Approved by Tawny

Name: Jeral

Age: 29

Gender: Male

Sexual Orientation: Straight

Craft/Rank: Journeyman Wherhandler

History: Jeral was a hardworking boy, his father was a Wherhandler and his mother a cook for his local Hold. He grew up learning about wherhandling and cooking. as a boy Jeral adored his father's wher, in fact he spent so much time with his father and the Blue wher, his mother often joked that she was sure that her son should have been born a Wher. However as a child spending most of his spare time with Whers and in the dark, he grew up pale and while he wasn't skinny because his mother fed him like he was a starving dragon, he was rather awkward as he hit puberty and his teens and he was tormented by the higher ranking boys his age, teasing him mercilessly and he withdrew into himself more. He began to seriously train alongside his father and became his apprentice, to Jeral he was the best wherhandler on Pern, better even than the respected Whermasters.

Time passed quickly and Jeral learned to avoid the other boys, he grew stronger with Wherhandling training too, learning all the whistles and clicks and other sounds he needed was pretty easy because he had grown up listening to them, the harder part was sitting still and learning the other important things because Jeral was an active child and teenager, always off on one mission or game, or another. He had a very active imagination and used it wildly, he swore that he flew once, just a little bit, just like a Dragon ... in reality he had just leapt of a large rock. Eventually Jeral's father thought it was time he should try for a Wher egg, however a few days before Jeral was due to depart to the weyr see the Whermaster he had been running from some of the older boys, tripped and broke his arm and was unable to try for an egg that time round. It healed and in time was allowed to try again, heading off to the Weyr to try for an egg if the Gold would let him near, this time things went smoothly and he got his egg, taking it home to his Hold. The egg, in due course, hatched into a lovely Green. Jeral never told anyone about being bullied by the other lads, he never saw the need to because if he kept away, they didn't bother him, and now he had a Wher, they had less reason to tease him since they didnt want an angry Wher coming at them.

The years went by and Jeral worked as hard as ever, keeping his Green, Jeralsk, fit and healthy, keeping himself fit and active too. He grew from an awkward teen to a heavily muscled adult. He even had a beau, a girl from the kitchens he had met while helping his mother on the very few times he was awake during the day, most of the time he kept exactly the same hours as his Wher, sleeping, eating, waking whenever she did. He talked very little to anyone but Jeralsk. The relationship didn't work out between him and the girl because of his love for his wher, he just didn't understand why he should make time to see the girl when he could be training his Wher and patrolling.

One clear evening when Jeralsk and Jeral were patrolling, Jeral felt his Green tense up, normally it meant someone was out there when they shouldn't be.. or some other small danger so he sent Jeralsk off to intercept, calling out a warning that whoever it was had better hightail it back to the Hold before Jeralsk got there. Jeral wasn't afraid when the bushes to the side of him shook, he thought it was Jeralsk returning so he didn't even look. The next thing Jeral knew was the wind being knocked out of him and hitting the ground before everything went black. When Jeral awoke he felt something heavy lying on him, pushing it off he got up and looked down at it....he promptly screamed, Jeralsk, cold and lifeless had been lain on him, a Wild brown Wher lay a little way off, covered in marks and ichor, as was Jeral, from Jeralsk's many wounds. The Green had saved Jeral but in doing so, had been so badly wounded she had dragged herself over to Jeral, keeping him warm with her body until the life seeped out of her. Jeral didn't even notice his own wounds, his shoulder and back had been badly clawed by the wild Wher, as well as having makes to his face and arm and it wasn't until his screams of grief brought the rest of the Hold's Wherhandlers, including his father with his aged Blue, that he took any notice of anything at all. He fought his would be rescuers, fighting to stay beside his Wher, tears running tracks down his face until his father slapped him across the face. Jeral looked right into his father's eyes then turned away, giving one last look at Jeralsk, he allowed himself to be taken away to the infirmary, where he lay, missing the memorial and burial of the loyal and brave Jeralsk. Since that day he still keeps the hours he used to, trailing other wherhandlers on patrol until it was decided by his father and the other handlers, that he should be allowed the chance at another Wher Egg, Jeral was against this at first but saw the sense in it and sent a written note to the whermaster, asking for the chance at the next clutch of eggs. Jeral hasn't spoken much, if at all to anyone except his father and mother since the death of Jeralsk but as time passes the gloom in his heart, after her brave sacrifice for him, is slowly lightening at the thought of training another wher.

Description: Jeral is a heavily muscled man, a touch taller than the average man he is quite impressive but a long scar mars the side of his face, if he were shirtless you would see deep scars across his shoulder, his back and slightly shallower ones down his arm, these are still angry looking and will likely take years to fade to white. His eyes are dark, almost black but his skin is very pale, due to the fact he rarely, if ever, goes out during the daytime. His hair is cropped short and uneven since he cuts it himself when it gets too long for his liking. It's only ever neat looking if his mother grabs him and cuts it for him.

Personality: Jeral is quiet, he struggles to understand why other wherhandlers get up and about in the day. He's a good cook and often, if he can, will cook for himself and....well used to cook for Jeralsk too... if asked about his scars his eyes will go cold and he will just walk away from the speaker. He rarely speaks unless it's absolutely essential he has to. he has great respect and tolerance for Wherhandlers but not much for Dragonriders or those that think Whers are 'second best' he has disdain for those candidates that age out then choose wherhandling, though if they are lucky enough to be well trained and get their egg, he is less gruff with them. He blames himself for the death of Jeralsk but he also knows it wasn't his fault and as such is very conflicted privately. He very much keeps himself to himself and prefers his own company rather than that of anyone else. He doesn't have time for women unless they are also Wherhandlers but the way he behaves around people, silent, judgemental, often puts them off approaching him. He seems to be bitter about his situation but in reality he is still trying to come to terms with it, with losing his partner, his Jeralsk.

Other: Jeral had originally been thinking of transferring to the Weyr with the new Wher if he was lucky enough to be allowed another Egg by the Gold but he has decided to go back home, where it's easier on him because he knows the people and his parents are there.