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Rider: Lucayr
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Rank: Weyrling/Journeyman Harper
Approval: [X]

Description: Lucayr is a fairly tall fellow, six feet three give or take an inch, with sandy-brown hair that falls loose about his face. It has a bit of a sassy, wind-blown look to it when it isn't covered by one of his many hats. His face is small with a convex, slightly pointed nose and a brassy smile that takes up a good portion of real estate. His chin is barely there and is just bare in general, as he has been unable to grow any facial hair other than his eyebrows. He observes the world through golden-hazel eyes that are usually glistening with impish intent. At present he is abnormally thin due to a new diet he's trying -- at least, that's what he'll say if anyone is eagle-eyed enough to notice through the fancy clothes he hides himself under.

Personality: In a word, Lucayr is sociable. Very, very sociable. This can make pleasant conversation with him difficult for the uninitiated because he’s the kind of fellow who insults everyone he likes, and he tends to like almost everyone. Those who’ve gotten close to him know that it’s a language of love… and an art form.

Speaking of art forms -- Lucayr takes all facets of his Harpercraft very seriously, though he didn't start out that way. It took a few years and a few tragedies to wake him up to the need for education and a generous helping of of common sense to be infused into the younglings of Pern. He performs the sanctioned Teaching Songs faithfully, but the songs he composes himself are usually dripping with sardonicism meant to make people stop taking themselves so seriously and start worrying about the bigger picture. Most notable social or political incidents he suffers through are immortalized in a farcical but moralistic ditty to be sung at the next raucous gathering -- with names and places changed to protect the messenger, of course.

An entertainer as well as an educator, Lucayr knows the allure of a great outfit. He prefers colorful clothes and scarves and is usually wearing some sort of hat. His flashy appearance and audacious demeanor as well as his velvety tenor make him the target of much affection, which he welcomes in a most platonic manner. Lucayr finds many women very attractive and loves spending time with them, but it never occurs to him to pursue - even moreso now that he has Impressed an infertile dragon who won't force that sort of diversion on him.

In regards to the Wherholder Revolution, Lucayr has not quite made up his mind and is still in the process of exploring all sides of of the matter. He's become very good at playing a Wherholder "Yes man," but he has a mind of his own, regardless of what mollifying drabble comes from his mouth in the presence of danger or discord. If he chooses to speak out against an offending person or issue, he will criticisze quietly, masking such words as compliments. In essence, he feigns being an open book, but he hides much of his true thoughts and intentions.

History: Born a tanner's son at Igen Hold, Lucayr always had a gift for lyric and voice, even from an early age. He went to Harper Hall at age twelve and became an apprentice there. He did well in his studies, though he was rather flippant about them and about authority in general. He displayed a certain knack for influencing the outcome of many situations, including quarrels between the other apprentices, without being noticed. Though the Masterharper was never quite sure exactly how it was being done, he saw the talent in the boy.

When Lucayr completed his apprenticeship and became a journeyman, he was assigned to Malvren Weyr to tutor the weyrbrats. This was mere days after the murder of H'trel, Malvren's Weyrleader. It was not a coincidence on the Masterharper's part; he sent the boy there with specific instructions to keep his head down and his eyes and ears open, and to report back to Harper Hall regularly. He was there taking notes all through the inter-Weyr strife, through the first Threadfall of the Pass and the resulting turnover in leadership, and the rise of the wherhandlers. As the dragonmen had begun to decline in their effectiveness, and in fact seemed to be overstaying their welcome, Lucayr was personally, keenly interested in Masterhandler Keller's and Ancientcrafter Archimonde's solution. He was at the demonstration of the Dragonlights, and found them truly marvelous.

The unanticipated, bloody revolution that followed this promise of victory split the young harper's heart right down the center. Though the Dragonlight demonstration proved to be mostly bluster in the end, it opened the door to the possibility that its secrets might be unlocked one day. Even if not, there were still other options, made widely known and available by Keller. The dragonmen were not the only answer. But so many innocent people, riders and nonriders alike, had been massacred in Keller's coup. So many friends he'd grown to love over the past few years. Why did they have to die? Why couldn't they just live the rest of their lives in peace? Was Keller afraid of dragon overpopulation? Wher eggs were destroyed when no hatchlings were needed -- couldn't the same have been done for the breeding dragons? He tried to convince himself that sometimes brutal force was necessary to bring about a time of prosperity. And maybe it was. But he hated himself for not seeing it coming.

When the dust of battle cleared, Lucayr returned to Malvren, apparently throwing his lot in with the Wherholders. He was lucky that he had been personally assigned there by the Masterharper, or else he might have been under much more scrutiny. He struggled with the decision for a long time and became deeply depressed, but hid it well with the brassy smile that was his harper's mask. The only real physical sign he showed of this distress was a drop in weight that he carefully hid under the bright clothes of an entertainer.

Over the next couple of years, as more dragons were inexplicably permitted to hatch in the Wherholds, including atypicals that were even more of a drain on resources, and dragonmen were permitted to attain rank, yet those living outside the Wherholds were still persecuted, it began to become clearer and clearer to many that hypocrisy ran thick in the Wherholds. After months of depression and lack of interest, a spark of inspiration suddenly came to Lucayr. He would find out for himself just how uneccessary dragonriders were. And if they weren't... there would be change. He would see to that.

Since the rules in the Wherholds were much more relaxed, it was not too difficult for the harper to finagle his way onto the sands at Benden Wherhold as a Candidate for Gold Banshidheth's massive clutch of eighteen eggs, though he was never Searched and teetered right on the edge of being too old to Stand. Though he had been faithful in sending reports of his doings and findings to Harper Hall, Lucayr had deliberately failed to declare his intent this time to avoid having to disobey the Masterharper if he forbade the young man to Stand. This was something he had to do, and if it broke his cover, so be it.

It was there that he Impressed what was arguably the weakest dragonet he had ever seen... an atypical black named Tikth who could barely walk and seemed plagued with chills even on the hot sand of the hatching grounds. If any dragon would be a drain on resources, it would be this one. He could not have asked for a better subject of study.

What the harper did not account for, however, was the bond between man and dragon. He would learn soon enough why all little boys want to be dragonriders, why the Weyrs fought fate so hard merely to exist, and why the magnificent creatures and their riders had to remain a part of Pern... forever.

Name: Minx
Color: Green
Age: Hatchling
Bloodlines: Gold Harbinger x Brown Cat (Trine Weyr)

About: Minx is a terrible little imp, oddly similar to Lucayr and Tikth in that she adores shenanigans. The big difference, however, is the fact that she is malicious in her tomfoolery and loves to see strong negative reactions. She requires a strong hand to keep her antics under control. This often leads Lucayr to wonder whether her uses outweigh her inconveniences.

She is currently in training to be Lucayr's eyes, ears, and courier outside of Benden Wherhold.

Source: (Egg gifted by Shaddaling!) Minx's egg was bought from a trader. This may or may not have been a panic reaction when Lucayr Impressed Tikth and found himself effectively under house arrest until their Weyrlinghood was over.