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Character Name: Zhac
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Craft/Rank: Wherhandler/Journeyman
History: Zhac was born at one of Benden’s minor holds, which, coincidentally, was a miner hold as well. Zhac’s father smelted copper from the nearby mines, and his mother sold a cook’s meatpies at a stall to hungry miners. As a boy, Zhac imagined his future in the mines, with a shovel or pickaxe in hand. The only exception to this earthy family was Zhac’s older sister, Rava, who dreamed of becoming a Harper. The family doted on the sweet, dreamy girl, and Zhac harbored no bitterness about his parents saving to have her sent a proper Harper hall, since his lot was already determined. However, her health was frail and for several turns her health waned until finally, she died after much suffering. Rava had been the heart of the small family, and tension followed her death. Zhac, always a quiet boy, became more withdrawn and when his parents gave him Rava’s school funds, he insisted on putting the money toward buying a wher egg and getting away from his sister’s deathbed.

So, at 12 turns, he was sent to a mine with a healthy population of whers and put to learning how to handle the beasts. There he met an older, pale boy name Lukah, who quickly claimed the quiet youngster as friend. Zhac liked him well enough, but it was an unfortunate twist of fate that brought him to truly trusting the older lad, who had to a bronze wher. One day, Zhac had left his tools deep in the mine shafts and asked Lukah to go with him into the mine with his sharp-sighted wher and help him find his things before he had to admit fault to an adult. The glows they took were failing though, and in the dim light they became lost and accidentally triggered a cave-in. The shake was minor, but injured Zhac and it took Lukah’s help to dig him free and get him out of the mine. Not wanting to get his friend in trouble, Zhac took sole blame for the incident when he had to explain his wounds. He was sternly reprimanded for his recklessness and put on probation for a half a turn. All those months doing menial tasks for the minors taught Zhac obedience, and when he resumed training he earned a reputation for hardworking and diligence. The good record he built over that one mistake and Lukah’s favorable opinion of his worth (as well as the money from his sister’s death) eventually entitled him to a gold wher’s egg. Not long after Zhask matured, he was asked to take the queen to another mining area near Igen and help strengthen the sparse wher population there. Eventually he sent word asking about Lukah, but his friend had left the area. Without a point to return to, he drifted then, changing homes every few turns to ‘improve the breed,’ though truthfully, he never made attempts to settle. Eventually travel took its toll and he found a home at Benden Wyer. For the last turn and a half he’s ‘settled’ in a rootless way there, but he may begin to appreciate his home now that Lukah has arrived.
Description: Zhac is average of height and average of weight, and that only sets precedence for the rest of him. His hair is a dark, mulch-brown color and his eyes, though blue, are so drained looking that the hue gives no interesting impression. A waste of blue eyes, he is also a waste of fair looks. Turns of rarely speaking or displaying emotion has given his face a stern look that will turn likely turn wooden with age. The moment rarely comes, but Zhac has a strangely sweet boyish smile and laugh. Laughter is the only time he looks shy or unsure though, for the rest of the time he moves about as confidentially as if he were in a different world. He wears faded leathers and obviously dresses for comfort rather than looks.
Personality: Zhac likes to think of himself as simplistic, a man who goes from one job to the next with dedication and little thinking. He keeps his own counsel, and his non-responsive attitude can make him seem standoffish, though he doesn’t actually mind incessant chatter – he just has little to say in response. His strong-but-silent attitude makes him a good worker and endlessly loyal to a cause. He takes orders and performs them with as few questions as possible. He holds to his gruff exterior because beneath it, his emotions are repressed and disturbed. Not liking the inner workings of his own mind, he tries not to think about feelings of any sort much, but not understanding himself is likely why he is still tortured by imagined passed misdeeds. He feels a powerful guilt about outliving his cherished sister, and for later leaving his parents poor and bereft of their only remaining child shortly after her death. Despite having the opportunity, he never has returned to see his parents.

While he lacks that courage, he has no shortage of physical courage. From working in unstable mines to standing against Lukah’s testy wher to pulling a caravan’s runner beast through a stormy night, he doesn’t mind risking himself so long as there is reason for it. And it’s hard to say if he’s desperate to prove something to himself or if he faces danger with passivity for a more hopeless reason.
Other: Zhac enjoys listening to music, but very sweet or sad songs make him restless and ill-at-ease.

Wher profile
Name: Zhask
Color: Gold
Description: Zhask is average sized for a gold wher, which is to say huge, and her frame is especially blocky. Even for a wher, she’s an ugly thing to look at, with especially crippled wings (she can’t even glide with grace) and ragged ridges on her face and spine, and her burnished, well-kepy hide is her only saving grace.
Personality: This queen doesn’t need beauty to command. There is power and certainty in her attitude and stance. Her confidence is what lends her an indifferent benevolence toward humans and other whers, and she has no mind for the presence of others – except for her bonded, who she treats like a hatchling, and the bronzes she likes and harasses with endless bellows and screeches for attention.

Character Name: Lukah
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Craft/Rank: Wherhandler/Journeyman
History: Born into the household of a wealthy Benden family, Lukah grew up with an excellent education and ample opportunities ahead of him. But that was almost not the case. When he was still a babe in his crib an intense fever griped him and nearly claimed his life. As a boy Lukah frequently fell ill and, since he also burned easily, this kept him indoors most of the time, reading or practicing music to pass the time. These early years shaped him into a sweet, quiet boy, mature for his age.

After seven turns his immune system improved, though his skin still burned easily in the sun, and at ten turns his parents decided he was strong enough to apprentice as a wherhandler in Benden’s mine. Because he wanted to help people, he chose to work in the mines over becoming a wher breeder. At age sixteen (going on seventeen) he met Zhac and the two quickly became friends. Lukah treated him just like one of his younger siblings, looking out for him and giving him advice when he couldn’t go to a master. At eighteen Lukah received his first wher, a bronze named Lukask.

During Zhac’s probation after the cave-in incident, Lukah visited as often as possible. They began to talk about their lives outside the mine - their families, their aspirations. Despite the age difference Lukah began to see Zhac as more than a surrogate little brother and their friendship truly cemented. Later when Zhac was ready to receive a wher of his own Lukah vouched for him, which helped Zhac in getting his gold.

After Zhac left to join the mine in Igen Lukah joined a caravan to travel the country. Although he fell in love with Pern on his travels he also faced many hardships. The first was the loss of his friend Brogan. Lukah met Brogan when he volunteered to join a caravan leaving Benden for Keroon. Quite literally born on the caravan, Brogan took Lukah under his wing and the two became fast friends. One year later, in route to Igen, Brogan was badly injured during a freak storm while trying to calm a frightened herdbeast. Lukah was right beside him when the animal suddenly reared up and trampled Brogan, breaking several ribs. Had they been closer to Igen Brogan might have survived. Lukah believes he could have saved Brogan had he acted more quickly. To make matters worse, when the caravan arrived at Igen Lukah discovered Zhac was no longer there. Lukah didn’t know if he would ever see him again. Although discouraged by the loss of two friends Lukah resolved to push on, yet the stress of loneliness combined with his relative anonymity outside the caravan led him to take up vices.

Eventually the winding road turned back to Benden where he was surprised to find Zhac waiting for him.
Description: Light brown hair and striking, dark grey eyes. He’s light skinned and comes home red around the cheeks after a long day in the sun, for he burns easily. He stands about six feet tall, muscular and lean from travel. He takes good care of his appearance most of the time, even on the road, though he often has to make due with little.
Personality: Lukah is a gregarious, well meaning guy who loves to be around people. When he makes new friends he quickly takes on the role of the big annoying brother who always looks out for you and showers you with wisdom whether you need it or not, and he’s managed to taint many friendships by coming off as a know-it-all. He preaches about high moral standards and comes off sounding a little desperate, even hollow, given the difficulty with which he follows his own advice. When women are involved he’s at his worst, loving them and leaving them, often without so much as a goodbye, treating them as objects, although it’s their attention he loves the most. He makes up excuses for himself to avoid feeling bad about what he does.

Emotionally Lukah is a mixed bag. He normally keeps his problems to himself because he believes he’ll sound like he’s complaining, unless there’s someone he feels comfortable talking to. Even then it’s easier to get a wher to fly than convince Lukah to accept help, especially when he needs it most. Generally he works his bad feelings out through physical labor or in private playing his gitar, a hobby he’s had since childhood. He comes off as easy going most of the time, leading some people to believe (incorrectly) that he has no problems. He loves to joke and tell long stories. If ever deprived of social contact he would likely lose his mind in less than a week.

If there’s a problem to be solved you can be sure Lukah will go for the most practical approach. He hates to complicate a simple job. For being born into a wealthy family with parents in high social standing he comes off as surprisingly down to earth and manages to get along with just about anybody, so long as they can put up with his rambling and ‘sagely’ advice. His appearance of being ‘down to earth’ comes from his practical way of thinking, which has the unintentional affect of masking the arrogance that feeds his self-confidence and is the cause of all his problems. Most people who know him well enough to see his faults never figure out whether he sincerely wants to be a good person or just wants to appear as one.
Other: Wherhandling is in Lukah’s family.

Wher profile
Name: Lukask
Colour: Bronze
Description: Average sized for a bronze, his tough skin is relatively unblemished as he hasn’t been on a run since Lukah joined the caravan.
Personality: Lukask is a big tough bronze and Zhac’s biggest competition. Always jealous of his handler’s friends, he snarls at anyone who stands too close to Lukah and would try to force himself between them if not for his training. Even with his training he obviously lacked the temperament for working in the mines, though Lukah only realized this when they joined the caravan. He may throw his weight around, but unless you’re another watchwher his bark is worse than his bite. When no one else is around he dotes on Lukah like an adoring puppy.