Al'bus of Bronze Matanuth

[Arcane]

AL'BUS

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

BASICS
RETIRE INFO: Retire, have them killed by someone they wronged during the war
NAME: Al'bus, born Alanabus
GENDER: Male
PRONOUNS: He/him/his
ORIENTATION: Homosexual

BIRTHDATE: Early winter, 2694
AGE: 72 as Fall, 2767
LOCATION: Semaca Weyr
OCCUPATION: Semi-retired, but still serves as a wingrider when needed
WING: Nocturne

APPEARANCE
EYES: Blue
HAIR: White, worn long
HEIGHT AND BUILD: 6'2, slender and weakened by age
PLAY-BY: Michael Gambon
FULL APPEARANCE:
It is hard to imagine Al'bus as a younger man. He has embraced his age instead of hiding from it and appears every inch the venerable veteran he is. He wears his white hair and beard long, tucking both beneath his helmet on the rare days he still flies Threadfall. He favors robes and embroidered hats, despite now living in the heat of Semaca. Al'bus has a smile for all, gentle and full of wisdom, and his eyes often twinkle with not-so-hidden amusement.

PERSONALITY
PERSONALITY:
Al'bus appears at first glance everything a veteran rider should be. He is good-natured, rarely losing his temper, and happy to offer his wisdom and counsel to any who seek it, with an aphorism for it seems any situation. He has a lively and sometimes eccentric sense of humor and despite his age can still be found giggling like a Candidate over a weyrbrat's particularly clever prank. He's a teacher at heart and enjoys spending his time with and advising the next generation in an informal capacity. He may no longer hold or seek any positions of authority, but he's not dead yet and has no intention of letting all he's learned die with him. These days, he often takes the time to appreciate the little things, from a new pair of socks to an excellent song by the fire. He's spent too much of his life so focused on the future, he never enjoyed or built a present.

There's a deep sadness inside Al'bus few will ever see. He regrets what he was in his younger turns and what he had a hand in building. As much as he wishes to make amends, he's not sure how or if it is even possible. Most days, he recognizes that undoing his work is a task for the next generation and regrets that he has made their lot harder. Al'bus is not a colorist anymore and has denounced most of the beliefs and practices of his birth weyr, believing that all should be permitted to fly as high as their own talents will take them.

Al'bus is a man of great ideals and while he does enjoy the company of others and has the capacity to develop strong bonds of affection, he will almost always put the grander vision over any individual. He can be manipulative when he believes he is doing what's right and will sacrifice anyone, including himself, for the greater good. While he's withdrawn from the world somewhat over the turns, he continues to follow and occasionally involve himself in politics. On the right side this time. His former weyr will never overrun Pern, so long as there's something Al'bus can do to stop it.

HISTORY
FAMILY:
Father: Al'nar of Bronze Dumbledorth, Killed in the war (2732)
Mother: Errabus, Drudge and failed candidate, Died of old age (2749)
Sister (-2): Alara of Blue Narrath, Died in threadfall (2762)
Sister (-7): Errana of Green Arianath, Killed in the war (2735)
Brother (-5): E'nar of White Aberforth, Alive, maybe
Niece (Alara's daughter): Alaytine of Green Geromoth
Grand-nieces and nephews: Alayna of Gold Wyzeth, Unay of Green Ekkunath, Al'une of White Shayith

SIGNIFICANT OTHER: None any more, ex-weyrmate Gel'lert of Bronze Grindlewalth
BIRTHPLACE: Benden Weyr
HISTORY:
TW: Death, murder, violence, war crimes
Al'bus has lived a long full life full of many deeds, many he is proud of, more that fill him with shame. He was born in Benden Weyr, in a time few still remember. A time when a war between the weyrs was unthinkable and female brownriders were still something of a curiosity. He was born to a drudge named Errabus and her bronzeriding weyrmate. He grew up being told it was his destiny to Impress, preferably a bronze. That metallic riders were special. Important. Superior. The leaders of Pern.

The Pern of Al'bus' youth was another world, where the closest thing to a mutation Pern had was its whites and when the traditional hierarchy went unquestioned. And Al'bus seemed to have it all. He Impressed his first time standing, to a fine bronze, fell in love with a fellow bronzerider and achieved some success in Benden politics. He was a wingsecond, eventually a wingleader and even a Weyrleader for a few turns in his mid-twenties. Al'bus was a staunch traditionalist, helping steer Benden away from any lures the new ways might hold. Let the other weyrs indulge their greenriders' delusions of grandeur- Benden remembered the proper way.

Al'bus was already in his 30s when the first crops failed, an established and respected rider. He worried little over it at the time. He was a bronzerider and such tragedies were for lesser people to worry about. The tithes would continue to come and if the holders used their poor harvests as an excuse to neglect the weyr? Then they would be reminded why few risked the wrath of dragons.

He didn't see the war coming until it was too late. Few people had. But that didn't stop it from coming. Or Al'bus from fighting for his weyr by his weyrmate's side. Gel'lert had fewer moral principles than Al'bus did and under his influence, Al'bus committed crimes he knows can never be forgiven. Sacking holds. Killing innocents. Ordering Benden greenriders on suicide missions to save the more important.

Did Al'bus ever regret it? Perhaps. But Benden's freedom and way of life was more important than individual life. Even when his blueriding sister died saving him and Gel'lert from an ambush, he understood that that was the price. He mourned her- but it wasn't his sorrow that made him think he was wrong. It was her courage. And the fact that she had succeeded where they had failed. If a bluerider could do what he could not...maybe bronzeriders ought not rule unquestioned.

He became a voice for equality and when his former comrades turned against him, he defected to Fort Weyr. He refused to fight again, haunted by all he'd seen and done. Trust took time to build for a Benden rider away from home and even when he'd earned it through the intelligence he provided on his former allies, he never again took the field, instead serving as weyrlingmaster. When he saw the war was beginning to wind towards a close, he stepped aside in favor of a younger successor. He was too old to fight another war and it was time for the next generation to take the helm.

He fought Thread when it came, for all he was getting old for such rigors. Eventually, as him and his dragon aged and weakened, he decided it was time to retire, despite his dragon's protests. Al'bus arranged for the pair to transfer to Semaca, in hopes of whiling away his last turns in relative peace and seeing a part of the world so long abandoned.

UPDATES

• Early Fall, 2767- Al'bus and Matanuth, perhaps getting on in years more than either would like to admit, notice Thread after it's already too late to completely turn aside. Matanuth's foreleg and flank are scored (Major), though Al'bus is spared.

[Arcane]

MATANUTH

It is good to see you again, my friend.

BASICS
NAME: Matanuth
BIRTHDATE Late Summer 2709
AGE: 58 as of 2767

APPEARANCE
LENGTH: 54 ft
HEIGHT: 13.25 ft
WINGSPAN: 84 ft
COLOR: Bronze
HEX CODE: #889e3c
FULL APPEARANCE: Matanuth in his youth was a plain, solid bronze, with unmarked olive hide and a large, powerful build. The turns, however, have turned that bronze hide greenish and left battlescars all over his body. He's still a fairly muscular dragon, but shows signs of softness in his limbs and around his stomach. The lines of his face speak of maturity and authority and his general mien is that of the elder statesman, a venerable dragon no longer in his prime but with much left to offer the world.

PERSONALITY
PERSONALITY: As a young dragon, Matanuth was quite a spunky bronze. Even in his older age he still exhibits this energy, though not as extreme. He still chases females and he will often wrestle with younger dragons (very carefully of course). He loves to go for long flights (flying straight from point A to point B) instead of using between as the cold makes his joints ache. In his younger turns he was also quite the daredevil, trying to pull off stunts that his large size makes almost impossible, making onlooker's stomachs flip in anxiety.

Matanuth is also very vocal. He loves to chatter, and though he's quiet around strangers if he knows you then be prepared to have a dragon asking you how your day was. He talks to others so much because he gets lonely easily. He's old enough to have seen many a wing-mate fall to thread or battle and many of his clutchmates are long gone. He hates to be underestimated because of his age, and despite the wrinkles around his face and his scarring he is still a force to be reckoned with in the sky. Age has not yet sapped his stamina, and his experience keeps him out of harm's way. He has an uncanny ability to predict the direction a clump will fall and he's able to between inches away from a falling clump and flame it to harmless ash before blinking between again.

On the ground Matanuth is a bit slow due to his injuries on his left side. The battle wounds he received as a young dragon healed remarkably well, though the injuries to his flank from a scrap with a wher have left him slightly lame in that leg, and he favors it when he walks. He often gets frustrated due to this, and his rider usually has to calm him down before the old guy hyperventilates.

His largest scars occur where they do because he rolled in order to protect his rider from a blue's flaming breath. He nearly sacrificed his front leg in the process but he was able to get medical attention soon enough to save it.

Dragon designed and written by JadeRavenwing for a commission, edited by me to fit our setting

[Arcane]

FAWKES


BASICS
NAME: Fawkes
BIRTHDATE Late Winter, 2766
AGE: 00 as of Fall 2767

APPEARANCE
COLOR: Brown
FULL APPEARANCE: An average sized brown of medium color, Fawkes is distinguished by the almost flame-like markings licking over his hide. He's graceful in flight and there is something almost avian about his movements.

PERSONALITY
PERSONALITY: Fawkes is a firelizard who just keeps going, no matter what. Loyal to his person and anyone else who earns his allegiance, he'll fight to the end for those he loves. He doesn't mind carrying messages or packages and can carry surprisingly large loads for a flit his size, mostly due to sheer stubbornness. He's generally sweet and often affectionate, in a quiet sort of way. He doesn't cause much trouble but often goes wandering for prolonged periods of time. No one really knows where he goes. He's a helpful firelizard, always willing to lend a hand to anyone worthy in need.