He stood at the mouth of the cave feeding the waterfall, looking out at his home with pride. He had done it, he had raised a magnificent pack with members who had been willing to follow him. He made his way down one of the paths leading to the cave and called for his people with a proud howl. They had had time to settle, and hopefully to learn about each other. With winter in full session it meant one of the many customs he had planned for his pack would soon begin; The Moose Fair and the Moose Gauntlet would soon be underway and hopefully it would liven the spirits of those that had chosen to follow him. He sat and waited for his pack and family to join him, perched on one of the many large shelfs of rock jutting from the base of the waterfall. There was another matter as well. Aranea. He intended to make her his mate and their wedding would be addressed in this meeting as well. Gods there was so much he needed to do, he almost didn’t know where to start. __________ OOC; Meeting time! The first round will be due by Dec 8th, attendance is manditory! speaking Thinking You

Artemis was quick to heed Tyranis' howl. She had settled into the lands quickly, learning their layout, and had spent the time since learning the habits and paths the prey there preferred to take. Afterall, with a coat like hers being smarter than the beasts she hunted was crucial. She trotted quickly to the cave their young leader had called his own, giving him a smile and a nod as she arrived. "Afternoon, Tyranis. I hope everything is well?" While the blue woman could hardly be called mellow, she was glad that she had found this pack when she did. It slowed her to an extent, or at least it seemed slow in comparison to the endless wandering she'd endured after Crew had broken up. Artemis could feel the pups growing within her, and knew they would be here in the world before she knew it. She had spent her time eating as well as she could, hoping to keep her strength up and hopefully produce a healthy litter. Artemis wasn't sure what motherhood would hold for her, but she was glad she was facing it amongst a pack and not in the wilds, on her own. Her thoughts did flash briefly to her siblings, wherever they were, and knew she ought to try and find them and let them know before the birth. Spirits knew she would have time to find them afterwards. Artemis turned to look out amongst the slope and jagged cliffs, waiting for movement that might signal other pack members were on their way. She wondered if any others had joined their ranks since Ty's initial call to arms. She was eager to meet the pack in it's full strength, wondering if she might find any familiar faces there. "Talk" "You" Think

Ashmedai was happy to hear a meeting being called. Finally, maybe something would happen. Ash was the antsy type. Since Imperium had disbanded, he had never really liked the idea of settling down. He was hoping to perhaps find a new home in this Dauntless. This meeting would hopefully clear up some things that would allow Ashmedai to finally find a place he was willing to call home again. A place he was willing to fight for.

As Ashmedai approached the meeting spot, he saw the blue god woman- Artemis, and Tyranis. Ashmedai dipped his head, a lopsided smile rising on his maw just enough to reveal one canine.

"Nice to see y'all again," he greeted.

Toothy smile and corny greeting aside, Ashmedai was serious. He needed to figure out right away where the other members stood and what the most direct path to proving himself was. He had every intention of learning this pack and its members inside and out. Why shouldn't he? He planned on being one of the leaders in the pack. If he was planning on staying anywhere, it was always a goal of his to reach the top- to stand by the leader with pride and help lead the pack.

That was his plan, and he was willing to take on anyone to get there.

Snow had fallen in heavy layers the night before but the morning broke bright and sunny though a sharp chill still hung in the air.  Naudir was up at the crack of dawn, pushing the snow away from the entrance to her cave and making sure the paths she typically strolled were reasonably safe to walk upon.  There was a sorrow in her heart this morn but joy as well.  For all her wandering Naudir relished the moment of returning home and to be living here once more and in a pack brought back memories of her family and of Yfir.  A pang nestled in her heart as her thoughts drifted to her mother.  How was Katja now that winter had fallen on the north?  She wondered if she was being a neglectful daughter for not being there but at some point she needed to live her own life.  As she stood gazing out across the mist covered forest she debated asking her mother and her siblings to join her.  It was a gamble.  They were proud creatures, untamable and difficult to reel in.  A yearling would not be an acceptable leader but gods willing he would grow and all the while Naudir would stand vigilant upon her homelands.

A howl called out and she turned her face toward the falls to where Tyrannis had summoned them.  She let out a yip to call her ravens to her and then she was off down the mountainside, her body moving and rippling like water as she cascaded down to where the great cave rested.  "Good Morning, Tyrannis."  She dipped her head in greeting to the alpha and also to the others who were gathered there before she moved to sit between Artemis and Ashmedai.  She leaned slightly toward the speckled man. "If you have time after this meeting I wish to speak with you." They had moved so swiftly toward the packlands that she did not have a moment to take the man aside and have him explain why he would infer that they were family.  It was a point that had bothered her for some time and she would have an explanation.

She had settled in, finally! Finding her own cave with plenty of room to start a new herb stock. For now they had vary little, but depending on her son's plans with the pack, hopefully this winter would be uneventful and that they wouldn't even need what little herbs they had. She had a lot of work to do in the spring and she was getting excited to get back into herb hunting and maybe teaching a few of the pack about healing. She would really need to meet with Areana again and exchange knowledge with the young lady.

Her son's summoning call caught her attention quickly and though she hadn't fully memorized the territory yet she would do her best to get there as fast as could. She moved quickly, but cautiously making sure not to trip and fall and hurt herself. Ears were constantly moving on her head as she moved forward quickly. She wasn't horribly far, but it was just a matter of moving around obstacles that she had to get through. She did not want to be late, but she knew there was no way she would be the first to be there.

Soon she heard the voice of Naudir speaking to Tyranis, letting her know that she had arrived to the meeting. She moved slowly among the other few here and found a spot to sit. She quietly sat down with her ears pointed forward listening and waiting for the meeting to begin. She was interested to hear what he had to say and what he had planned.

"Talk" | 'Think'

Art by Mochiimomo

The titan man had made his home in an old bear cave near the base of the mountain, just off the shore of the river that flowed from it and close to the waterfall. He could hear the water crashing outside, the man preferring this spot over all else. The sound of the crashing water at times helped him fall asleep at night, however fitful it might be. He was still sleeping when the yearlings howl called for the pack to gather. Though they hadn't been here long, Acere hadn't taken the time yet to meet nor greet the others. He wanted to take time to himself to get accustomed to this new change. He had been a follower in his young days. And though he was still young, it was strange to him to be following again after having been a king. A failed king...but his kingdom had been torn from him when--No! He would not allow himself to think of that. Not now. He needed to get away from his thoughts... Pulling himself to his feet, the beast stretched out his legs, glad that he had found a large enough den that had plenty of room for him to move in. Whatever bear had previously made its home here had not been back for a long time. All that remained were remnants of its history. Bones. Furs. Moldy bedding...he'd yet to clear that out, but he would at some point. Rolling his shoulders, he headed out towards the call. It didn't take him long as his ground eating lope had him there quicker than those with smaller legs. Climbing upwards to where the others gathered, he carefully scaled up a trail until finally, he scented them. There was a small group thus far, but he figured there were more still coming. He saw most everyone that had been there the day the yearling had called to stake his claim, and Acere briefly wondered if they were being gathered to be fed more information. He had offered his allegiance, and was willing to share his knowledge with those who wished to learn. He was an experienced fighter, the male littered with old scars from his past. He had killed. He had done...unspeakable things. But still, he had plenty of experience. And so he sat at the edge of the group, crimson gaze locking on the young Tyranis as he dipped his head in greeting. "Speak"

Hearing the call of her alpha she would gently make her way back to the heart of the pack. She had been trying to keep herself distracted lately; in any way she could. Even just wandering around and it meant she did nothing worth her day. She felt like she needed to just be alone, all the time, but she knew at heart that it didn't make her feel any better. In fact it made her feel worse. Coming to the good gathering of wolves, she would sit a decent distance from them but in a place that was beside both Tyranis and the rest of them as if she was making it a circle. She didn't feel comfortable coming to Tyranis' side but also felt left out of the group as always. Eyes lightly on the floor she would wait to hear what the king had to say. Walk "Talk" Think

His brothers call had not gone unheard, though Cloud was primarily focused on trying to hunt down a fair sized buck to bring back to the pack for dinner. Quietly, he tailed it. Creeping up any chance he could. He would bring this buck down, he had to. Winter had approached and they'd need all the food they could get up here in the north. Watching it with intensity, he kept creeping, nearly within range to be able to chase it down without much effort, however, that plan was soon thrown out of the window when a bird spotted him and sent out an alarm. It happened all too quickly...he looked up at the bird, then back to the buck and it had already gotten a head start, leaving snow churning behind it. Muttering curses to himself, he abandoned his hunt and headed towards his brothers call. Clearly upset and visibly irked, he approached the meeting with hardly a glance in anyone's direction, the male instead keeping his eyes on the ground. He had just lost his prey, and he was not happy. Of course, it was nobody else's fault but his own. He should have been paying more attention to his surroundings...ah well, he'd get over it. Eventually. Sitting down near the front at the far edge, he briefly spotted his mother and a feeling of guilt washed over him. He had yet to properly apologize or talk to her after he had vanished from Abaven, and then to suddenly show up when his brother had called on the battlefield...His ears flattened, glad for once that his mother couldn't see him. He knew at some point he'd have to make it up, but the guilt kept him from it. speak

A howl. That was the thing that had interrupted his day and it wasn't the first time that Legion felt confused and overwhelmed by the new changes in his life. He'd never been in a pack before - it'd always been just his brothers, him, and his mother. Now there were a plethora of wolves surrounding him at all times and the yearling wasn't sure to make of it. There were so many rules now whereas before he'd never lived with any before now. There were lots of things to remember and the foremost on his mind was that there were borders and a leader, and a complex hierarchy that he still didn't fully understand the purpose of yet. He was bound determined to get to the bottom of it though.

The howl though, that was something he didn't completely understand. He understood that Tyranis was calling them altogether, but what was the point exactly? He suppose the only way to find out was to show up. It had crossed his mind not to go, but he figured that was something that would be frowned upon so he headed towards the cave anyways.

When he arrived he hadn't quite expected the multitude of the wolves that were already there. He'd never been around this many and his ears flicked back as he tried to find Reinhardt. To his dismay his sibling hadn't arrived yet so instead he took a seat at the fringes of the group and looked up at Tyranis expectantly to see what this was all about.

"SPEAK"

Oops. He was late. In all fairness though, Rein (like his brother), had no clue how packs worked. He was outside of the pack lands, but when he heard Tyranis' howl, he had ignored it...until now. After several minutes of going about doing his own thing (which was nothing of interest), his curiosity got the better of him and he loped towards wherever they were. He had come across a few of the pack members scents, all heading in the same direction so he followed them.

As he climbed the rocks and the scents of many mingled got stronger, he figured he was in the right place. Spotting his brother, Reinhardt casually walked over and sat beside him, bumping his brothers shoulder and grinning. "Do you know what he's calling us for?" Dumb question, he knew. His brother after all, didn't know about packs any more than he did. But still, he'd asked. And now, they waited.

He watched as they approached, as all of them approached, and felt a childlike pull at his heart- they were there for him- he thought momentarily and could almost feel a smile tugging at his lips…But no, he needed to be stern and serious; like Acere, a man he greatly respected. Whether the rest of the pack felt the same way he did about the white male would remain to be seen however. He nodded at each greeting he was given and felt a small twinge of relief when Aranea took her place with the remainder of the pack rather than at his side, just as he had wanted. “Greetings Dauntless.” He said confidently after enough time had passed for a majority of his pack to arrive; Quinn had been absent but with his quickly growing numbers he considered one absence a fair turnout. “As most of you are aware this is our first meeting since the formation of the pack. I have given you all time to settle down, plant roots, and come to know one another.” He stated, his gaze settling first on Artemis, then on Aranea, and finally on Ashmedai respectively, but his proud and booming voice addressing all of them equally. At just over 18 months old he had grown into his full height and his voice was no longer pitched with adolescence. It was the voice of a man he thought, and then corrected himself: it was the voice of a king. “The time has come for you all to decide among yourselves who is most fit to take on the roles as my advisors; My Chief Intelligence Officer, Chief Quartermaster and Chief Infantry Officer, if you wish to elect yourself speak first and state your case, afterward the vote will be held.” He said zealously. “Before we begin however there will be an announcement: First; whelping pups before marriage is no longer a dishonorable act.” He decreed although he doubted anyone had enforced such a practice in the first place. “However if the sire or dam have no wish to join Dauntless then they must be cast off and will not be allowed to see their children under any circumstances” He said, admittedly a bit harsh. He could stand to bend his own strict rules but he would not have outsiders or trespassers in his lands. He closed his eyes then opened them, calm once more. “With that said, let the rite of election begin!” There was still more to say; the moose gauntlet, his own rite of matrimony, but those could wait. ------ OOC;No posing orderfor this next round, it will be short: only post if your character is trying out  for a rank Make sure you mention in character which rank and why. Next round is due Dec 18th Speaking Thinking You

As the others trickled in, Ashmedai sat cooly. Naudir said they should talk after the meeting and Ashmedai nodded. "Of course."

After the other members came, Tyranis began his speech. So they were changing the rules already? Huh. Ashmedai glanced between Tyranis and his 'mate' a few times. He guessed things must have gotten a little spicy between them.

That was gross. They were basically teenagers to him. That should stop. His thoughts needed to stop.

Ashmedai flicked an ear to clear his mind.

Tyranis moved on to talk about how things would go down if one of the wolves having the pups didn't want to stay in the pack and all of that. That was nothing new. Ashmedai agreed. Any pups created from a Dauntless wolf should be raised in Dauntless.

Now if two different pack wolves had pups... that would be an interesting affair to see.

Oh, it was time for nominations.

Ashmedai cleared his throat and stood.

"Now, I would like to nominate myself for Chief Intelligence Officer or Chief Infantry Officer. We can let the votes decide which, I suppose."

Ashemdai tossed a look at Tyranis to see if there were any objections. Let the pack decide where he ended up- why not?

"To make a case for myself, I would like to argue that I am possibly one of the only wolves here to have been involved in a war. Moreover, a war in Boreas involving a few well-known packs of the past. Not only did I fight in that war, but I came out on the winning side. I know not only the strategy and thought that went into that victory, but the effort put in by each individually and as a whole. If needed, I would willingly do it again."

Ashemdai made a point to have his gaze meet each member at the meeting. He was serious.

"In the case of navigation, I would like to claim that I am perhaps the only member here to have ventured to each pack and to have met each alpha. After learning about each pack, I can assure you all that you've made a strong choice coming here. Though this pack may be new, it has promise. I believe we need someone who has seen each pack and is willing to go the extra mile to assure our pack relations remain... as we wish them to be."

Ashmedai had no qualms maintaining positive or negative pack relations.

"Different situations call for different approaches. Whether it's Chief Intelligence Officer or Chief Infantry Officer, I would be honored to serve Dauntless as it grows as a pack."

Naudir observed quietly as the rest of the pack trickled in. They were an interesting mix of characters that was for sure and many of them were quite young. When they'd gathered Tyrannis called the meeting to order. She had indeed settled down but she had yet to really get to know her packmates but that would come with time. She'd had a pleasant conversation with Artemis and looked forward to getting to know the others as well.

Their main business would be electing wolves to the advisory ranks though he followed up with an amendment to the rules on birthing pups. She had no intension of bearing pups under any circumstance but the rule change caused her brow to quirk just slightly but she would not press the issue. Perhaps he was still feeling out the guidelines for the pack. It would be a process that would continually evolve.

She remained silent as she contemplated trying for a rank. There was really only one that might be suitable for her and that was the Chief Intelligence Officer. The question though was how involved did she want to get this early on?

Ashmedai was the first to speak making solid cases for both the Chief Intelligence Officer and the Chief Infantry Officer. Her ears flicked just slightly at the mention of war. She'd be curious to hear his tales of the battle and she wondered if the war he was referring to was the one involving Imperium. She'd heard stories.

Naudir wasn't sure she could make a better case for herself but that wasn't going to stop her from trying. Besides if he was chosen as the Chief Infantry Officer then they'd need another nominee for the rank of Intelligence Officer.  She stood to speak.

"I am interested in the rank of Chief Intelligence Officer. I've wandered these lands far and wide and trained in several navigation techniques under my mother, Katja Finnvi, Chieftan of Yfir. Yfir was a pack of traders and raiders and my mother schooled me in both. I admit I have not visited the packs in some time, but that can be swiftly remedied. I have my companions who can allow for a birds eye view of any pack territory I visit from whence we can gather information on the terrain and resources of each." She paused for a moment before continuing. She wanted to be perfectly honest about who she was and even if Tyrannis deemed her mad he would know of her beliefs. "And whether you believe in them or not my gods speak to me through my dreams. Their influence was present in Yfir's traditions. I am sure that Dauntless also will have traditions and a culture all its own. I would seek to learn of these and aid you in shaping and maintaining them."

The meeting would soon begin, and the titan watched Tyranis with a hawks eye. He had no doubt that this yearling had potential, it was just a matter of how he'd show that potential and his strength and prowess to the pack. Acere thought back to their first spar, when he had agreed to train the boy. No doubt he still had much to learn and he'd be there every step of the way for the young alpha. Ears flicked at the mention of pups and marriage, none of it much of a concern to the man. He had no mate anymore nor children, and he doubted he would have another anytime soon if at all. But when it came to the elections, his eyes darted to those that had spoken. So far, only two had. Both vying for the same position. The one he knew as Ashmedai spoke of being the only one having been in a war...or how naive the man was. Acere had seen his fair share of war and cruel deeds both by himself and his kin. He had no idea. Though he was younger than the other male, Acere was sure he had more experience from all the trials he had endured. He was a king once, he had everything. And with everything came war and loss and grief and everything in between. Finally when the woman Naudir finished her piece, Acere would speak. "I would like to elect myself for Chief Infantry Officer. Though I may not be as old as some here, I was a king once and have been through every trial. I am no stranger to war or death. I have seen kingdoms come and go. I have fought to protect my own as well as to take from others. I've not been to see the other packs though I have done a fair bit of traveling and I have seen a good part of the world. I have proved my strength and more to you in the battlefield, and if need be I will do it again." Crimson gaze remained fixed on Tyranis. He cared not what the others had to say. If he had an opinion though, he thought the Ashmedai guy sounded quite full of himself. But it would be up to Tyranis...or...them, he supposed. Either way, he'd prove himself as many times as was needed. He knew who the alpha's father was...but he wanted to find Elias first. Assuming the bastard was still alive. "Speak"

Tyranis looked at his pack, feeling his stomach clench. No one had offered to take the role of Quartermaster and it seemed the role of Chief Infantry officer would be closely fought for. Very well. Tyranis had his own opinions on who should be placed where but knew that such comments would be unwelcome if not hypocritical. “Let each of you now cast your vote for the ranks of Chief Intelligence Officer, or Chief Infantry Officer. Your nominees are Acere Praetor, Ashmedai Imperialis, or Naudir Finnvi” He declared to the pack at large. “The rest of you may select a tier 5 rank of your own choosing once your vote has been cast.” He said finally and sat back to wait for the voice of his people. --- OOC; Final round! Your character must vote for both the Chief Intelligence Officer and the Chief Infantry officer, as well as select a rank for themselves. If your character wishes to become Chief Quartermaster it must be done in a separate thread. Once your character has finished they may exit. DUE BY JANUARY 7TH, Naudir, Acere, and Ashmedai may not vote Speaking Thinking You