Post by phlysolo on Oct 18, 2008 18:05:19 GMT -5
Whoop whoop, I rhymed. Anyho, this thread shall contain any and ALL of my WIPs from now until....ever. So, please, Reine, don't delete because I don't want to take up forum space in case I ever have to use the WIP section again. Feel free to archive it, though. :3
Name: Kaiton
Gender: Male
Age: 16 Turns
Season: Winter
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Rank: Candidate
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'9
Weight: TBA
Description:
Though Kaiton is well into his change, he still lacks height afforded to other boys of his age. Instead, he's grown rapidly into his muscles and has wiry strength for his meager stature of 5'5. Hopefully, his form will fill out and his height will rise to something much more respectable. His years of growing up under the heat of the suns out in the crop fields of his home Hold has left him quite tanned and muscled. He indeed looks like the farm hand he once was with dark freckles about his face under his pale blue eyes.
Like his clothes, his mousy brown hair never seems to be tidy. Do not be mistaken, he’s not a dirty young man who avoids the bathing pools at all costs, his hair simply never cooperates with him, giving the youth a constantly winded I-was-just-up-to-something look. He appears impish, but his blue eyes plead innocence and, since he hasn’t grown into his face quite yet, his boyish appearance makes it hard for anyone to seriously be stern or serious with him.
History:
TBA, variation of KKaiton was born the tenth of ten children to a family of farmers native to Liten Hold. His mother was over worked and underappreciated and his farther the same. Though the young man loves his mother, she was not as large of a roll in his life as his father. His father was never fatherly in any sense of the word except that he doled out punishment fairly when he needed to and taught his children what he knew the best way he knew how. Kaiton was just as responsible as his elder brothers were for his tasks as they were theirs. He learned at a young age that you worked hard when you worked and, if your work was good, were allowed to play hard afterward. Kaiton learned that arguing got him to nowhere except a good beating and thus he learned to do whatever it was asked of him and did it smartly.
His life in the Hold was quiet and repetitive. In the morning all the way till just about dusk, he was out in the fields with his fathers and brothers. The evenings were filled with learning letters and numbers. While his father couldn’t read or write, his mother could. She ensured that each of her children had as much grammatical and numeric knowledge as she, as basic as it was. He learned the basics of every aspect of farming. This life, though calm and pleasant, wasn’t right for the boy, however. He never spoke ill of his family or of their lifestyle, but farming didn’t stimulate him as it did the rest of his family. It was clear that he wouldn’t be very well off to follow in his father’s footsteps and, if he did, he’d never lead a truly happy life.
A plowing incident changed Kaiten’s life when he was fourteen Turns. His father was trampled by a herdbeast when it panicked; he did not survive the incident. Kaiten’s brothers were then charged with the family affairs, helping their mother as best they could. They had not the means to support all of their children and Kaiten was fostered off to his aunt. She resided at Benden Hold as a brewer for Benden’s fine wine. It was here that the lad learned the intricate means of raising grapes instead of wheat and bale. He was often sent as a “sales representative” by her to accompany the traders who made their way through the other Holds of the region to finally Ista Weyr in hopes of selling their wines. Actually seeing dragons caused as stir in the young man that he’d never felt before tending to crops. The excitement and the danger appealed to his sense of curiosity. Oh and how much he would LEARN! Weyrs, he knew, were a center of knowledge and exploration! Imagine the things he could see and discover there. Each trip back to Benden Hold felt like imprisonment and he wished, wished, that someday a Search dragon would come bugling to his Hold.
His dreams were however dashed when the Plague raveged Pern. He himself had no firelizards, but his aunt did and both of them became very ill. One of them, to Kaiton's recolection, had almost died. Still, he himself didn't have much contact with the Plague or its actual affects. He knew that Benden Hold's watchdragon had taken ill and died, as had the three they had sent in as his replacement. Truth be told, all the news from the Weyr that he heard for almost two Turns were of the death's of dragons and, usually, the suicides of their riders; it wasn't unusual that, during the height of the Plague's destruction, that death keels could be heard from Benden on almost a candlemark basis.
Kaiton couldn't comprehend the staggering amount of dragon deaths that happened literally every day. He thought that dragonkind would have been strong enough to fight the Plague off inside their own bodies as firelizards had...Finally, the Hold got news that there had been a cure and that the dragons would be healed. Still, though, for several months it wasn't uncommon to hear that a dragon had died either from the effects of the cure, but that it hadn't worked at all on him or her. But! The crisis had ended!
And Kaiton's hope of someday...someday becoming a dragonrider had filled him once more. He was confident that once the queens started rising again, he was sure to be Searched. And the boy was! It wasn't but a half sevenday when several blues and a couple of greens landed in the great bowl of Benden Hold. One was from Fort, another from Ista, and the rest all from Benden Weyr. Hopeful boys and girls crowded around them and Kaiton was one of them, thankful that the riders had shown up just when his chores for the day had ended.
He had the sheer luck of managing to skirt to the front of the crowd of youngsters and almost immediately the Fort rider and a Benden one singled the young man out, both claiming that they'd seen him first. While he was anxious to be taken on by the Benden rider, the Fort women and her green seemed so sweet and much kinder than the Benden bluerider had been, so he elected to join Igen's ranks.
And the lad was swept off a-dragonback along with another girl. Normally, he knew, that the Weyrs only Searched from the places beHolden to their Weyr, but it seemed that the Plague had forced many of the Weyrs to make an exception, for whatever reason.
Then, the waiting game began. The emptiness of the once full Weyr shook Kaiton immensely and he was fretful of how...lonely it was. Every dragonrider living at the Weyr seemed sad and depressed and he was certain that most of them had seen their best friends die, or had come to the brink of demise themselves... It took much longer for the remaining Fort Weyrwoman's dragon to Rise and Kaiton was shocked and dismayed by how few bronzeriders were, frankly, still alive to give Chase.
Regardless, the gold was caught by a bronze and it would eventually come time for her to Clutch, except....She didn't. The Weyr waited and waited and waited with anticipation, but...no Egg was ever laid upon Fort's Hatching Ground sands. Dismayed, the Weyrleaders weren't sure what to make of this horrendous event. It seemed, however, that the incident was not unique. Benden, Ista, Southern, and Telgar Weyr were all having the same problems. Every single surviving queen that Rose was as barren as a green.
The Weyrleaders of Pern sat for a meeting and it was decided that there was no hope of Pern repopulating the planet unless...Unless the gold that had Hatched from Ista's last Clutch was fertile. And, of course, no one knew if that was true and it would take...several Turns to find out.
When the news was returned to Fort Weyr, the message was not, obviously, well recieved. Most, if not all, the Weyr's Candidates had decided to give up their status and head for the Crafthalls, especially those Candidates were nearing the age cutoff. Kaiton, only being fifteen Turns at the time, had decided against giving up his only shot at Impressing a dragon. No, instead he requested that a dragonrider take him to Ista where he could at least await the outcome for himself. Luckily, he wasn't the only lad who had opted to cling to hope either. Several of his friends and acquaintances left Fort Weyr for a future of uncertainty at Ista Weyr.
Personality:
Stern obedience and a strong sense of morality were pounded into the lad by his late father. "Yeh do what ye told by yer e'ders 'n' tha's tha'!" was what the old man told him. The drillings Kaiton got made him better for it. Growing, he put forth the most effort he possibly could into every craft his father set him to, looking up to his father's and brothers' hardworking examples. The lad has always been fascinated by learning and gladly set himself to any task that had him under the wing of a competent teacher. Though he has little patience when he finds himself pursuing a task that he has no natural talent with, he does to his best to produce acceptable results.
His lack of patience also extends to those younger than him, though if ever he was charged with showing the "lit'lins" how to do something, he did. His eager mind is sharp and, although he was taught not to argue, he enjoys doing so...at great length. Not at random however: Kaiton enjoys the mental stimulus involved in outsmarting someone else. But, he can be a bad sport and detests the thought of anyone, who ranks him or otherwise, be better than him. Only loses puts the boy in a bad mood. Most often anyone can find the young man conversing with his seniors or his peers, or gallivanting around with lads his age looking for ways to cure their restlessness.
Pets:
N/A
For Candidates:
Honorific: K'ton
Preferences: Kaiton will need a dragon who has a more easy going and out-going personality.
Other:
N/A
Adoptable: If he becomes plot important use him, if not lose him.
Name: Jylie (Pronounced Jah-eye-lee)
Gender: Female
Age: 15 Turns
Season: Spring
Sexuality: Heterosexual, although she could have bisexual tendencies if she happens to befriend a dragon that catches her's/vice versa
Rank: Candidate
Hair: Red
Eyes: Hazel
Height: 5'8
Weight: TBA
Description:
More 'Irish' ancestery in her blood, with red hair and hazel eyes. Lots of freckles on her arms, legs, and face. Very milky white, burns easily. Tends to wear breathable long sleeved clothing to protect her skin. Classic beauty.
History:
Grew up in Ista Hold, mostly oblivious to the Plague, as it hadn't really affected her growing up aside from the fact that dragons were dying. Her parents didn't sheild her from everything, but the girl simply didn't care for world events and hadn't shown any inerest in dragons aside from the worry that there might be no way to fight Threads if they entire species was eradicated. Parents were hopeful that she would get Searched, but she remained indifferent until one was actually performed. **Wanna RP the Search out** Missed out the first time and from then on became obsessed with the idea. Parents bribed the watchrider to get in contact with a Searchrider from Ista. **Wanna RP out the Search**
Personality:
Typical fiery redhead. Short tempered, easily angered, becomes irate. Emotional, lets things get out of hand occassionally. Sometimes has a problem with authority. Always up on gossip and has a keen perception of what's going on around her, but generally doesn't act on anything unless it directly affects her. Enjoys the limelight, but doesn't seek it. Easy to make friends with and easy to talk to.
Pets:
N/A
For Candidates:
Honorific: J'lie
Preferences: Needs to be level-headed and firm. Must be able to not only calm her temper, but keep it from rising. Her dragon should be able to help get her out of the mindset of only worrying about things that affect herself and pay more attention to those around her.
Other: N/A
Adoptable: If she becomes plot important, use her. If not, lose her.
Name: S'koin
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Season: Summer
Sexuality: Considered bisexual, with more tendencies to be heterosexual.
Rank: Brownrider, Assistant Weyrling Master
Hair: A shabby mousey brown
Eyes: Dark, 'klah colored'
Height: 5'11
Weight: TBA
Description:
Most grown men on Pern stand well over six feet and tower over lesser individuals. S'koin was not gifted with height, however, as he barely skirts over the eleven inch mark of a measuring stick. The man's shortness of stature is easily made up by his burly strength. Every inch of him is covered with thick, heavy muscle and it is plain to see that he's a physical force to be reckoned with. In every manual job he performs, S'koin is looked to to add the muscle power to the task and help the job get done faster with his brute strength. In fact, he looks just as intimidating with his rock hard muscles that it more than compensates for his lack of height.
But, the man retains an approachable appearance and generally his hard chiseled face is smashed into a pleasant smile. His dark brown, almost black eyes, glint happily at all times of the day, early morning or late in the evening. His hair is cut neatly and the waves made flat. S'koin wouldn't be called attractive, but he looks personable enough. It could also be said that the man's appearance is one of a 'typical' brownrider, for he is not as attractive as bronzeriders are stereotypically associated to be, but he's easy on the eyes.
Unless he's specifically on duty, S'koin is rarely dressed in anything more formal than a pair of tattered looking wherhide trousers and a worn and faded shirt or jerkin. In fact, it is questionable that he even has dressier clothes as the man is well known to show up to Gathers wearing little more than what most people would consider casual wear. The man has never, apparently, ever heard of nor understood the meaning of 'dressing up,' but that's all the better because S'koin is generally rather hard on his clothes and it's difficult for him to even find a pair of boots that isn't completely worn in on the soles or a shirt that isn't threadbare.
History:
At child birth, S'koin, then Seriokoin, was rather ordinary. His father and mother worked hard at their Crafts in Rutha Hold, earning hard every single mark that they were compensated with. It was thus unfortunate to say that Seriokoin's father had a rather bad habit. He was thoroughly and completely addicted to gambling of all sorts. The man played cards, participated in throwing knife or dart competitions, bet on runnerbeast races, and the like. He also had the unfortunate quality of believing that he could never, ever lose and it was with this attitude that he gambled away the entire family's inheritance and means of survival when the boy was barely eight Turns.
Seriokoin now cannot remember the exact details, but he does know that his mother had furiously screamed with his father for several hours after the fateful card game. They ended the verbal brawl and his mother briskly walked out the door, leaving Seriokoin, his four siblings, and his father alone to fix the mess his sire had put them in. His Craftwork, never incredible to begin with, diminished absolutely and finally the tanner hall quietly dismissed him of his job. With no means of income he was forced to sell himself and his children into the sad life of indentured servitude.
But the boy, who was too young to really understand his situation, was not at all troubled by their relocation and the relatively difficult life he lived just on the outskirts of Rutha Hold proper. He, his siblings, and his father lived on a sprawling acreage owned by some well-to-do farmer Holder. He had been told, he vaguely remembered, that he had to serve ol' whats-his-name for eighteen Turns to pay off the debt that his father had landed them in. He supposed, but doesn't quite remember for sure, that his siblings had all been charged with the same sort of 'term.' Why it would take so long to repay the marks his father had had to borrow from the man was unbeknown to the lad.
And so his life continued for five long Turns. Seriokoin was separated from his father and siblings for so long that he forgot both their names and faces. His life was his work and his work was his life, although he wasn't a very accomplished stablehand. He was, however, dependable and steadfast, doing everything asked of him without a complaint or dirty look. While he did not revel in work, he seemed to enjoy the steady paces he could work at with beasts or crop alike. His education had ebbed to a halt and it was clear to even Seriokoin himself that his life would produce nothing, nothing at all, if he were to stay living the way he was under the Holder.
The boy was so effectively cut off from the rest of the world that he was astounded to see a bluedragon landing in the middle of a crop field. Apparently, the beast had over strained his left wing in flight and his rider had lowered the two of them to landing in the safest place they could think of: a large field beHolden to Rutha. Seriokoin was the first person on the scene and the thirteen Turn old boy was just as taken aback by the blue pair as they were of him. They couldn't believe that he had such sparse knowledge of dragonkind and of, well, everything else for that matter; why had not been properly trained by a harper? As for Seriokoin, he'd known, naturally, about dragons, but to actually see one! It was incredible, but not as incredible as what would be to come.
The dragon had...sensed something in the young man during their brief meeting and had insisted on taking Seriokoin with him. Of course, when the Holder learned of this absurdity, he waved the bluerider off, saying that Seriokoin would amount to nothing more than a drudge, for he was too stupid to be anything else, particularly not a dragonrider. But the bluerider had seen enough. Obviously, the Holder had no intention of rasing the lad according to Tradition, thus it was the dragonrider's duty to not only take him to a Weyr and properly learn him, but to also give him the honor of Standing for a Clutch.
Despite the Holder's protests, Seriokoin was lifted a-dragonback and taken to High Reaches Weyr. The lad had acted entirely bemused by the whole situation, not entirely comprehending what was going on. He, of course, didn't believe he possessed anything in him that would make him some kind of great dragonrider, but it would be nice to actually live his life rather than slave away on some dusty field...
So, the boy learned and grew and prospered for himself. He was educated in all the ways of dragonkind and Tradition, but that didn't necessarily mean he was fit to be a rider! No, Seriokoin stood for Clutch after Clutch after Clutch and not once, not one time at all did any dragon even sniff in his general direction. No, he stood alone for Turns, watching friends and acquaintances bond permanently and completely with an incredible dragon that was...them. He became jealous and bitter as his Turns went on and he knew if a dragon did not choose him within the next Turn or so, he would have to go back to Crafting...
But hope was not all lost! A queen had Risen and had produced such a fine Clutch that Seriokoin was not at all worried any more. An incredible forty Eggs stood upon High Reaches Hatching Grounds that it would be...obvious that he was not really dragonrider material if he didn't find a lifemate amongst such a large amount of Eggs. Only the Hatching would tell that and the time between Clutch, Touch, and eruption went by fast for the young man. It wasn't long before he stood in the front of the line of boys at one of High Reaches last Clutches before the Plague.
The first dragon who broke his shell was a big brown. He was massive by brown standards, almost as large as the smallest of bronzes, in fact. Like any brown, he was looking around with determination for someone who would fulfill his duties to the Weyr just as he would do. And it seemed that this one dragonet had only one human on his mind. Without hardly a pause from breaking shell, the brown strode purposefully forward and came to a direct stop in front of Seriokoin.
S'koin, I find myself exceedingly hungry and I know that you, as my rider, will feed me.
And in that moment, Impression was made. S'koin's life went full circle from being an ignorant, expendable piece of glow, to having the respect and authority of possibly becoming a wingleader...a Weyrleader. Bonded to brown Kirith, whatever had been missing in his life was put into place. He was whole, as was his baby dragonet.
The two grew together, Kirith becoming massive while S'koin settled into a shorter stature. The two rode sweeps and participated in the Spring Games with skill, poise, and a sense of duty that seemed to really define what it meant to be a brownrider. However, S'koin and his brown Kirith were not interested in any sort of real leadership position. They preferred to carryout orders rather than give them, so to speak, but when under pressure, S'koin always found it in himself to be a decent commander if the situation called for it. The pair had even claimed a weyrmate for each other. Green Bolmuth and her rider N'tari.
There times were not to be happy forever. The Plague spread with vicious efficiency through the Weyrs of Pern and hit High Reaches the hardest. In just eight months, all three of the queens had perished along with almost eighty-five percent of High Reaches' fighting force. Kirith, however, seemed to have some kind of...immunity, some kind of biological protection against the Plague's ravelings. He did become ill, but never so much that he was taken off the active duty list.
His friends and loved ones were not so lucky. Day after day, candlemark after candlemark, everyone he knew, every one he cared about as either weyrmate or lover had conceeded to death. At the worst hours of the Plague's embrace, Kirith was hoarse with his keels of death. S'koin's eyes had shed so many tears that his eyes for days seemed constantly red. N'tari had slashed her wrists and taken an over-dosage of fellis juice when her green passed into between. Indeed if it had not been for Kirith's steady encouragements, his good humor, his strength, S'koin would have probably offed himself as well, in his deep state of depression.
But, the Plague was fought and what few survivors of dragonkind there were now struggled to pick up the pieces of their lives. The WeyrlingMaster and eight of his ten assistants were now amongst the dead and dragonless. In their wake were almost eighty Weyrlings in different stages of their training. However, during the sickness, all training had been stopped and now these fledging riders had no one to look to as a competent teacher.
S'koin, one of the few able-bodied, adult riders in the Weyr had taken up the position of Temporary Weyrlingmaster just to help alleviate the situation. In this time of need, the man proved he could be a competent and thorough teacher of the youth. He was able to ease their minds of the suffering they'd seen, helped them to deal with it, helped the pairs grow stronger together as a team. S'koin, along with the two other Assitant Weyrlingmasters saw the group to dragonriders, honing and focusing their skills to make them all good, strong dragonriders in Pern's time of need.
And the survival rate had been excellent for a man who had only taken the post as a weak request from the Weyrleader. He had lost only two Weyrling pairs to accidents going /between/ and one in a Threadfall exercise when the young greenrider attempted a risque move and had fallen off his beast. Still! Thirty nine Weyrlings graduated to full dragonriders! And several bronzeriders in the bunch as well! Too bad there had been no queens...
It was just at this time of graduation when the worst news to reach High Reaches had been received: No queens had yet to produce Clutch after the Plague had been defeated. Every queen now was deemed to be 'infertile,' and Pern was left with but one hope: A newly Hatched queen from Ista's very last Clutch! While he didn't have much hope for this queen to be the answer to Pern's hopes, S'koin couldn't allow himself to wallow in grief. It was Kirith who suggested they transfer to Ista Weyr, for if there was a Clutch, they would need help training the youngsters who managed to Impress.
It was a sound idea and S'koin was all for it. Indeed it didn't take the defeated High Reaches Weyrleader to agree to the brownrider's request and send him off...
Personality: S'koin is tough and dependable, brave and honest. Had he been living on Terran during the ages of kings and royalty, he would have had the heart of a true knight. He is chivalrous and noble and expects the best out of everyone he meets. Of course, the fact that he is so true can lead some to think that he is overbearing and pompous. The man can also be a bit too nosey for his own good and does find himself in positions that he shouldn't be in if he hadn't decided to eavesdrop on conversations. Because of his high moral standards, S'koin tends to be hardest on himself and doesn't take criticism very well. However, he is an exceedingly good teacher as he is patient, steadfast, and has a tendency to give people more credit than they deserve and more if they really need it. The brown rider really is not 'fast thinker' and he takes his time solving problems. His attitude about traditions may make young riders think he's old fashioned despite the fact that he's not that old himself.
Pets:
N/A
For Riders:
Dragon name: Kirith
Dragon color: Brown
Dragon age: 14 Turns
Hatching season: Spring
Dragon description: Kirith is massive, bulky, with a gigantic wingspan. Pound for pound, meter for meter, this brown is just as big as some small bronzes. With his mounds of endurance, it is unusual that he himself doesn't chase golds. However, his girth does make it quite challenging sometimes in green flights as well, since he simply cannot achieve such incredible manevuers in flight as the smaller, lither dragons can. Still, he can easily win a long green flight, as his stamina is more than enough to keep up until she's run out of steam.
As for hide color, Kirith is rather plain. Shades vary along his hide to be either a milk chocolate color, to a light tannish, but no markings on his great body are unusual or unique.
Dragon personality: Though he could probably do very well, Kirith has no real interest in mating with queens, but will chase if the flight is deemed 'important' enough. This dragon prefers the quick thrill and release of green flights and will endlessly chase any green that rises in his vicinity **and lesser specials when available**. Kirith has inherited the typical 'brown' personality, but with good sense of humor and easy-goingness that make him an approachable dragon for Weyrlings or lesser colored dragons. Like his rider, Kirith prefers spending time with younger folk, including Candidates and doesn't care what scale of the hierarchy he hangs out with, bronze or green, he couldn't care less.
Other:
Temp Assistant Weyrling Master, possibly permanent Weyrling Master if necessary.
Adoptable: Yep.
Name: Kaiton
Gender: Male
Age: 16 Turns
Season: Winter
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Rank: Candidate
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'9
Weight: TBA
Description:
Though Kaiton is well into his change, he still lacks height afforded to other boys of his age. Instead, he's grown rapidly into his muscles and has wiry strength for his meager stature of 5'5. Hopefully, his form will fill out and his height will rise to something much more respectable. His years of growing up under the heat of the suns out in the crop fields of his home Hold has left him quite tanned and muscled. He indeed looks like the farm hand he once was with dark freckles about his face under his pale blue eyes.
Like his clothes, his mousy brown hair never seems to be tidy. Do not be mistaken, he’s not a dirty young man who avoids the bathing pools at all costs, his hair simply never cooperates with him, giving the youth a constantly winded I-was-just-up-to-something look. He appears impish, but his blue eyes plead innocence and, since he hasn’t grown into his face quite yet, his boyish appearance makes it hard for anyone to seriously be stern or serious with him.
History:
TBA, variation of KKaiton was born the tenth of ten children to a family of farmers native to Liten Hold. His mother was over worked and underappreciated and his farther the same. Though the young man loves his mother, she was not as large of a roll in his life as his father. His father was never fatherly in any sense of the word except that he doled out punishment fairly when he needed to and taught his children what he knew the best way he knew how. Kaiton was just as responsible as his elder brothers were for his tasks as they were theirs. He learned at a young age that you worked hard when you worked and, if your work was good, were allowed to play hard afterward. Kaiton learned that arguing got him to nowhere except a good beating and thus he learned to do whatever it was asked of him and did it smartly.
His life in the Hold was quiet and repetitive. In the morning all the way till just about dusk, he was out in the fields with his fathers and brothers. The evenings were filled with learning letters and numbers. While his father couldn’t read or write, his mother could. She ensured that each of her children had as much grammatical and numeric knowledge as she, as basic as it was. He learned the basics of every aspect of farming. This life, though calm and pleasant, wasn’t right for the boy, however. He never spoke ill of his family or of their lifestyle, but farming didn’t stimulate him as it did the rest of his family. It was clear that he wouldn’t be very well off to follow in his father’s footsteps and, if he did, he’d never lead a truly happy life.
A plowing incident changed Kaiten’s life when he was fourteen Turns. His father was trampled by a herdbeast when it panicked; he did not survive the incident. Kaiten’s brothers were then charged with the family affairs, helping their mother as best they could. They had not the means to support all of their children and Kaiten was fostered off to his aunt. She resided at Benden Hold as a brewer for Benden’s fine wine. It was here that the lad learned the intricate means of raising grapes instead of wheat and bale. He was often sent as a “sales representative” by her to accompany the traders who made their way through the other Holds of the region to finally Ista Weyr in hopes of selling their wines. Actually seeing dragons caused as stir in the young man that he’d never felt before tending to crops. The excitement and the danger appealed to his sense of curiosity. Oh and how much he would LEARN! Weyrs, he knew, were a center of knowledge and exploration! Imagine the things he could see and discover there. Each trip back to Benden Hold felt like imprisonment and he wished, wished, that someday a Search dragon would come bugling to his Hold.
His dreams were however dashed when the Plague raveged Pern. He himself had no firelizards, but his aunt did and both of them became very ill. One of them, to Kaiton's recolection, had almost died. Still, he himself didn't have much contact with the Plague or its actual affects. He knew that Benden Hold's watchdragon had taken ill and died, as had the three they had sent in as his replacement. Truth be told, all the news from the Weyr that he heard for almost two Turns were of the death's of dragons and, usually, the suicides of their riders; it wasn't unusual that, during the height of the Plague's destruction, that death keels could be heard from Benden on almost a candlemark basis.
Kaiton couldn't comprehend the staggering amount of dragon deaths that happened literally every day. He thought that dragonkind would have been strong enough to fight the Plague off inside their own bodies as firelizards had...Finally, the Hold got news that there had been a cure and that the dragons would be healed. Still, though, for several months it wasn't uncommon to hear that a dragon had died either from the effects of the cure, but that it hadn't worked at all on him or her. But! The crisis had ended!
And Kaiton's hope of someday...someday becoming a dragonrider had filled him once more. He was confident that once the queens started rising again, he was sure to be Searched. And the boy was! It wasn't but a half sevenday when several blues and a couple of greens landed in the great bowl of Benden Hold. One was from Fort, another from Ista, and the rest all from Benden Weyr. Hopeful boys and girls crowded around them and Kaiton was one of them, thankful that the riders had shown up just when his chores for the day had ended.
He had the sheer luck of managing to skirt to the front of the crowd of youngsters and almost immediately the Fort rider and a Benden one singled the young man out, both claiming that they'd seen him first. While he was anxious to be taken on by the Benden rider, the Fort women and her green seemed so sweet and much kinder than the Benden bluerider had been, so he elected to join Igen's ranks.
And the lad was swept off a-dragonback along with another girl. Normally, he knew, that the Weyrs only Searched from the places beHolden to their Weyr, but it seemed that the Plague had forced many of the Weyrs to make an exception, for whatever reason.
Then, the waiting game began. The emptiness of the once full Weyr shook Kaiton immensely and he was fretful of how...lonely it was. Every dragonrider living at the Weyr seemed sad and depressed and he was certain that most of them had seen their best friends die, or had come to the brink of demise themselves... It took much longer for the remaining Fort Weyrwoman's dragon to Rise and Kaiton was shocked and dismayed by how few bronzeriders were, frankly, still alive to give Chase.
Regardless, the gold was caught by a bronze and it would eventually come time for her to Clutch, except....She didn't. The Weyr waited and waited and waited with anticipation, but...no Egg was ever laid upon Fort's Hatching Ground sands. Dismayed, the Weyrleaders weren't sure what to make of this horrendous event. It seemed, however, that the incident was not unique. Benden, Ista, Southern, and Telgar Weyr were all having the same problems. Every single surviving queen that Rose was as barren as a green.
The Weyrleaders of Pern sat for a meeting and it was decided that there was no hope of Pern repopulating the planet unless...Unless the gold that had Hatched from Ista's last Clutch was fertile. And, of course, no one knew if that was true and it would take...several Turns to find out.
When the news was returned to Fort Weyr, the message was not, obviously, well recieved. Most, if not all, the Weyr's Candidates had decided to give up their status and head for the Crafthalls, especially those Candidates were nearing the age cutoff. Kaiton, only being fifteen Turns at the time, had decided against giving up his only shot at Impressing a dragon. No, instead he requested that a dragonrider take him to Ista where he could at least await the outcome for himself. Luckily, he wasn't the only lad who had opted to cling to hope either. Several of his friends and acquaintances left Fort Weyr for a future of uncertainty at Ista Weyr.
Personality:
Stern obedience and a strong sense of morality were pounded into the lad by his late father. "Yeh do what ye told by yer e'ders 'n' tha's tha'!" was what the old man told him. The drillings Kaiton got made him better for it. Growing, he put forth the most effort he possibly could into every craft his father set him to, looking up to his father's and brothers' hardworking examples. The lad has always been fascinated by learning and gladly set himself to any task that had him under the wing of a competent teacher. Though he has little patience when he finds himself pursuing a task that he has no natural talent with, he does to his best to produce acceptable results.
His lack of patience also extends to those younger than him, though if ever he was charged with showing the "lit'lins" how to do something, he did. His eager mind is sharp and, although he was taught not to argue, he enjoys doing so...at great length. Not at random however: Kaiton enjoys the mental stimulus involved in outsmarting someone else. But, he can be a bad sport and detests the thought of anyone, who ranks him or otherwise, be better than him. Only loses puts the boy in a bad mood. Most often anyone can find the young man conversing with his seniors or his peers, or gallivanting around with lads his age looking for ways to cure their restlessness.
Pets:
N/A
For Candidates:
Honorific: K'ton
Preferences: Kaiton will need a dragon who has a more easy going and out-going personality.
Other:
N/A
Adoptable: If he becomes plot important use him, if not lose him.
Name: Jylie (Pronounced Jah-eye-lee)
Gender: Female
Age: 15 Turns
Season: Spring
Sexuality: Heterosexual, although she could have bisexual tendencies if she happens to befriend a dragon that catches her's/vice versa
Rank: Candidate
Hair: Red
Eyes: Hazel
Height: 5'8
Weight: TBA
Description:
More 'Irish' ancestery in her blood, with red hair and hazel eyes. Lots of freckles on her arms, legs, and face. Very milky white, burns easily. Tends to wear breathable long sleeved clothing to protect her skin. Classic beauty.
History:
Grew up in Ista Hold, mostly oblivious to the Plague, as it hadn't really affected her growing up aside from the fact that dragons were dying. Her parents didn't sheild her from everything, but the girl simply didn't care for world events and hadn't shown any inerest in dragons aside from the worry that there might be no way to fight Threads if they entire species was eradicated. Parents were hopeful that she would get Searched, but she remained indifferent until one was actually performed. **Wanna RP the Search out** Missed out the first time and from then on became obsessed with the idea. Parents bribed the watchrider to get in contact with a Searchrider from Ista. **Wanna RP out the Search**
Personality:
Typical fiery redhead. Short tempered, easily angered, becomes irate. Emotional, lets things get out of hand occassionally. Sometimes has a problem with authority. Always up on gossip and has a keen perception of what's going on around her, but generally doesn't act on anything unless it directly affects her. Enjoys the limelight, but doesn't seek it. Easy to make friends with and easy to talk to.
Pets:
N/A
For Candidates:
Honorific: J'lie
Preferences: Needs to be level-headed and firm. Must be able to not only calm her temper, but keep it from rising. Her dragon should be able to help get her out of the mindset of only worrying about things that affect herself and pay more attention to those around her.
Other: N/A
Adoptable: If she becomes plot important, use her. If not, lose her.
Name: S'koin
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Season: Summer
Sexuality: Considered bisexual, with more tendencies to be heterosexual.
Rank: Brownrider, Assistant Weyrling Master
Hair: A shabby mousey brown
Eyes: Dark, 'klah colored'
Height: 5'11
Weight: TBA
Description:
Most grown men on Pern stand well over six feet and tower over lesser individuals. S'koin was not gifted with height, however, as he barely skirts over the eleven inch mark of a measuring stick. The man's shortness of stature is easily made up by his burly strength. Every inch of him is covered with thick, heavy muscle and it is plain to see that he's a physical force to be reckoned with. In every manual job he performs, S'koin is looked to to add the muscle power to the task and help the job get done faster with his brute strength. In fact, he looks just as intimidating with his rock hard muscles that it more than compensates for his lack of height.
But, the man retains an approachable appearance and generally his hard chiseled face is smashed into a pleasant smile. His dark brown, almost black eyes, glint happily at all times of the day, early morning or late in the evening. His hair is cut neatly and the waves made flat. S'koin wouldn't be called attractive, but he looks personable enough. It could also be said that the man's appearance is one of a 'typical' brownrider, for he is not as attractive as bronzeriders are stereotypically associated to be, but he's easy on the eyes.
Unless he's specifically on duty, S'koin is rarely dressed in anything more formal than a pair of tattered looking wherhide trousers and a worn and faded shirt or jerkin. In fact, it is questionable that he even has dressier clothes as the man is well known to show up to Gathers wearing little more than what most people would consider casual wear. The man has never, apparently, ever heard of nor understood the meaning of 'dressing up,' but that's all the better because S'koin is generally rather hard on his clothes and it's difficult for him to even find a pair of boots that isn't completely worn in on the soles or a shirt that isn't threadbare.
History:
At child birth, S'koin, then Seriokoin, was rather ordinary. His father and mother worked hard at their Crafts in Rutha Hold, earning hard every single mark that they were compensated with. It was thus unfortunate to say that Seriokoin's father had a rather bad habit. He was thoroughly and completely addicted to gambling of all sorts. The man played cards, participated in throwing knife or dart competitions, bet on runnerbeast races, and the like. He also had the unfortunate quality of believing that he could never, ever lose and it was with this attitude that he gambled away the entire family's inheritance and means of survival when the boy was barely eight Turns.
Seriokoin now cannot remember the exact details, but he does know that his mother had furiously screamed with his father for several hours after the fateful card game. They ended the verbal brawl and his mother briskly walked out the door, leaving Seriokoin, his four siblings, and his father alone to fix the mess his sire had put them in. His Craftwork, never incredible to begin with, diminished absolutely and finally the tanner hall quietly dismissed him of his job. With no means of income he was forced to sell himself and his children into the sad life of indentured servitude.
But the boy, who was too young to really understand his situation, was not at all troubled by their relocation and the relatively difficult life he lived just on the outskirts of Rutha Hold proper. He, his siblings, and his father lived on a sprawling acreage owned by some well-to-do farmer Holder. He had been told, he vaguely remembered, that he had to serve ol' whats-his-name for eighteen Turns to pay off the debt that his father had landed them in. He supposed, but doesn't quite remember for sure, that his siblings had all been charged with the same sort of 'term.' Why it would take so long to repay the marks his father had had to borrow from the man was unbeknown to the lad.
And so his life continued for five long Turns. Seriokoin was separated from his father and siblings for so long that he forgot both their names and faces. His life was his work and his work was his life, although he wasn't a very accomplished stablehand. He was, however, dependable and steadfast, doing everything asked of him without a complaint or dirty look. While he did not revel in work, he seemed to enjoy the steady paces he could work at with beasts or crop alike. His education had ebbed to a halt and it was clear to even Seriokoin himself that his life would produce nothing, nothing at all, if he were to stay living the way he was under the Holder.
The boy was so effectively cut off from the rest of the world that he was astounded to see a bluedragon landing in the middle of a crop field. Apparently, the beast had over strained his left wing in flight and his rider had lowered the two of them to landing in the safest place they could think of: a large field beHolden to Rutha. Seriokoin was the first person on the scene and the thirteen Turn old boy was just as taken aback by the blue pair as they were of him. They couldn't believe that he had such sparse knowledge of dragonkind and of, well, everything else for that matter; why had not been properly trained by a harper? As for Seriokoin, he'd known, naturally, about dragons, but to actually see one! It was incredible, but not as incredible as what would be to come.
The dragon had...sensed something in the young man during their brief meeting and had insisted on taking Seriokoin with him. Of course, when the Holder learned of this absurdity, he waved the bluerider off, saying that Seriokoin would amount to nothing more than a drudge, for he was too stupid to be anything else, particularly not a dragonrider. But the bluerider had seen enough. Obviously, the Holder had no intention of rasing the lad according to Tradition, thus it was the dragonrider's duty to not only take him to a Weyr and properly learn him, but to also give him the honor of Standing for a Clutch.
Despite the Holder's protests, Seriokoin was lifted a-dragonback and taken to High Reaches Weyr. The lad had acted entirely bemused by the whole situation, not entirely comprehending what was going on. He, of course, didn't believe he possessed anything in him that would make him some kind of great dragonrider, but it would be nice to actually live his life rather than slave away on some dusty field...
So, the boy learned and grew and prospered for himself. He was educated in all the ways of dragonkind and Tradition, but that didn't necessarily mean he was fit to be a rider! No, Seriokoin stood for Clutch after Clutch after Clutch and not once, not one time at all did any dragon even sniff in his general direction. No, he stood alone for Turns, watching friends and acquaintances bond permanently and completely with an incredible dragon that was...them. He became jealous and bitter as his Turns went on and he knew if a dragon did not choose him within the next Turn or so, he would have to go back to Crafting...
But hope was not all lost! A queen had Risen and had produced such a fine Clutch that Seriokoin was not at all worried any more. An incredible forty Eggs stood upon High Reaches Hatching Grounds that it would be...obvious that he was not really dragonrider material if he didn't find a lifemate amongst such a large amount of Eggs. Only the Hatching would tell that and the time between Clutch, Touch, and eruption went by fast for the young man. It wasn't long before he stood in the front of the line of boys at one of High Reaches last Clutches before the Plague.
The first dragon who broke his shell was a big brown. He was massive by brown standards, almost as large as the smallest of bronzes, in fact. Like any brown, he was looking around with determination for someone who would fulfill his duties to the Weyr just as he would do. And it seemed that this one dragonet had only one human on his mind. Without hardly a pause from breaking shell, the brown strode purposefully forward and came to a direct stop in front of Seriokoin.
S'koin, I find myself exceedingly hungry and I know that you, as my rider, will feed me.
And in that moment, Impression was made. S'koin's life went full circle from being an ignorant, expendable piece of glow, to having the respect and authority of possibly becoming a wingleader...a Weyrleader. Bonded to brown Kirith, whatever had been missing in his life was put into place. He was whole, as was his baby dragonet.
The two grew together, Kirith becoming massive while S'koin settled into a shorter stature. The two rode sweeps and participated in the Spring Games with skill, poise, and a sense of duty that seemed to really define what it meant to be a brownrider. However, S'koin and his brown Kirith were not interested in any sort of real leadership position. They preferred to carryout orders rather than give them, so to speak, but when under pressure, S'koin always found it in himself to be a decent commander if the situation called for it. The pair had even claimed a weyrmate for each other. Green Bolmuth and her rider N'tari.
There times were not to be happy forever. The Plague spread with vicious efficiency through the Weyrs of Pern and hit High Reaches the hardest. In just eight months, all three of the queens had perished along with almost eighty-five percent of High Reaches' fighting force. Kirith, however, seemed to have some kind of...immunity, some kind of biological protection against the Plague's ravelings. He did become ill, but never so much that he was taken off the active duty list.
His friends and loved ones were not so lucky. Day after day, candlemark after candlemark, everyone he knew, every one he cared about as either weyrmate or lover had conceeded to death. At the worst hours of the Plague's embrace, Kirith was hoarse with his keels of death. S'koin's eyes had shed so many tears that his eyes for days seemed constantly red. N'tari had slashed her wrists and taken an over-dosage of fellis juice when her green passed into between. Indeed if it had not been for Kirith's steady encouragements, his good humor, his strength, S'koin would have probably offed himself as well, in his deep state of depression.
But, the Plague was fought and what few survivors of dragonkind there were now struggled to pick up the pieces of their lives. The WeyrlingMaster and eight of his ten assistants were now amongst the dead and dragonless. In their wake were almost eighty Weyrlings in different stages of their training. However, during the sickness, all training had been stopped and now these fledging riders had no one to look to as a competent teacher.
S'koin, one of the few able-bodied, adult riders in the Weyr had taken up the position of Temporary Weyrlingmaster just to help alleviate the situation. In this time of need, the man proved he could be a competent and thorough teacher of the youth. He was able to ease their minds of the suffering they'd seen, helped them to deal with it, helped the pairs grow stronger together as a team. S'koin, along with the two other Assitant Weyrlingmasters saw the group to dragonriders, honing and focusing their skills to make them all good, strong dragonriders in Pern's time of need.
And the survival rate had been excellent for a man who had only taken the post as a weak request from the Weyrleader. He had lost only two Weyrling pairs to accidents going /between/ and one in a Threadfall exercise when the young greenrider attempted a risque move and had fallen off his beast. Still! Thirty nine Weyrlings graduated to full dragonriders! And several bronzeriders in the bunch as well! Too bad there had been no queens...
It was just at this time of graduation when the worst news to reach High Reaches had been received: No queens had yet to produce Clutch after the Plague had been defeated. Every queen now was deemed to be 'infertile,' and Pern was left with but one hope: A newly Hatched queen from Ista's very last Clutch! While he didn't have much hope for this queen to be the answer to Pern's hopes, S'koin couldn't allow himself to wallow in grief. It was Kirith who suggested they transfer to Ista Weyr, for if there was a Clutch, they would need help training the youngsters who managed to Impress.
It was a sound idea and S'koin was all for it. Indeed it didn't take the defeated High Reaches Weyrleader to agree to the brownrider's request and send him off...
Personality: S'koin is tough and dependable, brave and honest. Had he been living on Terran during the ages of kings and royalty, he would have had the heart of a true knight. He is chivalrous and noble and expects the best out of everyone he meets. Of course, the fact that he is so true can lead some to think that he is overbearing and pompous. The man can also be a bit too nosey for his own good and does find himself in positions that he shouldn't be in if he hadn't decided to eavesdrop on conversations. Because of his high moral standards, S'koin tends to be hardest on himself and doesn't take criticism very well. However, he is an exceedingly good teacher as he is patient, steadfast, and has a tendency to give people more credit than they deserve and more if they really need it. The brown rider really is not 'fast thinker' and he takes his time solving problems. His attitude about traditions may make young riders think he's old fashioned despite the fact that he's not that old himself.
Pets:
N/A
For Riders:
Dragon name: Kirith
Dragon color: Brown
Dragon age: 14 Turns
Hatching season: Spring
Dragon description: Kirith is massive, bulky, with a gigantic wingspan. Pound for pound, meter for meter, this brown is just as big as some small bronzes. With his mounds of endurance, it is unusual that he himself doesn't chase golds. However, his girth does make it quite challenging sometimes in green flights as well, since he simply cannot achieve such incredible manevuers in flight as the smaller, lither dragons can. Still, he can easily win a long green flight, as his stamina is more than enough to keep up until she's run out of steam.
As for hide color, Kirith is rather plain. Shades vary along his hide to be either a milk chocolate color, to a light tannish, but no markings on his great body are unusual or unique.
Dragon personality: Though he could probably do very well, Kirith has no real interest in mating with queens, but will chase if the flight is deemed 'important' enough. This dragon prefers the quick thrill and release of green flights and will endlessly chase any green that rises in his vicinity **and lesser specials when available**. Kirith has inherited the typical 'brown' personality, but with good sense of humor and easy-goingness that make him an approachable dragon for Weyrlings or lesser colored dragons. Like his rider, Kirith prefers spending time with younger folk, including Candidates and doesn't care what scale of the hierarchy he hangs out with, bronze or green, he couldn't care less.
Other:
Temp Assistant Weyrling Master, possibly permanent Weyrling Master if necessary.
Adoptable: Yep.