Mooncake

Mooncake was found with all of his markings when claimed, save for Slot 7. Thank you to whoever chased this beauty; after some opacity changes he happens to look almost identical to my first lead wolf!

Origin:SpoilerTofu, the pack's original alpha, encountered Mooncake by chance in the tundra. Though they called the glacier home, he would often travel south during the winter where food was more plentiful. It was as if the spirits had cloned the older male -- their appearances were uncannily similar. Believing it to be fate, Tofu accepted the hesitant loner into the folds of his pack and away from the trials of solo survival.

At first, Mooncake was introverted and taciturn. Spending his entire adolescence and early adulthood having to fend for himself left him unwilling to open up to others. However, he blossomed under Tofu's patient tutelage of social pack life and the family's warm acceptance. His ability to anticipate problems before they occurred saved them more than once -- the only issue at first was building up his confidence to speak out. Slowly but surely, the pack began to trust Mooncake's intuition and often went to him for advice, and this development did not go unnoticed by Tofu. In the meantime, he assigned the youngster to scout the territories to the south, something the drifter was quite adept at while also giving him some much needed alone time.
Succession:SpoilerNow in his twilight years, the elder pack leader began weighing his potential successors. He first considered Ham, the elder of the two scouts. Impulsive but well-meaning, he possessed the charisma necessary to lead the pack and they would rally behind him in a heartbeat. However, his inability to think before acting could easily prove dangerous. Tofu had tried to curb this flaw to no avail, making him hesitate to dub him as the next alpha. No, he couldn't consider Ham at all, much to the scout's inevitable disappointment.

Mooncake, though... while quieter, he was highly observant and quick thinking, a consequence of living alone in the wilderness where danger could come from any angle. His wit was sharp and his instincts even more so, and he had settled quite well into the pack. They came to him for guidance and, no matter how trivial the problem may seen, he helped everyone with equal amounts of patience and kindness. So eager he is to help, in fact, that Tofu is concerned whether he could be taken advantage of by others. A pack leader must be firm and open to letting others learn on their own, even if such lessons were harsh and painful. While Ham was capable of commanding respect, Mooncake was not. Tofu could only hope that he was more pliable to change than the former ever was.
Coronation:SpoilerThe time has finally come. Tofu only had a few more moons on this earth and chose to step down voluntarily rather than letting the mantle pass upon his death. He had built this pack from the ground up, back when it was just him and Rice after escaping his gilded cage, and he intended to see its leadership stable and strong.

He decided to venture into the Dreamlands with his mate before he broke the news. They knew that they could never truly rest by leaving the pack and had chosen to undergo a ritual to store a part of their soul into magical pendants. Their spirits would serve to ground the wearer during times of stress, and if called upon, their images could appear in order to impart wisdom and reassurance. Such sorcery drew upon the magic of the Dreamlands and therefore could only be used once the energy had been replenished, usually by visiting the realm during a lunar event.

Tofu's spirit turned his pendant a cool blue and was intended to be worn by the alpha of the pack. Rice's soul was purple in color and meant to be worn by the mate of the alpha, and only of the royal line. When worn, they imbue the wolf with their latent lunar energies. These pendants were gifted to Mooncake and his mate Goji by the eldest Redeemed at the time, Miso. The reunion with his mentor was bittersweet, but Tofu's posthumous guidance helped stabilize the pack and ensured its continued existence throughout his successor's leadership.
Abdication:Spoiler Mooncake led a life worthy of Tofu's faith. The pack was larger than ever before, courtesy of his best friend Rye and his status as the snacc pacc's stud. The male's pedigree was tried and true, so much so that Mooncake has dubbed one of his offspring as his very own successor: Miyeok. Born of Rye and a vagrant female who sought sanctuary in their territory, the verdant wolf possessed the same calm nature that Tofu approved within Mooncake.

However, Mooncake intended to pass on while maintaining his title as alpha. Miyeok had barely become a yearling before he was reaching the very end of his time, and he couldn't afford to rest before the youngster could succeed him. Furthermore, he still felt that he hadn't achieved his greatest heights and intended to milk his remaining days for every test of strength that he could come by. He used these expeditions to teach Miyeok as much as the heir could absorb, combining words of wisdom with harsh experience to mentor him as quickly as possible.

He'd also found the ephemeral nature of Tofu's parting gift for him: his pendant. It was clear as time went on that his predecessor's spirit faded from its corporeal prison until it had fully passed to the realm beyond. Mooncake mourned the permanent loss of his friend but was happy for him all the same, as the older wolf would finally be able to rest. The necklace was nothing more than decoration at this point, but he donned it proudly everyday. He wouldn't do the same for Miyeok, however, for the pack would serve as the wolf's guiding paw. He trusted the collective judgment of the senior wolves and knew that they would respect his decision in crowning the youngster. As it was, he intended to leave the necklace for sentimental and ritualistic purposes and Miyeok would not be required to wear it should he so choose.