Islands of Pern

Senior Journeyman Harper Catch

Name: 'Catch' aka Sytan aka Mehkail
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Rank/Craft: Senior Journeyman Harper (Covert Operations)
Residence: Ithaca Hold

Description: Standing at little less than six feet tall, Catch is remarkably average in both body build, weight and facial features. He is good with disguises, both with simply dressing differently and acting differently, both of which can have just as dramatic an effect. His most distinguishing feature are his eyes, which are average in size and coloration - a steady brown - but which usually have the most piercing look about them, like Catch was reading the thoughts of the person he meets from the inside of the back of their head.

Personality: Catch's basic personality is that of someone slightly paranoidly insane, but in his profession that mindstate is more than needed to stay alive. He can be violent and aggressive or gentle and kind, as suits the situation at hand. Due to this chameleonic nature of his personality, Catch can inspire great loyalty in his apprentices and other acquaintances. Or perhaps it is because they sense that underneath it all he's a good man...?

Background: In addition to Catch himself, there is only one other person alive who knows the whole story of his life - even his superior officers don't know everything - but neither of them is telling. What is certain is that he is and has for a while been one of the best covert harpers on the Southern Continent, and has trained others with his 'learn or die trying' method.

When Ithaca Hold and Weyr opened and made it possible for Western Continent to house more honourable holders, it became obvious that the pirates infesting the Western Ring Islands should be put a stop to, and Catch both volunteered and was asked by the local Master to join the harper forces there.

The 'Pirate Snatchers' are Catch's own brainchild, a force to counter the pirate threat with the help of seacrafter-harper collaboration to catch and imprison or, that failing, destroy any and all pirates they come across. Captain Sehic has kindly offered - in other words it was either that or facing trial and prison, when Catch caught him smuggling weapons - his ship, the Southern Snarl as the first Pirate Snatchers' ship. His first mate, Regelkin, has grown adept at using the ship-sized crossbow or ballista, which serves as the Snarl's primary weapon against other ships.

Currently Catch has two apprentices under his training, Macken and Arrow, who both vie for the place of the best pupil in their teacher's eyes.

Pet Name: Spy Eyes
Pet Species: Firelizard
Pet Color: Brown

Pet Description: Spy Eyes - also occasionally called just 'Eyes' by Catch - is a very sensible firelizard, who doesn't mind the harsh discipline that Catch extends even to him, because the small brown knows that his human loves him with all of his heart. After all, Spy Eyes has been the only chance of any kind of visible affection that Catch has allowed for himself in the past twenty Turns or so.

Reserved characters:
Captain Sehic of the Southern Snarl, a Pirate Snatcher, Je'dec's cousin, Ithaca Hold
First Mate Regelkin of the Southern Snarl, a Pirate Snatcher, Ithaca Hold

Last Updated: 8/28/2004