Post by spaceman on Feb 28, 2010 1:41:43 GMT -5
((I saw that there was a thread posted, but that it was unfinished... And I had an idea for a Fort Weyrwoman who wasn't utterly evil, so I thought I would post for consideration as well. If this isn't acceptable, or if Rin has her reserved, then please disregard this.))
Character[/b]
Name: Valoryn
Age: 46
Gender: Female
Rank: Sr. Weyrwoman
Mutated?: No
Location: Fort Weyr
Appearance: The whisper around the Weyr is that since the Skysong riders were sent away, Valoryn has started to go gray. The truth was that she was silvering gently before that, but there is no denying now that her previously dark hair is now salt-and-pepper. She keeps it back in a long braid that falls to her waist, and makes no attempt to hide the worry lines on her brow and around her grey eyes. She is a tall woman, full of grace, with a long and confident stride. While her shape is distinctly feminine, her arms and legs show distinctive muscle tone; she and Amaranth might only fly low in the queen’s wing, but they do still fight Thread, and she keeps in condition despite her age.
Personality: Valoryn is a woman of strong convictions. Others might use the phrase “stone cold bitch.” The latter, while not precisely fair, is pretty accurate.
She has great pride in Fort Weyr (to the point where she considers it the finest of the weyrs, thus the reason why only Fort survived) and loves her home dearly, as well as caring deeply for the holds under her protection. Her primary flaws are pride, stubbornness, and a tendency to take the weight of the world upon her shoulders personally. Even before the exile of the mutants, she was an unusually serious and independent Weyrwoman, trying to do everything herself without relying excessively on T’lon. If someone opposes her, she defends her opinion with a sharp tongue and the weight of authority. Though she will never simply use “because I said so” as an excuse for any of her actions – she always provides a reason – Valoryn will not brook argument once she has decided that something must be done. Nothing – nothing – will get between her and what she perceives as the best thing for Pern. Perhaps that is why she is so terribly lonely.
It has not escaped her notice that her decision was unpopular. She isn’t blind. And yet, she cannot rescind. The mutants are a threat to Pern, in her mind. And to show weakness now, when she is hated? She feels as if they would drive her and Amaranth from the Weyr, as she drove out the mutants… or worse, that Fort Weyr would crumble beneath her if she loosened the iron grip she has on it. Valoryn is a frightened woman, confronted with circumstances so far above and beyond what the previous Weyrwoman taught her to deal with. And so, if anything, she is less inclined to listen to her opponents, when she feels that they are surrounding her.
She loves Amaranth dearly, and has never deliberately mistreated any of the ‘normal’ dragons or riders in her weyr. When it comes to everyday issues, like settling disputes or attending to the needs of the weyrfolk, she is surprisingly approachable, listening to all parties with a thoughtful ear. She’s not afraid to come to an unpopular decision if that’s what her moral code directs her to, granted… And she’s never been what you would call motherly or affectionate. Valoryn will even employ somewhat underhanded tactics such as coaxing loyal riders to keep surveillance; she knows that as Weyrwoman, she is very visible, and people will act differently around her. But if someone comes to her with a legitimate concern, whether they are weyrling, greenrider, or bronze wingleader, she will listen and respond with brisk efficiency.
History: Valoryn was born in Fort Hold, and raised there until she was sixteen. She had a relatively uneventful childhood, growing up as the daughter of two beastcrafters. From them, she learned to value humble things: a handful of caprines and a patch of good pasture, for instance, could mean the difference between a viable breeding stock and scrabbling for survival. The holds stopped paying tithes, she was taught, because the holds needed what the dragonmen took. And when there was no Thread in the skies, Pern could not afford to sacrifice herdbeast after herdbeast into the maws of creatures that did not earn their living. No surprise that when she was Searched to stand before one of the rare few remaining golden eggs, she was not exactly thrilled.
It was a sullen and almost defiant sixteen-Turn-old who stood that day before the cluster of eggs. Her heart began to soften when she saw how beautiful they were, despite their clumsiness… Dragons, real dragons, the likes of which she rarely saw up close, and never in the numbers present for that hatching. But her opinion did not change until Amaranth herself cracked her gleaming shell, delicately shaking egg shards off her wings and gazing around with shining blue-green eyes. The gold was beautiful. And she walked so hesitantly, nudging gently at girl after girl with questioning looks. Like a calf utterly lost and seeking its mother, but Amaranth’s golden mother was right there, and could provide no aid in the vital Impression. Then the hatchling’s gaze turned to her. Amaranth needed Valoryn, in a way that she’d never been needed before. The girl knelt down on the sands in front of nearly all the Weyr and threw her arms around Amaranth’s neck, pulling her close and announcing her Impression.
For Turns, it seemed that everything would be perfect. Running the last Weyr remaining on Pern was more a chore in pacifying the holders. With no Thread, there were no casualties of Threadfall, no imminent peril except the possibility that the holders would turn on them. While technically Valoryn was only a junior goldrider, the senior weyrwoman respected her hold-bred sensibilities, and given her ties to Fort Hold she was often sent to visit them. It was seen as a sort of peace offering; look, we respect you, we’re sending a goldrider to meet with you so you must be important. It left her with a talent for keeping the Lord Holders mollified.
The arrival of Acid ruined everything. It was bad enough that they had to deal with a new threat from the sky. The senior gold, Amaranth’s mother, retired in the face of this new threat, leaving Amaranth the next to rise and everything in Valoryn’s hands. But when the new dragon colors hatched… It didn’t help that it was a particularly violent hatching. Between that crimson and that black, and what a shock it had been to see them shoving Candidates aside! And a kind of mutant queen, one apparently more powerful than a gold? What a mess. And then when dragons and humans alike started showing new abilities, strange and frightening and powerful abilities?
It was Valoryn who was dead set on sending the mutants away. Human and dragon alike. She does not hate them, but she sees in them the potential to destabilize the very structure of Pern that has existed for thousands of Turns. It is the most basic tenet of Pernese society: the holds rely on the weyrs for protection, and the weyrs rely on the holds for sustenance. And dragons, for all their strength, cannot harm humans. Everything is in balance. Everything is right, and the Thread is held at bay. Valoryn saw the potential destruction of Pern in the new riders. The holders would revolt. The new, mutant-filled weyrs would have impossible amounts of power. No more would it be a balance – the more powerful weyrfolk could simply take what they wanted. And if dragons could be born in never-before-seen colors, dragons stronger and larger and faster than any dragons Pern had known before, then perhaps dragons could even be born with the capacity to hurt humans.
It had to stop.
It broke her heart to send them away. They were her Amaranth’s first clutch as the senior gold. It should have been a time of celebration, not one of heartbreak. But the new amethyst queen was larger and faster than her own gold, a combination that did not seem possible, and it seemed likely that the crimson would be the one to catch her. Faranth only knew what kind of abominations that coupling would produce. The only option seemed to be to remove them from Fort Weyr. She would not kill them. Not Amaranth’s children. Never Amaranth’s children. But making sure that Skysong never saw any successful clutches… That was her solemn duty to Pern. And she, in coordination with her rider on the inside, has endeavored to do exactly that.
Anything else you want to add:
Impressed[/b]
Dragon Name: Amaranth
Dragon Color: Gold
Brief Personality: Where Valoryn is cold, Amaranth is the most affectionate gold that you’d ever meet. Motherly and gentle in spirit, she rarely uses her innate ability to order other dragons around, instead preferring to make requests when possible. In fact, Amaranth is shockingly weak-willed for a queen, and possesses a particularly poor memory. She Impressed Valoryn because she needed someone with a strong mind and the leadership capacity that Amaranth herself lacked, to love her and help her. And now Amaranth supports her rider unconditionally. It broke the elder queen’s heart to send her children away… But at the same time, she agrees with Valoryn’s assessment. If the Weyrwoman thinks that keeping the mutants away will bring peace to Fort Weyr, having peace is most important. And it’s not as if her children were harmed. They have simply… gone away.
Anything else you want to add: Amaranth is on the small side, a soft rose gold in color, and Threadscored along one wing where Valoryn was not quite fast enough with a flamethrower.
Firelizards: None
Sample Post:
Valoryn strode into her weyr, ripping the flight goggles from her head and throwing them down on her sleeping furs in one violent motion. Her frustration had at last reached a boiling point, and she had been forced to seek the privacy of her quarters or risk lashing out at the next person she spoke to. And Valoryn would never permit herself to lose her temper in public like that. So with one last look around the weyr to make sure that no one was after her attention, she sank down onto the bed and dropped her head into her hands. Her shoulders slumped as the anger faded, only to be replaced by the familiar hollow pit in her stomach.
You did what you had to do. Amaranth’s eyes swirled with the colors of pain and sadness, echoing her rider’s heart. They had just watched the last of the mutant dragons, along with more of Fort Weyr’s riders than Valoryn could handle, wink between, possibly never to be seen again by Valoryn’s eyes. They were off to the Southern continent, where they could live safely isolated from others, and hopefully support themselves. Fort Weyr would keep them in check, so that they would not become a danger to the other holds. But the decision had not been an easy one.
“I’m sorry, Amaranth,” Valoryn murmured. “They were your children.” There was a moment of silence, and then the Weyrwoman felt a massive muzzle, soft and leathery, brush against her shoulder in soft affection.
I will miss them. But someday soon, I will not remember this day. I will remember that they are gone, but not the pain of this day. Only you will remember. So, Valoryn-mine, it is I who should be saying “I’m sorry” to you. Those great eyes clouded over with a passing grief. Perhaps if I had been more careful in avoiding the Acid…
“No!” She stood in vehemence, throwing her arms around Amaranth’s muzzle in a tight hug. Once she had been able to hug her dragon’s neck in this way, but now her fingertips just barely brushed under the gold’s chin. Amaranth keened lowly in reply, subsiding to a rumble of unhappiness. “You did nothing wrong. It’s the fault of the Green Star...” She paused, looking out through the entrance to her weyr, at the beautiful landscape beyond. Never would she permit it to be consumed by Thread.
“And we will make it right. If Fort Weyr alone has to defend all of Pern, then that’s what we’ll do.”
Character[/b]
Name: Valoryn
Age: 46
Gender: Female
Rank: Sr. Weyrwoman
Mutated?: No
Location: Fort Weyr
Appearance: The whisper around the Weyr is that since the Skysong riders were sent away, Valoryn has started to go gray. The truth was that she was silvering gently before that, but there is no denying now that her previously dark hair is now salt-and-pepper. She keeps it back in a long braid that falls to her waist, and makes no attempt to hide the worry lines on her brow and around her grey eyes. She is a tall woman, full of grace, with a long and confident stride. While her shape is distinctly feminine, her arms and legs show distinctive muscle tone; she and Amaranth might only fly low in the queen’s wing, but they do still fight Thread, and she keeps in condition despite her age.
Personality: Valoryn is a woman of strong convictions. Others might use the phrase “stone cold bitch.” The latter, while not precisely fair, is pretty accurate.
She has great pride in Fort Weyr (to the point where she considers it the finest of the weyrs, thus the reason why only Fort survived) and loves her home dearly, as well as caring deeply for the holds under her protection. Her primary flaws are pride, stubbornness, and a tendency to take the weight of the world upon her shoulders personally. Even before the exile of the mutants, she was an unusually serious and independent Weyrwoman, trying to do everything herself without relying excessively on T’lon. If someone opposes her, she defends her opinion with a sharp tongue and the weight of authority. Though she will never simply use “because I said so” as an excuse for any of her actions – she always provides a reason – Valoryn will not brook argument once she has decided that something must be done. Nothing – nothing – will get between her and what she perceives as the best thing for Pern. Perhaps that is why she is so terribly lonely.
It has not escaped her notice that her decision was unpopular. She isn’t blind. And yet, she cannot rescind. The mutants are a threat to Pern, in her mind. And to show weakness now, when she is hated? She feels as if they would drive her and Amaranth from the Weyr, as she drove out the mutants… or worse, that Fort Weyr would crumble beneath her if she loosened the iron grip she has on it. Valoryn is a frightened woman, confronted with circumstances so far above and beyond what the previous Weyrwoman taught her to deal with. And so, if anything, she is less inclined to listen to her opponents, when she feels that they are surrounding her.
She loves Amaranth dearly, and has never deliberately mistreated any of the ‘normal’ dragons or riders in her weyr. When it comes to everyday issues, like settling disputes or attending to the needs of the weyrfolk, she is surprisingly approachable, listening to all parties with a thoughtful ear. She’s not afraid to come to an unpopular decision if that’s what her moral code directs her to, granted… And she’s never been what you would call motherly or affectionate. Valoryn will even employ somewhat underhanded tactics such as coaxing loyal riders to keep surveillance; she knows that as Weyrwoman, she is very visible, and people will act differently around her. But if someone comes to her with a legitimate concern, whether they are weyrling, greenrider, or bronze wingleader, she will listen and respond with brisk efficiency.
History: Valoryn was born in Fort Hold, and raised there until she was sixteen. She had a relatively uneventful childhood, growing up as the daughter of two beastcrafters. From them, she learned to value humble things: a handful of caprines and a patch of good pasture, for instance, could mean the difference between a viable breeding stock and scrabbling for survival. The holds stopped paying tithes, she was taught, because the holds needed what the dragonmen took. And when there was no Thread in the skies, Pern could not afford to sacrifice herdbeast after herdbeast into the maws of creatures that did not earn their living. No surprise that when she was Searched to stand before one of the rare few remaining golden eggs, she was not exactly thrilled.
It was a sullen and almost defiant sixteen-Turn-old who stood that day before the cluster of eggs. Her heart began to soften when she saw how beautiful they were, despite their clumsiness… Dragons, real dragons, the likes of which she rarely saw up close, and never in the numbers present for that hatching. But her opinion did not change until Amaranth herself cracked her gleaming shell, delicately shaking egg shards off her wings and gazing around with shining blue-green eyes. The gold was beautiful. And she walked so hesitantly, nudging gently at girl after girl with questioning looks. Like a calf utterly lost and seeking its mother, but Amaranth’s golden mother was right there, and could provide no aid in the vital Impression. Then the hatchling’s gaze turned to her. Amaranth needed Valoryn, in a way that she’d never been needed before. The girl knelt down on the sands in front of nearly all the Weyr and threw her arms around Amaranth’s neck, pulling her close and announcing her Impression.
For Turns, it seemed that everything would be perfect. Running the last Weyr remaining on Pern was more a chore in pacifying the holders. With no Thread, there were no casualties of Threadfall, no imminent peril except the possibility that the holders would turn on them. While technically Valoryn was only a junior goldrider, the senior weyrwoman respected her hold-bred sensibilities, and given her ties to Fort Hold she was often sent to visit them. It was seen as a sort of peace offering; look, we respect you, we’re sending a goldrider to meet with you so you must be important. It left her with a talent for keeping the Lord Holders mollified.
The arrival of Acid ruined everything. It was bad enough that they had to deal with a new threat from the sky. The senior gold, Amaranth’s mother, retired in the face of this new threat, leaving Amaranth the next to rise and everything in Valoryn’s hands. But when the new dragon colors hatched… It didn’t help that it was a particularly violent hatching. Between that crimson and that black, and what a shock it had been to see them shoving Candidates aside! And a kind of mutant queen, one apparently more powerful than a gold? What a mess. And then when dragons and humans alike started showing new abilities, strange and frightening and powerful abilities?
It was Valoryn who was dead set on sending the mutants away. Human and dragon alike. She does not hate them, but she sees in them the potential to destabilize the very structure of Pern that has existed for thousands of Turns. It is the most basic tenet of Pernese society: the holds rely on the weyrs for protection, and the weyrs rely on the holds for sustenance. And dragons, for all their strength, cannot harm humans. Everything is in balance. Everything is right, and the Thread is held at bay. Valoryn saw the potential destruction of Pern in the new riders. The holders would revolt. The new, mutant-filled weyrs would have impossible amounts of power. No more would it be a balance – the more powerful weyrfolk could simply take what they wanted. And if dragons could be born in never-before-seen colors, dragons stronger and larger and faster than any dragons Pern had known before, then perhaps dragons could even be born with the capacity to hurt humans.
It had to stop.
It broke her heart to send them away. They were her Amaranth’s first clutch as the senior gold. It should have been a time of celebration, not one of heartbreak. But the new amethyst queen was larger and faster than her own gold, a combination that did not seem possible, and it seemed likely that the crimson would be the one to catch her. Faranth only knew what kind of abominations that coupling would produce. The only option seemed to be to remove them from Fort Weyr. She would not kill them. Not Amaranth’s children. Never Amaranth’s children. But making sure that Skysong never saw any successful clutches… That was her solemn duty to Pern. And she, in coordination with her rider on the inside, has endeavored to do exactly that.
Anything else you want to add:
Impressed[/b]
Dragon Name: Amaranth
Dragon Color: Gold
Brief Personality: Where Valoryn is cold, Amaranth is the most affectionate gold that you’d ever meet. Motherly and gentle in spirit, she rarely uses her innate ability to order other dragons around, instead preferring to make requests when possible. In fact, Amaranth is shockingly weak-willed for a queen, and possesses a particularly poor memory. She Impressed Valoryn because she needed someone with a strong mind and the leadership capacity that Amaranth herself lacked, to love her and help her. And now Amaranth supports her rider unconditionally. It broke the elder queen’s heart to send her children away… But at the same time, she agrees with Valoryn’s assessment. If the Weyrwoman thinks that keeping the mutants away will bring peace to Fort Weyr, having peace is most important. And it’s not as if her children were harmed. They have simply… gone away.
Anything else you want to add: Amaranth is on the small side, a soft rose gold in color, and Threadscored along one wing where Valoryn was not quite fast enough with a flamethrower.
Firelizards: None
Sample Post:
Valoryn strode into her weyr, ripping the flight goggles from her head and throwing them down on her sleeping furs in one violent motion. Her frustration had at last reached a boiling point, and she had been forced to seek the privacy of her quarters or risk lashing out at the next person she spoke to. And Valoryn would never permit herself to lose her temper in public like that. So with one last look around the weyr to make sure that no one was after her attention, she sank down onto the bed and dropped her head into her hands. Her shoulders slumped as the anger faded, only to be replaced by the familiar hollow pit in her stomach.
You did what you had to do. Amaranth’s eyes swirled with the colors of pain and sadness, echoing her rider’s heart. They had just watched the last of the mutant dragons, along with more of Fort Weyr’s riders than Valoryn could handle, wink between, possibly never to be seen again by Valoryn’s eyes. They were off to the Southern continent, where they could live safely isolated from others, and hopefully support themselves. Fort Weyr would keep them in check, so that they would not become a danger to the other holds. But the decision had not been an easy one.
“I’m sorry, Amaranth,” Valoryn murmured. “They were your children.” There was a moment of silence, and then the Weyrwoman felt a massive muzzle, soft and leathery, brush against her shoulder in soft affection.
I will miss them. But someday soon, I will not remember this day. I will remember that they are gone, but not the pain of this day. Only you will remember. So, Valoryn-mine, it is I who should be saying “I’m sorry” to you. Those great eyes clouded over with a passing grief. Perhaps if I had been more careful in avoiding the Acid…
“No!” She stood in vehemence, throwing her arms around Amaranth’s muzzle in a tight hug. Once she had been able to hug her dragon’s neck in this way, but now her fingertips just barely brushed under the gold’s chin. Amaranth keened lowly in reply, subsiding to a rumble of unhappiness. “You did nothing wrong. It’s the fault of the Green Star...” She paused, looking out through the entrance to her weyr, at the beautiful landscape beyond. Never would she permit it to be consumed by Thread.
“And we will make it right. If Fort Weyr alone has to defend all of Pern, then that’s what we’ll do.”
