Post by Kitari on Jun 8, 2007 23:41:40 GMT -5
Character Name: Barec
Age: 18 Turns
Gender: Male
Preference: Males, though he doesn't know it
Previous Position: Holder
Current Position: Soon-to-be Candidate
Appearance: Barec stands at 5’9” and has 18 Turns. His mahogany brown hair is cut fairly short, though a shock of it tends to fall in his face from time to time anyways. His eyes are a deep shade of brown, like fresh-tilled earth, and his sun-darkened skin is a caramel tan. Barec is well-built, though not broad, with strong arms and shoulders from work in the fields and defense practice with daggers. His hands have been toughened by labour, though they can be surprisingly sensitive and gentle while stroking a sickened beast or when he used to aid his canine. Barec’s jaw is square and his facial features masked, though he will be quite susceptible to letting this mask slip when exposed to Pern.
Personality: Barec is quiet and uncertain. He has lived alone for Turns (though he had his beasts and canine for company) and never met another Pernese aside from his parents before then. He would be unsure how to behave in many social situations, though his mother’s interactions with him taught the lad basic courtesies and social codes.
The fear that poisoned his father also drifts through Barec’s veins, and Barden’s warning governs his life. It would be hard for Barec to learn to trust another, but a side of him, the part that was coaxed into growth by his mother, longs for the simple pleasures that friendship and love could bring.
Despite his inhibitions, he dreams of adventuring out and traveling the world, though his devotion to the small Holding restrains him. The isolation pains him daily, and his curiosity about the outside world grows. Barec is also bold and decisive, used to obeying his own laws for Turns now, and he would not bow easily to another’s command.
Barec has also always had an empathy for animals. His bond with the canine was great, and he even felt loyal and sensitive to the burly herdbeasts. This gentle, hesitant side of Barec is evident in his cautious actions, as he is never one to plow into something without thought.
History: Barec’s father trusted no one. Soon after marrying the love of his life, Barden convinced her to move with him to the Southern Continent. He was disenchanted with Pernese society and needed to escape. After toiling loyally in the fields of his Lord for 15 years, he was assured a ‘promotion’ of sorts. It would mean a solid little cot and small plot of land of his own to raise a family on, and he’d finally be able to marry his sweetheart. When denied in favour of one of the Lord Holder’s immature, young sons, Barden was fed up. He married Arecca, only to whisk her away from the only home she’d ever known.
Although they landed at Lyros Hold, the opportunities of a new Holding endless, Barden was unable to remain there long. He began imagining things that Arecca couldn’t comprehend, suspecting his newest employer of cheating him of marks, of other men eyeing his wife… So he packed everything and slipped away with her in the night. They traveled far into the jungle, forging their way with only a pair of beasts, a canine, and a sack of seeds.
Two Turns later, they were well established in a cave overlooking a convenient plateau. Barden had cleared some area and planted crops, which seemed to flourish as readily as the rest of the Southern flora. Safely holed away in their cave, the couple was unbothered by the occasional Southern storms, and Arecca bore Barden his first son.
The young toddler learned early that the world was a dangerous place. At 3, he wandered too far from his father while they were tending the slowly growing beastherd. Barec had paused to gaze hopefully at some redfruit in a tree, when he realized there were eyes gazing back at him. A low growl emerged from the shrouded limbs, and the feline prepared to pounce. Had his father not struggled through the bush at just that moment, hollering at the top of his lungs for his son, Barec’s short life would have ended already. The feline yowled and skulked away, unwilling to risk an attack without her mate.
Barden was horrified by his son’s near death. In the one place he’d thought his small family safe, away from the rest of society, the risks were still too high. Barec could not wander alone. The boy was constantly monitored, always scolded for any deviance. Barec learned early the wisdom of silence and compliance, and he began to absorb the fear constantly wafting from his father. Arecca, too, had been shocked by the feline incident, but she didn’t understand Barden’s obsession with the event anymore than she had his previous paranoid maunderings.
Believing himself sobered to the cruelties of reality, Barden decided to risk no more children in the world. Barec grew up alone, with only his parents and the beasts for company. The quiet, unassuming boy went about his chores as required, exploring the countryside when he could (accompanied by their canine, at the very least), and daydreaming about a life with other children to play with in his moments before sleep.
Despite the strange behaviour of his father, Barec’s relationship with his mother flourished. The times with her were the best in his days, for she would smile where Barden always frowned, and her soft voice would lull his fears and anxiety when life seemed emptiest. He could sit for hours just listening to her sing: songs of dragons, of people, of love… It all seemed so exotic, so unreal and magical to the lad. He swore to himself, every night before sleep, that he would see these things some day. Some day, he would venture out and visit the rest of Pern. Perhaps he would even fall in love, as the people in Arecca’s songs often did.
When he had 15 Turns, his mother fell ill. A viscious storm was raging, and the beasts were still enclosed at the front of the cave, but Arecca did not stir from her furs on the stone floor. She had a raging fever and moaned constantly of a parched throat, but they could not fetch more than rainwater for her while lightning struck randomly about the valley. The storm finally ended, and Barden sent Barec racing for the stream. When the boy returned, he was not permitted to enter the cave. “You might get sick; it could be contagious,” Barden muttered, grasping the waterskin tightly while forcing his son away. Barec recognized the familiar note of panic in his father’s voice and quickly obeyed, a cold knot settling painfully in his gut.
Night fell, and Arecca was no better. Barden was beginning to feel ill-affected, but he dared not leave his wife, though the sickness was claiming him as well. Despite his terrors, his suspicions and fears, this was the one danger he could not run from. Arecca grew worse as the night wore on, and Barec still remained outside the cave, tense and alert despite hours of immobility on the stone.
“It may be a plague…some kind of plague,” Barec could hear his father muttering. The man came to check on him from time to time, daring not to approach him too closely. “You’re not feeling ill, are you?” he’d ask, the worry plain on his face. At Barec’s repeated negatives, Barden would sigh in relief and return to Arecca’s side. By morning, Arecca’s breath had slowed, and Barden found himself unable to return to the cave front for the constantly refilled waterskins placed there by Barec. She died in his arms, and he knew that he was soon to follow.
His father’s last instructions made their way weakly to the opening of the cave, and the boy, tears in his eyes, absorbed them like a sponge. Barden spoke falteringly of the dangers of Pern, warning his son not to trust too deeply, for betrayal would surely fall his way. He urged Barec to remain on the Holding, as such a life would be safest for him. Finally, Barden turned to the grimmest order: Barec was not to enter the cave until a sevenday had passed, to ensure that any disease his parents’ bodies might still hold was gone. This was the last the boy heard, and a deafening silence ensued.
Life must go on, and so it did. Barec’s only companions were the herdbeasts he tended and the ancient canine that had accompanied his parents to this place so many Turns ago. Though she was reduced to panting simply by following him to the stream and back, he bonded with the creature as never before, carrying her when she could no longer keep up and giving her the best cuts of meat when a herdbeast died. She was his only friend on Pern, and the boy was highly sensitive to her needs at all times. He’d speak with her, just to hear a human voice, and she seemed to understand, for she’d wag her tail or droop her head sympathetically, and that was enough for him.
Besides going about his duties and fulfilling those chores necessary for survival, Barec occupied his spare time practicing the rudimentary defense skills his father had taught him (after all, one never knows when a crazy Pernese might wander out in the jungle to attack him). He’d spend hours bare-chested on the plateau, swiping a short dagger through the air in moves rehearsed so thoroughly they became nearly instinct. Now that he was without an opponent for practice, he erected a rather man-like apparatus on a branch planted in the ground, complete with stick arms and a sack filled with dead greens head. Although it couldn’t attack back, it was a good target for staff defense and dagger throwing.
Eventually, his canine too passed away, for even the hardiest of the Pernese canines could not live forever. Barec’s 18th Turn dawned, and he felt the isolation keenly. Although he desperately wished to follow the ancient route his parents had taken in coming to the plateau, his father’s last warning haunted him at every turn. What would the world be like out there? If it was half as nasty as Barden had always said, no companionship could be worth it. But if it had its beautiful parts, the dragons and love Arecca had sung of, shouldn’t he at least experience that, even if only for a short time?
Position in Family: Only Child
Dragon Colour: N/A
Dragon's Name: N/A
Relation to Existing Character: N/A
Special Requests Application reason: N/A
RP History: 6 years
Familiarity with Pern: Read all the books, rped
Candidates Only Section:
Desired Dragon Colour: 1. Blue 2. Brown 3. Bronze
Reason for this Preference: Barec isn't a leader. He's strong, but he's not had enough interaction with people to feel comfortable in a crowd. He's more reclusive and withdrawn. Besides, blue is my favourite colour.
Syllable Numbers for Name: 2-4
Preferred Starting Letters for Name: Not Z! A, B, C, D, F, R, T, etc.
Age: 18 Turns
Gender: Male
Preference: Males, though he doesn't know it
Previous Position: Holder
Current Position: Soon-to-be Candidate
Appearance: Barec stands at 5’9” and has 18 Turns. His mahogany brown hair is cut fairly short, though a shock of it tends to fall in his face from time to time anyways. His eyes are a deep shade of brown, like fresh-tilled earth, and his sun-darkened skin is a caramel tan. Barec is well-built, though not broad, with strong arms and shoulders from work in the fields and defense practice with daggers. His hands have been toughened by labour, though they can be surprisingly sensitive and gentle while stroking a sickened beast or when he used to aid his canine. Barec’s jaw is square and his facial features masked, though he will be quite susceptible to letting this mask slip when exposed to Pern.
Personality: Barec is quiet and uncertain. He has lived alone for Turns (though he had his beasts and canine for company) and never met another Pernese aside from his parents before then. He would be unsure how to behave in many social situations, though his mother’s interactions with him taught the lad basic courtesies and social codes.
The fear that poisoned his father also drifts through Barec’s veins, and Barden’s warning governs his life. It would be hard for Barec to learn to trust another, but a side of him, the part that was coaxed into growth by his mother, longs for the simple pleasures that friendship and love could bring.
Despite his inhibitions, he dreams of adventuring out and traveling the world, though his devotion to the small Holding restrains him. The isolation pains him daily, and his curiosity about the outside world grows. Barec is also bold and decisive, used to obeying his own laws for Turns now, and he would not bow easily to another’s command.
Barec has also always had an empathy for animals. His bond with the canine was great, and he even felt loyal and sensitive to the burly herdbeasts. This gentle, hesitant side of Barec is evident in his cautious actions, as he is never one to plow into something without thought.
History: Barec’s father trusted no one. Soon after marrying the love of his life, Barden convinced her to move with him to the Southern Continent. He was disenchanted with Pernese society and needed to escape. After toiling loyally in the fields of his Lord for 15 years, he was assured a ‘promotion’ of sorts. It would mean a solid little cot and small plot of land of his own to raise a family on, and he’d finally be able to marry his sweetheart. When denied in favour of one of the Lord Holder’s immature, young sons, Barden was fed up. He married Arecca, only to whisk her away from the only home she’d ever known.
Although they landed at Lyros Hold, the opportunities of a new Holding endless, Barden was unable to remain there long. He began imagining things that Arecca couldn’t comprehend, suspecting his newest employer of cheating him of marks, of other men eyeing his wife… So he packed everything and slipped away with her in the night. They traveled far into the jungle, forging their way with only a pair of beasts, a canine, and a sack of seeds.
Two Turns later, they were well established in a cave overlooking a convenient plateau. Barden had cleared some area and planted crops, which seemed to flourish as readily as the rest of the Southern flora. Safely holed away in their cave, the couple was unbothered by the occasional Southern storms, and Arecca bore Barden his first son.
The young toddler learned early that the world was a dangerous place. At 3, he wandered too far from his father while they were tending the slowly growing beastherd. Barec had paused to gaze hopefully at some redfruit in a tree, when he realized there were eyes gazing back at him. A low growl emerged from the shrouded limbs, and the feline prepared to pounce. Had his father not struggled through the bush at just that moment, hollering at the top of his lungs for his son, Barec’s short life would have ended already. The feline yowled and skulked away, unwilling to risk an attack without her mate.
Barden was horrified by his son’s near death. In the one place he’d thought his small family safe, away from the rest of society, the risks were still too high. Barec could not wander alone. The boy was constantly monitored, always scolded for any deviance. Barec learned early the wisdom of silence and compliance, and he began to absorb the fear constantly wafting from his father. Arecca, too, had been shocked by the feline incident, but she didn’t understand Barden’s obsession with the event anymore than she had his previous paranoid maunderings.
Believing himself sobered to the cruelties of reality, Barden decided to risk no more children in the world. Barec grew up alone, with only his parents and the beasts for company. The quiet, unassuming boy went about his chores as required, exploring the countryside when he could (accompanied by their canine, at the very least), and daydreaming about a life with other children to play with in his moments before sleep.
Despite the strange behaviour of his father, Barec’s relationship with his mother flourished. The times with her were the best in his days, for she would smile where Barden always frowned, and her soft voice would lull his fears and anxiety when life seemed emptiest. He could sit for hours just listening to her sing: songs of dragons, of people, of love… It all seemed so exotic, so unreal and magical to the lad. He swore to himself, every night before sleep, that he would see these things some day. Some day, he would venture out and visit the rest of Pern. Perhaps he would even fall in love, as the people in Arecca’s songs often did.
When he had 15 Turns, his mother fell ill. A viscious storm was raging, and the beasts were still enclosed at the front of the cave, but Arecca did not stir from her furs on the stone floor. She had a raging fever and moaned constantly of a parched throat, but they could not fetch more than rainwater for her while lightning struck randomly about the valley. The storm finally ended, and Barden sent Barec racing for the stream. When the boy returned, he was not permitted to enter the cave. “You might get sick; it could be contagious,” Barden muttered, grasping the waterskin tightly while forcing his son away. Barec recognized the familiar note of panic in his father’s voice and quickly obeyed, a cold knot settling painfully in his gut.
Night fell, and Arecca was no better. Barden was beginning to feel ill-affected, but he dared not leave his wife, though the sickness was claiming him as well. Despite his terrors, his suspicions and fears, this was the one danger he could not run from. Arecca grew worse as the night wore on, and Barec still remained outside the cave, tense and alert despite hours of immobility on the stone.
“It may be a plague…some kind of plague,” Barec could hear his father muttering. The man came to check on him from time to time, daring not to approach him too closely. “You’re not feeling ill, are you?” he’d ask, the worry plain on his face. At Barec’s repeated negatives, Barden would sigh in relief and return to Arecca’s side. By morning, Arecca’s breath had slowed, and Barden found himself unable to return to the cave front for the constantly refilled waterskins placed there by Barec. She died in his arms, and he knew that he was soon to follow.
His father’s last instructions made their way weakly to the opening of the cave, and the boy, tears in his eyes, absorbed them like a sponge. Barden spoke falteringly of the dangers of Pern, warning his son not to trust too deeply, for betrayal would surely fall his way. He urged Barec to remain on the Holding, as such a life would be safest for him. Finally, Barden turned to the grimmest order: Barec was not to enter the cave until a sevenday had passed, to ensure that any disease his parents’ bodies might still hold was gone. This was the last the boy heard, and a deafening silence ensued.
Life must go on, and so it did. Barec’s only companions were the herdbeasts he tended and the ancient canine that had accompanied his parents to this place so many Turns ago. Though she was reduced to panting simply by following him to the stream and back, he bonded with the creature as never before, carrying her when she could no longer keep up and giving her the best cuts of meat when a herdbeast died. She was his only friend on Pern, and the boy was highly sensitive to her needs at all times. He’d speak with her, just to hear a human voice, and she seemed to understand, for she’d wag her tail or droop her head sympathetically, and that was enough for him.
Besides going about his duties and fulfilling those chores necessary for survival, Barec occupied his spare time practicing the rudimentary defense skills his father had taught him (after all, one never knows when a crazy Pernese might wander out in the jungle to attack him). He’d spend hours bare-chested on the plateau, swiping a short dagger through the air in moves rehearsed so thoroughly they became nearly instinct. Now that he was without an opponent for practice, he erected a rather man-like apparatus on a branch planted in the ground, complete with stick arms and a sack filled with dead greens head. Although it couldn’t attack back, it was a good target for staff defense and dagger throwing.
Eventually, his canine too passed away, for even the hardiest of the Pernese canines could not live forever. Barec’s 18th Turn dawned, and he felt the isolation keenly. Although he desperately wished to follow the ancient route his parents had taken in coming to the plateau, his father’s last warning haunted him at every turn. What would the world be like out there? If it was half as nasty as Barden had always said, no companionship could be worth it. But if it had its beautiful parts, the dragons and love Arecca had sung of, shouldn’t he at least experience that, even if only for a short time?
Position in Family: Only Child
Dragon Colour: N/A
Dragon's Name: N/A
Relation to Existing Character: N/A
Special Requests Application reason: N/A
RP History: 6 years
Familiarity with Pern: Read all the books, rped
Candidates Only Section:
Desired Dragon Colour: 1. Blue 2. Brown 3. Bronze
Reason for this Preference: Barec isn't a leader. He's strong, but he's not had enough interaction with people to feel comfortable in a crowd. He's more reclusive and withdrawn. Besides, blue is my favourite colour.
Syllable Numbers for Name: 2-4
Preferred Starting Letters for Name: Not Z! A, B, C, D, F, R, T, etc.