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Rider
Character Name: Allia
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Craft/Rank: Wingrider
History:
Up until she was Searched, Allia had never left the Cothold she was born in. The third child in a string of six (five of them daughters), she had no great aspirations in life. She figured on a very normal one, as a matter of fact - get married, have kids, and be happy with it. When a dragonrider came calling, though, that all changed. Maybe she could be more. Maybe she could ride a dragon!

Candidate chores were performed dutifully, whatever they were. She was most comfortable in the kitchen, since it was a relatively familiar place with relatively familiar tasks (just a lot bigger and busier!). Very physical labor, like heavy lifting, was difficult for her, as she hadn't developed the muscles for it. She was willing to try, though, if the situation demanded it. When she wasn't not doing chores, attending lessons, or trying to get into a little better shape, she was s a people-watcher. She wanted to understand Malvren and the people in it, and she felt that observation is the best way to do that, and to eventually find a way to fit in.

Just as she was beginning to find her way, however, the Revolution swept through Malvren. Confused by what was happening, unsure of what side to choose, and afraid, Allia simply hid until the fighting was over. When she finally came out, Malvren was a Wherhold, and she had little choice but to be a Wherholder. She hoped that, just maybe, it wouldn't be such a bad thing, and though the violence frightened her, she held on to that hope as she waited and watched to see what the Wherholds would be like. Unfortunately, their propensity for use of force continued, and no matter how much she wished it had been different, how much she tried to find a comfortable place, she never could. She had no choice but to stay, however, and continued on as a Candidate, keeping her head down as best she could and waiting for the day when things would change.

Banshidheth's first clutch came and went with no bondmate for the girl, and by the time her second came, with the Wherwars well underway, Allia was mere weeks away from aging out. A dragon seemed like her last hope of ever escaping life in the Wherholds, and she clung to it as dragon after dragon hatched and found riders. Green, blue, brown, she longed after each and every one, so many that she lost count. It was one that she hadn't taken much notice of, though, that eventually noticed her: a dark fellow who had broken his shell early on, but was content to stay curled up within it, and remained so until a more boisterous sibling knocked into him. Rather than snap at the offending hatchling, he simply heaved a sigh and dusted himself off, and trailed his way across the Sands with heavy limbs to the girls. He waited for them to part, head low and blue eyes half-lidded, tail snaking patterns in the sand on his way to His.

Come with your Somnuth, Allia, and let us go from here. I have seen enough for one night, and most of it I have not liked.

Before their Weyrlinghood was over, Benden was raided and fell to the Weyrs. Fortunately, they were still at Malvren, and afterward managed to avoid fighting by citing that it was unsafe for Weyrlings to do so and finding other tasks that made them seem useful. Finally, once they were able to go between, the pair fled Malvren for Euclid, wanting no more to do with war. When Euclid migrated to Trine, they went willingly, hopeful that the future would be less turbulent than their lives so far.

Description:
Petite. Allia is thin, with no curves worth speaking of.. She's dainty, almost to the point of looking fragile. Her face is plain, if a little sharp, and she has wide-set brown eyes and mousey brown hair. Her complexion is average, but has taken on a pleasant tan in Trine's sunny climate.

Personality:
In the beginning, Allia was constantly overwhelmed by life in a Weyr. They're big, they're busy, and there are people everywhere - and they're crazy. It was such a foreign environment, full of such foreign ideas, that Allia's mind had trouble catching up with all these changes. She still had yet to decide one way or the other as to whether or not all the worldviews at Malvren were right or wrong, and by the time she had finally worked through it all, the Revolution came, and she had to start all over again. Then there was Euclid, and now Trine, and each time she has observed with wide eyes, witholding judgement until she manages to process everything.

The adjustment process tends to take her awhile (thoguh less so each time), because she stubbornly refuses to ever ask for help. She'll accept it if it's offered in just the right way, but she's very touchy about it. It's better not to bother offering and just do it, giving her no chance to protest. If someone asks, she'll just say no by reflex. It's compensation, in some ways, for her fragile looks; somewhere along the line, she got fed up with people assuming she needed to be coddled, and it's sent her in the opposite direction. She can do everything by herself, thank you, so mind your own business and leave her alone.

...but not totally alone, please. Allia needs companionship of some kind, though you'll never get her to admit it. This means she isn't likely to approach anyone, but is happy to be approached, although she isn't immediately chatty. She often appears flighty as well, because she's constantly looking around; even if she's listening intently to someone, her eyes usually wander to whatever else is going on. She's a keen observer, especially in this strange new place, and she doesn't want to miss anything. This leads to a certain amount of quiet nosiness, as she tries to watch and listen to people in a discreet way. Anything she learns, however, she keeps to herself. It's purely for her own benefit and understanding, not for the sake of finding gossip to spread.

Her voice and manner are quiet and gentle, and though she doesn't like to be helped, she doesn't mind helping someone else. Keeping in mind her own feelings on the matter, however, she doesn't make a fuss of it, and just helps and moves on. She doesn't need or especially want to be thanked, and is more likely to slip away after giving her assistance than stick around wanting praise or credit. Allia doesn't like excessive amounts of attention or being in the spotlight at all; she'd rather observe than be observed. She has an excellent memory for names and faces, and recalls the people - and animals, from runnerbeasts to flits to dragons - she's met with ease.

Other: --

Dragon
Name: Somnuth
Age: 8
Colour: Blue
Description:
Very Large/Below Average
The House of Sleep
(Will very happily color him myself, I have things in mind. <3)
Personality:
Peace given form as a dragon, Somnuth is defined by an aura of calm that never leaves him. Thread might fall, war might rage, but grace, patience, and confidence will carry him through it all. Not confidence in himself, but confidence that what will be will be, a faith in fate and a willingness to accept whatever it brings, even if what it brings is his death. Though he is in no rush to see his end, and would not give up his life without a fight, he understands that everyone must die, and does not fear that eventuality, nor fret about whether it will come sooner or later; he would certainly prefer that it be later, but it does not trouble him. There is little at all that appears to trouble this dragon, who can endure jest and insult and threat to himself, who will never complain of discomfort or trivial things. They are not worth his time, not in an age where strife has taken such a toll.

While he possesses all the agility his color is known for, his grace aided by a lean and pleasing build, he is far more notable for his ability to be still. Not awkwardly frozen in place, not poised and waiting, but still in mind as much as in body, just being. This is the state he likes best, without need or want for thought, just being in a moment while it unfolds. He is not always a passive observer, however, and enjoys taking an active role in endeavors that mean something to him. He will fight Thread to his last breath, but is less ready to fight in battle; nothing less than a cause that he believes in wholeheartedly will move him to trade blows. For Somnuth, neither Wherhold nor Weyr was dear to his heart: one too willing to abandon morals and sacrifice innocents to achieve victory, the other too bent on revenge to admit that the revolution was a product of their own blind adherence to tradition. The tactics and unabashed violence of the Wherhold system disturbed him deeply, but so too did the idea of the Weyr system, where color and not worth determined one's fate. Somnuth believes that everyone deserves the chance to live their own life, to dream and flourish, and now that the rest of the world finally seems to be coming to that conclusion - or dragged to it if necessary - he is finding real contentment at last, no longer caught in a conflict he was born into but was wholly unsuited for.

He is as quiet as he is calm, soft-spoken and unlikely to bespeak any human who is not His. He is polite and gracious in all his dealings with others, and tries to be attentive to them, as he does value their opinions and needs, but he is prone to drifting thoughts. Sometimes he will realize on his own that he's drifted, other times someone may need to draw his attention back, but he will always apologize for slipping, and ask that whatever he missed be repeated. This tendency is no indication of boredom or disrespect, simply the product of a wandering mind. Though he spends considerable time on reflection and idle thought, it doesn't usually take him long to arrive at conclusions and make decisions. He knows himself very well, and he knows what feels right, and he will always follow where his heart leads him.

Other:
He was attracted to Allia for her quiet, observant nature, appreciating her ability to withold judgement and empathizing with her need to understand. He sensed that she was overwhelmed and sorely in need of some peace in her life, and would benefit from his calming influence. And when she overthinks and takes too long to reach a decision, he can give her a nudge in the direction her heart lies.