Calla,Wingrider of Blue Florianth Current Status: Elated to have found her fated pair, but destroyed it has cost her a relationship with her mother Other: Assigned to Delphinus Wing
Name: Calla
Age: 16
Sex: Female
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Craft: Her mother believes she is training full-time as a harper with a family friend. (She's not actually training at High Reaches Weyr, but she is moderately skilled.)
Rank: Apprentice, technically, from back when her mother trained her.
Location: High Reaches Weyr
Physical Description: Calla is a near 50-50 blend of her mother and father. From her father – unruly hair that falls in coppery brown waves past her shoulders; a straight, strong nose; round face; tall height, about 5'9”. From her mother – almond eyes both in shape and color with a fringe of thick lashes; wide mouth with a heavy bottom lip; long, curvy build; freckled cheeks and nose. She wears her hair up usually with some kind of attempt to confine it. Usually, there is a mix of braids, threaded leather strips, and pins all pushing her hair up into a long ponytail. Her bangs are almost always hanging loose in a side swoop that she constantly attempts to tuck behind one ear. Calla is by no means girly, but there is something feminine about her. Not too curvy, but still feminine. Her ears are pierced, and she tends to wear a simple silver hoop in each ear. On her left wrist, she wears a thick braided leather bracelet that her mother made for her as a child. Each year, she soaks it in water to stretch it out to fit her wrist as she grows. As for clothing, Calla typically wears forest green riding pants that are tucked into brown knee length boots. Over her pants, she wears a billowing tunic that is gathered at the wrist with a boat neck. Over this, she has a brown vest. She is a earthy girl, and tends to reflect this in her color choices. In general, her clothing style is conservative and work-ready.
Personality: Calla is not one to hide her opinion. It brought her many lashings from those who have tried to instruct her, as well as punishment from her mother. Sometimes words leave her mouth before she has had the chance to realize what she is actually saying. She is headstrong, something that she likely inherited from her father, and has a hard time admitting that she needs help, or that she might actually be incapable of doing something. The fact that girls are sometimes portrayed as too dainty to do particular things is a point of contention for Calla. As a child, she was friends with more boys than girls and was almost always covered in some kind of dirt/grime/gross. Her childhood was spent getting into trouble and getting filthy in the process. As she grew older, she continued this knack for trouble-making, usually because of some great idea she had and felt determined to accomplish, but has greatly improved her physical cleanliness.
In short, Calla is a very driven person. She is passionate about the things that she loves and is fiercely loyal – almost to a fault – but on the reverse, she is incredibly cruel, vindictive, and calculating toward the things that she hates and the people who she dislikes. You don't want to be on her bad side, and unfortunately, it is not terribly hard to get there. Calla is just constantly evaluating people; she's very observant. In a single conversation, the girl will make all kinds of judgments about the person who she is talking to in that instant. You don't like reading? Hm. You think dragonriders are overrated? Hm. You love the color orange? Hm. Everything a person says goes onto some mental scoreboard in Calla's head, and she keeps track of points. This isn't to say that Calla goes out of her way to be mean to people – no, she couldn't be bothered actually – but she is not going to pretend to like someone who she does not. She will be civil, not kind.
Despite her fear of being treated like a maternal figure by others, Calla loves to cook and sing. It doesn't take much for Calla to offer to cook you a four course meal. She likes taking care of people and tends to believe in the potential of her friends almost as much as her own. Almost. Though she has never considered herself very bookish, Calla can read and write and tends to do both quite frequently. She has a diary that she writes in religiously, and thanks to her grandfather, has a healthy love of reading too. As far as math and history go, she is fairly uninformed.
Calla has a sarcastic sense of humor, but is often annoyed by people who are too negative. She prides herself on being respected by others and having complete control of her emotions – except anger. She doesn't really consider that a bad thing though. The girl tries to never cry in front of people, or to lose control. It makes her have these charming emotional walls, but more than anything, of course, she just wants someone to love her unconditionally – to have the kind of epic love that her parents had.
The rest of her personality will surely emerge in time.
Positive Trait List Perceptive, Steadfast, Loyal Negative Trait List Guarded, Judgmental, Foolhardy
History: Calla's parents met when they were four years old. Both children lived in Bitra Hold and grew up playing together. It was a fairy tale romance of sorts – best friends who did everything together until, one day, they fell madly in love. Her mother, Olira, was a doting girl and knew, more than anything, that she was destined to be a loving wife. Calla's father, Linden, on the other hand, wanted only one thing: greatness. He dreamed of being a dragonrider of legend. Even though the threat of Threadfall had long passed, Linden longed to form a bond with a dragon that no other connection could rival. It was a bit of a chronic argument for the couple; Olira loved Linden more than anything else in the world, and yet, Linden divided his love between Olira and the idea of Impressing a dragon. Olira and Linden wed when they were only seventeen years old, and together, they moved to Igen Weyr – Linden, as a candidate, and Olira, as an apprentice to the Weyrsinger. After a turn of failing to Impress a dragon, Linden decided to relocate the couple yet again. This time, they moved to High Reaches Weyr. Linden hoped that the booming population might keep his young bride happy and that, somehow, this new Weyr might bring him the dragon he had always wanted. Besides, they seemed to be the only ones sensible enough to keep training for the looming threat! Olira only continued to worry. What if Linden Impressed a bronze? Or an impressive brown? What if his dragon mated with – she couldn't bear the thought.
Time slowly passed, and at this new Weyr, Olira began to gain much praise as a skilled harper. Her voice was low and mournful, but it soothed the Weyr. It didn't take long before more people were familiar with Olira than the no-name candidate she was married to. Linden only grew more obsessed with the idea of Impressing a dragon. Every day, he would lament why he hadn't tried to become a candidate sooner; he had been so sure it would only take one Hatching for a dragon to choose him. Many other candidates his age had already relented in the attempt and had instead moved to Crafthalls and Holds. And why not? Dragonriders were not as essential as they once were, and fewer and fewer Candidates were going to the Sands each time. Olira tried to cheer her husband any way that she could. When they learned that they were pregnant, she thought it would bring Linden happiness – and it did. For a time. Calla was born to the couple when they were only nineteen years old. Olira had never felt more complete, and for a time, things were perfect. Linden even began to speak of becoming an apprentice with a tanner that Olira's father knew, of giving up on his dream of becoming a dragonrider. Then, just as things started to turn toward a future, it all changed. At the next Hatching, the last that Linden swore he would ever attend, an egg responded to the touch of Linden's hand. It stirred, it hummed, and it claimed him – a bronze dragon, a beautiful bronze dragon named Dazuth.
Linden became L'den. As his relationship with Dazuth strengthened, L'den distanced himself from his wife, though he still fought to make time for Calla. Dazuth, especially, had a soft spot for the toddler and would often ask L'den to bring Calla to visit. Calla's mother struggled to adjust to the new presence in the family, but L'den had never been happier. As weyrling training began, he became even more obsessed with Dazuth and with perfecting all the skills of dragonriding. He was headstrong and thought that his skill was innate. Halfway into training, L'den let his confidence get the better of him. He made a mistake. One day, he traveled between – and he never came out the other side. Calla has no idea how they realized that he had died in this way, that he had tried to bring Dazuth out in a place where such an act was impossible to do while surviving – in a wall, perhaps? Within a mountain? Either way, L'den and Dazuth died that day.
To say that Olira was crushed would be an understatement. Her husband had been killed by his love of dragons -- and for what? Dragons were outdated. They weren't needed to protect society anymore. Her husband had died in foolish pursuit of nostalgia. Olira fled the Weyr immediately and moved into High Reaches Hold. She continued to work as a harper to support Calla, and as each turn passed, her hatred for dragons grew stronger and stronger. They were the cause of her husband's death, in her mind. Their allure had taken away the man she had loved since childhood. At the news of his son-in-law's death, Olira's father moved to High Reaches Hold to help his daughter. It was in this family situation that Calla was raised. Calla had a relatively happy childhood. Her family had enough money to keep her comfortable – to buy her books and treats and new clothes, even if they weren't the finest. Her mother continued to sing and tried to teach her daughter the craft. Her grandfather, on the other hand, regaled Calla with stories of Pern from ages ago and, more importantly, stories of her father.
When Calla was eleven turns old, she told her mother she wanted to be a dragonrider. Olira slapped her – the only time she had ever struck her child – and walked away. Two turns later, Calla tried again. This time, her mother simply cried for days, forbidding it. The next time Calla asked, when she was fourteen, Olira responded with anger. She struck Calla until the girl was backed into a corner, crying and demanding to know why she couldn't even try. Calla knew that her father had died after becoming a dragonrider – but she was headstrong like her father and believed that she would not suffer the same fate. Deprived of her father for her waking life, Calla was drawn inexplicably to walk in his footsteps. She felt awe for dragons that she was certain her father had felt. In those moments, those briefs moments when she could watch the dragons flying in wide arcs in the sky, she had felt her father's presence, felt him moving in her bones. The girl was convinced that Impressing her own dragon would only bring them closer. The girl's desire for a dragon forced a wedge between Calla and Olira. Olira no longer sang to her daughter, no longer bought her books. She grew despondent and listless.
Then, Threadfall. It was terrifying the first time it happened, but High Reaches Hold was fortunate to be protected by their Weyr, a Weyr that had never stopped training, that was prepared. If Calla had not been certain of what she wanted before, she was now. She had seen her friends, her family, herself saved by their brave efforts.
Not long after, Calla's grandfather stepped in. He told Calla that she should go to High Reaches Weyr and tell her mother that she was going to train to be a harper with an old family friend there, just as Olira herself had once trained. It seemed insane, but with her grandfather's help, Calla was able to convince her mother to let her move. There were so many risks -- Olira still knew countless people at the Weyr. People could remember her father, the cautionary tale. Calla and her grandfather banked on her mother's anti-social habits and self-imposed distancing from all things dragon, even with Thread back and falling, to keep the lie protected.
So, two weeks after her sixteenth birthday, Calla arrived at High Reaches Weyr – and immediately sought to become a Candidate. Caught between her desire to follow in her father's footsteps as a dragonrider and keep her mother's love, Calla is at a precipice of adulthood. She is unsure of what the future might hold, but for now, she feels that she is in the right place.
Other: Calla is a decently skilled harper, as trained by her mother since childhood. She doesn't sing in public often though. It isn't that she doesn't enjoy singing; she just wants to be taken seriously as a tough girl – and a dragonrider. In her mind, she cannot embrace the harper in her without somehow giving up on her dream of being a dragonrider like her father was. She also is a very good cook, also thanks to her mother. None of these things seem important to her though, not nearly as important as becoming a dragonrider.
Ryah,Searchrider & Blue Kairinth Current Status: Trying to remind everyone how helpful and valuable she is on a daily basis, low-key waiting for someone to bring the romance, volunteering in the kitchens for fun, Searchriding for the double clutch, fighting Thread like a boss, trying to convince Kairinth to be more serious (and failing) Dragon Status: Being way too casual still, always, forever
Relationships: Arcadin (Candidate) -- Casual Friend -- met while herb picking and maintain a sort of mutual professional relationship where Ryah is more open
Name: Ryah
Age: 29 (Impressed at 26)
Sex: Female
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
Weyr: High Reaches Weyr
Rider Rank: Searchrider
Previous Rank/Craft: Journeywoman Cook
Physical Description: Born in the mountains and raised in kitchens, Ryah's naturally fair skin has retained its paleness, even as she expanded her horizons as a dragonrider. She has a small, angular face and petite figure, but there is a hardness about her – a flash of a glare in her eyes, a subtly defensive quirk in her body language. At a distance, she may seem the picture of a waifish courtesan. Get closer, and she is a tightly coiled package of lean muscle and purposeful gait. Like the rest of her family, her eyes are light blue, but hers seem to take on an even icier hue beneath the fringe of black hair. Her hair is worn plaited, typically in twobraidsframing either side of her face to keep it pulled back, the rest hanging loose down to just below her shoulderblades. She tends to wear a drapey tunic cinched by a small vest, a little more feminine than practical, over riding pants and thick-soled boots. (When Thread is falling, of course, she adopts a much simpler appearance.) It is as if she feels determined to radiate femininity while atop her unconventional pairing with her beloved blue.
Personality: At her most basic, Ryah is a caring, maternal figure who has spent her life waiting for someone to do the exact same for her. She knows she can take care of herself. She knows that she can weather the most demanding of challenges. She can stand up for herself, soothe herself, inspire herself. But she doesn't want to – she wants the music to swell, the room to part, and the person of her dreams to turn and finally see her, really see her, and tell her how great she is and how stupid they are for not realizing it sooner.
And that isn't just romantic; it applies to all aspects of her life. Ryah spends her time trying to make life easier and happier for those around her, both professionally and personally. She is a devoted Searchrider, a supportive teammate, the kind of person who will pitch in and help in any and all situations. You may even find her in the kitchens one morning pitching in because she has spotted two of the normal cooks are too sick to work. She does these things because she loves the feeling of being necessary and helpful – but for the love of Faranth, she wants you to notice and appreciate it. It is not uncommon for Ryah to take on unpleasant, difficult, or demanding tasks, or to work overtime.
Part of it is because she is confident in her ability to succeed at things she puts her mind to and enjoys accomplishing goals that further the cause of her team, but the more pervasive reason is that she wants to fly a giant banner proclaiming how self-sacrificial she is. She is hungry for words of praise from her fellow wingriders, her Wingleader, that guy who she helped carry armfuls of root vegetables that one time, or... anyone. Validation drives her, though she would never admit it openly (though doing so would make her life much easier), but she sure will make passive aggressive comments if she feels she is being looked over or ignored. Laziness drives her insane, as do those who love to take advantage of others (even if she regularly allows herself to be taken advantage of). And if you do compliment her? “Oh, no, it was nothing really. You are so sweet – no thanks needed! Happy to help!” This is a lie. Thanks is needed. A lot of thanks.
The flip side to this is that Ryah tends to be very attentive to the emotions and needs of others around her for genuine reasons of caring, love and support. She can be an incredible friend. She has remembered your name day, your siblings' names, and your favorite place to visit. Oh, and look! She even baked your favorite bread today, just because she thought you were looking down. Just don't forget that she wants you to turn around and do the same for her. And if you don't? Expect some side comments and, if you are close enough, an eventual eruption of emotion of a Turn's worth of perceived sleights and hurt feelings. Unfortunately, her life experience has often been wanting in this regard, making her bitter and skeptical of the goodness of man.
Positive Trait List Maternal, Helpful, Empathetic, Stalwart Negative Trait List Bitter, Martyr-ish, Passive Aggressive, Validation-Seeking
History: Born at High Reaches Hold in a family of 8 children, Ryah falls sixth – the youngest living girl (the seventh child died as an toddler), older than just one of the siblings, the only boy, Lorrox. Her parents are bakers. Her sisters are bakers. And Ryah? Also a baker. The only sibling who broke that familial line was fussy little Lorrox, a tiny whelp greedy for attention as a child and hungry to be different from the rest of them. He was already the only boy – was that not enough? And then there was Ryah – a youngest too, at some point. Yet she did not act like him, did not feel so self-righteously entitled to things. In this world, no one is special.
When her younger sister died, Ryah swore to protect her little baby brother, to make sure he was safe and protected. And he was! But what did the family get in return? Scorn. Problems. Whining. Sure, the family had never been wealthy, had wanted often for things, but they had stayed together, as a unit. Was that not something to be proud of? Apparently not for her brother.
There was little love lost when he left the home at 10 Turns of age. Without him, things were... easier. As much as her more doting sisters complained of missing the little firecracker of a boy, Ryah could not relate. And apparently neither could Lorrox. He barely wrote them; he never visited. They were lucky to receive a letter every Turn, regardless of how many they sent his way. More likely they would receive a letter from whatever unfortunate soul was now responsible for him, usually complaining of things he had broken, people he had fought, or informing them that he was being moved, yet again, to a new place.
Ryah kept her head down and focused on her craft, eventually branching more into cookingcraft as a whole instead of limiting herself to the breads and sweets her family had made historically. When her older sisters began to get married and pregnant, there were even more mouths to feed, even more crying, even more people. It was not an easy decision, but Ryah made the difficult decision to move out. Of course, she wouldn't go far. High Reaches Weyr was in reasonably close proximity – close enough for her to still communicate often with her family, even to go home for visits. It helped that her family knew other families and their kin that worked in the kitchens there – and, perhaps, that she was a young, unmarried woman of childbearing age to help populate the Weyr so heavy with female dragonriders. So at 26, a cookingcraft journeywoman, Ryah joined the staff at the Weyr instead. Of course, her brother was now likewise at a second Weyr – Western – and had stopped long enough to write a letter. No doubt simply because he hoped that the new knowledge that he was a Candidate might usher in some kind of approval from his sisters and parents.
His timing could not have been more... typical.
The same month – Faranth help her, maybe it was the same Sevenday – that Lorrox was Searched to begin his life as a Candidate at Western, Ryah had undergone her own major life event. At High Reaches, the Sands were hot and laden with eggs. In her life, the Holdborn girl had never seen a Hatching, and with the preparations for the feast well underway, she snuck out with a kitchen weyrbrat to watch from the Stands.
It was the first time she had been to a Hatching, her time at the Weyr having barely begun, and it was there that a boisterous little blue had ambled out of its shell, hissed threateningly at the semi-circle of Candidates, snapping its jaws for effect, and instead trudged clumsily through the crowd, stumbling over rows of seats to plop down in front of Ryah, dropping his still-wet head into her lap unceremoniously and asking when it would be time to eat.
Like a dutiful daughter, Ryah immediately sent word to her family who were beyond proud and delighted to have a dragonrider in the family once more! But the new rider had one stipulation: no one may tell Lorrox, not a word, unless he specifically asked how she was or what she up to.
That was over three Turns ago.
Now, Ryah has a fulfilling life as a dragonrider at High Reaches. She found out quickly that she had a passion for Searches, for discovering and nurturing the capability lying dormant within others, and that her beloved baby blue was especially attuned to sniffing out quality Candidates. They have a very high Search-to-Impress ratio (and Ryah is definitely keeping track) despite their relative inexperience and are often allowed to Search in more remote areas that are not as high of a priority.
Other: She is the older sister to Lorrox, Candidate at Western.
DRAGON
Name: Kairinth
Age: 3
Color: Blue
Size: 35” – on the big end, but certainly a gentle giant.
Physical Description: Kai's dark blue wings are offset by a blackened wing knuckle, as if burned. A dappled effect spans the length of him, cloud-like splatters that his rider finds charming. The dream-like exterior is certainly echoed by the interior. His ridges are darker too, hinting at the edge in him that can rise, but his overall appearance is still affable, approachable, and much more complex upon closer look.
Personality: Kairinth is a dragon who is almost annoyingly casual. In the middle of fighting Thread, he may strike up a conversation about an interesting beast he spotted in the mountains a few days ago he had been meaning to tell his rider about. At times, Ryah may even try to pick fights with her dragon, just to lash out over other frustrations in her life, and the greatest response she may get would be him gently laying a clawed hand on her until she stopped flailing and gave up. Getting him to care or leave his chilled out baseline? Nearly impossible, with a few specific exceptions. If someone is causing trouble, upsetting, or threatening Ryah, his calm, casual demeanor will slip suddenly, and he will return back to the hissing/snapping little hatchling that he was that day on the Sands when others were standing between him and Mine. (Or, if he is very, very hungry.) Mission one of his life is to protect Ryah. The rest of the time? Let's all just calm down and have a nap.
That does not mean the blue is without passion or exuberance. He has many! Knowing things, for one. Exploring, especially places where he shouldn't. And of course, food. All food. Even food that isn't useful for a dragon to eat. It is perhaps not surprising that he Impressed to a Candidate with a history in kitchens, mature in her years, and an unconventional gender. But does Kairinth care? Nope. But let him tell you about a strange thing he saw two Candidates doing the other day.
When it comes to relationships with other dragons, Kairinth often finds himself as a mediator, or a port in the storm. He is tolerant and affable. It would be odd but not shocking to find a cluster of weyrbrats clamoring over him as he lounged, tail lolling calmly despite their grabby hands and indefatigable childish glee. Though he may seem indifferent to rising at times, he tends to do so for most flights, without fail. Perhaps it is because he senses the loneliness in his rider and hopes that a little passion may help her relax. If he loses, he does not mope, but instead goes about his day, maybe hunting a few extra herdbeasts for good measure.
Ryah's care-taking nature attracted him instantly. He admired her devotion and the goodness of her heart. He knew that she would be an attentive and supportive partner, and he could feel how much she needed someone like him in her life. The pleasant blue dragon has made it his mission to help Ryah take a breath, smell the flowers, and try to appreciate all the wonderful things of this world. And she at times views him as her errant son who needs to focus and get serious if he is to realize his full potential.
As a dragon on Search, Kairinth can be painfully nonchalant, but he never fails to get the job done. Ryah may spend an entire day exploring a nomadic village, Kairinth smelling all the new smells, flicking children up into the air on his tail, rolling in the sand, and just when his rider is ready to announce the Search a failure and leave, he will perk up and casually point out two young people who he met the moment they arrived... and just chose not to point out as worthy Candidates until then.
Dragon Art or Proof of Obtainment:
Note for Akina: Need to figure out appropriate clutch, time-wise –
3570.10.02 Eveleth x Thistreth 22 Eggs 0 gold / 1 bronze / 4 browns / 6 blues / 11 greens Lilum & brown Syruth :: High Reaches Weyr :: smolderingskies Sorcha & blue Bazoth :: High Reaches Weyr :: smolderingskies ??? & blue ??? :: ??? :: Deceased Cheza & green Zurath :: High Reaches Weyr :: NPC
3571.02.15 Caracath x Worenth 20 Eggs 0 gold / 1 bronze / 2 brown / 7 blues / 10 greens Aniela of brown Xaphrith :: High Reaches Weyr :: -_Wish of Tevarae_- ??? & blue ??? :: ??? :: Deceased Kahina & Green Ysalth :: Zanoma Camp :: ShinosBee ??? & green ??? :: ??? :: Deceased ??? & green ??? :: ??? :: Deceased
3571.06.01 Fianth x Ruvath 21 Eggs 0 gold / 2 bronze / 3 browns / 7 blues / 9 greens S'rse & bronze Soltoth :: High Reaches Weyr :: DruidTigeress ??? & brown ???? :: ??? :: Deceased Sam’kel & blue Kinitarth :: High Reaches Weyr :: Prism Shine ??? & blue ??? :: ??? :: Deceased G'lin & green Neiveth :: High Reaches Weyr :: demon_pachabel Kyte & green Rath :: High Reaches Weyr :: DarkHikari Seikih and Green Kath :: High Reaches Weyr :: -_Wish of Tevarae_-
RP Log: Close Proximity Work Associates (Ryah & Arcadin) in which Ryah vents about her lame brother and inquires about how the Touching went Make It Quick, Please. (Ryah & Niika) in which Ryah makes a bet on more new ladyriders joining the Weyr
Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 6:25 pm
High Reaches Hold
Josseli,Journeywoman Tannercraft & Owner of Jacobi Furs & Skins Current Status: Work. Always work. What else is there? If you are interested in a fine garment, please come visit her shop.
Name: Josseli
Age: 28
Sex: Female
Sexual Orientation: She was married to a man once before, but does not otherwise seem to date and resists the majority of advances, assuming they are after her wealth.
Craft: Tannercraft (specialization in furs), weavercraft
As tannercraft is considered more of a holdcraft than something requiring intense crafthall-specific training, it was always important for Josseli (and her father, before he passed) to distinguish their wares from the rest of the choices. The family became quickly known for taking a sort of farm-to-table approach to their work. Josseli is involved from the selection of which beasts to cull, to the treatment of the leather, to the construction of the soft fur-lined cloth or leather, to the addition of accent pieces like gemstones, metal fasteners, or glass beading. Of course, she is not the one creating the textile, or carving the gemstone, or raising the beast, but her discerning eye selects these elements and it is her own hands that combine them all into extravagant garments. No doubt the extravagance is looked down on by many, and yet, Josseli's store remains flush with business. What she creates is expensive and time-consuming, and she will not barter. It costs what it costs.
Rank: Journeywoman (Tanner), Apprentice (Tailor)
Location:High Reaches Hold, with her storefront located in a standalone row of connected stone buildings that backs into the stableyard and faces the courtyard, within the protective outer walls but jutting off the mountain face of the Hold proper. She sells from the front of the house, does the messier parts of her work in a second backroom facing the stables, and then lives on the second floor above it. It has been in her family for many generations.
Physical Description: Josseli is a sturdy woman standing at 5’10” with dark brown hair and blue-green eyes that appear teal. She maintains a feminine shape, cut in the waves of an hourglass -- though she is a little more square in the hips, a little thicker with muscle around her waist. Her arms are not waifish things, nor her thighs. It is clear that Josseli has done labor in her life, physical labor, and it would be a fool that mistook her for weak.
Her eyes are shrewd, piercing, and heavy-lidded but rimmed with dark circles. Her nose is gently curved, bottom lip pouts out past her top, cheekbones as high as a royal's with a rounded chin. Her complexion is olive-toned and even. Her hair is almost always worn in a messy braid or messy bun, anything that keeps it out of her face. She is not strikingly beautiful and yet not plain. She is, more or less, of very slightly above average attractiveness. Despite her status, there is something regal about the way that Josseli carries herself that can make her memorable regardless. She carries herself like a Lady, even on her way to scrape flesh from the latest shipment of skins.
Her most unique feature is a white spider-webbing burn scar that covers her left hand and forearm, sprinkling up to her shoulder and crawling across the top of her left breast. As a child, she was following her father too closely as he worked on removing some fur from a skin and knocked over a boiling hot bucket of water. She nearly died from shock, but was able to recover through the use of salves that cost her father a good chunk of his valuables and goods. Even so, she considers the scar a glowing tribute to her strength and survivalism, even if she is insecure to have others see it.
Josseli does not wear makeup, but she does wear clothes that someone who might care about makeup would wear. Her skirts are long and gathered, often accented by hanging furs and crystals to draw the eye. Tufts of silken furs pop out from sleeves and collars. She is always in a corset with a matching high-neck jacket. Everyday, she treats her body like a billboard for her shop -- if Josseli is not wearing fur, then the world has ended. As gorgeous as some of her clothes might be, Josseli still wears sensible black work boots, scuffed and dirty from Turns of hard work.
She owns a few treasured belongings. Namely a golden hair comb that belonged to her mother, her father's furrier tools, a pair of fur gloves she made 100% by herself at age 8, and a jeweled clasp that she was awarded for her first high-quality garment.
Personality: Josseli is a woman who comes from hearty stock. There is little that she admits to fearing, though sometimes when gazing out at the horizon before Threadfall she might be seen looking concerned. Life, to Josseli, is about hard, honest work with little room for frivolity of personality or other such nonsense. (It is perhaps then, ironic, that she is known for creating beautiful, frivolously decorated clothing. But she would argue this is simply a good business plan.) She inherited this attitude from her father, now passed, who raised her by himself after her mother died in childbirth and her two older brothers passed from sickness during childhood. Despite her hard exterior, Josseli is not a woman without joy or mercy. She will be there to offer a hand when some luckless sonofabitch needs it, but the first to kick him in the a** when he welches on that kindness. Honesty, hardwork, grit -- these are the things that matter to Josseli.
Josseli is happy to be alone, which can make people feel distant from her, and her constant focus on work has led some to describe her as joyless or without spirit. However, Josseli enjoys attending community events, smalltalk, and listening to stories by the fire or seeing others dance. She is simply a creature who feels most at home in the quiet company of a few close friends, or in the quiet companionship of her watch-wher in her small home on the second floor of her shop.
When it comes to her major downfalls, Josseli is a creature of habit and can be incredibly rigid. She is wary of things that are unfamiliar, and it makes her a bit close-minded to new experiences. She would rather things stay the same, even if the same is just plain old mediocre, rather than take a risk that could result in something better. It makes her very grounded, but also very unimaginative and boring.
In her wildest dreams, Josseli only wants a comfortable life where her work is appreciated, her stomach is always full of delicious things, and her life is free of confusion. She fears the unknown; it is dangerous. However, Josseli is not a pretentious person, not at all. If you come into her store with goods to meet her prices, she will deal with anyone from a petty thief to the Lord Holder. This helps offset some of the coldness that she radiates in social situations, though it would be strange for anyone to describe her as warm or friendly.
Physically, Josseli is quite strong. She is not a hunter and has never hunted, but she works every single day with the iron implements needed to butcher, skin, tan, treat, and craft furs. In a fight, these are the skills Josseli would rely on, but she is not one to fight. There is no battle-training in her past, no real agility, no strategical savvy. Her strengths are in her hands and how she can use them to create beautiful, structurally sound fur and garments.
Josseli is better than most people at avoiding deception -- she cannot read minds but she is incredibly good at sniffing out the intentions of people. This is not flawless, of course, and she is bad at admitting when she is wrong and accepting change.
Positive Trait List Shrewd, Strong, Grounded/Rational, Non-judgmental Negative Trait List Loner, Perfectionist, Rigid, Aloof
History: Josseli was born to Jacobi, a tanner, and Annali, a weaver, in the dead of winter at High Reaches Hold. A thick snow had fallen the night before, and going outside was treacherous. Jacobi battled through the freezing cold to the midwife's house, but the trip took three times as long as it should have.
By the time Jacobi and the midwife arrived at the home, Annali had delivered the baby alone. Tiny Josseli gurgled and wailed from the blood-stained bedsheets. The cord was cut, and the midwife quickly wiped and warmed the baby. Jacobi ran to his wife's side. She had lost blood, too much of it, and within moments, before she was able to hold her daughter, she passed away. Her father never remarried.
Josseli was raised by her father with her older brother. There had been another boy, Alanir, in the family, but he died from sickness when he was just two Turns old -- Turns before Josseli herself was born. Unfortunately, death was not done with the Jacobis. When her living brother, Tyrek, was 5-Turns-old, he succumbed to frostbite and died.
From the age of three onward, Josseli was an only child raised by her single father.
Most people in the town assumed that Jacobi would remarry -- and certainly, many women made it a point to parade before him as potential options. And why not? He was a successful business owner with rumored, distant ties to nobility and food on the table each night. What he lacked in dashing looks he made up for in the essential ability to be a provider.
However, grief had set heavily into the simple man, and the few women who he did entertain a relationship were roundly despised by Josseli. Though Jacobi did court a few reputable young ladies for a time, he quickly tired of the dance of it and the disdain of the little girl who he loved so much. By the time Josseli was 7, her father was dedicating most of his time with women whose time was billed by the candlemark.
Josseli, for her part, grew up faster, faster even than most children her age. She was making dinner each night the moment she was old enough to reach the edge of the cauldron. She was bartering for vegetables in the market as soon as her chubby little legs could carry her there. Her independence was so great that it was the prime thing that she and her father came to blows over. There were many nights that he would lock her in the upstairs bedroom, for fear that she would run to the edge of town to try and catch the hunters on their way back in the hopes of purchasing furs.
Though Josseli had unofficially been apprenticing with her father for Turns -- mending small holes, cleaning furs, tidying the shop -- her official work began when she was 8. Teaching her to read was the first order of business, and her father just happened to know a freelance, so to speak, courtesan, Janina, with the ability to read and write. Janina worked with Josseli in the evenings while her father finished up work, and then Jacobi would tuck her into bed to spend his own time with Janina. It was anything but a typical upbringing.
Janina was the only female friend of her father's that Josseli did not outright despise. This probably had a great deal to do with the woman's usefulness. She tutored Josseli as much as she could, and by the time the girl was 12, she could read and write as well as most adult furriers and traders. "See, my girl," her father had said. "Now you can keep your own books -- this is the best advice I could ever give you." In present day, Josseli still has a soft spot for courtesans and is more likely to offer them assistance than others of a similar class.
Working with her father brought the two only closer. By the time she was 16, Josseli was able to open and close the store on her own and fill all the orders -- not that her father ever let her do it. They worked side by side for Turns until the pressure for Josseli to marry became too great.
When Josseli was 20, she married a man her father believed would be a good match: Henwryn. It was a quiet, simple wedding. Henwryn was a hunter and a friend of the family, and Josseli had just completed her official apprenticeship under her father as a furrier. The marriage would benefit both parties financially, and Josseli’s father hoped it would quickly bring him the grandchildren he wanted and that the community needed.
Unfortunately, Josseli was never a very intimate person nor someone who dreamed of romance, and the marriage was strained from the start. When her father got sick just after Josseli and Henwryn’s first wedding anniversary, she used the excuse to move back home for a time. Three weeks after moving back home, Henwryn went out on a hunt and was never seen again. Only his bloodied satchel was found. At 21 Turns of age, Josseli became a widow.
For the next three Turns, Josseli took over Jacobi Furs & Skins during the day and her father during the night. At times, she got so desperate for her father to recover that she considered trying to seek more extreme healing of rare plants from the Southern continents hawked by traveling traders. Despite it all, Josseli could not bring herself to tempt fate in such a blatant way. One night when Josseli returned home from work, she found that her father had passed.
Grief filled her until she was overflowing. Townspeople whispered woes for her – first a mother, then her brothers, next a husband, now a father. What was a woman to do? Was she cursed? Josseli had an answer: work. In the Turn after her father's death, Josseli turned out more product and accrued more wealth than she had in her previous 24 Turns of life. She sold the home that she had shared with her father and instead turned the second floor of Jacobi Furs & Skins into her own living space, expanding into the next building beside it. She entertained foreign guests and began opening supply lines of rarer gems and materials to make her product even more unique. Her life that had once be filled with family was now filled with work. New friendships cropped up -- other crafters, many hunters and traders. Josseli began to establish herself as a name in High Reaches Hold, a name with as much repute as her father's. He never made master, and she was just a journeywoman, but there was something undeniably special and unique about the product she churned out in the unforgiving mountains of High Reaches.
Being a widow saved Josseli from some of the fixation that an unmarried, childless women may have experienced, but now that she is 28 and has still not found another mate to bear children, people have begun to whisper again. Gossip has never mattered to the sensible girl, but the idea of disappointing her father, even though he has passed away, is a constant source of stress, one that she is only able to alleviate by drowning herself in her work.
Currently, she lives with her watch-wher and spends her days working and her nights at the Great Hall listening to the grand stories of others.
Other: Josseli has a watch-wher who lives in a stable outside her shop near the livestock pens and has access to her more expansive skinning room. Sometimes the wher tries to come all the way into the shop, to disastrous results. But this watch-wher is the reason Josseli's shop has never been successfully robbed.
***Uta cleared that watch-whers can be transferred from previous shops, just not with art since the templates don't exist yet. My wher was originally white, but its color may change pending a discussion/decision between Uta/Cherie. Just tacking it on her as an FYI that she has one, but I won't play the wher until a decision is made.
RP Log: Jacobi Furs & SkinsJosseli & ALL(in which Josseli runs her shop to serve the various clientele who walk through the door)
Akina Tokuwa
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Akina Tokuwa
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 6:26 pm
Western Weyr
Lu'reni of Green Lazulith,Wingrider Current Status: Loving Western, forever in awe of their greenrider Weyrwoman, seeking friends and trying to Do Her Best to protect Pern, even if the riding pair are not the most impressive Other: Assigned to Flames Fury Wing
RIDER
Name: Lu’reni (formerly Luyainreni) – often mistakenly pronounced as “Loony” by those who disagree with her position as a female dragonrider. She was met with a bit of resistance when she chose to honorize it at her former Weyr.
Age: 27
Sex: Female
Sexual Orientation: Prefers men, but tends to end up quite attracted to the rider of whoever catches Lazulith in flight – and for a much longer period of time then she would like to admit.
Weyr: Western Weyr
Rider Rank: Wingrider
Previous Rank/Craft: Apprentice Beastcrafter, ages ago. Kept up with it to make some money before Thread returned when she was still at Igen, but never really had her heart in it.
Physical Description: Lu’reni stands at about (in non-Pern measurements) five feet, four inches and has a lean, gently curved frame. Her hair is a honey blond color, long, and thick. To control it, she typically keeps it in a long braid over one shoulder, tied off with a length of leathery skin. The young woman has wide oval eyes that are nearly the exact shade of purply-blue of her dragon – big, oval eyes that tend to give the impression that she is always in some state of amazement over the things she is examining. Her face is heart-shaped, and her nose aquiline, a smattering of pale freckles naturally covering the space below her eyes but is tanned.
Personality: Lu’reni views herself as Lazulith’s keeper – the person whose purpose it is to keep the dragon well both in body and mind. (This is ironic, of course, because Lazulith feels the same way about Lu'reni.) Lu believes that, if Lazulith could only be a bit more decisive, she could be the Greatest Dragon Ever! Unfortunately, together, the dragon and rider only seem to distract each other even more. It is not uncommon for Lu’reni and Lazulith to be interacting with another dragon and rider, and suddenly, without warning, just slip into a conversation only between the two of them, completely forgetting about the others. Lu’reni always scolds herself for this afterward, but Lazulith tends to forget it even happened at all.
Utterly idealistic and optimistic, the young rider is the single greatest cheerleader a dragon could ask for, and quite regularly, Lu’reni will talk to Lazulith about all the things that they could do to improve themselves – and to prove themselves as an amazing dragon/rider team to the rest of the Weyr! Lazulith’s indecision and comfort in believing herself to be totally average is bothersome to Lu’reni. She is constantly searching for ways to make Pern, Igen, and now Western better, happier places and to boost Lazulith’s self-esteem. Sunshine almost radiates out of her ears. However, this makes Lu’reni a bit overly excited, and at times, she gets so carried away with Doing Good that she neglects her duties. Lu’reni never does these things out of rebellion. She is, to a fault, incredibly good-natured, just like her dragon, but Lu’reni is much more temperamental and opinionated than Lazulith. When incited to anger, Lu will often collapse in a heap of tears out of frustration.
At the same time, Lu’reni firmly believes that 99% of Pern would be happier if they only had someone to talk to, and in her life, Lu’reni has decided that she could be just that person! She listens to the indecisive rambling of her dragon with the same comforting smiles that she gives to all those who seek a shoulder to cry on, a person to talk to, just someone who cares. This kind of total kindness might lead people to believe that Lu’reni is a pushover or, perhaps, a bit of a dimglow – but these things are quite far from the truth. Lu’reni is an incredibly passionate person; she is just passionate about happiness. Should a person act in cruelty or with bad intent, Lu’reni would be the first person to call them out on it and to demand that they fix whatever it is that they have done. She believes in fundamental truths and the good of the team, and if you try to disturb that harmony – Faranth help her – she will be all up on you in a bad way.
Now, do not think that Lu’reni does not get sad; she does. She just doesn’t see the point in fretting over her sadness. What good will that do? Her dragon feels her sadness stronger than anyone else, and it is one of the only things that will force Lazulith to take a direct stance and let her own anger out. They might be an ineffective team, but they love each other for each and every fault that they might have. At times, they squabble over Laz’s inability to make decisions, or over Lu’s uncertainty over close connections. Laz does not often rise (mostly because she can never really decide if she wants to or not), but when she does, Lu’reni gets very uncomfortable. Lu’reni is a bit of an awkward girl, and the throes of passion that rush through her body each time this happens are extremely confusing for her. What’s worse, she tends to fall just a little bit in love with the rider of any dragon that flies Lazulith. Lu’reni has never had a partner choose to be with her – without the passion of a flight – and this is a point of insecurity for the girl. For all of the love and compassion that she has for people, Lu’reni never seems to make strong, lasting connections with anyone – other than Laz, that is. As a child, she was a happy loner, and as an adult, that mentality has stuck with her.
Moving to Western Weyr has made Lu'reni much happier. Being a female greenrider is commonplace there, and she feels safe from all scorn based on her gender. The small size of the Weyr is also a comfort to Lu; she absolutely loves recognizing each and every face. And who knew – Lu'reni is totally a beachy kind of girl. How did she ever survive for so long in the desert!
Positive Trait List Optimistic, Empathetic, Supportive Negative Trait List Sensitive, Anxious, Insecure
History: Lu’reni was born to a bluerider father and a beastcrafter mother at Igen Weyr. All her life, Lu’reni expected to be a beastcrafter like her mother. She would spend her days doing chores there, caring for the runnerbeasts and learning about every kind of animal that her mother knew of in Pern. (For example, she feels that wherries are grossly under-appreciated!) Sure, she has loved and admired dragons all her life, but she never thought that, as a woman, she would be a rider at Igen. It just was not common. So when Lu’reni was invited to the Sands, her family was a bit stunned. Her father loved her dearly and encouraged her to stand, but truth be told, he never thought she would actually Impress. It would be great if she was a goldrider, but their family wasn’t really the type, he thought. Like many at Igen, her father thought of females only as goldriders. Her mother was equally shocked, but continued to train her daughter as if she would be walking the tables eventually, not taking to the skies on a dragon. With the Thread gone, becoming a dragonrider seemed a bit unnecessary. Why rock the boat when it wasn't necessary? It was not that her family did not have faith in her. No, Lu’reni grew up in a very loving household. It was just that her parents, like many Igen people, did not feel that women were destined to be riders like men were.
So it was even more shocking when Lu’reni did in fact Impress at her very first Hatching ever – and only when she was barely 14 turns old. Lazulith was the very, very last dragon to emerge from its shell that day; it was as if she could not make up her mind about being hatched. In fact, after the shell cracked, she only poked her snout out at then pulled it back in, over and over. Lu’reni took a single step toward the shell – and in that moment, Lazulith chose her. No one would challenge a dragon’s choice, but murmurs filled the cavern the instant their link snapped into place. Life at Igen was not picture perfect for Lu'reni. A dragonriding woman was perceived as even more useless with the threat of Threadfall abolished from Pern. Lu'reni tried to make the best of it and stick it out, but one night, a particular opinionated group of males beat her. It was a crushing blow to her typically happy life. When her father passed away a short time later, the young rider felt as if her life had stalled, and her relationship with her mother had only grown more strained. Without the Thread to fight, Lu'reni felt pressured by her mother to learn a craft on the side – specifically, beastcraft. But Lu didn't want to learn beastcraft. She just wanted to coexist in happiness with her dragon. How wonderful to live a life without the threat of Threadfall! So, as much as it pained her to leave her mother behind, Lu'reni transferred to Western Weyr – both to gain some peace of mind and to experience life in a Weyr that accepted people for who they were. She'd lived in the deserts of Igen all her life; a little time spent on the beach might do her some good.
With thirteen turns of riding under her belt (the last three spent at Western, arriving not long before Thread returned), Lu’reni does not quite get the respect that she might deserve, and a good bit of this is her own fault. Lu’reni and Lazulith are a reliable team most of the time, but Lazulith absolutely crumbles without an order to follow. Lu has gotten much better about keeping Laz confident and focused in training, but recently, Lu’reni has begun to try to grow up a bit and to channel her dragon’s love into more self-developing avenues – namely, more confidence. Lucky for them, dragon wings aren't under as much scrutiny anymore. With no Thread to worry about, it has become a less strict training process, which is just fine with Lu and Laz. Truth be told, they are both getting older, and though Lu might not want to admit it, she is growing desperate for a relationship with another person. Many women her age have several children already, and Lu has begun to feel her own clock ticking for a family.
The only speed bump in an otherwise happy and healthy childhood was that Lu’reni had a twin sister when she was younger who fell ill and died. Part of the reason that Lu’reni clings so much to happiness is because she understands that life is short; she wants to make the most of it. In a lot of ways, Lu’reni looks at Lazulith as her sister. Together, they have grown up and tried to become better, even if they both share many of the same faults. They balance each other in their equal desire to satisfy their needs for happiness and companionship.
And when Thread returned? Her world was rocked. Lu'reni never expected her peaceful world to be shattered and hoped that her dragon would never have to take to the skies in this way. Her rose-colored glasses have lifted, and Lu is struggling with her new reality, looking for guidance.
Other: Lu'reni is an awe of the Weyrwoman. Lu comes from a very close-minded Weyr, and to see a greenrider in such a position fills her with incredible joy and devotion. She wants to be better so that Western looks better and so that Lazulith feels more confident, but she also is fully invested in showing how competent and amazing their Weyrwoman is because she is a greenrider, not despite it. If she could, she'd have a poster of Hestina & Treth on her wall, like her own Pernese vision board.
DRAGON
Name: Lazulith
Age: 13
Color: Green
Size: 23'
Physical Description: Average is the best way to describe Lazulith. Average size, average strength, average speed. If she is good at anything, it is maybe her agility, but even then, she doesn't blow anyone's mind. Her markings, too, are average. The vast spread of her is a vibrant light green streaked gently with some subtly darker lines. The tip of her tail is more of a kelly green, as are the arrow-like markings crossing vertically near her ears and her snout. Some less kind riders from her former Weyr commented that she looked pinched at either end: snout and tip of tail staying darker than the rest. Her eyes are as wide and inquisitive as a dragon's can be and typically swirl around a purply-blue hue.
Personality:Lazulith is a simple, if not confused dragon, and one who can rarely make up her mind. Some would call her fickle, if human traits could be assigned to dragonkind. Sweet, kind, and even thoughtful, Lazulith is the perfect companion for a gentle soul -- just don't ask her any sort of question. It doesn't matter whether it's what she feels like eating tonight, or whether or not she likes someone, the answer will always be muddled, and she'll change her mind within seconds of giving an answer. Surprisingly, however, this doesn't seem to bother the green much. She's a good-natured dragon, albeit indecisive. In the end, she's learned to just not ask herself any questions and just go with her first instinct, because if she stops to think about it, nothing will ever get done. This makes her seem rather impulsive, at times, but those who know her realize it is for the best, and love her for the sweet thing she is.
In regards to her size and wingspan, Lazulith is a relatively normal dragon; she's almost perfectly average in every regard, and this seems to suit her just fine. It doesn't bother her that she's not super fast or super strong, maybe because she never thought about it as a bad thing. She's pretty complacent when it comes to flying in a wing, and answers orders easily enough, not bothered by even the most gruff or power-driven dragons -- no matter the command, she is more than willing to do so without a moment's hesitation. It's when she's not given commands that things start to go wrong. When fighting Thread, no one can afford to hesitate, and unfortunately this is often what Lazulith is prone to doing. If the wingleader or wingsecond aren't giving her commands, she can't decide what to do, jumping between two or three courses of action, trying to decide which one is right, and end up doing nothing at all. She needs her rider to do so for her.
When it comes to communicating with other dragons, Lazulith is fairly social, enjoying other dragons company as well as other social activities such as swimming or basking. She's not known to be a hothead, although like anyone she's likely to have her disputes. Still, they never last long, especially not with a dragon's memory, and certainly not when Lazulith thinks about why she was mad in the first place, as that often results in her being indecisive of whether or not she should have been mad at all.
Dragon Art or Proof of Obtainment:Transfer from AtWoP/SoP!
Lorrox,Candidate Current Status: In yet another new place to live (arrived a couple years ago before Thread returned), this time as a Candidate, doing what he always does: hitting on women and nearly getting in fights, trying to feign casualness in his desire to Impress despite actually caring a lot
Relationships: Fidda (Candidate) -- Friend, Lorrox would loooove to know her better. In the dragonlust kind of way. -- originally met as children since she traveled with her father as a trader, ran into each other again at Western where he drunkenly kissed her, knows things about him most people don't
Name: Lorrox
Age: 19
Sex: Male
Sexual Orientation: Hetero. (He’s a bit of a homophobe, unfortunately.)
Craft: Previously, beastcraft. In his mind, glass-smithcraft. Now a candidate. Bouncing around sometimes seems like his M.O.
Rank: Apprentice (in all of the above, from before)
Location: Western Weyr, which he is not thrilled about. He misses High Reaches Hold, where he was born and all of his family still lives.
Physical Description: Hawkish facial features – square-jawed, crooked nose (been broken one too many times), heavy brows, wide mouth, and eyes (light blue) a bit sunken. He is covered in scars from a lifetime of fighting, but the most noticeable ones are: a crescent-shaped one curving over his nose, a nick splitting his left brow, four thick lines across his right forearm. All the others are covered typically. He's tall – about 6'3” (in Earth measurements) – with broad enough shoulders and thick back muscles, good for hard labor. His hair is inky black, and he's been cutting it himself since he was a kid. It's sloppily sheared, with a heavy sweep of hair falling in his eyes and the back cut in jagged layers. He hates to cut it so it ends up pretty shaggy at times, but he always chops it before it gets past his chin. When out working, he wears a leather band around his head to keep the hair out of his face; it makes him look a bit dippy. His clothes aren't always the cleanest, but he is presentable. In short – he's a rough-n-tumble boy/man who has a sloppy charm about him. Not quite the tall, dark, and handsome archetype, but certainly rakish.
Personality: Hard, jagged, difficult, and (sometimes) cold – just like the mountains he was born in! More or less. Lorrox was born with a mischievous streak, and age has only made him better at executing the pranks and fights that make his world go 'round. He is prideful, competitive, one-track minded, and impulsive, and on top of that, he believes that most things can be solved with a good fight. Words? Meh, overrated. Lorrox is quite selfish and tends to only consider how things will affect him. Since he was young, he's just been a free spirit, feeling no real ties to others. Of course, he has friends and is sociable – but he is that friend who everyone tends to get frustrated with regularly. And most friends he has have earned his respect in some way – usually by beating him in a fight or doing something else incredibly impressive. He is rough around the edges, you know, like a chainsaw, but he's not a bad guy. Just a difficult person.
Lorrox is still fun-loving. He chases a laugh, a good drink, a pretty woman, a feat of strength. Anything that smacks of a good time. He is dedicated, though his track record may say otherwise. Just dedicated to the things he thinks are important and cares about, like himself. One of his big goals in life is to bed an older female vintner who can brew him beer all day long. Women – ah, lovely. He isn't particularly suave, but he has no problem giving chase. In truth, Lorrox is still immature; he is not in a place where he can process caring enough about someone else to have a romantic relationship. Instead, he tells himself that only older women are mature enough for him, and chances are he would hit on both your mother and your grandmother if they were good-looking. He is fickle with his affections, but if a girl were to grab hold of his heart, really sink in, he would be completely at her mercy in a puppy-dogish way.
Life in Western is not great for Lorrox. He misses the cold and mountains of High Reaches. With all the changes in his life, he is adaptable and can change his opinions on a hairpin turn, if it suits his interests. He has a good family, and he knows it, but he is not at all close with them. Perhaps it is from being the only boy and a constant disappointment, perhaps it is from getting kicked all across Pern for his troubles -- whatever the reason, Lorrox learned to fend for himself as well as he could and trusts himself wholeheartedly, even if his own choices cause the vast majority of his problems. He is the type of friend who is constantly surrounded by drama and can't seem to figure out why. Over all, he is looking for a place to belong that can satisfy both his ego and his hedonism, but right now... he's a bit lost.
Positive Trait List Hardworking, Self-Sufficient, Resilient Negative Trait List Proud, Impulsive, Self-Serving
History: Born in the mountains of High Reaches Hold, Lorrox fit in perfectly with his surroundings – hard, jagged, difficult, and cold. His poor parents – both dedicated to bakercraft – had no idea what they had coming in their youngest son. They had already birthed seven other healthy children (and two that sadly passed) before Lorrox graced all of Pern with his presence. He was their only son, and his father hoped that he would be every bit as loving, responsible, and level-headed as he was.
Unfortunately, that was simply not in the cards.
Always a trouble-maker, Lorrox was constantly causing issues for the people of High Reaches – pretty much from birth. He was a fussy child, always getting into things. As an infant, he would overturn dishes and get into everything. (There was a particularly terrifying incident where he ate some numbweed and nearly died.) His parents loved him because he was their son, but he quickly became too much for them to handle. Once he was old enough to walk, they did their best to keep an eye on him – but he was just too mischievous. His seven older sisters often got stuck searching the Hold for him, even when they had to drag him kicking and screaming all the way home. When he was just nine turns old, he convinced a gang of his friends to round up all the tunnelsnakes they could find and release them in the chambers of the Lord's favorite bakercraft master. (He’d been punished for some other crime and felt it had been unjust!) If he hadn’t been a child, Lorrox likely would have been banished for such an indiscretion, and in fact, he brought quite a deal of shame on to his family for it. Lucky for him, making a 9-turn-old boy Holdless was out of the question. His parents were instead encouraged to find an outlet for the boy – perhaps he should go hone his skills at a Crafthall? Maybe one far, far away from the anger of the Lord?
While the higher-ups suggested tannercraft, minecraft, and beastcraft, Lorrox had another idea. He actually was interested in something, and of all the things in Pern… he thought it would be cool to be a glass-smith. He marveled at the stuff and thought that only someone with real skill could actually excel at it. Who better than him? Plus, a new home meant new adventures, right? And living somewhere else would get him away from his reputation and the shadows of his sisters quickly, no? It was the pipe dream of a troublesome 9-turn-old boy, but it was a happy compromise for everyone involved. With a glowing recommendation from the Mastersmith from High Reaches (who was more than happy to shuttle the little hell-raiser elsewhere), Lorrox was finally able to gain entrance to the Glass-Smith Crafthall in Ista when he was 10 turns old.
However, it was not to be a Happily Ever After story.
For a time, Lorrox truly dedicated himself to the study of glass-smithing, even though it did not come particularly easy to him. He would toil for candlemark after candlemark on projects and basic skills that took his peers much less time to learn. Still, it was a happy time for him. With so much focus in his life, Lorrox found less time to make trouble, and for once, all of his energy was funneled into a single goal: becoming the Best Glass-Smith EVER. Unfortunately… Lorrox turned out to be a rather mediocre glass-smith. As others around him began to excel, really excel, the young troublemaker found himself on a plateau. At some point, those who truly had skill took off, distinguishing themselves as exceptionally talented smiths. He was at THE Crafthall for the skill, wasn’t he? The Master and Journeymen who instructed him saw his imminent failure approaching, and they encouraged Lorrox to devote himself to another pursuit. At 16-turns-old, Lorrox clearly was never going to be good enough to walk the tables; it was a waste of everyone’s time. He just wasn’t getting any better – no matter what he tried! And, in truth, he really did try. He tried harder than he had tried at anything else in his entire life.
And so he regressed.
He returned to his trouble-making ways: shattering the projects of others, getting into fights over the smallest things, refusing to obey his superiors. No one – not even Lorrox – was surprised when he was commanded to leave. The only thing was… he couldn’t really return to High Reaches, as much as he missed the cold and the mountains. One of the Journeymen at the Crafthall encouraged him to head to Ista Weyr. (Looking back, it was perhaps due to its status of running a skeleton crew in the time since Thread had ceased to fall. Less people meant less trouble to cause. Or, perhaps, the Journeyman truly sympathized with Lorrox’s plight and recognized the merit in his efforts, futile though they had been.) He had a good friend who was a beastcrafter at Ista, and asked if he might take the boy under his wing. They could use more hands in the stables, couldn’t they? So, with no other option, Lorrox dragged himself to Ista Weyr – still determined to make a comeback as a glass-smith.
At first, he resisted working as an apprentice beastcrafter and would often run away from his duties. After all, he was a glass-smith. He'd just fallen... off course. This didn't last long. After receiving an ultimatum from the journeyman he worked under (the Weyr was sorely in need of his physical labor), Lorrox relented and decided to accept the position for the time, all the while practicing his glass-smithing on the side. He remained convinced that he could be an amazing glass-smith; it would just take more time. One day, while mucking out the stables, a Searchrider came in and spoke to Lorrox about perhaps becoming a Candidate. Apparently, the journeyman who he worked with had spoken to a Searchrider about Lorrox – remarked on his physical prowess, his hard-working personality, his bravado, his single-minded dedication to task. Lorrox had (and has) no clue whether the journeyman did it to get rid of him, or because he genuinely believed that Lorrox had what it took to be a dragonrider. Either way, he wanted out of the stables -- and here was his golden ticket.
But there was one catch. He could be a Candidate... but only at Western Weyr. What? Searchriders were practically extinct at this point now that the threat of Threadfall had been eliminated. It was incredibly rare for anyone to be Searched, let alone to be Searched at a Weyr and then sent to another Weyr an ocean away. Of course, to a sensible person it would have been obvious -- the journeyman was trying to get rid of his apprentice by any means necessary.
Lorrox didn't want to leave Ista; it was so close to the Crafthall he felt he was destined to return to one day. However, days after the offer, Lorrox got into a fight with a handful of riders -- including the son of a prominent crafter. His decision had been made for him. Before they could kick him out, he left, hopping a ride on a dragon to Western. Now a Candidate at another small Weyr (one with a greenrider as Weyrwoman, no less), Lorrox finds himself more drawn to the beasts than he ever was in his days as a beastcrafter apprentice, switching life paths yet again in his short life.
And then, quite shortly after his arrival to Western, Thread returned. Now, Lorrox eyes the life of a dragonrider a bit differently. With Threadfall, there is challenge. But there is nothing more dangerous than to hope for something that may never be, and so Lorrox buries it like he has buried so much else in his life and tells himself -- hey, if he fails again, maybe they'll keep him around for beastcraft? Dragons need beasts after all.
Pets: A pet would require a responsible keeper with patience for small, needy things; Lorrox is not equipped for it.
Other/Talents: He knows a LOT about glass-smithcraft, but he is fairly mediocre in practice. He's a bit of a workhorse, hence his suitability in the stables. Switching to life as a candidate has been challenging.
Will this character be a candidate? Yes.
RP Log: s**t Show (Lorrox & Euryale) in which Lorrox hits on a hot breastfeeding mom because he sucks Nothing To See Here. Really. (Lorrox & Fidda) in which the two Candidates unleash a tunnelsnake in the room of someone who wronged Lorrox, only to be caught by the Candidatemaster
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Name: Josseli
