Name: Nashanna
Age: 13
Gender: Nonbinary Female
Sexual Orientation: Still unknown
Craft: Glass Smith
Rank: Apprentice
Origin: None; Affiliated with SmithCraft Hall (Telgar) through VintnerCraft Hall (Ruatha)
Appearance.
Physique: Nashanna is tiny! At barely 5'0" she will easily be mistaken for a child well into adulthood. It does not help that despite her broad shoulders, she is thin as a rail and known to hunch down when feeling threatened. She is fast and agile to boot, and has a small hobby of rock climbing and spelunking mining caves. Sure, they were the safe ones with no stale air or fumes. Those tiny footprints were childrens' not hers.
Hair: Her hair is mostly straight, though it can hold a loose wave if styled. In general she is not proud of it. She thinks of it as limp, dead grass or straw, but she does care for it as best she can. As a result, her multi-hued dark-blonde hair shimmers in the sun a lovely, almost coppery hue.
Face: Her eyes are a beautiful caramel brown, tilted up at the outer corners, and her brows are a similar light-brown. Faint freckles adorn her skin, seen with difficulty from a distance; in addition, she does tan after a time, though she is pale most of the time from being in -doors and warehouses.
Fashion: Extra hair and fabric can get in the way of glassmaking, a safety concern that took priority in Nassah's past, before becoming a Candidate for Impression. In both times of her short life, if ruffles or skirts would not hamper, then they might be worn, especially for gathers when she wore them without complaint or dislike. And if boots and trousers are most useful, that is what she will wear. That may seem pretty straightforward, but any skirts and other "feminine" attire she were to wear would have been worn if she was born male. Fashion never was something Nassah could make much use of, anyway.
Other Features: In addition to her stature and bearing, she has a bad habit of looking down. It is not that she was ever verbally abused but she has trouble with shouting, a common thing to experience in her background.
Personality: Summarized.
So much about this girl is unknown, untested, and shared with no one. Perhaps even she is unaware of all that she is capable of. That is not to say that she is lazy, she is simply content to let everyone expend that kind of energy without her help. If she were asked, she would readily lend a hand and put her back into it! When left to her own devices she will never shy away from getting her hands and clothes and face dirty.
Personality: Positive.
Hard worker. She has a strong moral upbringing and has long since learned that she prefers such a lifestyle. The comeraderie experienced at a crafthall when people trust and are honest, the results of hard work in the form of wine, all of these are worth the effort.
Well-intentioned. She genuinely has others at heart when she makes difficult decisions. Everyone has someone they care about and they have someone that cares about them. She would not knowingly act against anyone nor put them in danger. It is part of why she became a Candidate: she wanted to help as many people as possible, whereas her own craft could be passed off to someone else, or art pieces could be set aside. They rarely were used to keep anybody safe.
Well-read and quick-witted. She uses this skill and talent combination to her advantage, to work out interesting and innovative strategies in her work, but also to identify a problem and quickly find the solution.
Personality: Negative.
Mysterious. Sounds intriguing, but she keeps to herself, accustomed to letting others work for her and make the decisions around her. Very few realize what she can do. Superiors have no chance to test and put her skills and aptitudes to work. So in a way these aspects of her self are wasted, at least until she meets the right leader. This may, in the meantime, make her seem lazy, deaf and dumb, low-cognition, or simply the person who needs a reason to move. The latter is probably true.
Loose cannon. Without warning she may up and leave the room. Nobody knows what she is about to do when something comes up unless they follow her. No matter how logical she may be, her lack of social skills make her seem abrupt, aloof, and too big for her britches. She has trouble explaining herself, and so without wasting the time it would take for someone to understand her intentions, or worse, step over her to do it themselves, she simply goes.
Dependent. She has a hard time doing things independently. She grew up taking orders, learning the craft and following directions. She can make small decisions on her own, but without guidance she is out of her element. She thrives in a group of people, knowing her place and the place of others. That is not to say that she is incapable of adapting to a less regimented life, but it does leave her feeling vulnerable and at times terrified. If she does do things on her own accord, she would make it with the assumption that it affects only her, there is no time to test a theory, etc. But if one were to ask what she wants to do, she may have a hard time not following, such as replying with the question, "I don't know, what do you want to do?"
History: Family.
Father: Cheney, 39, Journeyman GlassSmith.
Mother: Nal, 45, Journeywoman VintnerCraft.
Half-brother: Zren, 28, Journeyman MetalSmith. His father, MetalSmith, deceased.
Half-sister: Salley, 23, Senior Apprentice GlassSmith.
Brother: Al'zan/Alek, 18, Bronzerider; Apprentice VintnerCraft.
Sister: Chellemana, 16, Fort Weyr Candidate. Apprentice VintnerCraft.
Pronunciations:
chee nee, naal, zrehn, saal lay,
aal ehk (zaan duhr), ahl zaan, kah nohl lahth
shaa lah may nah, shehl
naash aan nah, naa sah
In Alekzander and his full-blooded siblings' childhood they were surrounded by an interesting group of people to say the least. Not only is their mother older than their father Cheney, but their half-brother Zren is old enough to be Cheney’s younger brother. Zren and Cheney often do treat one another as brothers, the relationship they found best suiting their lives. Cheney could not see treating a full-grown man eleven turns his junior as a child, and Zren could not for the life of him call Cheney "father." Friendship was the most practical choice, and so it stands to this day.
Their mother, Nal, is perhaps the most colorful person in the family. Because of her, Alek and his siblings were born with high tolerances to alcohol. In her younger years, she was quite wild, enjoying a good arm-wrestling contest, and could match most men shot-for-shot. But after losing her first husband, a MetalSmith, to the mines and later with her handfasting to Cheney, Nal has mellowed considerably. To this day however, she loves a good social gathering.
Cheney and Nal are very attentive to their children despite their many responsibilities, and are not the type to impose upon their children the study of crafts directly related to theirs. They believe in supporting whatever decisions their children might make in life, yet every one of the kids, even little Nashanna, decided to focus their talents in supporting the winemaking traditions. First Salley then Nashanna would follow Cheney around, raptly studying his work with glass, fascinated with the concept of a material shaped with fire to first melt then solidify. Zren is the same way, though he has pursued his talent with metal, which he opines is much stronger and in some ways less delicate than glass.
History: Shared Timeline.
Turn 164: Month 11, Alekzander (Alek) is born
Turn 167: Month 2, Chellemana (Chelle) is born
Turn 169: Month 4, Nashanna (Nassah) is born
Turn 177
- Autumn: First cases of plague
- Winter: First plague fatalities
- - Alek (13), Chelle (10), Nassah ( 8 )
Turn 178-9
- Alek (15), Chelle (12), Nassah (10) leave Tillek as Apprentice Merchants
Turn 180
- Month 2:
- - Jr Gold Zilzilth & Bronze Ronloth (7/21 eggs - 4/1/1/1/0)
- - Alek (15) Impresses to become Al'zan of Bronze Conolloth
- Month 4:
- - Jr Gold Zilzilth dies of plague
- - Chelle (13) and Nassah (11), Candidates
- - Candidates and Weyrlings sent on to Fort Weyr (month approx)
- Month 8: Conolloth and Al'zan now fly together
- Month 11: Conolloth (9 Mo) and Al'zan (16) now can fly between
Turn 181
- Month 2: Conolloth (12 Mo), Al'zan (17)
- Month 6:
- - Jr Gold Malsalth & Bronze Naranth (8/28 eggs - 5/1/1/1/0)
- - Jr Gold Malsalth dies of plague
- - Malsalth's death adversely affects Chelle (14) and Nassah (12)
Turn 182
- Month 1: Green Lithustoth rises
- Month 2: Conolloth (24 Mo), Al'zan ( 18 ), now graduate
- Month 4:
- - Green Lithustoth clutches (4 eggs)
- - Chellemana (15), Nashanna (13) to attend Touching
History: A Narrative.
Alekzander has always admired his mother and enjoyed the brewing process. As a very small child Nal carried him around wherever she went. He became so accustomed to the atmosphere within the Hall -- the sounds, smells, and processes -- that the very idea of studying a different craft was nearly inconceivable to him. However, by the age of fifteen, it had become apparent that while his knowledge was already considerable, his aptitudes leaned more toward that of a scribe. Lists. Recipes. Vintages and their high and low points. As for tasting, he could not taste one vintage from another! But why? Perhaps it was his adorable little nose, or allergies, or some unseen deformity. Who could say? Finally, his impairment persisted and Nal suggested that some people have the gift while others don’t. She tried to explain it as gently as she could, but he seems to have known for a while but stubbornly stuck with the craft he loved.
With a heavy heart, Nal contrived a scheme that would help the family while expanding Alekzander's horizons. She sent Alek and younger sibling Chellemana east to trade with precious Tillek wines and preserves, Zren's jewelry and the family's glasswares. As many crafters will do, they employed a travelers' caravan to make the journey east. They would travel a circuit that eventually passed Benden Hold. They were to be supervised by one of the journeymen during the trip, only to be apprenticed at Benden. Nal's exact motives could be questioned, but deep down Alek believed she wanted him to understand as much of the craft as he could... while spying on Benden's WineCraft for Tillek.
But Alekzander was utterly dismayed. While Chellemana tried to console him, he put on a brave smile while silently questioning his worth in the Craft. What stopped his brooding was something completely unexpected, to him anyway! Chelle, not so much. A stowaway was discovered: Alek and Chelle's youngest sister, Nashanna. The sense of adventure was everywhere: the landmarks, new smells, different schedules, and camping under the stars. Her reasoning? She loved to travel! During this time, they met the teenaged trader Cliviri (Thaliawen), whom they befriended.
During his extended fit of self-pity, Alek was almost oblivious enough to miss the stories of the plague that had besieged the Weyrs across Northern Pern for less than a turn. Ignorant to its existence previously, he now listened freely. At the beginning of this trip, golden queens still rose and laid their eggs. But shockingly, now the Weyrs were tallying the eggs that did not hatch as well as the ones that did. Alek's younger siblings clung to his elbow and onto each other. Their decision began to grow in their minds as they gazed at each other with uncertainty and hope in their eyes. It became undeniable conviction, as they felt like they could do something about it.
Arriving at Benden Hold, a very precious clutch already graced the Sands of the Weyr. Alek and Chellemana agreed that dragonriders have a different, higher calling than those who develop the wines of Pern. And though they worked for Tillek, sent to spy on Benden and learn their trade secrets, they attended the gather and hatching and decided to stay. And Alek ended up Impressing there.
Not long after the ceremony, Benden's last surviving queen died. Al'zan could not help but mourn along with little bronze, Conolloth, and the rest of the Weyr. That included Chelle and Nassah. For sevendays afterward, the younger of the two had vivid nightmares that awoke her sister. Nassah told Chelle that she did not want to stand anymore. But she was fond of dragons and often changed her mind. The youngest sister, originally just a little stowaway looking for fun and adventure, had realized her first great decision. She was torn, and she needed all the support her siblings could give. Al'zan and Chelle did not care to send her back home in this state, despite misgivings all around. And in the end, Chelle decided the Candidatemaster did not need to know of Nassah's deep emotional struggle.
Alekzander, now Al'zan, has transferred to Fort Weyr only recently, with one another surviving classmate. All dragons from all the Northern Weyrs are transferring to Fort. So few dragons remain that Fort has more than enough room to spare. So Chellemana and Nashanna came with him. Perhaps she and Chelle will Impress at Fort. Stranger things have happened.
Other:
Elided Name: Nas'an
Nickname: Nassah
