Zhiyuan
Overview
During the height of Mongol power in the plains of the east, a metis child was born to a wandering Silver Fang lupus. The pup's father was a Stargazer homid of unknown nomadic blood, and he took the responsibility for raising the metis, a child born with a withered foreleg and only one eye. After watching the young Philodox take on great burdens and holding his own with other pups, the father named him Zhiyuan, which means ambitious. As he grew older, Zhiyuan gained some grudging respect as a mediator among the werewolves of the Asian steppes; his lack of an eye in no way impaired his inner vision and foresight. He brought peace where none had been before. Perhaps if Zhiyuan had stayed on this path, he would have led a better life. But fate intervened in the form of Kublai Khan, who upon hearing of the young man's wisdom, asked his attendance and advice at court. There. Zhiyuan's foresight took a bloodthirst turn. He became embroiled in plots within plots and even used his Gifts to help propel Kublai Khan to the pinnacle of power. Zhiyuan's aged father and his pack turned against him for having too many dealings with humans, and the once peace-loving Philodox ended his days on a battlefield empty of Garou, with no honor left. Stargazers sometimes share lessons about Zhiyuan to show how werewolves must find balance between their wolf and human selves.
References
- WTA: Guardians of the Caerns, p. 107