“Don't go on discussing what a good person should be. Just be one.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
BASICS
NAME: Solovey
GENDER: Female
PRONOUNS: She/her/hers
ORIENTATION: Lesbian
BIRTHDATE: Fall 2745
AGE: 26
LOCATION: High Reaches Weyr
OCCUPATION: Journeyman Beastcrafter
WING: N/A
APPEARANCE
EYES: Brown
HAIR: Brown/Black
HEIGHT AND BUILD: 5'6", muscular
PLAY-BY: Dianne Doan
FULL APPEARANCE: Solovey is a quiet force of presence. Though the woman may not be particularly tall, her figure is that of pure muscle, with broad shoulders and a naturally wide-set stance that give off the impression of "immovable stone". Roughly calloused hands with short and chipped fingernails and the faint odor of herd animal that seems to have permanently penetrated her clothing quickly make it obvious where Solovey's interests lie, and while her clothing is always clean, it is faded, well-worn and quite patched. Her yellow journeyman's knots, pristine and precisely tied in place, are the only exception to this rule.
Her face is round, with wide cheekbones and a broad nose. Her features are often held in a neutral expression that comes off as reserved and (some might say) unapproachable. Her gaze is a sharply observant one, and can be somewhat discomforting to those who happen to catch it.
PERSONALITY
PERSONALITY: Serious. That is likely the first word that many would use to describe Solovey, followed quickly by descriptors such as quiet or diligent. She prefers not to engage in small talk with others, rarely if ever initiating a conversation for any reason other than necessity, and is quick to move on with her tasks once the needed information is obtained. Those who do capture her in more personal talks will soon find her lack of voluntary additions to any topic at hand to quickly kill any potential for deeper conversation. Oddly enough, one of the few topics that she readily delights in is that of her work. Should anyone show any interest in learning more about beastcrafting, they will discover a far more lively and engaged conversationalist.
While many might assume that Solovey is a no-nonsense, competent woman dedicated to her craft (all of which are true), there is a deeper awkwardness to her that a few might recognize. She finds herself to be a deeply uninteresting person, unlike the far more imaginative crafters such as Harpers, Weavers, Tailors and the like, and as such, sees no reason why others should find any desire to learn more about her. By burying herself in her craft and avoiding interpersonal interaction at all cost, she hopes to avoid being reminded of her perceived boring-ness. Unlike people, herdbeasts don't seem to mind that she may not have the best singing voice so long as she keeps them fed and cared-for.
This self-imposed flaw has made Solovey rather sensitive, and she often finds herself over-analyzing social encounters to see if others may have been judging or thinking poorly of her. She is quick to prickle at perceived slights, the fatal chink in her armor of perpetual patience and steadfastness. While she may excel at the solitary aspects of her work, Solovey struggles to connect and trust others around her enough to work well in team assignments. While her colleagues may praise and acknowledge her skills, they are also quick to find themselves busy with other tasks should a group assignment arise.
HISTORY
FAMILY: Beastcrafter Serenrae (mother), Beastcrafter Tovey (father)
SIGNIFICANT OTHER: N/A
BIRTHPLACE: Beastcrafter Hall
HISTORY: Solovey's early childhood was one of little interest, at least in her opinion. Born to two journeymen beastcrafters, her earliest memories are of helping to measure out grain portions for runner feed and watching her father deftly shear a sheep, or her mother working with her canine to maneuver a herd of goats about the fields. Having shown a particular interest further pursuing the craft, she signed up to apprentice with the hall as soon as she was able.
She never considered a possible life or path outside of the Beastcrafter Hall, quickly finding the craft to come naturally to her. By the age of 15 she had begun to specialize in the lapine herd creatures of the hold in preparation for eventually reaching Journeyman status at 18. During her training, Solovey suffered a nasty gore attack from the antler of a male lapine she had been working with, and it was during her time relegated to the infirmary that a Search rider and dragon arrived to the hold to Search for candidates among the apprentices. Solovey was only aware that the Search had occurred when she was finally cleared from bedrest days later and returned to her classes to discover that several of her classmates were no longer with them.
Upon walking the tables and attaining her Journeyman's knots, Solovey continued her craft at the Hall, occasionally being sent out on short visits to nearby holds to provide assistance with their own herds. Over the next several turns, she continued her education with the hopes of one day gaining Mastery of her craft, though she struggled with the ability to take on and maintain an apprentice of her own. At one point she attempted to teach a group lesson, during which she several students left after Solovey had gotten into a nasty argument with a student about her “tone”. A recent request from High Reaches Weyr for a few more beastmafters to tend their growing herds seemed to offer herself a new start, and Solovey soon found herself on an assignment across the continent, dealing with an aspect of Pernese culture that she'd never given much thought to before.