Avara - Gold Iskierath

[Spiffy]

Avara

Name: Avara (Ara for short)
Age: 40
Gender: Female
Prisoner: Pfft noooo! >.>
Crime: Being a bossy-boots?
Craft/Rank: Goldrider

I'm a bitch, I'm a lover
I'm a child, I'm a mother
I'm a sinner, I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell, I'm your dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way

Appearance: She's not petite, she's not weak, and she's not old. She may be developing crows-feet around her eyes, and she may not have the same figure she had in her teens, but she's no less capable. Though she still has a woman's frame, she can hold her own in a fight well enough, having gained her muscled through extensive exercise in day to day life, not any sort of physical training. She's strong enough to hold a sword and use it too, but not as well as the guards. She stands at 5'6, a good average in height, though she often seems bigger than she is. It's the big personality that does it. She is neither pale or tanned, spending approximately equal amounts of time in and outside. She has no particular clothing style, instead choosing clothes that are suitable at the time. She does particularly like her wherhide jacket though, though now with Warden's being significantly hotter than Fort, she's reduced to admiring it from it's hook in her weyr.

Her features are a little sharp, and can look almost hawk-like at times. She's aged well though, being better looking now than she was when in her twenties. Her nose is definitely a little pointy, though the rest of the effect only comes with a little effort on her part. Dark eyed and dark haired, she nonetheless has a copperish cast to her brunette hair, reflecting her father's more reddish locks. Many have said in the past that she should have been a redhead like her father, as she certainly has the personality for it.

So take me as I am
This may mean
You'll have to be a stronger man
Rest assured that
When I start to make you nervous
And I'm going to extremes
Tomorrow I will change
And today won't mean a thing

Personality: There's something reassuring about Avara. It's not because she inspires comfort, nor because she has a mother-like presence, but because she exudes competence. Because you just know that whatever you ask of her will get done. Even if she cannot do it herself, due to there being only an finite amount of time in her day, you can be sure that whomever she delegates your request to she trusts to do it. You know that you will get help, that your troubles will get sorted, that you will get whatever you require. She can be rather matter of fact, though, so she's not much good as an agony aunt, and has little patience for people who detain her for personal grievances.

She is, quite simply, the queen of organised (pun not intended). Organisation and delegation. She'll organise her own life, her dragon's life, the records room, the upcoming Gather, the next tithe, the store cupboard, your closet... well maybe not that far, unless you ask her to, but she'll do it all without breaking a sweat, and she does it without being OCD about it too. She may like to ensure that everything has a place, but she won't let it get in the way of having a life and friends. You wouldn't think she had it in her when she was a child, but she does. She also has the knack of organising people (which you would know all too well if you knew her as a child), judging character, making sure that they're not idle when they shouldn't be, and making sure (again) that a job gets done by somebody.

But she hasn't lost her childhood sense of fun, not at all. She does everything with the air of contained energy. She's certainly not a boring person to be around, even when in work-mode, more so when she does on occasion 'let her hair down' so to speak. She still enjoys being the life of the party, has no problems approaching anyone for a chat, and is as much the extrovert she was when she was 8; she just knows not to get herself killed now, for the sake of the Weyr, which she's convinced would crumble without her, even more so since she arrived at Warden's.

I'm a bitch, I'm a tease
I'm a goddess on my knees
When you hurt, when you suffer
I'm your angel undercover
I've been numb, I'm revived
Can't say I'm not alive
You know I wouldn't want it any other way

History: Fort Weyrbrat from the beginning, born to a weyr cook and a wherhandler, Avara's life was much the same as that of every other Weyrbrat at the time. She was never fostered, instead spending her time in the creche when her parents couldn't keep an eye on her. This may be in part why she ended up as she did. Always being among others of her own age and younger, Avara was never scared of people, and indeed loves the hustle and bustle and buzz of lots of people. If Fort Weyr ever had a Gather, you could've guaranteed that Avara would be there in the thick of it. She'd probably have planned half of it, too, or half of the troublemaking anyway. She'd even complete any chores she was given in the best manner she could, taking pride in a job well done, even if she did make her fair share of complaints at being made to do them in the first place.

Even at a young age Avara was gathering her fellow weyrbrats into her own little 'clan' of sorts and leading them into all sorts of hair-brined schemes. Sneaking into the Sands to see the newest clutch. Putting trundlebugs in the Headwoman's bed. Stealing half a flitter clutch, from which she Impressed Sprog. She even managed to sneak one of their number onto a trading ship. The boy was returned the next morning by the bosun with boxed ears and a ridiculous grin on his face. "I did it!" he'd said gleefully, presenting the pilfered bottle of rum with a flourish. Needless to say their little group were quite hungover by the next morning, and unwilling to repeat the night's drinking any time soon. Not in the long run though, for they repeated the theft quickly enough. But not all of her plans were bad ones. She hatched nice ones too, for people that the group liked. Like filling the Head Cook's sickroom with fresh flowers and herbs overnight when she'd been taken ill one time, so that she woke up with a nice surprise! She threw a party when the sister of one of her group of 'followers' Impressed to a Gold.

With that Impression over, nobody expected another Gold egg to be laid a mere two turns later. The Weyr hadn't planned for that, and sent out hurried search parties to rally up more Gold candidates. But with the previous Gold having gone to a Weyrbrat, the holdfolk were a little reluctant to give up their daughters this time around. So it was that come hatching time, the Weyr ushered every girl it had of age onto the sands. This included Avara, at fourteen turns of age.

The gold egg didn't hang about, being the fourth to hatch, nigh on exploding out of her egg and stumbling forward with a loud growl and hiss. Iskierath, for all her other assets, was not one of those dragons to whom coordination came easily. She stumbled around for a little longer, the hissing and growling only growing in intensity as her red swirling eyes swept the candidates.

Avara! You will help your Iskierath to the food! I hunger. The voice thundered into her head suddenly. The teen Avara, not immediately grasping what had just happened, was a little rattled at being ordered about. "I will not! You can bloody well help yours--" she started, hands on hips, when realisation dawned. "Iskierath!" she cried, running over to where the gold was floundering and enfolding her in an embrace. Thus began their life-long enduring relationship, which was to prove both loving and trying for the young woman.

The pair taught much to each other, in their own ways. Iskierath's overwhelming pride of place and determination certainly passed through their bond into the young woman, while Avara's presence helped to round off Iskierath's more overbearing and egocentric tendencies. They certainly became a force to contend with when they finally learned how to work together, though their two strong personalities often clashed initially. Avara for once really put her nose to the grindstone in whatever task she was given, be that oiling Iskierath or cataloguing records for the Weyrwoman, an attitude that she has carried on past Weyrlinghood and still holds.

She never made it to Weyrwoman. It didn't take long for the young goldrider and her dragon to become enchanted with the dragon watch. The child in Avara longed for the action and adventure offered in hunting down criminals, though once joined up she also enjoyed the investigative side of things, tracking them down. Though the Watch wasn't exactly the best lifestyle for a woman, Avara had been down with the boys ever since she could walk, and more than stood her own among the men and their obstinate attitudes about her.

But she wasn't in it for life. 4 turns ago she became Jr Weyrwoman at Fort, and more and more of her time was taken up by looking after the Weyr, and less and less in the watch. She was ok with this, she rather liked the responsibility and shizz, and besides, she was getting older. She could still more than keep up with the watch and their antics, but she was losing the drive to. If she boiled it down, she was ready for a quieter lifestyle.

But once a Watchrider, always a Watchrider. Though she never exactly resigned from the Watch, the pair (Iskierath in particular) found themselves missing it. Weyrwoman life was getting too mundane. They needed a change.

So it was with excellent timing Leshta left Warden's Weyr and the call went out for two new golds to transfer there. Avara and Iskierath jumped at the change. A Weyr, full of new coloured dragon babies, criminals and chasing and excitement, hell yeah! Quickly they applied for a transfer, not before making sure that the other Goldrider was ok with taking over as Jr Weyrwoman, and pushed their application as hard as they could. Soon enough they were accepted.

Now they find themselves at Warden's, a place of strange customs, dragons and stranger residents, and chaos, and they relish it.

Just when you think, you got me figured out
The season's already changing
I think it's cool, you do what you do
And don't try to save me

Other stuff: Avara and Iskierath are both quite strong in personality, and work almost as well separately as they do together. Oh, just a warning: Avara can drink you under the table, and will, given the chance.

Sprog

Name: Sprog
Species: Firelizard
Color: Blue AABBCC
Appearance: Deathly pale, Sprog looks almost like he could be a white, if it weren't for his blue tinted skin and average blue size, though he is a little on the skinny side. This is not for lack of care on Avara's part. The blue seems to worry off any weight he may put on. If he does have any markings, they're so faint they're hardly visible.
Personality: Sprog is neurotic. There's simply no other way of saying it. He's scared of people, he's scared of whers, he's scared of bronzes, he's scared of anything red, he's scared of loud noises, he's scared of sudde n movements, he's scared of his own shadow. He'd be scared of Iskierath if he hadn't learned that she was such a good deterrent for other things that are scarier, and can often be found huddled up behind her headknob when not with Avara. Avara feeds him, Avara oils him, and Avara protects him from the scary things; he is therefore devoted to Avara. He's also pretty smart, for all his not being able to work out that his shadow can't hurt him, and makes a good messenger when Avara can convince him that the person she's sending him to won't eat him. In fact, she had to make a huge effort to get everyone important whom she may need to send a message to to give him a treat whenever he met them, in an effort to convince him that quite the opposite was true. Now that she lives somewhere new, she's going to have to do it all over again.

Iskierath

Name: Iskierath
Color: Gold, Base Colour BBAA33 Darker markings 998855 Lighter markings EEEEAA
Age: 26
Appearance: She's a big girl, warrior queen if there ever was one, but she's not the prettiest gold that ever lived. She is chunky and well muscled, which gives her excellent stamina but next to no grace, and is actually quite ungainly when se moves, especially on the ground. Long wide wings help to keep her in the air, while slightly short but thickset legs help her to stand. Long claws tip the forepaws of these legs. She also has a thick neck, and long thick tail, one swipe with which could easily break bone. Her facial features are strong and bold, and her jaw slightly square, but sharp looking eyes and muzzle give her a piercing-like look, as if one glance could cut you down. (Kinda like this)

Primarily a dusty shade of old gold, her hide fades to a darker, somewhat dull gold on her legs, wingtips, tailtip and headknobs, with a trail of the same dull gold going down her face between her eyes to end in an arrow-like shape on her nose. She also has faint markings in a lighter, almost white gold, hardly visible except when she's about to fly or in a battle rage. Two parallel lines of this white gold run down either side of her neck from jaw to shoulder, then swirls on her hindquarters, with a final thick band around her upper right forearm.

Personality: Iskierath commands an often wary respect. Though not overly vain like some golds, Iskierath is certainly proud, of herself, of her dragons, and of her Weyr, and if anyone disrespects that then they can expect to have a severe dressing down from the gold. She can be bossy, but not without purpose, and wouldn't make another go out of their way to do something for her when she's quite capable of doing it herself. Iskierath may be rather ungainly, but she's far from lazy, and nothing will stop her getting where or what she wants, come 'Fall or high water. She is afraid of nothing, when it comes to the defense of all things she considers hers (her dragons, their riders, the Weyrfolk in general, even the prisoners), with one hang up - her rider comes first. Then her Weyr. Then her eggs (look at them funny and you'll be dead before you can blink twice). And only then anything else that ingratiates itself to her.

She's not always the easiest to get on with. Iskierath can be rather abrupt, and is not afraid to point out faults so that they can be worked on and fixed, though only if she feels they need fixing; she won't nit-pick for the sake of it. She is also unyielding; she will not bend for praise or gifts and generosity, she'd rather a job be well done than pretty words and objects, and looks down on those who do. This does mean that she has a rather coloured view of the more arrogant bronzes that strut the Weyr as if they own it. As if. It's hers now pal. Or so she thinks.

But though she may not make herself your best friend, she sure as hell gains your respect on the job. This queen was practically made for battle, and it's a shame that she'll never get to use her skills in ThreadFall, though she's also very good in the Watch. Anything vaguely exciting going on and she's there. And like every gold, she's a leader at heart, and this can never be seen quite like when Iskierath rallies her troops for action and leads them through the fray. She even makes it her personal mission to check on any who were injured and check up on their recovery. It's probably the only time you'll ever get to see her softer side, normally only reserved for Avara.

---

Questions!

1. How does your character feel about the Warden's Weyr practice of allowing squads be led by anyone who shows ability, regardless of their dragon's color and their gender?

Bloody healthy practise. They've seen too many bronzes with more sparkle than brains, their riders included, and are rather sick of it to be honest. Iskierath is particularly keen on this, just as long as they do as she says.

2. What is your character's view of the criminals?

Criminals are fun. Mostly. Thieves she can relate to (she was a rascal herself, after all) whether they do it for the thrills or from need. Dusters have her sympathy, and she wants to help them crack the habit, though she still thinks that they're more often than not dumb to start the stuff in the first place. She has no sympathy, however, for those who actively seek to hurt others. These people hold her distain, and they certainly can't expect any respect from her. Scum.

3. How does your character feel about letting criminals stand?

Within reason, it's a good idea. She knows as well as anyone what Impressing a dragon can do for someone. It's a big responsibility, something that many of the prisoners probably have never had, and something that can shape someone into a better person. Also she'd rather that than a dragonet betweening. That is never a good thing. Surely the dragon wouldn't Impress to a person if they could see they were rotten at heart? Well, that was what she thought, until she was told of the rumour of the outlaws having Impressed. She's rather aghast at this.

4. How does your character feel about the irregular colours?

She thinks they're fantastic! So cute and new and interesting. The fact that they can hurt humans is a little worrying, but still interesting. Perhaps it would have shocked her more if Iskierath had been a little less... warrior-like. That's probably it. She'd have trouble accepting that they'd actively chose to Impress to murderers though. This, of all things, is most likely to turn her off of them.

5. How does your character feel about Warden's Weyr not having the positions of 'Weyrleader' and 'Weyrwoman'?

What good were they in the first place? So long as someone's in charge what does it matter what they're called. Weyrleadership was a stupid system anyway.

[nozomi]

ACCEPTED LIKE FOREVER AGO

NOZ JUST FORGOT OH GOD.

but no, ilu and her and accepted and moved. <3