Temperance

Russet (Brother, NPC)

Delrian (Stepfather, NPC)

Alpine (Step-Half-Brother)

Aspen (Step-Half-Sister)

## Application Sheet

Temperance was a brown-furred she-wolf with olive-green eyes. Born in Highvalley, she believed her father was Delrian, and her half-siblings, Aspen and Alpine (though they were only stepsiblings). After fleeing Highvalley, she served as a Gamma Vanguard in Fellfang for a few years, before she ultimately left. She was created and RP'd by Zoketi.

## Personality

* ***Practical and Intelligent.*** Temperance lives as a realist; taking the path before her only if the outcome she wants is doable. This trait was less present during her puphood but now guides her paws almost religiously. She, however, is slow to judge things. Doubt is pushed aside to replace a neutral, scientific facade in which to study a situation or things. She's very keen on learning, of course. Knowledge is her greatest possession, in her opinion. She desires to know all - at least all that she can reach. All her life she has been devout in listening and watching; eager for lessons and the first to yip out a question when her thoughts grew confused. She is very proud of her mind, and becomes frustrated and irate when someone shows her up. She is proud of most traits she bears, but knowledge is probably the greatest. Without it, she believes she would be an empty husk.
* ***Perfectionist and Strong-willed.*** Tying into her intelligence, she strives for perfection in everything she does. She understands she will not be, but that doesn't stop her from trying. She is afraid of making too many mistakes. Of failure. Even others' disappointment is a frightening thought. Temperance rarely gives up, naturally. If there is a possibility of success, she will go for it. She does not let things stand in her way. Even if it means hurting someone - but for the most part she avoids this if she can. However, it isn't something that entirely stops her in her tracks.
* ***Independent and Selfish.*** Though she works well in a pack setting, Temperance is somewhat of an independent figure. It really relates more to her skills and nature rather than her relationships, for she is very fond of company and prefers to be with others, rather than alone. She likes to do things her way, though, and even more so on her own if she can. Accepting help is a bit of a blow to her pride, but if it is necessary she will. Along with that, Temperance can be a little haughty and subtly selfish. Especially nowadays, she values herself over most everyone, simply due to past occurrences. This is likely to change the longer she stays with a pack.
* ***Detached and Blunt***. While she can interact with others well, and enjoys companionship, her attitude can seem a little distant. She's always had a detached aura about her; like she's distracted or wary. It's slight and hard to notice, but something that others do pick up on. She's not as aware of it herself, however, and this often leads to confusion. It can lessen at times, too. While she doesn't like to judge others right away, she does tend to be extremely honest when explaining things or describing someone. To the point of rudeness, even, which is not intentional for the most part.

## Pre-Group History

Highvalley: the pristine group of most noble-blooded beasts. True, they were awash in a sea of war, but they were no doubt a proud force to be reckoned with. Temperance was born among the clamor, a small moment of light in the midst of chaos. Adelle, her mother, was a fine Highblood female, lovely as the best of them with fur of stunning rust and eyes of gold. She was not only beautiful, but smart too. However, Temperance's father was not exactly up to the standard: an ungainly Lowblood called Todak. But he fell for the red noble she-wolf, and she for him, for his kindness and charm. As was dictated, he took part in the Blood Dance in order to win Adelle's paw in marriage, after attaining permission from the she-wolf's father - a struggle in its own. But the Dance was cruel. Todak was no match for his opponent, a brazen fighter named Delrian. His death was sealed. But unknown to everyone, Adelle was already pregnant with his pups. She was mated to the winner, Delrian, who'd long harbored for her affection. The pups would be under his name, and no one would know better but her.

Adelle bore three pups in the middle of the night. Two wiggled and squeaked, but one lay still. The dead pup was taken away, nameless and soon forgotten. Adele turned to her living children and dubbed them Russet and Temperance. Both bore handsome red coats, gained from their mother. A stroke of luck that neither resembled poor Todak. But Adelle, despite grieving for her once-lover, was partially relieved that her children would not be scorned for their heritage. They were Highblood in the eyes of all. Delrian was pleased. He was a rough creature, but genuinely adored his children and mate. Over time, Adelle came to love him too. He was not their father, but now he was their father.

Puphood was swift. Stubby legs sprouted, pup-chub lost to firmer muscles. Temperance was going to be the spitting image of her mother. Certainly, the two pups would be excellent additions to the Highbloods. And they were needed - the constant state of war pushed deeper into the pack, and loss was familiar to everyone, from the oldest warrior to the youngest pup. They began lessons - of hunting, fighting, history, even snippits of how healing plants worked. However, the circumstances pressed harder, until their instruction was almost entirely of battle. Temperance relished in her growing skill, but her brother became frustrated, less intrigued by the art of fighting. He had always been excited by their mother's stories of her life as a Meister. That was what he wanted - not this rough play.

There was no choice now, though. And what was once 'play' turned into hell when the siblings entered their first real fight. A smaller skirmish, but to the young wolves it was chaotic terror, a look at what war meant. Both survived, but they were bloody and hollow-eyed when they returned. Now they understood better, why their mother was afraid, why no one smiled or laughed. Temperance's attention turned to the King for the first time. Why was he letting this happen? What did he seek from all this fighting? Did he not understand how much harm he was doing? Puzzled and angry, she secluded herself from her kin for a time. It didn't last, for she was soon thrown back into another battle, standing aside her mother - because now everyone was needed to fight.

But she hesitated - was this fight right? Her uncertainty cost her - but not fatally. A blow to her head knocked her out for a long time. When she woke it was silent and the woods were bloody, but the battle was over. In pain she struggled to find her way out. Something caught her eye - rusty fur beneath crimson stains. Beautiful Adelle lay dead, another victim in Eadric's careless war. Overtaken by grief, she ran away, away from wherever Highvalley was now, even from her brother and father. In her bitterness, and due to inexperience and youth, she became lost.

Perhaps it was for the best, though. She wandered far and far, certainly beyond the reaches of Highvalley and their relentless King. So when she came upon a small pack, her curiosity took her to trek their borders. When found, she asked to rest with them for a bit, and was taken warily a spot in their territory, where she was watched daily. She was able to talk to her guards, though, and eventually gained their trust. A few packmates would visit out of curiosity, and she did her best to befriend them. It was then she decided to stay. The pack was called Napashni. They welcomed her, and Temperance began to hope for a better life.

Peace was short lived, however, for Napashni developed troubles with a neighboring pack. A spiritual group, Napashni guarded a couple spots in their territory that were recognized religiously. The neighbors were advancing on one location, a place of prayer for *Vadala*, the goddess of storms. And - they were desecrating it. Napashni was normally a very peaceful, forgiving pack. But there were some things that had to be taken care of. Temperance was greatly conflicted. But she would not run. The cowardice of her flight from Highvalley scorned her within.

In spite of the bubbling turmoil, Temperance was able to adjust well to Napashni. She formed friendships, albeit awkwardly, as her social skills had never quite been up to par. She was curious of their religion - Highvalley had never had such a thing. Of course, she didn't believe it. There weren't really giant all-knowing beasts that controlled the forces of nature. Right? However, she was fascinated that everyone around her *did* believe in their gods. And their equality! There were no servants, no lowbloods or highbloods. Everyone coexisted, everyone mattered. Her dislike of her birth pack only grew.

The first battle with the enemy pack was a sickening defeat. Temperance volunteered to go, despite her new-ness, for she knew she was a better fighter than many of Napashni, who shirked violence naturally. In the midst of battle she realized how very inexperienced her packmates were - and that cost them both victory and three lives. Suddenly the danger seemed very real. As they howled for their losses, Napashni's alpha sent a group out to find a wolf called Silverscar. This wolf, Temperance was told, was the greatest fighter in the lands. He lived alone but had connections with Napashni. He would come to help.

Silverscar was escorted in like a king. Temperance had been expecting an wizened, scar-covered elder - but instead, a young and handsome male was presented. He caught her eye and she felt something she'd never felt before. Silverscar went right to work training the wolves of Napashni. Temperance found herself watching at every opportunity. When she stepped into participate, Silverscar approached her. He was impressed by her skills - quickly concluding that she wasn't a native. Temperance began to take every chance she could to train with him. Her infatuation blossomed rapidly.

She was blissfully ignorant of it being *love* until her closest friend, Myrah, pointed it out. One evening, Temperance was training with a handful of others. Silverscar asked her to demonstrate with him. She could hardly breathe as she performed. As he dismissed practice, he called Temperance over. What began with a question about techniques turned into casual conversation. They talked the whole night. Silverscar even told her his real name: Amotin. Apparently he'd gotten dubbed Silverscar by a pack he had helped and the name spread - and he hardly bothered sharing his birth one anymore. Surely this meant Temperance was important! They began to speak regularly outside of training. Could he feel the same way?

Days later, Napashni sought out their neighbors for another fight - this time prepared. Silverscar ran with them. The battle began strongly, and Temperance was prouder than ever, hoping her mentor was watching as she exchanged blows with opponents. Then suddenly someone screamed - Myrah? Her friend was not hurt, but tears spilled over her features. Temperance swung around to see Silverscar standing atop Napashni's alpha - who was also Myrah's mother. Her throat gushed blood, and Silverscar's paws were red. *Why?*

The enemy pack encircled them, and the fighting ceased as Napashni quailed, shocked by the fall of their leader. Temperance lent her shoulder to her sobbing friend, but glared up at her mentor. Silverscar explained calmly that he'd already been allied with the enemy pack. Everything had been planned out. The betrayal burned in her stomach, and she trembled with rage. She launched herself towards him, only to be knocked aside by two of the other wolves. Silverscar stared down at her, then spoke to them all. Napashni was no more. Their wolves could join the enemy pack or leave these lands, or be terminated.

Naturally, Temperance and Myrah left. They traveled for days in stony silence - each fighting their own demons. When Temperance could take it no more she prompted her friend. Conversation turned into an argument; blame thrown carelessly and emotions unchecked. They split ways before it became physical. And Temperance was left alone with her anger and regret.

For months she traveled, from land to land, away from misery. She hated the fact that she was running away again. But there had been little choice this time. No way would she have joined that other group! Gods...hah! If they existed they would have saved Napashni. Temperance decided to block the memories away and face life as it was now. As bitterness set in, she continued on to unknown lands. She met strangers here and there, loners like herself, but did her best to avoid most. Occasionally she'd have to fight. The violence was a welcome energy.

Just as spring began to unfold, Temperance reached the edge of a new place. She'd grown weary of travel, and the smell of another pack was so tempting she could hardly sit still. It shocked her to realize how much she'd missed being with others. She stalked the border for a few weeks until she could no longer find an excuse not to at least try again. She was experienced and older, and her determination was fresh once more. With new focus she stepped among the ranks of the Fellfangir.

## Group History

Temperance didn't know what Fellfang had in store, but she approached the pack with confidence. She was welcomed by Fable. She began to meet her packmates, finding social interactions to be a *bit* awkward, but gradually she began to warm up to the other wolves around her, especially Baely.

She took on the task of Vanguard, and set about her duties. One day, she encountered Baely and Rutnik, preparing to go on a rescue mission to Vale, to rescue a former packmate, Keme, from the Dark Ages and Alar's cruelty. Temperance immediately offered to join them; the males warned her that they couldn't focus on protecting her while rescuing Keme, but she assured her packmates she wouldn't need protecting, and in fact, could be quite useful. It was she who led the way back, with Baely and Rutnik supporting Keme between them.

Back in Fellfang, having proven herself to Baely, Rutnik, and Keme, she enjoyed the festivities of Julentide with them. They quickly became her best friends in the pack. She did make other friends, though, and acquaintances, like Ludko, who she stopped from eating toxic mushrooms.

With spring came allergies, and Temperance was generally annoyed at the songbirds and her allergy symptoms of runny nose and stuffiness. With spring, she began to really see the utter beauty of the new home she and Fellfang had to move to, after they'd had to move from their familiar evergreen forests in the south, when Forsaken Peak erupted. She grew closer to Baely, sharing with him the secrets of her past in Highvalley, and the loss of her mother, for the first time.

She rose in the ranks, becoming a Gamma Vanguardian, working alongside other Vanguards: Atlas, Nach, and, of course, Baely. She felt at peace in Fellfang. How could anything disrupt it?

Quite simply, the appearance of a black fox. The vixen introduced herself as 'Valda' and announced that she was, in fact, the Fellfangir's trickster spirit, in the flesh. She was here to guide their Jarl, Fable. At first, the wolves of Fellfang, including Temperance, didn't know what to make of the vixen. However, before long she had the pack reverting to the dark, marauding ways of its past, viciously attacking loners and stealing. The Fellfangir knew this was wrong, and tried to make Fable see reason, but the fox refused them access to their Jarl - even having Fable himself announce that Valda was the one to call the shots.

Temperance was outraged at the idea of reverting to these marauding ways. She cited Arn as a vicious wolf who brought Fellfang only pain and destruction. She was one of the most outspoken of the protestors of Valda's interference, 'bubbling like molten lava' as Moth observed, full of rage. She refused to follow the fox, and Baely stayed with her. They debated what to do about the tense situation. Temperance agreed to keep her head down, and observe, for the time being. Baely asked her, if things went Dark again, if she would leave Fellfang with him, and she agreed. Home was with *him*.

She approached her packmates, to ask if they *really* believed what the fox and Fable were saying. She'd been told to join a raid on a passing group of loners, and was *not* happy about it. She spoke to the other wolves in her group, which was composed of long-standing members of the Skuld (Baely, Moth, and Calida) and newer members (Ian, Dogma, Othilia, and Posie).

The fox's puppet, Durzin, decided to do something about Temperance's behavior. He summoned the Skuld, and sentenced her to exile, driving his point home by latching his fangs onto her face. She prevented herself from biting back, but Baely attacked Durzin, jaws snapping down on the pale wolf's muzzle. It fell into a serious scuffle, with Temperance actually biting half of Durzin's tail off in the melee. The pair weren't able to win their fight, for other packmates - Misha and Olithia - leapt into action to protect Durzin - following the orders of the Jarl's mouthpiece, wanting to be loyal to Fellfang.

They made sure Temperance and Baely, the traitors, were escorted to the border. Alone outside of Fellfang's boundaries, the two tended to one another's wounds. They determined that they were going to go to Vale, where an old friend, Loki, might be able to offer them some shelter, while they figured out how to free Fellfang from the clutches of the fox and her puppet.

They returned to Fellfang, to meet with their packmates, in order to plot their overthrow of Valda. The decision that they came to was a brilliant plan: a pit trap was dug, and they were to lure Valda into it by telling her that Temperance and Baely had returned, and were causing trouble. They sent Rayne, Sheru, and Petra to fetch the fox, and they convinced her of the threat posed by the exiles.

The fox fell into the pit, and Temperance, Baely, and many of their packmates kept her there. Polaris, acting as leader in Fable's stead, held an impromptu trial for the fox. Ultimately, she decided to let the fox go, never to return. Of course, she later tracked the fox down and killed her, but it was the symbolism of the initial banishment that mattered.

Temperance was glad to be able to settle back into Fellfang, but Baely was unhappy. He didn't understand how they could trust Fable so easily after everything that had happened. Temperance reminded him that they could leave together, if he wanted. They agreed to give it a chance, though.

Temperance worked to rebuild relationships with her packmates, including Ludko, a former friend, and new packmates, like Alarion (who was going by the name of Embla at the time). She also introduced herself to Jarl Fable's new pups, like Asteria, and Lincoln, who was practicing hunting on a beetle - although, admittedly, she didn't really know how to interact with pups.

Rutnik approached her after her return, as well, and admitted that he was ashamed for not standing up for her. He took full responsibility for her losing her home, and hoped she'd be able to forgive him. She admitted she couldn't forgive him yet, but she could start with gratitude for his apology.

Temperance was one of the first wolves to welcome new wolves, like Tadita and Gustave, to the Skuld. She also grew some friendly affection towards young Lincoln, which irritated Baely. She tried to shield Lincoln from Baely's outburst about the Jarlson's life of privilege and softness, but the youngster lashed out at him regardless - and Temperance, as well, for having 'new' friends who she preferred. She tried to reassure Baely that wasn't the case, but he was too incensed to hear it.

Time passed. Things were tense between her and Baely. But then, he approached her to tell her that he was leaving Fellfang. Baely asked her to come with him, because he loved her. Temperance's heart ached, and she admitted that she loved him too, but she couldn't leave. She ran from him.

He left the pack without her. She struggled to feel happiness in the Skuld without him, though, and she spoke to Ludko about it. Temperance considered leaving the Skuld to find him, to be with him. She spoke to Ian about it too, and he said the same thing Ludko did - if that's where Temperance's happiness was, that's where she needed to be.

Temperance's mind was made. She went to Jarl Fable in order to tell him, openly and honestly, that she didn't feel at home in the Skuld anymore, and needed to leave. She needed to find Baely, and be with him. After that, she didn't know what would happen, but with Baely at her side, she could handle anything.

Temperance has not been seen in the Domain since.

## Trivia

* The scars on her muzzle were from her first battle; those over her eye were inflicted by Durzin.
* She was raised believing Delrian was her true father, and Aspen and Alpine were her half-siblings.
* She was in love with Baely.

## Quotes

* “Balance is not achieved through plaguing our neighbors. Lady Polaris speaks wisely. A *fool* would create chaos, thinking it could solve the problems of the world. There is a reason we call it the *Dark* Ages! A reason we altered from that treacherous path!” (to 'Valda', *Imbalance*)
* "Blind acceptance is a risk in any scenario. Her words are neither logical nor inspiring. After that exceptional gathering, I'm hardly pressed to believe anything that comes out of that fox's mouth. Fox. That's all she is. A dirty conniving trickster." (about the fox, *Home is by Your Side*)

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* Zoketi's deviantART Gallery