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Rider's Name: Daiva
Rider's Age: 23
Rider's Craft, if Applicable: Apprentice Healer/Herbalist
Which Weyr are they Stationed? High Reaches Weyr

Rider's Looks: Daiva has golden blonde hair cut above her shoulders, framing light brown eyes, fair skin, and a light smattering of freckles. Her resting expression doesn’t show a lot of emotion. She may look vacant, or even disdainful if she doesn’t really notice you right away, but honest, she’s a pleasant and reasonably intelligent person. She’s got fairly lovely curves, but a distinct lack of feminine grace in moving them.

When she walks, her left leg does not bend, resulting in an obviously uneven gait. To those unfamiliar with her history, it would appear that she just has a stiff knee, perhaps from an injury. Beneath her clothes, however, she wears a false limb starting from mid-thigh. She will also occasionally use a crutch instead if she doesn’t feel like putting it on. She can run if necessary, but not very fast, and usually suffers severe aches through her left femur and hip joint for days afterward. She has above-average core strength (read: lady-abs) from compensating since losing her leg. Her riding straps have a holster for her false limb, similar to and often mistaken for a sword sheath. She usually removes the cumbersome limb and stores it there when riding to keep it out of the way.

Rider's Personality: One of the more approachable goldriders of High Reaches, Daiva is always available for a chat, some guidance, or to offer herself as a sounding board for concerns. She can’t promise anything will come of her reports of such concerns, but she’ll do her duty and pass it on to the next level if you’d like.

And why shouldn’t she be nice like that? She’s lucky to be alive, and it’s a miracle she’s been permitted to hold the position she has now. She doesn’t care to use golden Farizath as some kind of license to lord it over people, especially the ones who have to the gumption to live above reproach. Green, blue, brown, bronze, gold – they’re just colors. Nothing more. Yes, there are certain expectations in the ranks of High Reaches, and she will correct problems as directed, but she will do it as kindly as possible. It’s not her place to decide that someone is less good or capable or worthy than anyone else! Let others be the harsh overseers.

There is always an element of shame that pushes Daiva to work harder than she needs to, as if she can make up for her harsh upbringing and for the disaster she helped to cause as a weyrling. She is still very defensive about the event and will struggle (and sometimes fail) to not act out if she perceives that someone is looking down on her for her past actions, or worse, pitying her for her injury. She has a zero tolerance policy for people who make stupid decisions, though she will fiercely support them afterward if they are repentant, out of a desire that others do the same for her.

When not engaged in an active task, Daiva often seems distracted or uninterested, due to a continuous stream of communion with Farizath. Her dragon is her security, and without that contact, fears begin to creep in. She begins to feel unsure of herself, less capable, less worthy of life in general. Rarely, when stressed beyond her limits, she will seek out a private place and completely retreat to her sanctuary within Farizath’s mind. It is difficult to get her to snap out of this near-comatose state before she is ready. If Farizath thinks it’s important, she may gently nudge her rider back to reality, but more often than not, she will be uncooperative.

Though not so obvious when they are apart, it is clear when they are in sight of each other that their connection is regularly expressed in a physical manner. A turn of the head at a noise, a shrug of the shoulders to a question, a sudden snarl of protest over a prime patch of sunshine – these can be seen happening simultaneously in both halves of the pair, no matter which one initiated the action. They are well aware of this quirk and are careful not to let it present inappropriately.

(Determined, kind, grateful/Ashamed, needy, legalistic)

Rider's History: Raised at Fort Hold, Daiva was an Apprentice Healer, specializing in herbalism. She had very demanding parents, who used shame as their main weapon. If she made a mistake – and she made many according to their standards – she was always punished in front of other people, often her own friends. As a result, she lost most of those, and was later bullied by a few, but the handful who remained were true friends.

She was Searched at age fifteen by one such friend’s dragon when he came home after weyrling training at High Reaches Weyr. It was a little unclear whether or not it was a “real” Search, or just the enthusiasm of two kids, a dragon, and their silly dreams, but either way, Daiva was whisked away to High Reaches to become a Candidate.

At age (sixteen to eighteen), she participated in a Touching that included a gold egg. She felt a certain kinship with several eggs, but felt especially drawn to the golden one. It seemed to wrap her up in warm, soft arms when she touched its shell, telling her she was good and pretty and wanted. It left her feeling lonelier than before and longing to be embraced again when she had to move on. She knew better than to assume her chances of Impressing the gold were better than any of the other girls at the Touching, but the hope was always there in the back of her mind – when she could push it back, that is. She barely talked to any of the other Candidates after that, for fear she would start blathering about it and make a fool of herself. They’d been so nice to her at the Weyr, and she didn’t want to ruin it.

On Hatch day, she placed herself as far from the gold egg as possible, still dearly hoping, but even more afraid of disappointment. She was embarrassed by her own single-mindedness, and struggled to pay attention to the first of the hatchlings. Five of them hatched and Impressed before the gold egg even cracked. By that time, Daiva had convinced herself she was not worthy, and some other girl would be the one to find her beloved that day. Three more Impressions happened before the golden egg finally split. That was when Daiva averted her eyes, too afraid to watch.

When the glistening golden hatchling came to rest before her, the girl cringed as if she expected to be slapped. She felt exposed, ashamed. Everyone who was staring at her now would laugh when the hatchling passed her by. Then she would be sent home, defeated, to face her parents again. She trembled, refusing to look at the creature as she fought tears of anticipated humiliation.

Then it came. That warm, gentle touch she thirsted for, reaching into her mind and wrapping her up with declarations of love and confirmation of her worth. The dragonet softly pressed her forehead against the girl’s torso and folded her wings over her shoulders, sheltering and reassuring. Impression was made, and the two began a new life, planning to leave the old one behind and remain at High Reaches forever.

Months of bliss followed, with lots of hard work thrown in for good measure. Daiva’s self-image had improved immensely, and she was glad to immerse herself in weyrlings’ work and training. She found she could DO things, and do them well, without someone hovering over her shoulder, and having her dear Farizath to remind her with she faltered that she was smart and capable, no matter what her parents had told her. It was wonderful indeed, but soon another season of life would come to pass.

The pair snuck out with some other weyrlings one night when Belior was full. On a dare, several weyrlings planned to try riding without straps. As the goldrider of the clutch, Daiva felt pressured to show no weakness in front of them, and to prove that she was as good of a rider as anyone else. Though she would have preferred to obey Weyrlingmaster V’mel’s rules, she and Farizath were one of the pairs involved in the tomfoolery.

There was a near-collision in the dark. Farizath backwinged, Daiva was knocked from the gold’s neckridge, slid back along her spine and down her rear leg. Luckily, she caught on to Farizath’s paw. She tried to climb, but it was impossible. To conserve her waning strength, she lifted her right knee and wedged the foot between her dragon’s toes, leaving the left leg dangling until they could land. In panic for her rider, Farizath went between to get closer to a ledge… and in the chaos and poor visibility, overshot her target by just a few feet.

A heavy stone with encouraging words carved by her fellow weyrlings still marks the place where Daiva’s left leg was merged with the rock floor.

If she was ever lectured or punished for her foolishness – and she most certainly would have been for endangering a gold dragon and several other weyring pairs – Daiva has no memory of it. For several months afterward, she lived as if she were sleepwalking, never speaking and barely eating. Her flesh healed well, but she became dangerously underweight and was apathetic toward any human interaction, only wanting to be with Farizath. Farizath, too, became taciturn, except that she would occasionally stir to eat or to ask for something for her rider.

No one knew what went on in their minds, however, it was clear what they were thinking on the day that Farizath’s hide went gray. In plain view, she crouched beside her rider, wrapping a foreleg around the gaunt woman and lifting her to where she could crawl onto her beloved’s neckridge. They were just about to take off when Farizath heard sharp words, commands from the Weyrwoman and Leader, and their dragons, too. She heard Thistreth’s urgent tones and felt Eveleth pressing her to stay grounded, and struggled against it. She looked around, daring them all with fast-swirling gray and red eyes to try and rob them of their right to seek the silent nothingness of between. In concert, Daiva mirrored the movements of her dragon’s head, a feral, menacing look on her face.

It was the bellow of another bronze that broke the spell. He flew down from his ledge and, defying Farizath’s frantic snaps and snarls, deposited his rider – a man with one arm. Daiva recognized him immediately, staring at him with eyes like twin moons. He looked back at her, saying nothing. Then she began to climb down.

Daiva had known the story of the Assistant Weyrlingmaster’s missing arm, of course, but it was only then that she realized how much suffering Z’rik must have endured, yet he had the inner strength to become so capable again, and to make it look easy. It was through his encouragement and a good dose of his particular brand of dark humor that she, too, started down the road of recovery. “At least you still have two hands!” he’d tease. Talk about perspective!

Naturally, she developed some strong feelings for the man, a confused mixture of the loves one might have for a brother, a father, and a certain special someone. And all the while, she and her dragon grew stronger. Over the next two turns, Daiva became vigorous and mobile on a false limb and completed basic training with Farizath, returning them to some value beyond Farizath’s ability to clutch. They had no bubbly pie-in-the-sky ambitions of being major leaders in the Weyr, but they were determined to fulfill the normal duties of junior weyrwomen, and have done well keeping up thus far. The recent appearance of Thread was a bit of a surprise, but ultimately didn’t cause any major upsets for the pair. It just gave them a new challenge to rise to.

Even with her success, Daiva sees herself as a cautionary tale and most certainly not an inspiration; in her eyes, that honor is reserved for Z’rik, who rose above tragic circumstances that were not a result of his own mistakes.



Dragon's Name: Farizath
Dragon's Size 47’ (Would be age 5-7)
Dragon's Personality: You are good. You are valuable. You are beautiful. I like you. I like you very much. Be brave, my pet. If you choose to believe in yourself no matter what comes, you will not be disappointed in the end.

These are the kinds of words Farizath will say to everyone, regardless of their pasts or the color of their hide. She is very difficult to offend, and if you want to make her blatantly dislike you, you will have to seriously hurt someone she loves. Even then, she’d have a hard time being not nice. Barring that one incident as a weyrling and the odd fit during flightlust, she really doesn’t know how to act any other way. It’s just not in her nature.

Don’t mistake her niceness for maternal instinct, though it can appear to overlap if she’s got a clutch on the sands. Those babies aren’t “hers,” they’re their own unique individuals! She’ll make no claim of authority over or responsibility for their opinions or choices, but she’ll gladly encourage the heck out of them if they’ll let her.

She welcomes suitors of all colors, but her “type” is fairly traditional. She prefers confident, masculine bronzes who don’t need to be told they are strong and brave. Not puffed up, self-satisfied cockerels, mind you. They can take a short hop between.

Speaking of between… That’s the one thing that Farizath is not confident about in herself. She hates going between and will rarely do so alone unless it is an emergency. She’s never quite sure she will “land” in the right place on the other side. She depends very heavily on her rider for their destination, not trusting herself to get it right.


How does the pair feel about living in the Weyr? It’s freedom. Sure, High Reaches life comes with its own set of strict rules to follow, but there’s not this huge anticipation of absolute failure coloring every little task. Daiva can do what she’s told, the way she’s been taught, and even though there’s no praise for it, she gets the satisfaction of knowing she did it right and no one’s going to trot her out and lambaste her in front of her wingmates. Farizath’s color also provides a bit of forgiveness power for Daiva’s physical impairment, though neither of them see it as such anymore. Farizath is happy to support the rights of her fellow dragons of all colors, even when it must sometimes be done discreetly to protect her rider from persecution.

How does the pair feel about Threadfall's return? There’s a little bit of stress beyond the “an accident might happen during a fall” understanding that all fighting riders have. What if they get told to stay grounded because of Daiva’s leg? What if they make a mistake going between and hurt someone again? It’s one of those situations where one just puts on a grim face and does what one must do, hoping for the best. Aside from that, they are glad to do their part in protecting Pern.

What are some of their dreams for the future? They covet a teaching position, either for weyrlings or remedial classes for untrained or rusty riders – though they are perfectly aware that they have been branded as trouble by some and may never get such an opportunity.

Anything else you want to add?

Rider's Name: Junnila
Rider's Age: 36
Rider's Craft, if Applicable: (Formerly) Apprentice Glasscraft - Blown glass maker
Which Weyr are they Stationed? High Reaches Weyr
Rider's Looks: Junnila is of average height, five foot five, and sports a more pear shaped frame that is sporting a bit of softness about her belly, "courtesy of my daughter" she occasionally teases. After the death of her weyrmate and before coming to HRW, she cropped her black almost waist length hair short. Doing so has opened up her face more, getting rid of hair she could have hid behind. "It wasn't going to be needed." Now, there's less to cover up her blue eyes and the twin scars trailing down the left side of her face, one starting above her eyebrow and going to her cheekbone and the other starting at her temple and ending just about an inch over her jaw. They're not deep or fresh, but they are clearly still there.

Rider's Personality:Due to her less than stellar immune system as a youngster, Junnila became somewhat more introverted as a means to potentially get sick less often. She loved living in the Weyr and loved the bustle, plus it was handy that her father was a journeyman healer when she did catch a bug. She didn't let it slow her down any. When asked why she did the things she did, or why she didn't want to go do this, that, and the other, she discovered honesty was the best policy and it's been her manner of speaking since. Why beat around the bush when confusion could just be avoided by being straight with someone? She was never outright mean to someone if they asked her anything, but she still developed tact so as not to seem rude. Unless rudeness was the only thing they understood, then, well, there was no helping them. Her manner in conducting herself soon became as frank as her method of speaking. Why bother showing off, putting things off for later when they could be accomplished now, or adding a bunch of unnecessary steps? Just do what needs doing, stop when you need to, and let that be that. Look at a problem, consider the circumstances, what can be done, and go from there. Be patient and it'll work out.

The way she carries herself can come across as stiff or prim. She doesn't go out of her way to shake hands, she keeps herself tidy, clothing more or less in order. Perhaps a leftover habit from when she got sick more frequently. Junnila has a hard time letting herself become heated or strongly emoting where others might see her. (She's an angry/frustrated crier, so it can get tricky if she gets stressed.) She's been the big sister, the serious friend, the anchor, etc, so she feels kind of like it would somehow be a let down or especially distressing to the person who be a witness if she just broke down in front of someone. Since going into mourning she's grown more outwardly aloof, though she is no less observant or ready to throw everything she's got into what she does. Junnila cares deeply for what family she has left and holds close friends in high regard. With Coatlicuth at her side, she feels she can just about take on the world if need be. She loves her bondmate and even still sometimes just stops to marvel at her in quiet moments alone.

Since Impressing Coatlicuth, Junnila displays some more of the passion that her bondmate so easily expresses. She's gradually become more outgoing, though none the less prim in her way of carrying herself. She more readily accepts attention and praise, or criticism. She still doesn't shout her deeds and dealings from the roof tops, preferring to either go unsung for her work or to let what she does speak for her, but sometimes Coatlicuth steps in to make sure Jun gets acknowledged.

Rider's History:
Junnila was born in Fort Weyr to a journeyman healer, her dad, Virnelis, and his weyrmate, her bluerider mom, Silana. Her mom was more often busy than not, but she spent plenty of time with them. Her earliest years were happy though she seemed to get sick pretty easily. She rarely let it slow her down though. Around the time she turned five, her mother and a handful of other riders were to transfer to High Reaches. At first, the girl had worried about losing her mother, but her father assured her that they weren't going to. He was a healer and could find work just about anywhere that had people. So, the young family packed up and transferred to their new Weyr. It took a bit of time to adjust but before long High Reaches was home. Two years after arriving, their little family welcomed the addition of another child, a little boy they named Roren. Junnila was delighted to be a big sister and helped as much as she was able to. The extra responsibility of big sisterhood eventually brought discussions of what she would like to do with herself. Jun pondered for a while. Of course, being a dragonrider would be cool, but if she had to pick a craft, she admitted to having an appreciation for blown glass makers. When she became of age to be apprenticed, she picked up her chosen craft.

As fate would have it, Jun wasn't there long. At twelve, a Telgar search pair had come through and she was pinged as candidate material. Excited to jump at the chance, the girl bid her fellow crafters farewell for the time being, sent a letter off to her family, and headed off. She really took to the work and study of being a candidate. The prospect of maybe being picked as a bondmate drive her on. It took several years of standing, touching, and hoping that her partner would be among the eggs on the sands, before her time came. She had been blindsided by being chosen by Coatlicuth, but has never looked back. The hatching had left her with a set of scars that she wore like a badge of honor. Though her time during weyrling training was uneventful, she became best friends with the boy, A'ri, who impressed the brown that had actually given her said scars, Tonatiuth.

Coatlicuth had her first flight when Junnila was 21. Didn't form a relationship with the rider of the bronze who caught her dragon. When it came time for Coatlicuth to rise again, right after Jun turned 24, before her bondmate blooded and took to the sky, she made sure to seek out, grab A'ri, and made sure to have him with her when the Queen rose. Shortly thereafter they officially became weyrmates and they learned that Junnila was expecting. Coatlicuth was probably about as excited for their baby at the couple themselves were. The couple, and their dragons, welcomed Anuri into their lives. After she was weaned, Anuri was turned over to the creche, though both parents were still very much presences in her life.

It had been business as usual for a long while, but the return of Threadfall changed everything. During the fight to protect the Weyr, A'ri was fatally injured and Tonatiuth went between for the loss. Amid the chaos, it didn't really hit her until that night. It broke her heart and she knew that she had to inform her daughter what happened as well. The following month was the hardest and living among the people who had come to know them didn't make it any easier. The near constant sympathy was too much of a reminder of what had happened. Devastated at the loss of her best friend and weyrmate, Junnila pursued a chance to transfer to HRW with her daughter, a sort of Gold exchange with some rider transfers. She'd be back amongst family in her time of grieving, put some distance between the fresh painful memories and the ever apologetic faces of those who had come to know them. It'd give her some space to sort herself out with the support of her family and her daughter, now twelve, could spend more time with her grandparents and uncle and see what life is like in HRW. While she's still grieving, she's thrown everything she has into serving the Weyr, and trying to do right by her mourning preteen daughter.

Dragon's Name: Coatlicuth
Dragon's Size 47'
Dragon's Personality: Coatlicuth, from the very moment she burst forth from her egg, has displayed that she is unafraid of getting into the thick of things. Ready and willing to use both her size and physical strength as well as the weight of her will to handle situations or fights, literal or metaphorical, that she and hers might find themselves involved in. She's a queen who stands ready to face whatever might need tending to, be it some trivial dispute between between riders, dragons, whomever, to drills and training, to fighting that silvery scourge since its return. When presented a task, she's a nose to the grindstone, don't stop until it's done type of dragon. Bold and quite combative if provoked, Coatlicuth has serious potential to be a force of nature, but if she holds you in high regard, she's a valuable ally to have in your corner.

On the other hand, Coatlicuth isn't all drive and feistiness. She's always been protective of Hers and those she's close with. Nurturing and encouraging of those she sees needing it, Coatlicuth enjoys seeing the fruits of others labors and efforts achieved. Those who are willing to put in the work though it may seem overwhelming deserve all the support they could get, support she's more than happy to supply. Look how far you've come! I'm so proud of you! And so on. To those who aren't interested in pulling their weight or are even just seeking her attention for attention's sake, she is not remotely interested. If pressed on it, she'll sternly let the offender know just what's on her mind. Some might see this as favoritism if they aren't acquainted with how this gold operates, but she's not going to encourage acting up because of her hide or position. Take that nonsense elsewhere. Some other Queen would likely welcome the attention.

Since choosing Junnila as Hers, their time together has mellowed some of Coalicuth's more physically combative tendencies. Junnila's focus and deliberate nature help temper and guide her intense drive to work and fight for what she holds dear, hers, her home, her friends, etc, as well as helping her to understand that it's okay to have to step away. Not everything can always be accomplished in one go. Having had a couple of clutches in the past has really cemented her motherly streak. Young weyrlings or newer rider pairs may find themselves getting fussed over if they seem to be having trouble or if they seek her out for advice on a matter. Coatlicuth is pretty sociable, but is also content just spending time with Junnila and her daughter. Bath times and oilings are all well and good, a necessary part of being healthy and happy, but she doesn't lose her mind over them.

How does the pair feel about living in the Weyr? Junnila's lived in a Weyr all her life and feels perfectly comfortable living in one. Living in anything smaller, to her, seems like it would be more empty or too quiet. Coatlicuth enjoys the bustle and seeing all of the faces, draconic and human, that she feels responsible for. Plus, all the better to keep an eye out and make sure everyone is towing the line, giving encouraging nudges or admonishments as needed.

How does the pair feel about Threadfall's return? The loss of her weyrmate due to Threadfall has ignited a fire in Junnila. She's scared, and angry, and determined to not lose another member of her family. So, now's the time to double down and work harder! A sentiment Coatlicuth shares wholeheartedly. Put the nose to the grindstone and fight tooth and nail

What are some of their dreams for the future? Coatlicuth simply wants to ensure whatever broods she produces in the future are as healthy as she can possibly manage. Now more so than ever, strong, healthy young dragons are needed. She's not going to stop at anything to make sure her home is safe, protected, and ready for whatever may come. Also, she really hopes that Junnila will find a love again, but this one she hasn't pushed too hard on hers. Not yet. The wounds are still too fresh.

Junnila is presently trying to avoid dwelling too soundly in the past and is focusing in the now and looking down the road. Similar to Coatlicuth, she wants to protect and serve her weyr, experience and flamethrower in hand. Maybe walk the tables with enough time and effort, when she has time and energy to do so. She wants Anuri to find something that

Anything else you want to add? Junnila has a somewhat weak immune system, especially so when she was younger, but after having a baby, things seem to have improved some. This comes across in how she interacts with others. Unless very close or familiar with someone, she's going to try to avoid skin to skin contact. If touching is necessary, she'll tend to elbow, back, or shoulder. If somewhat acquainted, forearms, upper arms become options to touch. For those she's very familiar with or around often, then handshakes, hugs, face/neck touching, or even kisses are possibilities. Otherwise, Junnila will bow or nod in greeting, maybe salute depending on whom she is greeting. Does not like unexpected touching! While she won't jerk herself away, her muscles will seem to flinch at unexpected contact with someone else. She won't be startled, but she'd be irked.

She also has kinda weak ankles and tends to wrap them for extra support when she's active, though she does have quite a high tolerance for pain. Better prevent injury in the first place than deal with pain and recovery time later.

I'll probably quest her if she's not chosen and I may either make her daughter as a candidate and/or open up her family for others to pick up roles or as adoptables.
Impression story -