Dreamer
Posts : 47
Join date : 2013-08-10
Age : 33
Location : California
 |  Subject: Zorayda, junior Weyrwoman of High Reaches, Rider of Gold Opsimath  Sat Sep 21, 2013 4:14 pm | |
|
OOC Info:
Moniker: Dreamer/Amanda
How did you find out about us?: Email invite
Character Info:
Name:
Zorayda
Pronunciation:
Zor-A-da
Title: Junior Queenrider of High Reaches
Honorific: N/A
Age & Turn of Birth: 38 (463)
Gender: Female
Place of Birth: Tillek Hold (in a minor Seacrafting Hold)
Current Place of Residence: High Reaches Weyr
Craft: N/A
Rank/Occupation/Role Desired: Senior Weyrwoman of Igen
Character Aspirations: Zorayda wants control, she wants power, she want to get out High Reaches. Not in that order.
OOC Character Development Goals: Zorayda spent most of her time at High Reaches frozen out of any type of weyrwoman duties or responsibilities, and I would like to see her grow into a leader. I expect that she will make terrible choices, and offend people she shouldn’t offend and make a mess of things before she gets any good at being a leader, but at some point I would like her to become competent.
Family: (Give their name, age/year of birth, rank and signify if they are deceased.)
✣Father: Terenfenes, 421, Journeyman Seacrafter, Deceased
✣Mother: Rewestria, 70 (431)
✣Siblings:
Inesta, Sister, 52 (449), Wife
Triesta, Sister, 49 (452), Unwed
Necoran, Brother, 47 (454), Journeyman Seacrafter
Kasa, Sister, 42 (459), Wife
Faru, Brother, 35 (466), Holder (cot)
Dehesta, Sister, 32 (469), Wife
Zorayda
✣Children:
By D’rion
Z’rion, Son, 20 (481) Bronzerider (transferred)
By J’than
Jathayna, Daughter, 14 (487) Weyrbrat
R’sel
Dasel, Son, 10 (491), Weybrat
✣Nieces/Nephews:
Inesta
Five children, three boys, two girls
Necoran
Six children, four girls, three boys
Kasa
Two children, both boys
Dehesta
Four children, two boys, two girls, to the best of Zorayda’s knowledge, currently pregnant
(Triesta and Faru have no children)
✣Other Significant:
Appearance:
Face: Olivia Williams
How she usually looks at High Reaches Weyr
How she looks at a Gather or a warmer place
✣Hair: Zorayda often wishes that she could chop all of her hair off. Her hair is fine, and flat, especially when it’s been done up in a braid for riding, or tied back so that she can work in the archives or in the kitchens or with children or overseeing tithes or inspecting Weyrlings or any number of tasks.
She tried having short hair for a few turns in her twenties and it looked great. Her hair was wavy, and bouncy, and full of life, but it was also constantly in her face, escaping from pins, and sometimes leading Holders and Crafters to think she was a man.
So she grew it back a few years later, and while it’s a pretty brown, and it’s nicely wavy, she mostly has it tucked behind her hood, or tied back.
✣Height: Zorayda is 5’10 in bare feet, but appears taller as the Goldrider will not even leave her weyr without boots (which give her an extra two inches). She doesn’t insist on the boots for the height increase (though she appreciates it), but because she is constantly cold, and hates have cold feet more than almost anything.
✣Build: Despite having given birth to three children, and having been a dragonrider for over twenty three turns, Zorayda is still almost lanky in build. She’s narrow, and tall, and slim, and when pregnant, her large belly is almost comical. Her loose clothing (most often in layers) makes her look slightly bigger, but she’s still almost gaunt enough to look unfed, though she eats and drinks well.
Zorayda maintains that the cold is the reason she’s so thin.
✣Other Notable Physical Traits: Zorayda has a fair number of scars on her body (mostly concentrated on her hands and arms). These are the legacies of being a sea crafter for most of her early life (she started helping gut fish at six), and have mostly faded, though a few still shine white.
✣Style of Dress: Layers, layers, layers. Scarves and shawls, gloves and big boots, pants and tunics with a jacket (or two) are the bare minimum for Zorayda. Everything is of high quality (of course), but mostly it’s picked to be the absolute warmest.
Zorayda really doesn’t like the cold. Shards, her riding leathers were made a size too big so that she could wear long johns underneath.
Possessions usually found on persona:
✣ a note book and writing implement. She’ll often pull this out of a pocket and note things down- or pretend too. It’s both excellent for taking notes, and for giving herself and excuse to ignore or recuse herself from other people’s company.
✣ Scarves. Generally more than one, often tied around her waist (just in case)
✣ balm for her lips. They are constantly drying out, and she tries to keep them from getting chapped, though she doesn’t always succeed.
History:
Zorayda’s family is not a lucky family. They never happen to be at the right place, at the right time.
That’s not to say that they are unlucky either.
It’s just that if they seem to be having some sort of luck, there will be something unlucky that will happen to leave them with no net gain (or loss).
When Zorayda was young, her father was promoted to Journeyman Seacrafter, and was allowed to pick a hold to move his family to. He picked a cothold on the coast of Tillek because he thought that a particular breed of fish (fairly rare, easy to dry) would do a single run there, and he’d be able to build a nest egg fairly quickly and build capital to support his family.
He was right.
Unfortunately for him, he also arrived about a week to late to take advantage of the run.
And that sort of pattern persisted for all of Zorayda’s childhood. Her father would save up money to buy a better boat, but a storm would require all of the marks to be spent, Triesta made a match that would have given their family good connections, but her fiancé died in a fishing accident before they could be wed, Zorayda Impressed a Gold but managed to make enough mistakes that she never gained the clout to help advance her family beyond their status as just barely middle class.
Zorayda remembers her childhood in Tillek as idyllic. Her family was poor, but they always had enough to eat, and while her parents didn’t dote on her, the community was fond of her, and it was fairly obvious that she would grow up to be pretty, so her childhood was full of smelly fish, but also the fresh brine scent of the ocean, and swimming and finding shells and making jewelry with them, and getting scolded for skipping lessons or shirking chores.
(She pointedly does not remember the days where squalls would appear of out nowhere, and she and her family would worry about their father and brothers and boat.)
She also remembers her initial excitement about the Clutching of a third Gold at High Reaches. She and Kasa daydreamed about Impressing the Gold (and speculated wildly about how Thread was certain to return if High Reaches were to have three prime Golds all at once), singing ballads about famous Weyrwoman, and whispering about the rumored sexual looseness in the Weyr.
It was a diverting fantasy, and when Dragons came to Search at their Hold, Kasa and Zorayda were ecstatic. When a Blue officially Searched Zorayda (and one other boy, who later Impressed Blue) the entire Hold wanted to celebrate, and Zorayda left with barely a second glance.
It wasn’t until she arrived at High Reaches Weyr and Zorayda met the other girls who were Gold hopefuls that her fantasy started to feel real (and also like a terrible mistake).
Zorayda arrived in the Weyr around two weeks before the eggs hatched, and that was just enough time to realize that the Weyr classed girl candidates differently. Some (Weyrbred and highborn Ladies mostly) were considered to be the real contenders for the Gold, and there was gossip (and odds) on each of them.
Others, Zorayda included, were considered (if they were considered at all) only suitable for Greens. At the time, Zorayda felt a kind of righteous fury at being considered unworthy of a Queen, and with that fire warming her (and it needed too, Zorayda, even then, considered High Reaches to be unreasonably cold), she went to her lessons, and acted in the way she thought a Queenrider would act (which, honestly, was probably a touch more imperiously than a candidate probably should have), and ignored how the ‘Queen Contenders’ clique reacted to her.
Zorayda didn’t care, and, as it turned out, Opsimath didn’t care either.
But still flush and sparkling from her Impression, practically glowing, Zorayda found out that the Junior Queenrider Mara cared quite a lot (a close friend of hers had been standing, and Mara had hoped that this unexpected Gold Egg would have allowed her a best friend to run the Weyr with), and Mara and Zorayda ended up spitting nasty insults at each other during the Impression celebrations. (Zorayda, for her part, was not careful to keep the insults subtle, or secret)
This probably would have still smoothed over had the Senior Queenrider not been Mara’s grandmother who took any insult to her precious (and favorite) Granddaughter very seriously.
So while the Weyr proper rejoiced over having three Queens, the two elder Queens decided that this gift was actually a tunnelsnake sent to bite them. And they treated Zorayda with the kind of distain you’d expect from proper ladies with a pest problem.
Thus, Weyrling training was awfully lonely for Zorayda. She was treated differently by her class mates and by her teachers, the two Queenriders who were suppose to be her closest companions ignored her (except to point out when her social graces were lacking, or her flying lacked style, or her manner of dress was all wrong, or the people she associated with were unacceptable) as a grudge between the two junior Queens festered.
Zorayda did not make it easier for herself, either. She was a strong willed woman, and Mara, though the junior Queenrider, was not Zorayda’s better, and she refused to bow to her.
(It should stand without saying that getting into yelling matches in public with the Weyrwoman’s favorite about anything is not a good idea. But getting into yelling matches about the way things are done, and what etiquette to follow, well, that is an even worse idea)
As time went on, the people of the Weyr continued to treat Zorayda differently, but the reason changed- instead of awe about her being a Queenrider, it was due to fear that associating with Zorayda would bring disfavor from the Weyrwoman.
It got so bad, that by the time Zorayda graduated, and people started speculating about when Opsimath would Fly, Mrana announced that Opsimath’s Flight would be an open one. Mrana said it was to strengthen ties with other Weyrs, but Mara whispered to her friends and sycophants that it was because Mrana was afraid that too few High Reaches Bronzers would want to chase a woman as acidic as a Tillek wine.
Zorayda’s first Flight was almost a disaster (Opsimath’s forceful nature barely tamed enough to only blood), and Zorayda was slightly depressed in the aftermath. She also found herself pregnant. After Opsimath Clutched, Zorayda started to feel better (having healthy eggs on the sands was a balm to her soul) and she attempted to write lyrics to a song about falling victim to a stereotype. She and the Bronzerider (who was not from High Reaches) both had little interest in raising a child, so when he was born Zorayda fostered him almost immediately.
It was possible, at that point, with few people willing to associate with her outside of work, Zorayda might have succumbed to some form of depression, but one unmistakably good thing happened to her. Zorayda met her best friend, Karene.
Fort had a Golden egg on the sands, so when the Hatching began, Fort geared up for a massive celebration, and all of the Goldriders arrived, ready to make the acquaintance of the newest of their fold.
And Zorayda, at this point just shy of nineteen, hoped that the newest Goldrider would be someone she could get along with. And her dreams were to be confirmed.
Karene and Zorayda got along splendidly.
So while her place in High Reaches did not improve, Zorayda improved because she finally had a place to go when her Weyr grew claustrophobic and unbearable. She could just make an excuse and head over to Fort, where Bronzers flirted freely, and Karene was (though often busy with her Weyrling training) usually able to spend time with the other Goldrider.
With that outlet, turns passed, and Zorayda started taking up more of her duties as High Reaches third Queenrider. She mostly got the worst of the duties (and the ones with the least amount of power- no negotiating with Holders about what they would Tithe, or with Crafthalls for their services, no inspecting Wings or Weyrlings- mostly just archives and receiving Tithes and glad-handing at Weyr events).
Things improved between the High Reaches weyrwomen, but they remained cold toward each other. Things briefly got worse right before Zorayda’s second pregnancy when her secret affair with a Fort Weyr Bluerider became public, and though Zorayda did break it off with J’than, her pregnancy and then her daughter acted as potent reminders that Zorayda did not keep with the mold of a proper High Reaches Goldrider.
Zorayda spent most of her twenties dealing with reality, and then, when it was dark, and Opismath was sleeping, wishing that there were a way out of High Reaches. Even with the eventual partial thaw of Mrana and Mara, Zorayda knew that she didn’t quite fit, and Igen Weyr stood empty, the perfect place to hold her dreams.
It wasn’t until her third pregnancy that Zorayda started actually thinking about how she could possibly actually make her dreams a reality.
491 was a turn of massive changes. The first was Zorayda’s first real Weyrmate. He was a Bronzerider Wingsecond at Ista, tan, relaxed, a bit of star for his impressive performances at several Weyr Games, and they had been meeting each other for the previous turn and a half. He was no secret lover, no married Holder or flirt of a Bluerider, or not even a Bronzerider who’s Wing always came first. R’sel was a Weyrmate that Zorayda would and could talk about openly, and it was very exciting to her. When Zorayda became pregnant with his child, she actually felt excited to tell the father.
And when R’sel heard, he wanted to arrange a transfer to High Reaches, and it felt like everything was going right in the world. Finally.
Only Mrana and Mara both refused to accept the transfer request (going on about some sort of issue with Ista, or that they had enough bronzes or something, but Zorayda recognized false excuses when she heard them).
Zorayda, who’d honestly thought that Mrana and Mara had finally decided to give up on their grudge, was crushed.
R’sel was also crushed, and while he didn’t blame Zorayda (he’d been to High Reaches, and seen how the Bronzeriders there treated her, seen how all of the Caverns people treated her- respecting her authority, but offering nothing else, how gossip flowed around but never included her, the way her responsibilities were less than what she was capable of), he did slowly distance himself from her (at some point after Dasel’s birth, Zorayda found out that he was pursuing a Greenrider), and Zorayda was crushed.
Then things got a lot worse.
Opsimath took Flight again, and R’sel did no participate, and two weeks after Opsimath’s Flight, Mrana announced that she was retiring.
It was well known that neither Zorayda nor Mara had predictable Flights, but with Opsimath’s Flight so recently over, it was obvious that Mara would be the next Weyrwoman of High Reaches.
And it was another indication that Mrana did not think that Zorayda was (or perhaps, ever would be) a suitable Weyrwoman.
That was the day (at least, the day that Zorayda would always think of) that Zorayda decided that she was going to reopen Igen Weyr. It was the only way that she could ever recoup the hurt that being not even considered for High Reaches Weyr had caused.
It took time to get things into motion. When Igen Weyr being reopened was breached, Zorayda wanted to be the only possible candidate considered for Weyrwoman. Zorayda went to work recreating her image as the kind of perfect junior Weyrwoman than any Weyr could wish for. She stopped flirting as much, and got to know the Lord Holders for Telgar and Igen and Keroon.
And after five turns of image rehabilitation (swallowing her rage when Mrana and Mara merely switched offices, rather than giving Zorayda the proper authority she was due, ignoring how her ideas were either ignored or treated like Mara had come up with them herself, acting like the many slights did not matter, refusing to let even the barest hint of scandal or story become attached to her name until even the most outrageous acts of her past were ignored), added by the Impression of her eldest son to a Bronze, Zorayda finally was referred to as a suitable Queenrider.
That was the point that Zorayda finally felt comfortable going to Karene (now the senior Weyrwoman of Fort) to ask for her help in pushing for reopened Igen Weyr. And while Zorayda (never one to underestimate Karene) was fairly sure that Karene had known what Zorayda wanted before Zorayda did, Karene reacted like she’d never thought of it, and like it was a wonderful idea.
And so, for four turns, Zorayda and Karene plotted togethered to reopen Igen Weyr. And, a turn ago, they successfully got the opening to begin (it wasn’t the only thing they successfully plotted, either. Karene and Zorayda also got Z’rion transferred to Fort Weyr).
With Zorayda offered up as the potential Weyrwoman.
Of course, Telgar demanded that their junior be send as well, and Fort had another junior that they were offering, but Zorayda trusted that this was going to be hers, that she would have the first Flight and take the title of Weyrwoman for herself.
(Mara claiming that Mrana was still well enough to work as junior until Mara’s Gold gave her a Gold egg, both Mara and Zorayda working together for practically the first time, both of them wanting Zorayda safely at Igen)
Supplies have finally started arriving at Igen (soon to be time to pick out a Headwoman) and Zorayda has never felt so wonderful, selecting who should transfer, and negotiating with Telgar Hold and Weyr (since the Hold was beholden to both Weyrs), and overlooking the crafters who are fixing up the problems and basking in the glorious heat of Igen Weyr.
It’s been over twenty three turns since she’s felt this warm.
(except when she feels cold because bad things keep happening to her Weyr, and she can only wonder if she’s tried to be too lucky, and this will all end badly)
Personality:
Zorayda is hotheaded. She was far, far, far worse as a younger woman, but she’s honestly not grown out of her anger. It’s just that she’s often right, and it bothers her when people won’t listen, and when they continue to not listen, she tends to yell.
She’s not very maternal (she’d met twice a year with each of her children- one at time, as to not overwhelm herself since they turned six and were finally able to communicate), but she keeps an eye on her children and she always tries to do what’s best. She honestly feels more connected to Opsimath’s children, because she keeps a much closer eye on those riders who Impress to Opismath’s clutches.
Zorayda is a solid negotiator. She hasn’t got a tongue of silver, or anything like that, but she has a pretty good feel for people, and can read them better than most, so she manages to get what she wants without usually haven’t to trade anything she can’t spare.
Her leadership style is based on her negotiation style. She’s much more likely to lead with a carrot, but she’s not adverse to bringing out a stick. She likes to offer rewards, and while she knows that can’t always be the case, she’s a big fan of reminding people what they are looking forward too.
Zorayda genuinely likes people, which is one of the reasons that only having one close friend, and occational lovers has been so hard on her. She wants a large friend group, but it’s never been possible for her.
Zorayda used to hold grudges, but she’s trained herself out of it. She knows, from experience, that a grudge blinds you to the present, and keeps you from making the best decision. That doesn’t keep her from forgetting any slight or fight. She’s just smarter about how she handles it.
Zorayda loves to flirt and banter, and while she’s tamped down on that for the last few years to get herself to appear more like a cold, ice queen Queenrider, her natural inclination is to flirt like she’s a Greenrider.
Shortcomings:
Zorayda curses like a sailor when she’s upset or injured. To be fair, she grew up with sailors, but she was suppose to learn to not do that. Unfortunately, she’s never really stopped. It just takes a little more provocation to get her to start.
Zorayda has a hard time dealing with sick people. She knows how she’s suppose to act around them (kind, caring, sweet) but mostly she wants to tell the vast majority of them that they are malingering, and aught to work through their sickness.
Zorayda feels sensitive to any insults towards Tillek (especially towards Tillek wines). A surefire way to get her riled up is to make comments on the inferiority of Tillek wine.
Mannerisms or Habits:
Zorayda still handles her silverware like a fishwife, unless she pays attention to how she’s eating.
Zorayda doesn’t really have the best time sense, and she’s constantly asking Opismath to ask the Watch Dragon what the time is.
Skills/Likes:
✣[Skill/Like 1]:
She’s not a huge fan of working in the archives, but that has been one of her main tasks for twenty plus years, so she’s more than able to go for hours at time copying, reading, or even taking minutes.
✣[Skill/Like 2]:
Swimming; Zorayda is a talented and strong swimmer, and tries to take a least two or three hours a week to go swim somewhere with warm ocean water (she’s not a huge fan of lake water, but will go in a pinch)
Dislikes/Unskillful at:
✣[Dislike/Unskillful at 1]
Cold temperatures. She barely even likes cold drinks in hot weather.
✣[Dislike/Unskillful at 2]:
Babies; she’s never had to handle one for more than a few minutes, and she has no real idea of what’s she’s suppose to do with them.
Fighting Style/Weapon of Choice:
If she ever chose to fight (and I’m not saying that she will), Zorayda would probably pick the kind of knife that she used to gut fishes.
Dragon Information:
Dragon Name: Opsimath
Year of Impression 478 AL
Clutch Name: N/A
Weyr of Hatching: High Reaches
Wing: Queen’s Wing
Colouring: Gold
Size:
✣Length: 38.7 meters,
✣Height: About 6 hands higher than total length
Other Physical Characteristics:
Opsimath is the largest Queen in High Reaches, but High Reaches Queens don’t tend to be that large (possibly because of lack of sun exposure). She’s very brassy in color (which stands out well against snow, not that Opsimath ever allows herself stand in snow), and it probably one of the most vocal Queens currently on Pern.
Personality:
The only person who hates cold more than Zorayda is probably Opsimath. She loathes the cold, and remembers Ista and Igen and Tillek beaches whenever she’s alone, or not explicitly speaking to someone. When Zorayda told Opsimath that they were going to stay in Igen forever, Opsimath was disappointed that Zorayda didn’t mean that they were leaving right this second.
She’s far more maternal than her Rider is, and, with prompting can tell you the exact rank of each of her offspring’s riders, as well as what they hope to do. She even keeps in contact with the dragons who have transferred to other Weyrs.
Opsimath has experienced enough bleed through from her rider that Opsimath treats all High Reaches Bronzes and Gold with vague distain.
Voice:
When Zorayda has a moment to spare to talk to her dragon, they do talk, and Opsimath’s voice is rapid fire. It’s also blunt, the way her Rider’s was when she first Impressed, without the tact that turns of age have given Zorayda. | |
|
Calendar
