Name: Qyprenna
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Rank: Candidate
Appearance:
Qyprenna is more petite than most candidates one might see. Standing at 5'2", she is also slim in stature due to all physical fitness and training that they are required to go through. Despite her training, the womanly curves that she was gifted with are still visible, even through her simple attire. Qyprenna prefers to wear simple clothing when she is not in uniform, sticking to functional pants and comfortable tunics. In periods where the weather is colder, she might wear longer sleeves under her tunic to keep warm, along with gloves to keep the cold off of her hands.
The young woman's hair is kept shaved, as per regulations for being a candidate. Before it was cut, it was light brown in color. The texture of her hair is finer than most, and it would become gently waved upon air-drying naturally. Since her candidacy, however, she much prefers the shaved style. Not having to worry about her hair is a relief to her, as she doesn't have to constantly fiddle with it anymore.
Qyprenna's skintone is a warmer caramel color. Her skin might get a little darker from extended periods outside doing her chores, but not by much. Thankfully, she doesn't burn that easily. Her eyes are a blue-ish gray in color and are adorned with feminine lashes. Her eyebrows are the only thing that give away the color of what her hair would be, had she not kept it shave. They are fine and kept neatly groomed, along with the rest of her attire.
Personality:
- Determined
Diplomatic
Selfless
Stubborn
Self-Righteous
Soft-Hearted
Qyprenna, more than anything, is determined to give everything she does the best that she can. She works hard at the various things in her life, be it her chores or the physical training that she had to do to become a squire. If things are difficult for her, the young woman actually works just that much harder in order to achieve or get them done. They may not be one-hundred percent perfect (nothing can be, really), but the fact that she can push through and get them done is what matters to her the most. It's a way for her to prove to herself that she can do what needs to be done, even if it takes some time to finish. That's one thing that she prides herself in: not giving up.
Unlike a lot of people who can be a bit abrasive or have difficulty in dealing with others, Qyprenna actually excels at it. She is polite and tactful and is often very conscious of whom she is talking with or around. These things are important, especially when dealing with superiors or those who have a higher ranking or standing than she does. This careful nature of hers, however, also extends to her peers as well. Qyprenna is smooth when talking to others, and does her best to take the thoughts or concerns of people into consideration. The last thing she wants to do is offend someone or to hurt their feelings or make them angry.
From the time she was a young girl, Qyprenna has always put others before herself. She is a selfless individual, never generally asking for anything in return when it comes to helping someone. She is just happy to help, more than anything. It makes her happy and gives her a sense of satisfaction that she could help to do the right thing by aiding someone in need. This nature of hers, however, is a bit of a double-edged sword. Sometimes Qyprenna puts others before herself at her own expense. This might manifest in the young candidate overworking herself with chores or her duties, to the point where she passes out from exhaustion or ends up getting physically ill. Others generally have to point out to Qyp that she should take better care of herself, and it's really only then that she notices. She much prefers to put others before herself, as in her mind, other people are a lot more important than her own wants or needs.
Unfortunately, there are times when Qyprenna can be quite stubborn, sometimes annoyingly so. She is very set in her beliefs and her ways of thinking, and when someone tries to challenge that or tell her otherwise, things can get heated or difficult. She tries her best to not argue outright with other people, but good luck getting her to sway her or change her mind. She doesn't mind following the rules or doing as she's told in terms of chores or training - she's supposed to listen to her superiors and do as she is told. It's more toward personal beliefs or opinions that she is stubborn toward.
Qyprenna thinks that she is a good person. She does her best to follow the rules, to keep in line, and to not argue or talk back to those who outrank her. The laws and rules are put there for a reason, and it is her job to follow them. These views, unfortunately, can also be a bit problematic. If a person isn't as good as she is, perhaps by doing things differently or talking back to a superior, Qyprenna can be somewhat intolerant. It's not that the other individual isn't taking things as seriously as she is; they just might see things differently than her, and that can cause her to question their beliefs or opinions. Depending on who the person is, she might question their line of thinking or even tell them off. She wouldn't be above reporting on a person to their superior's, either, if she felt that it warranted such treatment (such as putting others at risk, for example).
Hearing that she is too soft or too kind was not unheard of to the young candidate. If there are people who are in need, or even just something as simple as a small animal, Qyprenna wants to help that person. She is very sympathetic to those who might be in need, even if they don't really deserve it. In her mind, it is always better to give people the benefit of the doubt. When she can't help everyone, it saddens her, but it's a fact that she needs to learn. You can't always save them all, as they say.
History:
Qyprenna was born into a farming family that calls High Reaches Hold their home. Her mother and father raised a number of animals, though their livestock was predominately llamas, which were raised for their wool. Qyprenna's father, Andraste, was a gentle and affectionate man. Her mother, Lia, was kind and caring as well. The two of them were a perfect match for one another. The couple tried multiple times to conceive children when they wanted a family, but unfortunately nothing came of it. The two of them considered themselves blessed when Qyprenna was born, and once that happened, they settled on just having one daughter to call their own.
The girl's childhood was a rather normal one. As she grew up, she often helped her parents around the farm. She took care of the animals, making sure that they were properly fed and the water that they needed to survive. She also personally brushed them herself and would watch the flocks out in the pasture while her parents went about their other chores. Her father would often go to town to sell the wool that the sheered from their animals, while her mother would take care of the home with the cooking and the cleaning. Every once and a while, Qyprenna would accompany her father to town to sell the wool, and these were days that she would look forward to quite immensely.
Qyprenna was around the age of 9 or 10 when the Dragonplague took place. Although she didn't live in High Reaches Weyr, she called the Hold her home, and thus was close enough to learn about the catastrophe that was going on to the dragonkin around her. When it was happening, she felt very scared and worried for not just the dragons, but their riders and those close to them as well. Her parents would often hear news from the Weyr on things going on, and she could remember her parents talking in hushed voices when she was around them. They didn't want to frighten the little girl, as the stuff they were talking about would probably give her nightmares, they knew.
The Civil War happened around this time, too. Qyprenna's father often spoke about how soliders were often getting ready or going off to battle. She didn't really understand it at the time, but the young girl knew that it was a big responsibility to go off and fight in wars. She also knew that it was honorable to do such things: to defend those around you who couldn't protect themselves. It was at that time that Qyprenna decided that was what she wanted to do. She wanted to help protect people, possibly by being a riding one day, though she had no idea if that would happen or not.
Years passed, and at the age of 16 Qyprenna and her family were approached by a dragonrider on a Search. It was a bit of a shock to the entire family, really. While Qyprenna had dreamed of such things, she had never expected a Searchrider to actually come to her home! She decided to go with them, at the blessing of her mother and father. It was a great honor to be a candidate for a dragonrider, and she had to take her chance.
The first year of her training went more-or-less without incident. The physical exercise wasn't too difficult on her. She had done a lot of physical labor at home, after all, while helping on the farm and taking care of animals. What did take some getting used to, however, was the drilling from the various superiors above her and those who trained her. It's not that she didn't obey or do as she was told; she just wasn't used to all the yelling. There were quite a bit of tears the first few weeks into her training, but eventually the young woman got used to it. Once she had learned the ropes, it was then decided that Qyprenna would become a squire, a prospect that thrilled her. It meant she'd be one step closer to becoming a dragonrider.
Qyprenna became the squire of a man in his mid-thirties named Gel'ric, who is part of the 2nd Wing. He had a handsome brown dragon that the young girl couldn't help but admire. He was a polite man, though he could be a bit demanding at times. When he wanted something done, he wanted it done now. Not two minutes from now. Right that very second! So it took a bit of getting used to on Qyprenna's part, getting everything done in the rider's quick fashion. She works very hard to please Gel'ric, however, and the dragonrider has taken note of her hard work. Hopefully, soon, she'll be able to try for a dragon of her own.
