Name: T'loa (previously Tahloan)
Age: 40
Sex: Male
Sexual Orientation: Pansexual
Weyr: High Reaches Weyr (Transfer from Western)
Rider Rank: Wingrider
Previous Rank/Craft: Apprentice Baker
Physical Description:
T'loa is tall, standing about 6'6". He tends to stand out among the crowd because if you need to find him, all you have to do is look up. His frame is trim and lanky, giving him a stretched out appearance, but that doesn't mean he is in any way weak. His arms, once nothing but skin and bone, are now toned with muscle thanks to turns of dragon riding. Naturally thin, the bronze rider has an easy air about him and unlike some of his peers, who are full of muscle and sturdy as a wall, T'loa has a sense of poise and balance. His peers might be able to rough him up with brute strength, but they'd certainly have to catch (and be able to hold on to) him first! His long legs give him an advantage when it comes to running or sprinting. It's rare to see him in the act, though, as he much prefers to casually stroll.

When it comes to physical appearance and attractiveness, T'loa is the sort of man who gets more handsome and attractive with age. He had long since been considered boyish during his teens and twenties, but during his thirties, and now moving onto his fourth decade he's decidedly a handsome man. He has well cut features, with an angular jaw, and a pointed nose that sits above an unending, lethargic smile. It's rare to see T'loa without a grin, but even his most intense expressions are soft and lazy. It's almost as if it's too much effort to wear his true emotions on his sleeve. His eyes are large and round, a dark shade of murky brown. They're gentle eyes, though they've been known to look playfully mischievous, and on very rare occasion, dangerous.

His ears are too large for his head, but thankfully, part of being a dragon rider means wearing a helmet. T'loa's thick hair has always been a light brown, and tends to curl in water. He keeps it cut short, with just enough length to be able to run his fingers through it.

T'loa doesn't think much about his appearance and has no sense of fashion whatsoever. Thankfully for all of Pern, having been raised in the Weyr all his life, his dress has been fashioned into one of practicality. Outside of his riding gear (which is the only outfit he really KNOWS how to match) the tall man enjoys casual comfort. Loose tunics, loose fitting slacks, and a good, worn-in set of boots. He tends to wear more earthy tones -- browns, greens and golds -- but he certainly wouldn't object to something brighter.

The only fashion habit T'loa has picked up is wearing his riding jacket. His thick, wher-hide coat is rarely seen off of him. In summer, in winter, wind or rin -- regardless the occasion -- that jacket is by his side if not on his shoulders!
Personality:
T'loa is relaxed. Really, there's no better way to describe him. Passive in nature, he's so very relaxed that people who don't know him think him lazy. At every meal he's seen lounging with his wing mates, chair leaned back, arms resting behind his head. His lazy smile is ever present on his lips, and his movements are often considered lethargic. He's never in a rush, no matter what the scenario, and he carries himself easily. Nothing seems to faze him. Nothing! No matter how dire the situation, no matter how hectic and terrible the predicament, T'loa doesn't seem to have an anxiety filled bone in his body.

Of course, people who assume him careless and apathetic are wrong. The man might be calm, and typically in control, but that doesn't mean he can't be pushed over the edge. All it takes are the wrong words at the wrong time and this bronze rider can turn into ice. To get on his bad side is a difficult thing to do --- but nothing is impossible, and the few whom push him past the point of no return are quick to regret it. Though his temper is quiet and short-lived (T'loa rarely raises his voice) his grudges, sadly, are not.

Thankfully, the majority of the time, his patience wins the day.

T'loa carries himself with ease and a cool confidence. His confidence doesn't come from the bronze dragon he rides, but from an easy knowledge of life around him. As a people-watcher, and a natural introvert, T'loa had been quite comfortable in Western Weyr. He knows how the Weyr works, and the routines that man and dragon go through. He enjoys keeping up to date on news, and is always delighted when new sources (Harpers especially!) visit the Weyr.

Strangely enough, T'loa isn't driven by ambition and competition. Certainly, he's entertained the thoughts that play in all bronze-riders minds -- Weyrleadership, Wingleadership, and any position of power. Still, just because he's humored the thought doesn't mean he's actively ambitious. Unlike some of his contemporaries, this man is patient. Let others fight and compete, T'loa is content to bide his time and let others play with politics. He doesn't give a damn either way. Perhaps with time he'll play more of a role, but for now, he'd rather leave such responsibility to others much more anxious for rank.

When stressed, he'll turn to work to try to push through his problems. If he's not oiling, scrubbing, or making sure Niyath looks perfect and has every need attended to, he's working in the kitchens next to the Headwoman and trying to find any sort of work to keep him busy. Anything to either distract himself from his problems, or to help him sort through them. He's always been a hard worker, but Niyath never looks better than when T'loa is upset.

The bronze rider also puts unrealistic expectations upon his own shoulders. While he understands human err and that people do make mistakes, he should not; he must be exemplary in all he does. . . He's a dragon rider, dammit, that means he should be a cut above the rest. Not out of arrogance, but out of a desire to fulfill the role Niyath granted him. He can't help but hold all dragonriders to a higher expectation.

Mistakes are not tolerated especially in himself.

T'loa also has a problem with commitment in relationships. While age has reigned in his wiles, and he's actually found himself a weyrmate, he has quite the history behind him. During his younger Turns he didn't hesitate to find willing partners to warm his bed at night. Men or women, this rider was always a willing partner, but never one to commit. The few times he tried he'd find himself well over his head, and would usually make some excuse to get out of it. He's matured a bit since then, and actually has settled with a Felinehandler Niall, but even it's not without their problems. His reputation is well known, and stumbling into past lovers is common.

Positive Trait List Patient, Easy Going, Good Natured
Negative Trait List Workaholic, Apolitical, Rakish
History:
T'loa was born in High Reaches Weyr. His mother, Tilea, worked in the Lower Caverns, a candidate whom had never found her lifemate. She had been a young mother, having taken comfort in the arms of men after she grew too old to be considered for Impression. At age 22, she hooked up with a blue rider, V'ten and nine months later, Tilea held her first of three children, Tahloan.

Tilea was a dutiful mother. V'ten wasn't a particular active father, but Tahloan always knew him as "Dad". Any neglect he might have felt by V'ten was replaced by the love and care from Tilea, and the others of Western Weyr.

As he grew, he was no worse than any of the other children. His childhood was mostly uneventful, (as uneventful as life in a Weyr can get!) and Tahloan wasn't much of a schemer. He was rather placid as a boy, and surprisingly easy to take care of. His favorite hobby as a child was, of course, napping. His younger brother, Liveal, on the other hand, was an absolute terror. Perhaps that's why the brown haired boy never had much of a record for mischief. While Liveal was caught time and time again, and assumed to be at the heart of problems, Tahloan was always dubbed "the good boy" and any mischief he made was quickly forgotten.

As the Turns passed, like many children born in a Weyr, Tahloan had his eyes set on dragon riding. It wasn't so much a burning desire and dream as it was a good idea. The boy was used to being around dragons, and absolutely loved his father's brute of a blue. Why shouldn't he want to become one of Pern's heroes? Sure, the life wasn't care-free, he knew this, but no matter how many Hatchings he got to attend there was always something special about the boys and girls who Impressed.

His father had a dragon.

So why shouldn't he Impress the best dragon on Pern?

So set on achieving this "good idea", Tahloan thought little of any hobbies or crafts. If he were to become a dragon rider, why should he need to study anything else? There was work to be done in the Weyr, so why should he leave to find a new craft? Rather stubborn, Tahloan was finally harassed enough by his mother to find something useful to do other then set his sight on Impression.

He'd have to make the odd-mark somehow, especially if he never Impressed.

His decision?

He wanted to become a baker.

At thirteen turns, the boy was sent to the Lower Caverns as an errand boy and began the long road to learning the secrets of cooking. Tahloan wasn't a bad helper, and he even learned the very basics of the craft. It wasn't a bad job and Tahloan could pretend to like it -- baking sweets was fun, especially when allowed to "test" the finished product! -- but like many weyrbred children, he refused to be sent to an official Hall. He was not leaving the Weyr, not unless the Weyrleader himself threw him out!

So he waited. And he cooked. And he learned the ways of baking. A turn later, at age 14, he stood for his first Hatching, as was his right. Unfortuantely, his dreams of Impression were shattered and he was left behind. This rattled the young man, who thought that he, above all else, would find a partner on the first attempt. But, it was a good

Hatchings came and went, and Tahloan found himself facing the strange reality that maybe, just *maybe* his good-idea wasn't going to come through. Hiding any disappointment, the boy put that much more effort in becoming a good baker. By Turn 18, he was all but sure that the dragons had forgotten about him. Still, he wasn't going to give up on his craft. He'd come to like the familiar feel of the Kitchens and Lower Caverns, and he could find pride in the work that he made. Everyone enjoyed food so he could become a hero of Pern by feeding the heroes. . . couldn't he?

His younger brother, Liveal, was also found worthy to stand at turn 14. Where Tahloan was left alone, his brother Impressed a blue during his first Hatching. Tahloan was secretly crushed. Was he really not dragon rider material? Sure, he could partake in L'vel's joy but . . but. . what about him? Tahloan was the good child, argh!

Sure, some people on Pern never were Searched, and there was no shame in being left on the Sands. But it still hurt, and Tahloan was finding hope in his idea short-lived.

Did he dare stand again?

Did he dare risk that feeling of rejection?

Oh, but what if this was his next chance? What if this was the Hatching where his life-mate was found? It took another two turns before Tahloan found his mate. Humbled, and inwardly terrified about the results, Tahloan watched as the dragonets hatched and found their partners.

Would he again be left alone?

Near the end, a small, bronze dragonet made his way through the crowd. Almost lazily, he stumbled ungracefully towards Tahloan, and creeled pitifully in hunger. His name was Niyath, and he was absolutely starving!

All the wait, all the rejection, all the impatient frustration was forgotten. Any jealousy he felt for his brother, any fear that his "good idea" was for naught disappeared the minute he wrapped his arms about his dragon. Tahloan finally found his life mate with the pale bronze, Niyath, and their life together could finally begin.

Weyrling training was more of a past-time for T'loa than anything. He breezed through the material, having learned a lot from his father and witnessing dragons and their riders first-hand. Despite his confident nature, he was careful not to come off conceited or arrogant. He'd learned first-hand that he didn't know it all, and that just because he thought something was a good idea, didn't mean it was going to be right or come true. As proof, about a turn into their training, Niyath had a minor flying accident. As the dragons practiced flying, Niyath cramped a wing muscle and panicked. While landing was never the weyrlings strong point, that day it was a bit of a catastrophe. Having skidded to a halt, the dragon had landed mostly upon his tail. As it turned out, his tail needed a brace to set three fractured bones.

In the end, T'loa and Niyath did eventually graduate. Though he was pampered and cooed over in High Reaches, the man honestly had no desire for ambition or rank. Though he adores his dragon, the rider sometimes secretly wishes his dragon had less shiny hide. The less responsibility on his shoulders, the less politics he has to deal with.

In the end, shortly after graduating, the politics of High Reaches drove Niyath and T'loa away. He wanted to see the world, and had the wings to do so. Sure, he could prepare to fight Thread for some ancient enemy never to return, but where was the fun in that?

Besides, perhaps one of the man's biggest vices is his desire for physical contact and comfort. He's a ladies man, and a man's man. Honestly, so long as there's at least one person in his bed, T'loa is a happy man. He can find any body an attractive body, and spent much of his youth and adulthood loving freely.

He was, unfortunately, never one to really commit. This caused him problems when he'd get caught in a lie, or found with multiple lovers. It wasn't that he didn't care about those he hurt, he just had trouble saying no. He eventually learned that it was easier to come out right away and explain he had no interest in attachment... but that was a lesson that came more into this thirties.

For some time, T"loa spent his days at Western Weyr. He found he enjoyed their laid back culture, and was able to come and go with little worry of being forced into an unwanted role. Sure, he missed the good attention he got as a bronze rider in High Reaches, but he hated the expectations and responsibilities. He didn't want to be a Wingleader or a Wingsecond. He wanted to sleep, and screw around, and generally have fun. In Western Weyr, he was able to truly find his stride.

Turn by Turn, T'loa grew a little bit more handsome, and a little bit more responsible. His wild days of screwing around slowly started to wind down; he found himself with plenty of partners, but he started to make more attachments, and even began lightly dating. As luck would have it, he wound up eventually falling hard for one of his friends, Niall, a resident felinehandler.

They had been a bit on and off again, but the man was persistent, and somehow managed to steal T'loa's heart for once and for all.

A few Turns later, Thread returned; not only did it devastate the planet, but T'loa came to immediately regret he hadn't stayed long enough in High Reaches to really remember the drills and all his training. Most recently, the bronze rider was tapped to return to his home Weyr as a transfer. The hope is he'll spend some time at High Reaches to learn how to fight Thread and can someday return to Western to pass on his skills. What spurned the request was hearing that his brother, L'vel, was recently wounded. With their mother passed on, and their father no longer at the Weyr, T'loa felt it prudent to return. He could help care for him, if nothing else, and make up for all the lost turns spent.

As a bronze rider he knows he has an advantage in High Reaches. Spending a few months, or even a Turn or two, won't be so bad... right? What's the worst that can happen anyway?

Other: Has a green firelizard, Xiazu. -- in the transfer thread
T'loa thoroughly enjoys people watching. Be it lounging in the Lower Caverns, or waiting for Niyath to finish feeding, the bronze rider loves to study human interaction. Another secret love of the man is sleep. He'd sleep all day if he could, but alas, he gets far less of his favored past-time then he'd readily admit.

When he finds the time, the bronze rider still enjoys baking. His food isn't anything fabulous or gossip worthy, but that's not enough to keep him out of the kitchens and helps him earn the odd-mark. He's rather partial to sweets and desserts, and is known for lurking with the kitchen staff, in hopes of sneaking a treat.

According to some sources, he talks in his sleep.

DRAGON
Name: Niyath
Age: 20
Color: Bronze
Size: 43'
Physical Description: Niyath is of average size for a bronze, and has a bit of a unique shape. He has a stretched out appearance, with an unusually long tail and neck. Still, he's sturdy in Threadfall, and has good stamina for the job.

His stretched out tail does have a few kinks and bumps along the joints. As a weyrling, a particularly rough landing lead to the dislocation and fracture of a few tail-bones. Since then, they've been long since healed, but occasionally caused the bronze irritation on cold or rainy days.

He's a pale shade of bronze, and like his rider is almost plain in colouration as well. There are very subtle paler points on his legs, tail tip and muzzle. . . but unless thoroughly oiled, many over look them as nothing more than the light. Despite not being a stereotypical 'stunner', he doesn't care; he knows he's as good as any other bronze and any dragon should be happy in his company.
Personality: Niyath is as laid back a dragon as his rider. Relaxed, the bronze is nothing more than a gentle-giant. Despite this, he can still come off involuntarily as a bit standoffish. He's quiet and tends to keep to his own council -- even to T'loa! His favored place of rest is in the sandy wallows near the ocean. . he likes the shoreline very much and isn't quite as happy in the mountains. Suffering from a mild curiosity streak, Niyath loves to know what's going on all over Pern and he has no problem listening in on other people and dragons conversations.

Unlike some egotistical bronzes, this dragon also has no real ambition. Not yet, at any rate. When he does decide to converse, he's amiable and gentlemanly and holds no prejudice against colour.

Other: He's a sweet dragon, and can be quite the gentleman when actually bothered to converse. He also seems to have his eyes on males more than ladies, though he has no objection to flights and will chase when inspired.
Dragon Art or Proof of Obtainment: Transferland