“We are, all of us, our own phoenixes, if we choose to be. Out of the ashes, we can be reborn.”
Jaina Proudmoore, Tides of War
BASICS
RETIRE INFO:
Janaiya: Retire
Kiyanarth: Retire
NAME: Janaiya, Naiya to her dearest friends, occasionally Jaina
GENDER: Female
PRONOUNS: She/her/hers
ORIENTATION: Bisexual but very picky
BIRTHDATE: Late Winter 2735
AGE: 31 as of Early Autumn 2767
LOCATION: High Reaches Weyr
OCCUPATION: Candidatemaster, Bluerider, Searchrider
WING: Moonshot Wing
APPEARANCE
EYES: Light blue
HAIR: Blond, long and silky
HEIGHT AND BUILD: 5’8, muscular and somewhat stocky
PLAY-BY: Custom Hyur Playable Character (FFXIV)
FULL APPEARANCE:
Perhaps some might call Janaiya beautiful- she wouldn’t, because she doesn’t care. She possesses the classically strong, angular lines of a woman of some Blood in her ancestry, as well as long, thick and silky blond hair, both difficult to control and amazing to style… She stands tall and fierce, pride visible in her every movement. She doesn’t walk, she strides with a sense of purpose If anything, Janaiya hopes to exude an air of seriousness that will make others think twice about bothering her.
Still, despite her desire to seem fearsome and unapproachable, she is a woman of grace and sophistication. Pale skin is complement by sweet, rosy cheeks and pink rosebud lips. A sprinkling of freckles mark her face, more prominent and visible in summer. A long scar mars her cheek, a consequence of the war, and other scars hide beneath her clothing: the biggest of which are on her thigh and her right forearm. They healed well for their time, but stand out nonetheless.
She prefers convenient clothing, in paler tones with accents of blue to match Kiyanarth’s hide. Her Gather finery consists of a ruffled, figure-hugging dress, which enhances her natural femininity. She prefers to keep her hair pinned, but when left alone it falls over one side of her face, sweeping in soft ways to the midst of her back.
PERSONALITY
PERSONALITY:
A proud woman whose stern demeanour conceals a warm and sensitive soul, Janaiya may, at first, seem quite cold. She has little patience for time-wasters and less driven folk, and the unambitious might find her too intense and driven for their liking. Janaiya likes to have plans: big plans, small plans, day-to-day schedules. If everything runs like clockwork, mistakes and errors are easy to spot. She likes clerical and logistical work because it gives her a greater sense of control and ability to fix things, but more than anything else she needs to feel like she’s doing or achieving something. Feeling useless or that her efforts are futile is one of her greatest frustrations.
She does not enjoy tomfoolery, japery, shenanigans or any sort of hijinks: they are a waste of her time, they are a waste of your time, and just a general waste of resources altogether. Despite her rigid and disciplinarian ways, she has shown herself capable of compassion and warmth towards those who are in genuine need of help. She does not turn anyone away at first- everybody has a chance to prove themselves worthy of her time and effort, and she will relentlessly throw herself into helping someone with work or self-improvement of some kind if they are willing to put in an equal amount of effort. However, once her trust has been broken and she has formed a negative opinion of a person, it may be very difficult indeed to change her mind.
Fond of rules, fairness and justice, Janaiya lives by a very black and white moral code, that has guided her for most of her life. Her biggest concern in daily affairs is how power is handled by riders- especially those of bigger dragons. She scrutinises other riders with a very critical eye, including herself and her friends. The woman holds herself to high standards, and will willingly accept blame if she believes she is at fault. Her desire to do right by everyone will often see her overthinking her own actions, analysing every possible outcome and picking the one which benefits the greater number of folk. She is clever and resourceful, but micromanages herself to the point of being a bit snappish and short-tempered. Janaiya doesn’t really trust others to be as thorough or as cool-headed as herself, and therefore would rather do everything than let somebody else muck it up. It takes a persistent and caring person to break down her guardedness and extreme work ethic.
Janaiya’s first response in a crisis is one of calm, cool logic. She is rational, preferring to cut her emotions out of decision-making processes altogether. She can be merciless and remorseless, often described as entirely unfeeling, but she has learnt to bury her pain and concerns deep within her heart, locking them away to never deal with them again.
Beneath the sharp exterior and driven ambition, there is a woman of warmth and tenderness, rarely expressed and saved for more private, intimate moments. She is a romantic at heart, despite suffering from acute cynicism, and believes there is a true love out there for her. Until then, she scorns and rebuffs flirting- she is more likely to pursue than be pursued. With close friends, she is a little more relaxed and open to being teased: her strict, disciplined facade becomes the butt of a few jokes. She is more open with conversation too, and may surprise some with her quick wit and deep knowledge of strange topics.
In moments of social relaxation, during which Janaiya is expected to ‘relax and enjoy herself’, she feels a bit lost. Alcohol leaves her melancholic and nostalgic, whereas dancing makes her uncomfortably aware of her body and the bodies of those nearby. She doesn't like losing her outer armour of ‘tough rider’, and will often excuse herself from social or ‘fun’ obligations if not pushed or hounded into attending.
Upon her promotion to Candidatemaster, Janaiya found herself more embroiled in the lives of the youths of High Reaches. This has made her a little more patient where before she might have been brusque, but her tolerance for shenanigans has, if possible, diminished further. She has an open-door policy that serves her well, but often seeks out candidates personally when she believes she can be of assistance, fearing perhaps that they might be too intimidated to come knocking.
HISTORY
FAMILY:
- Father: Nayavar
- Mother: Jassali
- Siblings
BIRTHPLACE: Kuras Hold, minor Hold beholden to High Reaches
HISTORY:
TW: mentions of violence and death, mental illness
Kuras Hold was filled with a proud people, most of whom were loyal to their Lord. Janaiya’s uncle, Narravar, ruled wisely and fairly, and did his duty to the major Hold of High Reaches, as well as the Weyr to which the first tithes were due.
It didn't stop High Reaches riders from descending upon the Hold, sowing destruction in their stead. With half of the Hold on ruins and Narravar dead, Janaiya’s cousin became heir apparent, and her father, Nayavar, was acting Lord until his nephew came of age.
She was only ten at the time, but Janaiya grew angry and mistrustful of dragonriders at the sight of her Hold on ruins. Her resolution and desire to change Weyr politics began then: someday she yearned to influence the Weyr enough to remove the mad Golds from power altogether.
At twelve, she took up healing as an apprenticeship, although she was certain of her future. Three Turns later, she presented herself for Search and was brought to High Reaches Weyr along with other candidates. Her distrust and dislike were slowly solidifying, witnessing first hand the brutal treatment of the ‘disposable’ riders, and the continuous attacks on helpless Holds. Her anger met no reprieve even as other candidates tried to befriend her, and Janaiya began to garner a reputation as cold and heartless.
It wasn't until the early winter of 2754 that she finally met her match in a cynical, sarcastic dark blue dragon by the name of Kiyanarth. His egg was large and heavily favoured to hatch bronze, but the dragonet itself was almost midnight black, angular body drawn in straight lines and edges by what appeared to be intense hunger. He gazed around the candidates with a most judging gaze until his eyes fell on the blond haired candidate. Janaiya, you need the best of the best to flourish, and your Kiyanarth is the best. Despite his size and weight, he did not falter as he marched towards her, dragon and rider bonding in an intense moment of rainbows and iron wills.
Kiyanarth proved lazy, argumentative and talented, everything Janaiya wanted to throttle in other riders. Her self-discipline benefitted them both, and she learned quickly how to ensure his cooperation and obedience. In turn, Kiyanarth brought levity and dry humour to the bond, reminding his rider why her quest for justice and revenge could not be the be-all and end-all to her life. Despite his draconic memory, he seemed to have more foresight than her.
They graduated Weyrlinghood in 2756, and got a taste of what it was really like to be fighting a War. Her ideals and principles were tested time and time again- sent to the front to fight for something she opposed morally, it began to weigh her down, dragging her into depression. Without the help of some friends made during weyrlinghood, she might have succombed to the torment and anguish her mind was putting her through.
In 2761, when a final assault saw High Reaches dragons pitted against Fort’s, Janaiya and her Wingmates gave it their best before surrendering. Kiyanarth was more than happy to oblige Fort’s dragons and riders- he wanted no part in turning on dragonkin, and besides, this whole war was stupid and definitely not his idea, and who even wanted to take over more Weyrs anyway? Needless to say, Kiyanarth’s reticence to fight and Janaiya’s desperate desire to save him from pain saw them defect to Fort’s leadership as soon as the offer was extended to them.
The pair returned to High Reaches when able to, in the early months of 2762. Janaiya understood that the political tension was still heavy and fragile, but at least now she better understood the costs of war. She didn’t falter in her moralistic stance, even when Kiyanarth had begun to relax in the new High Reaches atmosphere. Dragonriders could never again be allowed to wage war on people- other Riders, or Holders or Crafters. She was still wary and mistrustful, especially suspicious of those who rose to or clung to power. When Xander was elected as senior, she had started to hope that perhaps High Reaches’ more democratic approach was working: and yet, still power had a way of being misused, especially as Xander’s family ties rose to eminence on the Council.
However, a Turn or so ago, Xander promoted her to Candidatemaster. It came as a shock- and an honour- for the bluerider. Although Kiyanarth outwardly complained of having to watch rowdy ragamuffins and ensure they were not too incompetent, Janaiya knew he loved it: he loved observing the candidates at work and in lessons, and made a competent Searchdragon when he put his mind to it. The position was filled with delectable logistics and responsibilities- everything the woman loved, really- and left her with a renewed sense of hope and belief in the Weyr. Even if High Reaches was corrupt, somewhere in its Council, she might be able to help save some, if not most of the riders from the power and political games that lurked in the shadows. She might be an inspiration- and, shells, maybe even a good mentor to some of the young hopefuls.
In 2767, a disastrous Threadfall left Moonshot- and many other Wings- in ruins. As Moonshot wingriders, neither Kiyanarth nor Janaiya were spared from the bad turn of fate. A blue clutchmate of Kiyanarth’s, Antayrith, took a clump of Thread across his back, crippling his flight. Kiyanarth reacted instinctively, shouldering the blue to prevent him from crash-landing. Janaiya broke her left arm in the process, and Kiyanarth’s wing was scored as the blues tried to land. Though Antayrith and Kiyanarth were both grounded, they and their riders were expected to make a full recovery.
