Name: Ke'res (formerly Keleres)
Age: 22
Sex: Female
Sexual Orientation: Appears/believes she is pansexual, in reality is demisexual
Craft: Courtesan - Massage (*information gatherer/spy)
Rank: Weyrling Candidate, Journeyman Masseuse
Location: Western Weyr
Physical Description:
With fair skin, a shock of bright red curls and vivid green eyes, Keleres stands out. Attention and stolen glances is something she has grown accustomed to over the Turns, and has developed a fondness for looking her best. Rarely a day goes by when her hair isn’t ornately pinned, and some homemade makeup applied to her eyes, cheeks and lips. She is undeniably pretty by conventional standards, and certainly knows how to flaunt it.
A slender face boasts proud, prominent cheekbones and a long nose with a button tip. Bow-shaped lips feature hints of soft red, often drawn into a warm, charming smile. The light green tone of her eyes may remind some of springtime or grass, with long lashes to veil her usual coyness. A sprinkle of freckles coat the bridge of her nose and cheeks. With such fair skin, she is prone to sunburn and may often become red and splotchy if she isn’t diligent with hats and headcovers.
As a Courtesan-come-masseuse, she developed a love for fine if expensive clothing, and played the part of sophisticated lady quite well. Upon becoming a candidate a short Turn ago, she has come to terms with her severely diminished wardrobe, though will still prefer to wear more feminine and freely-flowing clothes on her restdays, including short, summery dresses and blouses. Her favourite colour is green, and she has a tendency to include jewellery or flowers she finds in her attire. Her work garb is comprised of the more ‘common’ wherhide pants and white shirt, which she finds oddly empowering and distasteful all at once.
Personality:
A woman of mystery- and not simply because of her Craft: Keleres has, over the Turns, become unknown even to herself. She is adept at shifting her personality to suit the situation, wearing masks to please her clients and targets, to fit in with society and be graciously accepted amongst the high-ranking socialites of both Hold and Weyr. She is an observant young woman, keenly aware of the pressures that people face thanks to her listening skills, and fits snugly into many different situations- playing roles such as the gossiping harpy to provoke more commentary from others, or the quiet confidante, who will elicit secrets with a simpering smile.
The drawback is that she truly doesn’t know herself all too well. She is painfully aware of her own lack of true personality, a strong sense of loneliness and coldness resonating within her heart. She believes that her true self has been hidden away for so long that it has become lost. She is prone to melancholy sorrow when alone, and even sometimes in the midst of Gathers, where crowds somehow contribute to the sensation of isolation and loss. The occasional crushing realisation that she doesn’t know who she is robs her of her ability to ‘present’ to others what she thinks they want her to be. Sometimes, the masks break.
Despite this, Keleres is normally a strong-willed and devoted woman, given almost entirely to her Craft. Candidacy was a possibility she did not seriously entertain until some months after accepting her official Search: the transition from Hold to Weyrlife was a difficult one for her. When it acquired a greater sense of ‘realness’ in her mind, Kel grew more positive and hopeful as a person. She yearns to break away from her courtesan background, despite her love for her craft-sisters and the Madam who trained her. Kel’s personality is subtly changing day by day as she begins to understand who she is away from the past-life pressures of information gathering and socialising.
Keleres is very much a people-pleaser: a charming young woman with a gift for knowing the right things to say at the most opportune moments, she can come across as almost magnetic in her charisma. Delightful, some might describe her as, but those with a little more sense and a little less trust might see the more subtle manipulations beneath the gentlelady veneer. There is very little she wouldn’t do in terms of personal sacrifice to attain her goals, so stubborn and headstrong is she. However, it is all quite understated on her part. She would prefer to let people think her meek and timid, when in truth she is coy, and all too aware of how to get what she needs from others.
This young woman expresses very little in the way of outward anger, preferring to bottle up her feelings and let them out when she is alone. Her sense of humour is easy-going, and she laughs readily. Puns and wordplay are her favourites, and the worst jokes tend to earn her best laughs. Despite her manipulative tendencies, she does genuinely care about others. Keleres is incredibly empathetic with people who do not require her services or are not her targets. She can be sweet and kind, and even dispense some good counsel from time to time. She falls easily into the role of big sister- perhaps out of a desire to have some semblance of family once more.
When Kel searches her childhood memories, she remembers enjoying nature. She still does- being outside, and being allowed to tend to plants and gardens, brings her great joy. She was described as a wildchild by her Madam, and trusts her word that this was once who she was. Whether or not she is wild… well, she hopes that people don’t believe it! Sure, she might enjoy the occasional bare-footed dance in the rain… but who doesn’t? She has slowly developed an enjoyment of physical exercise- particularly running, because it soothes her fractious mind for the most part. The endorphin rush is truly amazing.
Positive Trait List Charismatic, charming, empathetic, good listener
Negative Trait List Manipulative, guarded, melancholic, flexible morals
History:
Born in a cothold near Telgar, Keleres remembers very little of her birthplace. Her family migrated to the Western continent when she was two. They, along with a few other families, hoped to establish a cothold there that would grant them greater financial and political opportunities. Keleres remembers being poor but happy, with an older sister for company.
However, tragedy struck the new cothold shortly after her sixth Turnday. A sickness swept the settled families. Keleres’ mother sent her away to Rivercrest via caravan in the early stages of the illness, before the young child showed any symptoms. The woman gave her explicit instructions to await her message before returning. The message never came. Later investigation informed Keleres that her family, amongst others, had died. The illness had been quick and devastating, and as a consequence she had been orphaned.
It was a hard few months of living for the naive young girl. She sought out Holders and Crafters both in the hopes of finding a home to take her in, but few were willing to adopt an extra mouth to feed. Eventually her luck changed when she met Ceylisse, a Madam of a reputable brothel. Ceylisse saw the plucky young girl fight other holdbrats for scraps of food- and though Kel didn’t quite have the strength to beat them back, she still managed to steal some for herself before bolting. With the alluring promise of a warm bed and three meals a day, Ceylisse beckoned the girl over and gave her a home.
Keleres was more grateful than words could say. Over the Turns, her love for her adoptive mother grew into absolute obedience and respect. Ceylisse’s word was gospel. She was a fair and strong-willed woman, who did not tolerate anything awful happening to her girls. She had power and sway amongst even the wealthiest and most respectable patrons, and Keleres found herself admiring her. At the age of eleven, Ceylisse offered her the prospect of training as a Courtesan one night, and Kel accepted. She chose massage as a specialty, enjoying massages herself, as well as the physical contact between herself and others.
Some time after Keleres’ seventeenth Turnday, Ceylisse invited her into her private parlor and discussed a matter of serious import. Ceylisse needed a trustworthy woman to extra information from certain clients, and Keleres’ well-known disposition and beauty made her a perfect candidate for the role. Kel accepted with little thought: anything to please the woman who had saved her. There was nothing she wasn’t prepared to do to help Ceylisse, and her morals and sense of self grew a little more tenuous and grey. She found herself indirectly involved in political scandals, that extra player nobody wanted at the tables… In order to cope, she shut off the feeling-part of her brain and told herself, day after day, that life wasn’t so bad. She had a good home, she had money, and she brought reputation to her mother. That was how it should be.
At 19, Thread returned. It rained devastation on many, but luckily she was spared from the worst of it. Kel’s life continued, and she walked the tables as a masseuse. Though it was not a traditional Craft in the strictest sense of the word, she was still proud of her accomplishments. She had made something of herself. Her confidence came to her naturally now- it wasn’t a matter of forcing herself to smile. She was good at her Craft. She was beautiful. Slowly, day by day, she grew further and further out of touch with who she really was beneath the glitzy Rivercrest skin.
And then, once more, change rocked the foundations of her entire world but a Turn later. A dragonrider by the name of A’iel had sought out her services; afterwards, he told her that his dragon, Nasath, believed she would make a suitable candidate for Western Weyr. The suggestion surprised her a great deal. She had never considered a different life than the one she led… and it was both oddly seductive and completely terrifying. She agreed, after asking her mother, and moved to the Weyr.
The culture shock tested her limits in adaptability and creativity, and even then, some days were supply-closet-crying-worthy. It has taken time, but Keleres has slowly become happier and more confident, returning to her usual grandiose self, but with a shadow of something more lingering beneath: a return of her true persona, of who she was before. More positive, and happier, and a little less lost.
Now she waits to see if she is chosen to join the ranks of those who fight Thread- for like many, she believes there is no nobler path in life than that of dragonrider, guardian of life on all of Pern. Idealised as both glamorous and worthy? Yes, of course. But candidate training has awakened something old and primal inside of her, and she is finding the exercise and discipline to be a balm to an otherwise empty heart.
Other: Shinos approves the cameo Search! =]
Brown Rossoth
Written by Mr Cheri
Colored by demon_pachabel
Origin of Name: Rossoth is derived from Italian vermouth, sometimes called rosso. Vermouth is a tradition ingredient in a martini.
Inspiration: Martini
The martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages.
H. L. Mencken called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet", and E. B. White called it "the elixir of quietude".
By 1922 the martini reached its most recognizable form in which London dry gin and dry vermouth are combined at a ratio of 2:1, stirred in a mixing glass with ice cubes, with the optional addition of orange or aromatic bitters, then strained into a chilled cocktail glass. Over time the generally expected garnish became the drinker's choice of a green olive or a twist of lemon peel.
A dry martini is made with dry, white vermouth. By the Roaring Twenties, it became a common drink order. Over the course of the 20th century, the amount of vermouth steadily dropped. During the 1930s the ratio was 3:1 (gin to vermouth), and during the 1940s the ratio was 4:1. During the latter part of the 20th century, 6:1, 8:1, 12:1, 15:1 (the "Montgomery", after British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's supposed penchant for attacking only when in possession of great numerical superiority), or even 50:1 or 100:1 Martinis became considered the norm.
A dirty martini contains a splash of olive brine or olive juice and is typically garnished with an olive.
A perfect martini uses equal amounts of sweet and dry vermouth.
Some martinis were prepared by filling a cocktail glass with gin, then rubbing a finger of vermouth along the rim. There are those who advocated the elimination of vermouth altogether. According to Noël Coward, "A perfect martini should be made by filling a glass with gin, then waving it in the general direction of Italy", Italy being a major producer of vermouth. Luis Buñuel used the dry martini as part of his creative process, regularly using it to sustain "a reverie in a bar". He offers his own recipe, involving Angostura bitters, in his memoir.
In 1966, the American Standards Association (ASA) released K100.1-1966, "Safety Code and Requirements for Dry Martinis", a tongue-in-cheek account of how to make a "standard" dry martini. The latest revision of this document, K100.1-1974, was published by American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the successor to ASA, though it is no longer an active standard.
The traditional martini comes in a number of variations. The fictional spy James Bond sometimes asked for his vodka martinis to be "shaken, not stirred",(although, in books by Ian Fleming, Bond asks for "stirred, not shaken" ), following Harry Craddock's The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930), which prescribes shaking for all its martini recipes. The proper name for a shaken martini is a Bradford; however, Somerset Maugham is often quoted as saying that "a martini should always be stirred, not shaken, so that the molecules lie sensuously on top of one another." A martini may also be served on the rocks; that is, with the ingredients poured over ice cubes and served in an old fashioned glass.
Personality: There are great hidden depths within Rossoth. Depths which, truth be told, other dragons may never hope to truly uncover. Not that Rossoth will mind terribly much if no one ever figures him out. It's part of his mystique, and he's aware of that fact. It isn't something he does by design, at least not the design of seeming mysteriously alluring. He holds others at arm's length, waiting until he can truly trust them before ever letting them close enough to know even a part of him. A clever fellow, Rossoth is an excellent judge of character.
In another life, he might have made for an exceptional spy, but Rossoth is a dragon of course. As such, it is his honor and duty to be the best Threadfighter Pern has to offer. He fears becoming close to others, lest in a moment of weakness he loses sight of the target before him. What if he flinched in the line of duty when he needed to act? Such cannot be the case. He will not allow his feelings, however deep, to get in the way of doing what he must.
Where he is called upon to act swiftly, he will have no trouble at all. Yet ask Rossoth to open up, to share his feelings or to explain his behavior, he will not. He is the master of his domain, and need only answer to himself. At least when it comes to matters of the hearts. This will likely prove to be frustrating to his rider in attempts to forge weyrling bonds, but it will take an awful lot of convincing to get this boy to bend. Strategy will be another thing he excels at, and if he's obsessed with his work, well... work before play, after all.
Unfortunately, Rossoth can be a bit of a rake. It's not necessarily that he wants to run through a series of lovers one after the other, it's that he tends to fall in love easily, and often. Getting him to stay in love can be quite tricky, as his hearts are very changeable. Nevertheless, he is smooth and suave when at work, for all that he might hold himself at arm's length. This leads to misunderstandings with ladies and gentlemen alike, for his attention might seem more dedicated than it truly is. If someone were to truly secure his hearts, there is no doubt he would be devoted, but the road to such a thing would be rocky and long indeed.
Positive Traits: Intelligent, honor bound, strategic
Negative Traits: Closed-off, stubborn, secretive
Egg: A large orange galaxy egg.
Adult Size: 40'
Physical Attributes: Large but not enormous, Rossoth is average in every other way but his length. Handsome yet not striking, he blends in fairly well in a group... which is his intention.
Additional Notes: Interestingly, Rossoth has a tendency to collect things. He'd collect a piece of his shell if he thought he could get away with it. He enjoys bathing in the sun, and will spend an inordinate amount of time doing so when not on the duty roster. Rossoth will only join a Flight if he's especially interested in the other dragon, though good luck getting him to admit to it - not that that stops him from making several beauties (of the feminine or masculine persuasion) in love with him at one time.
Impression Effect: Keleres will find it much, much easier to fade into the background - even those who don't know her will at first have the impression that they've met before, though they can't necessarily put a name to her face. Actually sneaking around will come naturally, as well.
Why Me? Oh Keleres, was there ever truly any doubt that you were Rossoth's? Okay, maybe there was because he wasn't telling anyone where his hearts stood, but that's just par for the course with this dragon. But make no mistake, Rossoth will not tolerate using others for its own sake. Keleres has just inherited a very powerful conscience, and she's going to learn what it means to do right by the Weyr and those in it. Rossoth will enhance Keleres's good aspects, while honing softly away at those traits he finds less desirable - not to the point of removing them, but putting her powers to good use.
Written by Mr Cheri
Colored by demon_pachabel
Origin of Name: Rossoth is derived from Italian vermouth, sometimes called rosso. Vermouth is a tradition ingredient in a martini.
Inspiration: Martini
The martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages.
H. L. Mencken called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet", and E. B. White called it "the elixir of quietude".
By 1922 the martini reached its most recognizable form in which London dry gin and dry vermouth are combined at a ratio of 2:1, stirred in a mixing glass with ice cubes, with the optional addition of orange or aromatic bitters, then strained into a chilled cocktail glass. Over time the generally expected garnish became the drinker's choice of a green olive or a twist of lemon peel.
A dry martini is made with dry, white vermouth. By the Roaring Twenties, it became a common drink order. Over the course of the 20th century, the amount of vermouth steadily dropped. During the 1930s the ratio was 3:1 (gin to vermouth), and during the 1940s the ratio was 4:1. During the latter part of the 20th century, 6:1, 8:1, 12:1, 15:1 (the "Montgomery", after British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's supposed penchant for attacking only when in possession of great numerical superiority), or even 50:1 or 100:1 Martinis became considered the norm.
A dirty martini contains a splash of olive brine or olive juice and is typically garnished with an olive.
A perfect martini uses equal amounts of sweet and dry vermouth.
Some martinis were prepared by filling a cocktail glass with gin, then rubbing a finger of vermouth along the rim. There are those who advocated the elimination of vermouth altogether. According to Noël Coward, "A perfect martini should be made by filling a glass with gin, then waving it in the general direction of Italy", Italy being a major producer of vermouth. Luis Buñuel used the dry martini as part of his creative process, regularly using it to sustain "a reverie in a bar". He offers his own recipe, involving Angostura bitters, in his memoir.
In 1966, the American Standards Association (ASA) released K100.1-1966, "Safety Code and Requirements for Dry Martinis", a tongue-in-cheek account of how to make a "standard" dry martini. The latest revision of this document, K100.1-1974, was published by American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the successor to ASA, though it is no longer an active standard.
The traditional martini comes in a number of variations. The fictional spy James Bond sometimes asked for his vodka martinis to be "shaken, not stirred",(although, in books by Ian Fleming, Bond asks for "stirred, not shaken" ), following Harry Craddock's The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930), which prescribes shaking for all its martini recipes. The proper name for a shaken martini is a Bradford; however, Somerset Maugham is often quoted as saying that "a martini should always be stirred, not shaken, so that the molecules lie sensuously on top of one another." A martini may also be served on the rocks; that is, with the ingredients poured over ice cubes and served in an old fashioned glass.
Personality: There are great hidden depths within Rossoth. Depths which, truth be told, other dragons may never hope to truly uncover. Not that Rossoth will mind terribly much if no one ever figures him out. It's part of his mystique, and he's aware of that fact. It isn't something he does by design, at least not the design of seeming mysteriously alluring. He holds others at arm's length, waiting until he can truly trust them before ever letting them close enough to know even a part of him. A clever fellow, Rossoth is an excellent judge of character.
In another life, he might have made for an exceptional spy, but Rossoth is a dragon of course. As such, it is his honor and duty to be the best Threadfighter Pern has to offer. He fears becoming close to others, lest in a moment of weakness he loses sight of the target before him. What if he flinched in the line of duty when he needed to act? Such cannot be the case. He will not allow his feelings, however deep, to get in the way of doing what he must.
Where he is called upon to act swiftly, he will have no trouble at all. Yet ask Rossoth to open up, to share his feelings or to explain his behavior, he will not. He is the master of his domain, and need only answer to himself. At least when it comes to matters of the hearts. This will likely prove to be frustrating to his rider in attempts to forge weyrling bonds, but it will take an awful lot of convincing to get this boy to bend. Strategy will be another thing he excels at, and if he's obsessed with his work, well... work before play, after all.
Unfortunately, Rossoth can be a bit of a rake. It's not necessarily that he wants to run through a series of lovers one after the other, it's that he tends to fall in love easily, and often. Getting him to stay in love can be quite tricky, as his hearts are very changeable. Nevertheless, he is smooth and suave when at work, for all that he might hold himself at arm's length. This leads to misunderstandings with ladies and gentlemen alike, for his attention might seem more dedicated than it truly is. If someone were to truly secure his hearts, there is no doubt he would be devoted, but the road to such a thing would be rocky and long indeed.
Positive Traits: Intelligent, honor bound, strategic
Negative Traits: Closed-off, stubborn, secretive
Egg: A large orange galaxy egg.
Adult Size: 40'
Physical Attributes: Large but not enormous, Rossoth is average in every other way but his length. Handsome yet not striking, he blends in fairly well in a group... which is his intention.
Additional Notes: Interestingly, Rossoth has a tendency to collect things. He'd collect a piece of his shell if he thought he could get away with it. He enjoys bathing in the sun, and will spend an inordinate amount of time doing so when not on the duty roster. Rossoth will only join a Flight if he's especially interested in the other dragon, though good luck getting him to admit to it - not that that stops him from making several beauties (of the feminine or masculine persuasion) in love with him at one time.
Impression Effect: Keleres will find it much, much easier to fade into the background - even those who don't know her will at first have the impression that they've met before, though they can't necessarily put a name to her face. Actually sneaking around will come naturally, as well.
Why Me? Oh Keleres, was there ever truly any doubt that you were Rossoth's? Okay, maybe there was because he wasn't telling anyone where his hearts stood, but that's just par for the course with this dragon. But make no mistake, Rossoth will not tolerate using others for its own sake. Keleres has just inherited a very powerful conscience, and she's going to learn what it means to do right by the Weyr and those in it. Rossoth will enhance Keleres's good aspects, while honing softly away at those traits he finds less desirable - not to the point of removing them, but putting her powers to good use.
