Name: Petrion (PEH-tree-on) Gender: Male Orientation: People. ooooStatus: He’s a baby leave him alone. Age: 13 Home Weyr: High Reaches Rank: Jr. Apprentice Healer
Common knowledge: As the only child of Niobet (HR’s Gold Aedeth’s rider), Petrion is at least a familiar site to most HRW regulars. He’s a nosey kid, but friendly, and always seems to be up on the latest juicy gossip; don’t make eye contact or he’ll invite himself to take over your afternoon.
Currently Ongoing: N/A
Ideas for Future: Friends….? He’s smol. Petrion is a good option for play if you have something going on with your character and want them to explore it in a casual way. So, say, instead of seeking out a mindhealer, they get interrogated about personal business by a kid who won’t stop pushing buttons until he’s actively chased away. Petrion loves gossip.
Profile:
Name: Petrion (PEH-tree-on) Age: 13 (DOB 3561.02.27) Sex: Male Sexual Orientation: People. Craft: Jr. Apprentice Healer Rank: Weyrbrat Location: High Reaches Weyr
Physical Description: His hair is dark and soft, curly as his mother’s, a shaggy knot around his ears, but dark, darker, nearly black save for the chocolatey brown revealed in full sun. Above wide, ever-grinning lips and a sharply pointed nose are eyes very much like his mother’s, mahogany red-flecked, deep brown and expressive. He is….a charming boy, perhaps, too young to be handsome; still small and not -quite- round, for life is too active for round, but soft with babyfat lingering over a frame that promises to one day be not exceptionally tall, but strong and sturdy. Petrion is not one to shy from a conversation and stands straight and sure behind his big eyes and barrage of questions. How can you say no to that face?
Personality: Petrion loves people. He loves knowing people, he wants to know all of the people, he’s going to learn something about you right now please and thank you. While not yet quite old enough comprehend that his pristine life has not been the life experienced by the majority of the Weyr’s inhabitants, Petrion has come to realize that every person he meets has something neat to share, something he doesn’t know yet. Socially fearless in the way of the truly assured, he is going to join you at your meal and pepper you with questions because that jacket is new and it looks sharp and by the way he’s Petrion—yeah, it’s a mouthful—and that jacket, you had a different one last week and--. Garrulous, friendly, slow to anger and slower to act on it, Petrion is a good child who likes to be good—or likes to be liked, and as yet is too young to understand that being liked can be useful. He welcomes individuals into his all-encompassing inner circle with only a single bright conversation and assumes that they have done the same for him.
This is a child who never outgrew his why phase. Petrion is curious past the point of caution, always watching—and always, eventually, intruding. What’s that you’re working on? What’s it for? Why’re you doing it? Why’re you doing it that way? Is there another way you could do it? What’ll you do after? And the next step? Why that? The boy has a filter, but it is a poor one; he thinks before speaking, weighs the consequences, and then almost always speaks anyway. The need to know is pressing. Perceptive, Petrion has a skill for picking his moments; his initially incessant questions calm to disciplined and patient prods interspersed with periods of wide-eyed observation once a companion begins answering in earnest. He does have a tendency to overstay his welcome, pushing too hard or getting too personal, but retreats only momentarily to raised hackles, backs slowly to warning barks, and departs only to outright commands.
Aiding this tendency is a sense of self-assuredness uncommon to one so young. Petrion has lived in the Weyr all of his short turns, and that consistency of environment has trained him “well”. Clever and socially-savvy, Petrion has as yet been presented with no lasting reason to doubt himself. As the son of a goldrider (which also, definitely, means the son of a bronzerider) and still safe from the critical eyes of the Weyr in his pre-Candidacy years, he is safely nestled in his personal identity as a Person Worth Knowing And Beloved By All. He is dutiful, not ambitious, and moves through the world with the comfort of one who knows exactly which his path is, how he is to follow it, and where it will bring him. Despite his curious nature, he is not a dreamer, but is firmly grounded in the here and now. Sure, it would be cool to see other parts of Pern—but High Reaches is his place, and High Reaches folk are his people, and Petrion’s whole world is people.
Young and unpolished, Petrion’s inquisitive nature often gets him into—well not trouble, but certainly under everyones’ skins. He is usually in the way, whether directly underfoot or shadowing from just far enough that one can’t really justify telling him to fly off. His initially-harmless questions frequently cross the line into intrusive, and avoiding or refusing to answer them tends to win the adverse a constant shadow until they relent. Though by no means spoiled, Petrion is proud, stubborn, and used to (eventually) getting his way. Exceptionally extroverted, he often fails to turn his questioning inward and is commonly guilty of hypocritical and self-serving behavior. He has a strong sense of permanence that can translate into neglecting important areas and people in his life. Having not yet faced either serious rejection or unpredictable change, it is safe to assume that he would handle both very poorly.
Ultimately, Petrion is a child. Bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and without bruise or blemish, he is a poem waiting to be written. While his nature is firm, his nurture has not yet come to pass, and he will undoubtedly learn and change and grow as he moves through his world. Perched precariously on the tipping points of puberty and Candidacy, his guiding mantras may be decided by the next few turns. We’ll see how he grows up.
History: Born to a Western goldrider less than a turn free of Weyrlinghood, Petrion was immediately dumped upon the creche—with the understanding that no, he was not being surrendered, but that his mother’s attention was for the time limited. Her gold was young and proud and not at all inclined to bow to the more democratic sentiments of the Weyr of her hatching, while her infant son was, well, eating and pooping and sleeping and repeating. The dragon needed her more. Through the early turns, Petrion’s mother Niobet maintained a presence in his life and kept a watchful eye as he aged into a precocious little nuisance. And when peaking tensions between their equitable community and her proud gold led to dragon and rider transferring from the Weyr, Niobet brought her toddling son with her.
The trio’s new home was as different from Western as steel from sand, and it was here that young Petrion came to understand the way the world worked. As the child of an ambitious gold dragon and her self-possessed rider, his status in the Weyr was never in question, and his position was one both of privilege and no little bit of expectation. He was a bright boy and his pedigree was perfect; he would Impress well and go on to do great deeds. And he knew what well meant, in the naïve way of children, and would debate it with his mother in the quiet hours when her bold dragon was asleep:
Aedeth was the best! Aedeth was always saying so, and surely his mother would agree? She was big and strong and brilliant and shiny and everyone looked up to her—and to the other golds, of course, who were also The Best. And the bronzes were almost, almost as big and strong as the golds, and they were the golds’ Very Best Friends, so the golds must know what they were doing when putting the bronzes in charge. Everyone else? Everyone else was….just trying to keep up, right? There was nothing bad about the other colors or wrong with them, and Petrion would never be mean to them because they weren’t golds or bronzes, but of course they couldn’t do the same sorts of things that golds and bronzes could! Different dragons, different colors, had different strengths. Then what made golds better? What made golds Best? That philosophical arc was well beyond him at the tender age of 8, “They’re big” being an unsatisfactory answer, and at 13 he still hasn’t quite wrapped his mind around it.
As a future pinnacle of weyr community, Petrion was encouraged in his education from a young age and learned his numbers and letters to the songs of the Weyrsinger, later proceeding to reading simple skins and performing basic arithmetic. With the return of Thread in his 11th turn and every hand needed, he began an apprenticeship under the weyr’s Healers. His early duties of cleaning bedpans and minding boiling pots of bandages have more recently expanded to monitoring the less critical patients and assisting with emergency first aid in the heat of a Fall, where, cool-headed and too young to truly have a sense of death, he hard balks to blood and ichor.
Petrion loves Healing—mostly for the patients, loves chatting with them while he works, loves all the good feelings that come from lifting their feelings—not only because they are happier, but because he figured out what to say to make them so. If the details of the medicines and salves and the appropriate order of procedures are less interesting, well, maybe that will come with age. As part of his duties, he continues to spend a decent bit of time with the weyr’s Harpers, learning the reading comprehension and mathematics skills that will enable him to study the great aged skins holding knowledge of Pern’s diseases and remedies, potions and draughts, and to thereby proceed into a true apprenticeship. He’s in a bit of a hurry, as he’ll explain when asked; he has to cram it all in before he Impresses, after all.
Other: Boy has some pipes, or at least some lungs. He can be loud.
Candidate Specific Questions Do you want them to have an official Search RP? No, weyrbrat Do you understand they will age every passing year regardless if you're there to RP the or not? Yes Do you want them to have a possible Stands Impression? I mean he’s very small, but that could be fun. P’tre did, V’tre did, obvs it runs in the family
Logged RPs/IC Timeline Link | Title | Status | Other Characters
Name: Marilye Gender: Female Orientation: Heterosexual; polyamorous ooooStatus: Very available Age: 17 Home Weyr: High Reaches Rank: Apprentice Vinter
Positive Trait List Enthusiastic, whimsical, convivial, content Negative Trait List Naïve, complicit, short-sighted, indifferent
Common knowledge: Well….no, she’s new. Have you seen her before? Probably not.
Currently Ongoing: Mari is very new to HR after arriving about 7 sevendays before the Magic clutches’ Hatchings. She’ll be avidly seeking new friendships and just trying to get a feel for the Weyr.
Ideas for Future: Friends, lovers, baby dergs; I deliberately wrote this girl as a blank slate. Throw characters at her.
Profile:
Name: Marilye [MAHR-ih-LIE] Age: 17 Sex: Female Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual; polyamorous Craft: Vinter Rank: Apprentice Location: High Reaches Weyr
Physical Description: Marilye is adorable. She is always smiling, always bright and awake, always vibrant with energy and goodwill, and that positive energy reaches every single inch of her. Her bright honey eyes peek with poorly-feigned modesty from behind thick chestnut curls artfully trimmed to accent her heart-shaped face. Marilye matured young; short and stout with curves for miles, she positively oozes femininity. She favors layered skirts and fitted bodices, and even her day-to-day work attire is form-fitting and conscientious of the latest fashions. Mari knows that her looks are her greatest asset, and she goes to great lengths both to maintain them and to show them off.
Personality: Marilye is an innocent, young hedonist. That’s it. That’s the character.
Cheerful, peppy, gossipy, and live-for-the-now, Marilye is sunshine wrapped in rainbows. She is a fun person to be around. Bubbly and optimistic to the point of outright denial, she doesn’t like to think about the darker realities of the world—and of her own life—and when confronted with them, simply laughs away concerns and changes the subject. Life is comfy enough and she is perfectly happy thankyouverymuch and all that worrying is just going to make you wrinkle before your time! Why concern yourself with all of these silly abstract issues when you could have a good time today, right now?
She is a dreamer, but not a planner; her dreams are ones of whimsy and romance and attention. A bad dream is not a bleak and desolate wasteland, but the sudden realization of nudity in front of the wrong crowd of people. Frivolously foolhardy and brave in the way of the short-sighted, Marilye is extremely susceptible to peer pressure and indulges urges from her companions with giggle-laden, mock-modest showmanship. At home in a flock, Marilye is prone to mothering in a shallow, don’t-actually-ask-me-to-fix-you-problems way. Here’s a slice of tart she saved for you—you really shouldn’t miss meals so frequently--now talk with her while she washes these pots or Tilda will have her hide—-again. She isn’t averse to hard work but is distractible while in company and prone to daydreaming while without. When supervised, she is a solid, chipper worker bee.
Groomed to be a wife and mother and totally ******** cool with it, Marilye has absolutely no expectations for herself except to enjoy the ride. As she is supposed to, she aspires to Knowing Everyone, Marrying Well, and Having All Of The Children, and can’t even begin to imagine a future for herself that diverts from that plan. She loves the freedom that comes with walking a predetermined path and having minimal expectations placed upon her. While coming to the Weyr did upset that walk, it did so in a romantic, near-magical way. Whisked off by a handsome rider to a bustling community full of drama, ritual, and dangerous beasts? What girl would have it any other way! It is safe to say that Marilye, who is a bit intimidated by the prospect of Impressing, has no expectation of actually doing so—-and it is debatable as to whether the rider who Searched her believed she stood a chance either—but the Weyr is vastly more exciting than her family’s winery ever was, and she has no intention of every leaving again.
Positive Trait List Enthusiastic, whimsical, convivial, content Negative Trait List Naïve, complicit, short-sighted, indifferent
History: Marilye had never shared her father’s ambitious nature, and that suited them both. The Mastervinter Sinomar was locally famous for his pluck. With little but his bootstraps—and the legacy of a small holding in the highlands of northeastern Tillek, held by his family for generations—he had crossed the continent to study amongst the best in Benden’s Vinter Hall and had returned with the secrets of Wealth. Within a few short turns of attaining his Mastery, the Mastervinter, as he was locally known, had transformed his family’s self-sustaining cothold into an industry. Three decades later, the historic farmhouse, barn, and silo had multiplied to form a sprawling community, and acres and acres of sunny, temperate Tillek foothills were laden with leafy vines. The fruits of his labors (well, the fermented juices of the fruits of his labors) fetched a mighty sum in nearby Nabol, and Sinovar and his community prospered.
The fourth child of the Mastervinter and his beloved, industrious wife, Marilye entered the world to comfort and stability. After two brothers and a sister, her birth was celebrated, she was loved, and then her parents’ attentions moved on with the birth of another brother the following year. Marilye was not a forgotten child or an unwanted one; indeed, her parents were if anything too doting upon all of their children. But the eldest boys would inherit their father’s responsibilities, and her elder sister would be available to ensure valuable marriage alliances; if Mari respected her parents and maintained happy relationships with her siblings, there would always be someone to take care of her. She would be fine.
Under her parents’ watchful eyes, she grew and learned and dreamed—of the next Gather and who she might dance with there, of what the home that Papa would build for them would look like, of names for the children that they would bear. She pushed boundaries and received quiet, distracted scoldings and crossed the same lines again the next day. There were beaus and out-past-curfews and smalls scandals giggled in hush voices across the mess hall. Mari was sighed over for being “willful” and “lost in the clouds”, but oh, perhaps it was good for a girl to have “spirit”? Heads were shaken and tongues were clicked, and life moved on, and Marilye danced through it. What more could you do with a silly, dreamy girl?
As if from a Harper’s song, her dream-beau found her on the Gather square one cool, clean night in late summer. He told her stories of many-colored eggs hardening on hot Sands and of the dragonet which grew within one of them, the dragonet which would love her with all of its being. He told her of snow-capped mountains and the curious habits of the weyrfolk who lived there, and he spoke sweetly of the honey eyes which followed him with such acuity. And Mari knew that it wasn’t love and knew that she wanted it nonetheless, and she left with him and his intimidating, beautiful dragon for High Reaches Weyr the very next day. As of late 3574, she has been in the Weyr—and not in the arms of the young rider—for little more than three-score days, and she has never been happier.
Other: DISCLAIMER: Marilye is deliberately a stereotype. She’s a sheltered kid from a privileged family built on traditional gender roles. I’m looking forward to watching her grow—in who knows which direction!
Candidate Specific Questions Do you want them to have an official Search RP? No, but I might backwrite it eventually if I find a PC to be her boyo. Do you understand they will age every passing year regardless if you're there to RP the or not? Yes Do you want them to have a possible Stands Impression? Yes
Logged RPs/IC Timeline Link | Title | Status | Other Characters
Name: Donovost Gender: Male Orientation: Bisexual ooooStatus: Single; oblivious Age: 19 Home Weyr: Western Rank: N/A (Unofficial Beastcraft)
Positive Trait List Pragmatic, ambitious, dutiful, selfless Negative Trait List Noncommittal, diffident, unassertive, repressed
Common knowledge: Donovost is probably a familiar sight to other Candidates and/or anyone closely involved with Western’s beastcraft, and not many others. He doesn’t talk much, but when he has it’s always been kind. He tends to shadow groups of Candidates in a totally not creepy, I’m-participating-but-I’m-not sort of way. He spends a lot of time working with the beastcraft--when he's not taking remedial classes.
Currently Ongoing: I got nothin’, y’all. He’s going to stand in a corner until someone drags him out.
Ideas for Future: Vost is in complete awe of Western, and he keeps his mouth shut in large part for fear of saying something that make it clear that he’s very out of place. I’d love for him to make some friends (or backdate some friendships) to help him learn that this fancy modern world isn’t actually all that complicated.
Profile:
Name: Donovost [doh-noh-VOHST] Age: 19 Sex: Male Sexual Orientation: Bisexual Craft: Beastcraft (unofficial) Rank: N/A Location: Western
Physical Description: Donovost is a country boy—emphasis on boy--, and he wouldn’t know how to begin to hide that. He has the look of a young man who hasn’t quite come into his weight: lanky, slim, and all lean muscle, desperately in need of fleshing out. Donovost is very casual in his dress and carriage; not in the least fashion-forward, he is very likely to turn up to class in muddied trousers then turn bright red and change the subject with a not-quite-apologetic “oops” when someone points it out. His pale skin has been splatter-painted with freckles from turns working outdoors and is frequently pink from the sun, and his blond hair, straight and fine and further sun-bleached, is kept clipped short for the sake of cleanliness. He has a long, narrow face, a pointed chin, and small, serious lips. His eyes, by far his best feature, are an expressive ocean blue.
Personality: How does one know when he has found his tribe? How does one know that it is there to be found? How does one know that he has not already found it? Donovost is a young man without roots, and he is acutely aware of their absence. Wistful and nostalgic for a present that never has been, he carefully toes firm footing, resisting trusting his weight to it. He isn’t shy or fearful; he hasn’t been burned or damaged, no more so than any other refugee of Thread—-indeed, perhaps less so. But he has always been aware of life’s impermanence, and, cyclically, created impermanence in his life by restless counteractions made preemptively.
He is a quiet person, or perhaps simply a private person; he is background support. After growing up with only a very large family for company, Donovost doesn’t really understand how to plant and grow friendships, but does know to take care of those in his pack. He is the one who stays as a party winds down to sleepily pick up trash and put away chairs. He is the Candidate who waits up to ensure that everyone makes it back to the dorms safely. Donovost cares in a peripheral way; independent and reserved, making connections is not his forte, so he treasures those individuals dogged enough to batter down his walls and forge connections for him. Polite and soft-spoken (well, well-trained), he keeps his cards close to his chest. He has many acquaintance and very few true friendships.
To say that Donovost wants “more” would be a stretch. Life is stable and good and fulfilling—and yet. He wants for very little—and yet. Ambitious but mulling, he has a tendency talk himself down from any sort of personal exceptionalism. One might say that Donovost can’t see the forest for the trees. Does he want power? No, not really—but when pressed, perhaps it would be nice to feel heeded, like his words had weight. Does he want adventure? Not per se—but, perhaps, there is something to be said for venturing beyond one’s safe zone, if that safe zone is unsatisfying? Does he want love? Not—uh—I—blush.
This young man is possessed of the pervading sense that his life if without purpose, and he finds that…..unremarkable? For who is he to call it frustrating; unfair; unsatisfying? Donovost’s pragmatism is a blessing and a curse, both preventing him from reaching for the sun and, “blessedly”, from flying too close. He is one of the masses-—and he resents it, and he accepts it—or so he tells himself, and meanwhile he comes back to the thought again and again. Donovost wants. Wants to…help. Wants to change things. Wants to matter. But, reserved, he thus far refuses to reach out and take it. Donovost works hard, keeps his head down, and feels a pang of longing when cast into shadow by overhead wings.
Positive Trait List Pragmatic, ambitious, dutiful, selfless Negative Trait List Noncommittal, diffident, unassertive, repressed
History: The plains of southern Lemos fared better than those of Telgar when Thread returned. Unlike ravaged Telgar, Lemos had warning. There was time to restore the watches; time to crowd lowing herdbeasts into long-abandoned shelter caverns; and while nearby Igen Weyr had stood empty through the memory of even the eldest grandad, when Thread came, dragons rose to meet it. After all, Dragonmen must fly/when Threads are in the sky. There was loss, but it was manageable. With the help of the Dragonmen and -women, the cotholders surveyed the damage and laid plans for the next Fall. And the next one. And the next one. Under the wings of the Riders and their great beasts, the little cothold might yet survive the Fall.
Donovost had never seen a dragon before Thread came, not as more than a shadow soundlessly drifting across the sky. On the wide plains of Lemos, the world was small and self-sufficient. His family—parents, siblings, aunties, uncles, cousins, several grands—had farmed the land they tenanted for four generations, and that was enough. Trips beyond the small cothold, the annual herding of animals to tithe or market, were but rare; visitors to their small community were rarer still and more correctly consisted of the permanent arrivals of new betrotheds to cousins. Occasionally the land Holder would visit for a sevenday—and bring with him a slew of extra chores such that, honestly, Donovost was always so busy during the visits that he couldn’t even recall what the man looked like.
It was not a bad life, nor even a quiet one. Everyone who could walk had a job, and even the two old aunties who couldn’t helped in the kitchen. From the time that he could toddle, Donovost was collecting eggs and shelling peas, then hauling buckets of slop or bent and picking with the harvest, then pinning a struggling ovine while an elder cousin carefully clipped away winter wool, then whistling instructions to canines from the back of a runnerbeast as together the urged a herd towards greener pastures. Life was more or less predictable, and that was more or less satisfying. Donovost, respectful and soft-spoken, was not one to complain; nonetheless, he lived for the days that were More Than: the days of herdbeasts born breech, but carefully guided through the night until both twins emerged to wobble hale and hearty around their mother; the days of sudden sweeping plains hailstorms threatening to drive the ovines into a gully, when pushing a runner too indiscriminately in his haste to redirect might send both beast and rider in instead. Donovost, who knew community from birth, felt he was a spoke in a wheel, an independent consigned to the functioning of a whole—but on these days of charged emotions and rapid action, he recognized that independence too had value, and that, perhaps, so did he.
It meant little. The farm was his future; there was no practicable alternative for Donovost, and to dream otherwise was only to invite despair, an unaffordable luxury with so much to be done. Donovost worked and grew and was not unhappy. Thread returned, and Dragons followed with it. For the first time in Donovost’s young life, the farm’s security was in doubt, yet they had been lucky. The buildings still stood; the aunts and uncles and cousins all survived, but the crops were a mess and a score of herdbeasts had been lost. It would be a tight turn, but not so bad as would face some neighbors.
Over the first sevenday post Thread, Donovost’s duties were replaced with those of the More Than days. With the assistance of riders, uncles, and cousins, he joined the relief efforts, cleaning the rubble of fallen cotholds to free those trapped within or ranging far afield to round up escaped herdbeasts. He worked closely with the two Weyr riders who had donated their time, worked diligently, followed orders, rode on his first dragon—rode on his first dragon, a magnificent green—and the world began to slow again. The riders would soon depart, life would resume more or less as it had before, and Donovost would not be unhappy.
Instead, he found himself spending supper one evening not with the riders, but with a dragon. The small blue surprised him with a nudge to the shoulder while he ate, and, when Donovost did not flee or object, sidled down beside him emitting feelings of warmth and curiosity. Donovost offered to share his stew; the blue politely declined. They spent the evening in amicable silence until the dragon’s rider reappeared to explain that Osraneth had enjoyed working with him this sevenday; had sensed something in him; had thought he would do well in the Weyr, as a Rider. It was nonsense, of course, but kindly meant as far as Donovost could tell, and he thanked them both and sent them on. Thread had returned. The crops were in shambles; the herds were scattered; the farm was flooded with refugees. His family needed him more than the Weyr did.
Or.
The herds were collected. The crops were pruned, culled, and replanted. Donovost’s eyes drifted to the sky. Routine returned with rapidity; he met it with dutiful will. And two sevendays later, when Osraneth and His appeared from between to check on the recovery efforts, Donovost did not hesitate. He gathered his meager possessions, kissed his mother goodbye, and left with blue and rider for Western Weyr that very day. The riders needed him more than the Weyr did—and he needed them, too.
Even after a turn in Western, the Weyr is a culture shock, though somewhat eased by found duties assisting with the Beastcraft’s herds of dragonfodder. Intelligent but illiterate and easily overwhelmed by crowds of unfamiliar faces, Donovost often feels outdated and socially-dense, especially during his remedial Candidate lessons. If anything, he works the harder for it. He will catch up; he will adapt; he will—excel? Matter? Make his difference? Help.
Donovost has not once regretted his choice.
Candidate Specific Questions Do you want them to have an official Search RP? No Do you understand they will age every passing year regardless if you're there to RP the or not? Yes Do you want them to have a possible Stands Impression? Yes
Logged RPs/IC Timeline Link | Title | Status | Other Characters
Name: Is'men Gender: Female Orientation: Bisexual ooooStatus: Single Age: 33 Rank: Weyrless; trader in obscure and hard-to-come-by goods
Positive Trait List Creative, fearless, unfailingly loyal Negative Trait List Self-absorbed, reckless, proud, combative
Common knowledge: Is’men can get you whatever you want, given enough time and marks. She makes frequent appearances in the darker districts of Nabol and has strong opinions about the shitshow that is High Reaches Weyr. Short temper; good stories.
Currently Ongoing: Is’men is on the periphery, so…not much, but if you have ideas please feel free to approach.
Ideas for Future: ???? Honestly, I transferred her because she’s fun to play, but in my mind she’s pretty stable. I’m very willing to entertain ideas, however, if you’re interested in her.
Profile:
Name: Is’men (Formerly Isemena) Age: 33 Sex: Female Sexual Orientation: Bisexual Weyr: Originally High Reaches Weyr, currently Weyrless Rider Rank: Explorer/Mercenary Previous Rank/Craft: Hired guard, bit work, general drudgery
Positive Trait List Creative, fearless, unfailingly loyal Negative Trait List Self-absorbed, reckless, proud, combative
Physical Description: Is’men is a stick of a woman, thin and wiry and just a touch malnourished. A hard, active life and slim food rations have stripped just about every inch of 'soft' from her body, though a hint of femininity has survived in small breasts and the ghost of hips. Taller than most women and composed entirely of slim muscles, Is’men packs a wallop and is more than capable of holding her own in a scrap, for all that she weighs about half as much as her usual opponents. She is quick and flexible and moves with the fluid grace of a jungle cat, each step confident and powerful and poised.
Is’men has olive skin and light brown, almond eyes set in a heart-shaped face. Her head is kept impeccably shaven, and her hair (which should be a dull brown) rarely manages more than a prickly fuzz over her skull before she trims it away again. Her excuses for this "style" vary as wildly as her tales of her origins, but the truth probably has something to do with the sizeable knot of a scar to the back and right of her skull, which tails into a point behind her ear. Is’men moves through life in loose riding gear and oiled leather body armor and values the heft this attire adds to her appearance as much as the protection it provides.
Personality: Is’men is loud, cocky, opinionated, and unbelievably stubborn. She is not a compassionate person, has little need for the emotional well-being of others, and even her dearest friends are likely to be met with jarring words of get-up-and-deal-with-it on their down days. Is’men calls things as she sees them, with little regard for who they might upset or offend. If the sissy couldn't handle it, he should toughen up and is better for it. She is a drama-whore and a living troll; if life is dull, she finds a way to make it more interesting. Is’men can't just walk into a room; she saunters in and turns it upside-down. Any attention is good attention, and life can always be more exciting. Is’men takes what she wants when she wants it, and the eyes of a crowd are no exception.
She's a teller of tales, and man, does she have some whoppers. Is’men is always quick to supplement her own experiences with fanciful lies in the retellings. With the unconventional hobbies and habits she maintains, it can be very difficult to tell which of her stories have actually occurred and which Is’men is only hoping will occur. She's an adventurer and a daredevil, always up for a dare or a challenge. She enjoys the road less traveled and goes out of her way to find new experiences. Is’men never takes the same path twice, and is somewhat unreliable for it. Why walk around the block when she could go over the rooftop? Agile and athletic, she is always climbing or tumbling or leaping off of something.
It is no great surprise, then, that most attempts to sit her down and drill an education into her skull have met with only frustration for both teacher and student. Is’men is a smart girl--not brilliant, but capable--but to this day remains largely illiterate despite the best efforts of several tutors. She is undoubtedly dyslexic; Is’men has a fair vocabulary and can usually get her point across in her own heavily-phonetic writing, but reading all but the simplest of words is a serious chore. This is a sore point and has led to Is’men viewing the extensively-educated with bitterness and distrust.
She does not--and probably will not ever--understand the value in a good day's labor. She is not a lazy person. Indeed, it can be difficult to stop her from moving. She simply feels that most socially-regulated chores are largely unnecessary, and why should she waste her time on them when she can manage perfectly well without them? Restless soul that she is, however, she will accomplish what's asked of her provided that at least one of four conditions are met: a) she can be convinced of the necessity of the task; b) the task is of greater interest than whatever else she might be doing at the time; c) there’s a huge payout; or d) the request (or instruction) comes from someone who she deeply respects.
Respect does not come quickly with this girl. 'Authority issues' might be something of an understatement. Is’men will not, under any circumstances, follow the instruction of a superior just because that person has been appointed to a position above her. Oh, sure, she may follow the petty orders because they make sense, but she'll be quick to voice her own opinions on the matter and--did you just take a tone with her? Actions speak much, much louder than words where Is’men is concerned, and results buy loyalty--eventually.
Once won, her loyalty is unwavering and does not fade. Her leader could slaughter a minor holding and eat a bag of kittens and Is’men would blindly insist that his mission was well-meant. (The hold was harboring a drug trad, perhaps, and the kittens were actually trained assassins and would have killed them all in their sleep! That he ate them, well...He was being practical, conserving resources.) This loyalty extends to her circle of friends, but the blindness is not so quick to accompany it. Is’men will be quick to admit when a friend is making terrible choices and may even call him a numbwit herself, but she won't abandon his side for it. She's possessive of people; once she's taken someone under her wing--or been sheltered under someone else's--that person is tied to her, and she is not quick to surrender that bond.
This possessive loyalty settles people into something of a 'hierarchy of friendship' in Is’men's mind. It's common knowledge that Is’men will fight with anything that moves; this most certainly includes her friends. Mess with someone higher on the hierarchy than you, and Is’men will take you out. Mess with Is’men herself and your a** is grass. She is proud, very proud, with a short fuse that can only be settled explosively, but she is not so proud that she will not admit defeat when it occurs. Is’men knows when she's been whipped--and, likewise, knows when to ease up on her opponent before his own stubbornness carries a fight too far. In the end, a thrashing on either side often solves a great deal, and forgiveness comes quickly. A fight will never override a friendship, where Is’men is concerned.
Beneath all of the brawn and bluster, there's a young woman hiding somewhere. And not hiding particularly well. Is’men definitely has her feminine side and embraces it gladly as her life allows. She's fond of soft and silky and shiny, enjoys being pampered and spoiled. Gather gowns are admired with no little amount of envy. The opportunity to doll herself up would be wholehearted embraced. She's vain, in a practical way, and very fond of her own appearance. Opportunities to flaunt it are always indulged in, and any teasing from her peers that may accompany a makeover is returned good-naturedly. Is’men likes to enjoy herself, and when she's gotten it into her mind that she's going to do just that, very little can distract her for long. That's all she wants out of life, really, no major request: To see everything, to do everything, and to enjoy every moment of it.
History: Is’men is the eldest daughter of the young Lord Holder of Ista, his pride and joy and, once, his heir. In a tragic twist of fate, she was shipwrecked during a lengthy sea voyage to visit her dear uncle Rolfando at his stake in coastal Ruatha. For days she was tossed about by the angry ocean, clinging to shipfish--no, huge, aquatic trundlebugs for her very life, until a wayward beam from the decimated ship struck her over the head and she blacked out! ("But, you must've been days from the ship by the--" "Who's tellin' tha story, you'r me?") Her poor, tiny, storm-ravaged body was flung from wave to wave--("What happened to the trundlebu--"WHAP)--until, suddenly, the clouds opened up and, half-drowned, she was rescued by a trading vessel en route for Southern Boll. The rest, as they say, is history.
Ish. The story varies wildly with each retelling and, most often, is completely different from the story before. Is’men spent her youth traveling with a band of traders until her very own auntie sold her off as a personal slave in Bitra, or she was abandoned in the Telgar forests as a baby and raised by wild felines. Whatever the true story is, the world will never hear it from her lips. In reality, the early years were far from spectacular. A little, ancient cothold whose veins had nearly run dry, desperately attempting to remain competitive among the rough Nabolese mines; a large family, a tussle of older brothers; inattentive parents caught up in the burdens of debt then fracturing to poverty and shame and drink. Lives were hard and sharp and brief, and were stolen away by dust-blackened lungs or tunnel collapses before one’s children were grown. By the age of eight, the young Isemena had come to recognize the bleak future laid out for her; by ten, she had found her way out.
He was an older gentleman, a greenrider by Impression, silvery-grey and gruff. His dragon, a bland, grayed forest green, was stocky and square; she was not a pretty beast, and he was not a handsome man, but they fit each other very well, and they were happy. He was an independent agent, largely a courier, whose business dealings carried him between the debt-holding Nabol proper and the little hill holds that served it. As one of the few visitors to Isemena’s little hold, he immediately became the focus of fascination and, soon, obsession. The little girl had an uncanny knack for appearing as if from between only moments after he and his green had landed. She would follow him doggedly, skirting chores to pepper him with questions about his travels and wild stories about her own, imagined ones. To the unending bemusement of the greenrider, she would occasionally offer him little, childish gifts of flower crowns and shiny pebbles, as if he were a dear crush—and one day, she finally popped the question: Could she be his apprentice?
She made a strong case—well, a pathetic little sight. Regardless, his beloved green, heart aflutter, had wholeheartedly accepted the proposal before he could blink, and then there was no defeating the pair of them. Thus followed negotiations with the parents—grateful for one less mouth, reluctant for one lost worker, concerned for slimy ulterior motives, hopeful for a better future for their child, and distracted, distracted, distracted. A bargain was struck, and at the tender age of ten turns Isemena became a Dragonrider’s apprentice. The rider had treated her like an adult from the moment he met her and was more than happy to let her take care of herself where she could, and Isemena liked that about him; she liked to think of herself as Adult and Capable and Independent. The greenrider was never a father to her, but gradually, very gradually, he became a friend.
The years wound by with Isemena first a not-so-silent shadow, then a more and more competent assistant, then—to the greenrider’s grumbling disapprovals—to something of a smuggler in her own right. Morals lost to the youth and excitement of her ever-changing life, Isemena, ferried by the nomadic life of her greenrider, garnered a reputation for being able to acquire whatever a buyer might want if the price was high enough, especially if that buyer traded in information. Frivolous games of slight-of-hand around campfires became pickpocketing, then catburglary. Hunting for nightly meals escalated to clacking wooden swords, then real ones. Isemena was quick and slim and acrobatic, able to climb anything in two beats and tuck herself away in nooks that no grown adult could hope to hide in. She was a decent enough spy for short-term watches, even better when it came to stealing maps and documented trade schedules--and escaping over the rooftops with them on the occasions when she was discovered. Fear was a thrill and a successful theft had a flavor all its own; Is’men loved the life, for all that the risks surrounding it evaded her sensibilities.
When she was nineteen, these risks caught up with her when a deal gone bad resulted in the death of her greenriding companion and his devoted green. Isemena felt the loss keenly—and shortly thereafter even more so, for she had lost not only her friends but her way of life. A series of trades, bribes, and swindles saw her back to Nabol proper, but without the reliable transport of her green sister, Isemena’s old business dealings could not be sustained. She found some success in the “information business” and supplemented with bit work when she could, until at 21 she was among those hired to escort a trading caravan between Nabol and High Reaches, with a brief stopover at the Weyr.
Brief became short-term when, upon the invitation of a very pushy brown dragon, Isemena broke contract to Stand for an upcoming Hatching, then long-term when her wager was rewarded by the arrival of a boisterous brick of a blue into her life, then life-in-prison as blue and rider raged against the confines of Weyrlinghood and the strict social order of High Reaches Weyr. Out of sheer spite, she took the honorific of Is’men halfway into her first turn of weyrlinghood and refused to respond to anything else. By the end of that same turn, she and Ingenith were relegated indefinitely to latrine duty as the Weyrlingmaster scrambled to control behavior that fluctuated from lackadaisical to combative to openly insubordinate and malicious. The pair graduated—or were graduated as the Weyrlingmaster washed his hands of them—and left High Reaches the very next day.
In the turns since, Is’men has rekindled her connections and improved upon her art, and she and Ingenith are well known to the blacker markets of Pern, if always greeted with some caution. She has also reconnected with many other riders who have fled the weyr, including goldrider Aishe, a friend of her High Reaches turns and graduate of her own weyrling class who occasionally employs Is’men and Ingenith as extra muscle. She does not live to excess and, as far as anyone knows, has no permanent residence, instead trading to sustain the travels and adventures that make up her days with her bold blue. Buy her a drink, and she’ll tell you all about them.
Other: Serious sweet tooth, easily persuaded by candy.
Dragon: Ingenith Color: Blue Age: 12 (Eveleth x Thistreth, HR 3562) Size: 24’, but a heavyweight. Image:Here
Positive Trait List Proud, cunning, physically strong, adventurous Negative Trait List Narcissistic, easily bored and dissatisfied, self-important
Common knowledge: Do. Not. Insult. Ingenith. He can’t fight you, but Is’men can—and anyway, he’ll just find a more creative way to fight you. This blue is proud and prickly and loves a challenge for the challenge itself as much as the win—and he will win.
Currently Ongoing: Just, yanno, bein’ Ingenith. Come at me bro.
Ideas for Future: As with his rider, I brought in Ingenith because he’s fun to play, but in my mind he’s pretty content. I’m very willing to entertain ideas—-especially if they involve some sort of absurd competition. Ingenith is definitely in.
Profile:
DRAGON Name: Ingenith Age: 12 (Eveleth x Thistreth, HR 3562) Color: Blue Size: 24’, but a heavyweight. Physical Description: Ingenith is huge! No, he just thinks he is, and that's probably enough. As a cruel twist of nature, this fighter is actually incredibly small in stature, and will always be that way. Built like a brick, he is stocky, with thick legs, a thick tail, a thick neck, and muscle like you wouldn't believe. He is not at all a particularly dexterous blue, but he makes up for that with pure power and stamina. Watch out world, Ingenith will crush you.
Personality: (Originally written by Uta for Sands of Pern, with minor modifications to accommodate new setting/increased age.)
“With confidence, you have won before you have started."
Keeping Ingenith out of trouble is about as easy as keeping water in a sieve. There is a great amount of spirit within this blue and he is drawn towards excitement and adventure. Ingenith is a guaranteed handful. If this blue is not underfoot and seeking adventure and glory, then he is likely stirring trouble simply because he can. This is a dragon who does not like to be bored. He is in constant need of stimulation -- both mentally and physically. The true trouble begins when nothing piques his interest; if he is not given entertainment or adventure, then he will simply have to go out and find it himself.
Unfortunately, what was harmless enough behavior when young tends towards incredibly troublesome as an adult. What do you mean he can't take on all of High Reaches in a show of force? What do you mean he should not try to play hero if Thread falls again? Why can't he try to catch that Queen by his great cunning and surprise her near the end? What do you mean hunting wild whers and felines is not a good idea? To be sure, Ingenith does not shy away by the thought of danger. Especially if he's certain a crowd may be near to witness such a show of force.
Thankfully -- or unfortunately -- Ingenith is an intelligent beast. Incredibly clever--this is part of the reason he gets in to so much trouble! He does not worry about the consequences of his actions, because he has bought in entirely to the belief that he can just as easily get them out of any sticky circumstances. He is strong enough to fight and crush his foes, just as he is clever enough to figure out the most difficult of problems.
Ingenith is not, and will not, be easily intimidated or afraid. . . or talked down.
Is not a more perfect specimen alive? That's right, this blue is rather much in love with himself. He has no problem talking about his perfections, everything he can do. He is wonderful, and if you do not see it, well, he will show you. And if you still do not agree with how wonderful he is? He will spurn you and write you off. That's right, this dragon is highly narcissistic. He enjoys the admiration of others, and certainly keeps those that affirm his wonderfulness nearby. There is nothing one can ask him that he does not know, just as there is nothing he can't do if given some time. His accomplishments are many, and he will be the first to tell you all about them. He is the best, hard stop. His clutch mates, his wing, his Weyr, Pern in general should be proud that they are blessed with such a wonderful creature as he.
Unfortunately, this blue can find himself rather dissatisfied with the results of his endeavors and relationships. Many times his adventures do not turn out as glory-filled as he believed, or his relationships with others do not give him the sort of rapport he desires and craves. Once he's written himself off from a particular task or individual, he will need a lot of encouragement, persuasion, and ego-petting for the blue to agree to fulfill the task, or work civilly with the individual in question.
This has caused problems with leadership, in the Weyr and since. If Ingenith does not believe he is getting the proper consideration and rank he deserves, he is much less inclined to follow direction. If he does not care for designated leaders, he will be especially obstinate and disregard their “opinions”. What do they know, anyway? Clearly he should prove that he was (and is) far superior.
Ingenith enjoys Flights. Any Flight, all Flights, this blue finds it very difficult to abstain from participating. What better way to show off his amazingness than through such feats of strength and cunning? Gold, green, he has little objections. Ingenith has only one goal in mind -- the win. Unfortunately though, unless a green is particularly doting upon his ego, he will likely soon grow bored. He is not the sort to settle permanently and would prefer to have an entire wing of greens in his company, rightfully admiring his sort of wonderful.
Positive Trait List Proud, cunning, physically strong, adventurous Negative Trait List Narcissistic, easily bored and dissatisfied, self-important
Why Is’men?: It's true that any attention is good attention, and life can always be more exciting -- especially now that Ingenith is in Is’men's life! Oh yes, this blue has claimed Is’men and together, they are going to have a wild time! There is an entire world to explore, and Ingenith will demand much of Is’men's time discovering it. He will be an incredibly demanding and arrogant blue, but Is’men will hopefully but strong willed enough to put her foot down when Ingenith decides to put himself in harms way. He will adore Is’men's stories -- and confirm every one as truth to any nay sayers-- and will find a great love in turning Pern upside down together, especially once they can fly! Is’men will have someone to help keep life fun, a partner who will never betray her trust, will understand her wants and desires as well as stroke her ego..so long as she strokes his. Who needs to follow orders when they can do what they want, when they want, together forever! Putting the two of them together will be much like putting kerosene with fire, so Pern had better watch out!
Inspiration: Hercules was the Roman name for the greatest hero of Greek mythology -- Heracles. Like most authentic heroes, Heracles had a god as one of his parents, being the son of the supreme deity Zeus and a mortal woman. Zeus's queen Hera was jealous of Heracles, and when he was still an infant she sent two snakes to kill him in his crib. Heracles was found prattling delighted baby talk, a strangled serpent in each hand.
When he had come of age and already proved himself an unerring marksman with a bow and arrow, a champion wrestler and the possessor of superhuman strength, Heracles was driven mad by Hera. In a frenzy, he killed his own children. To atone for this crime, he was sentenced to perform a series of tasks, or "Labors", for his cousin Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and Mycenae. By rights, Hercules should have been king himself, but Hera had tricked her husband Zeus into crowning Eurystheus instead.
The Labors were as follows, of which he did succeed in completing.
1. Slay the Nemean Lion. 2. Slay the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra. 3. Capture the Golden Hind of Artemis. 4. Capture the Erymanthian Boar. 5. Clean the Augean stables in a single day. 6. Slay the Stymphalian Birds. 7. Capture the Cretan Bull. 8. Steal the Mares of Diomedes. 9. Obtain the girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. 10. Obtain the cattle of the monster Geryon. 11. Steal the apples of the Hesperides. 12. Capture and bring back Cerberus.
Heracles had a great many other adventures, in after years as well as in between his Labors. It was poisonous Hydra venom that eventually brought about his demise. He had allowed a centaur to ferry his wife Deianara across a river, and the centaur had attacked her on the other side. Heracles killed him with an arrow, but before he died he told Deinara to keep some of his blood for a love potion. Deinara used some on Heracles' tunic to keep him faithful, little realizing that it had been poisoned with Hydra venom from the arrow. Heracles donned the tunic and died in agony.
Heracles was the only hero to become a full-fledged god upon his demise, but even in his case there was his mortal aspect to be dealt with. By virtue of his spectacular achievements, even by heroic standards, he was given a home on Mount Olympus and a goddess for a wife. But part of him had come not from his father Zeus but from his mortal mother Alcmene, and that part was sent to the Underworld. As a phantasm it eternally roams the Elysian Fields in the company of other heroes.
Origin of Name: Alpha Herculis (α Her, α Herculis) is a multiple star system in the constellation Hercules. It has the traditional name Rasalgethi or Ras Algethi and the Flamsteed designation 64 Herculis.
The traditional name "Head" comes from the fact that in antiquity Hercules was depicted upside down on the constellation maps.
The term Ras al Djathi was appeared in the catalogue of stars in the Calendarium of Al Achsasi al Mouakket, which was translated into Latin as Caput Ingeniculi.
The star is a supergiant, which means that it's much larger and brighter than the Sun. In fact, if Alpha Herculis were at the center of the solar system, it would swallow Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
Alpha Herculis emits 500 times more visible light than the Sun does. As a result, you can see it with the unaided eye, even though it's about 360 light-years away.
Actually, this star is even more powerful than it looks. That's because the star is fairly cool, so it produces most of its radiation in the form of infrared energy, not visible light.
Alpha Herculis was once powered by the same process that powers the Sun. It "fused" together hydrogen atoms in its core to make heavier helium atoms. But it's used up the hydrogen, so today it's fusing together the helium to make even heavier elements. The change in the star's core set off a sequence of events that caused the star to expand and cool, making it the red supergiant we see today.
Logged RPs/IC Timeline Link | Title | Status | Other Characters
Works In Progress ------------------------------------------------------
Rider/Dragon Base
[b]Name:[/b] In High Reaches men are given honorifics -- but not female riders. In Western Weyr, they're less restrictive about names. [b]Age:[/b] [b]Sex:[/b] [b]Sexual Orientation:[/b] [b]Weyr:[/b] High Reaches Weyr, Western Weyr, or Other [b]Rider Rank:[/b] [b]Previous Rank/Craft:[/b] If applicable. [b]Physical Description:[/b] [b]Personality: [/b] [b]Positive Trait List[/b] [At least 3. Just spell out what they are and it should follow your written personality i.e. cheerful, loyal, confident] [b]Negative Trait List[/b] [At least 3. Just spell out what they are and it should follow your written personality i.e. insecure, selfish, anxious] [b]History:[/b] [b]Other:[/b] Anything else you want to add?
DRAGON [b]Name:[/b] Must end int -th. No exceptions! [b]Age:[/b] [b]Color:[/b] [b]Size:[/b] Please select actual length appropriate to their color and our size chart. [b]Physical Description:[/b] [b]Personality: [/b] [b]Dragon Art or Proof of Obtainment:[/b] This could be the cert, the thumbnail uncert, or proof on where you transferred them, or won them, etc.
Candidate Base
[b]Name:[/b] [b]Age:[/b] [b]Sex:[/b] [b]Sexual Orientation:[/b] [b]Craft:[/b] If applicable. [b]Rank:[/b] [b]Location:[/b] Which Hold, Hall, or Weyr are they at? [b]Physical Description:[/b] [b]Personality: [/b] [b]Positive Trait List[/b] [At least 3. Just spell out what they are and it should follow your written personality i.e. cheerful, loyal, confident] [b]Negative Trait List[/b] [At least 3. Just spell out what they are and it should follow your written personality i.e. insecure, selfish, anxious] [b]History:[/b] [b]Other:[/b] Anything else you want to add?
Candidate Specific Questions [b]Do you want them to have an official Search RP?[/b] Yes or No [b]Do you understand they will age every passing year regardless if you're there to RP the or not?[/b] Yes or No [b]Do you want them to have a possible Stands Impression?[/b] Yes or No - - - > Please keep in mind that Stands Impressions are very rare. This means that not everybody will get an opportunity to have a surprise Impression, and you lower your chances of being picked by a dragonet. Given the character is not ICly an official Candidate, they will need a reason to be at the Weyr of their choice long-term, or at least for every Hatching.
Name: A'yn Age: Sex: Male Sexual Orientation: Homosexual Weyr: Rider Rank: Wingrider Previous Rank/Craft: Physical Description: Personality: Positive Trait List Negative Trait List History: Other:
DRAGON Name: Maiath Age: Color: Green Size: Physical Description: Personality: Dragon Art or Proof of Obtainment:EoP Art
Inspiration:
This doom she chose, forsaking the Blessed Realm, and putting aside all claim to kinship with those that dwell there; that thus whatever grief might lie in wait, the fates of Beren and Lúthien might be joined, and their paths lead together beyond the confines of the world. So it was that alone of the Eldalie she has died indeed, and left the world long ago. Yet in her choice the Two Kindreds have been joined; and she is the forerunner of many in whom the Eldar see yet, though all the world is changed, the likeness of Lúthien the beloved, whom they have lost.
Lúthien is a Telerin (Sindarin) princess, the only child of Elu Thingol, king of Doriath, and his queen, Melian the Maia. Lúthien's romance with the mortal man Beren is one of the greatest stories of the Elder Days and was considered the "chief" of the Silmarillion tales by Tolkien himself. Her character is revered even at the end of the Third Age and honoured still by the likes of Aragorn and various other peoples of Middle-earth. The legacy that Lúthien left behind can be most clearly seen throughout the later ages in those who stem from her ancestry, including the Royal Family of Númenor, being the line of Elros of which Arathorn and his son Aragorn were descended, and Elrond Half-elven who was Lúthien's great-grandson. She is described as the Morning Star of the Elves, a term meaning that she was the most beautiful of all her people at the height of their glory. In contrast, Lúthien's descendant Arwen is called Evenstar, the Evening Star of the Elves, meaning that her beauty reflects that of Lúthien Tinúviel. Lúthien is also first cousin once removed to Galadriel; as Galadriel's mother, Eärwen of Alqualondë, is the daughter of Thingol's brother.
Lúthien was largely inspired from Edith Bratt and Tolkien often referred to Edith as "my Lúthien.". It is mentioned that around 1917, while Tolkien and Bratt went walking in the woods at Roos, Edith began to dance for him in a clearing among the flowering hemlock. This incident inspired the account of the meeting of Beren and Lúthien.
The tale also shares the common element of folktales with the disapproving parent who sets a seemingly impossible task for the suitor, which is then fulfilled. Such is the Welsh tale of Culhwch and Olwen and others.
The travel of Lúthien to Mandos and softening Námo with her song, in order to release her beloved, is a usual theme in several world religions: According to Virgil, Orpheus descended to Hades and with his harp softened the hearts of Hades and Pespephone in order to return his wife, Eurydice, to life. There is also the Japanese myth of Izanagi and Izanami, the Akkadian/Sumerian myth of Inanna's Descent to the Underworld, and Mayan myth of Ix Chel and Itzamna. The theme exists also in the Amerindian oral tradition: the Nez Perce tell a similar story about the trickster figure, Coyote.
Origin of Name: The Maiar (singular: Maia) are beings from J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy legendarium. They are lesser Ainur who entered Eä in the beginning of time. Tolkien uses the term Valar ("The Powers") to refer both to all the Ainur who entered Eä, and (more often) specifically to the greatest among them, the fourteen Lords and Queens of the Valar. So the Maiar are at the same time lesser Valar and the helpers of the (greater) Valar. "Valar" without qualification generally refers to the great Valar. The name Maiar is in the Quenya tongue and comes from the Elvish root maya- "excellent, admirable".[1] Maiar refers in Quenya to all the Ainur who entered Eä, the "Creation", and more often to the lesser power among them: "Maia is the name of the Kin of the Valar, but especially of those of lesser power than the 9 great rulers" wrote Tolkien.[2]
In the Valaquenta it is told that many Maiar associated themselves with a Vala; for example, Ossë and Uinen, who ruled the Seas, acted under Ulmo, while Curumo, who came to be known in Middle-earth as Saruman, was with Aulë the Smith. Sauron also was with Aulë before being corrupted by Melkor.
Being of divine origin and possessing great power, the Maiar can wander the world unseen or shape themselves in fashion of Elves or other creatures; these "veils", called fanar in Quenya, could be destroyed, but their true-being could not.
The Maia Eönwë is the herald of Manwë. He led the hosts of the West in the War of Wrath in which Morgoth was finally overthrown and Thangorodrim destroyed.[3]
Melkor (known in Sindarin as Morgoth), the evil Vala, corrupted many spirits into his service. These included Sauron, the main antagonist of The Lord of the Rings, and the Balrogs, his demons of flame and shadow.[4] These are called in Quenya Úmaiar.
In about T.A. 1100, the Valar sent several Maiar to Middle-earth to help contest the evil of Sauron. They had great skills of hand and mind but were cloaked in the guise of men, seemingly old but of great vigour.[5] Their mission was to guide elves and men by gaining trust and spreading knowledge, not by ruling them with fear and force. They were known as the Istari, or Wizards, and included Gandalf the Grey (Olórin or Mithrandir; later Gandalf the White), Saruman the White (Curunír; later renamed Saruman of the Many Colours), Radagast the Brown (Aiwendil), and two Blue Wizards who do not appear significantly in Tolkien's writing.
IX. Introduction X. Base Stats XI. Health and Defense XII. A Typical Round XIII. Combat XIV. The Riser XV. FAQ
Introduction
So, here's the skinny. Moo (speaking in third person) is a tabletop nerd and has been largely unsatisfied by the simplicity of Flight systems in the past. Flights, he (I) feels, are an excellent opportunity to get your geek on and create an interesting, dynamic, unpredictable event that actually takes into account the skills and mindsets of its participants. Many Flight systems allot stat points to their participants. In each round, participants are faced with challenges, roll the corresponding stats and, if they succeed, are credited with points (or, in some instances, distance). The winner is often decided as the male who accumulates the most points by the end of the event.
This system is no different, except that it incorporates further dragon-specific details in determining the number of stat points per individual. Additionally, this system takes into account the stats of the dragon rising, and incorporates a combat system--just to keep things exciting. It might seem a bit complicated, at first, but almost all of this page is related to building the initial stat set for your dragon; each round of the actual flight is very straightforward and comes down to a random number generation.
In creating this system, I wanted to: a) Take into account stats tailored to each individual dragon; b) Offer multiple move opportunities per round based on those dragon stats; c) Allow for a combat systm for the participants; d) Take into account dragon and rider preference.
And I think that we've accomplished that. Any input, suggestions, critiques or questions are more than welcome.
Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2018 10:21 pm
Base Stats
Every participant in this Flight system receives a certain number of stat points, which may then be distributed through five stat categories. The number of stat points received is related to four major factors: a) Base points according to dragon color; b) Age and Experience of the dragon, c) Physical Condition of the dragon, c) Size of the dragon.
It's common knowledge that certain colors find themselves at an advantage when Chasing certain others. Bronzes, for example, are by far the most likely to catch a Gold, while Blues (generally) stand the best chance of catching a Green. For a rising Gold, base points might be distributed such as:
These values can easily be adjusted to reflect the preferences/build of the dragon rising, generally I feel that this is a fair representation. Base points should be incorporated into the final 'Stat Points' score according to the color of the male chasing.
Additionally, other stat modifiers should be taken into account.
For the purposes of this system, it is presumed that Age and Experience are related. Older dragons have more Experience both in the air and in Flights, but younger dragons have the advantages of youth and health on their sides. Add the following point values to your stat points depending on the age of the dragon:
- Less than 5 turns: +2 points - Between 6-20 turns: +10 points - Between 21-35 turns: +7 points - Above 36 turns: +5 points
The Physical Condition of the dragon giving chase should also be taken into account. The category selected should be based on the dragon's physical description, but also his work ethic. A naturally handsome beast may not be a motivated trainer, while some boyos just can't lose those extra pounds, try as they might. (Both of these, I would file under 'average'.) Add the following point values to your stat points depending on the physical condition/attitude of the dragon.
Finally, the preferences of the dragon rising (and her rider) can be taken into account. This section is completely subjective, and prooobably should remain small point values, but exceptions can always be made. I'll use Maiath (a prissy, elegant green who may one day appear in EoP) as an example.
Maiath-Related Bonuses: +3 if your dragon has spoken with Maiath in an RP that ended positively. +3 if your dragon is described as 'handsome', 'a stunning specimen', or any such varient in his profile. -3 if your dragon is described as 'ugly', 'malformed', 'awkward', or any such varient in his profile. +3 if your dragon has risen after Maiath before (which, yanno, won't happen in this case, but pretend) +3 if your dragon won her last Flight +10 if your dragon belongs to Mir [A rider close to her bonded] (Also irrelevant, but, yanno, factor in rider preference in this section) -40 if your dragon belongs to Euc [A rider her bonded loathes] (8D)
And that's that! Now, put them all together. Let's say Maiath is Rising, and Mosraeth (a militaristic but small brown who will probably never make it to EoP, alas) gives chase. His stat points might accumulate as follows:
Brown chasing Green: +40 points Between 6-20 turns: +10 points Fit/Motivated: +10 points 'Handsome': +3 points --------------------------------------- Total: 63 stat points to distribute
These points should then be distributed through the following five categories, which will be used to determine the results of actual rounds during the Flight: Strength Speed Dexterity Stamina Wits
When placing these points, PLEASE, please please please stay true to the dragon who you are playing, don't simply stack points where you think they might do the most good. For example, if Maiath, a quick, dextrous green was rising, I shouldn't stack all of Nejerith's, a flying tank of a bronze's (who will definitely never make it to EoP), points in speed and dex just because I think they'll be most useful there.
As an example, Mosraeth's case, for example, those 63 points might distribute as follows:
Health and Defense are additional catergories used primarily for the combat system, but occasionally incoporated in a normal roll. These categories are in part based off of the base stats of a dragon, but also include the factors of age, experience, size, and physical condition. This section explains how Health and Defense may be calculated for an individual; the following section will explain how they are implemented.
A dragon's HealthFactor, for the purposes of this system, is a combination of values determined by Age, Size, and Physical condition. Add the appropriate points to the HealthFactor according to each section.
Age - Less than 5 turns: 3 points - Between 6-20 turns: 4 points - Between 21-35 turns: 2 points - Above 36 turns: 1 point
Size - Small for color: 1 point - Average for color: 2 points - Large for color: 3 points
Using the above categories: HealthFactor = Age + Size + Physical Condition
And: Health = Strength (from Base Stats) + HealthFactor
A dragon's DefenseFactor is determined in much the same way, but the points within the categories are allotted a bit differently. Add the appropriate points to the DefenseFactor according to each section.
Age(Experience) - Less than 5 turns: 1 point - Between 6-20 turns: 2 points - Between 21-35 turns: 3 points - Above 36 turns: 4 points
Size - Small for color: 3 points - Average for color: 2 points - Large for color: 1 point
Using the above categories: DefenseFactor = Experience + Size + Physical Condition
And: Defense = Wits (from Base Stats) + DefenseFactor
Health and Defense values should be posted each round with the Base Stats.
Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2018 10:22 pm
A Typical Round
Now that we've got the stats to work with, we can proceed to...actually doing things with them. The Flight itself will be composed of tasks that call upon combintions of the five categories to be completed. We'll continue using Maiath and Mosraeth as our examples.
Say, Maiath is Rising. With each round, she will perform some challenge based on her own stat set (Yes, she gets stats too. That's explained in a later section.) The results of her roll set the gradient for the round to follow, and the type of roll she makes determines the type of roll the males will make.
For example: 'Maiath has vanished into a cloud! Roll Wits + Stamina to see if you can find her!'
When posting the introduction for the round, Maiath's player would have added the points of these stats and generated a random number using them. This number defines the threshhold for a 'success' for the round. Say, in this instance, Maiath has rolled a 16. The gradient might look as follows:
- Roll 1-8: Poor, Gain 5 yards - Roll 9-16: Fair, Gain 10 yards - Roll 17-30: Good, Gain 15 yards - Roll 31+: Exceptional, Gain 20 yards
Mosraeth, based on the stats we've established for him earlier, has a Wit of 19 and a Stamina of 4, giving him a roll for this round of 23. Using the random number generator, we generate a number between 1 and 23. This number determines the amount of ground he gains in this round. So, for example, if he rolls a 15, he'll gain 10 yards for the round.
And that's all there is to it. The scoring gradient will change each round depending on the rising dragon's scores and the value the player places on the challenge. Likewise, the categories used to perform the roll will change depending on the task demanded of the chaser.
The winner of the flight wil be determined by a method indicated by the player at the beginning of the game. It might be the dragon who reaches a certain distance first, or it might be a dragon selected of the first three to make it past a certain distance, etc. That's up to the Flight's host to decide, and will undoubtedly vary according to the whims of the dragin Rising.
Obviously, with a system like this, not every male will be idea for chasing every female. That's good! That keeps things interesting. It's not so fun, however, when you roll poorly round after round because your boyo's stats are the exact opposite of the girl's. To keep each round exciting, we've implemented a combat system. Once the rising female has taken to the air and normal challenge rounds begin, combat is available.
Each round, a male has the choice to either undertake the challenge presented by the female, or to try to knock another pursuing male out of the air. (That is, if your dragon sucks at the roll asked of them, you can hit someone in your anger.) Engaging in an attack forfeits the opportunity to participate in the challenge and gain ground according to the challenge gradient. You may not roll for the challenge,change your mind, and roll an attack. Pick one or the other.
The attacker must designate a target for his attack when performing the attack roll. That target must be another male dragon with 5 yards in either direction of the attacker. For example, if, following the previous round, the attacker has accumulated 25 yards, the dragon who he targets must have accumulated between 20-30 yards. The dice roll for a combat strike is based upon the color of the dragon. The two stats listed below are combined and rolled just as a normal challenge roll would be performed.
An attack is successful if the attacker's roll is higher than the target's Defense. If the attack fails, the attacker loses 5 yards, and the target gains 5 yards. If the attack succeeds, the attacker gains 10 yards, and the target loses 10 yards. In the case of a tie, the attacker gains nothing, and the target proceeds with his normal score for the round, as determined by the round's challenge.
Additionally, if the attack is succesful, the target loses the number of Health points equivalent to the roll minus the target's Defense. For example, if a brown is attacked with a roll of 32, and his defense if 27, he takes 5 damage and must subtract this from his Health for the duration of the Flight. If a dragon's Health drops beneath 10, all of his roll results are subjected to a penalty of -2. So he might roll 10, but his score for the round would actually be an 8.
If a dragon's Health reaches 0, he must drop out of the Flight.
Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2018 10:22 pm
The Riser
What's that? You've managed to read everything thus far and still haven't been scared away? Good on you! But--you want to run one of these Flights? Really? Well, in that case, there are a few more things that you should know. Running the game is pretty simple, when all's said and done. You build a stat set for your green or gold, just as you would for a male chasing her, and then roll a pair of those stats to set the curve for each round. The rising dragon may also engage in combat, but that goes a little differently from a normal combat round.
Let's begin with stat building. Stats for a green or gold add up by factoring in the exact same components as with the boys. As before, these are: a) Base points according to dragon color; b) Age and Experience of the dragon, c) Physical Condition of the dragon, c) Size of the dragon.
Any rising dragon, green or gold, begins with a flat 50 points. The female is at an immediate advantage for, well, knowing her own mind, and making her own decisions. To this, you should add the appropriate number of points for Age/Experience and Physical Condition, as dictated in the Base Stats post. Additional bonuses are at your discretion. I would advise you to try not to go too bonus-happy; rolling consistently high might look impressive for your little green, but if none of the participants can even begin to keep up with her, it doesn't make for a very fun game.
The one bonus that I stand by for the dragon rising is a Blooding Bonus. According to canon, when a gold dragon rises, blooding is necessary to ensure the energy for a long Flight and a good, healthy clutch. Likewise according to canon, there's no real necessity for greens to blood except for a bit of extra energy, and many don't bother to blood at all. I recommend a Blooding Bonus of +5 to any green or +10 to any gold who bloods prior to rising.
For example, say, dear little Maiath, a new graduate, Rises (because omg two years says A'yn). Her stats may build up as follows:
Green Dragon: +50 Less than 5 turns: +2 Fit/Motivated: +10 Blooding Bonus: +5 -------------------------------- Total: 67 points
These points will be distributed among the five stat categories just as a player would for any male dragon. Likewise, Health and Defense points should be determined by the same process used for the boys. These will rarely come into play for the rising female, but they're good to establish, just in case. We'll continue to use Maiath as an example, so let's set her stats:
Each Flight will be tailor-made to the dragon rising, according to the preferences of her player. At the beginning of the Flight, be sure to establish any of your own rules with the opening post. I highly recommend setting a strict time period for each round and sticking to it. Flights can be a lot of fun, but half of the fun is keeping the momentum going. If an event drags on and on and on, players get bored. It is good to be considerate of the availability of the players involved, but rolling a dice and writing two sentences takes very little time. Unless the game is some sort of huge meta event, a round a day should be perfectly plausible. Generally, for my own purposes, I would say:
Green Dragon: I will post at XYZ time Every Day. Gold Dragon: I will post at XYZ time Every Other Day.
Gold dragons clutch, generally more participants, etc etc. Anyway. Set your time frame and stick to it. Self-discipline is a good thing. It's a good idea to reestablish this time limit each time you post a new round. So if I had some magical sparkley gold who was rising, and I posted at 10 PM EST on Tuesday, when I posted that round, I would add 'My next round will begin at 10 PM EST on Thursday!'. The more blatantly clear instructions and deadlines are, the happier your participants will be (I say after writing this convoluted mess).
Likewise, I highly, highly recommend establishing some sort of penalty for unfilled posts. While dice-rolls are the guiding force of the game, they are meant only as that--the guide. Part of the challenge and fun of the game is making the results of the roll make sense for the dragon you are playing. If Maiath, my skydancer(Does anyone else remember that show? <33333), rolled poorly on an acrobatic stunt, she was probably distracted by something shiny--like Felaroth (a handsome bronze peer)'s muscles, oobby. Actually roleplaying in these events makes the entire game so much more interesting for everyone involved. Penalties for unfilled posts have been discussed, and everyone seems to disagree on what's "fair"; for my purposes, I would strictly say that an unfilled post does not count towards the round, and leave it at that. If you have time to roll, you have time to write two sentences. The actual penalty, however, is at the discretion of the player running the Flight--just be sure to establish it at the beginning of the game.
Now that we've enjoyed our power trip, let the games begin! Round play goes....well, as I've already described in A Typical Round. At the beginning of each round, you, the player of the rising dragon, will pick the two stats that you feel are most significant of the action you would like to take. For example, a sustained climb may be Strength + Stamina, while an acrobatic loop-de-loop may be Speed + Dexterity. Add together your dragon's points for these two stats, and roll a random number between 1 and that point value. So, if Maiath did that loop-de-loop, I would add her Speed (17) + Dex (20) for a total possible roll of 37, then generate a random number between 1 and 37. This number would set the bar for a 'success' for the round.
The curve around that 'success' is completely at your discretion. You can be as cruel of a taskmaster as you'd like. Generally, I like to keep pretty even spacing between each level, because...that's me. But whatever, go crazy with it. When I write a Flight, there are four levels: Poor, Fair, Good, and Exceptional. Good always begins with the number above what I have rolled; Exceptional is always double the number I have rolled. 'Exceptional' isn't supposed to be easy to roll. That's why it's Exceptional. For example, if Maiath rolls a 16, then my round may break down as:
- Roll 1-8: Poor, Gain 5 yards - Roll 9-16: Fair, Gain 10 yards - Roll 17-31: Good, Gain 15 yards - Roll 32+: Exceptional, Gain 20 yards
But, as I've said, this is largely at your discretion. If your dragon is veryvery encouraging, you may narrow the window for Poor, or if you feel that your roll was ridiculously high, you may lower the bar for Exceptional. It's up to you. (I wouldn't. I'm not that nice.)
At any point, your girl may decide, in a fit of proddy rage, to attack the boyos following here. There are several points to keep in mind when choosing to perform such an attack--namely, that you're charging headlong as your pursuers, thereby decreasing the distance between yourself and them. The Flight is getting cut just a bit shorter. Which is fine, but it's good to take that into account when dishing out yards for the round.
Combat on the part of the rising dragon is by no means an exact science (and it's something that I'd really like to see in action and get input on, so you angry girls, get up in the air!). I've given it a bit of thought, and I'm not entirely pleased with it, but here's what I've got so far. A combat round on the part of the rising female proceeds just as any other round would; the female picks two stats that best correlate to her attack choice, rolls those, and her roll results set the curve for the attack. The boys, likewise, will roll those two stats to get out of her way. Anything above her roll avoids an attack and gains additional yardage for it; anything below her roll still gains additional ground, but takes damage to their Health depending on how far below the bar the roll falls. This range is completely at the discretion of the player--but try not to be too vicious. While an angry green may graze several boys in passing, it's unlikely that she'll knock four burly browns out of the air at once. Keep your ranges plausible.
For example, say we're in some unimaginable bizarro world where Maiath would actually lift a claw against anyone. Any attack on Maiath's part would probably be very quick and very flippy, swoop in and puncture a wing before her target can turn around. She'll roll Speed (17) + Dex (20), generate a random number between 1 and 37. Let's say she rolls a 20. Ouch.
Her range may fall as follows: - Roll 40+: Exceptional, gain 35 yards! - Roll 20-39: Good, gain 30 yards! - Roll 10-19: Fair, she's grazed you; gain 20 yards, but take 1 damage. - Roll 3-9: Poor, a solid hit; gain 10 yards, but take 3 damage. - Roll 1-2: Ouch, that smarts; gain 5 yards, but take 6 damage.
This can be varied up at your discretion, as with anything in this game. Just be sure you explicitly state what you are doing and how you are doing it before you...do. You're in charge, have at it! But changing the rules in the middle of a game is Not Cool.
Rising dragons may also implement targeted attacks. This works exactly as stated above, except that it only applies to one particular dragon--and often, as a result, the penalties will be much worse. In the case of a targeted attack, one roll on the part of the riser will lead to two separate curves for the round. So, for example, in this bizarro world again, Maiath's rising.
It's bizarro world, so let's say Felaroth is being an a*****e, and Maiath, in a bitchy frenzy of bitchiness, attacks him. Intent on spilling his entrails, she utterly ignores the other males and rolls a move based on her determination to punch in his face. Because she's so angryface, we'll change it up a bit and roll Strength (5) + Speed (17) = 22. Let's say she rolls a 14.
As the manager of this Flight, I'll write two sets of roll curves. The first will apply to all of the males EXCEPT for my target, Felaroth. It looks just as any normal round would go:
- Roll 1-7: Poor, gain 5 yards. - Roll 8-14, Fair, gain 10 yards. - Roll 15-27, Good, gain 15 yards. - Roll 28+, Exceptional, gain 20 yards.
Then, I'll post a second curve that is Felaroth-specific.
Her range may fall as follows: - Roll 28+: Exceptional, gain 35 yards! - Roll 15-27: Good, gain 30 yards! - Roll 12-14: Fair, she's grazed you; gain 20 yards, but take 1 damage. - Roll 8-11: Poor, a solid hit; gain 10 yards, but take 3 damage. - Roll 1-7: Ouch, that smarts; gain 5 yards, but take 6 damage. - Fail to roll/post: Take 10 damage.
Because this is a targeted attack, the likelihood of taking serious damage is much higher. Likewise, there's a severe penalty by attempting to avoid damage by simply sitting out of the round. Targeting a male, however, puts your female in very close proximity to him--so if he succeeds in avoiding her, he does manage to gain some ground for the risk. Double-edged sword; pick your targets wisely!
And...I believe that's all there is to it. And most of this, as you can see, is frivolous detail to keep my happy. Running a basic Flight with a nice, happy dragon is pretty straightforward. Remember to set an end goal for your Flight. This may be a certain amount of yardage, or a certain amount of time; you may say the one in the lead is the winner, or that your dragon will pick from the top three after a certain goal is met. The end point is completely up to you, but make it very, very clear from the beginning.
