Post by chimera on Jan 29, 2012 16:12:04 GMT -5
Rider Application
Name: Kalliope
Age: 34 [born 1223, Month 11, day 8]
Gender: female
Sexuality: heterosexual
Rank: Wingleader, Lakeside Wings; rider of Gold Djanath
Location:Lakeside Weyr
Appearance:
[played by Halle Berry] Perhaps the first thing you notice is dusky skin, the color of golden brown klah, lightened with a healthy dollop of cream. Thick, dark, unruly black hair, normally found sticking out in every direction, is kept short to keep it under control. Eyes as dark as the hair, framed by long dark lashes, topped by fairly thick dark brows. High cheekbones and a small, slightly upturned nose complete the face.
Her body is slender, but wiry, with well defined musculature. This is someone used to working hard. She is not really all that tall, coming in at 5’6”, but her long legs give her the appearance of being taller than she is. Her hands are small and delicate, and would be pretty if the nails weren’t all chipped and cracked. Her feet are short and wide with high arches, and well calloused. She likes to go barefoot when she can. Her skin is not without scars. Her hands and feet have many small nicks and scrapes from living rough. There is a larger set of scars on the side of her right calf, from a feline attack.
Like many of the proudly self sufficient Wing members, Kalliope wears more leather and skins than woven cloth, and prefers the ever more practical trousers over skirts. She does have a more Pernese traditional fabric gather dress, pale blue with yellow embroidery; but that is generally reserved for only the most special of occasions. Her favorite every day outfit is a soft suede pair of trousers in a rusty brown, and a matching tunic with feline fur edging around the collar.
Personality:
Kalliope is a very determined individual. She has a very high degree of internal motivation, and very high expectations for her performance in just about anything she does. Some have called her a perfectionist, which Kalliope would accept. Some have called her ambitious, which she would NOT accept. Ambition involves not only expecting the best from yourself, but also extending that internal competition to others; expecting others to recognize that you are the best. Kalliope doesn’t really care how others see her. It is great to receive a pat on the back when you have done something well, but that is not why Kalliope does what she does. Kalliope is her own worst judge sometimes. Others may see something she’s done as wonderful, but if it doesn’t meet her standards, she will be disappointed in herself. She has been known to set unrealistic goals for herself, and then get angry when she can’t accomplish them. If she comes to realize that she has bitten of more than she can chew --that she doesn’t have the requisite skills or knowledge to do what she is trying to do-- she will track down the missing imformation, learn it, and try again. She can be a bit obsessive, like a bulldog with a bone. She loves challenges and puzzles.
Perfectionism is a difficulty trait. While the motivation to excel is usually a good thing, it can cause problems when one expects others to be just as highly motivated. Kalliope detests people who slosh through life accepting ‘good enough’ efforts. She tries not to show it. She knows that not everyone drives themselves as hard as she does. But her disappointment when facing someone who has done half a job, and thinks it’s acceptable, will sometimes show through in her face. She sometimes does not have as much patience with others as she thinks she should.
She hates felines with a passion bordering on phobia. However, the phobia doesn’t manifest as fear; it generally comes out as “KILL IT, KILL IT!” Part of this may have been due to the incident where she and her brother were attacked as children, but also just due to the violent, aggressive nature of the beasts.
On a lighter note, Kalliope takes great pleasure in simple things; warm sun and the sound of waves, vtols buzzing in a field of flowers, that sense of inner satisfaction when a job is done and done well. She laughs often and smiles more. She enjoys company, but is comfortable being alone.
Family:
Father Brownrider K’pon;
Mother Greenrider Ellia;
Older brother hunter Ellanton
Daughter Amari, born 1243/12/26
Background:
Kalliope is a child of the Lakeside Wing. Both of her parents were riders, weyrmated, who wandered as a family unit through the Lakeside territory. Her mother was also trained as a healer. The children, born at the Weyr/Hatching Ground complex, grew up in the tribal nomadic existence of the Lakeside Wings. The family would stay in an area for as much as a couple sevendays, hunting and gathering wild edibles, before moving on to another location. The various smaller family units would meet up several times a year, allowing young adults to find partners/mates, trading, and reconnecting as a larger ‘tribe’. They would also gather whenever there was a clutch on the sands, to celebrate the continued existence of their unique lifestyle. The Lakeside Wing has a different culture than most of Pern. Children might stay with their parents until they are trained in a particular skill, or they might be fostered with another rider or nonrider to learn a skill or trade that the child was interested in or that the parents viewed as valuable and needed in the community. These periodic gatherings at the Weyr were also times when skilled adults took on apprentices.
Kalliope learned healing lore from her mother, developing skill that would be roughly equivalent to journeyman rank (in areas that had official craft ranks) by the time she was 19 years old. This is not the same type of healing practiced in Northern crafthalls. She learned how to identify, collect and prepare medicinal plants, as well as how to use them to treat humans, and dragons to a lesser extent. She learned to hunt with a bow, and how to use a sword, primarily against aggressive felines.
It was an exciting life for a child. There was always something new to explore or experience. Kalliope was particularly fascinated with the seemingly endless forms of life that swarmed through southern forests and beaches. Kalliope's family traveled more extensively than most Lakeside riders, as her mother searched through the northern jungles for medicinal herbs. Kalliope would make traps and snares to catch all manner of crawling, slithering things. Her parents were partial to the northern beaches in the cooler months of the turn, and Kalliope grew to love the open expanse of sand and sky and water, as well as swimming and fishing and catching rock pinchers.
Wild felines were a recurring problem for Kalliope’s family any time they ventured into the north. The family was attacked on more than a few occasions. When Kalliope was 11, she and her brother had wandered away from the family’s camp, exploring up a small wooded canyon, when they were ambushed by a pride of felines. The first thing the two children knew of the pride was when a large clawed paw connected with Kalliope’s leg. As Kalliope looked around in the rocks she saw glittering evil eyes everywhere. Her brother, older by 5 years and much more skilled with weapons than she was, defended her and held off the felines until their parents could find them. The family returned to Lakeside while Kalliope healed.
A few sevendays later when the family was ready to move on again, her brother stayed to join a group of hunters, probably more so he could stay close to his new found love than for any other reason. Kalliope, still too young to appreciate his reasons, stayed angry with him for quite a while.
In 1242, Kalliope’s 19th year, the Wing gathered for the hatching of what would be Gold Shiveth’s last clutch. There were only 5 eggs, but one was a gold. Given that Shiveth was the only Gold left in the Wing, not counting that egg, and that she was getting quite elderly, this was an important event. The tradition in the Wing was that all riders and their families attended hatchings. Every child old enough would be present in the cavern, among them Kalliope. As the eggs began to hatch, it was clear something was wrong. All of the hatchlings were smaller than normal. One blue had a twisted foot. One green had a damaged eye. Several appeared weak, and struggled to escape their shells. Then the gold egg hatched. Like the others, she was small. Her muzzle was shorter than normal, compared to others of her color. And as she shook of the remnants of her shell, it became obvious her wings were malformed. Kalliope and other healers moved forward, ready to assist the hatchlings once they Impressed. The little gold surveyed the faces in the huge circle around her (most of them muttering anxiously) then made her choice. The little gold made a beeline for Kalliope.
Weyrlinghood for the entire class was difficult. Debate raged for months over whether the clutch had genetic abnormalities. Shiveth’s previous clutches had not had any problems. The bronze that caught her was viewed with suspicion for a long time, until it was decided that the dam’s age was the reason for the deformities. The healers managed a brace for the blue with a twisted foot, which eventually allowed him to walk more or less normally. The weak ones grew stronger over time. Djanath’s wings, well, there was nothing that could be done. Djanath would never fly.
Kalliope and Djanath had to fight for every tiny bit of respect. The Weyrlingmaster, a retired rider who stayed at Lakeside to train the young ones, said many times that a green was infinitely more valuable to the Wing than a gold that couldn’t fly. For so many lessons, Djanath and Kalliope were sidelined; watching the others learn to fly, learn to hunt from the air, learn to go between. It was at this final point that the pair rebelled. Since they were not being taught with the others, and having learned all that they were going to of the basics, Kalliope and Djanath left Lakeside.
Kalliope was already a skilled hunter and trapper, and knew how to live on the move. The pair wandered northward, heading for the tropical beaches. Along the way they taught themselves what the Weyrlingmaster denied them. Learning to hunt as a pair was not too difficult. Learning to go between was a little more challenging. One morning, as Kalliope packed up her campsite to leave, she noticed Djanath turning in slow circles in the small clearing. Kalliope heard what the dark gold dragon intended with a thrill of excitement, and she clambered up to stand on Djanath’s back, then turned and studied the clearing; memorizing the placement of trees and rocks. As they walked that day, Djanath told Kalliope everything she had heard as her clutchmates learned to go between. Late that afternoon they stopped in a grassy field. Kalliope removed all her gear from Djanath’s back, and climbed back aboard. Some part of the motions of flight were instinctual. Djanath ran across the field, and leapt into the air. Kalliope visualized the clearing. At the height of the jump, the pair disappeared. When they arrived at the morning’s campsite, Kalliope jumped of Djanath’s back, squealing in delight and running in circles. Djanath, ever practical as she was, said they would practice once more, and return to the meadow. With practice, this low jump form of betweening became second nature.
They stayed away from Lakeside for the better part of the turn, wandering primarily along the coast, but as Turn’s End neared they decided it was time to head back. With a wicked mischievous glee, Djanath and Kalliope appeared out of between in the center of the landing field, dropping a few feet to hit the ground with a resounding thud, to the surprise of many, especially the old Weyrlingmaster.
Kalliope participated in her first Turn’s End Meeting as an adult of the Wing, and when it ended, she left with a group of young riders. They were dubious at first that Djanath would be able to keep up with the flying pairs, and certainly they could cover more ground on the wing than Djanath and Kalliope could cover on foot. They worked out a system where Kalliope would hunt from the ground while the others hunted from the air. When they moved to a new campsite, Djanath would travel on foot until the others chose their spot, then get a visualization from one of the other dragons and join them via between. Djanath and a brown rider by the name of E’tor paired off for a while.
This being deep in an interval, Djanath didn’t Rise until several turns later. It caught both Djanath and Kalliope by surprise. Kalliope was crouched low over Djanath’s back, bow in her hands, intent on a herd of wherries. Suddenly, Djanath bounded forward, pouncing on a large buck and burying her muzzle into its open belly. At the same time, a surge of rage and lust poured through Kalliope’s mind. Kalliope had just enough presence of mind to realize what was happening, and direct Djanath to Lakeside, to the feeding pens. Djanath had just enough presence of mind, and the authority --being Lakeside’s only Gold--to direct the gathering bronzes that they could not fly, they could only run to Chase, to keep the contest fair. Djanath’s first clutch was small, only 6 eggs. This scene repeated itself every few years.
After one flight in early 1243 won by Bronzerider A’mar, Kalliope found herself to be pregnant. Just before Turn’s end, Kalliope gave birth to a daughter, and named her Amari after her sire.
In 1252, Kalliope, Amari, and Kalliope’s current weyrmate, a brownrider named Ch’gan, were heading up toward Lakeside along the central river running north out of Drake’s Lake. They stopped to camp where the bluffs were farther back from the river bank. While Ch’gan and Kalliope set up camp and the two dragons wallowed in the cool water, Amari, now 9, explored along the bluffs. When Amari didn’t return by the time supper was ready, Kalliope and Ch’gan went looking. They found the girl’s tracks in the soft dirt by the bluffs, disappearing behind bushes growing at the base of the bluffs. They parted the bluffs to find a cave entrance, small footprints in the dust, and light glowing far ahead. They followed the tracks back toward the light. They found Amari playing in the center of a large room. There were strange devices and banks of flickering lights around the room, and more corridors leading away.
The family stayed and tried to figure out what they had found, making a home in the caverns. They went to Lakeside several times to recruit more people. Kalliope’s obsessive nature slowly took over, and she spent hours, sevendays, turns figuring out the devices.
In 1254, at the Turn’s End meeting, Kalliope presented what she and her team had found out so far. The devices held the knowledge of an ancient people who lived here. These were the people who created the grubs that could devour Thread (to their credit) and the felines (…not so much). Kalliope laid out a plan to use this knowledge to improve the dragon’s genetics. Given the way they lived --and the area they lived in-- smaller dragons might be better suited to living in this primarily forested region. Regardless of the exact use they put to this information, it would definitely give them an edge over the other Wings in the area. They could also improve their lives by learning long forgotten techniques, such as the panels that provided energy to run the machines in the caverns. After much discussion, the Wing decides to continue extracting information from the Ancient’s machines, and they also elect Kalliope to be Wingleader.
Pets:
Dragon
Name:Djanath
Age: 15 [hatched 1242, month 2, day 27]
Color: Gold (CB7717 FFCC00 FFFD7F)
Appearance:
Smooth grace and slender beauty were not words used to describe Djanath, ever. Even as a hatchling, she was clunky, stocky, and muscular, proportionately more short bodied than her clutchmates. Her muzzle is likewise shorter and wider than most, slightly more bovine than equine in shape. Her wings, damaged in the egg, have since grown stunted and twisted through lack of use. They are less than half the size of a normal dragon’s wings in proportion to her body. There was considerable debate at the time of her hatching whether the wings might have been malformed due to inbreeding, but it was finally decided that the malformation of the wings was due to the clutch mother’s age, not a genetic abnormality.
In color, Djanath is a glorious dark burnished gold above that tapers to a pale butter yellow gold on her throat and belly, and in what remains of her wing sails. Her neck ridges are darker still, bordering on a coppery orange gold, and that color streaks down along her neck and sides in what look suspiciously like stripes.
From a life spent on the ground, running instead of flying, Djanath has developed powerfully muscular legs. She can outrun most ground bound animals, given the open space to move through. She is very small for a gold, measuring only around 29 feet long.
Personality:
Many Golden Queens are burdened with egos. Not so with Djanath. Perhaps it has something to do with her birth, and the endless discussions at that time of her fitness as a queen dragon. She had to prove herself to be worthy of her rank at every turn. Djanath was/is infinitely practical. If it helped her do what needed to be done, she kept it. If it didn’t help -- and temper, pique, and ego certainly don’t-- they were jettisoned as useless baggage. She had to find creative solutions to keep up with her clutch siblings. The weyrleader at the time, when Djanath was a weyrling, would not allow Djanath to learn to between; their limited view seeing flight as a requirement for transferring between. Djanath refused to accept their imposed limitation, and convinced Kalliope to try it with her, after listening in to what her siblings learned.
As an adult, Djanath is patient and wise, more accepting of other’s faults than her rider is. She finds the idea that dragons were created by ancient people endlessly fascinating, even more fascinating is the idea that she could re-imagine her children.
Anything else?
This is an example of Djanath’s voice color.