Approved by Tawny
Name: Dianno
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Homosexual
Craft/Rank: Trader/Apprentice
History: (See Tadia's for a full timeline)
Dianno grew up alongside his mother Tadia. He was born soon after she joined a Trader caravan after failing to Impress at Southern Weyr. He remembers his early turns as being happy, though he doesn't distinctly remember his father. He was just another friend of his mothers. When he was 6 he and his mother stayed at a crafthall for a couple turns. He didn't care for it (being only a small child in a suddenly restricted situation).
His favorite memories though have all come from their second caravan. There, he was initiated into the Traders life, taught to carry his own weight and allowed for the most part to run free and do as he wanted when he wasn't otherwise occupied. His mother is a fairly lenient and passive parent, doing what she could to prepare her son without trying to protect him from outside dangers. He was allowed to make his own decisions, his own mistakes, and to learn from them as he did so.
Dianno stayed with the traders when his mother got hurt. He was almost 13 at the time and one of the older men who Dianno looked up to offered to care for him until they returned for her. It was during this time that Dianno learned of the actual work of a Trader. Up until then he'd only ever paid attention to the parts that affected himself, the camping, the traveling, the occasional hawking of goods at gathers across Pern. His mentor taught him about credit, and the varying value of currency between Hold and Hall and Weyr. He saw first hand the serious negotiations that make up a Trader's livelyhood.
While it didn't strike him as a calling, he found it all very interesting and gave him a sense of being an 'adult'. It was just enough of a taste to make him bitter about his mother's return. Once again, he was a child regulated to the background. His freedom didn't taste as sweet and even worse, soon after Thread returned to Pern and his freedoms were restricted even further. Not just by his mother, but by everyone around him.
Dianno grew rebellious and angry at everything, lashing out by acting contrary and stubbornly refusing to do anything if he was told to by someone else. He stopped short of actually being removed from the caravan, but he became a problem. He's not happy with his mother's decision to have them settle down in Euclid, especially as he feels he wasn't consulted in this matter and is being dragged long with her whims like he was a child again.
Description: Dianno looks very similar to his mother, only darker all around. His hair is black, and his eyes are only brown enough to not be. He's short for his age, only 5'4 at 16 turns, but is hopeful he'll continue to grow. As of now, his body is compact and fit from working with the traders, helping manage and care for the beasts, chop wood, move goods and other basic work around the camp.
Like his mother, he's got a healthy respect for personal grooming and keeps himself clean and his clothing in good repair. He's got a fish hook necklace that he wears all the time (because at one point someone told him it looked cool.) and his hair is done in a few cornrows on the right side of his head, and left to grow long over the rest.
Personality:
Self-reliant, persistant, serious
Guarded, Disresepectful, Selfish
Dianno is determined to live his life as he wants, not as anyone else dictates. The freedom a life as a trader offers is the best way he sees to achieve that. Things like Holds and Weyrs don't agree with him. If he had a say in the matter, he wouldn't even enter them on trader business. All of those walls and confinement make him uncomfortable. Even the close pressure of the hot jungle is preferable to man-made walls.
He has very little respect for authority, with only a few figures in his life having earned it in his opinion. His caravan master, and to a lesser extent his mother. Anyone else who claims to hold 'rank' over him is met with a snear and a cold shoulder. Respect is earned, not given because of a fancy knot. You can stick it where the sun don't shine for all he cares. You're just wasting your breath on him.
Dianno has will enough to match anyone, but where he won't let anyone tell him what to do, neither will he boss around others. He doesn't care what you do as long as you're not interfering with what he wants to do. He's not a physical fighter but Dianno is free with insults and passive agressive comments. When push comes to shove he'll defend himself with no restraint.
Dianno las learned his mother's reservations and mistrust when it comes to others and has picked up her habit of gathering more information than he gives.
Other:
Prompts
B. Dragons and whers and unbonded, oh my! You've arrived at the Weyrhold to see tents, growing groups of herdbeasts led by bronzeriders, firepits, and people gathering from all places around the Southern continent. Regardless of where you came from, let's admit it: this sort of place is not the usual surroundings. Describe in solo RP or a journal entry the characters reaction to the new life full of chores they may not be used to and strange people.
Chores Dianno could handle. As part of a caravan, everyone did their part. Soon as he was old enough not to get underfoot Dianno was learning to do the various tasks that come with traveling in such a manner. Living in rough conditions was nothing new to the 16 turn old boy. His initial reaction was jaded disinterest, spiced with a dash of ill temper over the unsolicited change to his life.
"I don't need to settle down. I've been a trader my whole life. Why should that change now? What makes now so shaffing important to my 'development'? And on top of that, why here? You want me to become civilized around these backwoods red-neck cotholders and discarded weyr-trash?" Dianno spat at the dirt to his side. He knew better than to do directly at his mother.
Tadia just sat working at a bit of knotted twine with an irritatingly small smile on her lips. "This place holds a lot of opportunity. Who was that man you were talking to earlier?" She didn't rise to the bait of his insults.
"Hanoren. He's a smith. He was setting up a portable forge." Dianno answered his mother reflexively. "What opportunity? The only thing that's going to happen here is I'm going to go crazy and jump into a river. Or get killed. Faranth knows what kind of people have been drawn to this place! You've heard all the rumors about what's been happening around this part of the continent. If you 'cared' about me and my well being as much as you say you do we'd catch up with the caravan, or go to Southern."
"There's nothing for us at Southern. Who was the other man with him?" Her fingers picked at the small knots that had worked their way into the mess of twine. It happened when someone didn't store things properly.
"K'igad. Rider I'm assuming though he didn't mention a dragon. Name has that sound." He replied. "You mean there's nothing for YOU back at Southern. " He spat again, glaring. " Nope. Can't go back or settle anywhere because you didn't Impress. Don't make me try to live your life by becoming a candidate here! I don't give a whershit about dragonriding. I'm not some star-eyed weyrbrat dreaming of flight."
Tadia looked up from her twine and just stared at her son. Her face blank but exuding a sense of disapproval. She stared, meeting Dianno's eyes until he looked away. "Sorry mom..."
"You don't have to become a candidate, but we are staying for a while. Talk to people. Find out what you can. Make your decisions when you're ready." She coiled the twine around one hand and stood, touching his cheek before she turned away from her son. "I think Gessie is done with dinner if you're hungry."
C. Look! Look, they're asking for Candidates for dragons - children of the appropriate age, fit enough to Impress, and those willing to dedicate the future of their bondmates and themselves to Euclid for as long as it stands. Does your character want to Stand? Why or why not?
Yeah he'll stand. If they're going to stay here he might as well? Dianno still isn't used to the fact that they'll be staying in one place for the foreseeable future. It seems to be the thing to do for the kids his age and deep down, he'd feel guilty if he didn't and a hatchling betweened. Dianno's not hell bent on becoming a rider though. His mother stood when she was a kid and never Impressed. He's not hanging hopes on his chances. She's encouraging him to make his own decision at least, not forcing him one way or another. He can appreciate that though he wouldn't tell her so.
He's not so sure on the 'dedicating yourself to Euclid' part. They're new here, don't know anyone and once their caravan moves on who knows how Dianno is going to feel about having a stationary home. If dragons and their riders can abandon their weyrs and come here though... what's to say he couldn't just strike off on his own later on?
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