:: OOC Information ::Moniker: Suri
How did you hear about us?: Dragon’s Rise Affiliation
:: Character Information ::Name: Verilyn
Pronunciation: Vehr-eh-lin
Title: Lady of Keroon River Hold
Age/ Turn of Birth: 479 AL, Spring
Gender: Female
Place of Birth: Keroon River Hold
Place of Residence: Beastcraft Hall
Occupation/ Role: Character Aspirations:Verilyn wants nothing more than to escape the Weyr where he father forced her to stand as a Candidate, and return to Keroon River Hold where she can marry a man who will treat her as a woman and not a trophy. She intends to help run whatever Hold she ends up marrying into - and won’t take no for an answer.
Family:Φ Father: Beryn. B. 452, D. N/A
Φ Mother: Vasilla. B. 462, D. N/A
Φ Siblings: Farenesa [F] (b.488 AL, d)
Lari [F] (b.486 AL, d.)
Basiler [M] (b.484 AL, d.)
Nemissa [F] (b.481 AL, d.)
Kalina [F] (b.483, d.)
Φ Children:Φ Other Significant:Appearance:
Verilyn had a very lavish life. The eldest daughter of a Lord Holder, she was provided with the best food after tithes to the Weyr, and she often had more freedom than other daughters of Holders. This, paired with her love of adventure, kept the woman in good shape and she was never considered overweight. Her father insisted that she wear clothes befitting her station and her hair be kept styled in a way that showed off her beauty. He had high hopes that her rare red hair and alabaster appearance would entice some Lord Holder into tolerating the young woman's lust for adventure and odd behaviors from time to time.
When Verilyn hit puberty, her body filled out and she reached a height that let her show off more of the lavish dresses. She was a full two inches taller than her shorter sister, and people began assuming she was being prepared for an arranged marriage to a Lord Holder. By 16 turns, the young lady had a woman's curves and often had to fight off the advances of men.
Φ Face: Nemo Valkyrja
Φ Hair: At its darkest, Verilyn's hair is a deep faceted red with a range of color. If she has been spending a lot of time outdoors in the heavy sun, her hair can lighten to a lighter red that sparkles with sun-kissed colors. It reaches her mid-back, and is generally kept long and down. When she is working with the runners, she tucks her hair into a severe bun so that it is off her face and out of the way. If the work is hard it is often falling from the bun, giving it a messy, but pretty, look that is more approachable and less scary.
Φ Eyes: Grey-green/Hazel. Her eyes and eyebrows are very expressive, especially when she is playing music. Her face often mirrors the emotions of the song, or those she is feeling inside while playing. The curve of her brows gives her a vast emotional range.
Φ Height: 5'6
Φ Build: 140 lbs. This tall woman wears her weight in muscle as runner training has burned the fat from her body where it counts. She definitely has her curves however, and weighs a bit more than the average woman.
Φ Other Notable Physical Traits:Her red hair is a very notable thing about her, and she is never, ever mistaken for another person because of it. If a man needs to describe her without remembering her name, he can usually get away with commenting on the color of her hair to get recognition out of the other person.
Φ Style of Dress:Veri's clothing changes often and depends on the situation at hand. As a runner rider, she is often seen in riding leathers, allowing the close fitting gear to accentuate her body and show her feminine figure off. On more formal occasions when the daughters of the Lord Holder are required to dress up, the woman often sports varying lengths of black dresses, which show off her creamy white skin and the rich color of her hair. Veri knows she's beautiful, but she doesn't have the snobby attitude she has often seen with other women.
When she was training with the Harper Hall, the Harper Blues of a Jr. Journeywoman were her usual clothing, and she frequently used her position as a Holder's daughter to commission more fashionable clothing from the distinctive blue color. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, keeping it from distracting her while playing the violin. When she was playing her part as her father's daughter, her outfits were usually beautifully intricate dresses, or flowing pants to allow her more freedom, paired with hairstyles that her Ladies Maid styled for her to show off her red tresses.
As time went on and she was required to dress to be courted, she favored outfits that showed off her body, and scandalized her father. She didn't really want to marry and sit around as a trophy for some man; she wanted to be free to choose her own life and eventually her desires turned toward the freedom of being a Lady with a voice in whatever Hold she ended up helping run. In an effort to put husbands off, she wore her hair down and tried to find the least complimentary colors to her skin tone and hair. Much to her displeasure - she somehow made these odd outfits work and men still tried to court her and earn her father's graces.
Φ Possessions usually found on persona:History:Verilyn grew up the eldest of a minor Holder’s daughters, to a family that seemed to enjoy the females since Verilyn’s mother had only girls as she grew up. She learned early on the lessons of being a Lady, in her father’s hope of having his daughter married off to a Lord Holder. She had much more freedom than most Holder’s daughters, growing up in the center of the Runners, and as a result she didn’t often need supervision when she ran off. Around the age of 9 turns, when she first hopped on a runnerbeast, she challenged a Holder’s son to a race. The resulting dash of speed and the mad run into the huge valley opened the girl’s mind to expanding her knowledge of Pern and learning about the world. She begged to spend some time at the Harper Hall, just to further her learning, and her father agreed, thinking it would be a lovely way for his daughter to learn some maturity and strengthen her desirableness as a future Lady.
At the Harper Hall she learned about the other Holds, and the more intricate lessons on how to run a Hold as a Lady. The instruction was thorough, run by a gruff woman who believed every woman should have an instrument to fall back on, and so - Verilyn learned the violin, and also learned that she rather loved it. She learned quickly and often played some of the pieces by a Master Violinist she knew only in name but never in face. Knowing that she was pegged to be married off, the man couldn’t offer her an apprenticeship, but instead he taught her everything he could before she returned to the Keroon River Hold. Her abilities with the violin were those of a Journeyman, but she wasn’t interested in being a Harper. Having learned the lessons she needed from the Hall, she said her goodbyes and returned home to her father, mother and sisters.
Verilyn’s return to the Hold was celebrated with a Gather and there was much dancing and joviality. Her father presented her with an expensive, beautiful violin and she displayed her talent with the instrument, another ploy to show potential husbands her skill. Knowing many of them were there, the woman displayed her ladylike behavior and played the role of a dutiful Holder’s daughter and made his position shine. She met the visiting men graciously, while vowing that she would never marry into a Lord Holder’s home to become some sitting woman wife fit only for being a trophy. Any man she married would have a partner in the running of the Hold. The determination must have shown on her face, since her father rarely brought marriage up again after that. At least to her face.
Not long after, a runnerbeast, known for her stamina with the herds who had been bred with an extremely successful racing stud, gave birth in the middle of the night. However, it was a traumatic birth, the foal being breech, and the dam died shortly after giving suck to her newborn. Unable to stand the idea of it dying, Verilyn took on the foal as her own project, and raised it by hand. The pair were inseparable, and as a young runnerbeast, the animal often followed her around. As they grew together, Veri began training the young male runner to be a racer like his father, and noticed an uncanny amount of stamina in the creature. Likely, she thought, inherited from his dam. Eventually, when he was old enough, the young runner was brought to the races and began his career as a racer.
He was well known, not just for his ability to keep running at high speeds, but for his wicked savageness for anyone who was not his surrogate mother. Many speculated that he was able to run so well and keep winning, because he thought he could run the rider off his back. A fall from him was also thought to be a death sentence. Thus, it took a brave man to come near the runner, let alone to race on him. But around Verilyn, the runner was a charmer, a flirt even, and he would tolerate anything and anyone as long as she was there.
By the time she is old enough, her father is having trouble finding a man of marriagable age, and Verilyn has spent her time as the model Lady she was expected to become. Even at the races Verilyn behaved as a Lady, showing any who watched her that she was a capable young woman. It wasn’t long after this that the news of the fiance to a Holder’s son died and the family would likely begin looking for another woman for him, and Verilyn was called to rein in her past time, and potentially take her place. Verilyn rebelled angrily, having never met the man, and extremely upset that her father expected her to take a dead woman’s place in someone’s heart. She refused to hear the man’s name, and displayed the proper mourning. Her father never brought him up again, and she assumed the matter was closed. Around this time, her mother became pregnant again. Veri knew he hoped for a son still, and she sincerely wished it for him.
It was decided that since there was a long time in waiting for a man for Verilyn, it would potentially be easier to marry off one of his other daughters since Verilyn is getting past the usual marriageable age. Surprisingly, this pleased her to no end because she assumed that she would get to have some sort of say in who she married at that point. She readily agreed to help find men for her sister. This was, until, he father announced that he was sending her to the Beastcraft Hall. Verilyn was surprised, wondering what the catch was, and why she was suddenly being given her way to train more formally than she had been when she trained her own runner.
Over the last few short months, Verilyn's parents planned a betrothal for the girl in secret hopes of her marrying to the Lord Holder of Keroon, wanting to surprise her with the news. After many sevendays of receiving no word in return, they were afraid that perhaps Lord Holder Izayan had not thought so favorably of their daughter. Seeking some reciprocation from both he and his mother, who had been the first to approach them about the entire matter of marriage, the only consolation they would receive was that of the Lord Holder had been too busy to fully consider the agreement with the kind of attention it deserved. It was a kind way of saying that he was simply undecided, further delaying any betrothal. Eventually, Verilyn's father tired of waiting. The Beastcraft Hall had once again offered to train his daughter with the runners formally, and the offer was soon to close. Lord Beyrn didn’t think the Beastcraft was suitable for a woman, let alone his daughter of Holder blood, but he knew of her considerable skill in the training of runners and was torn between the choices. There was little time now to debate which granted the greater possibility of fame for their daughter. They would have to make their decision quickly. As the days drew on, Verilyn's father grew more impatient with waiting on the Lord Holder, but could not press the matter any further with the man nor his mother. And believing that they had somehow fallen out of favour with him since there was never any reply, Lord Holder Beryn ordered that she would be sent to the Beastcraft, on the condition that she always have her Hold Guard, and her Lady in Waiting with her as safeguards.
Verilyn went, pleased at the chance to train with the Beastcraft masters and willing to accept that she would forever have two shadows while she was away from home. It has been less than a sevenday since then.
Φ Personality:Despite this woman's pride, Veri has a deep sense of honor and never shies from taking punishment. Is is also very honest and will fess up readily if she has done something wrong. When she finds a man she loves, she is also very devoted, and throws herself into the relationship with her heart on her sleeve, as long as he doesn't try to force her into something she doesn’t want. She works very hard training her runner to race, and her skill in raising him when he was orphaned means that he and Verilyn have a very close connection. In the face of playing her dual role as Candidate and Lady, Verilyn is flawless at playing her roles where needed. Other Lord Holder's see her as a reformed woman that has grown out of her impulsiveness of youth and into a doting and model woman for her future husband. On the other hand, all of the dragonrider's know her for who she really is and secretly laugh at the way she manipulates the Holder's into thinking what they want.
Veri has discovered that she has a great love of swimming as it seems to be the best way for her to bathe alone. Often times she will play her violin on the bank of the lake for the creatures of Pern and the runners cavorting in the water. When she is lucky enough to get it, the fire-haired woman also loves stews, the kind that stick to her bones and make her full all day. She adores training and racing other runners with her sisters, or the men raising racing runners. The bonded pair of runner and rider have worked hard at their stamina and races are often bet on - with many losing marks when they think the stallion will lose a long race. Political games are another source of amusement for Veri, as she has a strange sense of humor with her current situation.
Verilyn hates being forced into anything she doesn't want to do. This does not extend to anything about protecting the Hold or doing learning how to run it - but more to things like dressing a certain way. She also hates liars who try to manipulate her or her emotions. Oldtimer Holders who think she should give up her dreams and be a wife are irritating to say the least, and when she is forced to endure their presence, she is a model woman and behaves as though she could do no wrong. This irks the Lord Holders to no end, as they often look for reasons to fault her. Another huge turn off to this woman is jealousy in a partner. When she makes a commitment to someone, she is devoted and loving, not choosing a lover until she finds a man worth her time.
One of Veri's biggest flaws is her firey, short temper. When she is upset, her face will flush and her body trembles with fury. It is hard not to know when she is pissed at you. Coupled with her temper is her attitude and she often speaks her mind even when the time is inappropriate and the person she is speaking to is of a higher rank. This often gets her in deep water and she usually ends up having to bite back her deep sense of pride that being a Lord Holder's daughter imparted in her early. Ever since puberty, the woman has developed a very active libido, and her lustfulness is one of the things that her father tries not to notice. What her father doesn’t know is that Verilyn has remained a virgin, trying to wait for the man she marries. Verilyn is not above being manipulative if it means getting what she wants. She does try not to hurt people, but she will not stop until she gets what she needs. Veri is often seen as impulsive, a trait she hasn't dropped despite growing into an adult.
Φ Shortcomings:Φ Opinionated: She speaks out too much and it often gets her in trouble. Her father often wishes his daughter would accept her lot in life and get married like any other Holder’s daughter. Verilyn makes her opinions on matters known, whether asked for or not.
Φ Perfectionism: Verilyn will do whatever task she is doing until it is letter-perfect. This also translates to any task designated to other people. She will not be satisfied until its perfect and this can sometimes cause issues if the person doing the task has to keep fixing it.
Mannerisms/ Habits:Φ Unconscious facial expressions: When playing music or concentrating very hard, her face reflects how she feels. This is very often the case when her emotions are strong and even more so when she is so deep in her music that the emotion behind the piece bleeds into her heart.
Φ Roving eyes: Whenever she is in a large group of people, her eyes are constantly moving and watching everything going around her. This trait from her days as a Harper has earned her the knowledge of many secrets that people prefer to keep to themselves.
Φ Running her hands through her hair: This is something she doesn't realize she is doing. Stress, anger, annoyance, nervousness, anxiety, lust, attraction, amusement and various other emotions often cause her to rake her hair off her face and backwards.
Φ Skills/ Likes:Φ [Runners and Runner Races]: Whenever she can, Verilyn spends a lot of time at the races spending and earning back most of the marks, and a lot more, from betting on her own runner to win.
Φ [Dancing]: One of the things she absolutely loved about learning to be a Lady was learning to dance. At first, it was her father and a Hold Harper that taught her, but when she spent time at the Harper Hall, this was expanded on and she learned the more intricate dances and loved them.
Unskilled at/ Dislikes:Φ [Chauvinism]: One of her biggest pet peeves is men who think women are property. She refuses to be treated this way, and makes this known when a man tries it. Her firey temper over this particular issue has gotten her in trouble often.
Φ [Elitist Men]: Verilyn discovered that elitist men are rude, judgmental and callus people and that they often set off her quick temper. She made a quick decision that she hated them and the way they behaved. She avoided them, and their irritatingly rude ways.
Fighting Style/ Weapon of Choice:Basic self defense and the use of a dagger for protection.
Subject: Lady Verilyn of Keroon River Hold 
Mon Oct 20, 2014 1:09 am
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