Riona Traderborn, rider of Black-Blue Sotrileth

Name: Riona Traderborn
Pronunciation: REE-oh-nah
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Too young to care.
Age: 14
Turnday: 04.15 Turn 3061

Weyr: Rainbow Mists Weyr
Rank: Weyrling
Family: All of the Trader Hall, but specifically, her parents are:

• Ralin Finberg – father, fisherman, age 48
  
• Iona Finberg – mother, tanner, age 43
  

Friends: None yet at Rainbow Mists.
Pets: N/A

Appearance:

With choppy, rust-colored hair, brown eyes, a thin frame, and a small bust, Riona finds she’s more often mistaken for a pretty boy than a girl. Not that it matters much to her. Unlike the more open values of Cliffside Sea Hold, Shimmer Bay prefers to stick to traditional roles and superstitions when it comes to women's work – and that’s when Riona discovered their mistake worked to her advantage.

Growing up, so long as no one asked her for her name, Riona was able to secure her own handhold in the Trade Hall through her androgynous appearance. If she looked the part of a boy, no one would question her being in the markets or down by the docks alone, as the superstition that women weren’t allowed near the ships cast a pall over her prospects.

Standing just shy of 5'5", she blends in well with the younger trader crowd, and that suits her just fine. But in the last few months, she has begun to show signs of maturing into a young woman. With her growing bust and willowy figure, Riona has started to feel out of sorts and uncomfortable with her new body. It was primarily for this reason that she was sent to Rainbow Mists Weyr as a candidate.

celebrity look-alike: dakota blue richards, seen above

Personality:

A bit crude, a bit brash, and always one to test the waters, Riona gets along well with like minded people; for the past thirteen turns, that spot has been claimed by the tight-knit trading community of Shimmer Bay. Having grown up alongside the apprentices and older traders, she relates much more to the boys she befriends – their likes and dislikes, and their general thought process – than any of the girls she’s encountered. Living in a man’s world has given her a sense of haughtiness, and she likes to lord her meager trading intelligence over the Hold girls.

She was raised to respect her elders and strictly follow the rules of the Hold, but as of late, she has picked up a certain disregard for the rules. Now that she’s started to go through puberty, and her identity is literally changing before her eyes, Riona displays little acts of defiance from time to time. From screaming temper tantrums to filching small objects, she uses this as her way of proving she’s not about to change into a proper woman and leave her life behind. It’s entirely useless and she knows it, as she’s already been selected as a Search candidate, but that doesn’t mean she’ll go out without a bang.

History:

Born into Shimmer Bay Hold – the smaller, sister port to Cliffside – Riona was given up to the Hold’s Trader Hall, as early as possible by her mother, Iona Finberg, and her father, Ralin Finberg. It was the only part of the Hold where they knew her daughter would have the most exposure and freedom in, so parting with her was more of a relief than anything else. Combined, both Ralin and Iona made a modest income, but it was not nearly enough to support a growing child. They knew she would have a better life where she could be provided for – not to mention, they could both keep a watchful eye on her from afar – and the decision was easily made.

One of the traders owed Ralin a debt, and it was through the fostering of Riona that the debt was repaid, but it was met with half-hearted acceptance. Primarily comprised of men and apprentice boys, the Hall was not well equipped for dealing with a little girl, and only a few of the members were fathers themselves. To make the transition easier on everyone, Riona was raised for the majority of her life no differently than any of the male apprentices. Her hair was kept short (as it was an absolute nightmare to comb out when it got tangled), her clothes were the same as any of the boys, and she was never cloistered away from talk of business and financial transactions with the sailors.

She proved to be a quick learner, and took to the craft well, but was warned to blend into the background if she wanted to keep her place in the Trade Hall. For many turns, those rules were easy to follow. That is, until a few months ago, when her mood swings began.

Just as ill-equipped as they were for her arrival, the men of the Hall were at a loss as to how they were going to explain puberty and the changes it brought. Through a discreet source, they found an older woman to explain the mysteries of life to her.

Absolutely horrified at the idea of puberty and what it meant for her in Shimmer Bay, Riona grew increasingly rowdy and wild for her caretakers to handle. They knew she meant well, and they wanted better for her -- she wasn't about to get that sort of opportunity in Shimmer Bay -- so when rumor spread that the Weyr's queen, Archith, was due to have a second clutch, someone took the opportunity to contact a Searchrider for Riona.

The news came at such a shock to her that she didn't know what to do with it. She had seen dragons come and go, but never considered she could be a part of that world. She had always felt her fate was tied to the Hold that, when given both a dress and the news she was to be Searched, Riona rejected them both and wandered around for a couple of days without speaking.



But soon the time had come for her to leave. Giving herself one last hurrah, she stole back her apprentice clothes (replacing it with the dress) the night before the Search, only to find the dress packed up along with her other belongings that next morning. With slicked back hair and baggy clothes, she reluctantly climbed up on the fat, black dragon who came to escort her, and refused to cry as she said goodbye to her friends and old life.

Now that she’s arrived at Rainbow Mists, the vastness of the Weyr has kept her quiet and obedient – for now. Once she learns the layout, and where the candidate boys like to spend their time, she will surely start up her rebellions again.

Adoption?: No, thank you.



Dragon Name: Sotrileth
Dragon Color: Black-Blue
Gender: Male
Pronunciation: so-TRILL-eth [soʊtrɪlɛθ]
Hex color: #000000 / #161665
Adult Size: 30 feet

About: Sotrilleth seeks balance. He thinks all can do whatever they set their mind to, that great things are accomplished in groups, and that a polite word goes farther than most give it credit. This dragon is an observational one, waiting to see what others do in a new situation before he tries it himself. He doesn't handle contention well and for all he watches he's better as a supporter than a mediator. Above all he wants his common days peaceful and his memorable days grand.