Ra'jon and Ulfriskth
Name: Ra'jon
Age: 42
Gender: Male
Craft/Rank: Watchrider
Appearance: The old terra term for Ra'jon would be 'bear like'. He is huge, not unusually tall, at only about 6ft but wide and heavily muscular. He has tree trunk arms that any blacksmith would envy, broad shoulders and a six pack underneath a growing layer of flab as he gets older. The width of his body make's him look very square but there is hardly any fat on him and what is there is just the surface underneath his whole body is hard and coarse. His hands are also huge made for grabbing and punching but little use at more delicate or fiddly tasks. To further the bear like image his body is covered in wiry curling dark auburn hair.
His face is...memorable but not really in a good way it's broad and square just like the rest of him and his wide nose has been broken at least three times. He's missing half his left ear and his slim almond shaped mud brown eyes are surrounded by wrinkled laughter lines. The rest of his face is covered by his only vanity a glorious dark auburn beard of full curls that reaches the top of his stomach, To keep it all in order he binds it in three places with thick black bands of leather. Atop his head he has a close chopped thatch of the same auburn hair which is connected to his beard by long grown out side burns.
Personality: Ra'jon really doesn't give a shard about what you think of him, however Ra'jon comes across as very friendly on initial casual meetings. He's quick to warm to people, always wears a grin and has a habit of breaking in loud barking gruff laughter for no real reason. He'd rather approach a stranger as a friend than an enemy until they give him a reason to act otherwise.
Ra'jon can be fun as well, he's very weak against indulgences and pleasures of the flesh, drink, women, gambling, dancing a good old bar brawl, all that good stuff. Because of that he had a tendency to get lazy without Ulfriskths constant demands. If he could spend all night in a raucous tavern then all day in bed with a buxom wench at his side and a skin of fine wine he would. He fits right into a drunken crowd, always loud and incredibly lewd. Often making loud harsh comments about whoresons, bastards and asses trying to make up for the size of their tunnel snake. However the rough language is just as likely to be used in tones of affection and amusement as it is as insults. Anyone wanting to get close to him just has to get used to it because he isn't likely to tone it down for anyone. Meaning he can come across as overbearing or intimidating,but honestly he's trying to be nice. It's much worse for those he marks as enemies.
Unfortunately when he does label someone a threat, Ra'jon's first coarse of action is usually to punch them in the face. Many people have put this down to a bad temper but that is not true. Ra'jon simply considers violence the easiest and often quickest way to resolve a problem. His life and experiences have done little to change his mind. He doesn't hold with wishy washy statements like 'violence is never the answer', 'there's always another way', 'You are just perpetuating the cycle'. There might be another way but they usually suck and you are just giving the enemy a chance to hit back harder and stronger. And if your enmey still takes you down, then good, they deserved the win, they were better and stronger. It is a very much 'survival' of the fittest frame of mind. In his youth his fights were also fuelled by pride and a brash streak created from his confidence in his own physical power but that has mellowed as he has gotten older. Given that his violence is often more calculated than blind reaction to rage he can suppress his urges and mental voice telling him to lash out but its only under very special circumstances.
When it comes to fights and tests of strength (and there are many kinds of strength it doesn't always have to be physical) he does have his own code. Those that fight back against him one on one and loose gracefully are deserving of respect and encouragement to get stronger and try again.Those that loose and continue to hold onto bitter feelings are likely to be met with another punch until the message sinks into their thick skulls. And the few that can win against him at full strength can claim the rare right to give him orders and keep a position of authority over him.
When people try to claim control over him without proving themselves in one way or another he tends to fight it every step of the way. Authority chafes him to the bone and he has always had a problem with dealing with the weyr strict hierarchy, Luckily there have been a few saving graces, influential people in his life that have prevented him from becoming a true lost cause.Lessons that have taught him to play nice when he's not pushed to far.
That flows into another aspect of his self held honour code, loyalty. For those he truly admires and has decided to bow his head to he will always be loyal t them, even if they pass out of his life or leave life altogether there is part of Ra'jon that holds them inside as people of highest esteem. His sense of loyalty also swings the other way if someone places themselves under him then he will do his best to help them become stronger and a better person while protecting them.
That said, he doesn't have any time for whiners and sob stories. 'My mum died, my leg is broken, no one who loves me'
Shut up and suck it up you sorry excuse for wherry s**t, no one said life was easy. And if you can't handle it you might as well take a flying leap between. Any tragedies that have happened in his own life are shared only with his dragon.
History: Ra'jon or Raejona also known as litte Jon was born on 'the wrong side of the hold' and raised in one of the biggest bars on the red-light square. No surprise then that his mother was a whore and his father highly questioned. The brothel workers doted on the cute round baby with auburn curls and an infectious smile but it was a hard life for all of them and he was often pushed aside by his mother in favour of her clients.
He was a toddler when his mother finally snapped and ran away from the brothel with a client, abandoning her small son in her former work place. The brothels madam was non to pleased about the loss of earnings and being saddled with a unwanted child all in one fell swoop. Ra'jon's future was looking bleak before a sudden light appeared as the owner of a local tavern and one of his mother's regulars decided to take him in. A kind man named Jonthale. After hearing the boys name it wasn't to much of a stretch to who the mother thought the father was.
Jonthale (or big Jon) was well admired amongst the community of the dark corner, he had been a promising vintner and brewer in his youth but some sort of disgrace had resulted him being banished to the fringes and ending up the owner of 'The Queen's tail'. Because of that the tavern has the best drink in the area and was always busy. Jonthale loved his son and though the older he got the less physical features they shared, Big Jon never treated Raejona any differently because of it. Their relationship was always strong and Raejona had a number of successive mother figures in the form of the bar maids that worked there.
Crack dust crime was rampant in the area so Big Jon taught his son the basics of self defence to protect himself and RaeJona found a skill he had natural talent in and enjoyed. As the years passed Little Jon (now ironically bigger than Big Jon) improved his skills through a number of fair weather friends and practical experience. At 14 he was big enough, strong enough and skilled enough to kick out the minor trouble makers in the bar.
At 16 he joined a gang of local youths that took it upon themselves to protect the area. They kicked out the crack dust dealers, expelled the 'beaters' from the local brothels and cleared out the most aggressive drunks. It was pure vigilantly-ism and it worked for about a year puffing the members with confidence and arrogance, but pride comes before a fall and it was bound to turn sour. Some of the dealers had bigger connections , they returned to redlight square with back up. Ra'jons group met them and it quickly descended into a bloody brawl. Things could have gone very badly for both sides if the watch had not dropped into the middle of things within the first minutes of the fight. Everyone scattered. The locals, including Raejona instantly went to ground but the crackdust gang who were mostly strangers to the area were quickly rounded up by the watch riders.
To ensure that the peace held the watch left behind a blue rider named Feja to patrol the area. It was during one of her patrols that her blue locked onto Little Jon as a suitable candidate. It was a great surprise to all his friends and family but it was a once in a life time chance and he couldn't say no.
Feja gave him time to collect his things and say his goodbyes before taking him to the nearby weyr who's gold was expecting a clutch. He was barley with the candidates for a sevenday before the touching and soon after that he was jostled onto the sands for the main event. Ulfriskth was even the first to hatch and every one agreed it was a good Omen. Until the young dragon dragged down the first candidate that dared to be in his way and trampled over him with sharp claws.
In his youthful confidence Raejona had made sure he was standing close to the largest egg on the sands. An egg that was bound to produce the largest bronze but for Ulfriskth that was not acceptable. He was a small top heavy awkward bronze but he was still the best and after blooding four candidates he reached his Ra'jon and told him as much.
From that day on the pair where a nightmare for the weyrling master. They were always questioning and challenging. When the hatchlings got old enough and combat lessons started Ra'jon was quick to prove he could do it better. The formulaic rule driven combat that made up their lessons would do them no good in the real world and Ra'jon swiftly got enough prompts that he started his own after hours classes (the first rule of fight club...).
Through teaching of his extra curricular activities he gained a solid group of friends and supporters. He even took them all back to his dads bar when they graduated into full grown and recognised dragon riders.
However Ra'jon ran in to the same problems as when he was a weyrling. He just could not bend himself to the weyr's hierarchy and Ulfriskth was even worse, he challenged other bronze dragons that tried to dominate him and Ra'jon did nothing to stop him. When the tensions snapped he lashed out and broke his wingleaders nose before calling out for anyone else that thought they could beat him. In his youthful arrogance and self confidence he was invulnerable. Worse a number of his old weyrling class mates stood behind him. After that he was locked in his weyr while the weyr higher ups decided what to do with him. His saving grace came in the form of the weyr's elderly weyrwomen.
She was a kind and forgiving women and while most argued for a harsher punishment she held firm that he should be granted a second chance. He was still young and had a strong willed bronze behind him. At last she got them to agree to give him a second chance if she proved he could be controlled.
He was taken before the weyrwomen and he gold. She smiled and told Ra'jon to summon Ulfriskth to his side and if he could beat her then he would be free to go and even be given a wing of his own, but if not he would have to start behaving. Ra'jon scoffed, she was an old women and he wasn't about to hit her and break her wrinkles. The queen rider smiled and nodded to her gold. In an instant Ulfriskth was forced flat in full submission by the power of the old and regal gold. It took Ra'jon's breath away and using the opening the weyrwomen knocked Ra'jon flat onto his back with her cane.
Ra'jon was impressed and from that day on with her guidance he found himself able to deal with the weyr much more easily. It still irritated him to be treated as an inferior but more often than not the weyrwomen would use him for her own personal errands and that suited him better.
It didn't last, when the weyrwomen died and a new younger and less confident queen took on the leadership Ra'jon knew he couldn't got back to the same as before and he took Ulfriskth and left.
He stayed with his father for a while but the small world of red light square no longer suited him so he joined up with a large group of traders that dealt in wines and other alcohol and acted as their protector against wild animals such as wherries and felines. He even ran messages and sometimes people from place to place if they needed to move quickly. The nomadic life suited him very well and the traders were families rather than military rankings. He even started teaching the younger members of the trader families basic self defence.
One of his most skilled and promising students was a young women named Risea, after two years she was fighting toe to toe with Ra'jon and after three they offcialy became happy couple. They even started to talk about children but no matter how many times they tried Risea did not become pregnant. In the ten years they were together it was the one blot on their lives that persisted. The lifestyle even suited Ulfriskth as he was constantly admired and praised for keeping the travellers safe and the occasional stop off at weyrs gave him his fill of dragon on dragon interaction. Apart from the occasional orders from his rider he was able to do as he wished and he spent all day on the wing as a guard.
The end to his peaceful life came in an unexpected shape. A search rider on a sensitive green stopped them when she found two boys within the group her dragon found to be suitable. Since it was late she was invited to stay the night while the boys were congratulated and said their goodbyes. It was during that time Ulfriskth and the green started to get to know each other. She was a young green and flattered by the bronze's attentions. She was already nearing her time and seeing her chance she rose unexpectedly. Ulfriskth was the only dragon for miles so of course he chased and caught her. Ra'jon had also been caught completely of guard and was talking to the green rider when it happened. one thing lead to another and they ended up having as much fun as their dragons.
Risea was furious, she understood flight lust as much as any person outside a weyr can but that did not stop the anger and jealousy she felt. Ra'jon tried to comfort her and after several fights where she bloodied him quite a bit they managed to work it out and she started to come round and forgive him.
Things might have gone back to normal if Ra'jon hadn't got a message a few months later. The green rider was pregnant and she was positive it was his. She was keeping it. For Risea who could not have children of her own the news was particularly hurtful. The relationship never recovered. After he split Ra'jon tried to adjust his place among the traders but he soon found it was impossible to feel comfortable with Risea so close so he packed up his bags and left.
With no where else to go he joined the watch. His fighting skills came in handy and though his problems with authority remained he found himself a niche doing what he had always been best at and training young hand to hand fighters. He even kept in contact with the green rider and his new beautiful daughter who quickly became apple of her daddies eye even if he couldn't visit that often. It was on one of these visits that the weyrwomens gold rose. Ulfriskth of course felt compelled to chase. That was his first real meeting with Zamanateth and the meeting where he became infatuated with her.
On Ulfrislth's prompts their visits became more regular and the bronze sought out the gold like a excited puppy every time they arrived. When they heard she was moving to become the new weyrwomen of wardens Ra'jon pulled a few strings to get them added to the wing attending as extra muscle encase things should go array. Plus he has a definite soft spot for Ai since she reminds him of his old weyrwomen.
Other stuff: (anything you wish to add)
Name: Ulfriskth
Color: Bronze
Age: 23
Appearance: Ulfriskth is shorter and not as long as a good chunk of his colour, in fact the largest browns tend to rival him in height and length. Ulfriskth has never let that bother him though because what he lacks in size he makes up for in other ways. Ulfrisk is a compact powerhouse with the majority of his weight focused on his front end in a huge barrel like chest. Deep and rippling with carefully maintained muscle.
To hold aloft the top heavy structure his wings are wide sails of tough membrane capable of propelling their owner forward a great distance with a single stroke. His endurance is as good as any of his colour and his power greater than most because he works at it.
Colour wise Ulfriskth is unremarkable, his hide is a lighter yellowish bronze accented by a richer darker colour bronze on his wing membrane, one large distorted cross shaped splotch over one eye and darker bronze freckled on his lower legs, the same colour as the splotch over his eye. The rest of his body is patterned by a large and varied patchwork of scars, all of which he is very proud of his current favourite being a scar of three claw marks right across the left side of his face, barely missing his eye which were given to him by his beloved Queen.
Personality: From the moment Ulfriskth hatched he was looking for the strongest, toughest and hardiest boy on the sands and he clawed bloody mayhem into those that got in his way. Like his rider, for Ulfriskth to acknowledge anyone else they have to be strong with the view that, if they are weak then they should bow down and serve him and his or get out of the way. For Ulfriskth strength equals physical prowess and being able to win and fight life throws at you. Why did he need the strongest (and therefore best) rider? Because in his own mind Ulfriskth is the best dragon out there.
As he is so awesome he demands a lot from his rider from every day tasks like regular swims, oiling, meat and whatever else pops into his head to more long term goals like keeping at the peak of physical fitness. He also feels the constant need to make Ra'jon aware of his options on all matters. He is clever as well as strong and his insights are golden nuggets that should be treasures and preferably acted upon. His rider is the only one that he will tolerate over riding his ideas and thoughts. Even then he is unlikely to be happy about it.
Ulfriskth's arrogance is huge, he barley tolerates other (lesser) male dragons around him when he is not treating them with outright hostility, thought he has a soft spot for the ladies both green and gold. He will address them pleasantly and chase in almost every flight he witnesses if only to prove his superiority. He will always be respectful to them before and after. He will even love them, especially the ones he catches...for a short while. The only dragons that will hold his love beyond the quick flap and pleasant tumble are those that can give as good as any of the males chasing them. Playing back into his glowing admiration to shows of strength.
On the other side of the wing Ulfriskth's likes to earn his bragging rights and he is one of the most hard working bronzes you are likely to see. Sleeping in the sun all day is not something he does well, he is always on the wing, hunting, patrolling and anything else his rider can think up to keep him busy for a while. Early to bed and early to rise makes a dragon, happy, healthy and wise but gives his rider a headache. His memory is average from a bronze dragon but when he is a highly reliable dragon when assigned a job. He will keep at it until the work is completed or he is called away by his rider.
Speaking of his rider, despite all the aggravation, demands and hard work he is to Ra'jon he adores him and when push comes to shove he will do anything Ra'jon asks of him (with only the barest amount of gripping).
(If you want a real world comparison for Ulfriskth think muscle bound Jock who works out at the gym all the time and thinks he's just fantastic.)