DotW: Morgan [DECEASED]

Name: Morgan
Former Alias: "Magnus"
Age: Aged Adult
Gender: Male 
Relationship Status: Single 
Height: 36" (adult)
Weight: 130 lbs (adult)
Build: No longer as thick and muscular as he used to be, Morgan is beginning to show his age with thinner, graying fur. His left foreleg was severely injured after being captured during the Heart Harvest and did not heal properly, so it is capable of bearing very little weight (causing him to limp). As a result, his nails on that paw are often overgrown due to not being filed down naturally from walking. Various scars litter his face and body from years of training and combat.

Theme Songs: Optimus -- Steve Jablonsky
Voice: Lance Henriksen

Territory: Riverfell
Family: Rose (mate; deceased), Kara (daughter; deceased), Heather (daughter), Shiloh (grandaughter)
Rank: None

PERSONALITY: 

Determined: Forceful and self-assured, Morgan lets little stand in his way. If he has a goal in mind there is little that will stop him from obtaining it. 

Serious: Stoic and stonefaced, his words are usually short and blunt, only participating in conversations that are meaningful or that he is interested in.

Close-minded: Growing up within a patriarchal pack has left him with a skewed version of females. He was born and bred to believe females are the weaker sex, even though he has seen the opposite in regards to his daughter and Shiloh. 

Ruthless/Distant: Despite his Gold Feather training and previous pack belief of "all life is precious," Morgan no longer has any qualms about injuring or killing a wolf who gets in the way or hurts those under his protection. 

Loyal/Protective: Once you get to know him, you'll come to find he is extremely dedicated to those under his care and will do/use any means necessary to keep them safe. Even if it means sacrificing himself. He is fiercely loyal to his family especially.

Logical/Careful: Morgan considers every step before taking action, tactical in his way of thinking. He believes that jumping recklessly into a situation will only cause trouble. 

Suspicious: After what happened to his daughter, Kara, Morgan finds himself extremely untrusting of wolves he does not know; and even some he does know. It takes time and effort to earn his trust. Few are up to the task.

HISTORY:  This section has been both revised AND expanded upon to include some more recent events!

Born and raised in Riverfell, Morgan was a prestigious senior Gold Feather warrior. Once dutiful and dedicated to the patriarchal society, he strove for excellence and honor. Keeping his pack and family safe was his number one priority. The former alpha of Riverfell, Saerian the Bold, was his idol; someone he had dedicated his life to serving.

After many years of service, Morgan retired from his Gold Feather duties and settled down with his wife, Rose. Together, they had various children, but none as wild and as willful as his youngest, Kara. Even as a pup, she was unique. Strong and stubborn, she seemed to see the world through a different lens. "You will be great." Morgan would praise her. "I can't wait to see what you achieve." Yet nothing prepared him for the day that Kara decided to choose a task; her heart set on one rank and one rank alone...Gold Feather. 

Morgan was horrified. The Gold Feather ranks had only ever been composed of males. There was no place among the battalion for females -- she'd be eaten alive. But, Kara would not be swayed no matter how much he argued and pleaded. In the end, he conceded; warning her that her path would be difficult, but if there was to be a first female Gold Feather, it would be her. 

Day after day, he watched her fight tooth and claw to become a Gold Feather; passing each trial that came her way until she had finally proven herself worthy of the prestigious title. He was proud but apprehensive. Her peers were not as ruthless as he had thought they would be...what with a female now joining their ranks. It was suspicious, but he did not allow it to spoil his pride in her. 

Late one evening, Kara came to him. She was visibly shaken and clearly upset as she spoke. "Pyre, he...we..." She could barely get out her confession before Morgan's temper revealed itself. Every word and detail of what had happened made his blood boil. His heart pounded hard and fast as anger overtook him. He had never seen her like this; so defeated and broken. How could she have let this happen? She was too young to engage in such reckless behavior! It was unbecoming of both a female and a Gold Feather so young in her career. Conversely, the thought of Pyre manipulating and using her for his games brought out his fatherly rage and desire to protect his daughter. He knew the others had been too accepting; too lenient in letting a female join them. In his anger, he shouted and blamed her, and reminded her of his previous warnings when she first came to him about her chosen task. She fled his sight in despair; and guilt consumed him over his lost temper.

Kara was apprehended the following morning. Pyre had accused her of sullying the title of Gold Feather by manipulating him and attempting to disrupt his career with her blatant promiscuity. She was stripped of her Gold Feather status and all honors she had previously earned for herself. Morgan and Rose could do nothing but watch as their youngest daughter lost everything she had fought so hard to achieve.

A few weeks later, Rose revealed to Morgan that Kara's night with Pyre had resulted in her being pregnant. Morgan knew for certain that she was no longer safe in Riverfell; not with Pyre's sexist vendetta and the pups Kara now carried. When he confronted her, she had little to say. He wanted answers from her that she did not have, to questions she never considered being asked so early in her life. Would she raise them here, in Riverfell? What would happen when Pyre found out?

"I don't know what to do. Should I leave...?"

Kara's question went unanswered, though Morgan's silence told her everything she needed to know. Heartbroken by his lack of support during the worst moment of her life, she fled again. Only this time, she passed Riverfell's borders and never looked back. Morgan had known how his silence would be interpreted, despite it breaking his own heart. But with Kara out of the territory and her pups still a secret, he could only hope that his youngest daughter and his grandchildren would finally be safe.

A witness to Kara's assault revealed himself not long after her disappearance. He told both Saerian and Morgan the truth of what transpired that night and nullified Pyre's lies about what he claimed happened. Pyre received a meager punishment for his lies, but it was the equivalent of a "slap on the wrist" for causing so much disruption within the pack. Morgan was shocked; his daughter's reputation and life had been ruined, yet his Alpha --the wolf he had sworn his life to-- had dismissed his own son's actions as mere immature antics. While his mind swam in a sea of concentrated rage and a desire for revenge, he maintained a calm facade in the eyes of Saerian and his peers. Morgan's hatred for Pyre grew like wildfire; consuming his days and his nights until he could bear it no longer.

On the night of the Quarter Feast, Morgan put a plan he had concocted in motion. He stole several herbs from his wife's healing den and watched as the Hunters brought out the meat for the night's festivities; the biggest slabs being reserved for Saerian and Pyre. He waited until the Hunters set aside Pyre's piece, then left it unattended -- or so they thought. Within minutes, Morgan had carefully crushed several herbs upon the flesh, then slipped away once the festivities began. He watched from afar, noticing Pyre's sluggish and weak movements as the night carried on. The poison steadily and swiftly made its presence known, until eventually, the corrupt prince slumped over, succumbing to the deadly toxin. 

It was immediate; Saerian rushing to the aid of his fallen son and the Gold Feathers mobilizing amidst the shrill voice of their Lord, demanding them to find the one who poisoned Pyre. But, by then, Morgan was already on the outskirts of the main den site, running with only one thought echoing in his mind: find Kara and her pups.

After several months of searching, Morgan was finally able to track down Kara. The sight of his daughter brought him great joy, yet...he could not bring himself to face her. Instead, he merely surveyed her from a distance. She had a pup with her; a young female painted with Pyre's colors. He knew it must have been difficult to love a wolf who looked so much like someone they both hated, but Kara seemed to be raising her daughter well despite doing so on her own. 

Morgan debated interrupting their lives with his presence, but his desire to reunite with them outweighed his fear of Kara's reaction at seeing him again. He sought them both out one cloudy afternoon but lost their trail after a terrible storm rolled through the area. It took Morgan several days to pick up any trace of a scent, and when he finally did, it was only of Kara's daughter...what had happened during that storm? Had mother and daughter been separated?

It seemed his granddaughter decided to pick a fight with a pair of loners not long after he decided to track her down. She had managed to hold her ground temporarily but was eventually beaten. Morgan stepped in before they were able to take her life, then found out the truth of what had happened to the girl's mother after she recovered from her fight; Kara had been killed in a flash flood during the storm. Morgan was beyond devastated. 

He knew he had no choice but to take his granddaughter, Shiloh, under his wing. She was alone now and had no one, yet Kara had filled her head with dreams of returning to Riverfell one day and enacting revenge upon those who had wronged her. While Shiloh now knew that Morgan had also hailed from Riverfell, he decided not to tell her his true identity and adapted the alias, "Magnus," to further himself from his former life. He agreed to take her there someday, but in his heart....he knew that was the last thing he would ever do. Now that Kara was gone and Shiloh was all that was left of her legacy, he would do everything in his power to keep her safe. He owed Kara that much.

During their travels together across the Domain, they picked up several other stray female wolves through the seasons. Runaways, loners, and some simply longing for company, all seemed to find their small group. Morgan trained Shiloh in Riverfell's culture and taught her techniques used by the Gold Feathers. They butt heads more often than not and Morgan found it challenging to deal with a female as headstrong as Shiloh -- though he savored the moments that he could see the spirit of her mother in her eyes. In many ways, Kara lived on through Shiloh, though he was certain she had more determination and heart than anyone in their family.

After a divisive run-in with a Vektreni wolf looking for a heart, Morgan was separated from Shiloh and their group. He was taken captive for several seasons before being rescued by an old friend (read the full story of his return to Riverfell here!).