Name: L'thor of Benden Hold
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Rank: Wingrider of 2nd wing, Benden Weyr.
Appearance: L'thor is a small man who inherited his slender 5'5" frame from his mother's side of the family along with large honey-brown eyes and his fair complexion and pale airy blond hair from his fathers'. He has a finely boned face that borders a little on the androgynous with a dash of sharp foxy appearance in the mix too. He is reasonably fit and his arms are toned from the duties of a rider and practice with a sword but he is far from powerful, a gymnast not a wrestler. L'thor is a man who likes to dress well and is not afraid to dress as befits his standing in life; rich purple accents, cloth of gold, and golden jewellery were all in evidence in his own time. In modern times while he has managed to salvage the fine trimmings from his old clothes he had yet to incorporate them into any new garments and has to settle merely for quite well tailored woolen doublet and hose dyed or bleached (fairly) expensively. While some of his gold jewellery was sold to fund his new wardrobe he still has a good number of gold rings, a heavy gold belt buckle, and some gold buttons; the latter are sewn onto his current favorite doublet and gloves. L'thor also habitually carries a very fine sword in a fine scabbard.
Personality: L'thor is clever, sociable, charming, cunning and ruthless. He started off life pretty much at the top of the heap and he is completely determined to get back there, so much so that he will do things that go against his conscience and better judgement if he thinks they give him a shot at greater power. Sometimes the ends justify the means, especially if the nasty means are employed against people who he doesn't believe earned what they have. The irony of the fact that he didn't earn his initial position in life is lost on him but if challenged he would point out that he is earning it now and that the past is not the point. The point is that L'thor wants power and influence, to be respected and obeyed and to organize things the way he thinks they should be organized. If he did manage to get himself into a position of power he would probably actually be good at the work, but might become unbearably superior too.
Having grown up used to ordering people around L'thor knows how to direct people, or at least people who are willing to be directed. When he's challenged for authority he won't back down but though he has a quick mind, a sharp tongue, and the unshakably imperious manner of th extremely well bred he doesn't necessarily know how to intimidate somebody determined to stand against him. If temper doesn't get the better of him however he is also capable of being diplomatic and political, so if he doesn't end up a total loggerheads with a challenger he can sometimes persuade them that things would be better if they worked together, though naturally all the while he will be trying to think of ways to manipulate them.
In a social situation L'thor is charming and witty, full of anecdotes and sharp observations and sometimes cruel jokes. He's not very good at the joke being on him though, he is easily insulted and will launch into a serious verbal assault on anyone who offends him, and will probably plot revenge too if not talked down by a friend or by his dragon. He can hang onto a grudge for simply ages if left to himself and even if talked out of action he will probably quietly seeth and think bitter things for a long time about what F'nork said about his hair.
L'thor's ruthlessness has been mentioned but it probably bears mentioning again as it has rather contributed to his current situation. Truthfully the Benden Massacre would have happened without his help but that's not the point, the point is that he helped it to happen. As soon as he realized what he had really allowed to happen he regretted it; it was not what he thought he had signed up for and it is not something he can forgive himself for. He is ruthless against the few, the 1%, and he is rather selfish in general but he is far from heartless and does genuinely care about the wellbeing of most people. The fact that he caused the deaths of countless people on the bottom rung in life just like himself and has trapped himself and others in a time that is not their own will fill him with guilt and guilt that he can't share with anyone else at that. He knows there is no atoning for what he did but he will try anyway and perhaps in future his ambitions will have less selfish motivations, and he might be a little more careful about what he agrees to do in pursuit of them.
History: Linthor was born into about as much luxury and privilege as is physically possible, the second son of the Lord Holder of Benden Hold. From birth he was trained to be his brother Senthor's right hand man, though always with the thought that he might be Searched to the Weyr where of course he would Impress well - preferably to bronze or to a gold - and further the honor of his family. He was educated by the finest Harpers money could hire, trained in the use of the sword and the bow, taught how to speak and comport himself, and generally that he and his kin were better than the rest of humanity. Cut off from interaction with most other children Linthor's childhood companion was Senthor (he had elder sisters, but they were significantly elder and were girls anyway); elder by two turns Linthor idolized his sibling and was always keen to please him. Another sister (Serellah) followed when Linthor was six and brother (Senloc) he was eight but he wasn't especially interested in the babies.
Time moved on and Linthor began to shape up into the perfect little Lord's boy; he was charming, clever, fond of parties and of hunting (when he was allowed to join in), all with a side of imperious superiority befitting a young man of his birth. Marriage matches began to be more seriously considered for him when he was fourteen but it was made clear that Linthor would not marry until he was too old to be Searched. Aged sixteen his father began to put him forward for Searches, he had delayed until then to ensure that his son wouldn't 'go native' if selected by a dragonrider.
Linthor was eventually Searched aged eighteen, though he was mildly put out to be picked up by a brown not a bronze he was nevertheless quite excited. Being a rider would mean that he had something his elder brother did not; he still looked up to and loved Senthor but he didn't want to live forever in his shadow. If he could get a bronze he could become a wingleader, maybe Weyrleader in time, and if he got a gold he would be Weyrmaster and wouldn't that be fine? Senthor (and the rest of the family) were equally excited and full of all manner of plans for what would happen when Linthor got his dragon. His father counselled if he did not get a dragon then it was far from the end of the world, it was still a golden opportunity to strengthen ties with the Weyr. Packing just one small bag of possessions was a huge challenge but Linthor 'suffered it with grace' (in his own words) for the greater good. He also took his bronze firelizard Hunter with him, a present for his eighteenth birthday.
Though he had been prepared for the norms of the Weyr experiencing them first hand was still a shock, as was rubbing shoulders with commoners. Linthor held himself very much apart at first and was doubtless unbearably snobby, and useless at chores to boot, but over the coming months loneliness wore him down and he began to reach out to some of the slightly better blooded candidates in friendship. Candidate training was much shorter in those days and already well educated as he was Linthor was on the Sands within half a turn. He failed to Impress however, much to his shock and mild outrage, but he stood again in the next clutch when he was just on the verge of ageing out. He Impressed a green. His family was not present at the Hatching Feast the next day. A couple of days later he received an awkward letter of congratulations from his brothers and younger sister but that was cold comfort, as was the fact that he continued to receive a handsome stipend. So far as his father was concerned at the very least he had failed; a green dragon was a judgement on his character, it would be far better if he had not Impressed at all.
The way he was treated in the Weyr changed instantly too; he went from being a potential leader of tomorrow to, well, a green rider. He was not alone in this, several other candidates who had set their eyes and pinned their future plans on a bronze or perhaps a brown found themselves suddenly at sea with a green or blue. Linthor quickly gathered together these other disenfranchised young people; together, he told them, they could still find a way to gain influence and power even if it was behind a bronze's shoulder. If they stuck with him, he would find a way.
Before Impression L'thor had been snobby and entitled but as he settled into his role as a rider he began to become sly, cunning and more than a bit manipulative to get his way. It was only fair, he reasoned, it wasn't like life played fair so why should he? A nice present given here, a few choice words offered there, was using his brain and his wealth really any different to a bronze rider using their dragon's hide to get what they wanted? Through these methods he made friends for himself in high places and passed the benefits of that on to the slowly growing group of dissatisfied green and blue riders, who in turn did things for him and for one another. Over the turns he began to hear less and less from his siblings until the only one who still wrote to him was Senloc and even then only a couple of times a turn. Stung by the rejection - especially his elder brother Senthor's rejection - L'thor became more determined than ever to make something of himself to spite them and, secretly, because he hoped they might want him again if he became enough of a success.
As it turned out Senthor did have further use for his younger brother in the end.
It should have been the first turn of the fourth Pass but the Thread did not fall. While the leaders of Pern's Weyrs scrambled for answers L'thor watched the skies, quietly calculating what this would mean and how he could turn it to his advantage. A letter from Senthor, now the Lord of Benden Hold, held the answer. Things were going to change in the Weyrs or Pern, change for the better... and to their personal advantage too. All L'thor had to do was provide some information and quietly see a few things delivered before the council of All the Weyrs and Lord Holds of Pern. L'thor quickly met with his brother to find out more, equal parts horrified and intrigued, but Senthor managed to swing him over towards the latter. There would be blood, yes, but only the Weyrleaders and the bulk of golds needed to go and L'thor needn't involve himself with that side. L'thor eventually agreed, though he didn't feel good about it he persuaded himself that it would all be worth it; the lives of a few people who hadn't earned their places in exchange for a better future for his family and the masses... and him, mostly him. He returned to the Weyr and spread the word only to his most trusted comrades.
So it was that the Holders mercenaries had ready access to weapons within the Weyr, making the slaughter possible. L'thor had opted to sleep in late on that morning, he had no desire to see the deed done. When dragons began to scream and die around the Weyr however L'thor realised that rather more was being done than he had been told of; Senthor had lied to him. Grabbing his fine sword L'thor charged out of his weyr and down to the dininghall in desperation to mend his mistake, not that such a thing could be done. Nevertheless he managed to cut a path through the mercenaries and Holders to join Sereth's rider and those with them. He took a position as a rear guard as they fought their way out into the Weyrbowl and intended to stay there fighting until he was cut down, to give as many people as possible time to escape. Thalassinuth however was not prepared to die; as Sereth managed to get into the air she dived, grabbed her injured rider and jumped between with the senior gold.
L'thor's next clear memory was of awaking in a strange infirmary and being informed of what had happened. A quick check by Thalassinuth confirmed that he was the only one of his little trusted circle who had made it. He was the only one who knew what he had done. Consumed by guilt L'thor did the only thing he could countenance... he told no one.
DRAGON
Name: Thalassinuth
Age:
Colour: Green
Feel of voice: The sensation of speed, the taste of honey, the whirring of cogs
Appearance: 11'10" by 4'09". Thalassinuth is a tiny little green, not quite twelve feet long from her nose to the tips of her tail. She has a neat delicate conformation, short narrow wings built for great speed and extreme maneuverability, and beautiful glossy green hide that flirts with faintly blueish tinges. Though Thalassinuth isn't all that interested in shiny things her rider is; bling was every day apparel for her back in her own time and she arrived in the 6th Pass wearing gold rings on her headknobs, near the end of her tail, and on the toes of her forefeet. Most impressive of all is the intricate gold torc around her neck, which is worth a good couple of thousand marks in materials without even mentioning the craftsmanship.
(Thalassinuth is based on colibri thalassinus, the green violetear hummingbird.)
Personality: At the beginning of the 4th Pass the general stereotype of green dragons across Pern was 'flighty, gossipy, unreliable and not that bright', and this held especially true in the mighty bastion of Benden Weyr. Thalassinuth lives up to the first two to a tee but not to the third, and she could not be further from the last. This miniature green is incredibly bright and is blessed with an excellent memory, she's good at understanding how things work, why they work, and at problem solving. Unfortunately she is not all that good at keeping focused, her mind jumps easily from one subject to another and it's difficult to pull her back once her thoughts have flitted off on a fascinating tangent. She also sometimes skips steps in her reasoning leading to holes in her logic that she later tries to fill in with sensible assumptions that may well not be entirely correct, or correct at all for that matter.
Thalassinuth needs to move, if she sits still for more than a few minutes she gets twitchy and her thoughts skip around between subjects more than ever; moving keeps her calmer and helps her to focus so she can often be seen pacing about the place or flying loops of the Weyrbowl for hours on end.
If brains are Thalassinuth's greatest strength courage is her greatest weakness, she simply cannot stand up for herself and will run rather than fighting every time if at all possible. She seeks out the company of braver dragons partially so she can hide behind them if she needs to and partially because she simply finds courage inspiring and admirable and thus wants to befriend those who posses it. If at all possible she would love to emulate them, she is quite hard on herself for her inability to speak up for herself or take a stand on important matters but much though she tries she can't seem to make herself change.
As for the gossipy bit of the green stereotype, really it's less that she's gossipy and more that she is just incredibly chatty and sociable in general. She loves to be with and talk with other dragons (even if they're lying down and she's prancing nearby!) and will cheerfully talk about just about anything so if gossip is happening she'll join in and equally if dragons are discussing their theories on how the ancestors ship worked she'll join in with that too! She may or may not be thinking about something completely different at the same time however so she often comes out with complete non sequiturs, perhaps to the annoyance of some.
Thalassinuth is generally calm; she doesn't blow things out of proportion, she thinks problems through carefully... so long as her mind doesn't flutter off on a tangent that is of course. Serious situations however do focus her attention so in an actual crisis she's not going to get diverted by the way a piece of parchment flutters up high above a blazing fire.
In general Thalassinuth is an optimistic dragon but not blindly so, she just believes in the ingenuity of men and dragons. They've survived countless threats and they're still there after all! Where there is a will there is a way... especially if it happens to be her and her riders' will. She can in fact be unintentionally superior in this way; she knows how smart she is, and that her rider is pretty smart too, and is completely convinced that between them they could do a rather fine job of running the world.
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