Post by Inkwell on Jun 10, 2011 14:26:37 GMT -5
R'en
Name: R'en (Orren)
Age: Thirty-one
Gender: Male
Prisoner: No
Crime: N/A
Craft/Rank: Cook
Appearance: Orren is a tall man, measuring 6'1'', but he is by no means a slender, delicate flower: his wide shoulders and sharp jaw are probably the first thing someone looking at him would notice. His hair is black, curly, and just long enough to be tied back into a small, messy ponytail at the nape of his neck -- he likes it out of his face at all times, given the sort of work he does. His eyes are light brown and sparsely lashed, half-hidden under thick black eyebrows. His tan skin is ruddy, especially around his aquiline nose, thanks to being inside in a hot kitchen most of the time, and his long, dextrous hands have their share of burn scars from picking up too-hot implements or being splashed with cooking oil. He is fairly well-muscled, though given his body-type it's more wiry muscle than anything one would see on a body-builder, and thus his fair amount of strength (especially in his upper body) often takes people by surprise.
Despite the seemingly menial, grunt-type of labor he does, Orren is a jovial man, and it shows on his face. His mouth is creased with laugh lines perhaps beyond its years, and his eyes are well on their way to developing crows feet: when he smiles, he smiles with his whole face. He wears simple clothing, well-worn, and it suits him: this is not a man who would look good in a high-ranking Weyrleader's outfit. He simply seems suited to blending into the background, and is quite good at it, despite his height.
Personality: As is made obvious in his appearance, Orren loves to smile and laugh. He is a jokester of the first degree, and will often pull harmless pranks on his fellow kitchen staff just to pass the time and lighten up their day. He is the type to try and make everyone's day a little brighter if he can: this mostly comes in the form of eating the food he cooks which, even when it's going to the prisoners, he puts as much care and work into as if it were going to the higher-ranking Weyr officials. It is his opinion that everyone, even criminals, still deserve some small sign of kindness, someone who at least sees them as human. This perhaps too-softhearted view of the world has gotten him mocked occasionally, but he sticks to it: Orren is a man of conviction. If he believes something, he'll continue to believe it until his dying day.
He is also not afraid to speak up if he believes something is wrong or unfair. He has a strong sense of justice and doesn't like to see anyone put down or hurt for no reason. Though he believes that the prisoners at Warden's are all incarcerated for a just cause and that the punishments they are given are generally deserved, if he sees or hears of something he believes to be above and beyond simple correctional activity, it will stay with him until he says something about it, even if that is merely writing a few paragraphs about it in the journal he religiously keeps. It is partially because of this mindset that he intends to attempt to impress: he feels his sense of fairness could be useful, and the only way to truly have it recognized would be to become part of the force of Dragonriders.
He is also, by nature, a helpful man. That is, if you ask him to do you a favor, you need never worry that it won't get done or that he'll hold it over your head for a favor in return. Orren simply likes to be helpful, whether it gets him anything or not. He is perhaps a little simple in that regard: he grew up in an inn and barely ever left it, meaning that though many people came through and told fantastic stories of the world beyond, he himself remained firmly grounded in the here-and-now of simple life. He is not accustomed to those that would try and manipulate him or use him, because the thought of doing so would never cross his mind. Though he knows people can be cruel, he tends to believe the best of them until forcibly shown otherwise, which is a trait that will most likely one day get him into trouble.
He has never married, but he is something of a closet romantic and had his fair share of young maidens in the neighboring towns that caught his eye. Just as he idealizes the Dragonriders as paragons of justice and virtue, so too does he idolize being in love. His parents are perhaps to blame for this, for they were always very close and did their best to teach their children that love and marriage did go together and that marrying for love was always the best choice, if possible. Though he may not find someone to his tastes at the Weyr, he is never one to dismiss a possibility, and still hopes that perhaps he'll meet someone and have a family of his own. That's one last important thing to mention about Orren: he adores children (of any species, it should be noted).
History:
Orren had a fairly normal life. He was born into a family who had owned an inn for generations and wasn't going to quit any time soon, and so his world was set out for him the moment he was born. Along with his two brothers and one sister, Orren learned the ins and outs of serving (and especially cooking) the moment he was old enough to hold the necessary tools. He was never dissatisfied with his lot in life: he had good friends in the additional hands, his family was close-knit, and the people they catered to were generally courteous (though he did learn at an early age, along with cooking, how to toss drunks out the door. His father didn't tolerate lewdness or brawling; keeping the inn looking pristine was tricky enough without collateral damage to worry about).
As the youngest of his family, Orren was generally stuck with the more menial tasks: fetching water, handling the small amount of livestock the family kept, cleaning up drunk messes that couldn't be avoided. Instead of making him feel bitter or put-upon, this instilled in him the sense of fairness that would later come to be one of his strongest traits. The entire family did important work: the work he was doing was just as essential as any of the more glamorous tasks reserved for his parents and his older siblings. So he did his work without complaint and grew tall and strong as the water vessels got bigger and handling the chickens and pigs turned to working the stalls for the traveler's animals as well.
When he heard about the creation of Warden's Weyr, and the fact that they were taking on applicants to bulk up an almost nonexistent staff, he jumped at the chance. He had always admired the Dragonriders for their grandeur and sense of justice and to serve under them in some capacity, even if it was cooking for prisoners they caught, seemed like quite an adventure to the young man who hadn't been further away from his home than the next town down the road in thirty years. With his family's blessing, he set off to claim his place at the Weyr, and has now been working there for the entire three years it has been in operation, never complaining about his lot and never trying to gain favors or advance, save for his new ambition to impress.
Other stuff: He's particularly good at stews and the food he makes tends to be thick and hearty, given his upbringing. (Also vegetarians why would you even).
Firelizard
Name: Honey
Species: Flit
Color: Gold
Appearance: Small for a gold, with a long face and large wings in comparison to her body. She's obviously well-fed and while not pudgy, isn't as 'delicate' as some golds can be. Given her tendency to nest inside Orren's clothes, he keeps her claws filed down.
Personality: Rather shy, but curious once she feels comfortable. Very possessive of Orren and doesn't like to be far from him if she can help it, since he is basically her source of confidence.
Afilith
Picture soon!
Name: Afilith
Color: Silver
Age: Hatchling (currently)
Flower: African Lily
Hex: BBBBBB
Appearance: Silvers, as a rule, are not very large. For his part, Afilith follows this, growing to the size of a small blue. Unlike some of the smaller dragons in these two clutches, Afilith is not built like a brick anything, let alone a shithouse, nor will he grow to be a lean, mean, fighting machine. Nope. Afilith is fat. Any muscle he had is overlaid with a thick layer of adorable chubbyness, something he may resent once older and intent on impressing the lay-deez.
Being rounder then most dragons doesn't mean that he doesn't cut a dashing figure; Afilith carries his weight quite well, his legs thick and neck long, elegant, his wings large. If nothing else, his shoulders and wings are horribly well developed, a requirement for a dragon trying to fly so much. His hide is a shiny silver, a metallic sheen that is a bit dark, bordering on gray. Darker stripes cover his wings, lighter streaks over his legs and headknobs. He is a very stripy dragon - and stripes are good! He is a fan of them.
Personality: Afilith likes you. You, personally, much like his granddam. Maybe he won't remember you, but for the duration of your stay, you are the apple of his near-constant blue-green eyes. Because African Lilies are considered 'love flowers', and this big boy is no exception. He loves the ocean, the jungle, his rider, that angry flit on his food... Well, not so much the flit, really. The ability to forgive almost instantly helps with that. He sees little point in being angry and huffy all of the time, when there is no point! Let the world roll off your back.
Afilith likes to think of himself as a subtle dragon, one with good diolog skills that do not encroach on others. He is, in fact, horribly wrong. This silver has an opinion more forceful then he thinks, and a voice louder then realized. But when people are doing something that could harm themselves, why not speak up? He HAS to. It protects them - and being safe means people don't get hurt. Not getting hurt means that everyone is happy. Perhaps Afilith will not always remember the reason behind his opinions, or why they are such strong ones, but he knows he has them! He knows they should be said! (And he knows he's bossy, maybe just a little bit, but that's okay, right?)
Maybe it comes to no surprise that Afilith loves to chase. He prefers yellows and greens, but if a purple, opal, or gold wanted him - well, who is he to deny the love? If Afilith ever does manage to sire a clutch, he will not hesitate to be Awesome Daddy. His mate would never lack food, oil, or a baby-sitter. This does not mean he wouldn't protect his eggs and snarl at the Candidates, if the situation required; Afilith can be just as protective as any other male.
And when it comes to his rider, watch out. He is generally a peaceful dragon, wanting to be nice, but... Yeah, no. No. Afilith chose his for a reason, shard it. They are not to be harmed and, yes, he is fully prepared to defend them. It won't be easy to push him into violence, thankfully, but it is more then possible. It is up to his rider to draw clear lines for Afilith on what is acceptable protective behavior and what is not. Moral lines can be blurred when it comes to whether or not a person is hurting His. Afilith won't mind.
Unintentionally loud, cheerful, large and in charge with no head for leadership outside what his rider provides, Afilith is a generally nice dragon, prone to sticking close to people, and delights in things he hasn't experienced before. The world is large and beautiful, and so is he!
Why Me? At first, Afilith figured "Too obvious?" but then - nope. Nope, not really. The silver finds the man's ability to weave a good story to be an utter hoot, his good natured way of looking at things being icing on the cake. And with that - duh. A chef! Afilith may not be able to eat human food, but he likes food, and a rider that can appreciate the deliciousness of life is just what he wants. Orren... well, he gets someone who shares much of his values, including a love of love, and won't try to get him to be quiet or stop talking.
Not going to lie, another thing that attracted the silver to Orren was how large he is. Afilith is a pudgy dragon, but he carries it off with style, and he needs a rider who will understand it, feed him, and be just as big and "grrr!" next to him when the time comes to defend those lovely ladies (or themselves.)
