|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2015 5:52 pm
Rider
Name: Iafri
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
Rank: Wingrider
History:
Iafri was born Holdless, and knew little of the truth of life outside of her particular group (one which is rather large, by the standard of the nomadic groups). All she knew were the stories, which tended to paint outsiders in a very unflattering light. They can't be trusted, they had rejected them, cast them out, forced them into this dangerous life...nevermind that many of them were Holdless of their own doing, cast out of society for very good reasons, and for a handful it may even have been a choice. After the return of Thread, opinions of both Holds and Weyrs, but especially of the latter, plummetted even further.
Easily-influenced and eager to see the best in others even when it's not there, Iafri believes that the Holdless became as they are - rough, survivalist, and sometimes even amoral - because they are Holdless, and not the other way around. This belief, along with a naturally meek personality, led to her resisting the Holdless stereotype: she doesn't want to be 'bad.' This took her in the complete opposite direction, to be retiring and non-confrontational. These are not the best personality traits to have in such an environment, though, and so she was easily bullied and taken advantage of for most of her life, including by her own siblings at times.
Iafri has two brothers, one older and one younger, and would have had a younger sister as well, but that youngest member of the family took ill shortly after she was born and died within a few sevendays. Other than that, her family was intact for most of her life, until Thread returned. Her father was an early casualty, and though Iafri was never especially close to him, he was still her father, and she still loved him, and losing someone hurt in ways she didn't know how to deal with. Her learned dislike of dragonriders deepened, and she was terrified of Thread.
Speaking of her parents, her mother was born Holdless as well - and her parents, and as far as anyone knows, their parents as well. That side of the family was Holdless for generations, and her family takes a certain amount of pride in that. Her father was a runnerthief, and made Holdless when he was caught...not that that stopped him for long, although he started stealing other types of livestock more and runners less. It made more sense to steal food directly than to steal something they'd have to sell (not that you can't eat a runner, but as they're worth a fair amount alive, that seemed like a waste). Their group as a whole made their living in a variety of ways, depending on individual skillsets, but that of Iafri's family was theft.
As far as skills, she could do a passable job of most of the things that life required, but stalwartly refused to learn hunt, as she couldn't stomach it. She was best at mending, and with better training could have made a fairly good tailor. And, like the rest of her family, she was a capable thief, although she didn't enjoy it in the least, but she's a good hand with animals.
The group was aware of the Revolution, but while they approve of the riders being brought down a few pegs, it had little effect on their lives. Rumors of Flynn being involved were a source of curiosity, but not much else. Iafri was drawn in by chance, when she stole a goat that subsequently escaped into a mine: the same mine into which a group of Revolutionaries had fled with stolen dragon eggs. The scared little Holdless girl was found by a tiny green Hatchling and Impressed, thus becoming a Weyrling. From the very beginning, Iafri and Girofleth took issue with the conflict between Wherhold and Weyr, and always refused to participate in any activity that had anything to do with it. Girofleth in particular was vocal, always willing to engage in debate and question the necessity of hostility and war, disapproving of the actions of both sides but supportive of the idea of equality.
When conflict broke into open war, they remained true to their ideals as pacifists, both refusing to fight and Girofleth continuing to speak passionately against it. Their stance earned them few friends, but they never wavered. After the war, they were among those who pushed for change to the structure of Weyrs, and have since existed in relative contentment, although they question the necessity of hunting the Rogue Queens. Hasn't everyone had their fill of violence yet?
Description:
Her hair is dark brown, though lightened some by the sun, her skin is tanned, and her eyes are grayish-blue. Her height, at 5'4", is unremarkable in either direction, and her figure is simply average: feminine, but nothing worth drawing successive looks. Iafri's face is pretty enough, particularly when she actually smiles, a once-rare occurence that has become much more frequent.
Personality:
Iafri is meek and submissive, the sort of person who's always looking down and away from whoever's talking to her, and has a nervous manner at all times. She's forever chewing on her fingernails, shuffling her feet, or fussing with her clothes - she just can't be still. She'll speak, mostly when spoken to, but never raises her voice. If she didn't really hear what you said, she'll pretend she did and give whatever the most appropriate non-verbal response seems to be, because she'd rather not bother you by asking you to repeat yourself. She'll only double-check if you were telling her what to do, because she can't afford to not know that and get it wrong.
She shies away from violence entirely, even rough-and-tumble play, and conflict in general. She won't argue with anyone, even in a friendly manner; she would rather agree, get it over with, and have things go back to being peaceful. Well, as much so as they get. There was a time where if someone asked her to do something, she'd do it with few if any questions asked, as long as it didn't involve confrontation or physical harm of any kind. She would take someone else's chores, give them something of hers if they demand it, help spread a rumor, or even steal. She didn't like being that way, but what else could she do? If she were to change, she'd have to stand up for herself, be responsible, lose her 'friends,' and all sorts of other terrifying things. She chided herself for being such a doormat, but didn't have the courage to pick herself up off the ground, leading her to be self-deprecating and constantly frustrated.
After 14 turns of Girofleth's influence, however, Iafri is less of a pushover than she used to be. She still doesn't like contradicting someone or standing up for herself, and would describe doing so as painful, but if she deems it important to do so, she will. Girofleth supports her constantly, and Iafri has become incredibly dependent on her for it. She becomes increasingly anxious when not in physical proximity to her dragon, and after a prolonged period of time or in a stressful situations, this can escalate into an anxiety attack.
When left to herself, Iafri is kind and gentle, especially with children, or with individuals similar to herself. She'll smile, laugh, and even stop chewing her fingernails. She's a good shoulder to cry on, a sympathetic listener, and surprisingly, a keeper of secrets to those she believes have been honestly friendly to her. Her loyalty and gratitude to those genuine few runs deep, and she will not betray them. If she were ever forced to choose between loyalties, though, it is difficult to say what she would do. How does anyone ever choose between friends?
Other: Last one for today. Probably. Maybe.
Dragon
Name: Girofleth
Age: 14
Colour: Green
Description: x
Size: Tiny
Build: Supermodel
Personality:
All long legs and oversized wings, Girofleth is a delicate little green who looks as though a strong enough wind would sweep her up and carry her away, but who somehow manages to keep such a thing from happening, if only just. This seeming fragility belies an inner strength, however; she may be small, she may even be weak in a physical sense when compared to many larger dragons, but she gives no indication of fearing anyone or anything. This is not to say that she is truly fearless, only that she is exceptionally good at maintaining her calm in the face of a threat. Few but her rider will know when Girofleth has been frightened, and even that will often be after the fact, as she wouldn't want to spread her fear to others, especially not to Hers.
There is little else that this giving dragon will not share; as long as what is asked of her has no harmful implications for others (so far as she can tell), she will gladly give her aid to any who seek it, asking nothing in return but that they remember the kindness and pass it on. She is an incredibly trusting individual, because she wants to place her trust in others and believe that there is good in everyone. If she finds that her trust has been misplaced, that she has been deceived or manipulated, the betrayal and disappointment cut deeply. With the help of her rider, she will remember these instances, and those who use her will never be given the opportunity again: once her trust is lost, it is lost forever.
Being such a gentle soul, Girofleth has an inherent dislike of confrontation and aggression, and cannot abide actions that would harm another, whether physically or emotionally. If she sees or hears something she believes to be wrong, she does not hesitate to speak out against it, and if necessary, she will place herself in harm's way to keep someone else safe. She abhors all forms of violence, however, and will not fight unless it is a matter of life or death - and only then for the sake of her rider, whose life is tied to hers. She will stand in the path of those who would cause pain, calling their bluff by staring them down and forcing them to go through her. Inevitably, some of them will, and when they do, she will despair over her failure until it finally fades from her dragon memory.
When the time comes for her to take Flight, this is a green who will need to be courted and wooed, resisting any attempts to simply chase and seize her. Any male who would have her must first convince her that he is the one, and do so without aggression.
Other:
One might expect Girofleth to seek a protector, but that is not the case; in fact, she insists that she needs no such thing. What she needs is a rider of like heart and like mind, for no one but a fellow pacifist can truly understand her. Iafri will never push Girofleth to go against her nature and fight, while Girofleth will push Iafri to take responsibility for her own actions: she always has a choice, and with her dragon's help, maybe one day she can find the courage to choose to say "No."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:07 am
|
Dragonflight Pern Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
