Larna's Vain Knight Errant Brown Raskecharath

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Clutching Pose:

Tiareth rules here, Caesar of the Sands and Queen of the eggs. She commands attention. She attends. She governs. She treasures the eggs, especially the last pretty egg. And she treasures the Sands. And perhaps — just perhaps — she will treasure the eventual Candidates. But she only settles for the best, the best of everything, and it is into a perfectly round collesium of Sand that she drops the next two brightly colored eggs in quick succession.

Royal Tyrian Robe of Caesar Egg

Across the linen-white canvas of the shell stretches an uneven band of Tyrian purple, delineated with narrow aureate borders. Rosy as wine and twice as decadent, the imperial shade is flecked with gold to form small leaf-like patterns. Hitched into slenderness high upon one tapering side, the band drops loosely down and curls broadly around the middle of the egg. The ruddy hue is striated with bluish shadow in places, evoking meticulous folds of cloth suiting an ovoid so nobly enrobed.

Hatching Message:

Royal Tyrian Robe of Caesar Egg dances feverishly, rolling onto its point as it gives one final, terminal pirouette. At the height of its spin it pauses, seems to hold its pose for one long, breathtaking moment, as if to make sure that all eyes are upon it. When the timing is exactly right, the egg still balanced precariously on its tip, the shell explodes with twin-cataclysmic force from both its point and base in a storm of fragments.

Vain Knight Errant Brown Dragonet

Dark, darker, darkest — regal, militant brown heralds a broad draconic form, rolling over staunch forequarters with phantom grace. Touches of noir accent deep skybroom, gliding up a well-arched neck and soaring over high headknobs to a sharply raptorial muzzle. Kiting downwards over proud eagle-crest 'ridges, walnut fades into the darkest entrenchments of pitch, giving him a distinct, narrow profile. Uniform wings deny all impressions of a narrow nature, however; the pair flare broadly, tinted with soot and worked to a blackened Cyprus perfection. Rich of frame and color, the 'sails are heightened by odd, birdlike impressions: tiny traces of purest ebony etch out the faintest pattern of — plumage? Feathers, indeed, the ornamental markings offer, from dark base to the tips of ebon-black wingspars. Talons reflect the same raven aniline, curving and lethal by the looks of them, set well upon heavy paws. Robust nature and expansive frame, he's fitted together with superb adroitness — hardly unwieldy, a majestic blend of champion and fiend.

Public Impression Pose:

Vain Knight Errant Brown Dragonet struts between a blonde-haired pair of candidates. He weaves artfully between the (somewhat dancing) pillars of white, making sure they all see him. Are they all watching? Yes? Good. But he still needs to find that special one, who has food and who will dance with him in the skies, and he thinks he spots a likely girl. So, head held high, he stops playing to his audience and prances towards a knot of candies in particular.

Personal Impression Message:

Awash with the white heat of the sands, at first you almost miss a dark, feather-light touch on your mind. The darkness grows radiant, so black that it swallows all light, all senses, as with bold arrogance Rashkecharath announces his presence in your mind. He's the cock of the walk, the living legend, the strutting peacock, the black knight. And he's perfect. « Oh Heavens above, I am in love. » The voice is crisp and strong, rumbling deeply with possessive affection. And you are every bit as confident and beautiful as his wildest dreams, his perfect match. « Yes, Larnat, I am definitely in love. You are worth living for no matter what comes, you are worth anything…»

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Skandranon Rashkae! The Vain Bird, His Grumpiness, and the great Black Boy! This is your dragon, in a nutshell. You asked for a dark brown based off of the black gryphon, and we happily obliged! Your boy is as daring and devil-may-care as you could ask for, and he'll earned a certain sense of pride for his accomplishments. He will always be trying to top his last stunt, always play to an audience (though he's often left careful when he's sure no one is around), always strut like a peacock — but he'll always return home, safe and sound. Whether its skill or luck or a little bit of both, your boy has a knack for getting his tail out of the fire.

"The gryphon is a proud beast

He's master of the skies

And no one can forget the sight

Who has seen the gryphon fly

But his will is formed in magic

And not mortal flesh and bone

And if you would rule the gryphon's will

You must first control your own"

— Mercedes Lackey, Advice to Young Magicians

Egg Inspiration:

Your egg was inspired by the fashion of the Roman Emperors - they wore purple togas with golden accents, and the celebrated and famous purple dye was prepared in ancient Tyre. To be "born to the purple" is to be born to rank, dignity, and imperial sovereignty. Skandranon, as the most illustrious of gryphons in his time, was born one of Urtho's proudest creations. If there were royalty among gryphons, Skandranon would be their King. Of all the eggs, we felt this one best suited your brown not only because it implied sovereignty, but also because Ceaser was an excelent military commander, the kind of leader Skan aspired to be during the wars.

Your Rashkecharath would love to be such a renowned commander some day.

Name Inspiration:

Rashkecharath! A name full of arrogance, and yet it demands respect. Its long, its pompous, but it is also bold and steadfast. Its been pronounced rash-KEY-cha-rath, rash-KAY-cha-roth, or even (my personal favorite) RAH-shkay-charr-rath. However you say it, Rashkecharath is daring and colorful. You asked for a long name, with lots of h's and consonants but not too many vowels, and we obliged! Originally taken from our the Vain Bird's own last name, Rashkae, the name also contains 'ashke' and 'kechara', both Kalad'a'in words for beloved and darling. Depending on how you choose to say the name, you could even have the nickname 'ashke' for your lifemate. :)

Description Inspiration:

You asked for a dark chocolate, as close to black as it was possible to get, so we obliged. Starting from there, it seemed fitting that if your brown was going to be so close in colour to Skandranon, he should have avian features as well. We gave him a light feather patterning on his wings, and from there it seemed logical that his neckridges would be more like a proud bird's crest, and his muzzle raptorial. Equipped with bird-like talons, the finishing touch was to give Rashke broad wings and form, since Skan was frequently referred to as a 'broadwing.'

Mind Voice:

Your Rashkecharath has a deep, lovely voice - it's sonorous and trumpeting and it booms nicely when he's announcing his presence (as if all the preening and strutting hadn't given him away already). The concept of 'indoor voice' - 'in-head voice'? - seems to be a foreign one to the brown, unfortunately. He speaks in two volumes: loud, and very loud. This is only true when he's communicating with others. Between the two of you, especially when he's in one of his self-depracating slumps, his voice is tempered with a slight rustling and rasping - almost as if his 'voice' was sore from sounding his fool head off so much. As for imagery, you can expect darker colors. Rarely does he ever use pure black (though he may, with violent moods) but he will tend toward sepia rather than tan, burgundy rather than scarlet, and royal purple rather than orchid. Occasionally, he will punctuate and emphasise with brighter plumage: muted gold and bronze are his favorite. When he is happy, these shades tend to be brighter, richer; when he is sad, he plunges into near-monochrome. He does use feather imagery too, but not excessively. More likely, a tactile suggestion will accompany his words: when he teasing, the ticklish annoyance of a downy feather in the nose; when he's seducing, the cool caress of a pinions against a cheek.

Physicalities:

Dark, dark, dark! Your dragon's hide is almost uniform in colour, and he is so dark that only when you're out in broad daylight can you tell that he is actually brown instead of black. The only variation in his dark colouring is in his wingsails, where true- black etches out a strange, random pattern that gives the impression of feathers, and his face, which is slightly lighter, especially around the muzzle.

In form your dragon is very robust, with a large chest and long, broad wings. He is thick and muscular, but well proportioned. He's not expecially huge in terms of length, just his large frame gives him the appearance of massive size. This gives him a dominating, commanding presence that he will learn to use to his advantage — whether posing for the ladies or bossing his clutchmates around.

"Skandranon is known to saunter along as if time has no meaning; 'its image' he says."

- Amberdrake

That's not to say he isn't graceful, but your brown's agility, smooth movements, and sense of balance and style all come from careful practice and study, not natural talent. As he grows through weyrlinghood, your brown will come to refine his own sense of style and his ease of movements; while his larger bronze brothers are still clumbsy and awkward, Rashke will already be starting to move with practiced ease. You may find him one eavening studying a feline or watching a crawlie, or even staring at a wherry in the distance, trying to mimic and learn their movements. You'll find he has a near-obsessive interest in dancing movments in particular. And there's his secret: he just pratices hard at looking his best. Most will probably assume that he uses this information, especially his study of human dancers, for flights; but in truth he applies it to everything he does, from hunting and flights, to aerobatics in avoiding Thread during Fall.

As you come to know your lifemate through weyrlinghood, you'll learn all his quirks and oddities. One of these is a special spot, not on his eyerigde or headknobs, but at the back of his head just above the first neckridge, that will start him crooning like a hatchling. He likes it when you scritch this spot, but expecially enjoys it if you pinch it, just-so — almost like a masseuse might.

Personality:

"Fly proudly to your doom laughing, vain bird, the best of the best; more suitors than sense, more wealth than wisdom, sharp claws ready to dig your own funeral pit…"

- Skandranon

Rashkecharath is a daring and bold dragon, to be sure. He has a thing for heroics, as you'll discover, and loves to be flashy while he's saving the day. His vain, cocksure behaviour and endless amount of luck certainly lend to his belief that there is no dragon better than he. He always rushes back top-speed from a 'mission'; he can't be back to his rewards and admiration fast enough.

"I saw the best minds of my generation

Destroyed by madness, starving, hysterical

I should be allowed to think

I should be allowed to think

And I should be allowed to blurt the merest idea

If by random whim, one occurs to me."

— They Might Be Giants, I Should Be Allowed To Think

Cunning, witty, and sardonic, he has a razor sharp tongue to match his keen inteligence. He will often keep his deepest feelings to himself, covering them with jokes and pranks — or complaints and feigned irritation. If he feels affection for someone, he is just as likely to mock as praise them. Rashkecharath has a habit of blurting out the first thing he thinks of, sometimes to his own regret. Still, he only likes to be bad on his own terms, and it irritates him when he accidently inserts his foot in his mouth. And he doesn't enjoy manipulating or truly hurting anyone, when it comes right down to it.

"Stupid, stupid gryphon. Never learn, do you?"

- Skandranon

Despite all his arrogance, Rashkecharath can be a little too hard on himself sometimes. He's as sarcastic and self-depreciating towards himself as he is towards others. He doesn't ever tell anyone else, of course, but he'll often have his self-doubts. You are the only one who is privy to his little fears, and nagging regrets, as he'll often scold himself in third person — maybe because he's gotten so used to hearing it from you when he's given you a fright again.

"He is upset because I beat him at his fledgling-baiting 'logic puzzles.'"

"You have no logic to use. Lucky guesses, all of them. I beat Urtho with them."

- Aubri and Skandranon

He 'plays dirty' when in games of wit and logic, which he enjoys, and loves to get in the last word and 'win' by any means — even if its not really logical. The more he can get involved in his little show, the better. ne of his favorite tricks is to get people involved in his arguments, whether they liked it or not — or whether they had any knowledge of the subject at hand (especially when the topic is /him/ and it has turned unflattering). « Aren't I right, Laeth? » « …Yes? » « You see! I /am/ the handsomest brown at High Reaches! »

That's not to say he doesn't have his detractors. Rashkecharath is quick to point out that anyone who would speak ill of himself (or Larna) must obviously be jealous. After all, he is so charming, witty, and handsome that there must be more than a few who envy everything that has earned him. Anyone who gossips about /you/ is surely resentful that he chose you over all his other admirerers.

"Someone has to lead — and I am too busy."

"If not me, then who?"

- Skandranon and Urtho

"A sacrifice is supposed to be the best of the best. I believe I fill that description."

- Skandranon

In your brown boy's mind, he is a born leader. It seems only natural to him that he become a wingleader some day, and he'll vocally vie for the position in the weyrling wing. He's the best for the job, after all — right? And he'll studiously learn from the tales of the greatest wingleaders and weyrleaders, keeping note of what they did and didn't do — and what made people flock to them as heros. Because, to him, that's what its all about; heroism and becoming a great leader, to win more adoration and affection, from both humans and dragons alike. His vision of leadership involves dramaticly-lit skies against which his glorious form would glide across the land he protected, and below him the people would cheer to behold him and flock to his presence.

"My time is not my own."

- Amberdrake

"I thought I wanted to be a leader. Silly me."

- Skandranon

In time he'll learn when to speak up and make decisions, and when to keep his muzzle shut and look wise. But once he's had a taste of leadership and he realizes that most of the work is solving people's trivialities, he might get a bit bored with it. Rashke wants to be the kind of leader who makes split-second decisions that save lives and make him come home as a hero. Drills, routine Falls, and petty arguments will get on his nerves after a while, and to him it might seem as if every moment of his day was taken up with solving everyone else's problems — or at least looking as if he was /trying/ to sold their problems. He'll start to feel confined and restrained by his duties if he can't find some adventure and excitement in them, and get the urge more and more to be irresponsible. If, at that point, someone offers to take over, he would probably gladly let them; he'd rather spend his time flying with you, after all, than dealing with wing politics.

One last thing. Your Rashkecharath will develope a love of books and harper songs, particularly histories. In large part this is because he studies leaders who came before his time, but he also likes them for entertainments sake. When he can get you to read a story to him, he's in heaven.

Flights:

"You just want to look good for the lady, vain bird. As if you want to be sure you could add her to your harem if you wanted, like a collector of figurines lusting after yet another little statue."

- Skandranon (to himself)

Flights. Ahh, flights. When it comes to flights, Raskechareth will have himself quite the time. For sure, he'll not be the most swiftest out there; but his mind will work amazingly well and he will most definitely be one of the most cunning. He's not prone to showing off with fancy maneuvers, or with zipping off right at the start. Stamina is the word to associate with him, and he'll always be one of the last to drop out of a flight—that is, if he ever does drop out of a flight.

Slow and steady is is his pace and his way—he'll be happy to watch how the others act. Survey them, watch them closely for any signs of weaknesses. And once he knows who he has to worry about and who he doesn't..he'll then use that to his knowledge.

« Valedath, your poem doesn't rhyme.. » A shot that'll give him the chance he needs to slip by the other when Valedath is distracted in that moment. »

He's not purposefully cunning, but he doesn't like to loose either. And winning a flight is his main goal once he spots that glowing green or gold. And you, Larna, you will be required to help him in his quest.

« Larna, make friends with Miravith's Rider. I'd like to get to know Miravith better. » He's not subtle about his intentions to you, but to others he's quite the illusionist.

« Is that so, Braezyth? Is there a glowing green here? » A pause, and then, « I hadn't noticed. » Be sure that he has noticed, and that he will most likely keep an eye on both Braezyth and that glowing green.

He'll do what it takes to make sure that he's the winner of a flight. Be it smooth talking, taunting the green/gold to the point of distraction—so that he, Raskecharath may swoop in and claim the victory.

Rest assured that the only time Raskcecharath will become like this is right before the flight takes place. He'll do his best to make sure he wins, and should he win, that lucky female will find herself with quite the gentlemanly dragon. He'll do what he has to do to keep her thoughts of him as well ones. The wherry on her ledge the next morning, the stray flirting thought or action days after..or days just before her flight. He's quite the romantic one when he wants to be, and yet, he may take a long while to find just the right one. But when he does, it'll be Love and right, and he'll just have to have this special female all to himself. And you, might just find yourself put in the middle of this.

"When you're in love, you know, you like to hear the whole world's

in love too!"

- Skandranon (to Amberdrake)

Throughout it all, Rasckecharath will always be yours and he'll answer to you first, and to you only. Your feelings for a Rider of the female he's chasing will always be enough to sway him..whichever way that may be. Because in the end, it comes down to just you and he. Rasckecharath and Larna.

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This is only how we envision, Rashkecharath, of course! Feel free to use none, some, or all of it as you feel best. After all, he's your dragon, and what's most important is that you love him and enjoy playing him!

Credits:

Name: Jiu

Egg Desc: Kiriya; Fyria tweak

Dragonet Desc: Sii'kyn; Jiu, Zai tweak

Messages: Jiu; Auri tweak

Puppeteer: Jiu

Inspiration: Jiu, Fyria, Kariel, Pae, Lis, Tevya

Clutchmates: Zana (Zorana) and blue Braezyth, Nylca and green Laeth, C'ela (Enceladus) and bronze Ejotzeth, Sein (Seilyn) and green Aibhlusaith, Marina and green Chisth, Vaeli (Vaedelle) and gold Nissionath, G'ram (Graiham) and brown Fantorith, M'lir (Myliren) and bronze Oirfeath, D'ean (Goldean) and green Iztenith, and Tye (Laytai) and blue Valedath

Harper's Tale's 34th PC Clutch
High Reaches Weyr's 9th PC Clutch
Nuff's gold Tiareth and Zi'n's bronze Orbyth
December 6th, 2002