Post by glamourie on May 14, 2009 9:47:23 GMT -5
Died in Fort Attack
H U M A N S:
Name: Anzalorin (AN zah LOR een)
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Rank: Candidate // Senior Apprentice Vintner
Physical Appearance: Anzalorin’s most readily recognizable feature is just how slender he is. Though he is just above average height (standing at five-foot-eleven) for a male of his age, his physical build leans closer to that of a woman. Even the blind wouldn’t mistake him for being muscular in any way. He has very thin shoulders, ankles and wrists - all of which lead to him appearing almost delicate. Long fingers grace his hands, artistic in appearance, with smooth skin leading to the impression that he hasn’t worked very much in his life. His face is oval-shaped, framing a small, straight nose. His lips are wider than average, adding to the decidedly feminine look he has. However, as far as being memorable goes, his eyes are easily the most vivid. Wide set, his gaze (and indeed his whole face) is more angular than the average person’s. Slanted and somewhat wide, his eyes can be odd to look at - but the appearance is traditional Blossom Hold in many respects. He’s definitely more on the pretty side than should be allowed for a man.
One of the typical Blossom traits is blond hair and blue eyes -- and one look at Anz makes it clear exactly where he hails from. His hair falls to just past his chin and is ironing-board straight. Wisps of chin-length strands fall around his cheeks, with the longest brushing around his lips, further emphasizing his feminine appearance. His hair color is a deep golden blond, with natural lighter highlights. His remarkable eyes are an aquatic shade of blue, like staring into the sea. Laced through the iris are several green flecks, adding more dimensions to his gaze. Finishing off his look is naturally pale skin with a slight spraying of pale freckles over the bridge of his nose and his shoulders that becomes visible when he spends much time in the sun. Unfortunately, he burns, rather than tan - so regardless of how much time he spends outdoors, Anz is doomed to be a ghost at all times.
In terms of dress, Anzalorin is downright hysterical to look at. Preferring flamboyantly bright colors to anything dark and morbid (his favorites are yellow and sky blue, though he has sense enough not to wear them together), he’s anything but easy to overlook. He prefers loose fitting garments that flow over his body and silk is a favored fabric. He owns a remarkable array of clothing - from standard brown work clothes covered in fruit stains to dressier Gather finery. But the most memorable thing about the way that Anzalorin dresses is that he… wears dresses. Not because he wants to look like a woman - no, he just likes seeing people’s reactions to him wearing gowns and other women’s clothing. His personal favorites are long, ankle-length skirts and bell sleeves. Anzalorin is fond of jewelry - especially dangling earrings with bells attached, though anklets are not uncommon. Anything that makes him jingle-jingle!
Personality: Anzalorin is a friendly, outgoing young man - it’s easily his most recognizable trait. Happy to approach and talk to just about anyone, he’s a veritable chatter-box without being overly agitating. While those more stoic individuals of the Weyr who prefer not to talk at all and to wallow in their own happiness might find him a frustrating person to be around, most will find his demeanor pleasant. He’s optimistic within reason (easily able to deduce realism from fantasy) and this habit of always looking for the best in others and situations can make him extremely valuable to be around. It takes a great deal to get him down. He’s not naïve, and he’s most certainly not unintelligent; no, Anz is simply positive. He keeps his chin up. His approach to life is that good things come to those who seek them out - not those who wait - so he does exactly that. He also sees it as his responsibility to befriend those who are helpless, unhappy, or simply too shy to approach others. While he can take a hint just fine (and has a good memory), Anz is relentless; he doesn’t give up on people, and it takes a lot to permanently push him away. He’s a forgiving soul, particularly of people who seem to need patience most of all.
In addition to being a highly tolerant and approachable figure, Anzalorin is also extremely creative. This is most prominent in his clothing, most of which he makes on his own. While he’s definitely not a weaver (and lacks the ability to stitch fine patterns and unique embroidery), his outfits are a reflection of his personality. Flamboyantly colored and often layering materials, Anz is not one to be ignored in a crowd. He likes the spotlight, but more than that, he likes originality. He likes setting a trend, and also making other people stop and stare for a moment. While he doesn’t typically act out anything unusual, his manner of dressing is often enough to garner him any attention he could want. His particular favorite clothing combination is brightly colored shirts and pant sets, layered together with scarves and other accessories, and his favorite color is scarlet. Clothing isn’t his only creative outlet, though. Fond of companionship and particularly of children, it isn’t unusual to find Anz sprawled out on a blanket in the Creche telling elaborate stories to entertain the ‘brats of the Weyr, and most of them are made up on the spur of the moment. Doubtlessly, he would have made a fine Harper.
He’s not all sunshine and roses, though. Anz’s biggest flaw is probably the fact that he is too forgiving; this makes it easy for others to take advantage of him, for he’ll give everyone second, third and fourth chances without hesitation. As far as he’s concerned, forgiveness is more important than holding grudges. He’s also extremely tolerant, perhaps to the point of putting up with too much abuse; it takes an extraordinary amount of fussing to try his patience and even then he gets over it quite quickly. To top this off, Anz is rather forgetful; he can’t hold a grudge simply because he’s prone to forgetting minor details - anything not excessively important. He’s also bad about fixating on certain things. Anything that holds his interest for more than a few moments quickly becomes an obsession and all that he can talk about. Some people might find this extremely irritating. He’s also a klutz, and unfortunately, this means he has a tendency of tumbling into things he can’t necessarily afford to buy. So -- he’s a good, but expensive friend at Gathers!
Quirky, Anz has some very unique habits that set him apart from most people and make him memorable. Aside from the way he dresses, he has a tendency to collect dried flowers and store them in glass jars all over his rooms. Whoever is unfortunate enough to end up sharing his bunk will also quickly discover that Anz is very fond of cooking - and eating. He’s an exceptional cook, spawned from a great deal of practice at Blossom Hold, and he likes to eat just about all the time. Sneaking food into his bed isn’t an unusual trait and the candidate master will have to stay on top of him to prevent a steady stream of crumbs every where he goes. He’s also extremely easily bored, and flits from one interest to another very quickly because of it; this can make him appear flaky and, coupled with his poor memory, he’s probably one of the least reliable people around. Just because he’s enthusiastic doesn’t mean he can be counted on for anything - except locating the nearest food source!
History: Alorin was a Senior Journeyman Dolphineer, most notable for his flirtatious tendencies. Though he was happily married to Zanova, he had many female admirers throughout Blossom Hold and it was unsurprising as to why: Handsome, charismatic and friendly, it was hard not to like the man. His most endearing trait was his generosity; almost everyone at Blossom Hold at least knew his name, and he was renowned at Dolphincraft Hall as one of the most gifted dolphineers since the Hall reopening. Perhaps because of his reputation (which preceded him all the way to Selenitas Weyr, let alone just in the Hold) it would come as little surprise to many to find out that one day, after a little bit too much of the sweet red wine produced by the Hold, he’d fallen into the arms of a woman who was decidedly not his wife. She was, in fact, his wife’s half sister -- to make matters highly dramatic.
Zalla was an apprentice dolphineer, and a mere sixteen when the affair took place. Out of respect for her sister, she kept her distance from Alorin (who she’d previously been friends with) and moved to a cothold at the outskirts of Blossom Hold. She was married a month later to the owner of one of Blossom’s finest vineyards, and not long after that she began showing. Her husband, a man by the name of Urekai, was surprisingly tolerant of the incidents taking place before their marriage - out of genuine loyalty and dedication to his wife. When she gave birth to a blond-haired, blue-eyed baby, he did not protest at the child taking his true father’s name, but Urekai did essentially adopt the boy. And the babe was called Anzalorin. Ironically, only two months after Anzalorin was born, Zanova gave birth to a son of her own - a healthy baby boy she named Zanalorin. The end result was a pair of half-brothers only two months apart, and they looked enough alike for it to be undeniable.
Throughout his childhood, Anz was an extremely friendly boy. Even as a toddler, he would jabber away at anyone who would listen and his blatant fondness for others was evident. From a young age he would approach other people, talk to them, and he made friends very easily. His favorite people to approach were those who looked unhappy. The more sad someone was - the more likely it was that Anz would seek them out, find them and try to make them smile. He wasn’t much of a jokester, but what he was good at was being eternally optimistic and word-play; he possessed a natural charisma and playful innocence that made it difficult for anyone to stay angry with him. He was closest to the people who had fewest friends, and Anz was very good at making even the meekest individual feel appreciated and wanted. Call it a gift; he was a natural people-person.
Anzalorin was five turns old when he met his brother Zanalorin for the first time. Too young to understand the tension between his mother and her sister, he immediately took to his sibling, ecstatic to have a ‘younger brother’ (never mind that their age was only two months apart). Zanalorin was much less outgoing than he was, and Anz fixated on trying to make his older brother more friendly - more easy to get along with. The two became near constant companions, despite their very different demeanor, and through them, Zalla and Zanova finally began talking again. Though Anzalorin knew exactly who his real father was, he never took a shine to Alorin - in fact, he spent very little time with the man at all, despite them getting along just fine. When he wasn’t with Zan, he instead was with his adopted father, and joined in his craft, rather than become a dolphineer. The vineyards were his favorite place to play, and it was only natural that he began to learn about winemaking early on. He was too young to be an official apprentice - but it was definitely well known how much the boy enjoyed winemaking.
When he was six turns old, Lake Dolphin Hall was attacked. The attack caused many deaths amongst the Dolphineers, and spurred Blossom into action. Though it was a minor Craft hall, the survivors reacted by rebuilding with a vengeance unmatched even by the north. Their morale was drastically improved, and the new MasterDolphineer was elected to replace the fallen. Organization meant the Craft hall soon became a force to be reckoned with, on par easily with the Halls of the North and Blossom for the first time drew the attention of both continents. Their location in the south made them less of a force to be reckoned with - but they were not totally overlooked, not by a long shot. The attack, though, took place when Anzalorin was so young that he did not really understand the gravity of the situation, nor was he able to comprehend what came next -- the beginning of the War in the north…
When Anzalorin was ten turns old, he finally became an official apprentice vintner. Being engrossed in the craft from the moment of his birth, he was already knowledgeable about the vineyards of Blossom Hold and the apprenticeship required very little of a lifestyle change on his part. His adopted father Urekai was primarily in charge of his training, and he took a great deal of delight in spending time with Anz -- a feeling shared by the boy. When he wasn’t training for his craft, Anzalorin would visit the dolphin hall where Zanalorin was training to be a dolphineer. The creatures fascinated Anz -- but the dolphin craft did not, primarily due to the fact that he could not swim (a weakness he had no intentions of admitting to anyone; he simply claimed that he didn’t like water, which… well, was true). Most of the time, he visited only to support Zan-- and a casual onlooker might notice that Anzalorin had almost nothing to do with his real father, save casual greetings. He did not call him by anything but his name or his rank, either; the distance between father and oldest son was definitely noticeable.
When he was fifteen, Anzalorin became involved with a senior apprentice weaver. She was the same age as him, and the two of them got along very well - much to the surprise of most people around him. Her name was Taeli and she taught Anz how to sew -- perhaps her first mistake. His wardrobe made a drastic change from that of a normal teenage boy to a cross between a girl and some kind of caravan dancer, and no part of him was remotely embarrassed. He biased toward brighter clothing and within half a turn, everything he owned was made entirely by himself, though Taeli would often give him pointers. She was a bright, cheerful young woman and complimented Anz’s optimism with her own; the two were rarely seen apart, though their crafts took them in separate directions. Their closeness was enough that both Anz and Taeli’s parents talked about the possibility of their children being joined -- but neither of the teenagers was expressly eager to jump on that opportunity, and discussion is all that came of it. Though they were ‘dating’, the two were really more like close friends of the opposite gender… at least, for all appearances.
The assassination of the Lord Holder of Blossom changed life at the Hold dramatically. It marked the first major change that Anz could understand, too. Tentieon, the Heir Apparent, became the new Lord Holder and married dolphineer Kilisto in a small, formal ceremony with few outsiders invited. Who was responsible for Tentieon’s father’s death was anyone’s guess, but whispers amongst the hold said it was Fort Weyr -- though to what ends, no one was entirely sure. Tentieon was a large supporter of Selenitas Weyr, most prominently of Senior Weyrwoman Shmee who treated all of the Holds far better than her predecessors, and Lady Holder Kilisto was far more down to earth than most Hold Ladies. When she became pregnant with the couple’s first child not long after her succession to Lady Holder, it was a matter of much joy for all of Blossom Hold; new life meant that the time for mourning had passed, and the Hold was beginning to move on.
It was a turn of many changes indeed. Zanalorin, for instance, finally acquired his first dolphin partner -- which Anz was extremely happy for him about (if a bit jealous; he was unable to even purchase a pet feline cub, despite asking numerous times). His brother was busy spending most of his time learning to work with his new partner, so Anz spent his with Taeli. Unfortunately, the longer the two of them spent together, the less inclined to get along they became, and one stormy fall evening, the ‘couple’ broke up after an explosive argument about whether or not they had a future together. Taeli was transferred away as a journeywoman before Anz had time to reconcile with her, and her absence resulted in the usually-happy boy for once displaying a level of negativity. He kept most of his feelings to himself, but privately acknowledged that maybe, just maybe, he had loved Taeli… certainly her moving away was devastating, even if he would have denied it had she come back to ask…
The tendays that followed were at least moderately exciting. Lady Holder Kilisto gave birth to the heir apparent Tenkilion, a healthy baby boy. His birth was the cause of a great deal of celebration amongst the Hold, and immediately procedures began for a Gather to follow. Anz and his brother both turned seventeen within months of one another, and right after Zanalorin’s birthday, Blossom hosted one of the largest Gathers the South had ever seen - in honor of Tenkilion’s birth but also to improve morale after the Lord Holder’s death. The dolphins of Blossom Lake were the central performers at the Gather, and it was a spectacularly cheery event… except for one major hinge: A green dragon at the Weyr chose to Rise while the majority of the dragon riders were at Blossom, resulting in utter chaos for the Holders who did not yet understand dragons and their Rising schedule. Anz, on the other hand, was absorbed in interest by the effect dragons could have on their riders - and he secretly wanted to study them more up close and personal. Blossom Hold wasn’t the ideal place to do that at, though, and his desires were put on hold… since… he had no way to accomplish them.
It wasn’t as if he could just up and leave Zan, after all.
A complication to his predicament became apparent a few weeks later, when Alta, Zanalorin’s dolphin partner, was killed by an unknown sea creature. Naturally his brother was devastated, and no matter how hard he tried, it was nearly impossible to break through to Zan and make him cheer up. Unhappy people upset Anzalorin, so he became Zan’s near-constant companion, refusing to leave him alone except for at night (when both of them returned to their respective homes). He even went so far as to ask the Lady Holder if he could purchase a fire lizard egg for Zan the next time that her gold Sasha decided to Rise -- which she, surprisingly enough, was happy to agree to. News of poisonings at Selenitas Weyr reached all of Blossom, but since he was a vintner, he knew very well the Hold had nothing to do with it, and had instead chose to ignore that detail in a fit of indignant temper; it wasn’t as if they would do anything of the sort, thank you! And the changes in Weyrleadership had little impact on Blossom as a hold anyway, though Shmee’s death was mourned in silence. He was more busy focusing on Zanalorin than any of the Weyr’s problems, though. His brother was much more important to him.
But the real solution to both his problem and Zan’s unhappiness came with news of a massive attack on Selenitas Weyr. Many of their population was wounded or killed in the attack and help from the Holds was needed. It provided the perfect opportunity to get Zan away from the lake - and also for him to ‘study’ dragon riders more up close. Using his persuasive talents (by reminding Zan that Selenitas Weyr was a lot more welcoming of individuals interested in their own sex and “You know there’s plenty of pretty guys who would sleep with you there, right?”), Anz managed to convinced his brother to come with him as part of the relief caravan. His own parents were far from pleased by the idea of their son running off to the Weyr, particularly when he informed them he had no intentions of coming back (he was bound and determined to become a candidate, thank you), but he was eighteen -- old enough to make his own decisions, and they finally relented to let him go.
Selenitas was an explosion to the senses, even in tatters as it was. The Weyr was so drastically different in layout than the Hold’s that Anzalorin quickly became engrossed in the simple project of just exploring. Whenever he wasn’t on duty cooking (one of the things he did best), Anz would run around the Weyr trying to get himself used to the layout. How he was going to convince them to let him stay permanently, though -- that was the trick. After all, most of the Holders would be going home once the Weyr was rebuilt, which meant that he had to be clever if he intended for himself and Zan not to be shipped back to Blossom. There were plenty of Searchriders he could have begged, convinced that the two of them were ideal candidates, but in the end, the person he decided to coerce into allowing them to stay was someone else entirely: A bronze rider and wingleader who seemed none-too-happy to have someone in a flamboyant skirt with shells strung through his hair to be talking to him… and quite possibly only agreed to get Anzalorin out of his sight. Regardless of his motivations, though, one thing was certain: he had promised they could stay as candidates for the next clutch (and he’d picked said bronze rider because the rider of the youngest gold was his weyrmate; Anz wasn’t stupid, after all).
Immediately after their position was approved, Anzalorin ran off to let Zan know. After all -- it was news that didn’t bear waiting: They were allowed to try and become dragon riders!
S A L A M A N D Y R
Name: Sprite
Color: Green(7FFF00)
Age: Hatchling
Appearance: This salamandyr is by no means the loveliest salamandyr ever shelled. In fact, she is quite easily the ugliest, with not even a face that a mother could love. Her snout has an odd upturn that might have been cute if her nose hadn’t been so squished into the rest of her face. Her eyes are of two different sizes and placed oddly on the side of her head. As if that weren’t bad enough, they also bulge out, making her face an overall unappealing sight. One should be careful to keep her away from the crèche as she’ll easily make the younger weyrbrats cry. It might be difficult to think that things could get worse as far as appearance goes, but indeed they can. Her spine has an odd hump, right where her wings rest, and she’ll never be able to fully straighten her body out or properly stand on her hind legs. This odd kink in her spine is present again in her tail, which is shorter than is normal, with a few odd kinks in it, as though it were broken in several places and healed incorrectly. Even if a predator manages to snag her tail off, it’ll continue to grow out crooked. Her wings are small, like a proper salamandyr’s should be, with slightly tattered wingsails. Unfortunately this carries over to her frill, which is also on the small side, with tattered edges.
As far as coloring goes, this salamandyr is an unfortunate shade of yellow-green that is absolutely blinding (and not in a good way). From nose to tail tip, there is absolutely no variation in the color to make it even slightly more appealing and it will be difficult to focus on her for long. The only other color can be found on her frill and it is no less unfortunate, being an even more yellow shade of green. It forms an odd pattern of stripes along her frill that might be attractive if not for the absolutely repulsive coloration. As such she is rather unlikely to unfurl her frill except on very rare occasions, as she is quite embarrassed by it’s meager appearance compared to the brilliant patterns that others of her species sport.
Personality: If ever there was a creature whose personality did not match it’s appearance, it is this green. While most would be repulsed by the sight of her, she sees nothing but good in everyone despite their exteriors. While salamandyrs are known for their annoying and occasionally malicious personalities, this green has not a mean bone in her body. There is nearly nothing that can rile this green into a temper, though if there is one thing she absolutely cannot stand, it’s a bully. Only then will anyone ever hear a mean word out of her and even then it will in all likelihood be quietly said. Normally very little is heard from this green as she is painfully shy, preferring not to draw attention to herself, as the reactions she normally gets are less than pleasant. While others may not appreciate her, she still does her best to make sure that people in the weyr come to know harm, watching from a distance protectively over those that she has taken a liking to.
If any are able to look past her monstrous appearance, they would discover a very loyal friend indeed. A kind deed is never forgotten by this green, and she does her best to repay any kindnesses given to her. Even those who are not the kindest toward her are given second, third and even fourth chances. She clearly believes that everyone has good in them, even if they don’t always show it, and she’s willing to wait for as long as she has to in order for them to prove it. She may not be the most intelligent of her species, but it’s the thought that counts, and she certainly always means well.
C A N D I D A T E S . O N L Y:
Name Contraction: A'lor
Queen Only: No.
Desired Dragon Color: Blue/Brown?
Dragon, Wher or Both?: Wher preferred. Will stand for both, though.
H U M A N S:
Name: Anzalorin (AN zah LOR een)
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Rank: Candidate // Senior Apprentice Vintner
Physical Appearance: Anzalorin’s most readily recognizable feature is just how slender he is. Though he is just above average height (standing at five-foot-eleven) for a male of his age, his physical build leans closer to that of a woman. Even the blind wouldn’t mistake him for being muscular in any way. He has very thin shoulders, ankles and wrists - all of which lead to him appearing almost delicate. Long fingers grace his hands, artistic in appearance, with smooth skin leading to the impression that he hasn’t worked very much in his life. His face is oval-shaped, framing a small, straight nose. His lips are wider than average, adding to the decidedly feminine look he has. However, as far as being memorable goes, his eyes are easily the most vivid. Wide set, his gaze (and indeed his whole face) is more angular than the average person’s. Slanted and somewhat wide, his eyes can be odd to look at - but the appearance is traditional Blossom Hold in many respects. He’s definitely more on the pretty side than should be allowed for a man.
One of the typical Blossom traits is blond hair and blue eyes -- and one look at Anz makes it clear exactly where he hails from. His hair falls to just past his chin and is ironing-board straight. Wisps of chin-length strands fall around his cheeks, with the longest brushing around his lips, further emphasizing his feminine appearance. His hair color is a deep golden blond, with natural lighter highlights. His remarkable eyes are an aquatic shade of blue, like staring into the sea. Laced through the iris are several green flecks, adding more dimensions to his gaze. Finishing off his look is naturally pale skin with a slight spraying of pale freckles over the bridge of his nose and his shoulders that becomes visible when he spends much time in the sun. Unfortunately, he burns, rather than tan - so regardless of how much time he spends outdoors, Anz is doomed to be a ghost at all times.
In terms of dress, Anzalorin is downright hysterical to look at. Preferring flamboyantly bright colors to anything dark and morbid (his favorites are yellow and sky blue, though he has sense enough not to wear them together), he’s anything but easy to overlook. He prefers loose fitting garments that flow over his body and silk is a favored fabric. He owns a remarkable array of clothing - from standard brown work clothes covered in fruit stains to dressier Gather finery. But the most memorable thing about the way that Anzalorin dresses is that he… wears dresses. Not because he wants to look like a woman - no, he just likes seeing people’s reactions to him wearing gowns and other women’s clothing. His personal favorites are long, ankle-length skirts and bell sleeves. Anzalorin is fond of jewelry - especially dangling earrings with bells attached, though anklets are not uncommon. Anything that makes him jingle-jingle!
Personality: Anzalorin is a friendly, outgoing young man - it’s easily his most recognizable trait. Happy to approach and talk to just about anyone, he’s a veritable chatter-box without being overly agitating. While those more stoic individuals of the Weyr who prefer not to talk at all and to wallow in their own happiness might find him a frustrating person to be around, most will find his demeanor pleasant. He’s optimistic within reason (easily able to deduce realism from fantasy) and this habit of always looking for the best in others and situations can make him extremely valuable to be around. It takes a great deal to get him down. He’s not naïve, and he’s most certainly not unintelligent; no, Anz is simply positive. He keeps his chin up. His approach to life is that good things come to those who seek them out - not those who wait - so he does exactly that. He also sees it as his responsibility to befriend those who are helpless, unhappy, or simply too shy to approach others. While he can take a hint just fine (and has a good memory), Anz is relentless; he doesn’t give up on people, and it takes a lot to permanently push him away. He’s a forgiving soul, particularly of people who seem to need patience most of all.
In addition to being a highly tolerant and approachable figure, Anzalorin is also extremely creative. This is most prominent in his clothing, most of which he makes on his own. While he’s definitely not a weaver (and lacks the ability to stitch fine patterns and unique embroidery), his outfits are a reflection of his personality. Flamboyantly colored and often layering materials, Anz is not one to be ignored in a crowd. He likes the spotlight, but more than that, he likes originality. He likes setting a trend, and also making other people stop and stare for a moment. While he doesn’t typically act out anything unusual, his manner of dressing is often enough to garner him any attention he could want. His particular favorite clothing combination is brightly colored shirts and pant sets, layered together with scarves and other accessories, and his favorite color is scarlet. Clothing isn’t his only creative outlet, though. Fond of companionship and particularly of children, it isn’t unusual to find Anz sprawled out on a blanket in the Creche telling elaborate stories to entertain the ‘brats of the Weyr, and most of them are made up on the spur of the moment. Doubtlessly, he would have made a fine Harper.
He’s not all sunshine and roses, though. Anz’s biggest flaw is probably the fact that he is too forgiving; this makes it easy for others to take advantage of him, for he’ll give everyone second, third and fourth chances without hesitation. As far as he’s concerned, forgiveness is more important than holding grudges. He’s also extremely tolerant, perhaps to the point of putting up with too much abuse; it takes an extraordinary amount of fussing to try his patience and even then he gets over it quite quickly. To top this off, Anz is rather forgetful; he can’t hold a grudge simply because he’s prone to forgetting minor details - anything not excessively important. He’s also bad about fixating on certain things. Anything that holds his interest for more than a few moments quickly becomes an obsession and all that he can talk about. Some people might find this extremely irritating. He’s also a klutz, and unfortunately, this means he has a tendency of tumbling into things he can’t necessarily afford to buy. So -- he’s a good, but expensive friend at Gathers!
Quirky, Anz has some very unique habits that set him apart from most people and make him memorable. Aside from the way he dresses, he has a tendency to collect dried flowers and store them in glass jars all over his rooms. Whoever is unfortunate enough to end up sharing his bunk will also quickly discover that Anz is very fond of cooking - and eating. He’s an exceptional cook, spawned from a great deal of practice at Blossom Hold, and he likes to eat just about all the time. Sneaking food into his bed isn’t an unusual trait and the candidate master will have to stay on top of him to prevent a steady stream of crumbs every where he goes. He’s also extremely easily bored, and flits from one interest to another very quickly because of it; this can make him appear flaky and, coupled with his poor memory, he’s probably one of the least reliable people around. Just because he’s enthusiastic doesn’t mean he can be counted on for anything - except locating the nearest food source!
History: Alorin was a Senior Journeyman Dolphineer, most notable for his flirtatious tendencies. Though he was happily married to Zanova, he had many female admirers throughout Blossom Hold and it was unsurprising as to why: Handsome, charismatic and friendly, it was hard not to like the man. His most endearing trait was his generosity; almost everyone at Blossom Hold at least knew his name, and he was renowned at Dolphincraft Hall as one of the most gifted dolphineers since the Hall reopening. Perhaps because of his reputation (which preceded him all the way to Selenitas Weyr, let alone just in the Hold) it would come as little surprise to many to find out that one day, after a little bit too much of the sweet red wine produced by the Hold, he’d fallen into the arms of a woman who was decidedly not his wife. She was, in fact, his wife’s half sister -- to make matters highly dramatic.
Zalla was an apprentice dolphineer, and a mere sixteen when the affair took place. Out of respect for her sister, she kept her distance from Alorin (who she’d previously been friends with) and moved to a cothold at the outskirts of Blossom Hold. She was married a month later to the owner of one of Blossom’s finest vineyards, and not long after that she began showing. Her husband, a man by the name of Urekai, was surprisingly tolerant of the incidents taking place before their marriage - out of genuine loyalty and dedication to his wife. When she gave birth to a blond-haired, blue-eyed baby, he did not protest at the child taking his true father’s name, but Urekai did essentially adopt the boy. And the babe was called Anzalorin. Ironically, only two months after Anzalorin was born, Zanova gave birth to a son of her own - a healthy baby boy she named Zanalorin. The end result was a pair of half-brothers only two months apart, and they looked enough alike for it to be undeniable.
Throughout his childhood, Anz was an extremely friendly boy. Even as a toddler, he would jabber away at anyone who would listen and his blatant fondness for others was evident. From a young age he would approach other people, talk to them, and he made friends very easily. His favorite people to approach were those who looked unhappy. The more sad someone was - the more likely it was that Anz would seek them out, find them and try to make them smile. He wasn’t much of a jokester, but what he was good at was being eternally optimistic and word-play; he possessed a natural charisma and playful innocence that made it difficult for anyone to stay angry with him. He was closest to the people who had fewest friends, and Anz was very good at making even the meekest individual feel appreciated and wanted. Call it a gift; he was a natural people-person.
Anzalorin was five turns old when he met his brother Zanalorin for the first time. Too young to understand the tension between his mother and her sister, he immediately took to his sibling, ecstatic to have a ‘younger brother’ (never mind that their age was only two months apart). Zanalorin was much less outgoing than he was, and Anz fixated on trying to make his older brother more friendly - more easy to get along with. The two became near constant companions, despite their very different demeanor, and through them, Zalla and Zanova finally began talking again. Though Anzalorin knew exactly who his real father was, he never took a shine to Alorin - in fact, he spent very little time with the man at all, despite them getting along just fine. When he wasn’t with Zan, he instead was with his adopted father, and joined in his craft, rather than become a dolphineer. The vineyards were his favorite place to play, and it was only natural that he began to learn about winemaking early on. He was too young to be an official apprentice - but it was definitely well known how much the boy enjoyed winemaking.
When he was six turns old, Lake Dolphin Hall was attacked. The attack caused many deaths amongst the Dolphineers, and spurred Blossom into action. Though it was a minor Craft hall, the survivors reacted by rebuilding with a vengeance unmatched even by the north. Their morale was drastically improved, and the new MasterDolphineer was elected to replace the fallen. Organization meant the Craft hall soon became a force to be reckoned with, on par easily with the Halls of the North and Blossom for the first time drew the attention of both continents. Their location in the south made them less of a force to be reckoned with - but they were not totally overlooked, not by a long shot. The attack, though, took place when Anzalorin was so young that he did not really understand the gravity of the situation, nor was he able to comprehend what came next -- the beginning of the War in the north…
When Anzalorin was ten turns old, he finally became an official apprentice vintner. Being engrossed in the craft from the moment of his birth, he was already knowledgeable about the vineyards of Blossom Hold and the apprenticeship required very little of a lifestyle change on his part. His adopted father Urekai was primarily in charge of his training, and he took a great deal of delight in spending time with Anz -- a feeling shared by the boy. When he wasn’t training for his craft, Anzalorin would visit the dolphin hall where Zanalorin was training to be a dolphineer. The creatures fascinated Anz -- but the dolphin craft did not, primarily due to the fact that he could not swim (a weakness he had no intentions of admitting to anyone; he simply claimed that he didn’t like water, which… well, was true). Most of the time, he visited only to support Zan-- and a casual onlooker might notice that Anzalorin had almost nothing to do with his real father, save casual greetings. He did not call him by anything but his name or his rank, either; the distance between father and oldest son was definitely noticeable.
When he was fifteen, Anzalorin became involved with a senior apprentice weaver. She was the same age as him, and the two of them got along very well - much to the surprise of most people around him. Her name was Taeli and she taught Anz how to sew -- perhaps her first mistake. His wardrobe made a drastic change from that of a normal teenage boy to a cross between a girl and some kind of caravan dancer, and no part of him was remotely embarrassed. He biased toward brighter clothing and within half a turn, everything he owned was made entirely by himself, though Taeli would often give him pointers. She was a bright, cheerful young woman and complimented Anz’s optimism with her own; the two were rarely seen apart, though their crafts took them in separate directions. Their closeness was enough that both Anz and Taeli’s parents talked about the possibility of their children being joined -- but neither of the teenagers was expressly eager to jump on that opportunity, and discussion is all that came of it. Though they were ‘dating’, the two were really more like close friends of the opposite gender… at least, for all appearances.
The assassination of the Lord Holder of Blossom changed life at the Hold dramatically. It marked the first major change that Anz could understand, too. Tentieon, the Heir Apparent, became the new Lord Holder and married dolphineer Kilisto in a small, formal ceremony with few outsiders invited. Who was responsible for Tentieon’s father’s death was anyone’s guess, but whispers amongst the hold said it was Fort Weyr -- though to what ends, no one was entirely sure. Tentieon was a large supporter of Selenitas Weyr, most prominently of Senior Weyrwoman Shmee who treated all of the Holds far better than her predecessors, and Lady Holder Kilisto was far more down to earth than most Hold Ladies. When she became pregnant with the couple’s first child not long after her succession to Lady Holder, it was a matter of much joy for all of Blossom Hold; new life meant that the time for mourning had passed, and the Hold was beginning to move on.
It was a turn of many changes indeed. Zanalorin, for instance, finally acquired his first dolphin partner -- which Anz was extremely happy for him about (if a bit jealous; he was unable to even purchase a pet feline cub, despite asking numerous times). His brother was busy spending most of his time learning to work with his new partner, so Anz spent his with Taeli. Unfortunately, the longer the two of them spent together, the less inclined to get along they became, and one stormy fall evening, the ‘couple’ broke up after an explosive argument about whether or not they had a future together. Taeli was transferred away as a journeywoman before Anz had time to reconcile with her, and her absence resulted in the usually-happy boy for once displaying a level of negativity. He kept most of his feelings to himself, but privately acknowledged that maybe, just maybe, he had loved Taeli… certainly her moving away was devastating, even if he would have denied it had she come back to ask…
The tendays that followed were at least moderately exciting. Lady Holder Kilisto gave birth to the heir apparent Tenkilion, a healthy baby boy. His birth was the cause of a great deal of celebration amongst the Hold, and immediately procedures began for a Gather to follow. Anz and his brother both turned seventeen within months of one another, and right after Zanalorin’s birthday, Blossom hosted one of the largest Gathers the South had ever seen - in honor of Tenkilion’s birth but also to improve morale after the Lord Holder’s death. The dolphins of Blossom Lake were the central performers at the Gather, and it was a spectacularly cheery event… except for one major hinge: A green dragon at the Weyr chose to Rise while the majority of the dragon riders were at Blossom, resulting in utter chaos for the Holders who did not yet understand dragons and their Rising schedule. Anz, on the other hand, was absorbed in interest by the effect dragons could have on their riders - and he secretly wanted to study them more up close and personal. Blossom Hold wasn’t the ideal place to do that at, though, and his desires were put on hold… since… he had no way to accomplish them.
It wasn’t as if he could just up and leave Zan, after all.
A complication to his predicament became apparent a few weeks later, when Alta, Zanalorin’s dolphin partner, was killed by an unknown sea creature. Naturally his brother was devastated, and no matter how hard he tried, it was nearly impossible to break through to Zan and make him cheer up. Unhappy people upset Anzalorin, so he became Zan’s near-constant companion, refusing to leave him alone except for at night (when both of them returned to their respective homes). He even went so far as to ask the Lady Holder if he could purchase a fire lizard egg for Zan the next time that her gold Sasha decided to Rise -- which she, surprisingly enough, was happy to agree to. News of poisonings at Selenitas Weyr reached all of Blossom, but since he was a vintner, he knew very well the Hold had nothing to do with it, and had instead chose to ignore that detail in a fit of indignant temper; it wasn’t as if they would do anything of the sort, thank you! And the changes in Weyrleadership had little impact on Blossom as a hold anyway, though Shmee’s death was mourned in silence. He was more busy focusing on Zanalorin than any of the Weyr’s problems, though. His brother was much more important to him.
But the real solution to both his problem and Zan’s unhappiness came with news of a massive attack on Selenitas Weyr. Many of their population was wounded or killed in the attack and help from the Holds was needed. It provided the perfect opportunity to get Zan away from the lake - and also for him to ‘study’ dragon riders more up close. Using his persuasive talents (by reminding Zan that Selenitas Weyr was a lot more welcoming of individuals interested in their own sex and “You know there’s plenty of pretty guys who would sleep with you there, right?”), Anz managed to convinced his brother to come with him as part of the relief caravan. His own parents were far from pleased by the idea of their son running off to the Weyr, particularly when he informed them he had no intentions of coming back (he was bound and determined to become a candidate, thank you), but he was eighteen -- old enough to make his own decisions, and they finally relented to let him go.
Selenitas was an explosion to the senses, even in tatters as it was. The Weyr was so drastically different in layout than the Hold’s that Anzalorin quickly became engrossed in the simple project of just exploring. Whenever he wasn’t on duty cooking (one of the things he did best), Anz would run around the Weyr trying to get himself used to the layout. How he was going to convince them to let him stay permanently, though -- that was the trick. After all, most of the Holders would be going home once the Weyr was rebuilt, which meant that he had to be clever if he intended for himself and Zan not to be shipped back to Blossom. There were plenty of Searchriders he could have begged, convinced that the two of them were ideal candidates, but in the end, the person he decided to coerce into allowing them to stay was someone else entirely: A bronze rider and wingleader who seemed none-too-happy to have someone in a flamboyant skirt with shells strung through his hair to be talking to him… and quite possibly only agreed to get Anzalorin out of his sight. Regardless of his motivations, though, one thing was certain: he had promised they could stay as candidates for the next clutch (and he’d picked said bronze rider because the rider of the youngest gold was his weyrmate; Anz wasn’t stupid, after all).
Immediately after their position was approved, Anzalorin ran off to let Zan know. After all -- it was news that didn’t bear waiting: They were allowed to try and become dragon riders!
S A L A M A N D Y R
Name: Sprite
Color: Green(7FFF00)
Age: Hatchling
Appearance: This salamandyr is by no means the loveliest salamandyr ever shelled. In fact, she is quite easily the ugliest, with not even a face that a mother could love. Her snout has an odd upturn that might have been cute if her nose hadn’t been so squished into the rest of her face. Her eyes are of two different sizes and placed oddly on the side of her head. As if that weren’t bad enough, they also bulge out, making her face an overall unappealing sight. One should be careful to keep her away from the crèche as she’ll easily make the younger weyrbrats cry. It might be difficult to think that things could get worse as far as appearance goes, but indeed they can. Her spine has an odd hump, right where her wings rest, and she’ll never be able to fully straighten her body out or properly stand on her hind legs. This odd kink in her spine is present again in her tail, which is shorter than is normal, with a few odd kinks in it, as though it were broken in several places and healed incorrectly. Even if a predator manages to snag her tail off, it’ll continue to grow out crooked. Her wings are small, like a proper salamandyr’s should be, with slightly tattered wingsails. Unfortunately this carries over to her frill, which is also on the small side, with tattered edges.
As far as coloring goes, this salamandyr is an unfortunate shade of yellow-green that is absolutely blinding (and not in a good way). From nose to tail tip, there is absolutely no variation in the color to make it even slightly more appealing and it will be difficult to focus on her for long. The only other color can be found on her frill and it is no less unfortunate, being an even more yellow shade of green. It forms an odd pattern of stripes along her frill that might be attractive if not for the absolutely repulsive coloration. As such she is rather unlikely to unfurl her frill except on very rare occasions, as she is quite embarrassed by it’s meager appearance compared to the brilliant patterns that others of her species sport.
Personality: If ever there was a creature whose personality did not match it’s appearance, it is this green. While most would be repulsed by the sight of her, she sees nothing but good in everyone despite their exteriors. While salamandyrs are known for their annoying and occasionally malicious personalities, this green has not a mean bone in her body. There is nearly nothing that can rile this green into a temper, though if there is one thing she absolutely cannot stand, it’s a bully. Only then will anyone ever hear a mean word out of her and even then it will in all likelihood be quietly said. Normally very little is heard from this green as she is painfully shy, preferring not to draw attention to herself, as the reactions she normally gets are less than pleasant. While others may not appreciate her, she still does her best to make sure that people in the weyr come to know harm, watching from a distance protectively over those that she has taken a liking to.
If any are able to look past her monstrous appearance, they would discover a very loyal friend indeed. A kind deed is never forgotten by this green, and she does her best to repay any kindnesses given to her. Even those who are not the kindest toward her are given second, third and even fourth chances. She clearly believes that everyone has good in them, even if they don’t always show it, and she’s willing to wait for as long as she has to in order for them to prove it. She may not be the most intelligent of her species, but it’s the thought that counts, and she certainly always means well.
C A N D I D A T E S . O N L Y:
Name Contraction: A'lor
Queen Only: No.
Desired Dragon Color: Blue/Brown?
Dragon, Wher or Both?: Wher preferred. Will stand for both, though.