Handler Name: Kesin
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Rank: Trader/Journeyman Wherhandler (former Beastcraft Apprentice)
History:
From a cothold outside of Bitra, Kesin is the daughter of two Beastcrafters who made their living breeding caprines. As their only child, Kesin was raised to do the same, but as she got older, she gradually grew discontent with her lot in life. Really, who wants to spend their whole sharding life raising goats? She developed an interest in runnerbeasts, and by the time she was in her teens, had decided that that was where her future - and the future of her family's farm - lay. She tried for the better part of a turn to convince her parents of this, but they disagreed. They didn't have the proper land, and besides, runners were a lot more expensive to keep than caprines.
Kesin eventually quieted, but never gave up on her wild dream. For turn after turn, she hoarded every last fraction of a mark she got her hands on, determined to buy her own runner one day, but marks don't exactly come easily to young Herders. At 19, desperate and fed up with waiting, she snuck the marks she needed from her parents and went to market to buy her runner. Even with the stolen marks, though, she didn't have nearly enough for a fine riding beast, and came home with a working nag. But it was still a runner, and by the time she got home, Kesin already adored swaybacked mare.
...her parents, obviously, did not. They were furious, and Kes was forced to return the animal and bring back her parents' savings. Still, she refused to see that she was in the wrong, and resented them ever after. Several months later, she was Searched, and though she'd never had an eye to dragons, she took it as a way out. Within days of arriving at Benden, she encountered a recruiter for the Wherhandlers, and was quick to join their ranks. As luck would have it, she completed her training in time to be considered for a clutch out of Masterhandler Keller's gold, and not only that, reviewed so well that she earned first choice: a priviledge she used to claim the largest egg, hoping it would contain a gold, or at the very least a bronze. When it hatched, she got exactly what she wanted, a gold wherling who soon declared itself to be Kesisk.
When the Revolution came, the pair joined and participated with enthusiasm. The Wherhandlers had given her a chance at the better future she deserved, and for that, Kesin was far more loyal to them than she had ever been to anyone else, loyal enough to fight and risk injury - risk scarring! While Kesin did earn a few scars, which to this day she is proud to display, Kesisk suffered worse injury, literally stepped on by a bronze dragon. Her wings were badly broken, leaving them crooked and Kesisk even a little odder-looking than most whers.
They remained loyal throughout the course of the Wherwars, and fought almost to the end of the Wherholds. When it became clear that defeat was inevitable, however, Kesin chose to flee. No cause was more important than her life, and unwilling to be killed - or imprisoned and Kesisk killed - she abandoned Malvren. They were Holdless for a time, but eventually found their way into a group of Traders. As obsessed with material gain as ever, Kesin is a natural fit for a Trader, but a completely honest one she is not. She has no objections to questionable practices or black market dealings; as long as she's making a profit, almost anything goes. When this became evident, she came into conflict with the head of the group, and decided to split off on her own, taking a few like-minded individuals with her. It was a struggle at first, but eventually they found their footing, and though they may not always flourish, they do scrape by.
Because a gold wher draws an awful lot of attention that they can't afford, Kesin usually leaves Kesisk behind when entering a Hold, and never brings her into a Weyr. Since they are constantly travelling, and the only male wher consistently with the caravan is a blue (albeit a very large one), when Kesisk Runs, she is most often chased and caught by wild whers. Kesin will sell what eggs she can before smashing the rest, an act that pains her every time. She is always tempted to break them open herself, to see what's inside, to give her precious Kesisk's get a chance to live, even if it is in the wild, but...that would be crazy. The urge is there, though, particularly if they're anywhere near a Weyr. But wild whers are dangerous for everyone, her own caravan included, so it remains nothing but a fantasy.
Description:
Kesin stands at 5'4," with blue eyes and straight hair that falls to her waist and was naturally black, but now she keeps it bleached to blonde in an effort to make herself less recognizable. She's on the fair side for Pernese, but tans reasonably well if she spends enough time in the sun. She has a soft, pleasant face, and an hourglass figure she maintains with great vanity. She's pretty and she knows it!
Personality:
Kesin is self-confident to the point of arrogance, and always believes that she will come out on top - that she should come out on top. While she thinks of herself as the best and most deserving, though, she doesn't always like to do the necessary work to get there. She will for awhile, and initially sets into tasks with determination and drive, but if they take too long or prove too difficult, she begins to look for another, easier way to reach her goal. Unfortunately, this can and sometimes does involve dishonesty, underhanded tactics, or cutting corners. She will do whatever she has to do to get where she wants to be, but she'll do it while putting in a minimal amount of effort. With her focus and systematic approach, she is a master at the strategy of reaping rewards she hasn't always earned.
She will gladly work with others if it means getting things done faster, and will always accept help when it's offered, but will never express appreciation or gratitude. Kesin is too pretentious and self-absorbed to admit in any way that she owes anyone anything. People should help her because she simply deserves it for being as fabulous as she is, so why should she bother to thank them? She's only being given her due, and in general is someone who will push others down and climb over them to get what she wants.
Kes is intensely materialistic, and always wants the best of everything, which leads into a tendency towards jealousy. If someone else has something she wants, she immediately resents them for it.
Best Wher Skills:
Wher Care: Basic First Aid
Wher Care: Understanding Wher Biology
Wher Lore: Wher Courtship and Breeding
