Welcome to the Weyr!
Who are you trying out for? A'ral
Which role is that again? Candidatemaster
I forget... At Which Weyr? Western
How old are they? 42
Personality: A'ral is a man who does not believe in backing down. It's been said of the man that if it were possible he'd chew firestone himself, for he has a fiery temper when roused. However, he tries to keep himself carefully in check. That careful balancing act works well enough when he's dealing with children, as he has a deep fondness for them. He will fight tooth and nail for the good of his charges, be they child or adult, and puts his duties before his own personal feelings. Faranth help the man or woman who takes advantage of a Candidate, for they will have to answer to A'ral. He's well aware of the predilection of riders, and knows what promises they make in the dark of night. Candidates are there for themselves first, and for anyone else second. The duty of molding Pern's youth into fit riders-to-be is his and he does not shirk it.
Nothing hurts him more than knowing that he let one of his students down, as it's happened before. No one is perfect, and unfortunately A'ral doesn't come close. He tries to learn from those mistakes, however, and when it comes to protecting or helping those who look to him he really will go to nearly any length. Thread's return has meant that suddenly his students are facing terrible danger should they persist, and he's been the shoulder to cry on or listening ear for many Candidates. While he's aware that his position means very limited time to himself he loves nothing more than being able to teach his charges about the Weyr, or showing them how to read and write. No one can be prepared for anything, but A'ral will be shaffed if he's going to leave his students without the basic tools needed to survive in this new world of terrors.
Positive Trait List: Determined, nurturing, vigilant, ambitious, fearless
Negative Trait List: Obstinate, interfering, fire-eating, diehard, relentless
History:
Araelan grew up in a cothold on the edge of High Reaches' territory. As a young boy he knew that his fate lay in a mine or some other similarly dismal place. That was, of course, was he had to change his fate. Badgering the hold's guards for tips, he began his quest to become a fighter. He had heard of some mercenary groups in the area, and intended to one day join them. Nothing would have pleased his parents more than to see their boy rise above his station, but their hopes did not lie in that direction. They were grooming him for stewardship of their small hold, cozying up to the current steward. Such a life would no doubt have brought the family considerable prestige and honor, but Araelan had set his own path.
At the age of seventeen, a burgeoning young man with a plan left his parents behind with promises to return covered in glory. They were, understandably, not terribly optimistic. Yet they wished him well and allowed him leave to follow his dreams. They had a number of other children to tend to, and they did not entirely mind not having one extra mouth to feed. Not to mention that it was thought to be quite honorable to become a mercenary, at least when the company in question was honorable itself. So it was that young Araelan found his way to the nearest such company and pled his case.
He found his reception was somewhat less favorable than he might have hoped. Still, he was able to tag along for a time with them, and they taught him a thing or two about fighting as they journeyed throughout the region. He managed to work his way up from the very bottom to become a private in their ranks. There was never anyone prouder to be assigned such a low rank, and he felt certain that this was the life for him. One day he'd become a lieutenant or something, and return home covered in glory! Or so he hoped. But such hopes were not to be.
As it so happened, there was a clutch the sands at High Reaches Weyr, and a number of riders had been sent out on Search. While entertaining these esteemed fellows, Araelan ran afoul of a particularly loud-mouthed Blue, and found himself suddenly the object of one such search. Despite his protestations that no, really, he was quite happy where he was, he was more or less scooped up and taken a-dragonback to the Weyr. He made it clear, at length, just how he felt about that, and perhaps the rider regretted just a little that he'd been saddled with the brat. But like it or not, Araelan arrived at the Weyr... to the tender clutches of the then-Candidatemaster.
Needless to say, the young man was none too impressed with how things were being run at the Weyr. One foot into the Weyr, and he'd already learned that some of the dragons weren't nearly as well respected as others -- and the Blue who'd searched him was one such! In other words, he might as well have stumbled into the Weyr himself for all the heed they paid him. Not that they were awful, no... but when the Blue arrived, no one took a lick of notice. While he wasn't overly fond of the dragon in question for so rudely uprooting him, he wasn't overly thrilled by the reception the beast received, either.
From that moment onward, he was keenly aware of the hierarchy in the Weyr, and no little offended by it. This was not helped terribly when he Impressed to Green Zinath, who was every bit the most darling and dear dragon that Pern had ever seen! As soon as he became a Greenrider, nearly every door was shut to him. He was deeply resentful of the treatment that he and his fellows received, and not at all fond of the current Weyrlingmaster or his cronies. It could not have been clearer exactly where their lot assumed his place to be: at the very bottom rung. Rebellious and no little headstrong, he and Zinath decided that they were ready for new digs, and they threw their lot in with Western Weyr.
While it was clear from the beginning that Western Weyr was not obsessively preparing for a return of Thread that literally no one else believed in, A'ral was much more comfortable in his new home. He found himself suddenly no longer facing the opposition he had been throughout his life, and kind of floundering as a result. He needed upward momentum, needed something to do with his life. And so when the position of Candidatemaster opened up, he put in his own bid to take on the role. A bid that found him successful. When at first they had him training under the old Candidate master A'ral felt somewhat stifled, if grateful for the opportunity. But he soon discovered something that quite outraged him: unlike every other position in the Weyr, this one did not come with a seat on the council.
He kept quiet about it for a time, waiting for the opportune moment to make a fuss about it. As he began to take on more duties from the previous Candidatemaster, he voiced his concerns. He felt, perhaps justifiably, that his was a position with unique challenges... challenges that deserved a voice on the council. He did not know how they had decided that the Weyrlingmaster but not the Candidatemaster merited a position in their ranks, but he certainly made his disapprobation felt. Meanwhile, he began to work on improving the education of the children and young adults that he oversaw, with the aid of some of the Weyr's harpers. It was his sworn and solemn duty to prepare his students to become riders, and he meant to do the best job of it that he could.
As the Turns passed, he kept up his quiet campaign for the seat, putting his primary focus onto his duties while he let matters play out in the background. This carried on for some Turns before the council, perhaps tired of dealing with the pugnacious Greenrider, finally acquiesced and deigned to allow him to sit at council meeting. At first he only took notes, aware of the tenuous position that he now found himself in. More recently, however, he's taken proper advantage of the position to do precisely what he always said he would, speaking up when matters concerned those who looked to him were broached. This change was quite recent, and was overshadowed by Thread's return.
With the changing times, A'ral has found his position to be a greater challenge than ever before. He's had to coach Candidates on how to gracefully leave the Weyr and re-enter lives that they'd thought they wouldn't be returning to. He's also had to comfort frightened and grief-stricken Candidates, playing a personal role in their struggle to face the silver menace. He is all too aware that the students he's taught will either return home to the danger of Thread or face death to save Pern from it. He and Zinath have their work cut out for them, and they are determined not to fail.
What's Their Dragon's Name Again?: Zinath
Dragon Personality: A cheerful, upbeat dragon, Zinath has a seemingly endless reservoir of patience. She knows how to best manage difficult Candidates, at least most of the time. For the truly young Candidates, getting to spend time with a dragon is reward enough to keep them more or less happy, and she's happy to spend time with them. She has a strong yearning for a clutch of her very own, a desire that she's so far been able to fulfill by fussing over her and A'ral's students. While she's well aware of the clear breakdown of rank in the Weyr she was clutched at, she's very sure that she's more than worthy of any of the higher ranking dragons. After all, even they need a friendly headknob from time to time, and she has two!
Life at Western Weyr has been a breath of fresh air for the little Green, and she's more than happy to share her opinion about her home sweet home with anyone who cares to listen. She doesn't quite have the same desire for advancement as A'ral does, but she's up to the challenge. Nothing could make her happier than looking after a Gold's clutch, or keeping her Candidates out of danger. She especially likes to take them for riders, knowing all too well that many of them had never seen a dragon before coming to the Weyr. As a fighter she is swift and agile, more than able to keep up with anyone in her Wing-- for a little while, at least.
How long have they been Candidatemaster? 16 Turns
Why were they picked for the position? A'ral and Zinath are a well balanced pair who take their duty very seriously. A'ral in particular has a record of going above and beyond the call of duty, and Zinath is very good at keeping the youngest in line. Moreover, they both believe that anyone has the ability to change their fate, and no one should be locked into a role just because they were "born" to it; this philosophy fits very well with Western's, and the Weyr has faith that Candidates taught to believe in themselves will rise to the occasion.
How do they feel about their role since Thread returned? Since Thread's return their role has carried with it an extra burden, that of preparing their students for the very real possibility that they may die defending Pern and Pern's people from the menace. This has necessarily hardened A'ral and Zinath somewhat, for they know that they are training soldiers to battle a danger that Pern has not seen in many, many Turns. Fortunately, A'ral has training as a soldier, and went through his Weyrling training at High Reaches, so he is somewhat better prepared than most for the challenge. He does not like the necessity of teaching children that they may very well die, but he knows his students, young and old both, are more than up to the task.
How do they feel about their students? For the most part, A'ral considers his students to be the children that he never had. ... Or presumes he never had, anyway. There's every chance that there are some mini A'rals running about as a result of Flights, but that's beside the point. Anyway, he is fond of most of his students, and respects those that stick it out to thirty Turns especially. Zinath becomes quite attached to them. It's not as much as job for them both as an avocation.
What is their teaching style? Hands on and in depth. From the very beginning A'ral tried to find ways to improve the teaching that his students were receiving at the Weyr. He's more than aware that a number of his kids don't make it to become riders, but he wants to make sure that they have better chances when they leave the Weyr either way. His philosophy in short is: no Candidate left behind. He believes in ensuring that there are enough tutors so that the majority of the Candidates can really benefit from the learning that they're getting in the Weyr. Fortunately, there are usually plenty of willing volunteers, including within the ranks of the Candidate barracks themselves.
One of your Candidates is missing from their bed. It's past curfew, and while the rest of the Candidates are asleep -- or at least quieted down and in their beds -- someone has given you the slip. This isn't their first offense, either. How do you search for them? What do you do when you find them? What is their punishment, if anything?
It was after curfew and Odred was not in his bed. Again. For perhaps the fifth time-- that sevenday. He was one of the littler ones, but that didn't make matters any better. Indeed, it was somewhat worse to have a fourteen Turn old child loose about the Weyr. Zinath, where is he? the man asked, pacing his office as he stared at a map of the Weyr. Usually the children snuck off to the kitchen, or to the storeroom where they could get up to all sorts of mischief. But not Odred. Oh no. Little mister trouble was nowhere to be found. He'd checked the usual places already, and the kid was still very much missing.
Easy, rider-mine. You know very well that Odred is homesick. He 'heard' her checking in with the local firelizard fair, who were all too delighted that a Green dragon had taken an interest in them, if somewhat sleepy. The hour was late, after all. He's near the runner pens. Where you should have checked to begin with. You know he's from Exetor Hold. They raise runners there. In point of fact, A'ral hadn't known that particular tidbit of information, but it did not surprise him to learn that Zinath did. She was a favorite among many of the younger students.
Thank you... and I didn't know. But we'll get this sorted out. Gathering his patience, and drawing a wherhide jacket about himself, he left his office to make his way down to the stable. While he knew that riding his dragon would be swifter, it would undoubtedly give him away. This way was slower, certainly, but he knew the way even in the dark. In point of fact, he knew the Weyr like the back of his hand, for all of the times he'd dredged Candidates from their hidey holes.
When he arrived, Odred tried to run, but A'ral was a little too fast for him. "Steady now, lad. We're going to go for a walk. And you're going to tell me why you'd rather spend the night in the stable than up in the barracks, hey?" With an arm around Odred's shoulder, A'ral steered him down a safer path, walking them back toward his office. He'd get them a cup of klah or some tea, and then they could talk about why Odred kept flouting the rules, and what would make him feel safer in the barracks. And, of course, set him to mucking out the stables in the morning. Maybe spending some time with the beasts would be good for him... not to mention that he couldn't just allow him to break rules without punishment.
A Hatching has come and went. While you are now down 20 some Candidates, there are many sad, depressed, and upset faces. Worse, there's one lad in particular who will be aged out within the sevenday. He knows this, you know this, and unless a gold get shiny reeeeal soon -unlikely-, this was probably his last shot at Impression. What do you do? What do you say to the Candidates, if anything? What do you say to that holdbred lad? Do you tell him it's time to pack up? Do you let him stay on for awhile?
This was the hardest part of being Candidatemaster, in A'ral's opinion. Losing kids to Threadfall was tough, yes, but trashing their dreams hurt him in a way that he couldn't express. Looking into the long faces of his charges took him down from the proud high he'd been on when a number of them had Impressed. But there was Calel looking utterly stricken. They both knew that this last Hatching had been his surest bet. The likelihood of Impressing before his Nameday was very, very slim. The lad had been so determined to do well, and he'd come so far from the Holdbred child he'd been.
"You did well, each and every one of you." How could he help but be proud of them when they'd faced down dragonets, and some of them had the scars to prove it? "So you didn't Impress this time - there'll be more eggs on those Sands, and soon." Those sad faces cut right to the heart of him, and he felt for them, he really did. "Curfew's off for the night, and I expect you all to make the most of that Feast. It's as much for you as it is for the new riders." He wanted them to enjoy it, as hard as it might be for some of them.
"Hey now," A'ral said, taking Calel aside. "None of that. You're worth every bit of them. And don't mistake not Impressing a dragon this time as not being ready for the job. You did good, son." In a quiet corner, away from the milling children and depressed youngsters, he poured the young man a drink. "So it's your last time through, eh? Not so bad, at the end. You'll show them all what a great man you've become." When the thirty Turn old man cast his eyes down, A'ral clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I think Sheyoth was looking a little shiny, don't you? She'll probably clutch before your Nameday. That's in what, six months?"
He gave the lad a long wink when the young man jerked his head up in shock. The shocked gave way to understanding, and Calel shook his head. "Sir, you know my Nameday is only a--"
"Hush now. It's when I said it is, hey? And I say you've got a few months left in you. In any case, you need time to get matters sorted out." He settled into his chair, looking over his glass at the other. "There's one thing that's for certain, and that's that you've got a lot more to offer than just as a dragonrider. You don't need to go anywhere, and you don't need to make any decisions now, but we're going to get this figured out. Not every worthy man or woman Impresses a dragon, but Pern has a need for each and every one of them. You'll find yours, and we'll help you find it. That's assuming you don't Impress first."
