerate.*** Once one gets past his semi-shy way of introducing himself, he tends to be the shoulder that he hopes others come to in times of trouble. He deeply enjoys speaking about events (current and past), and will often to his best to put into perspective the lives of others before his own.
* ***Compassionate.*** With every job or creature Leto meets, his first goal is to see them as another on his own level. Far too often as a child was he overlooked for something lesser that now he finds it difficult to assume about others.
* ***Stubborn.*** Throughout his life, Leto has come to terms with the fact that his mindset is very practical and straight forward. It is hard for one to sway him on things he believes are true unless the proper evidence is provided, and even then it will take the wolf awhile to come to terms with being wrong.
* ***Independent.*** As much as his love for others goes, Leto gets stressed out if he spends too much time around multiple bodies at once. He focuses the best with work in small groups or on his own, but too many eyes and ears prying for his attention at once may make the wolf a hard target.
* ***Conscientious.*** Leto has a difficult time lying for others and often will risk his own tail in order to do what is right. While he may upset others in the process, his loyalty is given to those who earn it.
* ***Realist.*** Unlike his brother Taras, Leto's focus is on the why and how rather than what ifs. He works to understand practicality in a situation rather than assuming the worst, but if he doesn't think a plan will go through there is a chance he'll never do it.
* ***Visionary.*** Even though Leto is a realistic wolf in terms of mind and body, his dreams and aspirations for the future tend to push him to his limit. He'll often overthink the future and past and struggles with knowing his own limits.
* ***Ambitious.*** Failing is not a true option for Leto. If he were to lose something it would be on his own terms. He dislikes being at fault for things not in his power, and while he does his best to understand, he may not always realize.
* ***Bold.*** With stubbornness comes boldness, and Leto doesn't lack that in the slightest. He will do all things in his power to prove himself worthy of a task even if it kills him. He often feels as though his body is something that stops him from achieving what he needs, and the wolf will work himself to the maximum to prove himself- and others- wrong.
* ***Dysphoric.*** Leto still struggles with how he sees his own body. He gets uncomfortable with exposing his stomach and often avoids displaying his belly to anyone - his own brother included. If he does, his tail will tuck between his legs.

## Pre-Group History

Born into a pack far to the South outside of the Domain, Leto was the only daughter within the birth of a Royal Family. The other three children born were all males, however two of them had died only several days after their birth due to unknown circumstances. Thus, the Royal Family was left with only two children: Leto and his brother, Theseus.

Their pack was relatively small in terms of territory, mostly set in the thick expanse of forest surrounded by mountains and low valleys that swallowed up much of their surroundings. It was in a way their own world, lead by one male Alpha and a monarch male of sorts. The culture was vastly dependent on fantasy and legend, something Leto had listened to very little in his earliest days. But this was also something expected of him due to his original birth gender. The females of the pack were expected to become the story-keepers of sorts, ones who did little work and mostly fed or nurtured those around them. The males had higher importance to the pack due to how few there were, and all boys born would automatically be filed into a line of succession incase of the death of their Monarch. So from day one, Leto and Theseus were very much different in the ways their world seemed to be turning.

However, during his early childhood, Leto began to realize that his place was not with the other girls who seemed to be delighted in the prospect of being a holder of the pack's lore. Leto understood that it was important, but his heart and soul was not in it like the other children's were. His skin didn't crawl with joy when the elders spoke of winged he-wolves delivering land to them, nor did his heart sing when the others sang hymns. His life was dull, and his expectations were rising to the tune of a song he did not know how to properly express. Theseus on the other hand shirked off most of his duties regarding the succession line of the Monarch and would often (and without the elders knowing) listen in on the legends that were told during their earliest years. This is the only thing that made the lessons bearable to Leto, and the child would seek out his brother after the sessions to talk over what the stories meant. Soon enough, Theseus realized that Leto's interest was practically nothing, and the younger boy would twist the stories into plays on words that Leto would latch on to in order to feel better about his place in their society.

But this only lasted so long.

Leto's life took a turn after the loss of the Monarch, all hell breaking loose as wolves fought and competed to become something larger than what they were. It was uncivil, an unnecessary evil that ran rampant through all rings of life within the pack. But the ladies were still expected to uphold their own work and ignore all else, something Leto couldn't do when he realized his brother was one of the few boys old enough to participate in the tournaments leading up to the Monarch's replacement. They were only a year old at the time when Leto turned to his mother and told her that he would no longer follow The Legend's Truth, the story he'd been learning since he could hear. His mother had found it almost impossible to accept, and it only made sense when the eldest child of the Royals told her that he was also not their daughter but in fact their son. It was a concept unheard of within the pack born of fairytales, and once word got around that this Royal's only daughter wanted to be a boy, no one was sure how to react. Disbelief was the first reaction; a case of denial lead by the higher powers. It was bad enough he was a Royal- a bloodline looked upon as something to be proud of. If he'd been a commoner it may have been taken as a joke, a little jive in their ranks. But with the words being from someone who was related to Theseus, a wolf in the first choice for replacing the Monarch, it was scandalous. And it remained that way for some time.

For awhile the wolves of the pack made small, passing remarks about Leto's choices. Leto himself didn't believe it for awhile, doubting his own sense of purpose and place. It caused him to regret a large sum, and the title of "black sheep" was one very prominent and real in his life. It was only Theseus who made him realize that his choice was in fact not just a spur of the moment thing. Theseus knew all along that Leto was different, and admitted he'd always viewed Leto as the brother he'd never had. From that day on Leto barely doubted his identity despite the hushed murmurs that rolled by, and thus took his place to another level. He wanted to prove them wrong for doubting him so harshly.

At the age of a young adult, Leto had trained himself into the body of a fit, slim wolf who usurped his rank by forcing himself into another. He knew rationally he would never be a Monarch, but that didn't stop him from training day in and day out to outclass the boys who were. Theseus had already begun to slip from the rings, and while he was viewed as the top choice, the two brothers worked together endlessly to bypass the system and cave it in from the inside out. They would rig the competitions in Leto's favor (a craft done by Theseus) which allowed Leto to, once again, pass his already low expectations. His mother hadn't ever really spoken to him once he told her of his choices, and the she-wolf rarely showed her face to her son even though he tried countless times to make her proud about his choices. Instead, his mother and father soaked all of their attention into Theseus- an action that left a scar on the young wolf's heart. His parent's recognition and affection was one he would never, ever have.

Once the time came for a new Monarch to be chosen, all who was left in the running was Leto and Theseus. The Alpha, a he-wolf of young age but harsh spirit, had decided on Leto. But in the midst of the disbelief that followed her decision, she had made it clear Leto was to be the first *female* Monarch. The words had sent Leto into an estranged rage, and all of his life leading up to that point of proving them wrong seemed to crumble before his eyes. In front of the pack, moments before his crowning, Leto had led a tirade on the ways of the pack. Their values no longer meant anything to the young wolf, and their Alpha was nothing more than a bigot in Leto's eyes. Thus, Leto decided to prove the male wrong once and for all. He lead a charge against the Alpha in between harsh calls of their pack's stories and tales, between the rioting voices of wolves who would never understand the importance of change. There was no exception in their system, and all wolves had a place marked by a firm line. There were no changes, no laws to protect one such as he or his brother. There was no order.

Leto had attacked the Alpha and failed. He was the first Royal to try and overthrow the pack, and his attempts had lead him to one of two options: execution or banishment. Despite the shouts of execution ringing for miles in the pack, Leto fled from the territory as fast and as hard as his legs would carry him. His embarrassment was his only companion, his brother a mere ghost during the riot. He'd tried to help, but Leto had pushed his younger brother into the crowd and hadn't seen him since.

Once outside of the territory, mere hours after his own story was carved into the pack forever, Leto had broken down into a fit of quiet sobs. Everything he had told himself no longer seemed valid nor correct, and the young wolf felt all his frustrations fall when the voice of Theseus swept over his frame. He'd expected his brother to take on the Monarch's throne, but the pale and gentle wolf did the opposite. He'd come running after Leto, dropping his title as a member of the Royal Family along with his pride in the pack. He'd chosen Leto over all of that, and Leto wanted to be angry. But Theseus was the only one who had ever believed in him, and as such Leto didn't have the heart to turn him away.

Together Leto lead he and his brother beyond the world of twisted fairytales and into a new life- the life to those in the Domain. And from there, Leto swore to both himself and Theseus that he would never doubt himself again. It was a promise he'd made to his brother, and in turn Taras (a name given to him by Leto upon the embarkment of their journey) promised to always be by his side if he ever did. They would rise above their upbringing no matter how long it took.

## Group History

They made their way towards Aryn in advance of a horrible storm. The storm left Leto with a nasty cold, but he was kept company by a young she-wolf named Seven. He told her a bit about his past, and asked a bit about her, and the pair enjoyed a nice walk to a nearby stream. The two would come to appreciate one another as packmates thenceforth.

Lady Athena, the alpha of Aryn, welcomed Taras and Leto with open arms. Once Leto had recovered from his cold, Athena told him to learn about the other tasks and find one that suited him. Leto tried his mettle against a young Warden named Kane. He did well, and was granted the rank of Warden, joining the pack's ranks officially. His brother Taras would become a Ranger.

Leto fit right in with the Arynians, as far as being friendly and outgoing with them. He met little judgment from his new packmates, and was the happiest he'd been in a long time. Plus, he had his beloved brother Taras with him. Truly, what could be better?

He got to know his packmates. Apart from Kane and Seven, who he spent most of his off time with, he told some stories to a young pup named Thomas. Despite wanting more from his life than being a storyteller, which was what he'd have been delegated to do in his birth pack, he couldn't help but enjoy telling the stories he was familiar with to little Thomas.

Still, despite the joys and friendships he fostered during the day, at night, Leto was tormented by nightmares, memories of his past. He often dreamed that he was alone, lost at sea, and struggling to stay afloat. But he didn't share these nightmares with anyone...except Taras, of course.

Leto and Taras were traveling along Aryn's border the day the earthquake struck the Domain. They were at the salt flats when the world seemed to explode around them, and despite their best efforts, the brothers got separated during the quake. Taras would be lost from Aryn for several months, during which time Leto searched desperately for him. He didn't realize how *lost* he would feel without his brother.

In the aftermath of the quake, a pack from the south crossed near Aryn's lands - Fellfang. They were on the move, their territory having been destroyed by a volcanic eruption, and the refugees were going to a new home. Leto was welcoming, but distracted and anxious about where Taras was. A very sweet she-wolf from Fellfang, Nanayi, approached and they collected wildflowers to find a bit of peace. She reminded him that he was important to his pack, and to his brother, and should care for himself until Taras returned. He wished her well and they parted ways.

Taras was gone for three *achingly* long months. Leto had grown to be far less jovial than he had been, becoming practically a shell of himself. He wandered, often, away from Aryn's borders, and one night he stumbled across a half-drowned wolf. The wolf was from Havir, a young male named Angus, who'd flung himself into the river in an attempt to end his own life. Leto guided Angus to Aryn for treatment, wondering why fate had brought the two of them together. Someone needed him, besides his brother, now. Angus wasn't grateful at first, but gradually, he began to enjoy Leto's company.

And then - Taras returned! Taras's return was celebrated by the Arynians, and Leto introduced his brother to Angus, now an Honored Guest of Aryn. For a few months, life finally seemed to return to normal. Leto's joy returned. Lady Athena had a litter of pups, and he was amused by their antics, particularly those of young Hawthorn.

Things were good.

Not good enough, it seems, however. Leto and Taras would leave Aryn for unknown reasons, and while presumed alive, neither has been seen since.

## Trivia

* Despite winning the trials and capturing the attention of the Alpha, Leto's moment in the sun was cruelly snatched when the Alpha, set on humiliating and ruining Leto's reputation, announced him as the first *female* Monarch in the pack. When Leto lashed out, and calls for his execution were made, Leto's father sacrificed himself so the young boy could escape. In the aftermath, and to everyone's surprise, Theseus (Taras) was then named the pack's new Monarch - all according to the Alpha's plan. Taras took the position but ultimately killed the Alpha one night, leaving the pack under the cover of darkness and fleeing to locate - and leave - with his brother.
* Despite being slender in appearance, Leto is packed with muscle!
* Leto does not openly believe in a singular God, nor does he believe in there to be many. But he does believe in a greater power than himself, and that greater power comes in all forms - its simplest being in the strength to persevere.

## Quotes

* "I'll get there. I'll make my own path if I have to." (to his father, *Kiddo*)
* "I have no doubt in my mind that they will turn us away. We are charming, *ravishing*, and most importantly, we have each other." (to Taras on approach to Aryn, *The Visionaries*)

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* speckledplanet's deviantART Gallery