Post by tuathade on Mar 25, 2011 12:10:22 GMT -5
Rodana
Name: Rodana
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Prisoner: No
Crime: They haven't pinned anything on her yet!
Craft/Rank: Weyrling (formerly fishercraft)
Appearance: Rodana doesn't really fit any of the standards of classical female beauty. As a kid, she was potato-shaped, and she didn't so much grow out of that as change that descriptor to barrel-shaped. Short, round, and alarmingly brawny for a woman, Rodana does have breasts and hips, but they are mostly camouflaged by her stocky build. Simply by genetic predilection she does carry some extra fat on her, but it mostly serves to hide the iron-hard muscles beneath. Don’t mistake her for out of shape, or she’ll force you into a contest to see who can run the most laps around the Weyrbowl without stopping. And when you collapse, she will laugh at you.
Her facial structure is mostly square, with a strong jaw and a nose that is impressive without being beaky. She has chocolate-brown eyes with a nigh-omnipresent mischievous twinkle, and dark brown wavy hair that would fall to her waist if left undone… which it hardly ever is. The style varies by day – on a lazy day she might just tie it back with whatever bit of ribbon or leather is at hand, on others she’ll take the time to braid it or pin it up into a bun under her riding helmet. Rodana’s olive skin is her saving grace, her complexion naturally smooth and clear. She prefers comfortable, practical clothing to finery except in the most extreme of circumstances. Even at fancy formal events, she’s more likely to show up in pants and a nice shirt than an actual dress.
Basically, if you slapped a handlebar moustache and a pith helmet on her, she would be an Intrepid Gentleman Explorer. With boobs. This, in her opinion, is a most excellent thing to be.
Personality: Rodana is entirely aware that she is lacking in feminine charm, and doesn’t seem to care. She strides around as if she owns the place, makes a point of waggling her eyebrows very scandalously at anyone who disapproves of her, and seems to not give a flit's tailfork about the perils of being a female guard in a prison full of dangerous folks. When she laughs, it is a completely unrestrained haw haw haw. No simpering or giggling here. Ever.
That said, she's also probably just about the chillest guard ever. She makes a point of being friendly to everyone until they are proven unfriendly; whether you're a fellow guard, a crafter, or a prisoner, if you are in her immediate vicinity she will quite happily strike up a conversation. This doesn't mean she's stupid or naive. There are serial killers at Warden's, and she is not about to let her guard down around them. But to some extent, Rodana's thoughts are in line with the Weyrlingmaster's - not to the same depth of conviction, but she tries to see the good in people. For every truly dangerous type in the prison, there's someone who was just too unlucky or desperate or Dust-addled to care about consequences. This doesn't mean you can take advantage of her easily. Friendly doesn't mean pushover, and she'll be once bitten twice shy when it comes to the prison folk.
In addition to her general good nature, she has a broad sense of humor and will readily chuckle at even the weakest attempts at jokes. It's also virtually impossible to offend her... and many, many people have tried. Usually, it's the other way around - Rodana doesn't seem to quite understand the meaning of the word "inappropriate." It's probably a good thing that she's stuck in a weyr that is lacking in young, impressionable children and Candidates. One, because she doesn't really like anyone significantly younger than her, and will probably drop them off with the nearest available schmuck. And two, if she does happen to hang on to them, when you get them back they will have learned half a dozen new ways to cuss.
On the rare occasion that it is required, Rodana is capable of moving at will into "drill sergeant" mode. Her rough contralto voice is quite good at projection even from dragonback, so on the ground it's doubly effective. Faranth knows the woman is loud enough in regular conversation, so when she gets it into her head to really yell at someone, it's impressive. She doesn't tend to make negative judgments about people based on one or two screw-ups, but when she is harsh, she can be very harsh. That said, Rodana is absolutely, deadly serious about her job. It's easy to miss. She spends 90 percent of the time looking like she's just screwing around and getting by on dumb luck. But go on, push her and see what happens.
History: Rodana was born as a result of an accidental Flight-induced tryst between bluerider R'dal and a kitchen worker named Nida who happened to be in the area at the time. As a result, her early life was a little... odd. R'dal was frequently away from the weyr and had no time for a daughter in his life, and when her mother quietly decided not to tell her who her father was, Rodana simply never asked. The girl spent most of her time at the creche with the other weyrbrats, or else following her mother around the Lower Caverns. Even then, she was pretty much "one of the guys," in both appearance and demeanor. She wasn't particularly girlish in looks, even then... though it was cuter on her as a kid. Basically, she was one of those kids that you can't leave alone for five minutes, for fear they won't be where you left them and you won't see them for another six candlemarks, at which point they will turn up for dinner.
It was somewhat inevitable that she would apply for formal Candidacy. None of the other crafts held any interest for her whatsoever. She wanted to be a dragonrider and explore Pern from the back of fine, swift green or blue! The sky as her home, and between as the only barrier between her and all of Pern! Her first Hatching at age thirteen was fairly uneventful. A few scratches and scuffles here and there, a few of her friends got dragons, but mostly just a nice introduction to the central event of a Candidate's life. Second Hatching, still uneventful. Third, she got mauled, but no dragon. Fourth...
You get the picture.
Rodana's dragon didn't come. And dragonriding was what she had her heart set on, but just because in modern Pern you're allowed to keep Standing until you're 34 doesn't mean you actually want to be stuck doing the same lessons and same chores for two decades of your life. Reluctantly, with a heavy heart, she turned her attentions away to another craft. Fishercraft she took to readily enough; while the sea was not quite as good as the sky, you still got plenty of open horizon. A rather quieter and less adventurous life than she had dreamed of, but Rodana lavished on the pretty little fishing craft all the loving attention that a dragonet would have received, holystoning the decks until they glistened like a fresh-oiled hide. And whenever she could be spared, she still tried to make it to the weyr for hatchings, though it became harder and harder to do so and balance her craftwork.
How she ended up at Warden's is an interesting story. Rodana honestly didn't care where she was sent. As long as there was water and fish and something that could float, she would make it work. But she heard that there were eggs at Warden's, and a desperate need for dragon guards. This, she decided quixotically, would be her last hurrah. Either she would Impress, or she would abandon it altogether: no more of this wishy-washy wavering in between and wondering about could-have-beens. Life's too short to carry regrets.
Rather lucky that she found her dragon when she did, really.
Other stuff: If any Pernese equivalent to tobacco exists - smokeweed or fellis bark or whatever - Rodana smokes it. Never the hard stuff (she's seen way too many Dust addicts, and doesn't want to go down that road) but just something to take the nerves off.
Pets
Name: Grace
Species: Firelizard
Color: Green
Appearance: Grace is a pretty thing, a dainty little green of aesthetically pleasing proportions and intriguing coloration. Stripes and swirls of jewel-bright tones cover her hide, blending into one another like the stripes on a malachite stone or shadows playing on folds of silk.
Personality: talented, promiscuous, grandiose, exotic, humble, honest.
Maeth
Name: Maeth
Color: Green
Age: 8 months
Appearance: Va-va-voom. Alright, maybe that term doesn't quite apply in the world of dragons but if it did, it'd apply to Maeth. She isn't heavy exactly, Warden's dragons work to hard to gain much fat, but there's something very rounded about her. She's a small dragon and she's built in a way that makes her look smaller still, with a short neck and a narrow wingspan. She does, however, have an unusually long tail with long, flexible tips that she uses for poking when she wants attention. For a green, she's on the slower edge of things, though her stamina is above average. Or as she'd put it, "Baby, I can Fly for hours."
Maeth is a deep, mossy green; the green of old woods untouched by even the thought of human encroachment. It's a color that seems to speak of softness, of a velvety welcome to questing touches. While her hide looks uniform at first glance, bright sunlight reveals some variety to the color. It's far from obvious, but Maeth's hide is actually a patchy mixture of subtly lightening and darkening tones, like it's being lit and shadowed through a leafy canopy.
Personality: What is femininity? Is it sultry and smoldering? Dumb but sweet? A simpering giggle or a 'take me' stare?
Not with Maeth it's not! Don't get her wrong; Maeth is all woman, too much woman for the likes of the dumb boys at Warden's Weyr. It's just that her femininity and sex appeal is all about getting pleasure, not providing it. Maeth is flirtatious but she's less interested in attracting the boys than she is in letting them know exactly what she thinks they're for.
Ribald by nature and as subtle as a hammer she's happy to make her intentions known when she's cuddling up to a fine young blue or a handsome specimen of a bronze, "Oh, honey, that's one handsome tail you have. You know what they say about dragons with long tails don't you?" She takes particular pleasure in sharing her charms with those dragons who take offense at her foreword nature, like a cat, she seems drawn to those she makes most uncomfortable.
If Maeth is forward and a bit fixated on the primal (she is), that's hardly the whole of her being. Funny and generally easy going, it's almost impossible to offend her and trying will only set her laughing and teasing. Everyone is either a friend of Maeth's or a future friend of Maeth's and it's no use telling her differently. In this, she can be a bit thick, Maeth simply refuses to believe there's a dragon on the planet that she can't win over give the time and inclination. And even the most savage, cruel creature is 'charming' and 'silly' in her eyes, needing only understanding and a chance to shine.
When Maeth can be convinced to stop talking, she makes a fantastic listener. She doesn't have it in her to judge or condemn, which makes her a go to girl for those with guilty hearts. And her advice may be wrapped in humor, but it's generally good. After all, Maeth wants to make people happy. She may tease and even go out of her way to shock but she never deliberately says anything that might hurt. When she does cause genuine hurt, she's quick to apologize and make amends.
While Maeth certainly loves her rider, she's not a needy dragon. She has many friends, her rider just happens to stand out as the best among them, the most funny and the most fun. And, as her rider is her favorite friend, her rider will be the one she tries to drag off when adventure calls, as it often will. Maeth's got itchy wings, a desire to see and do things that have never been seen and done before. The day to day routine at Warden's bores her terribly and, unchecked, she will find ways to break the tedium.
