Islands of Pern

Green Rider D'son

Name: D'son
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Rank/Craft: Green Rider / Journeyman Harper
Residence: Ithaca Weyr

Description: The words tall, dark, and handsome could be used to describe D'son, but they seldom are. Black hair and an angular jaw frame an attractive, tan face with high cheekbones, but D'son's good looks are somewhat marred by the serious set of his mouth, his heavy black eyebrows, and his dark, hazel eyes. Add to this his height, 6'1", and his solid 190-pound frame, and you have a man who exudes an aura that says, "don't tread on me." For all of this, on those occasions when D'son does smile his grim features are transformed, and he has an almost boyish look that many find both surprisingly pleasant and appealing.

Personality: D'son is not a man to be trifled with. Highly intelligent with a keen eye for detail, he sees much but says little unless asked or provoked. As he's painfully blunt at the best of times, people generally prefer to do neither and just stay out of his way. For the most part this suits the green rider. He does not suffer fools gladly, although he has a longer fuse on his temper than rumors indicate. Still, he can be appalling when angry, and, as he's not one to back down from a head-on confrontation, he's gotten the reputation for being a bit of a scrapper.

Yet, there is another side to this complex man. No one, not even D'son, knows who or what will move his heart, but when someone or something does, he is capable of incredible loyalty, compassion and love. This is something he has never fully explored in his psyche – until recently his only serious relationship was as emotional caretaker for a very troubled young man with a drinking problem. D'son is not entirely sure sure how to deal with this new discovery, as tenderness is something of which he has had very little in his life. However, if the undiscovered country of his own heart still eludes him, it's something he will come to understand in time, for in addition to his own perspicacity, he now has good friends and a lover to support him and keep him on track.

Background: Dayson was born the older of two children to a successful Neratian farmer and his wife, Dersal and Laysa. Dayson's childhood was far from idyllic due to the fact that his father was a chronic alcoholic, who varied between verbal and physical abuse of his wife, son, and young daughter, Delani. It fell to Dayson to protect his mother and sister by presenting himself as the easiest target for his father's anger. He learned stoicism at an early age, and his childhood years would have been completely devoid of happiness had it not been for his cousin Barok and best friend Coryn, a fosterling at his uncle's farmhold. The three boys played games together and gave Dayson a few bright moments of joy in the midst of his otherwise bleak existence.

At the age of twelve, Dayson and Coryn discovered that they both liked boys. They explored their budding sexuality together, but had the misfortune to be discovered by their peers. Barok was dismayed, but could not bring himself to repudiate his cousin and his friend. The other fosterlings at his hold had no such compunction and they severely beat Coryn, nearly killing him. When the matter was investigated and the reason for the beating revealed, Coryn was sent away in disgrace back to his home hold, crippled and outcast. Dayson was helpless to do anything, because of his own involvement in the affair, however, he swore that he would never let anyone he cared about suffer such treatment ever again. When Dersal came at Dayson and his mother, blaming them both for his son's sexual orientation, Dayson felled him with a spade and swore that if his father ever raised a hand to him or his mother and sister again, he would kill him.

Although this temporarily cowed Dersal, Laysa knew that it would only be a matter of time before things turned worse for Dayson. She correctly interpreted her son's increasing broodiness to mean that there was trouble brewing for others besides Dersal; most likely Coryn's tormentors. Fearing that her son was about to make an irreparable mistake, she prevailed upon the itinerant journeyman harper who rode route in the territory to take her intelligent, but angry son away. Dayson had shown a fair amount of aptitude in his lessons, and even had some musical talent, so the journeyman agreed. A short while later, Dayson found himself on his way to the Harper Hall, but only after extracting a promise from his mother to foster Delani so that she would be out of their father's reach.

Although he was a competent enough apprentice, Dayson excelled at getting into trouble more than anything else, and on more than one occasion the question came up as to whether or not to send Dayson back to Nerat. It was eventually decided that he might do better at more "specialized" training, so the young man spent the next two Turns learning the ins and outs of the more clandestine aspects of the harper's craft. Dayson found himself well-suited to this aspect of harpering, and progressed to Journeyman without further incident. His life took a surprising turn when he was Searched for a Fort Weyr Hatching, a little over three Turns after leaving Nerat. He Impressed Veekith his first time out on the sands. Weyrling training showed him to be a competent and vigorous dragonrider, and it was with some regret that his Wingleader approved his transfer to a Weyr in the south.

D'son resided in the south between Turns 24 and 36 of the present Pass. His time there was a varied experience as he got the reputation of being good in the skies, but less than pleasant on the ground. The fierce demeanor and distant attitude he acquired in his youth stayed with him, and made him a difficult person to get to know. He made few friends in his time there, a situation that grew worse in the middle of Turn 36 due to the fallout over his disastrous involvement with a troubled blue rider named M'klen. Perhaps love was at the root of it, or maybe some need to work out the unresolved issues with his alcoholic father, but whatever the reason, D'son entered into an untenable relationship that could only end badly.

M'klen's drinking problem could not be fixed by D'son, and the green rider increasingly began to escape from his unpleasant living situation by cheating on his lover. When M'klen, drunk and depressed, died in Threadfall in the month six of Turn 36 – the day after D'son's green had been won by someone other than M'klen's Ajith – D’son was blamed and shunned by all of his closest friends. Even his cousin Barok, now a brown rider named B'rok, who had transferred south three Turns previous, showed no inclination to have anything more to do with the green rider.

This new isolation, coupled with D'son's own guilt over how poorly he handled the relationship with M'klen, has brought home to him that he needs to come to a better understanding of himself and how to live his life. The burden of this task has been lessened by the supportive presence of his lifemate, but also by the advent of two new relationships in his life: a solid friendship with S'gren, rider of green Eydith, and a romantic relationship with R'kar, rider of blue Zorenth. The latter especially has opened up whole new vistas of intimacy for D’son, and after Veekith there is no one on all of Pern who means more to him. It is hardly surprising then that when R’kar expressed the desire to transfer to the Western Continent, D’son eagerly agreed to join him. The green rider now resides with his lover at Ithaca Weyr and, like R’kar, is looking forward to a fresh start.

Dragon's Name: Veekith
Color: Green
Age: 15
Age of Rider at Impression: 16

Description: Veekith is the color of a burnished emerald, with hints of darker green on the inside of her thighs. This same coloration runs from her shoulder joints down the inside of her upper forelegs. She is a very large green with a long, graceful neck and tail. There are a few minor scars from Threadscore on her shoulders and hindquarters, but they are superficial and barely noticeable.

Personality: Veekith is well suited to her rider's temperament. She is highly discriminating in her tastes, preferring to seek out a very select few males with which to spend her time rather than flirting with every male in the Weyr. She is clever and cunning, and, as dragons go, an excellent judge of character. She is also a stabilizing influence on D'son, who, on more than one occasion, has had to thank Veekith for stopping him before he acted unthinkingly out of anger.

Reserved Characters:
Dersal, holder, father, Nerat (deceased)
Laysa, holder’s wife, mother, Nerat
Coryn, holder, Nerat, childhood friend
B’rok, rider of brown Lotreth, cousin, a Weyr in the south
M’klen, rider of blue Ajith, lover (deceased)

Last Updated: 8/28/2004