"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all."
-- Helen Keller
BASICS
NAME: Petraxen
GENDER: Nonbinary
PRONOUNS: They/Them/Theirs, though sometimes may refer to themselves with female or male pronouns
ORIENTATION: Pansexual
BIRTHDATE: Summer 2755
AGE: 21 as of Summer 2776
LOCATION: Semaca Weyr
OCCUPATION: Candidate
WING: N/A
APPEARANCE
EYES: Café au lait
HAIR: Espresso
HEIGHT AND BUILD: 6'8" and virtual beanpole.
PLAY-BY: N/A
EXPY SOURCE: N/A
FULL APPEARANCE: A walking stick personified! Petraxen is all sinew and muscle with skin stretched tight over their form. There isn't an ounce of fat on their body, and thus they are very light on their feet - which is handy, considering all the trouble they're prone to getting into. Their skin is a light mocha, sun-kissed in the right places. Their gaunt face is punctuated by a few moles here and there. Dark brown hair hangs in short curly braids from their scalp, so tightly wound that they actually bounce. There are thick callouses on their palms and feet, as they are known to walk barefoot when the opportunity is there. Petraxen is far-sighted and requires reading glasses when dealing with things that are up close, so they are more often than not seen with them perched on their head when not in use. Everything they wear hangs off them and they are not particularly picky about what they don. Petraxen's wardrobe usually consists of short pants, sleeveless shirts, and hats.
PERSONALITY
PERSONALITY: Petraxen has had a taste of adventure and they thirst for it. They are known for getting into things that are off-limits and will often find trouble due to their habit of exploring (especially in forbidden areas). They are bright and brave. Dauntless courage cannot be snuffed out, and even when the situation may be dire they are prone to finding the single-most puny beacon of hope to follow. Absolutely fearless! Which surely won't have horrible consequences down the road, we're sure!
Petraxen is deeply devoted to their family. Their loyalty knows no bounds, and while it is difficult to get under their skin, insulting their kin displays a very rare short-fuse that will result in blows being thrown. Under the surface, Petraxen is also coping with survivor's guilt for being present (and partially responsible) for the death of their father. In silence and solace, they will let their mind wander to it a little too long, a little too deeply ... They are haunted by nightmares and will rewind the scenario over and over again, thinking of ways it could have been fixed and actions that could have been done differently. It is one of the primary drives for their need to be the role model for their younger sisters - and their protector.
Petraxen does not understand personal bubbles. They prefer closeness, surrounding themselves with as many people as possible and considering even their worst rivals as 'friends'. Being extroverted helps drown out the sorrow at his pit.
HISTORY
FAMILY:
Naxen of Blue Anitoth - Mother, Semaca Weyr Candidatemaster (44)
Petravyn - Father (deceased)
Dragonless Xe'e - Aunt (41)
Naxavyn - Sister (19)
Xena - Sister (16)
SIGNIFICANT OTHER: None
BIRTHPLACE: Fort Weyr
HISTORY: Born in Fort Weyr to a dragonrider, Petraxen was the oldest of their family. Though born a male, Petraxen knew that 'he' was a 'they' once 6 turns had blessed their life. It was a simple decisions for
Petraxen spent the majority of their youth exploring the bowels of Fort Weyr's caverns with their father Petravyn, who was quick to entertain his child's need to go above and beyond to strike exhilaration into their soul. Petraxen did this not only to chase the endorphins that came with adventure, but to inspire their two younger sisters, whom they loved and adored from the moment their first cries burst into the world. They were truly blessed children, capable of being cared for by their biological parents without being handed to the creche as fosterlings.
One day when Petraxen was still a youngling and their sisters growing into smart young girls, they challenged Petravyn to a race along the fireheights. The wind in their hair, the thumping of their chest, the fear that knowing a single wrong step would be their undoing ... If Naxen was there, she'd scalp them alive. But they were fine, and Petraxen was winning! That excitement dropped when they realized Petravyn was no longer behind them. Not in front of them, either.
No, Petravyn was below.
He struck his head during the fall. They very last thing Pextraxen heard him say was the proclamation of, "I'm catching up!" He didn't even scream as he fell.
Petraxen nursed an unbelievable grief from that moment on. The knowledge that Petravyn's fall was their own fault was almost too difficult to comprehend. It would be so much easier if Petravyn had, say, been killed by a feral wher or caught in a tangle of threadfall while performing ground crew duties. They remained secluded in Naxen's weyr for several months, sleeping next to Anitoth, needing to be coerced into eating and drinking. There was fortune in Xe'e's decision to become a mindhealer. Petraxen's aunt managed to shatter the wall of sorrow that claimed their heart and began the first stage of healing.
Not long after, Naxen proposed they move to Semaca Weyr. Petravyn's death had been heart-wrenching for all of them, and perhaps the change of scenery would be the balm to soothe their broken souls. Xe'e was invited as well.
When the warmth of Semacan sunshine struck their skin for the first time, Petraxen had a feeling things were going to be okay. Bit by bit, they began to pick up their lives. It would take several turns for them to return to their jovial self again and even then they were never quite the same, but at least the shadow was hiding from the brightness of their energy now. Naxen would eventually become a candidatemaster. When they were old enough, Petraxen took up the mantle of candidate. They stood for several clutches already and Impressed to none, but as they entered their second decade of life they knew it was far from over.
In the winter of 2775, Petraxen acquired a fire-lizard egg from a giveaway in Semaca Weyr. It hatched into a cuddly little gold queen that he named Honeysuckle. The poor girl would not allow them to disappear from her sight, lest anxiety would kick into overdrive and she would kreel in loneliness. To help ease her discomfort when Petraxen would not be able to bring her along on their chores, they enlisted the help of their sisters to craft a teddy bear from some old clothes. Petraxen's scent on the stuffed animal would comfort the little gold.
