Approved by Tawny
Name: Avalinia
Age: 15
Gender: Female
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
Craft/Rank: Candidate
Description: A petite little thing with shaggy brown hair that used to be longer until she chopped a good portion off due to her inability to get the many turns of knots out. Her face still shows some signs of her turns as a drudge however she has since put on some weight since coming to the Weyr. Her skin is still pale in color though no longer holding a sickly quality to it. She also typically wears clothing that covers most of her body as she is not used to showing much of her skin from wearing rags for too long
Personality:
If there is one thing that can be said about Avalinia, it's that she's a survivor. All she's known her whole life was how to adapt and survive. She's become rather skilled at this, perhaps her most valued trait being the fact she is very adaptable. This can be to anything from a change in her environment to a change in social standing. She accepts things for what they are and rarely questions it. Unless she disagrees with it, but it takes a lot of effort for her to round up the courage to do this.
Having been a drudge most of her life, Avalinia is not very skilled at speaking up. If she feels differently on an opinion, she will most likely say something in confidence to a fellow drudge before saying anything to anyone of rank. Or any group in general, though she does stick to those who have worked a similar life to her own. They are what she considers family and Avalinia feels most at home when she's helping make dinner or cleaning a room. Anything that might be asked of a drudge. Because of her upbringing, Avalinia is a little socially awkward when she is around anyone else, especially those that are of a higher rank then she is, such as the lord of the hold or a rider. They intimidate her simply for being a superior and she would never forgive herself if she offended them. So in most cases, she tends to stay quiet and be ‘invisible’. However she does like having company around her. She just may night speak up or draw attention to herself, instead enjoying the presence of others more then the social aspect of a group.
When she is working, Avalinia is one hard worker. She will do whatever is asked of her and she will do it diligently and without fuss. One could even say she may be a bit OCD in how diligently she works. She is a determined woman, something that will grow the older she gets and the more she has to deal with what life tosses her way. Though she will lack confidence from time to time still, Avalinia will just have to view the obstacle as something new she must overcome. And she’ll also have to work to achieve some semblance of confidence in the given situation. Overall, Avalinia is a sweet woman that was dealt a certain hand in life and she rose to challenge it. It is her hope that, one day, she may be able to make her parents proud for giving her a chance to survive. As to how she will accomplish that, she doesn't know, but surely she can rise up to be something more than a drudge, right?!
History:
Born to a small family that made their living off of the few herd beasts they managed to keep alive their small hold, Avalinia picked a horrible time to decide to grace the world. She was the seventh child, youngest out of the siblings, and the last her parents were able to have. By the time she was five turns old and with a poor harvest that turn, it was only a matter of time before their herd beasts died and the family lost its small amount of income. The mass starvation that spread nearly wiped out her entire family. It was, perhaps, a last ditch effort that Arvorian and his wife, Lina, took to try and ensure some of their children survived. They offered their strongest children to be raised and cared for as drudges to the neighboring hold, which was much larger and doing better than their pitiful excuse for one. She and three siblings were accepted and promised to be taken care of.
That was the last time Avalinia saw her parents. From then on, she only knew drudge life. Being so young, she didn't fully understand everything at first. But once she got older, Avalinia respected those that had taken them in. It wasn't the ideal life, but it was something. She and her siblings were treated fairly and actually enjoyed the family they belonged to. The older drudges taught Avalinia to cook and sew. The head mistress taught all the drudges, once a sevenday, a bit about reading.
By the time she was around 13 turns old, Avalinia could read some text, was quite skilled in sewing and stitching, and saw her first dragon. The rider's were from Malvren and took refuge at their hold for the night, having just fought a battle, marking the beginnings of the revolutionary battles. Avalinia had heard whispers traveling among the drudges that an uprising was coming. They just had not realized it was begun. Their hold, being loyal to Malvren, sheltered the rider's and offered them what assistance they could provide. It happened that, Avalinia was one such offering, to go and assist by cooking and helping stitch up wounded individuals. They were in need of skilled hands and they gratefully took the young girl with them.
Two turns later, when the first wherhold clutch was to be laid on the Sands of Benden, Avalinia found herself being told by a rider and their dragon that she had potential to Stand. There wasn't much arm twisting needed to convince her to find her way to Benden Weyr. She felt she owed Malvren, and by association, Benden as well, for giving her a chance to be part of something bigger. Not just a drudge. Now, the young girl of 15 turns finds herself being faced with yet another challenge in life. One she is adapting to well enough, though still fears screwing up some how. Though she's not sure what to think about the Revolution as a whole yet, finding she can sympathize with both sides, she is grateful for the chances she's been given at a better life. For that reason alone, she would pledge her loyalty to the wherholds.
Other:
