Name: Berjint (to be Ber't after Impression)
Age: 17
Sex: male
Sexual Orientation: heterosexual
Craft: Farming!
Rank: Apprentice
Physical Description: Silky, very curly black hair falls indiscriminantly just to his jawline. He has large, bright blue eyes that stand out against his tanned face and dark hair. He is short, both in stature and in arm/leg length. However, he is not small. Farmwork has developed his muscles significantly in his arms, legs, and torso. His hands are definitely not Harper-hands, tending more towards stubby and strong than long and quick. He has a farmer's tan, which means his face, neck, and arms halfway up his biceps are deeply tanned, but everywhere else his skin is light.
Personality: He is a rather chipper lad, often whistling while going about his tasks. He has a willing heart for work, but has the drawback of an active mind. His older brothers would tease him about having his head in the clouds, for he'd be caught just standing, staring off into space in a daydreamy way. Often he had to be forcibly returned to reality, whether by a smack or his father's shout in his ear. He never let this get him down, however, and would always return to his given task determinedly. However, he never shared what it was that often had him lost in thought. Overall, he is very easy-going and willing to laugh and joke with the other boys. He is known for being personable and self-confident, but not swaggering nor boasting. Tending the earth breeds a certain amount of humility.
Two things get strong negative reactions from him.
The first is anyone who uses his short stature as a way of attempting to intimidate or belittle him. Someone towering over him intentionally will automatically get a rise out of him, most especially if they are his own age. In his home hold this didn't happen often, but always ended in fist-fights. Berjint feels it is wrong to use superior height to make others do what you want, and resents anyone bullying just because they are bigger than their target. Overall, however, he doesn't mind in the least if anyone is bigger or taller than he. With friends, he has no problems bearing the brunt of short jokes and good-natured jibes about his height.
The second situation to give rise to a negative response is his terrible, awful, horrible fear of tunnelsnakes. He is very suspicious of underground places, or poorly lit caves, preferring the open air of fields and slopes. He has been known to break into a cold sweat when forced into underground chambers on chores. If startled by a stirring in the shadows while in a cave, he tends to react violently with squealing and running or jumping onto furniture or anything else handy. Needless to say, his girlish screams have made him the brunt of many jokes, none of which he takes well, as he claims tunnelsnakes are a real danger, and insists that he has every right to have a genuine fear of them.
History: Berjint's family have been tending fields for generations. It's a family occupation, and one they are proud of. Their hold is one that claims staunch alliegance to the dragonriders. On cold winter eves, often tales are told of near misses and valiant saves the dragonriders achieved on behalf of the hold's beloved crops. Even now, so many years after the last Pass ended, the tales are told so that each new generation might know the reason why the tithes are sent to the Weyr.
His immediate family is large, with a dozen siblings both older and younger than he. An unresentful middle-child, Berjint was raised among many brothers, a few sisters, and very demonstrative and loving parents. His mother is one of those lovely round women who love to tend their household and make them fat and happy. His father is a stout and stocky man who takes pride in his work, as earthy as it may be, and dotes upon his children. When small, all the littles of the family learn about the soil, the plants, and the weather. As they mature, the boys, and sometimes the girls, go out into the fields to learn the family trade.
Berjint was quite content following in his father's footsteps, growing food for the rest of the continent. When the dragon arrived to Search, it was while they were all out in the fields. The rider and his dragon had to wait in the hold, being entertained by the Holder and his wife until it came time for supper. Berjint was somewhat surprised to be picked out, but with his sunny nature, he took it as just another thing to relish. They shared a rollicking suppertime, feasting and entertaining the Rider, with Berjint's brothers all teasing him about Impressing a green. His mother wept, but smiled and hugged him goodbye proudly. His father slapped him on the shoulder and told him he was becoming a man. Nothing could have made the young man prouder, and he left his home with a full heart and a zest for his new future.
Pets: none (psst, does his little stuffed toy runner count as a pet? But shhh, noone knows it's tucked into his pillowcase!!)
Other/Talents: He has a fairly good weather-eye, but can't cook worth a wherry. He also likes to think he can sing, however his siblings will tell you a different story entirely! He likes to say they are just jealous.
As a side note, he is likely to have strong surges of homesickness for his big family while a Candidate. He has never gone where he was not surrounded by siblings and cousins and other family members. This will be a startlingly new experience for him.
Will this character be a candidate? Yes!
Picture: none
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