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 Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 3:45 pm
The Rider
Name: Vennet
Age: 45
Gender: Female
Orientation: Heterosexual
Rank: Junior Weyrwoman
Craft: Beastcraft
Craft Rank: Apprentence
Physical Description: Muscular and boyish, Vennet has never been a classically attractive woman. She has little curve to speak of and is largely comprised of angles and muscles. Her hair is a light blonde, made lighter by her increasingly greying roots, and thin. She has recently cropped it close to her head. A spattering of freckles covers her face and shoulders, though she appears otherwise unable to tan or darken in the sun. Vennet has close set dark eyes and a long, narrow nose. Her jaw is strong, her lips are thin. Few would call her a beauty. This suits her fine, however. She is a hard looking woman who dresses plainly and has no liking for frippery.
Personality: There is not a task that she approaches with anything less than her best. Vennet throws her all into everything that she does, never seeing any job beneath her. No matter how menial the task is, as long as she can work for her Weyr she does it with pride. There is no shame in working hard, in giving your all. Perhaps she hates being idle, perhaps she finds work fun. The woman enjoys throwing herself at a problem all day and then looking back at what she has done at night with a proud smile. 'When you give your all, you can never look back with regret' is part of her philosophy of life.
She is able to turn anything into a competition. Harvesting fruit would quickly turn into who could turn in the most baskets, someone cleaning their dragon near her would immediantly turn into a race. Vennet seems to try to project this onto everyone around her as well, she tries to drag people into her compettiive ways. She is genuinely upset when people don't want to compete, apparently unable to see why someone wouldn't want everything to be a competition. How else will you know how good other people are unless you put them to the test?
Vennet is a woman that stands on her own to feet and won't bow down to the whims of others. She has her own opinions that are seperate from her dragons and she will fight to express them. There have been many times in the past where she has butted heads with her Seinor Queen or her Weyrleader over their policies. Eventually she would be convinced to follow them. Yes, she will take orders. There had also been many times, expecially as a wide eyed girl witha freshly hatched dragon, that people tried to use her. No matter what her dragon thought, Vennet pushed these people away and followed her own path. No, she will not be bullied.
Like a canine that has something partcularly good between it's jaws, Vennet will not let things drop. She will stubbornly hold onto her points long after arguing them has become worthless. She will drag out a joke or a bit of cruelty far longer than it should be taken. And woe be to those who eventually find that her way would have been better. She seems to never forget her own opinions and advices and does her damndest to be there with a smarmy and an 'I told you so'.
Those that win Vennet's trust win more than that, they win her undying loyalty. Whether they be a blue rider or a trader, a weyrleader or a holder, Vennet's loyalty is unmatched. Once you win her favor she is your shield or your sword, stalwartly defending you or protecting you depending on the situation. Even if going against a friend would be benificial for her she would never do it.
Once she's made a decision, she is again the canine that will nto let things go. Vennet's opinions are final and it takes an act of great force to change them. She doesn't seem to beleive that people can change, projecting her own inner stubborness onto people. Once a bad, always a bad. Even when presented with evidence to the contrary she still holds onto her opinions. If she's proven wrong, she'll shrug it off like it was nothing. If she's eventually proven right? Well, she'll rub it in the other person's face.
Rank has never been something that Vennet will lord over anyone else. She's just herself, the same as she's always been. She's not no high born woman, she's not no fancy woman. She'll treat a blue rider the same as a bronze rider, a crafter the same as a master. She doesn't seem to want drama, doesn't nessisarily like to surround herself with those of high ranking. Vennet always seems most at home and most at ease sitting with a mug claw and talking to a wing, asking them how their day went or how their dragons are. She has a very down to earth manner, she doesn't go looking for glory. She's just a woman who wants to live her life, a sort of everyman in the high ranks.
She isn't a woman without vices and she never claims to be. Vennet is well known for being a woman who gets absorbed by her vices quickly and terribly. She cannot drink in moderation and she drinks more than she does water. Gambling is another problem that she has. Vennet never seems to see these problems as problems, they're just hobbies of hers you see. There's not a problem. There's never a problem.
Vennet is a man's man, man. She has few traits or physical gestures that seem feminine. She's loud and crass and can somehow make up for that with an honest, rough grin and a twinkle in her eye. It's almost an animal magnetism, because it certianly isn't her appearence. She's useful to have around because somehow, for reasons unknown to her, people seem to enjoy having her around. Vennet has a natural, underlying charm that is rough and comfortable.
However, she has never been a positive person. With the losses suffered to her previous Weyr she is even less positive now. Vennet never seems to look at the bright side and always chooses to look at the glass as half empty. And likely poisoned. She claims that it is being rational but even in the best situations she expects the worse. The woman is a bit of a rainy cloud, hovering just at the edge of a good day to remind you of the chance of all your plans going wrong.
Having quite a few turns on this planet Vennet has learned a great deal. And it is one of her great pleasures to be able to spread this onto the new generations. She is not a kind teacher by any means and will threaten just as easily as she will praise. But if you give her effort then she will give you her time. She has no problems staying late if you show interest. As long as you do not waste her time she will give you all the knowlege that she has. Just make her proud!
She is that old woman who will never refer to a person by her name. She seemingly doesn't know the names of those around her, but she certinaly knows who 'Tubby', 'Bad skin', and 'Flatty' are. Her nicknames aren't always mean but the great majority of them are making fun of personal apperance. She claims that it will tougen people up. But since her opions are hard to change... She would cheerfully walk down the Weyr and call a voluptuous woman 'Flatty' and a handsome man 'Bad Skin'.
Pros: Hard working, strong willed, loyal, An 'Everyman', a rough charmer, a willing teacher
Cons: Will not let things go, Hard to change her opinion, Addictive personality, highly competitive, pessimistic, Constantly teasing
Pre-Impression History:
Third of four born to a green rider T'ren and his weyrmate Mela, most of Vennet's days were spent with her mother and her two older brothers. A few turns after she was born a third brother entered the world. The family didn't treat her any differently than her brothers and she was soon enough following them around like one of their numbers, as if their mother had birthed four sons instead of three. She has only fond memories of her childhood spent in Telgar, of exploring and of the wonderful winters. Her second eldest brother Bori taught her how to wrestle, her far more delicate elder brother Pem taught her numbers. She in turns mothered or pestered her little brother Sam. Her early childhood was a very normal, very fun time.
Shortly after her seventh turnday was celebrated, there was an accident at the Weyr. T'ren's green Selemth was injured badly in a training drill and went between. Her father was understanably destroyed. Trent spoke little in the days following and no matter how hard his wife clung or how much his children tried to keep him with them, his body was found not a full fortnight. Mela was heartbroken and took her children from the Weyr to her parent's cothold. It was as far as she could get from the Weyr and it would never be far enough away for her. Mela alwyas spoke vehemently against dragonriders now. The children were all doubly hurt now; first their gentle father was no more and now their mother was so changed?
Mela's parents, good solid people who worked the land, were partially glad and partially horrified to have their family back with them. One must always appreciate family, but these children were so wild! Bori and Vennet expecially suffered in their house, as the family had stern stern rules about roughhousing. Pem escaped most of their ire and Sam quickly grew tired of the rules. Vennet had her own special reasoning for disliking their grandparents; A little girl who wore neither dresses nor ribbons was unthinkable! Grandmother insisted that she stay indoors, that she not be allowed to roughhouse. Building snow people and playing outside were soon replaced by lessons in cooking and mending.
By Vennet's tenth turnday she didn't resemble the happy child at Telgar any longer. Her fair hair was long and plaited, her dresses were always well tended, and the old open smile was now scarecly seen. Her mother had passed the turn before from a broken heart and too much drink. Pem had been apprentnced out to a local wood worker. Her family soon shrunk more as Bori left after celebrating her tenth turnday. Though he was scarcely fourteen turns himself he couldn't stand the house any longer. He left for the mines and promised to send word for Vennet and Sam, so that they could escape fromt he house as well. Vennet's grandmother attempted to keep her in the house with her, safe and calm, but Vennet had other ideas. She used her resemblance to her mother to slowly work down her grandfather, to learn things from him.
It felt good to work outside. In borrowed clothes she would work in the garden or in the animal stalls with her Grandfather, explaning it away to her Grandmother as learning to care for a cothold. Grandmother bemoaned the spots that broke out on her face after work in the sun, but she kept most of her pale skin and her fair hair only further lightened. She enjoyed working most with Grandfather's beasts, however. Vennet loved the stupid little faces of the herdbeasts, she loved the long graceful legs of Grandfather's runner, Steg. She begged and pleaded, and the spring following her twefth turnday she was apprentenced to the nearest beastcrafted. Grandmother despised the idea, but Grandfather argued that no man wanted a useless wife.
Vennet came 'home' as much a she could until Sam was apprentenced to a local smith and then felt her due was paid. The family would occasionally get letters back from Pem but nothing was heard from Bori. Vennet mourned him as if he were lost. But her days were usually spent too busy for mourning. She learned how to doctor the beasts, what to feed them, how to care for them. She delivered her first herdbeast calf in a warm spring rain and had her arm broken by an expecially frightened runner come summer. Working, learning a task instead of sitting useless in the house like a frail decoration, made her feel alive. She slowly started to smile again, started to become more lively. Life was something she soon had in spades, and it got her recognized come her fourteenth turn.
Bemeth had spotted her while he was on search for a recently laid clutch, had observed her quietly as she walked around town. Other youths had been amored with him, of course. Bemeth was a very lovely blue. But Vennet had offered him a treat and a wide grin, had greeted him and scratched his ridges when given permission. The small blue had turned his great eyes to his rider S'ver, and sighed. S'ver had agreed and a letter of search was sent.
No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Her grandparents ripped up the letter in front of S'ver, they told Vennet that she would refuse search. They would not have their grandaughter, their precious last reminder of their daughter, go off to whore herself about with dragons and die like Trent had. Dragons were useless in this time without thread, what would she do if she did Impress? Would she sit about leeching off those who honestly worked? No, she would stay with them, and she would marry in a few turns and she would live a normal, honest life.
"No." Vennet had told them as they ended their tirade. Her thin lips had been pressed thinner, her eyes firey with life. "You will never stop me from doing what I want. Never again. I am going home." She accepted the terms of Search and S'ver spirited her away. She returned to her old home and dutifuly took cadidate classes until the clutch hardened, though she was left standing once all of the hatchlings had found theirs. Discouraged, she perked up with Bemeth amusedly told her that S'ver had stood many times before Bemeth was shelled. Vennet had been surprised when the Search dragon had continued to take an interest in her, let alone speak to her willingly. When asked, he would never answer why, just seem amused at her questioning.
She stood for many clutches after that, but repeatedly was left on the sands. Vennet grew into a woman at the Weyr, and though she had little to speak of in feminine charms, she had her fair share of friends. She had a few sweethearts, never anything serious, until Hank was brought in from search. He was a loud young man with unrefined actions and shockingly blue eyes. He seemed to enjoy Vennet's rough ways, he seemed to like nothing more than to play about with her as if she were one of his sisters. They wrestled, they played, and as the next few turns by Vennet found herself falling in love with him.
Her twentieth turn had one clutch shelled in it, and the weyr celebrated the laying of a beautiful queen egg and a good many other eggs. Vennet touched it, much as she touched all the other eggs, but found herself being pushed away by the hatching within. She shrugged to herself and touched all the rest. After the touching she and Hank conspired together, snickering and trying to find out just how to honnoriffic 'Hank'. She did not expect to Impress but hoped that he would.
Her hopes were fufilled when Hank Impressed to a very cheerful Brown Simeth. The great golden egg rocked a few times at the begining of the clutch but did not hatch until the middle. She hatched in a sudden flury of movement, spilling egg goo and shell everywhere. A nearby bronze hatchling had gotten smattered with her goo and had snarled at the queen. To the surpise of all who watched, the queen had whimpered and cringed away from him before starting to race around the sands. She crashed into a few unhatched eggs, premeturely helping her clutch siblings hatch, and tore towards the candidates in what appeared to be terror. Though her mother bugled an order to her and her father crooned to try and calm her, she soon ran straight through the candidates. One boy was trampled to death in her fleeing, a screaming girl was permantly silenced with a sickening crack as the gold smashed into her. Vennet soon found herself slammed into as well.
The lass had always thought herself to be brave, but she had felt nothing but terror as she felt her leg snap under the dragonet's weight. A she fell, Vennet reached up and grabbed at anything. Her grasping arms came in contact with the gold's wing, and she desperately tried to cling. The gold shrieked in terror and wrenched herself in the opposite direction, saving Vennet from being the third casualty of the terrified gold. Vennet lay on the sands on her back, sobbing from the pain of her leg, when a large shadow fell across her face. She could only assume that it wasn't a good shadow, perhaps the queen dragon there to eat her after touching her baby with such 'cruelty'? Illogical thoughts, but she was hurt. A rough snout bumped into her face and thoughts found their way into her head with a quivering, cringing voice.
Post-Impression History:
Life as a juinor queen was far different than being a mere candiate. There were classes upon classes, advice from all sides, and then there was the matter of her dragon herself to finish. Kuldeth was a cringing, easily frightened dragon that seemed to not have one ounce of the pride and resonating personality that a gold should have. More than once, Vennet heard disparaging words about her beloved bond.
If Kuldeth would not behave as a queen, then Vennet would have to pick up her slack. Vennet supported her bond in every endevor, frequently stood up for her when she would not, pushed her to becoming a better queen. Kuldeth's initial terror of everything started to weaken as her first turn went by. As her and Vennet's bond grew stronger the Queen's personality was proven to be a sweet and gentle one. She was still prone to moments of flightiness, but the terror wore away.
H'ken (as Hank had dubbed himself) was a constant pressence in their life. He was always there to support her and Kuldeth. He seemed to trip over himself if she needed him, he was always there to give her anythiing she needed. Surprsingly, Blue Bemeth who had searched her out turns before was also frequently near. S'ver, not ten turns her seinor, gave her tips and a friendly smile. Vennet found herself escaping to him when things got a bit too much to deal with. There was just so much drama with the metalic dragon riders, so much that she was not used to.
S'ver encouraged her to do what she felt was right. Between her studying and classes, in her precious free time, Vennet surrounded herself with the people of the weyr. Telgar's youngest queen rider did her damndest to learn about the blue riders, the green riders, the cooks and the cavern workers. It looked good to those that taught her, and it was another bit of freedom for Vennet. There was a different sort of drama to this life, a more down to pern sort.
Kuldeth's first flight was the oddest, most rough incident of Vennet's life. She managed to restrain Kuldeth from eating her kill and for one beautiful moment Kuldeth was the queen that Telgar had wanted: A fierce, proud dragon that snarled at those who thought themselves to be her better. She had taken to the air with powerful strokes and had taunted those to fly her.
And then they took her up on that offer.
Panic like Vennet had never felt before flooded her during the flight. Kuldeth-Vennet could feel the air around her frantically beating wings, she could hear the bronzes and the browns calling out for her. They didn't want Kuldeth. They wanted a Queen. Just like when she had been shelled, so many were after her to own her. So many just wanted gold hide and power. None had wanted Kuldeth herself. From the old bronzes to the new browns (Simeth-H'ken included) crooned out to a queen, but none crooned to Kuldeth.
She wasn't an object! Kuldeth-Vennet flew from those who persued her in terror, Vennet-Vennet could hear her those around her body trying to urge her to get control of herself. A familiar, comforting voice soothed her, trying to convince her that Kuldeth was wrong, that Kuldeth herself was wanted. Kuldeth-Vennet looked down as she flew and saw Bemeth flying underher, very close to the ground Bemeth-S'ver crooned at her, flew for her. There were a few more blues in her flight, though they were quickly dropping due to low stamina compared to their larger brethrens. Bemeth-S'ver crooned, and Kuldeth-Vennet answered.
Simeth-H'ken dropped down and removed the blue from the flight, slamming against him hard enough to knock the blue from the air. Kuldeth roared and dove for them, the feirce Gold from the blooding was back in force. No! This is unnaceptable! She smashed into Simeth and knocked him down, just as he had knocked Bemeth from the air. She soared back and flew hard, outflying all but the last few tenatious bronzes.
All in all, her first flight was deemed a success. She would never forget that breif look into Kuldeth's terrified mind, she would never forget that people would seek to own her. Her relationship with H'ken was strained after that, the rider miffed that she hadn't forced Kuldeth to pick Simeth. The pair drifted apart.
However, someone else drifted in. Bemeth had luckily not been harmed too much, and spent much of his time harassing Vennet. Bemeth seemed to be addlepated for her, but Vennet had no idea what his rider felt. S'ver was a handsome man but a quiet one, never seen in the caverns with women. He liked women, Bemeth assured her, but he was waiting for someone special to see him. "He would be hard to miss," Vennet told Bemeth. The blue hummed and looked at her with happily whirling eyes.
She didn't always, though. Vennet tentatively asked him to a turns end celebration, and the dark haired man colored and accepted. S'ver had apparently fallen for the bright, vivacious, and young woman when Bemeth had searched her years before. He'd always thought that it was improper to try and start something with her, that those around them would assume that he had brought her to the weyr to have a place in his bed. And once she had Impressed Kuldeth? What queen could love a lowly blue rider?
"This one," Vennet had told him, glaring up at him. "Vennet can. And she will, too."
Turns came and went, but Vennet and S'ver stayed together. Though flights came and went the pair stayed with one another. Vennet was glad that there were always a few queen riders older than herself. She detested the idea of being Seinor Weyrwoman, of giving up her time spent with S'ver. Vennet made the decision to take a short dragonride when needed, though the pair did spend time at the Creche if either got a bit too wistful.
How and why did they end up at Monaco Bay Weyr?
The north was just as unprepared for Threadfal as the south. When it came there were many, many deaths. Many friends were lost. Kuldeth and Venneth were grounded for the flight, and they tended to the wounded. At least there weren't many dead; they stayed between.
A familiar shade of blue caught her eye and broke her heart as Bemeth blinked mid air and crashed into the ground, screaming his pain. Vennet ran to him to attempt to give him comfort, to give him numbweed. The blue startled at her touch, his head turned to her. Vennet started to cry when she realized that his pretty whirling eyes would never whirl at her happily again. Threadscore had obliterated much of his head. How he was alive was unknown. The dragon's body shut down in front of her, he stopped screaming in pain and started to croon as he collasped. He couldn't make words, but he could make feelings.
He didn't want her to worry. Don't be sad. Love.
Savan was taken from Bemeth's saddle and the badly injured man was taken to be tended to while a Bemeth was taken on his final trip between. Vennet sat with Savan and held his hand, she tended his bandages, she waited to see what would happen. A sort of helplessness arose in her heart; long supressed memories bubbled to the surface. She remembered the other time in her life that she had sat with someone she loved dearly after their bond had gone.
Savan's injuries proved to be mortal; the pair hadn't seen the Thread above them, hadn't had ample flame to char it. There was simply too much damage for him to recover from. He never regained conciousness, and Vennet vehemently hoped that he died without having to deal with the pain of knowing that Bemeth had gone along first.
Once the pair was gone, Vennet looked at the terrible losses that had happened to their Weyr. Though she could see that things could be repaired, she could also look anywhere and see a place where she and S'ven had spent time together. The memories were painful, too raw and new to deal with. She went south of her own violation, and of the beleif that it would be easier to protect. The grubs were strong down there, if they could build quickly and well, they could gather those surviing and protect them that way.
Leadership Style:
Vennet leads with confidance after she has spent time to get to know those around her. She always seeks to know about the other riders in the Weyr, as much as she can. This may give her a positive reputation through the weyr, but it's also done because you can catch more bugs with honey. If you have someone who is being a nusance it can sometimes be benificial to know about him. You can tell if someone's just being a prat, or if he's stressed because his Weyrmate is nearing her due time for their first child. You can have sympathy if you know those whom you work with, and you can know how to best work with everyone's strengths and weakness.
If there are problems, Vennet prefers them to be aired so that she may take care of them. She tries to let everyone around her know that she is open to hearing their problems, their questions. She will honestly work with anyone who comes to her. It is those that go behind her back, that try to sabotoge things, that bother her. She will punish those to the fullest that she can for their transgressions and will make them do as much work as she can.
Political Views:
Of the weyr, Vennet doesn't like the schism between the two factions. She understands why it's there, of course. But, shard it, Pern is dying. They have to pull themselves together, they have to condense. Both this weyr AND the planet need to work together. They need to pull together, abandon what can't be saved, and work together to save what can be saved.
She is of mixed minds about the rogues. She can understand some of their ideals, yes. But then she looks at Panth, she thinks of Iathe, and she can't really accept that. She likely even likes induvidual rogues, but as a whole she is not at all aproving of their methods.
Of Pern, Vennet is of the opinion that things really need to be abandoned. The Weyrs need to be condensed, they need to protect what they can and abandon what they cannot instead of spreading themselves too thin that nothing gets protected. Future generations can rebuild if this generation falls back and survives.
The Dragon
Name: Kuldeth
Age: 25
Color: Gold
Rank: Junior Queen
Inspiration: I'd already started my first entry and was working on that when a quieter queen came to mind, just kind of sitting in my outer brain watching me write the personality for the other one. "Oh, that's nice." She seemed to say meekly. "She is very proud, and very angry. She is very much like many queens. I would be frightened of her. I would be frightened of much."
I don't like doing things that always happen. I mean, it doesn't always work out for me, but I like to try things that I don't see done much. But I continued on the other idea, working with the dragon idea that sang to me. And then I pictured the hatching scene, of a very un-queenly queen who couldn't hold her own against the other dragons. A queen that would be picked on.
And for whatever reason, this dragon and this rider overpowered the first and has been easier and faster to write. No long, drawn out inspiration here. Just a little brain dragon that started out meek, but tenaciously persisted until she was written.
Origin of Name: Honestly, there's not too much with this one. I made Vennet's name to be something that was short and hard, a name with a lot of consonants. As I sat here, thinking of names for the dragon, I realized that Vennet sounded a lot like Venice. Talith was the first name that I came up with, as Venice is a city in Italy. However, I wanted something a bit softer to go with the soft dragon that would be paired with Vennet. Something that comes to mind when I think of Venice is the water.
From there, I looked for various names with water in the meaning. Tallulath was a close runner for a while with it's meaning of leaping waters. I tried to think of more things that reminded me of the water. Other than Aquaman. For realzies. Once I got my brain off of Aquaman, real thinking could finish.
Because I am the biggest nerd ever, I went back to what I know. In the game Suikoden VI, the enitre thing is set in an island Arpegio. One of the islands has a leading family, the Kuldes family. They were pretty much my favorate part of the entire game, and there were even mermaids in it. And naval battles. So, Kuldeth it is.
Personality:
While she may not enjoy her flights Kuldeth adores the eggs that follow. She is a gentle mother, guarding the sands with only the happiest of emotions displayed. The lovely gold is proud to show off her eggs to the candidates and pleased to let them know that they are in no danger on her sands. She displays an interest in each of the candidates as they progress in the sand, sometimes picking one to watch extra closely. If you touch her precious babies happily she is gleeful, but woe be to those who would treat them carelessly. Kuldeth can and will throw a tantrum if her eggs are in 'danger', but once the offender is gone she will settle back down, all happy whirling blues and greens. She seems to radiate a motherly feeling and will go out of her way to console those who are sad or who seem to need a pick me up. Kuldeth favors smaller dragons, apparently seeing their smallness (in comparison to her bulk) as a reason for extra love or care. Little blues with big egos? She is your new best friend.
Amusedly for others and terrifying for those nearby, Kuldeth is very easily startled and is prone to flight over fight. It must be funny to see a large queen, stocky and full boddied, shreiking like a wherry from somehting and taking a running jump into the air. It's funny until she does it around other dragons or people. There have been a few cases of near stompings of people and there have been a few injuries when she's gotten the idea that something is terribly wrong and her only course of action is to flee. Many times it really is nothing, a prank from another dragon or just a shadow that is particularly frightening. She will eventually touch back down to planet and be ashamed, but those sudden bursts of fear are a very real danger to Kuldeth.
The world is a beautiful and lovely place now that her Vennet is here and Kuldeth can only see the good things. She is an optomistic, sweet dragon who never sees the glass as half empty. The glass isn't even half full, it's there and it has water and you should drink it if you're thirsty, silly! Even though thread is falling and so many beloved people are gone from her memories, left to be ghosts that pop up ocasionally when the wind blows a familiar scent her way, or when Vennet is particularly sad, there is so much to be happy for! Life always blossoms from the darkest soil. There are new friends to be made, new loves to protect. There is always another sunset, another warm beach to sun oneself on, food to chase and stars to watch. Life is always good, you just have to look at it that way!
The happy Kuldeth and the panicked Kuldeth are one and the same, and there are a great number of times where she switches between the pair with little to no warning. Be it hormones or just her own crazy way of exsisting, Kuldeth will seldom be the same dragon twice. One meeting may have her nuzzling against a dragon happily and showering them with affection, the next might have her cringing from them at every step they make, and a third may have her watching you distrusfully and wondering just how you plan on using her. Her moods are as easily changed as her expressive, whirling eyes. It's sometimes disorienting for those around her.
Kuldeth largely doesn't notice weyr politics or drama. She is content to go about her life with her happy little thoughts and watching for all her happy little dragons. She is not the loudest voice in the Weyr but is a happy and gentle one. Her memory is as full of holes as a sieve and works similarly, the sadness and unhappiness filters out to leave all the happy and goodness in her. Kuldeth's poor memory works in her favor and she is seldomly bothered by the sadness that now looms over the people of the Weyr. Friends that were with her for many years are remembered, but she seems to think that they are simply missing for a time.
When the mood strikes her, Kuldeth is a whiny and downright needy dragon. Vennet bears the most of this, but any dragon who wins her affection will receive it as well. She thrives off of affection and will demand it in her own way, butting her head against people when they're working, curling up around them, harassing them with her tail until they stop what they're doing and pay attention to what is really important: her. Seemingly uncaring about petty things such as work or duty, she will announce with an air of finality that it is Kuldeth time, and Kuldeth does -not- take no for an answer.
The anger and ire of a queen is legendary, and for the most part Kuldeth is a chill and calm dragon. However, there is one sure-fire way to get her to react with red eyes and snapping jaws: fighting. Kuldeth detests fighting, she detests hurting. Even playful fights make the red roll up in her eyes. And violence? In HER flights? Oh no no no. That is not how it works, homes. If you fight in Kuldeth's flights she will remove you. If you fight in Kuldeth's hatchings? You're going to get mama dragon draging you about by your tail. She is a protetive Mama type and has no problem throwing her bulk into the way to protect those who are smaller or who need it.
Kuldeth is a very, very possesive person. When one remembers how terrified she was of being a possesion at hatching this is an amusing personality trait, but it is also a very dangerous one. Her Vennet, Her Weyrfolk. Those who come under her protection she seems to stamp with a mental stamp that says Kuldeth's. She gets grumpy and snappy when others make a claim to them. Nope. Hers. Hers until they go away and she forgets them.
Pros: Maternal, optomistic, very 'eternal sunshine of the spotless mind' -esque, protective
Cons: Easily startled, mood swings like woah, needy, possesive
Touching and Hatching ettiquete: Oh, hellooo! Are you here to see her babies? Come up close, Kuldeth pulls her clutch as close to her as she can and stays nearby, constantly worrying at them and making sure that very egg is just perfect. There is never a reason for worry here, if you are nice to Kuldeth's eggs she is nice to you. And she is so proud of each and every egg, and she loves the candidates!
Once the eggs shake and rock she is much the same, crooning encouragingly and only displaying whirling happy blues. She will let her babies roughhouse and play, but when things go out of hand she will step in and drag the hatchling back by it's tail and firmly suggest that it find a mate. No need to terrify the people watching, you drama hog. Settle down!
Flight behavior: Speed is your ally here. Kuldeth tears from the ground like a chased wherry, and one has to fly hard and fast to keep up with her. She will tease and flirt, but in the end of her flight's it's the fastest ones that catch her. She shows favoratism to dragons that she has a liking towards, but flights are for flying! She's not going to pull up early just so some silly bronze can catch her! You have to do the catching! Or isn't she worth your time?
Body Points:
Kuldeth is a big, big queen. There's nothing delicate about her size at all: She's more herdbeast than runner. She's all thick bones and stocky muscles. And her size is big, she's a big and proud Queen dragon. You realy can't miss her, and it makes when she tries to sneak around for affection even more hilarious.
She has a quiet, meek set of vocalizations and tends to hum happily at most times. She has long wings that carry her considerable bulk well and has slightly short forelegs, keeping her lower to the ground than she should be. Kuldeth is a brightly colored and lovely patterened dragon who draws eyes to herself.
Why Me? Kuldeth was herself before she was hatched, and she was always a dragon that hated the idea of being just a color, just something that people coveted because of status. She was Kuldeth: a kind of dopey, ditzy dragon who was gentle and liked babies. Through her shell she could feel those who approached her, she could feel the want and the coveting hands that groped her shell possesively. She could tell which hands just wanted power, which just wanted the glory.
And then there was a hand that touched her shell that was attached to a hard person. Kuldeth cringed back, but she observed. This one didn't care for glory. She didn't care for rank. She wanted a home to protect, she wanted to be free to make her own choices. It was that wanting for freedom that made Kuldeth want Vennet. The fact that Vennet had a strong personality and was a stauch defender further sealed the deal.
Kuldeth is gentle and soft where Vennet is not, and over the turns has softened a great deal of Vennet's personality flaws. While Vennet's nicknames were origonally a way for her simply to be cruel they now are only said in teasing tones. Kuldeth's natural optimistic ways constantly wars with Vennet's pessimism, and Kuldeth secretly and greedily enjoys how much that Vennet needs that. She needed to be needed. And so did Vennet, though you'll never get her to admit that.
Impression Story:
The hatching had started early in the day, scaring the candiates into action before meals had started for the day. The hatching had started well with a large brown Impressing right off the bat and had been since graced with a few blues, several greens, and one bronze that still patrolled the sands. The great golden queen egg had rocked once or twice at the begining of the hatching but had not since moved. As the Bronze doubled back to walk through the eggs, the Queen chose that moment to hatch. She didn't crack her egg so much as she exploded it, splattering egg shell and goo everywhere. The nearby Bronze hatchling caught shell and goo to his face and turned to the queen and hissed.
The queen's eyes changed from red to yellow as she cowered back from the bronze. There was a ripple of confused chatter that swelled through all that observed. What kind of a queen cowered from another dragon? The bronze hatchling stepped closer to her, to help or to further harass it wasn't known. But at his approach, the young Queen darted away and started to race towards the opposite ends of the sands. Her mother ducked her head down to croon at the hatchling, but that only served to frighten her more. She stopped so hard that she turned herself over in an acribatic move that caused those that watched to wince and fear for the state of her neck.
"Shards, look at her go." Wyndra murmured as she stood near Vennet's side. The tall pale girl rolled her eyes and watched the hatchling run. She had doubled back from the opposite side and was now sprinting through the eggs. The Gold crashed into one sturdy egg, then helped to premeturely hatch a lovely little green.
The Seinor Gold commanded the dragonet, and the entire hatching feild by proxy. A few straggling Dragonets ran towards the candidates and quickly found their bonds, leaving the terrified gold alone. Her eyes were a constant whirling molten pool of yellow and white. She shot one last terrified look above herself and then ran straight towards the boys.
"Out of the way!" The candidate master shouted, and the boys split down the middle. Some ran towards the edges of the sands, some ran towards the girls. One boy didn't move fast enough and was plowed into, the queen screaming in terror as she was unable to stop fast enough. The size difference and her frightened strength was too much, and those around watched in horror as he was half buried in the sand and his body was crushed. The queen stopped in her tracks and tentively made her way back towards him. She nosed him once, eyes looking about herself and still whirling with fear. When the boy didn't get up she made a mournful, terrified noise and started to sprint away again.
"Shards and shells, she don't know how to control herself-" Wyndra gasped. Vennet agreed and choked down a frightened noise as the dragonet was spooked in their direction. She grabbed Wyndra and started to run.
"No dragon is worth dyin' for!" Vennet proclaimed as the Queen smashed into the girls, squealing with terror. One girl with a particularly shrill scream was ran into right away. Vennet remembered her being slightly dopey, full of herself. Too stupid to move, apparently, and the shrill quality of her scream stopped abruptly with a sick crack as she fell to the ground, her head bent at an odd angle. The dragonet again made her terrified-mournful noise and turned abruptly.
Vennet soon found that she shouldn't have been so cruel in her thoughts towards the now dead girl, because when a dragonet was running your way it was terribly hard to outrun them. The queen ran into her with a squeal, knocking her to the ground and her forepaw smashing into Vennet's calf. In a desperate move, Vennet reached up and wrapped both arms around the hatchling's wing as she fell, pulling with all she had. If she could cling, if she could somehow-
The dragonet was unbalanced by her actions and threw herself wildly to the left compensate. Vennet lost her grip and fell fully to the sands, laying on her back and starting to sob. Her leg sharding -hurt-. A shadow crossed her face and she heard noises on the sands near her head. It wasn't the panicked movements of the hatchlings, and it didn't seem human. Perhaps it was the queen mother, there to end her for attacking her baby?
Yes, illogical. Her leg sharding -hurt-.
A tentative nose pressed against her shoulder, trying to turn her with a little mournful noise, and a warm tongue scraped across her tear-streaked face. The queen's voice was pathetic, sniveling and whining in her head. Her Kuldeth certianly wasn't a brave beast. Vennet opened her eyes now to meet the still frightened whirling eyes of her dragonet.
"It's... It's all right. I'm here." She forced herself to be reasuring, she forced herself not to throw up from the pain of her cracked leg. Kuldeth moaned in sympethetic pain and dropped her head down to gently nose at her leg.
Oh, I have hurt you, and I have hurt others. I thought that you were not moving like the one before, that your Kuldeth had hurt you..."
"It's all right. It's all right." Fresh tears sprang up in her eyes as she gripped the dragonet for support, pulling herself to her foot. The candidate master was beside her then, offering support and helping he to reasure the still frightened dragon that Vennet was not so terribly hurt, that a healer would set her right again.
The Questions
What is it about this pair that you think will make them a good pairing?
I've always been a fan of the odd couple pairings. The foppy man rooming with the free spriited man. Hijinks ensue! But I personally feel that friends or teamates are best suited when you have different minds and different opinions working together on the same goals. As long as the two personalities are compadable, different viewpoints can help to make certian tasks easier.
Vennet has the metophorical balls to stand up to people and to protect Kuldeth's softness, and she has the strength to reign in most of Kuldeth's flightiness. She can ground out the airy, derpy dragon with her level headed ways. Kuldeth balances out Vennet's pessimistic ways and can occasionally make her look at the bright side, as well as temper her biting personality.
Why do you think they will be effective leaders?
Vennet is a strong woman who makes a genunie effort to know as many people in the Weyr as she can. She does this because she beleives that each person in the weyr is worthwhile and that each person may tip the scales in a battle. Also, it is far easier to take care of a group of people when you know about them. Instead of blind assumptions about a group you can better use the skills and talents of each group.
Also, I beleive that is easier to diffuse a potential problem situation when you have a hands on, intimate approach to those around you. There've been times where just talking to someone who's angry, trying to see things from their side and being willing to work with them has diffused situations. Vennet has an open door sort of mentality, and that is the type of leadership she brings. People know where they stand with her.
Kuldeth is a nurturing dragon who's mental build is based around protecting and caring for. It may not be the best plan for leading, but it's how she runs her s**t. As a queen she can use her presence to force those around her to do what she wants, but the talent is rarely used and very noticible.
I think that Vennet and Kuldeth will be a good leading pair because they don't try to dominate or force themselves. Together they are an easily approachable bit of rank with a loving and nurturing suport system.
The purpose of this contest is to secure another clutching gold for our clutch rotation, should you win this character, do you agree to place her on the clutch rotation?
Birth.... All the babies?
...
ALL THE BABIES!
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:57 pm
The Rider
Name: Vennet
Age: 45
Gender: Female
Orientation: Heterosexual
Rank: Junior Weyrwoman
Craft: Beastcraft
Craft Rank: Apprentence
Physical Description: Standing at average height and with a fairly boyish build, Vennet has never stood out in a crowd for her beauty. Her overall build is masculine, with lightly wider shoulders and narrower hips. Vennet has few curves to speak of and far more muscle than any girl should be proud of. But proud she is, and one can tell this from how she carries herself. Vennet always walks with her back straight, shoulders back, and her head held high. She always seeks out the eyes of those that she talks to and speaks plainly to them.
Turns on Pern have caused her already light blonde hair to further lighten with increasingy frequent grey streaks. It is cut short and is thin, fine, and straight as a poker. A spattering of freckles covers her face and shoulders, though she appears otherwise unable to tank or darken in the sun. She has dark eyes and a long, narrow nose. Vennet's jaw is strong, her lips are thin. Her mouth is somewhat wide, and is typically pulled into a broad grin that bespeaks of friendliness and ornryness.
She is typically a plainly dressed woman, otherwise indistinguishable from the others in the Weyr. Her gold knots are worn only when needed, and carelessly taken care of. Vennet rarely wears anything that could be deemed as frippery, whether it be clothes or ribbons. She is also typically dusty or dirty, clearly having been working before hand.
Personality: There is not a task that she approaches with anything less than her best. Vennet throws her all into everything that she does, never seeing any job beneath her. No matter how menial the task is, as long as she can work for her Weyr she does it with pride. There is no shame in working hard, in giving your all. Perhaps she hates being idle, perhaps she finds work fun. The woman enjoys throwing herself at a problem all day and then looking back at what she has done at night with a proud smile. 'When you give your all, you can never look back with regret' is part of her philosophy of life.
She is able to turn anything into a competition. Harvesting fruit would quickly turn into who could turn in the most baskets, someone cleaning their dragon near her would immediantly turn into a race. Vennet seems to try to project this onto everyone around her as well, she tries to drag people into her compettiive ways. She is genuinely upset when people don't want to compete, apparently unable to see why someone wouldn't want everything to be a competition. How else will you know how good other people are unless you put them to the test?
Vennet is a woman that stands on her own to feet and won't bow down to the whims of others. She has her own opinions that are seperate from her dragons and she will fight to express them. There have been many times in the past where she has butted heads with her Seinor Queen or her Weyrleader over their policies. Eventually she would be convinced to follow them. Yes, she will take orders. There had also been many times, expecially as a wide eyed girl witha freshly hatched dragon, that people tried to use her. No matter what her dragon thought, Vennet pushed these people away and followed her own path. No, she will not be bullied.
Like a canine that has something partcularly good between it's jaws, Vennet will not let things drop. She will stubbornly hold onto her points long after arguing them has become worthless. She will drag out a joke or a bit of cruelty far longer than it should be taken. And woe be to those who eventually find that her way would have been better. She seems to never forget her own opinions and advices and does her damndest to be there with a smarmy and an 'I told you so'.
Those that win Vennet's trust win more than that, they win her undying loyalty. Whether they be a blue rider or a trader, a weyrleader or a holder, Vennet's loyalty is unmatched. Once you win her favor she is your shield or your sword, stalwartly defending you or protecting you depending on the situation. Even if going against a friend would be benificial for her she would never do it.
Once she's made a decision, she is again the canine that will nto let things go. Vennet's opinions are final and it takes an act of great force to change them. She doesn't seem to beleive that people can change, projecting her own inner stubborness onto people. Once a bad, always a bad. Even when presented with evidence to the contrary she still holds onto her opinions. If she's proven wrong, she'll shrug it off like it was nothing. If she's eventually proven right? Well, she'll rub it in the other person's face.
Rank has never been something that Vennet will lord over anyone else. She's just herself, the same as she's always been. She's not no high born woman, she's not no fancy woman. She'll treat a blue rider the same as a bronze rider, a crafter the same as a master. She doesn't seem to want drama, doesn't nessisarily like to surround herself with those of high ranking. Vennet always seems most at home and most at ease sitting with a mug claw and talking to a wing, asking them how their day went or how their dragons are. She has a very down to earth manner, she doesn't go looking for glory. She's just a woman who wants to live her life, a sort of everyman in the high ranks.
She isn't a woman without vices and she never claims to be. Vennet is well known for being a woman who gets absorbed by her vices quickly and terribly. She cannot drink in moderation and she drinks more than she does water. Gambling is another problem that she has. Vennet never seems to see these problems as problems, they're just hobbies of hers you see. There's not a problem. There's never a problem.
Vennet is a man's man, man. She has few traits or physical gestures that seem feminine. She's loud and crass and can somehow make up for that with an honest, rough grin and a twinkle in her eye. It's almost an animal magnetism, because it certianly isn't her appearence. She's useful to have around because somehow, for reasons unknown to her, people seem to enjoy having her around. Vennet has a natural, underlying charm that is rough and comfortable.
However, she has never been a positive person. With the losses suffered to her previous Weyr she is even less positive now. Vennet never seems to look at the bright side and always chooses to look at the glass as half empty. And likely poisoned. She claims that it is being rational but even in the best situations she expects the worse. The woman is a bit of a rainy cloud, hovering just at the edge of a good day to remind you of the chance of all your plans going wrong.
Having quite a few turns on this planet Vennet has learned a great deal. And it is one of her great pleasures to be able to spread this onto the new generations. She is not a kind teacher by any means and will threaten just as easily as she will praise. But if you give her effort then she will give you her time. She has no problems staying late if you show interest. As long as you do not waste her time she will give you all the knowlege that she has. Just make her proud!
She is that old woman who will never refer to a person by her name. She seemingly doesn't know the names of those around her, but she certinaly knows who 'Tubby', 'Bad skin', and 'Flatty' are. Her nicknames aren't always mean but the great majority of them are making fun of personal apperance. She claims that it will tougen people up. But since her opions are hard to change... She would cheerfully walk down the Weyr and call a voluptuous woman 'Flatty' and a handsome man 'Bad Skin'.
Pros: Hard working, strong willed, loyal, An 'Everyman', a rough charmer, a willing teacher
Cons: Will not let things go, Hard to change her opinion, Addictive personality, highly competitive, pessimistic, Constantly teasing
Pre-Impression History:
Third of four born to a green rider T'ren and his weyrmate Mela, most of Vennet's days were spent with her mother and her two older brothers. A few turns after she was born a third brother entered the world. The family didn't treat her any differently than her brothers and she was soon enough following them around like one of their numbers, as if their mother had birthed four sons instead of three. She has only fond memories of her childhood spent in Telgar, of exploring and of the wonderful winters. Her second eldest brother Bori taught her how to wrestle, her far more delicate elder brother Pem taught her numbers. She in turns mothered or pestered her little brother Sam. Her early childhood was a very normal, very fun time.
Shortly after her seventh turnday was celebrated, there was an accident at the Weyr. T'ren's green Selemth was injured badly in a training drill and went between. Her father was understanably destroyed. Trent spoke little in the days following and no matter how hard his wife clung or how much his children tried to keep him with them, his body was found not a full fortnight. Mela was heartbroken and took her children from the Weyr to her parent's cothold. It was as far as she could get from the Weyr and it would never be far enough away for her. Mela alwyas spoke vehemently against dragonriders now. The children were all doubly hurt now; first their gentle father was no more and now their mother was so changed?
Mela's parents, good solid people who worked the land, were partially glad and partially horrified to have their family back with them. One must always appreciate family, but these children were so wild! Bori and Vennet expecially suffered in their house, as the family had stern stern rules about roughhousing. Pem escaped most of their ire and Sam quickly grew tired of the rules. Vennet had her own special reasoning for disliking their grandparents; A little girl who wore neither dresses nor ribbons was unthinkable! Grandmother insisted that she stay indoors, that she not be allowed to roughhouse. Building snow people and playing outside were soon replaced by lessons in cooking and mending.
By Vennet's tenth turnday she didn't resemble the happy child at Telgar any longer. Her fair hair was long and plaited, her dresses were always well tended, and the old open smile was now scarecly seen. Her mother had passed the turn before from a broken heart and too much drink. Pem had been apprentnced out to a local wood worker. Her family soon shrunk more as Bori left after celebrating her tenth turnday. Though he was scarcely fourteen turns himself he couldn't stand the house any longer. He left for the mines and promised to send word for Vennet and Sam, so that they could escape fromt he house as well. Vennet's grandmother attempted to keep her in the house with her, safe and calm, but Vennet had other ideas. She used her resemblance to her mother to slowly work down her grandfather, to learn things from him.
It felt good to work outside. In borrowed clothes she would work in the garden or in the animal stalls with her Grandfather, explaning it away to her Grandmother as learning to care for a cothold. Grandmother bemoaned the spots that broke out on her face after work in the sun, but she kept most of her pale skin and her fair hair only further lightened. She enjoyed working most with Grandfather's beasts, however. Vennet loved the stupid little faces of the herdbeasts, she loved the long graceful legs of Grandfather's runner, Steg. She begged and pleaded, and the spring following her twefth turnday she was apprentenced to the nearest beastcrafted. Grandmother despised the idea, but Grandfather argued that no man wanted a useless wife.
Vennet came 'home' as much a she could until Sam was apprentenced to a local smith and then felt her due was paid. The family would occasionally get letters back from Pem but nothing was heard from Bori. Vennet mourned him as if he were lost. But her days were usually spent too busy for mourning. She learned how to doctor the beasts, what to feed them, how to care for them. She delivered her first herdbeast calf in a warm spring rain and had her arm broken by an expecially frightened runner come summer. Working, learning a task instead of sitting useless in the house like a frail decoration, made her feel alive. She slowly started to smile again, started to become more lively. Life was something she soon had in spades, and it got her recognized come her fourteenth turn.
Bemeth had spotted her while he was on search for a recently laid clutch, had observed her quietly as she walked around town. Other youths had been amored with him, of course. Bemeth was a very lovely blue. But Vennet had offered him a treat and a wide grin, had greeted him and scratched his ridges when given permission. The small blue had turned his great eyes to his rider S'ver, and sighed. S'ver had agreed and a letter of search was sent.
No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Her grandparents ripped up the letter in front of S'ver, they told Vennet that she would refuse search. They would not have their grandaughter, their precious last reminder of their daughter, go off to whore herself about with dragons and die like Trent had. Dragons were useless in this time without thread, what would she do if she did Impress? Would she sit about leeching off those who honestly worked? No, she would stay with them, and she would marry in a few turns and she would live a normal, honest life.
"No." Vennet had told them as they ended their tirade. Her thin lips had been pressed thinner, her eyes firey with life. "You will never stop me from doing what I want. Never again. I am going home." She accepted the terms of Search and S'ver spirited her away. She returned to her old home and dutifuly took cadidate classes until the clutch hardened, though she was left standing once all of the hatchlings had found theirs. Discouraged, she perked up with Bemeth amusedly told her that S'ver had stood many times before Bemeth was shelled. Vennet had been surprised when the Search dragon had continued to take an interest in her, let alone speak to her willingly. When asked, he would never answer why, just seem amused at her questioning.
She stood for many clutches after that, but repeatedly was left on the sands. Vennet grew into a woman at the Weyr, and though she had little to speak of in feminine charms, she had her fair share of friends. She had a few sweethearts, never anything serious, until Hank was brought in from search. He was a loud young man with unrefined actions and shockingly blue eyes. He seemed to enjoy Vennet's rough ways, he seemed to like nothing more than to play about with her as if she were one of his sisters. They wrestled, they played, and as the next few turns by Vennet found herself falling in love with him.
Her twentieth turn had one clutch shelled in it, and the weyr celebrated the laying of a beautiful queen egg and a good many other eggs. Vennet touched it, much as she touched all the other eggs, but found herself being pushed away by the hatching within. She shrugged to herself and touched all the rest. After the touching she and Hank conspired together, snickering and trying to find out just how to honnoriffic 'Hank'. She did not expect to Impress but hoped that he would.
Her hopes were fufilled when Hank Impressed to a very cheerful Brown Simeth. The great golden egg rocked a few times at the begining of the clutch but did not hatch until the middle. She hatched in a sudden flury of movement, spilling egg goo and shell everywhere. A nearby bronze hatchling had gotten smattered with her goo and had snarled at the queen. To the surpise of all who watched, the queen had whimpered and cringed away from him before starting to race around the sands. She crashed into a few unhatched eggs, premeturely helping her clutch siblings hatch, and tore towards the candidates in what appeared to be terror. Though her mother bugled an order to her and her father crooned to try and calm her, she soon ran straight through the candidates. One boy was trampled to death in her fleeing, a screaming girl was permantly silenced with a sickening crack as the gold smashed into her. Vennet soon found herself slammed into as well.
The lass had always thought herself to be brave, but she had felt nothing but terror as she felt her leg snap under the dragonet's weight. A she fell, Vennet reached up and grabbed at anything. Her grasping arms came in contact with the gold's wing, and she desperately tried to cling. The gold shrieked in terror and wrenched herself in the opposite direction, saving Vennet from being the third casualty of the terrified gold. Vennet lay on the sands on her back, sobbing from the pain of her leg, when a large shadow fell across her face. She could only assume that it wasn't a good shadow, perhaps the queen dragon there to eat her after touching her baby with such 'cruelty'? Illogical thoughts, but she was hurt. A rough snout bumped into her face and thoughts found their way into her head with a quivering, cringing voice.
Post-Impression History:
Life as a juinor queen was far different than being a mere candiate. There were classes upon classes, advice from all sides, and then there was the matter of her dragon herself to finish. Kuldeth was a cringing, easily frightened dragon that seemed to not have one ounce of the pride and resonating personality that a gold should have. More than once, Vennet heard disparaging words about her beloved bond.
If Kuldeth would not behave as a queen, then Vennet would have to pick up her slack. Vennet supported her bond in every endevor, frequently stood up for her when she would not, pushed her to becoming a better queen. Kuldeth's initial terror of everything started to weaken as her first turn went by. As her and Vennet's bond grew stronger the Queen's personality was proven to be a sweet and gentle one. She was still prone to moments of flightiness, but the terror wore away.
H'ken (as Hank had dubbed himself) was a constant pressence in their life. He was always there to support her and Kuldeth. He seemed to trip over himself if she needed him, he was always there to give her anythiing she needed. Surprsingly, Blue Bemeth who had searched her out turns before was also frequently near. S'ver, not ten turns her seinor, gave her tips and a friendly smile. Vennet found herself escaping to him when things got a bit too much to deal with. There was just so much drama with the metalic dragon riders, so much that she was not used to.
S'ver encouraged her to do what she felt was right. Between her studying and classes, in her precious free time, Vennet surrounded herself with the people of the weyr. Telgar's youngest queen rider did her damndest to learn about the blue riders, the green riders, the cooks and the cavern workers. It looked good to those that taught her, and it was another bit of freedom for Vennet. There was a different sort of drama to this life, a more down to pern sort.
Kuldeth's first flight was the oddest, most rough incident of Vennet's life. She managed to restrain Kuldeth from eating her kill and for one beautiful moment Kuldeth was the queen that Telgar had wanted: A fierce, proud dragon that snarled at those who thought themselves to be her better. She had taken to the air with powerful strokes and had taunted those to fly her.
And then they took her up on that offer.
Panic like Vennet had never felt before flooded her during the flight. Kuldeth-Vennet could feel the air around her frantically beating wings, she could hear the bronzes and the browns calling out for her. They didn't want Kuldeth. They wanted a Queen. Just like when she had been shelled, so many were after her to own her. So many just wanted gold hide and power. None had wanted Kuldeth herself. From the old bronzes to the new browns (Simeth-H'ken included) crooned out to a queen, but none crooned to Kuldeth.
She wasn't an object! Kuldeth-Vennet flew from those who persued her in terror, Vennet-Vennet could hear her those around her body trying to urge her to get control of herself. A familiar, comforting voice soothed her, trying to convince her that Kuldeth was wrong, that Kuldeth herself was wanted. Kuldeth-Vennet looked down as she flew and saw Bemeth flying underher, very close to the ground Bemeth-S'ver crooned at her, flew for her. There were a few more blues in her flight, though they were quickly dropping due to low stamina compared to their larger brethrens. Bemeth-S'ver crooned, and Kuldeth-Vennet answered.
Simeth-H'ken dropped down and removed the blue from the flight, slamming against him hard enough to knock the blue from the air. Kuldeth roared and dove for them, the feirce Gold from the blooding was back in force. No! This is unnaceptable! She smashed into Simeth and knocked him down, just as he had knocked Bemeth from the air. She soared back and flew hard, outflying all but the last few tenatious bronzes.
All in all, her first flight was deemed a success. She would never forget that breif look into Kuldeth's terrified mind, she would never forget that people would seek to own her. Her relationship with H'ken was strained after that, the rider miffed that she hadn't forced Kuldeth to pick Simeth. The pair drifted apart.
However, someone else drifted in. Bemeth had luckily not been harmed too much, and spent much of his time harassing Vennet. Bemeth seemed to be addlepated for her, but Vennet had no idea what his rider felt. S'ver was a handsome man but a quiet one, never seen in the caverns with women. He liked women, Bemeth assured her, but he was waiting for someone special to see him. "He would be hard to miss," Vennet told Bemeth. The blue hummed and looked at her with happily whirling eyes.
She didn't always, though. Vennet tentatively asked him to a turns end celebration, and the dark haired man colored and accepted. S'ver had apparently fallen for the bright, vivacious, and young woman when Bemeth had searched her years before. He'd always thought that it was improper to try and start something with her, that those around them would assume that he had brought her to the weyr to have a place in his bed. And once she had Impressed Kuldeth? What queen could love a lowly blue rider?
"This one," Vennet had told him, glaring up at him. "Vennet can. And she will, too."
Turns came and went, but Vennet and S'ver stayed together. Though flights came and went the pair stayed with one another. Vennet was glad that there were always a few queen riders older than herself. She detested the idea of being Seinor Weyrwoman, of giving up her time spent with S'ver. Vennet made the decision to take a short dragonride when needed, though the pair did spend time at the Creche if either got a bit too wistful.
How and why did they end up at Monaco Bay Weyr?
The north was just as unprepared for Threadfal as the south. When it came there were many, many deaths. Many friends were lost. Kuldeth and Venneth were grounded for the flight, and they tended to the wounded. At least there weren't many dead; they stayed between.
A familiar shade of blue caught her eye and broke her heart as Bemeth blinked mid air and crashed into the ground, screaming his pain. Vennet ran to him to attempt to give him comfort, to give him numbweed. The blue startled at her touch, his head turned to her. Vennet started to cry when she realized that his pretty whirling eyes would never whirl at her happily again. Threadscore had obliterated much of his head. How he was alive was unknown. The dragon's body shut down in front of her, he stopped screaming in pain and started to croon as he collasped. He couldn't make words, but he could make feelings.
He didn't want her to worry. Don't be sad. Love.
Savan was taken from Bemeth's saddle and the badly injured man was taken to be tended to while a Bemeth was taken on his final trip between. Vennet sat with Savan and held his hand, she tended his bandages, she waited to see what would happen. A sort of helplessness arose in her heart; long supressed memories bubbled to the surface. She remembered the other time in her life that she had sat with someone she loved dearly after their bond had gone.
Savan's injuries proved to be mortal; the pair hadn't seen the Thread above them, hadn't had ample flame to char it. There was simply too much damage for him to recover from. He never regained conciousness, and Vennet vehemently hoped that he died without having to deal with the pain of knowing that Bemeth had gone along first.
Once the pair was gone, Vennet looked at the terrible losses that had happened to their Weyr. Though she could see that things could be repaired, she could also look anywhere and see a place where she and S'ven had spent time together. The memories were painful, too raw and new to deal with. She went south of her own violation, and of the beleif that it would be easier to protect. The grubs were strong down there, if they could build quickly and well, they could gather those surviing and protect them that way.
Leadership Style:
Vennet leads with confidance after she has spent time to get to know those around her. She always seeks to know about the other riders in the Weyr, as much as she can. This may give her a positive reputation through the weyr, but it's also done because you can catch more bugs with honey. If you have someone who is being a nusance it can sometimes be benificial to know about him. You can tell if someone's just being a prat, or if he's stressed because his Weyrmate is nearing her due time for their first child. You can have sympathy if you know those whom you work with, and you can know how to best work with everyone's strengths and weakness.
If there are problems, Vennet prefers them to be aired so that she may take care of them. She tries to let everyone around her know that she is open to hearing their problems, their questions. She will honestly work with anyone who comes to her. It is those that go behind her back, that try to sabotoge things, that bother her. She will punish those to the fullest that she can for their transgressions and will make them do as much work as she can.
Political Views:
Of the weyr, Vennet doesn't like the schism between the two factions. She understands why it's there, of course. But, shard it, Pern is dying. They have to pull themselves together, they have to condense. Both this weyr AND the planet need to work together. They need to pull together, abandon what can't be saved, and work together to save what can be saved.
She is of mixed minds about the rogues. She can understand some of their ideals, yes. But then she looks at Panth, she thinks of Iathe, and she can't really accept that. She likely even likes induvidual rogues, but as a whole she is not at all aproving of their methods.
Of Pern, Vennet is of the opinion that things really need to be abandoned. The Weyrs need to be condensed, they need to protect what they can and abandon what they cannot instead of spreading themselves too thin that nothing gets protected. Future generations can rebuild if this generation falls back and survives.
The Dragon
Name: Kuldeth
Age: 25
Color: Gold
Rank: Junior Queen
Inspiration: I'd already started my first entry and was working on that when a quieter queen came to mind, just kind of sitting in my outer brain watching me write the personality for the other one. "Oh, that's nice." She seemed to say meekly. "She is very proud, and very angry. She is very much like many queens. I would be frightened of her. I would be frightened of much."
I don't like doing things that always happen. I mean, it doesn't always work out for me, but I like to try things that I don't see done much. But I continued on the other idea, working with the dragon idea that sang to me. And then I pictured the hatching scene, of a very un-queenly queen who couldn't hold her own against the other dragons. A queen that would be picked on.
And for whatever reason, this dragon and this rider overpowered the first and has been easier and faster to write. No long, drawn out inspiration here. Just a little brain dragon that started out meek, but tenaciously persisted until she was written.
Origin of Name: Honestly, there's not too much with this one. I made Vennet's name to be something that was short and hard, a name with a lot of consonants. As I sat here, thinking of names for the dragon, I realized that Vennet sounded a lot like Venice. Talith was the first name that I came up with, as Venice is a city in Italy. However, I wanted something a bit softer to go with the soft dragon that would be paired with Vennet. Something that comes to mind when I think of Venice is the water.
From there, I looked for various names with water in the meaning. Tallulath was a close runner for a while with it's meaning of leaping waters. I tried to think of more things that reminded me of the water. Other than Aquaman. For realzies. Once I got my brain off of Aquaman, real thinking could finish.
Because I am the biggest nerd ever, I went back to what I know. In the game Suikoden VI, the enitre thing is set in an island Arpegio. One of the islands has a leading family, the Kuldes family. They were pretty much my favorate part of the entire game, and there were even mermaids in it. And naval battles. So, Kuldeth it is.
Personality:
While she may not enjoy her flights Kuldeth adores the eggs that follow. She is a gentle mother, guarding the sands with only the happiest of emotions displayed. The lovely gold is proud to show off her eggs to the candidates and pleased to let them know that they are in no danger on her sands. She displays an interest in each of the candidates as they progress in the sand, sometimes picking one to watch extra closely. If you touch her precious babies happily she is gleeful, but woe be to those who would treat them carelessly. Kuldeth can and will throw a tantrum if her eggs are in 'danger', but once the offender is gone she will settle back down, all happy whirling blues and greens. She seems to radiate a motherly feeling and will go out of her way to console those who are sad or who seem to need a pick me up. Kuldeth favors smaller dragons, apparently seeing their smallness (in comparison to her bulk) as a reason for extra love or care. Little blues with big egos? She is your new best friend.
Amusedly for others and terrifying for those nearby, Kuldeth is very easily startled and is prone to flight over fight. It must be funny to see a large queen, stocky and full boddied, shreiking like a wherry from somehting and taking a running jump into the air. It's funny until she does it around other dragons or people. There have been a few cases of near stompings of people and there have been a few injuries when she's gotten the idea that something is terribly wrong and her only course of action is to flee. Many times it really is nothing, a prank from another dragon or just a shadow that is particularly frightening. She will eventually touch back down to planet and be ashamed, but those sudden bursts of fear are a very real danger to Kuldeth.
The world is a beautiful and lovely place now that her Vennet is here and Kuldeth can only see the good things. She is an optomistic, sweet dragon who never sees the glass as half empty. The glass isn't even half full, it's there and it has water and you should drink it if you're thirsty, silly! Even though thread is falling and so many beloved people are gone from her memories, left to be ghosts that pop up ocasionally when the wind blows a familiar scent her way, or when Vennet is particularly sad, there is so much to be happy for! Life always blossoms from the darkest soil. There are new friends to be made, new loves to protect. There is always another sunset, another warm beach to sun oneself on, food to chase and stars to watch. Life is always good, you just have to look at it that way!
The happy Kuldeth and the panicked Kuldeth are one and the same, and there are a great number of times where she switches between the pair with little to no warning. Be it hormones or just her own crazy way of exsisting, Kuldeth will seldom be the same dragon twice. One meeting may have her nuzzling against a dragon happily and showering them with affection, the next might have her cringing from them at every step they make, and a third may have her watching you distrusfully and wondering just how you plan on using her. Her moods are as easily changed as her expressive, whirling eyes. It's sometimes disorienting for those around her.
Kuldeth largely doesn't notice weyr politics or drama. She is content to go about her life with her happy little thoughts and watching for all her happy little dragons. She is not the loudest voice in the Weyr but is a happy and gentle one. Her memory is as full of holes as a sieve and works similarly, the sadness and unhappiness filters out to leave all the happy and goodness in her. Kuldeth's poor memory works in her favor and she is seldomly bothered by the sadness that now looms over the people of the Weyr. Friends that were with her for many years are remembered, but she seems to think that they are simply missing for a time.
When the mood strikes her, Kuldeth is a whiny and downright needy dragon. Vennet bears the most of this, but any dragon who wins her affection will receive it as well. She thrives off of affection and will demand it in her own way, butting her head against people when they're working, curling up around them, harassing them with her tail until they stop what they're doing and pay attention to what is really important: her. Seemingly uncaring about petty things such as work or duty, she will announce with an air of finality that it is Kuldeth time, and Kuldeth does -not- take no for an answer.
The anger and ire of a queen is legendary, and for the most part Kuldeth is a chill and calm dragon. However, there is one sure-fire way to get her to react with red eyes and snapping jaws: fighting. Kuldeth detests fighting, she detests hurting. Even playful fights make the red roll up in her eyes. And violence? In HER flights? Oh no no no. That is not how it works, homes. If you fight in Kuldeth's flights she will remove you. If you fight in Kuldeth's hatchings? You're going to get mama dragon draging you about by your tail. She is a protetive Mama type and has no problem throwing her bulk into the way to protect those who are smaller or who need it.
Kuldeth is a very, very possesive person. When one remembers how terrified she was of being a possesion at hatching this is an amusing personality trait, but it is also a very dangerous one. Her Vennet, Her Weyrfolk. Those who come under her protection she seems to stamp with a mental stamp that says Kuldeth's. She gets grumpy and snappy when others make a claim to them. Nope. Hers. Hers until they go away and she forgets them.
Pros: Maternal, optomistic, very 'eternal sunshine of the spotless mind' -esque, protective
Cons: Easily startled, mood swings like woah, needy, possesive
Touching and Hatching ettiquete: Oh, hellooo! Are you here to see her babies? Come up close, Kuldeth pulls her clutch as close to her as she can and stays nearby, constantly worrying at them and making sure that very egg is just perfect. There is never a reason for worry here, if you are nice to Kuldeth's eggs she is nice to you. And she is so proud of each and every egg, and she loves the candidates!
Once the eggs shake and rock she is much the same, crooning encouragingly and only displaying whirling happy blues. She will let her babies roughhouse and play, but when things go out of hand she will step in and drag the hatchling back by it's tail and firmly suggest that it find a mate. No need to terrify the people watching, you drama hog. Settle down!
Flight behavior: Speed is your ally here. Kuldeth tears from the ground like a chased wherry, and one has to fly hard and fast to keep up with her. She will tease and flirt, but in the end of her flight's it's the fastest ones that catch her. She shows favoratism to dragons that she has a liking towards, but flights are for flying! She's not going to pull up early just so some silly bronze can catch her! You have to do the catching! Or isn't she worth your time?
Body Points:
Kuldeth is a big, big queen. There's nothing delicate about her size at all: She's more herdbeast than runner. She's all thick bones and stocky muscles. And her size is big, she's a big and proud Queen dragon. You realy can't miss her, and it makes when she tries to sneak around for affection even more hilarious.
She has a quiet, meek set of vocalizations and tends to hum happily at most times. She has long wings that carry her considerable bulk well and has slightly short forelegs, keeping her lower to the ground than she should be. Kuldeth is a brightly colored and lovely patterened dragon who draws eyes to herself.
Why Me? Kuldeth was herself before she was hatched, and she was always a dragon that hated the idea of being just a color, just something that people coveted because of status. She was Kuldeth: a kind of dopey, ditzy dragon who was gentle and liked babies. Through her shell she could feel those who approached her, she could feel the want and the coveting hands that groped her shell possesively. She could tell which hands just wanted power, which just wanted the glory.
And then there was a hand that touched her shell that was attached to a hard person. Kuldeth cringed back, but she observed. This one didn't care for glory. She didn't care for rank. She wanted a home to protect, she wanted to be free to make her own choices. It was that wanting for freedom that made Kuldeth want Vennet. The fact that Vennet had a strong personality and was a stauch defender further sealed the deal.
Kuldeth is gentle and soft where Vennet is not, and over the turns has softened a great deal of Vennet's personality flaws. While Vennet's nicknames were origonally a way for her simply to be cruel they now are only said in teasing tones. Kuldeth's natural optimistic ways constantly wars with Vennet's pessimism, and Kuldeth secretly and greedily enjoys how much that Vennet needs that. She needed to be needed. And so did Vennet, though you'll never get her to admit that.
Impression Story:
The hatching had started early in the day, scaring the candiates into action before meals had started for the day. The hatching had started well with a large brown Impressing right off the bat and had been since graced with a few blues, several greens, and one bronze that still patrolled the sands. The great golden queen egg had rocked once or twice at the begining of the hatching but had not since moved. As the Bronze doubled back to walk through the eggs, the Queen chose that moment to hatch. She didn't crack her egg so much as she exploded it, splattering egg shell and goo everywhere. The nearby Bronze hatchling caught shell and goo to his face and turned to the queen and hissed.
The queen's eyes changed from red to yellow as she cowered back from the bronze. There was a ripple of confused chatter that swelled through all that observed. What kind of a queen cowered from another dragon? The bronze hatchling stepped closer to her, to help or to further harass it wasn't known. But at his approach, the young Queen darted away and started to race towards the opposite ends of the sands. Her mother ducked her head down to croon at the hatchling, but that only served to frighten her more. She stopped so hard that she turned herself over in an acribatic move that caused those that watched to wince and fear for the state of her neck.
"Shards, look at her go." Wyndra murmured as she stood near Vennet's side. The tall pale girl rolled her eyes and watched the hatchling run. She had doubled back from the opposite side and was now sprinting through the eggs. The Gold crashed into one sturdy egg, then helped to premeturely hatch a lovely little green.
The Seinor Gold commanded the dragonet, and the entire hatching feild by proxy. A few straggling Dragonets ran towards the candidates and quickly found their bonds, leaving the terrified gold alone. Her eyes were a constant whirling molten pool of yellow and white. She shot one last terrified look above herself and then ran straight towards the boys.
"Out of the way!" The candidate master shouted, and the boys split down the middle. Some ran towards the edges of the sands, some ran towards the girls. One boy didn't move fast enough and was plowed into, the queen screaming in terror as she was unable to stop fast enough. The size difference and her frightened strength was too much, and those around watched in horror as he was half buried in the sand and his body was crushed. The queen stopped in her tracks and tentively made her way back towards him. She nosed him once, eyes looking about herself and still whirling with fear. When the boy didn't get up she made a mournful, terrified noise and started to sprint away again.
"Shards and shells, she don't know how to control herself-" Wyndra gasped. Vennet agreed and choked down a frightened noise as the dragonet was spooked in their direction. She grabbed Wyndra and started to run.
"No dragon is worth dyin' for!" Vennet proclaimed as the Queen smashed into the girls, squealing with terror. One girl with a particularly shrill scream was ran into right away. Vennet remembered her being slightly dopey, full of herself. Too stupid to move, apparently, and the shrill quality of her scream stopped abruptly with a sick crack as she fell to the ground, her head bent at an odd angle. The dragonet again made her terrified-mournful noise and turned abruptly.
Vennet soon found that she shouldn't have been so cruel in her thoughts towards the now dead girl, because when a dragonet was running your way it was terribly hard to outrun them. The queen ran into her with a squeal, knocking her to the ground and her forepaw smashing into Vennet's calf. In a desperate move, Vennet reached up and wrapped both arms around the hatchling's wing as she fell, pulling with all she had. If she could cling, if she could somehow-
The dragonet was unbalanced by her actions and threw herself wildly to the left compensate. Vennet lost her grip and fell fully to the sands, laying on her back and starting to sob. Her leg sharding -hurt-. A shadow crossed her face and she heard noises on the sands near her head. It wasn't the panicked movements of the hatchlings, and it didn't seem human. Perhaps it was the queen mother, there to end her for attacking her baby?
Yes, illogical. Her leg sharding -hurt-.
A tentative nose pressed against her shoulder, trying to turn her with a little mournful noise, and a warm tongue scraped across her tear-streaked face. The queen's voice was pathetic, sniveling and whining in her head. Her Kuldeth certianly wasn't a brave beast. Vennet opened her eyes now to meet the still frightened whirling eyes of her dragonet.
"It's... It's all right. I'm here." She forced herself to be reasuring, she forced herself not to throw up from the pain of her cracked leg. Kuldeth moaned in sympethetic pain and dropped her head down to gently nose at her leg.
Oh, I have hurt you, and I have hurt others. I thought that you were not moving like the one before, that your Kuldeth had hurt you..."
"It's all right. It's all right." Fresh tears sprang up in her eyes as she gripped the dragonet for support, pulling herself to her foot. The candidate master was beside her then, offering support and helping he to reasure the still frightened dragon that Vennet was not so terribly hurt, that a healer would set her right again.
The Questions
What is it about this pair that you think will make them a good pairing?
I've always been a fan of the odd couple pairings. The foppy man rooming with the free spriited man. Hijinks ensue! But I personally feel that friends or teamates are best suited when you have different minds and different opinions working together on the same goals. As long as the two personalities are compadable, different viewpoints can help to make certian tasks easier.
Vennet has the metophorical balls to stand up to people and to protect Kuldeth's softness, and she has the strength to reign in most of Kuldeth's flightiness. She can ground out the airy, derpy dragon with her level headed ways. Kuldeth balances out Vennet's pessimistic ways and can occasionally make her look at the bright side, as well as temper her biting personality.
Why do you think they will be effective leaders?
Vennet is a strong woman who makes a genunie effort to know as many people in the Weyr as she can. She does this because she beleives that each person in the weyr is worthwhile and that each person may tip the scales in a battle. Also, it is far easier to take care of a group of people when you know about them. Instead of blind assumptions about a group you can better use the skills and talents of each group.
Also, I beleive that is easier to diffuse a potential problem situation when you have a hands on, intimate approach to those around you. There've been times where just talking to someone who's angry, trying to see things from their side and being willing to work with them has diffused situations. Vennet has an open door sort of mentality, and that is the type of leadership she brings. People know where they stand with her.
Kuldeth is a nurturing dragon who's mental build is based around protecting and caring for. It may not be the best plan for leading, but it's how she runs her s**t. As a queen she can use her presence to force those around her to do what she wants, but the talent is rarely used and very noticible.
I think that Vennet and Kuldeth will be a good leading pair because they don't try to dominate or force themselves. Together they are an easily approachable bit of rank with a loving and nurturing suport system.
The purpose of this contest is to secure another clutching gold for our clutch rotation, should you win this character, do you agree to place her on the clutch rotation?
Birth.... All the babies?
...
ALL THE BABIES!
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