Congratulations on impressing a dragon here at Ista Weyr! We hope that he or she is everything that you could want in a lifemate, though this inspiration is just a guideline for how to play your dragon. You are not required to follow all or any of it. The dragon is /yours/. Members of SearchCo have put many hours into the creation of your dragon, and we are excited to see how you develop the personality in your own, unique way. –-Jia, Lib, and Minka

Sor! I just had to add, that I'm so utterly delighted we've snagged you forever. We've laughed, cried and completely enjoyed the last six months with you! We are so pleased to have you and know that in the times to come, your unique Sorcha-esque charm will bring all the more laughter, happiness and fun to Ista in the new year! —Minky!

Harpers_Tale___Madigyth_by_arazia.jpg

Dragon: Madigyth
Color: Gold
Name: Jia, Lib & Minka
Egg: Imperial Book of Etiquette Egg
Egg Desc: Isabeau
Dragonet: Fortune on a Crown Lager's Froth Gold
Dragonet Desc: Minka; Jia tweak
Messages: Lib
Inspiration: Jia, Lib & Minka

Clutching Message:

Ryazusith lowers her head, straining as a rumble emits from lazuli-tinged jaws that emanates the mixed signals of frustration and concentration. As the pre-clutching shudders span the length of her, she moves again - slowly and cautiously settling over the designated mound for this egg.

Imperial Book of Etiquette Egg:

Rich brown is traced with filigree of silver and ruddy gold, capping top and bottom of this egg. A strip of the same hue runs horizontally along on of the long sides of the egg. Blurred markings seem to hint at elaborate lettering… or are they characters? Down the side. Light and dark ripple between the edges of the brown, like ever so thin leaves of rice paper. The top is marked with a single cluster of strokes, as if only a single character were needed there to define its existence.

Hatching Message:

Imperial Book of Etiquette Egg gives one final shudder, a myriad of cracks appearing all around it's top, and the head of a golden dragonet appears, complete with a crown of shards. Her attempts at further freeing herself are far from queenly, hampered as she is by a lack of free limbs and after completing a few wobbly circles she and her shell corset topple over. This does have the benefit of splitting the remainder of her egg, enabling the lady to spread out and right herself with a slight croon, ready to begin her appraisal of the candidates.

Fortune on a Crown Lager's Froth Gold Dragonet:

Earth-born red soothes a finely shaped muzzle, caresses cheekbones in sunsets crimson and pours down chiseled neck to simmer in shoulders' golden-bronze. Marks, bearing no set pattern, flare across her wide chest and solid torso in circles of crushed stone gray mottling gold territory and lend to whitened ash inclination, mirrored at each turn by a shadow of stilted ebon. Dissipating back into the ochre-reddened gild that shrouds angular 'ridges, charcoal takes its turn and flares in golden silhouette down dainty forelegs, departing in dangerous talons of heat-hardened obsidian. Skeletal in form and whimsically dappled by means of pebbled tan, specks of stirred char cast themselves over her wing sails of orange ember glow, vast stretches of membrane shrouded in a blanket of aureate dust. A last glimmer of smoldering seared darkness dies, leaving in its wake the white of grained sands converging in strips and waves of indiscriminate and time-carved formation. Curving, they erode in thick lines down her hindquarters and legs, and follow the trail down whiplash tail, ending in an ultimate restoration to golden origin.

Impression Message:

In a fluid motion that sets her still-damp hide glistening with smoldering highlights, Fortune on a Crown Lager's Froth Gold Dragonet shimmies her way forward in a beeline towards a certain girl. A gentle warble with a tone of query escapes her as she settles herself in front of the brunette, tail wrapping around the young woman's legs as she ducks her head until her eyes are in line with those of the girl. It doesn't take her long to see that this is the one who needs her most, and with a slight whuffle of Sorcha's hair the bond is made.

Personal Impression Message:

A tiny wisp of blue tugs at the edge of your mind, so gentle you'd think it a dream were it not for the accompanying burble of water washing across pebbles. Next comes a cloud of deepest purple, gently mingling with the blue and blossoming with the scent of violets. More insistent now, red streaks swirl into the darker shades, melting with umber and lemon to fill your nose with a deep earthy musk. Just as it seems the show has reached its climax, a shower of green spatters down, whipped up on a wattle-scented breeze. « Have I got your attention now, Sorcha? » A matronly alto says, weaving warmth and unfaltering love through every color of the rainbow. « I'm Madigyth, and you're mine now. You'd do well to listen to me. »

Name Inspiration:

To begin with, we'd tested out a few aboriginal-inspired names, including Yhizanth and Namadikath, but came to the conclusion it just had to have a touch of Nanny in there somewhere. So, we added 'Gytha' to the mix, and lo and behold the name Madigyth was born. The 'Madi' section was taken from the Aboriginal word 'Namadika', meaning 'Mother of the land', and Gyth, of course, from Gytha.

We were thinking of it as 'MAD-ee-gith' but it can also be pronounced as 'Mad-ah-gaithe' or 'mad-EE-gith' or any other way you want to pronounce it. It's your dragon, after all, Sor!

Egg Inspiration:

While not a Deity, the Imperial Book of Etiquette was the absolute authority in the Chinese Pantheon. Even the Emperor of Heaven had to bow to it, for he ruled by its graces alone. Without it the order of Heaven fell apart and where would earth be if that happened? The very order of the stars themselves is written in the book and the stars must obey, and have been bound to those patterns since their creation. It may not be alive or a 'deity' in the classic sense. In a very real sense it is what ruled all of China's Celestial Bureaucracy and to a very great degree all of China's universe, which is more power than most mythological deities ever hope to possess.

Description Inspiration:

Australia: The wide brown land. You got what you asked for, Sorcha. Madigyth is based upon Ayers rock, the Olgas, the ancient formations one of the eldest lands this Earth has seen. Their red rock is a testimony to their existence, a mark of eternity on a wide brown continent. Your Madigyth's coloring was inspired by this very occurrence. Then we took on your wish for the aboriginal art style, and incorporated the stark white dots, made up into patterns that sweep across the backdrop of ochre. For a third, and final theme we blackened her. Like the charcoaled remains of a fire, dimmed through time. Her embers of golden hide, the only evidence of the flames that once leapt in full glory.

Mind Voice:

Madigyth is a myriad of sound, a whispered thought here and there – so hushed, sometimes you might think you've imagined her speak at all – then a squeal of words, so rushed and high-pitched it will ring in your ears. She is never harsh, but will be stern when she feels the need – her voice taking on its full, rich sounds. Melodic, almost, it rings with a disturbing silence, and then is broken by the faint humming of insects, the whistle of the breeze careening through the hollows of trees and the faintest murmur of leaves disturbed and whisked by animal and spirit alike, all sounds slowly rising from the bush floor to meld within her voice and fading to the dim crackle of a dying fire. Her voice swings with emotion, and each feeling that courses through her will ring true in her unrestricted tone – changing from dull, to overly excited in moments.

Predominantly, she will use color to emphasize tone, the white of limestone paints, red and brown ochre lingering through, whilst a sweep of sunset-born fuchsia will signal a pleasant or delighted mood. Strips of white and yellow often color her thoughts, brushed across reddened walls in an effortless stroke. The more vivid the color, the more heightened her mental state will be – through excitability or irritation, and it may be easy to mistake either for the other. On a rare occasion, she may share the imagery of sun shower-yielded rainbows, particularly in her proddy state.

Her scent is that of summer's rich earth, the sweet, crisp and clean smell that lingers atop dampened soil – lush greenery waving in the wind, flowers unfurling to soak in the sunlight and dew. That ashen smell of a doused flame, charcoal aroma wafting through the air in its embittered state. Though, might her mood fall from calm to excitable, it will take upon the sickly sweet smell of wattle and bush flowers that often linger headily through the bush in the warmest months.

Personality:

Just like dear Nanny Ogg, Madigyth will never be without a song for an occasion. Be it fickle, or of a more serious nature, she'll spout a rhyme or tune just for your own benefit. It's rare she'll share her musical achievements with her fellow draconic race, but those she forms special bonds with might just get that private taste of her mind. Her songs usually are light-hearted, and are often designed not only for her own entertainment, but to conjure a laugh out of you – particularly on those glum days.

The two of you share a distinct dislike for one of the smaller counterparts of the animal kingdom upon Pern. The ferret. Now, while the pet may be uncommon amongst Weyrfolk, unluckily for Madigyth, Ryazusith has her very own furry thing. A gift, no less. And, prone to scampering about uninhibited, you'll likely find it sneaking into your weyr on more than one occasion. And that is definitely cause for song.

« How shall we dispose of the ferret
Who's fur is his only merit
We'll drop him in the stew
Or maybe, skin him too… »

If Flower the ferret goes missing, it might cause uproar and a neighborhood biff with the gold next door, however. So, we advise keeping an eye of Madigyth whilst the pest is about.

At the dinner table, she'll have you turned off your meal with a gleeful verse if she decides the dish isn't up to her or your standard. It doesn't matter if you protest, and declare that fish suits you just fine – she'll have you heading for the more acceptable meat that is. Red meat!

« Fish stew, fish stew
All I can say, is ew.. »

And of course, being the intellect she is, she must keep herself readily entertained. Now, here is the scary part: Though she knows your meetings and conferences with people from abroad, or even high up in the Weyr are important, she'll spout what she thinks. Just make sure you aren't drinking or eating… you'll likely choke on your meal when she begins amusing herself by singing at the top of her mindvoice:

« O' Lord Holder of Boll
Whose face resembles a latrine hole
We really can't stand you
But just pretend to
To keep our tithes in whole! »

You'll come to see, that when she reaches a more mature (uhh, mature?) age, she'll become worse with her rhymes and songs. And one of her all-time favorites will be this nasty one, of course – she'll never spout it to you, only behind the backs of her least favorite people. Luckily, there aren't too many of those, human or dragon. It might be good to keep her more… unkind… poetry between the two of you.

« When from my egg I first came
I was quite ugly, and possibly lame
But of course I grew
Now the only thing ugly is you! »

Though she may come up with some awful tunes, she's a big old softy at heart and you'll find that after a while she'll likely and comment to you,

« You know, he's not /so/ bad after all. Perhaps I was a tad, just a trifle harsh. »

But of course, apart from that, she won't back down – it's her pride, of course.

"By day the goddess Yhi smiled as plants lifted their heads and young grasses reached towards her from the dark earth…" —Unknown source

Madigyth has this quality about her. It's an unspoken quality, and just like the goddess Yhi, many are inexplicably drawn to her down-to-earth nature and good will. She's well-liked, and well trusted amongst those in the Weyr. You'll find that within weyrlinghood, she'll take on a motherly role with her fellow clutch siblings and offer them thoughtful advice on the most trivial of issues, and the strange thing is – they'll come back for more. Your Madi has that aura to her; she's a good listener and is kind and thoughtful above her sometimes rowdy behavior. She's never without a good deed to fulfill, and though in private she might confess her irritability with certain individuals to you, not once will she turn away someone in need.

"The trouble with being a god is that you've got no one to pray to." —Terry Pratchett, Small Gods

Madigyth certainly takes in the problems of the rest of the Weyr with cheerfulness, and that pleasant demeanor extends to her frequent complaining. When Madigyth is displeased by something, you will know, although she's not inclined to state it in a… straightforward manner.

« Saikath, what a /delightful/ choice of decoration! I would never thought of using dust as a carpet! »

Making slightly sarcastic comments is Madigyth's way of letting off steam. If she hurts someone's feelings by a slightly too-harsh remark, then she'll be fretful for a week and propel herself into getting back into that person/dragon's good graces. You'll know when she's worried, as the color will fade from her to dull orange, a clear signal she's either concerned or threatened. 'Cause, like we said earlier, she's a softy at heart, and never really means any harm. Unless it's to ferrets or unpleasant people!

Danielle: A bird may love a fish, signore, but where will they live?
Leonardo da Vinci: Then I shall have to make you wings. —Ever After

Madigyth won't have any of this "I can't do it" or "It's too hard" business. She believes in you, with that endearing and firm charm that every mother has. She believes your potential is unlimited, knows no bounds. And it's true, with the mighty prescience of this gold behind you, the sky is the limit. She's got the drive, the passion and the love to make sure you succeed and have every dream fulfilled. You know it, when you need to fly, she'll make the wings you need to soar. Her quirks know no bound, and she's often flippant – but when it's something that matters to you, it will matter to her, above all else.

The eternal mothering type, just like Nanny, Madigyth will have a number of sayings she repeats. More than often, they won't even mesh with your situation, but of course, she's doing her best to give you good advice. Her favorites are generally these, which Madi seems to think range for every circumstance of difficulty you may find yourself in.

« Pish tosh! With a teensy brain like that, the Holder will lose the battle for sure! »

« Fortune seldom repeats; troubles never occur alone. Enjoy your luck while you've got it, Sorcha! »

« Not only can water float a craft, it can sink it also. »

« A spark can start a fire that burns the entire forest. »

« Sorcha, always remember. With a body like yours, you've got your pick of males, so don't settle for anything less than perfection! »

Flights:

When proddy, Madigyth will be set apart from her usual self by a number of markers.

Men. She'll flirt, she'll swoon, and she'll generally make an idiot over herself over any handsome bronze and brown in the vicinity. Looks and charm earn any male brownie points, and she'll easily succumb to any flattery on her part. Don't be surprised if she plants herself on ledges other than her own, Madigyth won't have the notion of invading privacy, particularly when proddy and will often invite herself to desirable males' quarters.

Apart from the sudden male-dragon craze, she'll take upon an entirely new shade. Pink. Sunset pink and fuchsia will replace reddened gold, and she'll glow brighter and longer than most queens at Ista. Just like the outback, both at dawn and sunset – her rosy tint will be vivid and intense. It will be a sure sign she'll be rising in the near future.

Sacred Space:

"We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home." —Aboriginal Proverb

To Madigyth, the moonlight is sacred. Like her, the moon is rounded, beautiful, and eternally feminine. It encompasses all aspects of womanhood, especially that of being a mother. While she's a social queen by nature, sometimes there is nothing more important to this burnt golden lady than spending a quiet moment at the ledge of her weyr, bathed in mystery by the moon's silvery glow. Then, and only then, can you count on her silence. She will be at all times reverent, and quite pensive at the sight of the moon, and well often share with you some profound thought at the conclusion of her reflection.

Harper's Tale's 43rd PC Clutch

Ista Weyr
Minka's Gold Ryazusith and D'baji's bronze Nverath
Date: 28th December 2005

Clutchmates:
S'eron's green Lenculoth
Tala's green Tsukiath
Sin's green Iqiazath
Vri's blue Tirynth
S'ke's blue Saikath
Ayla's brown Jhakkarath
R'lar's bronze Cojiroth