Approved by Tsunake
Name: Gisanna
Age: 18
Sex: Female
Orientation: Heterosexual
Craft: Beastcraft, specialization in caprines (kept a secret)
Rank: Apprentice (nondisclosed); member of Sandstorm
Physical Description: Gisanna is eye-catching, though perhaps not in a ‘conventional’ sense. Her features are not delicate—she has a rather large nose, thick eyebrows, and a wide mouth—but they are memorable. Her lips are plump and sensuous, her eyes deep brown and slightly tilted, and her complexion nearly-golden tan. Her hair is black and, much to her dismay, of a slightly coarse, slightly wavy texture that is impossible to work with. She wears it just long enough to be caught up in a messy bun at the base of her skull. Of average height and weight, she is toned and physically capable from years of work with herdbeasts, though she claims it’s from weyrbrat labour. Her bust is relatively small but her body is curvy, and she dresses to flatter it. While she tends to wear practical clothes in bland colours, she harbours a not-quite secret love of fancy and nice things.
Generally, she wears her bandana as either a headscarf or tied into a belt-pouch that contains a few marks and her lunch, though she has been known to quickly knot it around a wrist or her neck in a pinch.
Personality: Gisanna is not an outgoing person. The word that most would use to describe her would likely be ‘uptight’. The girl does have a certain degree of honour and propriety that sets her aloof from people, though she makes a conscious effort not to seem like an outright snob. She’s pleasant to be around, but doesn’t often let people know what she’s thinking or feeling. She doesn’t make friends easily, but she doesn’t at all mind working in groups and strives to be tolerable, if not actually likeable.
She tends to expect far too much of people. Impatient and fairly demanding, Gisanna’s generally unrealistic expectations tend to leave her disappointed, and she doesn’t deal well with disappointment. She’s not one to throw hissy fits, but hold grudges? Oh, yes. She can be extremely manipulative and is excellent at playing the guilt card if need be, though she prefers people to just do what she asks. She is devoted to and protective of the things she loves (unless they’ve proven that they don’t need protection; she doesn’t expend energy over nothing). That devotion is loyalty nearly to death. However, she will generally put herself first in troubling situations and has no qualms about lying or altering the truth when it doesn’t suit her to be completely honest. Her guilt sensors aren’t very functional and don’t tend to kick in until far too late.
Gisanna actually sincerely likes physical labour, for its own sake as well as for the sake of proving how much of a hard worker and how worthy she is. It’d be safe to say that Gisanna has a minor superiority complex. She’s a quick study at bluff and bluster, but isn’t at all learned—she’s functionally illiterate and her knowledge doesn’t much extend beyond generic teaching ballads, but she’s got a good ear and knows what little comments to drop to bolster her image.
While she can certainly admire the boys from afar, she seems to harbor a certain degree of contempt for men. That’s because she holds everyone up to the standards set by her oldest brother, her father, and her mother’s father, all three of whom she has completely idealized beyond objectivity. She doesn’t really flirt—it’s never been part of her personality—and most male attention gets an appraising once-over and not much else. She has a tendency to try her hardest to make boys nervous. As her oldest brother says—at least Gisanna will never need an older man to scare off the suitors. Since she prefers the company of girls, it’s safe to say that she’s learned to admire female beauty, and though she does strongly prefer the males, she just might have one or two stories about how girls are better kissers than boys. But don’t expect her to tell them to many people.
History: Other than a few members here and there, Gisanna’s entire extended family has been in the business of beastcraft for as long as anyone on Pern can remember. Her immediate family is in the caprine business, mostly. Like many beastcrafters, the majority of her rather expansive family is anchored in Keroon, around Beastcraft Hall. She has relatives all across Pern in just about every herding discipline.
In fact, only one of Gisanna’s numerous brothers has shown any aspirations to become anything other than a beastcrafter. He was Searched while staying with family in Benden Hold and left to become a dragonrider at Benden Weyr several turns ago. Gisanna’s family, though they were slightly disappointed that the boy’s potential with runnerbeasts would remain untapped, sent him off with a kiss and good wishes. He has yet to Impress, but being only a turn older than Gisanna, there is still time for him. Gisanna herself harboured no ambitions at all to become anything but a beastcrafter.
She grew up with the animals, was formally apprenticed at twelve and put under the tutelage of her eldest brother, a journeyman in the field. With her family’s help, she moved along well through her apprenticeship. Her initial aim had been to go into beasthealing, but she never got far enough. She was Searched to Igen when she was sixteen, and agreed somewhat reluctantly to head off to stand for a Queen Hatching. She elected to go, however, with her hall’s next tithe, arriving a few days late but on her own two feet, pride intact.
Within a day, she realized that claiming she was hallbred would be the easiest way to cripple any social possibilities. So she elected not to announce that particular fact about herself. Instead, she used the names and descriptions her brother had given her of Benden Weyr, spinning a quick claim of her lineage in their bronze lines and claiming she was a transfer due to political complications. She lied convincingly enough that nobody caught on, and promptly joined the Sandstorm faction.
She’s been there, living this deceit, for two turns now.
Pets: N/A
Other/Talents: Good with most animals, except creepy-crawlies. She's terrified of trundlebugs and spiderclaws. Knows some basic leather repair techniques. Stellar liar with a well-practiced poker face. Has some very basic herb lore and knows how to treat minor cuts and sprains.
Will this character be a candidate? Yes
Picture: None >:
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