Laelia | 20 Turns | Single | High Reaches Weyr Saimwen | 19 Turns | Plotted | Western Weyr
Riders:
Sorcha of Blue Bazoth | 17 Turns | Single | High Reaches Weyr Lilum of Brown Syruth | 28 Turns | Single | High Reaches Weyr D'zol of Blue Jannath | 27 Turns | It's Complicated | Western Weyr Ha'el of Bronze Sarieth | 27 Turns | Single | Western Weyr Rikah of Gold Sofieth | 26 Turns | Single | High Reaches Weyr
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2017 4:39 pm
Laelia
Candidate - Approved Form Age: 20 Turns Nameday: 3552.13.14 Sex: Female Sexual Orientation: Lesbian Craft: Blacksmithing Rank: Apprentice Location: High Reaches Weyr
Physical Description:
Laelia stands at about 5’2”, but despite being short in stature, she is physically strong. Her body is incredibly muscular, and she is often covered in some form of dirt or grease. Her complexion is fair, a warm pale color spattered with freckles, and her hair is a fiery red. She wears it short, to about her shoulders, and often pulls it back as tightly as she can. Laelia’s eyes are a bright hazel, a ferocious mixture of green and brown. She has a single, vertical scar on her left cheek. Her facial expression often defaults to focused or angry, regardless of what she’s feeling at the moment.
Personality:
If Laelia cares about you, there’s a fair chance you’ll never know it from gentleness. She is hyperfocused on whatever work she finds most satisfying at the moment, choosing to work toward her goals rather than her connections. She is physically strong but gentle, and she can spend a great deal of time studying when she is interested in a subject. Laelia speaks what is on her mind, and she is honest, regardless of how hurtful the truth may be. She is also very set in her opinions, and isn’t afraid to get into an argument with people because of them. But it’s not necessarily that she likes getting into trouble with other people - she just doesn’t like to go unheard. Because of her abrasiveness, Laelia frequently avoids social situations, choosing to watch her peers from afar rather than getting heavily involved in their affairs.
Despite this, Laelia does have a soft core, and makes her attachments to others in her own way. She is not entirely socially dysfunctional. She often eavesdrops on conversations and learns about her peers through that, and she will stand by those who need support when she feels it is necessary. She spent much of her childhood helping to raise her younger sister - and while that sister does not need her help anymore, Laelia’s tenderness makes its way around, if sparingly, often surprising people who expected nothing from her. For example, she may bring another Candidate who is studying hard some extra food, defend a peer from a bully verbally or physically, or comfort someone after a bad breakup. However, her friendliness is short-lived, and she will often recede back into herself following whatever the event is. Someone would have to be very determined to become Laelia's friend.
It was once Laelia’s dream to become a master blacksmith, but she made her decision to become a Rider when she was found on the Search. She often wonders what she is more proud of - that decision, or the life she left behind. Every day in Laelia’s Candidacy is a new test of patience and trust in herself, and she frequently considers going home. She lives her life from one Hatching to the next, hoping she’ll find her life partner sooner rather than later. Although she loved her life as a blacksmith, she always feels something gently pulling her to life in the Weyr. Plus, she’d never leave her sister.
Speaking of her sister, Sorcha is the source of most of Laelia’s unhappiness and inner turmoil. Laelia feels an unbreakable bond of love and protectiveness towards her baby sister, despite being in a self-induced constant competition with her. Sorcha is lovable and sweet without a bad bone in her body, and is never unkind to her sister. But she is everything Laelia wishes she could be. Sorcha seems to have everything handed to her on a silver platter - the approval of her father, a dragon - everything. Although the two have been at the Weyr for a little over three turns now, her sister impresseed almost immediately, causing Laelia to be rather bitter about her long-lived wait as a Candidate. Once Laelia has a dragon to impress upon, Laelia feels she’ll be free of the pressure she’s always put herself under, ready to carve her own path with the life partner she’s always needed.
Laelia was born to a blacksmith and his wife who lived at Telgar Hold, the home of the official Smithcrafthall. Laelia’s father was a talented Journeyman of a smith, and she looked up to him from the moment she was old enough to. She never felt as deeply connected to her mother, but it was still devastating when her mother died in childbirth with her younger sister, Sorcha. Even so young, Laelia had a love-hate relationship with her baby sister. Their father had to juggle his profession and taking care of the girls, so as soon as Laelia was old enough to understand basic chores, she took on a fair amount of responsibilities. Although Sorcha had taken her mother away, Laelia couldn’t help but feel protective of the girl who had taken their mother away.
Once she became 8 turns old, Laelia began an apprenticeship for blacksmithing. Her father was incredibly proud, and Laelia excelled at the profession. She was strong and robust, and did not shy away from the heat of the forge. It was thought by her father that she would supercede him in the profession and become a Master, making history as the best smith of all time. Laelia was not quite so fanciful, but she was determined to do anything to make him proud of her.
Despite her talent, Laelia grew up to be incredibly envious of her sister. Sorcha was tall, thin, beautiful, delicate - all the things that Laelia secretly wished she could be, the traits of a marriable woman. The two sisters were so unlike each other, and Sorcha seemed to have her own idea of what having an older sister meant. Instead of looking up to Laelia as a role model, it appeared that she wanted to deviate and choose her own path. Despite being lazy, noncommittal, and a middle-of-the-road Jeweler, Sorcha began receiving all the love and praise from older women in the hold, and received what seemed to be the doting favor of their father. Men flirted with her, women befriended her, and Laelia simply faded into the background. The jealousy Laelia felt toward her sibling only made her pursue her work as a blacksmith harder, hoping to regain the attention of the people around her. After a while she withdrew from social situations, feeling that she didn’t want to be compared to her sister on any level. It was perhaps not the most logical course of action, but Laelia’s lack of self-confidence caused her to fold in on herself, becoming nearly reclusive and overly focused on her work.
When she was 17 turns old, a Search came to their hold. By some miracle, or perhaps a cosmic joke of some sort, both Laelia and Sorcha were among those chosen to become Candidates. Laelia considered refusing the request. Her entire future was within the blacksmith career. But regardless of her negative feelings toward her sister, she felt the urge to continue to protect her. Not to mention, she could potentially be saving the world if she became a Rider. When she approached her father about the issue, he told her simply to follow her heart, that there was no shame in choosing adventure, even for a little while. She packed a small bag and left to go to the High Reaches Weyr.
While there, Laelia threw herself eagerly into the studies she was assigned as a Candidate. Although she did continue to practice her smithing occasionally, she was surprised to find that she was interested in some of the subjects she had not been exposed to previously. However, her eagerness as a Candidate didn’t work out for her as well as it did her little sister. In the first Hatching the two attended, Sorcha impressed upon a dragon and was swept up into the life of a Weyrling. Three turns later, Laelia has yet to achieve the same thing. She often blames it on her own roughness and abrasiveness, but that dragon saw something in her at the Search, right?
Now, she considers quitting being a Candidate nearly every day, returning to her life as a smith and becoming a Master as her father predicted. Although Laelia has had a hard time managing to be friendly and happy about her life in counterpoint to her sister’s, she still holds out hope that she’ll make her father proud in this life she’s chosen.
Plots:
Possible romance with Isilje?
Thread Tracker:
♦ The Water's Fine [Asheryn] - 3573.07.25 ♥ Connections [Isilje] - 3573.08.04 ♦ Stowaway [Nebbi] 3573.10.26
smolderingskies
Adorable Autobiographer
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smolderingskies
Adorable Autobiographer
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Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 1:07 pm
Sorcha
Rider - Approved Form Age: 17 Turns Nameday: 3555.04.09 Sex: Female Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual Previous Rank/Craft: Jeweler (Apprentice) Rider Rank: Wingrider Location: High Reaches Weyr
Physical Description:
Sorcha is tall and willowy, standing at six feet. She is so thin, it seems as if the slightest breeze might push her over - but she is not without strength. Sorcha holds herself with a delightful ease, her long face looking sleepy or relaxed, and she seems to drift when she walks. Her skin is pale and freckled, her waist-length, stick-straight hair a fiery red. Her eyes are a turquoise blue. She likes to wear loose clothing with elaborate belts and other accessories, handmade jewelry of precious or semiprecious gemstones, and she frequently ties her hair up in pigtail braids for convenience.
Personality:
Sorcha often recommends different crystals for different healing purposes to her friends, handing them a stone from the myriad she’s currently wearing, if she can. She would give the clothing off her back to someone who needed it, and she lives her life feeling this is the best way to create and maintain relationships. She tries her best to not sweat the small stuff, allowing insults and the anger of others to roll off her back. To Sorcha, a long-lasting friendship is much more important than any petty argument or a bad day.
Sorcha is not a hard worker, choosing to allow her connections and friendships to propel her along in life. She doesn’t have enthusiasm for grit or effort, so learning to take care of a dragon was a difficult adjustment period for her. Since being a Rider is now her life, Sorcha has fallen into a daily routine - the only thing that keeps her taking good care of her dragon. She’d prefer to read over doing any physical activity, regardless of the fact that physical activity makes up the majority of her career. She frequently procrastinates on any work that does not need immediate attending to, and because of this it’s a wonder she was ever promoted from Weyrling. If it weren’t for her dragon’s sternness, she’d likely find a way to be distracted from her duties for hours at a time every day.
Without a steady relationship with her sister while she was growing up, Sorcha found a great deal of solace in learning about crystals and their metaphysical nature. She’s on the edge of being a skeptic and a believer, but feels that it can’t hurt to have dozens of stones hanging off of her limbs at all times - plus, they’re pretty! Sorcha is somewhat vain, and when she was younger she used to spend a great deal of time focusing on her appearance - blushing her cheeks and doing her hair. Now, she is much more practical with her primping routine, but she loves more than anything to catch the eye of boys in the Weyr - although she likes to try to use that attention more for political reasons than personal.
Sorcha has always wanted to be better than her sister at something, and at the Weyr she has achieved it, as Laelia still lies in wait for a dragon to Impress. But Sorcha feels a connection with her dragon deeper than she ever has with her sister - and she hopes to rekindle the relationship once Laelia understands, once she has crossed through the Candidacy and become a Rider herself. Sorcha has always been a bit of a dreamer, and she dreams more than ever of a world where she is no longer her sister’s enemy, but her best friend.
When Sorcha was born, her mother died. It was typical childbirth complications, but it doesn’t mean her sister, Laelia, ever stopped blaming her for it. Their father was a blacksmith at Telgar Hold, the home of the official Smithcrafthall, so she was surrounded by metals and stones. From a young age, Sorcha didn’t have any expectations thrust upon her. Her sister and her father took care of her, and she showed her gratitude with her kindness. She would clean up after her sister, do her laundry, bring her simple gifts of flowers and found stones. Sorcha felt a connection with Laelia, but her sister had trouble expressing the affection back. Laelia was focused so much on her work, and was so frequently praised for being on the path to becoming the best smith her father had ever seen. So Sorcha made friends, turned to the older ladies in the Hold for company. They took care of her and loved her for her kindness - something her sister always seemed to have a grudge about in some way or another, too.
Sorcha found her way into the world of jewelry crafting, making the absolute best of her situation. She didn’t feel she was destined to do such a thing - she often took to simpler, less physically involved tasks, such as beading or wire wrapping. Not particularly talented at the art, Sorcha still enjoyed it and found the menial tasks to be relaxing. She spent her work time getting to know the people around her, creating friendships and meaningful connections with others. Sorcha watched as her sister receded deeper into her bitterness, and she felt sad for her. But the one thing Sorcha always admired about Laelia was her strength - and if creating a mental armor around herself was Laelia’s way of being strong, Sorcha respected her for it. All she could continue to do was be kind and accepting of her sister, and dream of a day her life would change for the better.
At age 14, when the Search came to Telgar Hold, Sorcha knew instantly what it was she was destined to do. Everything came flooding to her all at once - she was meant to be a Rider. When the dragon chose her, she was ecstatic, ready to leave all of the humdrum of her younger life behind. She would be a hero, perhaps go down in history for some heroic feat. When the dragon also chose her sister, Sorcha couldn’t help but be a little disappointed that she didn’t get a chance to leave all of Telgar Hold behind. Of course she couldn’t ever do anything on her own - and even if Laelia seemed like she didn’t necessarily want to become a Rider herself, she tagged along. To “protect” Sorcha, who felt she didn’t need any protection at all. But she tucked away that bitterness in the darkest corner of her heart, and supported her sister, as always.
As a Candidate, Sorcha soared miles above her older sister. In this world, the gentle and compassionate girl was much more in her element. She found she was intelligent, and learned the necessary information with ease. At her first Hatching, she Impressed a hatchling - and it changed her life forever. For someone who’d always yearned for connections, for something to relate with on a level deeper than anything else, Sorcha found that her Impression with Bazoth was the perfect solution, filling up a hole inside that Sorcha wasn’t even sure she’d been aware of.
At the Hatching, Sorcha had been expecting - perhaps even wanting a Green dragon to approach her. She was feminine enough, right? And the idea of a dainty dragon to match her personality was incredibly pleasing. But when a little blue went barrelling toward her, matching her gaze, not a word needed to be said - not aloud, at least. Sorcha couldn’t hold back her tears of joy as she scooped the dragon into her arms, feeling that timeless click of Impression resonate through her whole body. She still daydreams about that moment, turns later, contemplating the wonder that she Impressed so early on in her life, almost as soon as she was able to.
Raising Bazoth, or alternatively, growing alongside him, Sorcha learned more about purpose and hard work than she ever had before in her life. Now that she genuinely enjoyed her work - taking care of Bazoth, cleaning up after him, cleaning him - she worked harder than ever before. Her previous distractibility was still present, but the dragon became skilled at keeping her on task. Despite having no history in any kind of physical labor, Sorcha grew stronger and more athletic. She enjoyed spending time with her dragon so much, she would often take the two of them on joyrides on free days, taking them all over an easily accessible Pern. And when thread began to fall, the two of them dove into the horrific downpour with gusto, eager more than ever to fight and work together to accomplish what they were both created for.
Thread Tracker:
♦ I Heard You Were From Western [T'nor] - 3573.09.18
Bazoth
Age: 3 turns (born in 3570.10.02 clutch) Color: Blue Size: 30'
Physical Description:
Bazoth is on the larger end of Blue dragons, and he loves it. He’s a proud creature, and often struts through the Weyr, showing off his athletic muscle and handsome features. He considers himself to be the best shade of blue, with only the most exquisite markings. He holds himself tall, and will only stoop to level with Sorcha when he is speaking with her.
Personality:
Bazoth is full of himself, and despite being small next to even the smallest Bronze, believes that he would be the prime choice of any female dragon. He often thinks he’s right on any side of an argument, and will defend himself, however wrong he is, till he has used up all the psychic air in the room. He has an incredible amount of energy, and his posture seems to radiate power. He’s not necessarily liked by many other dragons, but he enjoys his reputation and upholds it with a strange amount of humor. Regarding female dragons, he is very flirtatious and borderline overbearing, but he’s also incredibly fickle. His tastes change almost on the daily, depending on what he’s feeling and who he’s getting along with. When it comes to male dragons, he is not unreasonable but tends to be competitive on almost every level. His ideal best-dragon-friend would be another dragon who is athletically competitive. Races, play fights, you name it.
Despite being incredibly vain, he is surprisingly level-headed and logical. He keeps his rider on task when she’s struggling with her focus, and he is exceedingly understanding and accepting of her. If you were to ask Bazoth, Sorcha hung the moon. And after her, whatever Green he’s fancying at the moment hung the stars. Bazoth is proud and protective of Sorcha, and although some might think that a female Blue rider is strange or untraditional, all he has is a low growl to respond to those claims. He is incredibly proud of who he is, and who he Impressed. He feels that he and Sorcha are a wonderful team, especially when fighting Thread, and he is endlessly enthusiastic about He doesn’t care about much else - rankings, traditions - you name it, it does not matter more than the Impression on his soul, and the fight against the Thread in his veins.
Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 1:21 pm
Saimwen
Candidate - Approved Form Age: 19 Turns Nameday: 3553.11.27 Sex: Male Sexual Orientation: Homosexual Craft: Navigator Rank: Apprentice Location: Western Weyr
Physical Description:
Saimwen stands at about 5’7”, and he is of an average athletic build, a bit bulky through the chest and legs. His skin is medium-toned, slightly tanned from his turns of traveling in the sun. His hair is a golden blonde, cropped short as frequently as he can afford the time to get it cut, but it is often grown long enough that strands will fall into his eyes if he doesn’t find some way to slick or otherwise comb it back. He frequently considers growing it long enough to pull back into a ponytail, but is usually bothered by any kind of length and ends up cutting it again.
Life as a traveling trader has not been nice nor easy for Saimwen, and the tale of one of his most unfortunate happenings is on his face - a scar reaching from the right side of his forehead, across the bridge of his nose, and stopping on his left cheek. He has piercings on his right eyebrow, both earlobes, and navel. His deep-set eyes are a haunting dark blue-violet, and you can only really see the pigment in them in just the right light. He most frequently wears traveling leathers, although he has switched to a more relaxed selection of clothing since becoming a Candidate. He makes a clear effort to keep up his appearance, and he is rarely ever visibly dirty or unkempt.
Personality:
With a dashing smile and a pleasant stance, Saimwen might be capable of selling a heap of dragon dung to the poorest man on Pern. Outwardly, to people he doesn't know, he appears to be friendly and open, willing to lend a listening ear or help with the most trivial problem. He can be flirtatious, flamboyant, and over-the-top, depending on who he's talking to. To some, Saimwen might be annoyingly saccharine and positive, and perhaps even a bit pushy. He frequently gets what he wants, mostly because he can spin a good argument for his desires. Saimwen understands himself as being incredibly good-looking, and frequently makes a show out of standing before mirrors and fixing his hair, fussing over his face, etc. He knows he is handsome, and is not afraid to cockily show his vanity.
Behind closed doors, and once he gets to know somebody, Saimwen is much more subdued. It could be said that he is trying to convince himself, and everyone else, that he is always the happiest person in the room. However, when he is not putting on a front, Saimwen is softspoken, and his words are sparse. He does not connect to people often, but when he does, he is incredibly clingy and is frequently anxious that person will leave him for greener pastures. Saimwen is only motivated by his wish to make his parents proud, to be the hero they predicted he might be some day, but regardless he struggles to get out of bed on the daily. He is not happy, being separated from his family, and his heart aches for the day he might be reunited with them - or perhaps the day he might find a relationship that doesn't replace them, but makes him feel like less of a fragment.
Positive Trait List: Charismatic, extroverted, persuasive Negative Trait List: Depressed, vain, has separation anxiety
History:
Saimwen was born into a caravan of traders, and has never known anything but the nomadic life. His parents were never enamored with Hold life, although they had both been raised within it and had picked up various trades. Saimwen’s father was trained to be a journeyman in Navigation, and his mother was a well-practiced Hunter. His father was the first to be picked up by the caravan - a traveling unit that never looks the same from one generation to the next - and when he met Saimwen’s mother at Keroon Hold, they fell in love instantly, and he whisked her away on the trail. Despite not living under a stable roof, Saimwen was born into a large family that was full of skill, and surrounded by love.
Saimwen is the oldest of three siblings, and his two younger siblings are sisters. From a very young age, old enough to be lifted onto his father’s shoulders, Saimwen was taught to use the stars and the sky for figuring out location and direction. His sisters both took after their mother, choosing to learn to hunt. The girls figured out how to care for small animals in case they ever wound up somewhere food was unattainable. Meanwhile, as Saimwen crept into his preteen years, he learned from his father how to barter with people in the Holds, how to spin a reasonable deal as a merchant. The caravan was not without wares - his own family produced skins, but the other members, of where there were probably three or four other family groups, made clothing, armor, turned bones into flutes and knives and decorative statues. His sisters would try to pawn off the youngest baby critters onto children at the Holds. The caravan did well for producing most of its own product, occasionally purchasing and reselling items, and Saimwen quickly proved to be the best salesman of them all. When they stopped at Holds, his quick talking and charming smile sold even the most dubious of trinkets.
Saimwen earned his enormous facial scar at fourteen turns, when he’d had an accidental run-in with a watch-wher. He was a bit of a troublemaker in his early teens, poking his nose into domestic places he shouldn’t simply because he was curious about the Hold life. One day, he poked his whole face into the breeding hovel of a golden watch-wher, who didn’t let him leave without drawing a claw across his face first. Afterwards, Saimwen decided that he would rather have other things distract from the mutilation on his face, so he received a few piercings. Even years later, he thinks the piercings are an improvement on his appearance.
The caravan was not without change, however. Anyone who became friendly enough with them, who could pull their own weight, was welcomed on board. Sometimes they carried people for only a few months, sometimes for years. Notably, Marinel from the Western Weyr was one of those who traveled temporarily with the caravan. He grew to know that his relationships, other than familial ones, would not be permanent. And then, when he was seventeen turns old, his youngest sister left for the very Hold his mother hailed from, hoping to become a master Breeder of some sort. She didn’t tell him until it was happening - and it absolutely broke his heart. The fact that he wouldn’t be able to see her every day, like he had for her entire life, was devastating. And yet, he pushed on with the rest of his family, unable to understand why they were so proud of the daughter who had deserted them. His happy-go-lucky attitude dimmed quite a bit, and he reserved his extraneous energy for the crowds when stopping to sell their wares.
After about a turn, Saimwen had mostly recovered. He still wasn’t his former self, but perhaps that was just maturation. Thread returned, and business grew to be more difficult as everyone rushed to make sure they and their families were safe rather than on the luxurious items the caravan provided. It had been just after a particularly difficult winter, when his caravan was stopped at Western Hold, and he was Searched by a rider from Western Weyr. Although at first he balked at the idea of leaving behind his family, his parents urged that he’d be in better hands at the Weyr. Plus, if he were to Impress a dragon, he’d be a hero - fighting thread alongside the best. If a dragon and a rider saw potential in him, Saimwen should go. So he did.
Plots:
Past friendship with Marinel! Probably has a crush on him.
Thread Tracker:
♦ A Ghost From The Past [Marinel] - 3573.08.15 ♥ Oh No He's Hot [Marinel] - 3573.11.23
smolderingskies
Adorable Autobiographer
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smolderingskies
Adorable Autobiographer
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Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2017 1:36 pm
Lilum
Rider - Approved Form Age: 28 Turns Nameday: 3544.08.13 Sex: Female Sexual Orientation: Bisexual Previous Rank/Craft: Massage Crafter (Journeyman) Rider Rank: Wingrider Location: High Reaches Weyr
Physical Description:
Lilum is of large stature for a woman her age, with her height at 6’3”. She is incredibly strong, her body basically packed with muscle, creating a hulking silhouette. Her thick, dark, reddish-brown hair lays in loose, wild curls halfway down her back. Although she frequently keeps it twisted up in a bun, she has a hard time taming it. Her eyes are a deep brown to match her hair, and her lips are always painted a gorgeous dark wine.
She has the very middle of her lip, her navel, and her septum pierced, and she wears dark iron rings in them at all times. She also has hidden, intricate “watercolor” tattoos on her sides, starting from just below her ribcage and going halfway down her thighs. Lilum wants to get more piercings, but is afraid of them becoming infected or otherwise a nuisance while she is doing more important things, like fighting Thread.
Personality:
Lilum loves to be around people. Despite working in a profession that encourages relaxation and isolation, large crowds and loud parties are her favorite locale. Making new friends is easy for her, and she easily succumbs to the ideas they have to offer, influenced easily by any mentions of politics or other issues. She’s also willing to try anything that’s put in front of her - a new food, a drink, a drug, you name it. Doesn’t mean she’ll marry it, but she’s not afraid to try. She’s not fearless, but she likes to show her dedication to any one person, her willingness to accept their ideas. Lilum is the type of person who has a hundred best friends, and she loves them all equally.
Lilum is not the type to hold grudges. However, she is definitely the type to lose her temper easily. If a situation starts becoming unsavory, it’s likely that the offending party will end up with a black eye or a broken nose before the night is over. Lilum’s a strong woman, and she is not afraid to use her fists to defend herself, her honor, or the honor of a friend. She can take subtle social cues easily, and work off of that. Her skull is not thick, and if someone she cares about seems uncomfortable she will take action.
Despite that, Lilum collects so many friends because she feels that she just can’t have enough. Her siblings all left when she was very young, and then her parents told her that she needed to leave. She had developed a dependence on that family feeling. So she replaced her family the only way she knew how - by making new acquaintances, and adopting them into her own personal social circle. She is very dependent on her social connections, and almost always needs to be talking with someone or communicating in some kind of way. She’s almost afraid of silence or loneliness. Having a dragon she is constantly in psychic connection with helps with that fear quite a bit.
Lilum was born in the Courtesan Hall at Western Hold, to a pair of Perfume Crafters who loved their children more than anything in the world. Lilum was the youngest of five siblings, all of whom were routinely shipped off to other Holds when they became old enough to learn a craft. They often kept in touch through letters, written hastily under candlelight after their difficult training had been done for the day. Lilum, however, never wanted to leave the Courtesan Hall, and chose to enter a craft native to the Hall. To become a Massage Crafter was perfect - Lilum could stay with her parents, and do something she enjoyed. She loved the notion of physically touching and relaxing people as a career, and the social aspect appealed to her as well. At age eleven, she had already begun to grow very tall, so she wanted to work on the muscular aspect of her body image as well. Working on her muscular strength helped in her massage - she became tired less easily, and found that her hands were all that more comforting to her clients. She had her hair shaved off her head so it wouldn’t be in the way.
Nothing of real interest happened between when she became an Apprentice and a Journeyman. She had her first love - a dancer named Ela - and she worked hard to improve at her skill. She wasn’t naturally talented at massage, and found difficulty memorizing the anatomy of the body. But eventually she grew to love the metaphysical flow of energy that went through the muscles, and began to roughly sketch the muscular structure of other beasts like whers and dragons, wondering if anyone ever massaged them. She grew to become very well-learned at her skill, and became a Journeyman right on schedule at age twenty-one. But when she received that promotion, her parents sat her down for a talk. They explained that they were concerned for her level of maturity, her lack of independence. Each of her siblings had gone off to some other Hold to improve their skills, so why not her? She was given an ultimatum - by the time it was winter, she would move to a new Hold.
Lilum managed to land a position as a courtesan in the one of the seemingly glamorous spas of Nabol Hold, and decided she would change her image while she was there. She would allow herself to break away from her family and her past, to take on what felt like a new identity. She grew her hair long and loved it. She pierced her lip, and then her nose, and she loved it. She paid to have intricate tattoos crawling down her waist and onto her thighs. In the light of the endless party of Nabol, Lilum found a lifestyle she didn’t realize she’d been craving her whole life. The thriving social atmosphere, combined with her surprisingly useful career, put her right in heaven. She made more friends than she ever had before, albeit in the darker corners of the least classy parties in the Hold. She briefly got into a stint where she was addicted to some of the less severely-illegal drugs, but even that was an experience she felt was necessary, and she rolled out of it almost as easily as she had rolled in. The tone of the letters to her parents changed from skeptical to incredibly thankful.
That was, until she started noticing that she wasn’t receiving any letters from her parents in response. Turns out, one of the guards in charge of double-checking the mail - incidentally, one of Lilum’s most regular clients - was holding her mail back for the sake of some sort of creepy perversion. After complaining several times to the people in charge of delivering mail, he finally confessed to her privately. Along with a confession of his love, and an attempt at making a physical move toward her. Disgusted, the very able Lilum physically threw him out of the spa - right onto the feet of a dragonrider on Search hoping to find a moment of respite in the spa. Needless to say, she had already proven herself physically worthy.
The next few months of Lilum’s life was a whirlwind. She was a Candidate in the High Reaches Weyr at age twenty-five, just a short step away from aging out and having to return back to her craft, and she wasn’t even entirely sure that she wanted to be there. But in the moment she was Searched, Lilum had wanted so badly to be out of Nabol, to go somewhere new and exciting. But it didn’t make many Hatchings for her wish to be granted, and for Syruth to come crawling into her arms as the new love of her life. The connection she felt she’d been missing, that she thought had been found in Nabol, was instantly made when she made eye contact with that little Brown dragon. And although Browns matching with women were rare at the High Reaches Weyr, nobody protested that she was unworthy of such a match.
As Syruth grew, it became painstakingly obvious that he was not going to grow to the stature of his Brown brothers. Lilum didn’t mind much - in fact, she rather liked it. She was a large human, and Syruth was a tiny dragon, at least for his color. They bonded incredibly well, and Lilum most enjoyed oiling his hide, giving him a massage much like she dreamed about as a child, utilizing her skills to create the most relaxed dragon in all the Weyr. The two were frequently assigned outside of the Weyr to guard Holds, although never Nabol, by Lilum’s request. When Thread came, they were both nervous about going into dangerous and stressful situations. They were stationed once more at the Weyr, to prepare for Thread and all the carnage it came with. Lilum is not enamored with the idea of flying under dangerous space particles, and Syruth feels the call to fight it in his bones, but sometimes the two of them wonder what it might be like to run away. Regardless, duty calls, and for now it’s what she has to put up with.
Age: 3 turns (born in 3570.10.02 clutch) Color: Brown Size: 31'
Physical Description:
Syruth is possibly the smallest Brown, ever - standing at even a smaller stature than some Blues. His hide is an incredibly dark and unpatterned reddish-brown, and the membranes of his wings are a slightly lighter shade of brown. He is well oiled and taken care of, and he carries himself with a relaxed posture. Some might comment that he is a bit fatter than a normal, athletic dragon might be - but he is trying to cut down on his weight.
Personality:
Syruth is incredibly cool and calm at all times. Although his rider is somewhat hotheaded, he’s the one who can always take her out of any anger episodes. He is mostly so relaxed thanks to his daily massages from Lilum - if he doesn’t receive one in a while, he starts to become edgy and cranky due to his sore muscles. He’s not as muscular as he probably should be, and he knows this is not ideal for a dragon fighting Thread, so he has started pushing past his own relaxed laziness to exercise more, much to Lilum’s delight.
This dragon is incredibly intelligent, with a near-perfect memory. He enjoys both hearing and telling stories, as he feels that legends are the best way to learn lessons from the past. Although he is not yet very old, he likes to sit around and tell hatchlings stories whenever he gets a chance, as if he is more turns their elder than he actually is. Although he cannot read, he is always asking Lilum to read whatever she can to him, even though she is not much of a reader herself. He prefers the company of younger dragons, particularly Blues, and enjoys it even more if he is particularly larger than them. He’s not self-conscious, per se, about his smallness, but he does prefer to be larger than any given partner.
Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 12:58 pm
D'zol
Candidate - Approved Form Age: 27 Turns Nameday: 3545.01.12 Sex: Male Sexual Orientation: Homosexual polyromantic Previous Rank/Craft: n/a - was a Weyrbrat Rank: Candidate Location: Western Weyr
Physical Description:
Dharzol stands at 5’4” and has a lean figure. He is a rather attractive man, and he knows it, often swaggering in his posture and spending his time sending flirtatious winks across any given room. His skin is fair and clear, and although he has some facial hair, Dharzol clearly takes very good care of it. He keeps a thin goatee beneath his lower lip. His head is shaved on the sides, but his mohawk on top is extravagantly long and he often keeps it pulled into a low ponytail. Dharzol’s eyes, although somewhat small in proportion to his face, are an entrancing baby blue. His ears are both pierced several times, though he doesn’t always keep a ring in each hole. He frequently wears whatever worker clothing he needs to wear, with a myriad of necklaces wrapped tightly around his neck, each of the pendants usually gifts from various lovers, each meaning a different significant thing to him.
Personality:
Any man who makes acquaintance with Dharzol could tell instantly that he is flirtatious, if nothing else. He is the type to make it well-known if he experiences attraction with another person, and he works hard to get closer to those he can feel potential with. He’s known for his helpfulness, always willing to lend a hand around the kitchen or elsewhere in the Weyr. Having grown up there, he’s familiar with much of the to-dos in the caverns, and is nearly almost always present, despite his Candidate duties. Speaking of which, he has been a Candidate for thirteen years - and he has stuck to it diligently this entire time. Nobody can say that Dharzol is not dedicated. He had developed a reputation for a short period of time where he was fickle in his relationships, but now, to anybody’s outside eyes, he has been in an intimate relationship with a man for about four Turns now.
Dharzol loves hard and deep - in an emotional sense, of course. When he’s in a good temperament, he’s a sweet boyfriend, and makes every other flaw in him completely worth it. He is the type to procure gifts out of the blue, and to shower his current lover in oodles of affection. There are no bounds to the amount of endearment he can express. However, he also seems to have a hairtrigger for his temper when it comes to relationships. He values his privacy and his time, so if one begins to imply that he is not giving enough of his heart, or mentions a flaw with the relationship, he immediately gets into a bad mood. This usually involves poutiness, flinging around of insults, and a general expression of mistrust. Those who are intimate with Dharzol learn quickly that he is not one to be doubted, for it can lead to endless amounts of unpleasantness.
Dharzol is the type of person to refuse to get himself out of an unsavory situation simply because he is afraid of what’s on the other side. It is what has kept him a Candidate for nearly half of his life, and it is what has kept him in his disastrous state of a love life. If he feels even slightly cornered, he will not lash out, but instead start weaving intricate lies that not even the most intelligent person could keep up with, digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole of dishonesty. Because of this, he is also rather anxious that he will slip up within his lies, and he can sometimes seem delicate in his proneness to panic attacks and anxious episodes. Due to a traumatic death in his past, these attacks are not always a sign of his duplicity.
Dharzol’s mother was a kitchen worker in the Weyr, and he does not know the identity of his father, although he suspects (or rather, hopes) that his father is a Bronze rider from High Reaches who had visited a few times during his childhood years. He has an older sister named Trysta, who is a proud Blue rider at the Weyr, and he looks up to her greatly. Dharzol’s childhood was somewhat uneventful, as he spent most of his young years rooting around the Weyr with other Weyrbrats, watching Hatchings in awe and excitement, and assisting his mother with her work whenever she needed help. Much to his chagrin, he became great at working in the kitchen, but he always hoped to achieve much more than that.
When he became fourteen turns old, Dharzol accepted the privilege to become a Candidate. At first, the lessons were exciting and he approached them with the eagerness of any new Candidate, finding a new love for the Weyr and for the people around him. He adored meeting new Candidates who had been found on the Search, and found that he clicked easily with a lot of them. For his first two turns as a Candidate, Dharzol immersed himself into his studies. Then, when he was sixteen, he met Roaz, another Candidate. Dharzol and Roaz fell head over heels in love for each other, and managed to maintain a steady relationship. They would skip lessons together and endure the appropriate punishments together. They did kitchen chores together during their free time and stole kisses in the darker corners of the Weyr caverns. However, despite Dharzol’s love for Roaz, he found that he was also interested in other boys, too. He was determined to keep his heart for Roaz alone, regardless of his internal urgings. After all, it wasn’t that he didn’t love Roaz completely - he just found that feeling extended elsewhere, too.
After they’d been seeing each other for about another two turns, Roaz was horribly mauled during a Hatching, and died in Dharzol’s arms. For a while, the boy was numb to all emotion. The Candidatemaster, seeing his extreme emotional pain, allowed him to take off of lessons for a month or two, until he felt better. Dharzol recovered through doing manual labor in the kitchen with his mother, but decided after only a few weeks it was best that he continue his duties as a Candidate. He began attending lessons again, doing the appropriate chores. He tried to take up a few different crafts in his free time, but found his efforts in them to be halfhearted and empty, merely an attempt to keep his hands busy and his heart distracted.
Dharzol’s first lover after Roaz was a traveling merchant, a boy whose name he can’t even be bothered to remember now. Although he had not given his virginity to Roaz, partially due to the constraints of sex in the barracks and partially because they had simply chosen not to, he slept with that trader. He found some level of fulfillment in that relationship, so he slept with another boy. And another. His feelings began to slowly grow back, and he tried another committed relationship, but it didn’t work out when he found he, once again, had feelings for another man. Over the next few turns, Dharzol gained quite the reputation for being fickle and abandoning lovers after short periods of time. And all the while, he never Impressed. He grew older, and kept at his Candidate duties. If there were anything Dharzol wouldn’t quit, it was being a Candidate.
When he was twenty-three turns old, he entered a relationship with Rasthell, another Candidate who had been around the Weyr for about only a turn. The connection, Dharzol felt, was nearly as deep as the love he’d shared with Roaz. It was enough to help him feel as if he’d finally moved on. But his urges for loving others was still not quelled, and Dharzol found himself attracted to new and interesting people from outside the Weyr. After two turns of seeing Rasthell, Dharzol began to see Ehran, a traveling trader. He experienced such a combination of guilt and pleasure in consummating this strange and new relationship - but how could he ever approach this issue with Rasthell? Again, he still loved the boy, but he also loved Ehran. He wasn’t satisfied with only one relationship, he needed more. There was so much love and appreciation to give. So Dharzol saw Ehran secretly when he visited, with Rasthell under the impression that they were just good friends (and naive enough to believe it), and with Ehran under the impression that Dharzol had broken up with Rasthell when they first met. Dharzol found himself in a disturbing web of lies that he had carefully wound around himself, and they threatened to tear and break at any moment if he weren’t enormously careful.
This situation was incredibly stressful for him, as he juggled Candidacy and two relationships. He was growing less enamored with Candidacy by the day, and the return of Thread didn’t make it easier to continue wanting to be a Rider. Guilt and fear of discovery were both exhilarating and devastating, and he found he didn’t quite like the feeling. One or both of his lovers could be taken away at any moment, if he wasn’t careful. Dharzol desperately needed an escape, something that he hadn’t muddled or ruined with lies. About half a Turn from present, he found refuge in the arms of S’vor, a rider nearly ten Turns his senior. Dharzol tried to start this relationship with honesty - some honesty, at least. S’vor was aware that he was in what appeared to be a committed relationship with Rasthell, and didn’t mind being discreet. The change in pace was a huge relief for Dharzol, and he began to indulge in the relationship with S’vor whenever he was able, as an occasional escape from his daily anxieties. He hated to think it, but maybe he loved S’vor even more than the other two men, simply because of what he symbolized in Dharzol’s life.
Dharzol now still worries that everything is going to fall apart, so he reluctantly holds on to Candidacy, and to the men he loves in all their unique, individual ways. He was terrified of what might have happened when he aged out of being a Candidate, and although he still had a few more Turns thanks to having been born in the Western Weyr, he had a few more Turns left than if he would have wound up elsewhere. He’s not sure what he’ll do when it happens, when he finally ages out - maybe he’d run away to somewhere else, become an Apprentice of something at a Hold nearby, if they’d still take him at that ripe age. Or perhaps he’d stay in the Weyr as a kitchen hand, always wallowing in the shadow of the dragon he never Impressed, juggling relationships because he doesn’t know any better than to lie.
He impressed Jannath at a Hatching in his 27th Turn.
Age: 0 turns (born in Spooky clutch) Color: Blue Size: 32'
Hatching Profile:
Blue Jannath Written by Masterharper and Fated Fable Colored by -_Wish of Tevarae_-
Origin of Name: Jinn is an Arabic collective noun deriving from the Semitic root jnn (Arabic: jann), whose primary meaning is "to hide". Some authors interpret the word to mean, literally, "beings that are concealed from the senses".
Inspiration: Jannath is based on the Djinn. These are beings of flame or air who are capable of assuming human or animal form and are said to dwell in all conceivable inanimate objects—stones, trees, ruins—underneath the earth, in the air, and in fire. They possess the bodily needs of human beings and can even be killed, but they are free from all physical restraints. They are also thought to be able to possess humans, transform into a variety of animals (except wolves, whom are their foe), can fly, and travel endlessly. Djinn can come in a variety of personalities and natures, but seem to enjoy leading men astray and tricking them or destroying them. They are also quite willing to have amorous affairs with humans!
Ghūl (treacherous spirits of changing shape), ʿifrīt (diabolic, evil spirits), and siʿlā (treacherous spirits of invariable form) constitute classes of djinn. Djinn delight in punishing humans for any harm done them, intentionally or unintentionally, and are said to be responsible for many diseases and all kinds of accidents; however, those human beings knowing the proper magical procedure can exploit the jinn to their advantage.
In modern legend, a Djinn might be freed by a human, and offer it wishes. But beware -- the third wish should always be used to sen the djinn back to its lamp or previous ensnarement, otherwise risk setting the creature loose on the world.
Personality: Well hello, gorgeous. Are you looking at Jannath? If not, you should be, so why not cast your eyes here? From the very start, Jannath knows his own worth. He is, after all, the very finest creature in existence, although a few of his siblings can lay claim to second place. He is a charming, deceitful creature, and he knows how to get his way. If there is anyone that can stand up to the clever Djinn, he has yet to find them. Even those who claim to despise him may be secretly enthralled.
Do not be fooled, however, into thinking that because he is outwardly amiable that he is kind. Kindness is beneath a creature for whom there are no rules. No one and nothing can contain this dragon. Except maybe his rider, for whom he will show a marked adoration. There is very little he would not do to please the apple of his eye, and he will move worlds for their pleasure. Trapped by his rider in a cage of love, he finds his prison all too comfortable to escape. After all, he does demand worship of his own, and no doubt the one he has chosen will readily comply.
Be careful what you wish for, as you just might get it. Jannath has ways of getting what he wants, and that extends to what his rider wants. If they wish to be the most powerful dragonrider in the world, well, that's just what they'll be. If they wish to have lovers, if they wish to have wealth, he will find a way. In return, he expects that he will be given the respect he deserves, and that his bond with his rider will never be used against him. He has a tendency to hold grudges, which is dangerous because he is underhanded enough to set his haters up for a fall.
When he reaches adulthood, he will have an eye for dragons of various colors, and he has no compunction against potentially stringing along a series of admirers, whom he will keep well within his web. If there ever were that one true dragon, he would be astounded, for it is not in his nature to love anyone but his rider, in general. Fate has a way of taking us all by surprise, however, so it is certainly possible that he would at least partially change his ways if the other were worthy of his devotion. Be aware, however, that this is unlikely, and would require a remarkable individual indeed.
Adult Size: 32' Physical Attributes: A quite large Blue, he is fiercely beautiful, and knows it. His arrogance is apparent in every line of him, and perhaps well deserved. He is a strong creature, possessed of a lean, muscular physique.
Additional Notes: He does not get along with Therianth or Konvakith. There's just something about them that he doesn't care for, and looks upon them both as enemies. He tends to dislike canines in general, and will always love fire. As a Hatchling he'll want to cozy up to the hearthfires, and as an adult, you can be sure he'll love to flame.
He's naturally fond of Gallath, and seems to enjoy Hessianth and Fantoth's tricks.
Theme Song:Criminal, by Fiona Apple Why Me? Dharzol. Dear, sweet, precious Dharzol, Jannath has known that you were the one for him since he first heard the Angel lash out against you. What a poor, lost soul you were! But never fear, Jannath is here to comfort and console you. Jannath is one amorous beast himself, or will become so as he comes of age, and he knows all about loving outside of society's rules! They have so much in common. From their tendency to stretch the truth to their flirtatious natures, they are two peas in a pod. But Dharzol need not feel as though he has to change himself. Jannath is so very pleased with him just as he is.
It's also possible that as his rider learns life lessons, so too will the Blue, and he certainly needs an example if those changes are to happen. Really, though, he's more than content to be himself, and to drag his rider down into the depths of deceitfulness. Darling, you have secrets, and so does he. Why not keep them together? Dharzol has waited long enough, so why waste a single precious moment trying to be something he's not?
smolderingskies
Adorable Autobiographer
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2017 7:53 am
Ha'el
Rider - Approved Form Age: 27 Turns Nameday: 3545.04.21 Sex: Male Sexual Orientation: Pansexual Previous Rank/Craft: Builder - Apprentice Rider Rank: Wingrider Location: Western Weyr
Physical Description:
Standing at 5’11”, Ha’el is muscular and proportionately stocky, easily the type of person you could peg for doing athletic exercises both on top of and alongside his dragon every day. His hair is shoulder-length, dark brown, and slightly curled at the ends. His eyes are a brownish amber, matching the bronze hues of his dragon. Ha’el tries to maintain a goatee beneath his lip, but is rather lazy about it, so his jaw is frequently coated in short stubble.
Personality:
Ha'el is kind because he chooses to be. He thinks about what he says, every word is carefully curated before it leaves his mouth. Being sweet to everyone is a priority to him, and he especially cares if they like him. If he speaks without thinking and unintentionally says something cruel or even simply unregulated, he'll agonize over it for weeks. It's a type of anxiety he has, and has had since he was about eleven. He's always worried that the last thing he'll say to someone is something terrible, so he makes every word count. That being said, his careful manner of speech is not insincere - he truly wishes to show a degree of kindness to everyone, as he finds something to love in most people. It's leftovers from having a large family - part of him just considers everyone to be family.
However, this kindness doesn't always work well for him. Sometimes he talks kind of slow and finds it difficult to keep up with rapidfire conversation. He can be coerced into doing many things for others because he believes it will improve his standing with them. He's the exact type of person who can't say "no" to anybody, resulting in being spread way too thin over many tasks. He's easily swayed by suggestions from people he respects, and will often blindly follow someone into a bad situation because he trusts easily.
On the other hand, he can sometimes worry about what others think too much. He's fickle about his interests and jobs, and if someone shows disapproval, he'll leave what he's doing because it consumes all his thoughts about it. He's a bit of a jack of all trades, having moved between several hobbies. He's glad for Sarieth, who provides constant companionship and stability in his life.
Positive Trait List: Mindful, Loving, Honest Negative Trait List: Anxious, Fickle, Kind of a Pushover
History:
Hadranael was born with a myriad of brothers in a small hold near Nabol, and he was not quite lucky enough to be the oldest or the youngest. However, he did grow up in a situation that was simultaneously rambunctious and loving. The alternating cruelty and kindness of children was not lost on him - his brothers shaped him to be who he is today, and he matured under the gentle guidance of their company.
He always kind of wanted to be a smith, like his father, but his older brother Lucaefer was apprenticing under their father. Some childish instinct for being embarrassed by wanting to be just like his father and brother took over Hadranael’s emotions. So instead, when he became of the appropriate age, he chose to become a Builder, taking after someone else’s father in the minor hold. Hadranael loved his time outside, in the sun, sweating and working hard. After some time, Hadranael might have actually believed his job was superior to his father’s and his brother’s. At the dinner table, he would brag about the things he had seen that day while they had been locked up in the forge, even if it were something as simple as a Watchrider flying in for their shift. He later regretted his behavior when Lucaefer was searched and taken to the High Reaches Weyr for candidacy.
For a while, L’fer, which is what his name had been changed to, kept in touch. Then, after a couple of Turns, the correspondence just stopped. Hadranael sometimes thought he might have just been busy, but part of him always wondered if his snooty behavior was what had driven his brother away from the family. He focused in on his work, and on being gentle to the rest of his brothers, and worked on his Craft. He fell in love with a sweet girl at the hold named Pyra. He ended up moving in with her within the hold, and they often spoke about children but never had any. She was a few turns younger than him, but she was the person to help him through all his anxieties, to reassure him that the words he said didn’t always have as damaging an effect as he thought they did.
That didn’t change anything when the Searchrider and his dragon decided that, this time, Hadranael was definitely candidate material. All of the thoughts of the cruel things he’d said to his brother - even if they weren’t inherently cruel - came rushing back, and he had to take up the offer. At the very least, he could apologize to his brother. At the most, they could rekindle their relationship, become close again. So at age twenty he packed up a few things, kissed Pyra goodbye, and deliberated over what he would say to L’fer the entire way to the Weyr (although it wasn’t considerably long, with going Between).
When he first got there, he wasn’t surprised that he didn’t see L’fer immediately. It was a large Weyr, and it’s not like they announced the arrival of every new Candidate. He was surprised when weeks went by, and nobody in the Weyr recognized his brother’s name. Only one or two people even remotely remembered L’fer, and seemed to recall that he had stayed in the Weyr for an alarmingly short time after Impressing a green. One person suggested he left from the shame of it. Hadranael only knew that the timeline matched up eerily well with when his family stopped hearing from L’fer.
Not taking his brother’s example, Hadranael wrote to his family regularly, letting them know about everything he was going through. Candidacy was fine for him - he wasn’t overwhelmed by the study material or the chores, although he did miss Building quite a bit. There was too much time spent in a cave here, and he couldn’t wait for the day he was allowed to be in the sun daily again. He did not have to wait very long, for he soon impressed his gorgeous Sarieth, a bronze that immediately boosted up his social position in the Weyr. He was no wingleader yet, but he was a promising young rider, and without L’fer there he was able to flourish. Ha’el was honestly devastated that his brother wasn’t there to share this experience with him, and worried about where he might have gone every day.
He got his wish when some riders from Western came to visit for some political reason or another, about a Turn after Ha’el had impressed. One of them ran into Ha’el and remarked that he looked similar to a greenrider at Western. Upon further conversation, Ha’el discovered that L’fer had shown up at Western looking for a position as a wingrider not more than a few months ago. Ha’el hurriedly put in a request to transfer to Western. The actual transference took some time, since his reason for transferring was not an emergency, but after another half a Turn Ha’el was packing his things once again and leaving one life for another.
He was surprised, at first, by the attitude of the Weyr in general. The fact that he was not particularly lauded for being paired with a Bronze, for starters, and the strange assortment of differently colored dragons in the higher ranks. Eventually he grew used to it, although it never stopped feeling strange. The reunion with his brother was joyful, but awkward, and they had a lot of catching up to do. They didn’t end up becoming best friends like Ha’el had dreamed, but they did become close, creating a bond of trust between them like adults should. Ha’el never apologized for his cruelty as a child, mostly because he was worried that bringing it up would create some kind of bad blood. But as he’s grown close to L’fer, he wonders if he ever truly has to.
When Thread hit, Ha’el was worried about the rest of his family, knowing that they were far from where he and L’fer were in Western. He’s considered asking L’fer if the two of them could go back and check on them, but both of them are duty-bound, so he’s kept it to himself. He just has to wish that the riders in High Reaches are as diligent about their defense of their territory from Thread as they are in Western, instead of squabbling over petty politics.
Age: 6 turns (born in clutch) Color: Bronze Size: 37'
Physical Description:
Sarieth is small for a Bronze, and he prefers it that way. His hide might be described as plain, a dark brownish-bronze, and it’s as reflective as it can be. Sarieth is frequently crouching or keeping his neck low to the ground, as if to get on the same eye-level as humans and smaller dragons.
Personality:
Sarieth is a shy dragon, and he’s rather self-conscious. He and Ha’el both have anxieties that feed off of each other, and for that reason they must convince each other to be strong, as a sort of supportive couple. Sarieth has a hard time reaching out and making new friends, and he much prefers the open, no-pressure atmosphere of Western, rather than the one that lifted him up at High Reaches. He’d rather keep to himself, and by that he means most anything - hunting on his own, sleeping curled up in a corner by himself, and any other extracurricular activities. The one exception to that is, of course, having Ha’el along for the experience.
Sarieth is glad that Ha’el found his brother again, although he was not quite understanding at first of this divine blood connection the two boys had. Now, he’s even less understanding, as the only thing connecting them seems to be the genuine connections that makes other humans bind together, anyway. On the other hand, Sarieth can understand it in the way he feels about Thread - the burning in his veins to fight the beastly stuff from the skies. He’s even tried to bond with other dragons about it, although the conversations never go very deep. Among his kin, Sarieth finds himself stumbling over his words and fumbling into long, awkward silences. He’ll eventually need to find someone to pull him out of his shell, even though he’s already six years old, and he feels that perhaps Western Weyr would be the place he’d find that someone.
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 8:31 pm
Rikah
Rider - Approved Form Age: 26 Turns Nameday: 3556.11.25 Sex: Female Sexual Orientation: Mostly hetero, kind of bi-curious Previous Rank/Craft: Drudge Rider Rank: Wingrider Location: High Reaches Weyr
Physical Description:
Rikah stands at 5’4” and has a lithe figure, toned from riding her dragon. She has pale skin with very light freckles. Her slightly wavy, thick hair is cropped just past her chin, and it is a light shade of blonde. Her eyes are a medium grey, and they are very open and attentive. She has a scar from Thread burns that runs across the bridge of her nose and touches each cheek.
Personality:
Rikah is a humble girl with a sense of wonder in the world still present in her soul. She struggles with being outgoing, but enjoys making friends and is happy to approach new people if they seem pleasant to her. She loves to encourage other people, thinking that if she could grow from such a low station in life to such a high one, that anyone could potentially accomplish anything. She’s a bit of a daydreamer, and unless she has something specific to focus on, her mind will usually wander to the more fanciful side of things.
Having grown up as a drudge, Rikah was shielded from much of the knowledge in Pern for the majority of her life, and still finds it difficult to grasp some concepts as she learns them. She is driven with her heart, which has a lot of love to offer. However, she’s been hurt too many times. The Thread stole a child from her, so she lashes out against it with a personal, fiery vigor. This is currently her main obsession, something that prevents her from being content. Because of this, she finds herself frequently restless, searching for something or looking for something to do with her hands. Even though she is a gold wingrider, she’ll still sometimes go down to the kitchens and assist, or help the Candidates with their chores.
Rikah was born at a minor hold in the Northern territory, to a drudge mother. She never knew her father, a journeyman who had only made a brief stop in the Hold, and who her mother had fallen dearly in love with. The hold was often teeming with brief visitors like that - people who just wandered in and out, rarely staying long enough to maintain the relationships they had created. Rikah did not regret the fact that she never met her father, but she often imagined different versions of who he was. Perhaps he was a Lord Holder’s son on the run from the complication of noble life. Perhaps he was a gentle merchant who hadn’t wanted to leave her behind. Her mother never told her details, and perhaps she never asked because she would have rather dreamed.
Rikah grew up as a drudge due to her parentage, often being one of the many workers cleaning the rooms of guests. She enjoyed the job, for the most part - it kept her hands and body busy, and allowed her mind to wander. She was good at cleaning, so she rarely received cruel words from the people she worked for. Grateful to have a roof over her head and food in her belly, Rikah was content with where she was in life, for the most part. Her mother grew frailer with age, but never lost her heart. She was an inspiration to Rikah - someone could life a full life as a drudge, and not regret it.
Despite being low on the rung of social scales, Rikah became notorious among the other drudges for her beauty. Older women would tell her that surely some nice young man would come and sweep her away into a marriage arrangement, bringing her to great heights in the world. The idea appealed to Rikah as being incredibly romantic, and she frequently daydreamed about it as a thought that could never possibly come true. At age fifteen, a handsome boy a few years older came to the hold and stayed in one of Rikah’s rooms. As it turned out, he actually was the son Heir of a Lord Holder from somewhere very far south. He was traveling with his father on a mission to arrange a marriage at Tillek Hold, and he was incredibly unenthusiastic about the whole ordeal. He confided his worries to Rikah, and began to call her into his room at indecent hours to speak with her. She fell deeply in love with him in the brief time they had together, and apparently so did he. But at the end of the week he was staying in the hold, he left, and she never heard from him again. Two months later, she found she was pregnant.
Elja, her son, was born without complications. It was not unusual for drudges to have children out of wedlock, and not particularly unusual for them to have children at such a young age themselves. Although Rikah would never again see her one-time paramour, she fell deeply in love with her son, hoping for the best for him. Better than her, at least. She encouraged him, as a young one, to find a craft he was interested in. He spent a lot of time between the ankles of the drudges in the kitchen, where Rikah’s mother worked, and found a love for cooking. Raising Elja together aged both Rikah and her mother quite a bit, but she was always grateful for the amount of love in her family. Her son was growing to be a sweet, humble boy who would make a difference in the world.
As soon as Elja turned eight turns old, Rikah arranged with some travelers to take him to the Southern Hold where he could learn Cooking Craft. She missed him dearly, but was confident in her decision. Shortly after he left, Riders came to the hold on a Search. They found her to be an eligible candidate, despite being so close to aging out at twenty-four. Her mother saw this as an opportunity for Rikah to also rise above her station, just as she wished for Elja. Finally understanding her mother’s aspirations for her child, Rikah agreed to leave the hold and travel to the High Reaches Weyr.
Rikah’s time as a Candidate was enlightening. She’d never been given so much to do with her brain - so much reading and learning songs and history. Chores came more easily to her, and she found great comfort in still having to do menial work. She wrote to both her mother and her son whenever she could, and received many more responses from Elja, as her mother was not greatly literate. After ten months in the Weyr, Rikah impressed - with shock and humility - a Gold dragon. She found her third great love in Sofieth, and the pair worked well together, growing side by side in maturity and happiness.
Two months after Sofieth’s hatching, the Thread returned. Rikah received notice from the Southern Hold that Elja had died in the chaos of the return, at age fourteen, as he had gone outside to retrieve a shipment of ingredients. Rikah was broken by the news, but she did not fall into depression. Instead, she grew voraciously into an unbridled rage, a personal feeling of vengeance against the Threadfall itself. How dare it take the one thing that was dear to her? She was so consumed by the rage, that in her first flight against the Threadfall she was careless and found herself scored across the face, the thread narrowly missing her eyes but still somewhat mutilating her visage.
For the last Turn, Rikah has been recovering from her emotional wounds, but she still harbors a deep rage towards the unnatural force that stole her child away from the world. Having Sofieth helps a great deal, because at least the world hasn’t taken that away, but Rikah feels that perhaps she will never be able to love anyone else again. Until she meets someone, she’ll valiantly fight against the Thread the best she can.
Age: 1 turn (born in clutch) Color: Gold Size: 47'
Physical Description:
As a Gold, Sofieth is already an imposing size, but at only one year she is already larger than the biggest Bronze. She carries herself with pride, and she isn't afraid to take up space regardless of her size. The base color of her hide is a medium-toned gold, and her body is covered in darker swirls and some alternating lighter stripes. The membrane of her wings are a lighter gold. Since she is still so young and well-taken care of, she has yet to receive any mars or scars from the Thread, despite her rider having already earned one.
Personality:
Sofieth is a cynical, sassy dragon whose down-to-earth attitude balances out Rikah’s tendency to fall into daydreaming. She frequently has something to remark in any conversation she overhears, and does not hesitate to broadcast her judgemental or sarcastic remarks into Rikah’s head. Rikah loves this, and thinks it’s hilarious, so Sofieth enjoys this part of herself, too.
Sofieth tends to agree with Rikah in most matters, especially regarding the fighting of the Thread. Although she never met Elja, Rikah’s son, she feels that the boy must have really been something special to hold such a spot in her Rider’s heart. She’s not filled with the same amount of heated need for revenge against the Thread, but Sofieth is happy to perform the act she was created for in helping Rikah to fight Thread.
Sofieth is very excited about the prospect of one day taking flight and having dragon hatchlings. She has not done so yet because she is still young, and she just simply hasn’t had the urge yet. However, she’s very social, and she does keep a tab on the eligible males around her. Sometimes she wonders if she hasn’t felt the urge for Flight yet because of how her Rider feels about making connections with people, since Rikah has been so guarded about her friendships since the return of Thread. But regardless, Sofieth feels that she has to be there for her Rider in whatever way she can.
