Post by Aftershock on Oct 30, 2011 7:42:45 GMT -5
Humans:
Name: M’gnum
Age: 37 (Born August 14, 2985)
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Rank: Dragonrider
Physical Appearance:
M’gnum cuts an impressive figure of a bronzerider, standing at a healthy 6’4” and weighing in at 205 lbs. His body is well-toned, though not bulky, kept in shape by daily combat drills. His dark brown hair complements his tanned body, and many a lady who has caught him doing his shirtless morning combat drills have commented on his curly mane of chest hair.
His face is chiseled, with a square jaw and a slight cleft to his chin, along with piercing blue-green eyes and heavy brows. He keeps his face clean-shaven except for his well-trimmed moustache, which never extends far past the edges of his mouth or far over his upper lip. He has a strong nose that complements the rest of his face, and keeps his hair well-groomed and trimmed short. Overall, he presents an image of straight-backed military precision in all he does.
Clothing-wise, M'gnum always keeps his outfit immaculate as possible, though he isn't afraid to get dirty if he needs to in order to accomplish something. He just prefers to show a face people can follow, and so prefers to be dressed cleanly and neatly, everything tucked in where it belongs and unwrinkled. Casually, he prefers simple clothing, usually cool-colored cotton slacks, shin-high boots, and a tucked-in jerkin or tunic, cotton for cooler months and more billowy linen for warmer months.
For more formal occassions, he will lean more towards silks and high-thread-count cottons, still in cooler colors, though, unless he feels he needs to blend with Higginth. The only exception to this is if he is exercising, as with his previously-mentioned morning combat drills, wherein he will usually simply wear a pair of slacks and lightweight boots, and nothing else.
M'gnum isn't a huge fan of jewelry, considering it the mark of the nobility he left behind to serve the common man, at most wearing the ring of the Lord Holder of Telgar Hold, his family line, which is one of the few possessions (beyond his longsword) that he brought with him from that time.
Personality:
M’gnum considers himself a knight, first and foremost. He follows the codes of chivalry laid out in his book to the letter, and is always quick to come to the aid of the weak or a lady in need. He sees it as his duty to defend those who cannot defend themselves, and to present a model for others to follow.
He is highly charismatic, with an easy smile and a powerful, deep voice that carries well when he chooses to speak to a crowd, or a unit under his command. He especially enjoys speaking to and being around children, as he sees them as the perfect subjects to be trained in proper chivalry while they’re still developing, so that the next generation will have proper knights to carry on his lessons.
Coming from Fort, M'gnum has a very disciplined mindset, and always prefers to obey authority than subvert it, though he will always question an order he does not agree with, though generally still carry it out if pushed. He's willing to go to great personal lengths if he feels authority is overstepping it's bounds, though he'll never do anything to endanger anyone other than himself, and if he knows going too far will end up in his death, he'll back off, as he realizes he can't do much to help as a martyr. When it comes to being in a position of authority, M'gnum always follows the rule of leading by example, and will never ask a subordinate to do something he himself would not do.
He is always willing to attempt to bring a foe to understanding of chivalry, to make an ally out of his enemies, and the enemies of the downtrodden, but also understands that some foes are irredeemable, and does not shy away from killing a foe if they prove unwilling to change. He is merciful, but realistic, and also understands his own limitations; if he feels it necessary to be untruthful to the unjust in order to do his knightly duty, he will, though reluctantly. He much prefers to be honest and true in all things, to be direct rather than roundabout.
History:
2985 - 3002: Birth and Early Life
Born as Magsinium in turn 2985 to Derinium, brother of Telgar Hold’s Lord Holder Derthan, and Derinium’s wife Magsella, Magsinium was trained in all the things a possible heir to the Lord Holder would be; diplomacy, etiquette, history, politics, swordplay, runnerriding, the works. He also took to heart the lessons taught to most Telgar boys: women were subservient in public, but in the home, they were treated like queens.
Magsinium’s father was a man who desired power, and he put much of his hopes on achieving that power on Magsinium. Derinium pushed Magsinium to be the best in all he did, and Magsinium was driven to make his father proud, and excelled in all his training and studies. However, as the years went by, Magsinium began to resent all the pomp and training, realizing he was simply a long-shot heir to the position of Lord Holder, and began to desire more from his life than simply being a backup.
One day in turn 2998, when taking a morning ride through the forests surrounding the Hold, a 13-turn Magnisium noticed a flash of white from the forest floor. Reining in his runner, he dismounted and approached the spot, where he discovered the remains of what appeared to be a book. It was in terrible repair, but he carefully extracted what remained of the tome and took it home with him, where he began to read it. In the book, he discovered writings describing something called “chivalry”, and tales of followers of this “chivalry” called “knights”. There wasn’t much left of the book, so there were many missing pages and indecipherable words, but the tales awoke something in Magnisium, and he realized the life of a “knight” is what he sought to make his life fulfilled.
He began copying the book, filling in the gaps from missing pages or illegible text with what felt best to him personally, and after a few sevendays, he had a completed copy of what he called his “Tome of Chivalry”, which described the tenets of chivalry, such as the proper treatment of ladies, the role of a knight in protecting the innocent and weak, and the importance of honor in all things. Many of the tenets reflected thoughts and attitudes already held by many Telgar holders, but Magsinium was proud to now have them written and specified, ready to be spread outside Telgar to improve the lives of all.
Magsinium continued his training, now striving to be a great knight rather than simply a proper heir, and in turn 3002, the chance he had been waiting for arrived. During a Gather in Telgar, while 17-turn Magsinium was attempting in the few moments away from his family to spread the word of chivalry to those from different Holds, he was approached by a pair of dragonriders from Fort Weyr, who informed him that their dragons had found him to hold great potential, and that they wished to Search him to become a dragonrider for Fort. Ecstatic at this chance to not only get a chance to spread the word of chivalry to more places, but to actually become a heroic dragonrider and defend their land from the depredations of Benden Weyr, he led the riders to his father, who immediately agreed to let his son leave to become a Candidate, knowing he could use such connections to the Weyr to advance his own cause among his family members. The only items beyond simple clothing Magsinium brought with him from Telgar were his family signet ring, and the sword his family had commissioned for him for his swordsmanship training, emblazoned with the seal of the Lord Holder of Telgar on the butt of it's grip.
3002 - 3010: Candidacy, Weyrlinghood, and 10th Pass
Magsinium had quite a shock to his system as he had to adapt to the life of a Fort Candidate. Having gone from being an heir to a Lord Holder to being lower than even the drudges in social stature, Magsinium fell even more to his Tome of Chivalry to guide him in this time, using it as a reminder of what he was striving for when things got especially difficult. Disappointingly, most of his fellow Candidates ignored his attempts to convert them to follow the chivalric code he had outlined in his Tome, either finding the rules silly, or simply not seeing them worth the effort. Magsinium persevered, however, attempting to be an example of what a true knight could be, and strove to be the best knight, and Candidate, he could.
During this time, Magsinium met a young woman by the name of Hisana. A Weaver by trade, the girl’s weak constitution and demure demeanor combined with a certain inner fire appealed to Magsinium’s sense of chivalry, and he became somewhat partial to the girl, taking what little free time he had from Candidate lessons and chores to spend time with her, mostly to keep an eye on the frail girl and keep her safe, though over time it developed into a true friendship.
Finally, in turn 3005, Magsinium’s patience paid off. At his third Standing, a huge egg that most of the females surrounded, thinking it would be a gold, ended up hatching into a powerful bronze named Higginth. The bronze dragonling unfortunately ended up trampling many of the girls on his way over to Magsinium, but Magsinium, now M’gnum, had no time to apologize for his newest companion at the time… he was too busy realizing that his dreams of being a mighty dragonrider knight and bringing peace to the lands and protection and hope to the people were finally coming true.
M’gnum ended up putting as much effort into weyrlinghood as he did Candidatehood and his personal knighthood, and graduated in early 3006 near the top of his class. Soon after his graduation, shock filled the Holds as the indications came to pass and the 10th Pass of Thread began to fall. Joining a Wing, M’gnum used the Threadfall to show what he was truly capable of, and it didn’t take him long to move up the ranks until by 3010 he was Junior Wingsecond of his Wing, and by the talk, on the cusp of becoming Wingleader of his own Wing. Between bouts of Threadfall, M’gnum also participated in combats against the hated Benden, and he even heard rumors that the reason for the huge numbers of dragonriders that Benden fielded were due to strange drug experiments on Benden’s gold dragons that increased their clutch sizes… at a price.
3010 - 3012: High Reaches, R'anatar, and J'lorin
3010, though exciting for M’gnum, was also devastating for Fort. During the turn, the foul C’leon of Benden was able to assassinate many Fort leaders, and their Junior Weyrwoman, Elaira, fled to form a new Weyr at the abandoned High Reaches. Fort, luckily, was able to recover from the blows and come back to eliminate the rogue Weyrleader at High Reaches, though the Weyr itself continued. Wingleader R’anatar took over as Weyrleader, and though M’gnum disagreed with much of how he ran things, disappearances and convenient deaths in battle of those who voiced their dislike of the young new Weyrleader made M’gnum realize that it was better to stay under the radar.
As the turns passed, M’gnum began to realize something… when he and his fellow dragonriders were not fighting Thread, they were fighting Benden, and he soon understood that the war was taking resources away from helping the people of the lands. So many supplies from the Holds, even his home of Telgar, were being funneled into the Weyrs to support the war effort, and he began to quietly decry the waste that fighting fellow dragonriders was causing. He was able to attend a few diplomatic missions in attempts to find an accord, but all ended in failure, frustrating him further each time. Finally, in turn 3012, after a huge siege involving Fort and Benden at the southern Weyr of Selenitas ended with both C’leon and his Weyrsecond F’rel being killed, M’gnum thought the war might soon be over. Soon, word came to Fort that J’lorin, a Fort bronzerider, had actually seized control of Benden, and M’gnum was overjoyed, hoping that finally, with Fort in control of Benden, that they could begin working as one and dedicate their time to helping the people rather than battling each other.
This hope was soon dashed as Fort discovered that Benden under J’lorin was no ally, and combat between the two Weyrs resumed as it always had. The disappointment finally drove M’gnum to decide he needed to take drastic measures… if the war would never end, and he could not find enough allies among Fort to find a peaceful resolution, he would have to leave Fort to seek allies elsewhere. Taking Hisana, who was also tired of the neverending war, with him, he snuck out of Fort Weyr, planning to head south to Selenitas Weyr, who he hoped would accept him and become his ally in finally ending the Northern Wars once and for all.
3012 - 3014: Selenitas Weyr
Reaching Selenitas in early 3013, M’gnum was able to convince the Weyr to take him in, and soon he and Hisana were integrated members of Selenitas Weyr. Soon after his arrival, a clutch of eggs from Queen Hepaticath hatched (though apparently M'gnum had just missed an attempted theft of one of the eggs by an unknown Weyr), and Meira Impressed Jingth, the gold that hatched from that nearly-stolen egg. Things went quietly for a bit as M’gnum settled in and worked on making allies and friends at the Weyr, though a few moments stood out, such as the outbreak of Southern Fever, which M’gnum and Hisana were able to avoid, and the rising of Gold Millieth, who was captured by Bronze Salenth of S'rei, who then replaced K'roi (lost to the Southern Fever plague) as Weyrleader. Though M’gnum knew the man as a wily customer from his time in Fort, he grew to grudgingly respect the man’s tenacity, and came to accept his leadership. Indeed, a Benden-Selenitas alliance was even formed, growing M’gnum’s hope for an eventual peace between all Weyrs.
3014 - 3017: Wasteland, Burimyu Weyr, the Selenitas Earthquake, and Weyr Reunion
Then, in 3014, everything went wrong. First, an unknown party poisoned the Selenitas River, leaving many dead, and even injuring Junior Weyrleader Ka'rys, causing him memory loss. Just as Selenitas was recovering from that blow, suddenly refugees who claimed to be from High Reaches Weyr arrived, as apparently Fort had finally finished off the rogue Weyr for good. It seemed, however, that Fort had tracked the survivors, and attacked Selenitas in an attempt to destroy them once and for all. M'gnum rode out against his former Weyrmates, and though it was a bit sad having to fight those who he used to call friends, he knew that they would not surrender or give up, so he did what he had to do to protect his new home and allies.
Thinking things had finally settled down, things got even worse in 3015. Riders from Wasteland Weyr came to occupy Selenitas, and M’gnum soon realized that fighting back would end many more innocent lives than was worth it. So, he joined those who escaped, though he did not have time to find and take Hisana with him, a fact that would haunt him for three turns. Soon, he and the others had found and settled in at an old abandoned Weyr, which they named Burimyu. M’gnum never heard much news from Selenitas, though of course Burimyu didn’t have any shortage of their own problems, with having to perform the unsavory practice of tithe theft, being discovered at a Hyphen Hold Gather (though luckily most escaped with their lives), and discovering strange creatures that required them to seal off the records room, though not before the creatures had slain Meira, Burimyu's only Goldrider.
Finally, after Gold Jingth betweened following her Rider's death and the hatching of her final clutch near the end of 3016, and having a tithe theft interrupted by a Wasteland/Selenitas attack force, resulting in severe injuries and some loss of life on both sides, Burimyu was suddenly shaken by an earthquake. The earthquake wasn’t severe, however… though soon Burimyu patrols discovered it was because the epicenter was much nearer Selenitas. Soon, the Council had visited Selenitas and garnered a treaty, allowing M’gnum to see Selenitas once more… though the ruins he saw were quite shocking. It was at this point he also finally reunited with Hisana, grateful that she was unharmed, and swearing he would never leave her behind again, no matter the circumstances. Assisting the survivors of the earthquake in moving to Burimyu, the Weyrs were together once more… and perhaps things might finally calm down enough for M’gnum to work on his peace plan once more…
3017 - 3019: New Selenitas Weyr, Benden Alliance, Preparation
The next turn passed mostly without incident... there was the maiden Goldflight of Nitrath, the dragon of Jr. Weyrwoman Caden, but Higginth did not win. M'gnum himself made a few associations, including reuniting with his former weyrling classmate Serissa, who had apparently lost her dragon and fallen into a deep depression. M'gnum convinced her to attend the subsequent wher hatching, where she Impressed a green wher, helping the young woman recover a bit from her dragonloss and starting on her re-integration into Weyr society. M'gnum's personality, however, shaped as it was by his knighthood, kept most people at a distance, and M'gnum passed most of the turn with only professional associations.
Things changed at the end of 3018, however, as the Selenitas Council decided to finally involve themselves in the Northern Weyr War, by communicating with and allying with Benden Weyr. A plan was formed, and M'gnum was assigned as the leader of a small group of riders comprised of former Benden veterans and Selenitas' Legatus Wing, being the most recent resident of Fort Weyr, and therefore the most knowledgeable of it's layout. M'gnum and his squad trained for most of the rest of 3018, preparing for their role in the ending of the Northern Weyr War at long last.
3019 - 3020: The End of the Northern Weyr War
Finally, after the first few months of 3019 proceeded with Selenitas training for war at last, it began. While Selenitas attacked Fort's flank during a Benden offensive, M'gnum and his team infiltrated Fort Weyr on foot, taking advantage of their forces being stretched thin by Selenitas' flanking action to invade deep in the Weyr and finally, slay Fort leader R'anatar. Scattered and without leadership, the remainder of 3019 was spent mopping up any remaining resistance, though M'gnum was sure to offer clemency to those members of his former Weyr who chose to join rather than be slain.
As 3020 rolled around, a summit was held Pern-wide, to decide how to deal with the remaining dragonriders, for the Lord Holders did not wish to again see their tithes to the Weyrs used to support warfare between dragonriders. M'gnum, ecstatic that the Dragon War was finally over and that they could concentrate on protecting the people as they should once more, agreed wholeheartedly with the need for such an action, and when it was deemed necessary to create a new, single Northern Weyr, named Inverness, M'gnum volunteered to assist in it's creation. He spent the majority of the next two turns assisting in the building and supplying of Inverness, and as 3022 came to a close, all the riders and weyrfolk had settled in to their new homes, and though a few minor disturbances from riders unhappy with their new restrictions came about, for the most part things had become quiet once more.
3023 - Present: New Beginnings, and the Weyrleader Trials
As turn 3023 dawned, M'gnum was preparing... the next Weyrleader Trials would soon come to pass, and he wished to compete and see if he could prove himself worthy of the role. Soon, it would be seen whether a true knight would find himself at the helm of a Weyr...
Color:Bronze
DOB: April 3005
Age: 17
Base color: 4a4d25 , Speckles: 336B25 , Dusting and Band: 8B7500
Appearance:
Higginth isn’t the largest bronze out there, but nor is he the smallest. The bronze falls into the average size category for his color, and maxes out at 35 feet. However, he does give off the illusion of being bigger then he actually is due to the fact that most of his size comes from his length. His neck and tail are just slightly longer then average, though this doesn’t mean he looks feminine. No, this male is quite masculine-looking, with a strong jaw, and a rather boxy-looking head. There is not much tapering or elegance to his muzzle at all, instead being rather blunt. His body is packed with thick muscle, and if nothing else he certainly does look imposing. Upon his back are rather large and wide wings. They give him excellent endurance; however, his thick build and large wings render him quite lacking in the agility category. Not that he minds... after all, what would he need agility for? All in all, this bronze seems to have been built for the endurance required for fighting Thread. He makes an excellent weapon against the deadly silver spores.
His hide is a greenish-bronze shade, like those of some of the bronzes of legend. The metallic shine that reflects off him in the sunlight also contains this slightly greenish cast. All across his back, and the backs of his wings, are scattered greenish flecks that look a lot like the oxidation you can find on copper and bronze statues on occasion. The only other marking this male sports is an antique gold dusting on his haunches, and a band of the same color around his left forelimb.
Personality:
Higginth seems to have been born with a noble air about him. He holds himself with dignity, even if he can most often be seen lazily sprawled across a sun-warmed rock. This bronze does love his downtime, though that doesn't mean he’s lazy. He does work when it is required of him; he just prefers to sprawl comfortably in his off time. This male is under the strict belief that he is metallic, and thus born royal, while the rest of the chromatics are the peasants and as such are a bit beneath him. He isn’t outright rude or nasty to the lesser colors of the Weyr; he just looks slightly down on them, as if they were less intelligent then he himself is. The other metallics, on the other hand, he is quite happy to entertain and converse with, as Higginth sees them as more his peer group. The others are very much his pawns... pawns he will nevertheless defend, because it is his duty.
The bronze does love his bonded... at least enough to humor the man in any goals or desires he may have. Though if Higginth doesn’t approve of something his rider did, he will be certain to let him know. The bronze sees the war and fighting as pointless and a waste of resources. In fact, he would prefer to exhaust all other courses of action before spilling the ichor of another. They should be fighting Thread, not spilling the blood of their brothers. Higginth, unlike many of his contemporaries, retains the older distaste for dragon-on-dragon combat. He will fight if he was no other choice, but he really would rather lead his Wing against the real enemy of Pern: Thread. In matters of mating, this bronze will humor a green by chasing her, though he has no desire to interact with her much after the deed is done. No, his real love is only for the golds of the Weyr. He will praise and adore them for the queens that they are, for he is nothing if not a king, and thus only a golden one would do to lay by his side. Why should you treat a green like a queen when she does not shine like one, after all?
Love Green
Species: Salamandyr
Hatched: October 3017
Looks to: M’gnum
Color Codes: 5b9c64-Primary ; cdad00-Bursts
Appearance: Such a perfectly formed creature as this Selenitas has not yet seen. Her form is slender enough, not to mention she takes after her dam in that she is small even for her color, that anyone would call her delicate. In actuality, however, this green has a lithe musculature that allows her to move at startling speeds as well as maneuver effortlessly on land or in water. She can glide short distances but rarely does, as this does not show her in the best light. In the waters, though, her natural emerald hide gleams still more magnificently. The jewel sheen reflects any sort of light brilliantly and she almost always seems to be in her pre-Run glow as a result. Delicately slanted eyes are limned in black like her own personal eyeliner, black wrapping her feet below the knee and the last third of her tail as well. Tiny golden sunbursts run down unevenly on either side of her spine and when she is about to Run she glows like a miniature sun.
Personality: Quite simply put, she is much like an inherently sweet but spoiled little girl who has never been denied a thing in her short life. (And rest assured, her short memory will ensure that this never changes, as she will forget any who cross her within a day or two of the incident.) Any creature who knows her, however, will most likely find her singularly confusing. She is unerringly sweet until insulted or some creature doesn’t do as she desires. Then her mood will turn on a dime and her displeasure will emerge in the form of convincing others of her devoted followers to defend her ‘honor’ and punish the offender, regardless of the species. Considering she can’t seem to abide violence or cruelty in any fashion (apart from that which she directs herself) the contradiction will no doubt leave many puzzled, particularly when you’ve taken up her cause and she forgets the next day that she ever enlisted you and scolds you for being so mean.
Similarly, this green mates for love and love alone. You’d think this would mean that she’d keep the same mate but…well, the truth of the matter is she forgets who her mate was shortly after the Run is over. But don’t dare try to tell her that her current love interest isn’t her ‘soul mate’. She most likely won’t talk to you ever again. (Or at least until she forgets that you said it at all.) Pity on the poor male who falls for this one and believes her talk of lifemates and everlasting devotion. She also tends to be pretty eloquent for a salamandyr, and if her grammar isn’t quite correct you could almost call it ‘poetic license.’ Certainly, she tends to speak in metaphor as often as not.
[X] By checking this box, I am saying that I have read the Rules and History, and will follow them.
Name: M’gnum
Age: 37 (Born August 14, 2985)
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Rank: Dragonrider
Physical Appearance:
M’gnum cuts an impressive figure of a bronzerider, standing at a healthy 6’4” and weighing in at 205 lbs. His body is well-toned, though not bulky, kept in shape by daily combat drills. His dark brown hair complements his tanned body, and many a lady who has caught him doing his shirtless morning combat drills have commented on his curly mane of chest hair.
His face is chiseled, with a square jaw and a slight cleft to his chin, along with piercing blue-green eyes and heavy brows. He keeps his face clean-shaven except for his well-trimmed moustache, which never extends far past the edges of his mouth or far over his upper lip. He has a strong nose that complements the rest of his face, and keeps his hair well-groomed and trimmed short. Overall, he presents an image of straight-backed military precision in all he does.
Clothing-wise, M'gnum always keeps his outfit immaculate as possible, though he isn't afraid to get dirty if he needs to in order to accomplish something. He just prefers to show a face people can follow, and so prefers to be dressed cleanly and neatly, everything tucked in where it belongs and unwrinkled. Casually, he prefers simple clothing, usually cool-colored cotton slacks, shin-high boots, and a tucked-in jerkin or tunic, cotton for cooler months and more billowy linen for warmer months.
For more formal occassions, he will lean more towards silks and high-thread-count cottons, still in cooler colors, though, unless he feels he needs to blend with Higginth. The only exception to this is if he is exercising, as with his previously-mentioned morning combat drills, wherein he will usually simply wear a pair of slacks and lightweight boots, and nothing else.
M'gnum isn't a huge fan of jewelry, considering it the mark of the nobility he left behind to serve the common man, at most wearing the ring of the Lord Holder of Telgar Hold, his family line, which is one of the few possessions (beyond his longsword) that he brought with him from that time.
Personality:
M’gnum considers himself a knight, first and foremost. He follows the codes of chivalry laid out in his book to the letter, and is always quick to come to the aid of the weak or a lady in need. He sees it as his duty to defend those who cannot defend themselves, and to present a model for others to follow.
He is highly charismatic, with an easy smile and a powerful, deep voice that carries well when he chooses to speak to a crowd, or a unit under his command. He especially enjoys speaking to and being around children, as he sees them as the perfect subjects to be trained in proper chivalry while they’re still developing, so that the next generation will have proper knights to carry on his lessons.
Coming from Fort, M'gnum has a very disciplined mindset, and always prefers to obey authority than subvert it, though he will always question an order he does not agree with, though generally still carry it out if pushed. He's willing to go to great personal lengths if he feels authority is overstepping it's bounds, though he'll never do anything to endanger anyone other than himself, and if he knows going too far will end up in his death, he'll back off, as he realizes he can't do much to help as a martyr. When it comes to being in a position of authority, M'gnum always follows the rule of leading by example, and will never ask a subordinate to do something he himself would not do.
He is always willing to attempt to bring a foe to understanding of chivalry, to make an ally out of his enemies, and the enemies of the downtrodden, but also understands that some foes are irredeemable, and does not shy away from killing a foe if they prove unwilling to change. He is merciful, but realistic, and also understands his own limitations; if he feels it necessary to be untruthful to the unjust in order to do his knightly duty, he will, though reluctantly. He much prefers to be honest and true in all things, to be direct rather than roundabout.
History:
2985 - 3002: Birth and Early Life
Born as Magsinium in turn 2985 to Derinium, brother of Telgar Hold’s Lord Holder Derthan, and Derinium’s wife Magsella, Magsinium was trained in all the things a possible heir to the Lord Holder would be; diplomacy, etiquette, history, politics, swordplay, runnerriding, the works. He also took to heart the lessons taught to most Telgar boys: women were subservient in public, but in the home, they were treated like queens.
Magsinium’s father was a man who desired power, and he put much of his hopes on achieving that power on Magsinium. Derinium pushed Magsinium to be the best in all he did, and Magsinium was driven to make his father proud, and excelled in all his training and studies. However, as the years went by, Magsinium began to resent all the pomp and training, realizing he was simply a long-shot heir to the position of Lord Holder, and began to desire more from his life than simply being a backup.
One day in turn 2998, when taking a morning ride through the forests surrounding the Hold, a 13-turn Magnisium noticed a flash of white from the forest floor. Reining in his runner, he dismounted and approached the spot, where he discovered the remains of what appeared to be a book. It was in terrible repair, but he carefully extracted what remained of the tome and took it home with him, where he began to read it. In the book, he discovered writings describing something called “chivalry”, and tales of followers of this “chivalry” called “knights”. There wasn’t much left of the book, so there were many missing pages and indecipherable words, but the tales awoke something in Magnisium, and he realized the life of a “knight” is what he sought to make his life fulfilled.
He began copying the book, filling in the gaps from missing pages or illegible text with what felt best to him personally, and after a few sevendays, he had a completed copy of what he called his “Tome of Chivalry”, which described the tenets of chivalry, such as the proper treatment of ladies, the role of a knight in protecting the innocent and weak, and the importance of honor in all things. Many of the tenets reflected thoughts and attitudes already held by many Telgar holders, but Magsinium was proud to now have them written and specified, ready to be spread outside Telgar to improve the lives of all.
Magsinium continued his training, now striving to be a great knight rather than simply a proper heir, and in turn 3002, the chance he had been waiting for arrived. During a Gather in Telgar, while 17-turn Magsinium was attempting in the few moments away from his family to spread the word of chivalry to those from different Holds, he was approached by a pair of dragonriders from Fort Weyr, who informed him that their dragons had found him to hold great potential, and that they wished to Search him to become a dragonrider for Fort. Ecstatic at this chance to not only get a chance to spread the word of chivalry to more places, but to actually become a heroic dragonrider and defend their land from the depredations of Benden Weyr, he led the riders to his father, who immediately agreed to let his son leave to become a Candidate, knowing he could use such connections to the Weyr to advance his own cause among his family members. The only items beyond simple clothing Magsinium brought with him from Telgar were his family signet ring, and the sword his family had commissioned for him for his swordsmanship training, emblazoned with the seal of the Lord Holder of Telgar on the butt of it's grip.
3002 - 3010: Candidacy, Weyrlinghood, and 10th Pass
Magsinium had quite a shock to his system as he had to adapt to the life of a Fort Candidate. Having gone from being an heir to a Lord Holder to being lower than even the drudges in social stature, Magsinium fell even more to his Tome of Chivalry to guide him in this time, using it as a reminder of what he was striving for when things got especially difficult. Disappointingly, most of his fellow Candidates ignored his attempts to convert them to follow the chivalric code he had outlined in his Tome, either finding the rules silly, or simply not seeing them worth the effort. Magsinium persevered, however, attempting to be an example of what a true knight could be, and strove to be the best knight, and Candidate, he could.
During this time, Magsinium met a young woman by the name of Hisana. A Weaver by trade, the girl’s weak constitution and demure demeanor combined with a certain inner fire appealed to Magsinium’s sense of chivalry, and he became somewhat partial to the girl, taking what little free time he had from Candidate lessons and chores to spend time with her, mostly to keep an eye on the frail girl and keep her safe, though over time it developed into a true friendship.
Finally, in turn 3005, Magsinium’s patience paid off. At his third Standing, a huge egg that most of the females surrounded, thinking it would be a gold, ended up hatching into a powerful bronze named Higginth. The bronze dragonling unfortunately ended up trampling many of the girls on his way over to Magsinium, but Magsinium, now M’gnum, had no time to apologize for his newest companion at the time… he was too busy realizing that his dreams of being a mighty dragonrider knight and bringing peace to the lands and protection and hope to the people were finally coming true.
M’gnum ended up putting as much effort into weyrlinghood as he did Candidatehood and his personal knighthood, and graduated in early 3006 near the top of his class. Soon after his graduation, shock filled the Holds as the indications came to pass and the 10th Pass of Thread began to fall. Joining a Wing, M’gnum used the Threadfall to show what he was truly capable of, and it didn’t take him long to move up the ranks until by 3010 he was Junior Wingsecond of his Wing, and by the talk, on the cusp of becoming Wingleader of his own Wing. Between bouts of Threadfall, M’gnum also participated in combats against the hated Benden, and he even heard rumors that the reason for the huge numbers of dragonriders that Benden fielded were due to strange drug experiments on Benden’s gold dragons that increased their clutch sizes… at a price.
3010 - 3012: High Reaches, R'anatar, and J'lorin
3010, though exciting for M’gnum, was also devastating for Fort. During the turn, the foul C’leon of Benden was able to assassinate many Fort leaders, and their Junior Weyrwoman, Elaira, fled to form a new Weyr at the abandoned High Reaches. Fort, luckily, was able to recover from the blows and come back to eliminate the rogue Weyrleader at High Reaches, though the Weyr itself continued. Wingleader R’anatar took over as Weyrleader, and though M’gnum disagreed with much of how he ran things, disappearances and convenient deaths in battle of those who voiced their dislike of the young new Weyrleader made M’gnum realize that it was better to stay under the radar.
As the turns passed, M’gnum began to realize something… when he and his fellow dragonriders were not fighting Thread, they were fighting Benden, and he soon understood that the war was taking resources away from helping the people of the lands. So many supplies from the Holds, even his home of Telgar, were being funneled into the Weyrs to support the war effort, and he began to quietly decry the waste that fighting fellow dragonriders was causing. He was able to attend a few diplomatic missions in attempts to find an accord, but all ended in failure, frustrating him further each time. Finally, in turn 3012, after a huge siege involving Fort and Benden at the southern Weyr of Selenitas ended with both C’leon and his Weyrsecond F’rel being killed, M’gnum thought the war might soon be over. Soon, word came to Fort that J’lorin, a Fort bronzerider, had actually seized control of Benden, and M’gnum was overjoyed, hoping that finally, with Fort in control of Benden, that they could begin working as one and dedicate their time to helping the people rather than battling each other.
This hope was soon dashed as Fort discovered that Benden under J’lorin was no ally, and combat between the two Weyrs resumed as it always had. The disappointment finally drove M’gnum to decide he needed to take drastic measures… if the war would never end, and he could not find enough allies among Fort to find a peaceful resolution, he would have to leave Fort to seek allies elsewhere. Taking Hisana, who was also tired of the neverending war, with him, he snuck out of Fort Weyr, planning to head south to Selenitas Weyr, who he hoped would accept him and become his ally in finally ending the Northern Wars once and for all.
3012 - 3014: Selenitas Weyr
Reaching Selenitas in early 3013, M’gnum was able to convince the Weyr to take him in, and soon he and Hisana were integrated members of Selenitas Weyr. Soon after his arrival, a clutch of eggs from Queen Hepaticath hatched (though apparently M'gnum had just missed an attempted theft of one of the eggs by an unknown Weyr), and Meira Impressed Jingth, the gold that hatched from that nearly-stolen egg. Things went quietly for a bit as M’gnum settled in and worked on making allies and friends at the Weyr, though a few moments stood out, such as the outbreak of Southern Fever, which M’gnum and Hisana were able to avoid, and the rising of Gold Millieth, who was captured by Bronze Salenth of S'rei, who then replaced K'roi (lost to the Southern Fever plague) as Weyrleader. Though M’gnum knew the man as a wily customer from his time in Fort, he grew to grudgingly respect the man’s tenacity, and came to accept his leadership. Indeed, a Benden-Selenitas alliance was even formed, growing M’gnum’s hope for an eventual peace between all Weyrs.
3014 - 3017: Wasteland, Burimyu Weyr, the Selenitas Earthquake, and Weyr Reunion
Then, in 3014, everything went wrong. First, an unknown party poisoned the Selenitas River, leaving many dead, and even injuring Junior Weyrleader Ka'rys, causing him memory loss. Just as Selenitas was recovering from that blow, suddenly refugees who claimed to be from High Reaches Weyr arrived, as apparently Fort had finally finished off the rogue Weyr for good. It seemed, however, that Fort had tracked the survivors, and attacked Selenitas in an attempt to destroy them once and for all. M'gnum rode out against his former Weyrmates, and though it was a bit sad having to fight those who he used to call friends, he knew that they would not surrender or give up, so he did what he had to do to protect his new home and allies.
Thinking things had finally settled down, things got even worse in 3015. Riders from Wasteland Weyr came to occupy Selenitas, and M’gnum soon realized that fighting back would end many more innocent lives than was worth it. So, he joined those who escaped, though he did not have time to find and take Hisana with him, a fact that would haunt him for three turns. Soon, he and the others had found and settled in at an old abandoned Weyr, which they named Burimyu. M’gnum never heard much news from Selenitas, though of course Burimyu didn’t have any shortage of their own problems, with having to perform the unsavory practice of tithe theft, being discovered at a Hyphen Hold Gather (though luckily most escaped with their lives), and discovering strange creatures that required them to seal off the records room, though not before the creatures had slain Meira, Burimyu's only Goldrider.
Finally, after Gold Jingth betweened following her Rider's death and the hatching of her final clutch near the end of 3016, and having a tithe theft interrupted by a Wasteland/Selenitas attack force, resulting in severe injuries and some loss of life on both sides, Burimyu was suddenly shaken by an earthquake. The earthquake wasn’t severe, however… though soon Burimyu patrols discovered it was because the epicenter was much nearer Selenitas. Soon, the Council had visited Selenitas and garnered a treaty, allowing M’gnum to see Selenitas once more… though the ruins he saw were quite shocking. It was at this point he also finally reunited with Hisana, grateful that she was unharmed, and swearing he would never leave her behind again, no matter the circumstances. Assisting the survivors of the earthquake in moving to Burimyu, the Weyrs were together once more… and perhaps things might finally calm down enough for M’gnum to work on his peace plan once more…
3017 - 3019: New Selenitas Weyr, Benden Alliance, Preparation
The next turn passed mostly without incident... there was the maiden Goldflight of Nitrath, the dragon of Jr. Weyrwoman Caden, but Higginth did not win. M'gnum himself made a few associations, including reuniting with his former weyrling classmate Serissa, who had apparently lost her dragon and fallen into a deep depression. M'gnum convinced her to attend the subsequent wher hatching, where she Impressed a green wher, helping the young woman recover a bit from her dragonloss and starting on her re-integration into Weyr society. M'gnum's personality, however, shaped as it was by his knighthood, kept most people at a distance, and M'gnum passed most of the turn with only professional associations.
Things changed at the end of 3018, however, as the Selenitas Council decided to finally involve themselves in the Northern Weyr War, by communicating with and allying with Benden Weyr. A plan was formed, and M'gnum was assigned as the leader of a small group of riders comprised of former Benden veterans and Selenitas' Legatus Wing, being the most recent resident of Fort Weyr, and therefore the most knowledgeable of it's layout. M'gnum and his squad trained for most of the rest of 3018, preparing for their role in the ending of the Northern Weyr War at long last.
3019 - 3020: The End of the Northern Weyr War
Finally, after the first few months of 3019 proceeded with Selenitas training for war at last, it began. While Selenitas attacked Fort's flank during a Benden offensive, M'gnum and his team infiltrated Fort Weyr on foot, taking advantage of their forces being stretched thin by Selenitas' flanking action to invade deep in the Weyr and finally, slay Fort leader R'anatar. Scattered and without leadership, the remainder of 3019 was spent mopping up any remaining resistance, though M'gnum was sure to offer clemency to those members of his former Weyr who chose to join rather than be slain.
As 3020 rolled around, a summit was held Pern-wide, to decide how to deal with the remaining dragonriders, for the Lord Holders did not wish to again see their tithes to the Weyrs used to support warfare between dragonriders. M'gnum, ecstatic that the Dragon War was finally over and that they could concentrate on protecting the people as they should once more, agreed wholeheartedly with the need for such an action, and when it was deemed necessary to create a new, single Northern Weyr, named Inverness, M'gnum volunteered to assist in it's creation. He spent the majority of the next two turns assisting in the building and supplying of Inverness, and as 3022 came to a close, all the riders and weyrfolk had settled in to their new homes, and though a few minor disturbances from riders unhappy with their new restrictions came about, for the most part things had become quiet once more.
3023 - Present: New Beginnings, and the Weyrleader Trials
As turn 3023 dawned, M'gnum was preparing... the next Weyrleader Trials would soon come to pass, and he wished to compete and see if he could prove himself worthy of the role. Soon, it would be seen whether a true knight would find himself at the helm of a Weyr...
Bronze Dragon Higginth
[/size][/center]Color:Bronze
DOB: April 3005
Age: 17
Base color: 4a4d25 , Speckles: 336B25 , Dusting and Band: 8B7500
Appearance:
Higginth isn’t the largest bronze out there, but nor is he the smallest. The bronze falls into the average size category for his color, and maxes out at 35 feet. However, he does give off the illusion of being bigger then he actually is due to the fact that most of his size comes from his length. His neck and tail are just slightly longer then average, though this doesn’t mean he looks feminine. No, this male is quite masculine-looking, with a strong jaw, and a rather boxy-looking head. There is not much tapering or elegance to his muzzle at all, instead being rather blunt. His body is packed with thick muscle, and if nothing else he certainly does look imposing. Upon his back are rather large and wide wings. They give him excellent endurance; however, his thick build and large wings render him quite lacking in the agility category. Not that he minds... after all, what would he need agility for? All in all, this bronze seems to have been built for the endurance required for fighting Thread. He makes an excellent weapon against the deadly silver spores.
His hide is a greenish-bronze shade, like those of some of the bronzes of legend. The metallic shine that reflects off him in the sunlight also contains this slightly greenish cast. All across his back, and the backs of his wings, are scattered greenish flecks that look a lot like the oxidation you can find on copper and bronze statues on occasion. The only other marking this male sports is an antique gold dusting on his haunches, and a band of the same color around his left forelimb.
Personality:
Higginth seems to have been born with a noble air about him. He holds himself with dignity, even if he can most often be seen lazily sprawled across a sun-warmed rock. This bronze does love his downtime, though that doesn't mean he’s lazy. He does work when it is required of him; he just prefers to sprawl comfortably in his off time. This male is under the strict belief that he is metallic, and thus born royal, while the rest of the chromatics are the peasants and as such are a bit beneath him. He isn’t outright rude or nasty to the lesser colors of the Weyr; he just looks slightly down on them, as if they were less intelligent then he himself is. The other metallics, on the other hand, he is quite happy to entertain and converse with, as Higginth sees them as more his peer group. The others are very much his pawns... pawns he will nevertheless defend, because it is his duty.
The bronze does love his bonded... at least enough to humor the man in any goals or desires he may have. Though if Higginth doesn’t approve of something his rider did, he will be certain to let him know. The bronze sees the war and fighting as pointless and a waste of resources. In fact, he would prefer to exhaust all other courses of action before spilling the ichor of another. They should be fighting Thread, not spilling the blood of their brothers. Higginth, unlike many of his contemporaries, retains the older distaste for dragon-on-dragon combat. He will fight if he was no other choice, but he really would rather lead his Wing against the real enemy of Pern: Thread. In matters of mating, this bronze will humor a green by chasing her, though he has no desire to interact with her much after the deed is done. No, his real love is only for the golds of the Weyr. He will praise and adore them for the queens that they are, for he is nothing if not a king, and thus only a golden one would do to lay by his side. Why should you treat a green like a queen when she does not shine like one, after all?
Green Salamandyr Shekinah
[/center][/size]Love Green
Species: Salamandyr
Hatched: October 3017
Looks to: M’gnum
Color Codes: 5b9c64-Primary ; cdad00-Bursts
“'Tis thine the world with harmony to join, for all things spring from thee, O power divine . . . all productions yield alike to thee: whatever the heavens, encircling all, contain, earth fruit-producing, and the stormy main, thy sway confesses, and obeys thy nod."
[/i][/size]Appearance: Such a perfectly formed creature as this Selenitas has not yet seen. Her form is slender enough, not to mention she takes after her dam in that she is small even for her color, that anyone would call her delicate. In actuality, however, this green has a lithe musculature that allows her to move at startling speeds as well as maneuver effortlessly on land or in water. She can glide short distances but rarely does, as this does not show her in the best light. In the waters, though, her natural emerald hide gleams still more magnificently. The jewel sheen reflects any sort of light brilliantly and she almost always seems to be in her pre-Run glow as a result. Delicately slanted eyes are limned in black like her own personal eyeliner, black wrapping her feet below the knee and the last third of her tail as well. Tiny golden sunbursts run down unevenly on either side of her spine and when she is about to Run she glows like a miniature sun.
Personality: Quite simply put, she is much like an inherently sweet but spoiled little girl who has never been denied a thing in her short life. (And rest assured, her short memory will ensure that this never changes, as she will forget any who cross her within a day or two of the incident.) Any creature who knows her, however, will most likely find her singularly confusing. She is unerringly sweet until insulted or some creature doesn’t do as she desires. Then her mood will turn on a dime and her displeasure will emerge in the form of convincing others of her devoted followers to defend her ‘honor’ and punish the offender, regardless of the species. Considering she can’t seem to abide violence or cruelty in any fashion (apart from that which she directs herself) the contradiction will no doubt leave many puzzled, particularly when you’ve taken up her cause and she forgets the next day that she ever enlisted you and scolds you for being so mean.
Similarly, this green mates for love and love alone. You’d think this would mean that she’d keep the same mate but…well, the truth of the matter is she forgets who her mate was shortly after the Run is over. But don’t dare try to tell her that her current love interest isn’t her ‘soul mate’. She most likely won’t talk to you ever again. (Or at least until she forgets that you said it at all.) Pity on the poor male who falls for this one and believes her talk of lifemates and everlasting devotion. She also tends to be pretty eloquent for a salamandyr, and if her grammar isn’t quite correct you could almost call it ‘poetic license.’ Certainly, she tends to speak in metaphor as often as not.
[X] By checking this box, I am saying that I have read the Rules and History, and will follow them.
