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Approved by Con

THE RIDER
Name: Cezine
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Standing at roughly 5'4, this young woman is fairly average as far as her height goes, looking up at most men and meeting most women eye-to-eye. Her skintone is a light golden brown, though it's hard to say whether it's sun-induced or hereditary. Perhaps a bit of both. Her hair, at first, is easily and often mistaken for black. It's very dark indeed, and spirals down between her jaw and shoulders in waves on a normal day, however it has all been forcefully shaved off upon entering Candidacy and is forbidden to grow it back for the time being. The ends curl into tight little ringlets, no matter what's done with them. In any decent light, however, it quickly becomes obvious that her hair is not black, but is in fact a deep, dark brown. Her eyes are a tad on the large side, but somewhat narrow, lending her a dusky, come-hither appearance. They are a smoky gray-blue in color and fringed with thick, dark lashes.

Fitting to her height, Cezine's build is not stocky or muscled. Rather, she sports a leaner, more willowy build. She is not 'skinny' by any means and boasts ample feminine curves. Her waist is slim and narrow, a bit on the short side, and while her hips can't be considered 'large' by any means, she has enough to make it clear that she's a woman. Legs and arms are long and slender as well.

Her cheekbones are high and her lips full and inviting, especially when she smiles. All in all, she has the potential to be a very elegant woman, and at times exhibits a fair amount of grace and poise in her movements. The only thing marring her physical attractiveness is the scars that criss-cross her lower back and legs. They were deep wounds, but fortunately they remain covered by her clothes while in public, and no one sees them unless they happen to spot her naked or scantily clad in the showers.

Her hands are also well calloused due to years in both candidacy and the few months in Weyrlinghood. Which do not bother her as they are just another normal part of her expected life..

Personality:
Despite what snap judgments people might make of her upon first appearance, Cezine is a quiet young woman who keeps her opinions to herself unless she feels they're of vital importance. She is not prone to 'butting in' unless, again, she feels it's necessary. She has a quiet air of dependability, and she's an excellent listener. She is in no way set in her ways and is very open-minded. If she were to ever pass a snap judgment on someone, it would be kept behind a mask of blank politeness and never passed on to anyone keeping it to herself and letting it fester inside. Along with this, she displays a certain strength and almost stubbornness even though neither of these qualities are readily apparent until some situation brings them out in her. The same can be said of her courage, though there's little that can truly intimidate her. Threats only make her angry and punishments make her more determined to not get caught doing whatever it is she might get punished for. That wont stop her from doing what she wants.

Ordinarily, Cezine's temper is not the explosive sort. She has a long fuse and is capable of taking a lot of negative things before finally reacting. When she is pushed to the limit, hers is a slow-burning temper that can last for hours, days, even Turns. Grudges make up a huge part of her temper, and much of the time she is unwilling to forgive, let alone forget. She also has a penchant for being extremely petty to those who have angered her in some way, although she hides it quite well. Cezine finds it hard to believe in 'being the better person' when she feels she's been wronged somehow. Two wrongs may not make a right, but it sure makes her feel better. She's prone to becoming bitter towards people.

Probably her greatest fault is her tendency to turn things on herself. Cezine tends to take people under her wing, lead the leaderless, and provide support for whomever needs or wants it. She often spreads herself too thin, and when some calamity befalls her (major or minor), it's a great upset to her. She often turns bitter blame onto herself, whether said incident was her fault or not; she will always somehow convince herself there was something she could have done to prevent it or lessen the consequences.

Cezine doesn't know where she wants to go in the future, she doesn't even have time to think about it. Since being a candidate her focus had been to impress. Now that she has her life is too full and too busy with everyday chores and tasks and being bitter about life to even care about the future. She does however have a strong drive to prove both herself capable as a strong fighter fit in the first two fighting wings. Regardless of her gender. This is due to spite, about the general opinions towards women. And she is the kind to strive to prove that women are just as capable as men.

History:
Cezine was born in a Minor Hold near High Reaches to a Holder and his wife. She was only one of many children in the household, but she was in no way ignored or overlooked. Her many siblings are most likely the reason for her quiet ways; she was one of the oldest, therefore, for as long as she could remember, she was always caring for someone. Soothing hurts both real and imagined started to make up Cezine's days. As a little girl, she learned that she could get what she wanted by being quiet and listening, and the grown-ups were more likely to acknowledge her in the way she desired if she spoke softly instead of shouting and throwing tantrums. Thus, in spite of being a Hold born brat, she was, incidentally, a very well-behaved child.

The two older children in the home were both males, fostered to the family from a larger hold to become fishermen like her father. Part of Cezine hated the fostered children for the attention her father gave them, but had no intention of taking their place or joining her father on the sea. So she quietly kept her grudges to herself.

As she grew older, Cezine found herself caring for her younger siblings and not really minding that there wasn't really anyone to care for her, save very busy parents. Displaying a sort independence early on, she led her siblings with firm discipline wherever they went, and she often got results that were just as good as (if not sometimes better than) those her parents received. In spite of this, though, she did not see herself having the typical life of a Holdbred girl, marrying and bearing children of her own. While she was fond of her siblings, to be sure, she found child-rearing a bit too mundane for her tastes... even at the tender age of nine Turns. Being her mother's firstborn and the third oldest, Cezine was, to some degree, doted upon. It was something she tolerated, but never actually appreciated.

Eventually, as she became older and wiser, her interests broadened. There was a whole other world out there beyond the Hold boundaries. But she soon discovered that it was not a world she would be happy in. The civil war was enough to discomfit anyone; living in a hold between Ruatha and High reaches. May feared the Civil war would come to them, that they like many other outlying holds from Ruatha's territory would eventually be invaded. The war did stop before it could damage their livelihood beyond repair.

Shortly after Cezine's 14th birthing day, a dragon came to the Hold. Everyone crowded around him in awe and wonder. A few Holders reluctantly trickled out of the crowed to return to their work, while everyone else eagerly greeted the dragonman even as he dismounted. Her curiosity getting the better of her, young Cezine walked outside to get a look at the dragon. In spite of all the things that she had heard about them, she couldn't help but feel a small inkling of awe at the sight of the beast. The two men were all but ignored as she peered wonderingly at the beast. After a moment or two, her father turned and stalked back inside, issuing a curt demand for Cezine to follow him as there were things to be done. Reluctantly pulling her gaze from the dragon, Cezine turned to do so, for she was a good and obedient girl.

Most of the time.

The man, believing his daughter to be right behind him, continued on his way even as she stopped and looked back. A thrill ran through her body as she realized the beast was looking back at her! Charmed, she didn't realize she was smiling until the dragonrider, having apparently been prepared to leave, spotted her. Cezine couldn't have known it at the time, but the dragon had pointed her out to his rider, who then turned toward her with a disarming smile to inquire as to whether she'd like to get a closer look. Intrigued, Cezine sidled up to the dragon and his rider in order to do just that. As she admired the beast, she suddenly found herself being asked to accompany them back to the Weyr. Eagerly, Cezine politely agreed.

The family was eager to send Cezine off to the Weyr. The prospect of having a Dragonrider in the family was a great honor, especially in such a small hold as theirs. So she joined the rider. The Weyr was both different than she had heard and yet very close to rumor. Women were not treated any better than in the hold, and everyone seemed to contain a loose standard compared to home. It was a strange world for Cezine.

Once at the Weyr, Cezine was introduced as a 'Candidate'. It was then the worst possible thing in her mind happened. No one had prepared her for what had happened next. Her head was shaved clean, for a girl like her it was a highly traumatizing moment. And she had cried over the loss of her hair for a few sevenday adding to her resentments and now directed towards the Weyr in general before turning inward. Although she was terrified, she didn't dare display it, tucking it neatly behind her hatred for High Reaches. But there was naught that could be done now; she didn't know who she could trust, if anyone, and did not dare to ask for someone to take her home, as that would appear a sign of weakness and she was not a weak female. She now had something to prove. As she grew to detest the way she was treated as lesser than equal to her male counterparts.

And so it was that she went through the role of Candidate, doing the chores and attending the lessons. Even as she hated the Weyrfolk, and most of all despised the way the one she was squired too. At first she had trouble fitting into the life of a candidate. Learning studying were not her strong points but her determination soon broke through, and candidacy became easier. Some traitor part of her was fascinated by it, and she couldn't help but wonder what if she actually Impressed? But, apparently, it was not to be. There had been no clutch on the Sands at the time of her "Search", but just before she turned 15, two years after entering candidacy, the queen flew and one was produced. As the Hatching Day drew near, Cezine found herself as excited and jittery as the rest of the Candidates. As they were ushered onto the Sands, her heart pounded and her stomach fluttered; the Hatching was about to begin!

As the eggs produced their many-colored hatchlings, Cezine was enraptured. She was learning that a Hatching was a beautiful thing, and yet... those joyous faces could be so very different in the future. It was hard to believe. At one point, her attention was caught and held by a particular dragonet, and as such, she didn't realize that there was a dragonet coming up behind her. The impatient squawk reached her ears too late, and before she could even turn around, the girl found herself face-down in the burning sand as claws and teeth tore into her flesh. Unlike before, Cezine did scream; Curling up into a ball in an effort to protect her face, head, and stomach and impatiently waited out the onslaught. As suddenly as it began, the mauling ended, leaving her back a shredded, bloodied mess. She hadn't even seen the dragonet responsible, and she had no interest in learning the color. Not that it mattered; Cezine was swept off the Sands quickly and hauled off to the infirmary, where she spent several agonizing sevendays on her stomach while her backside healed fussed over by the healers.

Once she was well enough to get around again, Cezine was somewhat surprised to learn that she had retained her Candidate status; she would simply remain at the Weyr until another clutch was laid. Unsure as to how she felt about this, the girl took to her chores and lessons again, missing her home and her family. It did not seem to be long at all before it seemed there would be yet another clutch; (Junior Gold #2 Name here) rose yet again. Any reluctance she may have felt to stand again after the last incident was calmly swept away by Cezine's quiet confidence. She would have to be more vigilant, and not allow a dragonet to sneak up behind her like that again. She'd definitely learned a valuable lesson. The eggs hardened and the Hatching Day once again arrived.

Determined to avoid another mauling, Cezine dragged her attention away from the dragonets and paid more attention to what was around her. She was beginning to think that she would never Impress. She was calm in her assurance that she would not Impress, though reluctant to fail in front of so many people. In spite of her certainty, however, it was not failure that was proven, but the fact that she was utterly wrong about her chances of Impression. Disbelieving yet quietly triumphant, the young woman led her Brennath from the Sands at the Hatching's end.

Her first few months of Weyrlinghood were spent enraptured by her new companion. It was like a godsend to have Brennath sharing her mind, to have someone to speak to about everything without the judgement Cezine knew many would have. She even enjoyed the lessons alongside her lifemate, and games were staring to bring Cezine out of her shell. Slaughtering heardbeasts for Brennath was an interesting concept, and she in turn was grateful that Brennath was a small green and not a large bronze.


THE DRAGON
Name: Brennath
Age: 6 months
Colour: Green
Feel of voice: Sound of a waterfall, touch of butterfly wings.
Appearance:
Brennath is quite sturdily built, with none of the fragility other greens seem to possess. No, Brennath doesn’t have to seem weak to appear beautiful. This is definitely a blessing on her part, for she is armed with both strength and beauty that is intoxicating to other dragons. Though she isn’t bulging with muscle, this green is toned nicely, her legs thick with muscle. They lead upwards into a proportionately heavy body that is taut with the strength hidden beneath her hide. However, despite her strong body, she can only last as long as a weaker blue might—yet this is enough to outdo most greens in the air. Her long tail is relatively short, but her turns become stronger as she swipes it hard to one side, balancing her out as she twists and turns. This sometimes causes her to lose control of herself in flight, so she is extremely cautious about using this little secret weapon.

A pale, pastel green, Brennath is a peculiar shade, but a pretty one nonetheless. To make her coloring more unique, olive green swirls form in smoky outlines along her body, finally ending in a long spiral that travels down the length of her rutter-tail. Her underbelly, too, is olive green. When it meets the lighter, main shade, the darker one changes abruptly into it, at an even and smooth line. To complete this image of two peculiar colors mixed in one body, her face has a splattering of olive green speckles. Brennath is living proof that two odd colors are able to mix and still be beautiful.


Personality:
She listens to everything that other dragons tell her. She doesn’t even try faking it, but she acts with true concern if a complaint comes up against something. Listening is her strong point, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a green or queen. She forgets completely about rank whenever she listens to the problems of another dragon. Because of her easygoing nature, she is more likely than any other dragon to bespeak humans other than her bonded, but this is still rare, and she only does it when she feels like a person truly needs help.

However, like a female, she has her pride. She just doesn’t flaunt it. She won’t think of herself as the best or most important dragon of the Weyr, but she does feel as though she is responsible for the happenings in the Weyr. She may sometimes need to be told by Cezine, that she needs to take it down a notch, for Brennath likes to get involved in matters that don't concern her. She likes being the overseer of all things fun, she uses this energy to try and organize the things she can control such as small events or parties for friends.

Brennath is quite flirtatious. In fact, the only time she will ever choose a favorite dragon is when she is proddy. The rest of the time is spent going through the males, spending equal time with each one. Even if she finds a dragon she wants to be weyrmated with, she will still make sure to be on friendly terms with all of the other males, even if she is sleeping and cuddling with someone else at night. Oddly, if she is weyrmated, she is found to be quite possessive of him. This could be the most telltale sign of her favoritism, if she refuses to let someone else even near him. Then again, she is that way with anyone she feels she must protect, like her bonded. She is suspicious of anyone who tries to get close to her bonded, save if she knows and likes their dragon. While it may be easy to befriend Brennath, it is difficult for her to trust someone being close to her bonded.

Despite her color and size, Brennath possesses a playful streak that is usually kept on a tight leash so as not to lose the dignified attitude she carefully maintains. However, Hers is normally on the receiving end of some gentle play in the form of a rudimentary game of tag, and if she particularly likes a dragon, she will instigate with them. She enjoys being amused and amusing Hers, and anyone who provides entertainment is more easily and readily accepted into the short list of her trust.

Brennath is a great compliment to Cezine’s personality. Due to the fact they both inwardly absorb negativity they can help each other refrain from internalizing things that would lead to problems. They together they can work through the internalized issues and see past them to a brighter side. These two understand each other completely and their bond will only grow as they do.

Hi! Us again ;D Just a couple of things we wanna bring up before we approve Cezine and Brennath.

If she hates the Weyr so badly, why is she looking to get into the two top wings? Is it to spite people and to prove them wrong about her? How do you think she would react to failure in this or other aspects of her life? (and why did she stick around long enough to Impress? That guarantees that she’s going to be stuck with the Weyr for at least eight turns, and a dragon for life! (not just for turn's end) ) Do you think her attitude towards threats and punishments might change when she’s exposed to the ‘real world’? (as we get the impression she’s been fairly sheltered up to now - getting into a top wing means she’d be exposed to pretty continuous violence and a lot of horror, and screwing up is a potentially lethal experience)

In terms of her history, please note the difference between a Lord Holder and a Holder: http://dragonbraved.wikidot.com/social-classes-in-a-hold. It’s okay for her to be related to a Holder without discussion with us, but you’ve still got her down as related to the Lord Holder.

As the daughter of a wealthy (and therefore presumably not one of those with a very small holding) Holder, caring for her siblings would not be something she would need to do. There would have been multiple nurses, tutors, servants and so on to care for them and her. If she wanted to take on responsibility, she could well have chosen to help out, but just be aware that in this position in society she would be cosseted and supported and cared for at every turn.

Could you clarify what you mean by her being her mother’s firstborn and the third eldest? Did her father remarry, or are there b*****d children whom he’d acknowledged or adopted? How did this effect her?

What sort of things had she heard about riders? Their loose morals? Unfeminine women? Paragons of virtue and honour? It’s likely that if it’s a larger hold it’s been visited by riders before, for official searches (check out the candidate guide!) and to talk to her father about matters of politics and policing. What did her father think of her going? It’s unlikely that she could have gone without parental consent if there are parents to consent.

The rider whom you squire for receives nothing if you Impress - that would be the search rider, and they are rarely the same person (and the money which they receive is more a small bonus then a big prize - it’s very unlikely that a rider would treat her like that!). If you’re looking to have her have had a difficult relationship with her squiremaster to feed some dislike for the Weyr, that’s entirely possible - but at the same time, there are a lot of other candidates, other riders, and other people to spend time with!

You might want to adjust her story of being mauled - there’s a lot of contradiction between calmly waiting it out (which would be more then a little unrealistic!) and screaming and panicking internally, which you also seem to imply? Remember that even badasses feel pain! It also seems odd that the Healers wouldn’t tell her any details - there would probably be a great deal of concern over her! - and she would be aware that all candidates Stand until they Impress, do something Truly Awful, or age out (Or get knocked up, but that’s… relatively uncommon). They won’t have put two+ turns of training into her for nothing!

How’s she doing in Weyrlinghood? Is she getting used to the drills? How’s sharing her mind going? What’s it like having to butcher animals for her new lifepartner?

Okay (whew!) moving onto Brennath!

‘More likely’ to bespeak other humans is acceptable, but not ‘most likely’, especially with your qualifiers - as you’d be dictating other people’s characters, something to note again with her seeming ‘automatically wise’ and being allowed to run things. There are specific jobs for specific people throughout the Weyr, and it *is* a military organisation - running around and arranging parties and other fun events, sure, but not operational matters.

There’s nothing in the Weyr that would involve only the senior queen - she’s not a figure of power or importance. Do you mean matters concerning the Headwoman or Weyrleader? (seriously, golds =! important in the Weyr. Their job is to have babies, and they get left out of a lot of the ‘fun’ stuff as a result, because… well, there aren’t a lot of them, and no-one wants the Benden Massacre all over again).

Why is she only interested in bronzes? We’re absolutely fine with this being the case, but it would be good to know why she’s uninterested in the other male colours. Is she after power from the big males who are most likely to gain high ranks?

Thanks for reading, and we hope to see some revisions and get her approved soon!