Tamarack - Finished

OOC Information
OOC Name: Elana
Link to Previous Character: None. D:

General
Name: Tamarack
Alias: Tam
Species: Yagi
Gender: Female
Age: 4
Pack: None. D:
Rank: N/A

Physical
Height: 40 in.
Weight: 190 lbs.
Appearance: While still larger than many wolves of other species, Tam is quite small for a yagi, and is often mistaken for being younger than her actual age by those familiar with yagi.  Her build doesn't help matters; she's not particularly muscular, and her legs are a bit shorter than would be proportionate, which makes her look more like a pup.

Tam's fur is mostly dark, almost-black brown, with pine-green accents on her paws, ears, muzzle, and cropped tail.  The fur is very short, letting her get colder more easily, but she  doesn't mind as this means she isn't picking up every stray burr or leaf in the world.  

Her eyes are brown, just a few shades lighter than her fur and with a gold ring around her pupil.  Her saber teeth are just beginning to really appear, dipping an inch below her jaw - not a lot more useful than normal teeth, but definitely more showy.  

Like all yagi, Tam has odd spines on her body; hers manifest as triangular bony ridges on her back, starting between her ears and ending at the base of her tail.  These spines are very small where they begin, about an inch high, and the ones on her back are about five inches high, decreasing to about three inches on the last one.  They are all a dull brownish-gray, like most horns.  
Other: Tam has always had weak lungs, and anything from being exposed to smoke to more exercise than she is used to can leave her gasping for breath and on the verge of fainting.

Mental
Strengths: Intelligent, rational, confident, knows her limits, level-headed, decent leader
Weaknesses: Arrogant, judgmental, stubborn, prone to complaining, pessimistic, sneaky, compulsively lies, doesn't follow orders well
Personality:  Like many yagi, Tam has grown up with a very strong pride in her species, and has taken this pride and turned it into arrogance.  It's not like she doesn't have anything to be proud of; she's quite an intelligent wolf and quick learner.  However, she tends to judge the intelligence of others quickly, and it doesn't take long for her to label someone unintelligent.  She also tends to believe in stereotypes, unconsciously or not, and will judge other wolves simply based on their species or pack.

That's not to say Tam won't change her opinions, but it often takes a lot for her to do so.  She's often very stubborn, and once she has made up her mind she can cling to her beliefs no matter how stupid she looks doing so.  Tam also has a problem taking orders - if she respects the leader, she'll be alright, but she does like being in charge and will not hesitate to step up if she sees an opportunity, especially if she makes the snap judgement that the wolf in charge of her is an idiot.  She rarely stands up directly - if told to do something she disagrees with, she'll do her thing anyway, and screw the consequences.  This has resulted in her being wrong several times, but Tam refuses to learn to simply follow directions, and the moral she takes away is "be sneakier next time."

Tamarack also lies naturally, without thinking about it - to make herself look better, to avoid explaining an implausible event, to garner sympathy.  She doesn't do it maliciously, it just...happens.  She also has a very black, sarcastic sense of humor that she mostly keeps to herself but will share with others if she thinks it's worth the trouble.
History: Tam's parents, Larch and Kane, were a pair of yagi that had already had two pups some years before.  Tam herself was in a litter of two; the other pup was a male named Ordan, and growing up, the two were always very close.  Tam had inherited her mother's weak lungs, and often couldn't keep up with the other yagi pups - she was proud enough even at a young age to resent this, and Ordan would always stay with his sister and make sure she had someone to play with.  Ordan wasn't the brightest pup, but he was sweet and well-liked, and managed to make excuses for her every time she couldn't keep up.  Tam knew what he was doing, but she didn't mind, and after a while began to cover up her weakness with her own arrogant bravado.  

However, as Tam grew older, her constant lying and sneaking around even the smallest things started to wear thin on her parents and brother, and pulled her away from the friends she had managed to make over her first few years.  And so, after a spat with the sister from her parents' first litter, Tamarack decided it was time to move on.  She wasn't completely cutting ties with her family; she just wanted to travel, spend as much time alone as she liked, ad maybe find a pack to join sometime after a while.  

Since leaving home, Tam has managed to avoid trouble, and has made a few casual friends.  She's done well for herself, and has been thinking about joining one of the nearby packs if they'll take her.
Other: None. D: