Character Name: S'dekai
Age: 21
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Craft/Rank: Wingrider/Beastcrafter

History: Soldekai grew up in a relatively normal family belonging to a minor hold. He and his brother were the only young males in an extended group of female sisters, stepsisters, cousins… The only other boys were well older, the age difference enough to discourage closeness. Perhaps this played a factor, or perhaps a shared affinity for exploring, but any rate the two young boys were near inseparable for most of their childhood. Soldekai, the elder by a Turn and considerably more exuberant, would think up something for them to get into, and his brother, the younger and yet more cautious, would figure out how to get them out of trouble. Their play never really harmed anyone, being based more in boundless energy and insatiable curiosity than a real desire to cause mischief. And like most young boys, they eventually grew out of it and settled down from small horrible terrors to run-of-the-mill teenage terrors.

By this time, their differences were starting to assert themselves – his brother showed talent in Harper skills, and eventually traveled to the Hall for training. This left Soldekai to inherit the family business of beastcrafting, handling the herdbeast herd. It was never something he was exceptionally good at, nor was it really his passion in life... He had a decent way with the animals, being a laid-back sort not prone to excessive flightiness, but that alone didn't equate to talent. Still, it was a craft, and somebody had to do it. Might as well be him.

All was well in their world, until a sixteen-Turn-old Soldekai decided it would be a good idea to court a lady he fancied. This particular young lady, alas, was the favorite of the Hold Lord’s brother. No duel-worthy offense was given, as nothing had been made formal or serious on either side. Soldekai, valuing his own hide more than getting laid, backed off immediately. This did not stop the Hold Lord and brother from acquiring a strong dislike for the young man, and doing their best to discreetly take it out on him. Soldekai, feeling (rightly, but perhaps foolishly) that this was unfair, returned the strong dislike in kind. Vocally. Rather than simply lying low and letting it blow over, the situation escalated until the wisest solution was to simply... move the boy elsewhere, just for maybe a Turn or so, give everything a chance to blow over.

Then the dragon came. Malvren was most emphatically not what his parents had had in mind, but it was convenient, and the Search dragon did say he had some potential… Not to mention the way that Soldekai went starry-eyed the minute he locked eyes on the huge flying beast. He'd been at Malvren for a little less than a Turn when he Impressed Pioth... and when things went all to hell and back.

First was the death of crimson Alumanth. S'dekai was shocked beyond belief that a bronzerider - a fellow bronzerider! - could be so callous as to provoke a clutching female, no matter her color. Surely if she had been gold, no such insult would have been given, and a Trine dragonpair would still be alive. While the incident was quietly pushed away to fester at the back of his mind, it was the beginning of a new awareness of color politics that he'd hoped to avoid. Pioth had never been ambitious, for a bronze, and indeed S'dekai never thought of himself as a leader. But he was aware, quite abruptly, of his privilege: for being heterosexual and male and bonded to a dragon with a shiny hide that some would consider more valuable in status. None of which he had earned, all of which was simply something that had happened to him.

It didn't seem fair.

He was distracted, of course, by the urgent problem of Mystweed, and how to obtain it. S'dekai and Pioth were not selected to be among the Time Riders who would save Pern, so they waited anxiously for their return. The Weyrwoman of Benden was murdered, and Malvren was blamed; shortly after, Malvren's Weyrleader was next to fall to assassination. Malvren cut itself off, and S'dekai lost contact with the friends and family he'd once had across Pern. Then a third attack, this time at Trine... And it became clear that someone was targeting Pern's leaders specifically.

He kept himself free of the rumor-mongering and investigations; he had no desire to throw around accusations on circumstantial evidence. Somehow he and Pioth survived the freak Threadfall, but many others did not... and new bronzeriders and brownriders and silverriders stepped up to take their places in leadership. Life continued.

Then... the revolution. It happened quickly. Too quickly. Malvren fell seemingly without effort; the wherhandlers were nothing if not efficient. And at the same time... they were brutal in their methods, but they brought promise. A new way of doing things, as the old way had so obviously failed. The weyrs were too wrapped up in infighting and intrigue to even realize that Thread was upon them - Thread, the primary duty of every dragonrider across Pern! It was enough to make any young rider ashamed of himself, and pretty words about equality and new leadership were enough to sway him... Especially coupled with the risk of losing Pioth if he refused. He joined readily enough, though S'dekai would be the first to state firmly that he never harmed another rider.

It's only lately that he's realized the kind of people he threw his lot in with. It's too late to flee to Trine, as some did - he didn't want to leave Malvren, which had been his home for turns, and now he's stuck. No Resistance would take Revolution riders now. Especially now, after the theft of a gold egg. (Needless to say, he wasn't thrilled with that either.) Keller terrifies him, and while he's struggled to try to gain enough influence to sway the Revolution's course back towards sanity, his sympathies for the enemy crippled those efforts.

Description: S'dekai would not be accurately described as “pretty,” although “handsome” or “striking” would suit him fine. A strong jaw and squarish facial structure removes any chance of being called feminine. His sharp hazel eyes are almost amber or gold in color, and pair well with expressive features, quick to an unrestrained smile. He's mildly tanned, but still fair enough for his coloring to contrast with his dark brown, near-black hair. He keeps said hair short and neat - he prefers to keep it to a style where all he needs to do is run his fingers through it quickly in the morning to look okay.

At five foot eleven, he is taller than some, but not all. His build is fairly toned, as one would expect from a beastcrafter who had to wrangle large, occasionally obstinate animals. Soldekai has no problems with getting the dirty chores, but he's also got an odd bit of a neat freak tendency -- when he's doing his chores, he's got no problem with getting dirty. But he's not one of those guys who'll wander around the Weyr smelling like a herdbeast's backside if he's got a choice to do otherwise. There is, in his mind, just no excuse for sloppiness in personal hygiene.

Personality: It’s easy to make the mistake of underestimating S'dekai. He likes it that way. If people don’t take him too seriously, it’s easier to get away with things. He has a ridiculous sense of humor, and exercises it often. The young man is keen on most all kinds of people, and enjoys cultivating friendships with as many of them as possible. Rider and nonrider alike, even. He likes kids (with a degree of separation, he has no interest in having them) and especially around the youngest weyrbrats, he’ll cheerfully entertain them with whatever comes to mind, including stories about his adventures during the previous Threadfall (what do you mean, he doesn’t look several centuries old, four-year-olds will believe anything you tell them).

He spends most of his time smiling, which partially obscures the fact that he doesn’t miss much. With a sharp wit and a keen interest in other people, he adapts quickly to changing circumstances. It wouldn't be accurate to call him book-smart (even if Pern had books) but he learns practical things pretty quickly. He still has all the energy and enthusiasm that he had as a kid, but his rambunctiousness has been tamed to some extent and replaced with focus. He knows what he wants: to be a dragonrider. And he intends to be the best rider he can possibly be, by the First Egg.

The problem with S'dekai is that he tends to overextend himself on a regular basis. He gets involved in too many things. And he doesn't always know his own limits. This can go for personal aspirations, but it also applies to his relationships with other people. Five different people come to him and ask for a hand with something? He'll say yes to all of them, and then wonder why he's dead tired at the end of the day and forgot to do his own chores. As for more personal flaws, the normally laid-back and nonjudgmental boy has a temper like a long fuse on a cache of dynamite. It takes a lot to drive him past moderate annoyance to real wrath, but once he’s there, the safest place to be is the next Weyr over, because when he explodes he explodes.

But lately, there's been a hollowness behind his cheerful smile, the look of a young man who has lost all control over his life, knows he has lost control, and hates it. S'dekai has always been a man with an intense sense of honor and morality: he wants to be a hero in a war that has only villains and worse villains. And he's mortally afraid that he chose the wrong side. More than anything he would love to strike out on his own and let his own heart (and Pioth's good sense) guide him. But he fears retribution from the Revolution if he turned on them. While S'dekai is reckless enough that he would readily put himself in danger, he is reluctant to risk Pioth for anything other than a worthwhile cause.

Other: He sucks hardcore at anything related to cooking. It's really awful.

Name: Pioth
Color: Bronze
Personality: Pioth, despite his color, is not the proudest dragon the Weyr has ever seen. In fact, he's almost gentle in a way, a dragon who would much prefer to appreciate beauty and music, and to use diplomacy when he can finagle it than to war for it. He's actually on the smallish side of the scale for a bronze, though his regal, quiet attitude draws him attention that he is quite pleased with. Does he need to make a fuss to get it? Not really -- his natural magnetism and charisma make up for what his size hasn't granted him. The soft-spoken Pioth prefers, however, to follow someone else's lead. He's got a calling, and that's to strengthen those who are in charge: the heads of the Weyr, and the senior queen. As a result, Pioth would much prefer not to end up at the head of the Weyr, and won't choose someone who's overly ambitious. Leave being the King for someone else -- he would make a great Wingleader, but never a Weyrleader.
Due to his appreciation for the arts, he will choose someone who can stop and smell the roses from time to time, and who has a way with words or music. His should be genuine, someone who loves what he does, and who will not push Pioth too far too fast -- when pressed, this bronze can be terribly stubborn and will set his heels like a mule. There is nothing indecisive about him: just because he's gentle and pleasant-natured doesn't mean he'll let himself be bullied. He's a bronze, after all -- did you expect you could boss him around at will? He knows exactly what he wants, it's just that it isn't power.

Sometimes enough is enough, and beneath all that patience is a will of iron -- especially when it comes to disrespect of authority, and those who do so within Pioth's earshot will regret it. In fact, he can be downright harsh when pushed to it: disrespect for the senior queen or those in power will cause Pioth to crack down like a ton of firestone. He simply won't tolerate it, and his should be prepared to deal with a remarkably fiery temper around those who break this bronze's one rule. Situations can get a little nasty in this case, so his rider should be prepared to fight unapologetically in the name of Pioth's beliefs or do a lot of apologizing.

Despite this one downside, with his clutchmate brown Capeth's strong strategic prowess behind his strong will, Pioth could be something great, but not too great. Both bronze and brown agree very strongly on one thing, and that's the fact that loyalty is paramount as a virtue, and once Pioth has chosen his rider, nothing that His could ever do would shake that loyalty. He will go to bat for His at any time when he feels His is being treated unfairly, should it become necessary, without regrets or considerations -- even if it means going up against authority. It's advised that His be someone who knows the meaning of moderation because this bronze has two modes: relaxed and artistic, or crusading for a cause.

Why ME!? Pioth and Soldekai are two peas in a pod. Soldekai has a mischievous but articulate streak that appeals very strongly indeed to the gentle bronze. His is funny, intelligent, and sharp – not at all the jester some might view him as. He’s interested in people and Pioth sees this as a genuine interest to be involved, to experience their world.

Soldekai also knows what he wants, he has a drive and a focus that is a must in this bronze’s book. You can’t go through life aimlessly after all and His had better stick with him. Of course, this is something that Pioth doesn’t doubt as his is always willing to help and is adaptable – strengths he knows will help them.

That said, Soldekai also has a temper and when Pioth gets going when someone crosses his sense of propriety, or when Soldekai’s patience finally runs out, they will be unapologetic in their rebuttal of whatever it was that stirred their ire.

In short, Soldekai is able to stop and smell the roses and is genuinely interested in the goings on about him. Pioth saw that in the ex-holder and knows that for good or bad, they will always have each other.