Character Type: Weyrling
Rank: Weyrling
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Sexual Preference: Heterosexual
Appearance
With Turns of hard, demanding labor beneath his belt, C'tonnel has a handsome, rugged appearance that gives him a more mature look. He's shorter than most of his age, standing well under six feet, but comes packed with a body of lean and toned muscle. The freckles on his cheeks and shoulders have darkened markedly since arriving at Ista. His complexion, though rough, has been well cared for, as this is a young man who prides himself on how he looks to the world. He's not above using the same methods young ladies use to keep their skin fresh and their hair luxurious. There's no shame in wanting to look your best.
His wardrobe is neither gaudy nor elaborate, however, as he prefers to dress in things that both accentuate his body and work practically. He has no use for glittery, expensive jewelery (unless it’s to woo some unfortunate young girl). Form-fitting wherhide trousers and sleeveless tunics are staples. The best he has for formal wear is a long-sleeved number which his mother made for him; it has incredible sentimental value.
Personality
C'tonnel is a manipulative, arrogant young man with scarcely any loyalties toward anyone but himself. His most dominant yet false loyalties are shown toward the Istans since he has claimed to be one of them, though he can understand where the Outsiders are coming from, leaving him at a politically neutral stance that wavers as it suits him. Coming from a small cotholding in the North has put a fear of being forgotten in him; he failed to grasp any of the lessons of sacrifice or community that his parents taught him. Where others were happy to lay down their lives for Skybroom Cothold, C'tonnel always looked toward the skies, believing that he was destined for something greater. That something greater was a dragon. He has never understood how holders couldn't respect and admire such gallant people after hearing the stories of their bravery. Desperate for respect, power, and attention, he will stop at nothing to make sure that not only does he Impress, but that he'll be the best dragonrider Ista has ever seen.
Having such delusions of grandeur has all but detached him from the way the world works. While he is no stranger to good, hard work and feels no shame in putting his hands or skills to use, he has no more come to understand the importance of community, especially how it relates to the Weyr. Dragonriders are noble people, yes, but to C'tonnel they will never be true brothers and sisters in arms, they will be little else than respected servants; even the most haughty and powerful of Lords needs a good contingent of followers backing him. This philosophy extends especially to those who work a living serving the Weyr: drudges, crafters, and candidates alike are all a means to an end, a part of his grand journey. They deserve the same ounce of charity. Those beneath him (which is to say, most people) can expect loads of backhanded compliments and an aggressive, no-nonsense attitude that demands respect as he strives to build up his reputation in the Weyr.
Being a man so obsessed with fame, power, and glory, C'tonnel has difficulty allowing himself to be really vulnerable — vulnerability leaves you open to being destroyed or set aside. It doesn’t help that he has a closet full of skeletons. Friends will never really be friends to him. They’ll never share deep, heart-felt moments or freely gossip about their days. This will leave him undoubtedly lonely and yearning for real companionship, but until he learns to relax and open up he’ll be left wanting.
Common Knowledge
- C'tonnel comes from Ista Seahold (or so he claims), where he was a fishing Apprentice rescued out of some unnamed cothold.
- Knows the basics of fishing nets and how to work on a boat (he did his research).
- He's been around the Weyr for just a few months, with his first clutch being the RainCallers.
- Loves picking on Gavas — like family is supposed to do to one another.
- Gav is his cousin from his mother's side, through some far off branch of the family tree.
- Never shirks his duties…but doesn't particularly stop to help anyone else, either. It's not his fault you can't do your own chores.
- Really, really hates when someone's gone and messed with his stuff. SABOTAGE?!
History
Birthdate: 8.435.7.26
C'tonnel was born in a small holding in Fort Weyr's territory, a place beholden to both Fort Weyr and Hold, with a name that suggested large, overwhelming sky-brooms yet had none to speak of. Their holding was a small farming and mining hold, where his father moved from job to job as they needed while his mother served as a seamstress and midwife both. He grew up with kids that were not always his age and he learned early on how to make himself useful for the hold, starting with vegetable peeling and working his way up to more demanding things like runner handling. Except for a few tithe deliveries to Fort Hold, he never left his small home.
Few children were ever Searched out of Skybroom. Whether it was laziness on the part of the dragonriders or just an inability to see any child as worthwhile, visitors from the Weyr were few and far between, and even fewer were those who came to steal away with a young boy or girl. Still, C'tonnel dreamed of having his chance to leave and claim the honor of being a dragonrider, having grown discontent with his lot in his life. When they wouldn't come to him, he decided at fourteen to steal away in the middle of the night to travel to the Weyr on his own, carrying all that he could fit in his small rucksack. His parents found him in the holding just down the road, where they gave his ear and his backside a good thrashing.
Three Turns later another window of opportunity opened. Through word of mouth C'tonnel heard of a group of traders who were bound for Ista, planning a boatload of cargo meant for celebrating the new Weyrleader and his new clutch. Recklessly he snuck aboard their ship, but had little more luck than in his previous venture. He was discovered straight away. Terrified that they would toss him off into the ocean, he pleaded, offering all that he had in exchange for travel, and all that he had were his skills. He swabbed, hoisted, and cooked his way from Fort Seahold to Ista Seahold. A note was the only thing he left for his family.
Knowing no one and having nothing, C'tonnel immediately played himself up as a jack of all trades in order to earn himself some work. He put himself to work around Ista Seahold and spent his days hauling cargo, whether they were shipbound crates or fishing nets, and at night he slept upon a cot with the fishing apprentices.
Unlike Skybroom, dragonriders frequented Ista Seahold often, especially with a clutch hardening on the sands. Though no dragon ever directly Searched him, C'tonnel believed that he was worthy of a dragon and refused to let the riders leave without him. Knowing about the "outsiders" through Hold hearsay, he painted himself up as an Apprentice of the Hold and an Ista native desperate to claim his chance at Impression. All too eager to put more Istan blood on the sands, the rider ferried him off to the Weyr. Though he failed to Impress from his first standing, he chose to remain there, ever convinced that he'd finally found his destiny.
Relationships
G'vas - What does he want from me?
B'salen - Good for a laugh.
L'par - Guy seriously needs to learn to relax.
C’tonnel’s Dragon: Brown Raskhath
Appearance
Age: 1
Weyr of Origin: Ista
Raskhath will never win any contests for beauty. He's a little smaller than average for a brown, and he's lean, angular. Some might say he's downright knobbly. There appears to be no excess flesh on him anywhere at all, no padding or softness, and his markings only seem to emphasise the appearance of bonyness. His hide is a dark brown, like burnt cocoa or mud after a heavy rain. There is no shine to it at all, even when he's oiled, it will seem to seep into his hide, making it appear darker…but never gleam. He has a stripe down his neck, from his head to the place where neck joins body, which is a brown so dark it almost appears black. This colour appears again on the tip of his tail, and around his face like a frame, or a helmet. His face itself is the lighter brown, but it is surrounded by the almost-black brown. His wings are a touch longer than usual and his headknobs, following the angular nature of the rest of his form are pointy.
From the moment he hatches, Raskhath will be keenly aware of his physical limitations. He's not the biggest, brawniest dragon in the bunch, he's brown not bronze, and he's not exactly the dragon most of the ladies will fawn over. He accepts these facts, he can't do anything about them, but he will not accept that these mean that he cannot achieve what he wants. He knows he'll just have to rely on different tools to get him there, rather than physical prowess.
Personality
One of those tools is his cunning. Raskhath is a very shrewd dragon, capable of great manipulation and deception if it benefits him. You'll never see him taking a step back because of honour or because good manners say that you should. When he grows up to be old enough for mating flights you can be sure he will do anything to win…anything that doesn't incriminate him…that is. That includes bribing a lackey, with an extra herdbeast from his meal to crash into a fierce competitor. Or even taking off early and getting ahead, saving energy and time. After all if he played by the rules, he'd never win. The strong dragons would win every time, and he'd have nothing.
To have nothing is Raskhath's greatest fear. He wants so much, particularly power, prestige, respect, that the idea of being a nobody terrifies him. He's capable of so much more! To be a nothing would be a waste! He craves control, the feeling of being able to give orders and be obeyed, but unfortunately he's not a particularly good leader. He has a tendency to ignore the bigger picture when he's in power, focusing on the now and immediate pleasures. He lacks the understanding that good leaders are as beholden to those they lead, as they are to him. He rewards those who follow him of their own free will, as long as they are useful to him, but when the chips fall, you can be sure that Raskhath will look after himself first, and then perhaps some others…if they are lucky.
It's a good thing for him that he happens to have a bit of a silver tongue. He will very quickly develop a tendency towards self deprecation, so as to avoid suspicion or anger. How could he have done that? Haven't you seen how stupidly knobbly his knees are? Smooth and eloquent, with dry, sarcastic humour Raskhath is an excellent conversationalist and a rather charming flirt. It is this, rather than his looks that may win him the attention of the lovely greens and even golds that he chooses to lavish his attention on. He's exceptionally choosy about the ladies he chooses to court, but if he does choose you, you can be sure that he will be a perfect gentleman…as long as you don't look at another male while he's interested in you. Jealous and possessive, Raskhath can be vicious if he thinks he's been rejected for another.
If his scheming and cunning mind could be turned towards fighting thread, Raskhath could become a powerful force in Ista's wings. However he will always crave an ascent to power, and those ahead of him will always be in his sights to find a way to slide past them, and advance himself.