Persona Profile: A'khal

Writer: Sia

Name: A'khal
Age: 53
Birthday: m1 d2
Rank: Wingthird, Cyclone Wing
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Craft: Starsmith
Craft Rank: Senior Journeyman

Physical Description of Persona:
A'khal is tall and broad, with a rugged, weathered look from his time outdoors and along the coast. Though his skin is naturally dark, he is darker still in the heat of Dolphin Cove's summer, the only lightness the salt that's started to pepper through his short black hair and beard. Expressive dark brown eyes sit on a strong face, marked by a scar on his left cheek from a childhood accident. He keeps a beard short and well trimmed. Though he's strong and was muscular in his youth, his strength is hidden behind some padding in his middle age. His back and part of his neck are threadscored from a bad injury early on in the Pass. He's got some wrinkles starting to appear at the corners of his eyes, though it's only made him more attractive. A silver canine, as it were. Despite the turns away, his voice still has the low drawl common in Keroon.

Emotional Description of Persona:
A'khal is, at his core, a social flit. His weyr is rarely quiet or empty, and he's happy to host any kind of event in a weyr that's really too small for it. He's all smiling overconfidence and charm, and he's well aware that he's aged well and that his scars add a certain allure in a place where fighting Thread is a high honor. He's an affectionate and physical man, prone to casual touch and not always understanding when he's inside someone's personal space. He's a shameless flirt and doesn't often settle down for long. He's created his own 'found family' at the Weyr of close-knit friends, though he's never been with someone long enough to have a weyrmate.

He's passionate in his craft, despite finding it so late. His weyr is filled with copies of star charts and his predictions of weather patterns makes Denebith even better in the air. The pair toe the line between daredevil and skilled, and in the early Pass they were seen more as a risk than a benefit. The past decade has honed them considerably, and the two push themselves hard in the air and encourage their wingmates to do the same. He's fantastic at communication and has stepped in as a temporary wingsecond when necessity called for it, though he's never had a long term promotion.

History of Persona:
A'khal was born into a family of ranchers near Keroon Hold. His family had worked the land for as long as any of them remembered, though only an uncle and a couple cousins were officially Beastcrafter-trained. He was born into the middle of a large, raucous family, and often found himself lost amongst the crowd. He was not the eldest and not trained in the family business more than what was needed to be useful, tending to the animals and preparing them for sale or slaughter. He wasn't the youngest and doted on. Still, he did his best to win the approval of family that often didn't have enough time for him. When the latest girl he was courting ended up pregnant, he did the upstanding thing and quickly married her before anyone knew the wiser. The fact that their son arrived surprisingly early was glossed over at family dinners.

It all changed at Turn's End about a turn later. His family had splurged and taken a trip to Keroon Hold for the Gather, and he'd drank a little too much and flirted a little too much with a visiting greenrider from Visa Point Weyr, who boasted that his green had commented that he might have dragonrider potential. In that moment, a piece of him shifted. He accepted the Search and the two of them stole away back to the Weyr that night. He never did tell his family, nor did he tell the greenrider that he was leaving anyone behind. The greenrider got into some trouble for bringing a fling home and promising candidacy; there were hardly enough hatchings or eggs on the Sands in those days to necessitate Search, but it was honored regardless and A'khal allowed to stay.

A whole new world opened up for him on Vista Point's shores. Despite his age he was allowed to apprentice with the Smithcraft, helping out in the Weyr's observatory. He took to it quickly, and people hardly remembered a time without him by the time he Impressed blue Denebith nearly a turn later. The two excelled in weyrling training, A'khal himself finding dragonriding only a small jump from runner riding at the ranch. His place at Vista Point cemented, he threw himself back into his studies and managed to walk the tables in his thirties. His interest in coastal weather patterns made him a great transfer prospect when the newly established Dolphin Cove Weyr was finding its feet. Looking to get away and seeing an opportunity, A'khal put in for a transfer south.

When Threadfall did come, he was prepared more in theory than he was in practice. He'd spent so long studying the weather patterns and searching the old records and understanding worse-case scenarios that it was almost unthinkable for him to be 'scored. Denebith took a wide patch of Threadfall across his wings and back, and it was only the quick skip /between/ that saved both dragon and rider. Still, Denebith was grounded for nearly a turn and was relegated to the Queen's Wing as both of them recuperated. It only made them stronger: they've been a resilient pair in the air ever since, and A'khar was eventually promoted to wingthird.

When M'gan disappearance and R'kede's surprise promotion to Wingleader, A'khar was more than happy to follow his wingsecond to Cyclone Wing.

Dragon's Name: Denebith
Dragon's Age: 32
Dragon's Hatching Date: m12 d20
Dragon's Colour: Blue
Description of Dragon:
Denebith is a striking dragon, with a deep blue hide that best resembles the night sky. He's nigh invisible in early hours of the morning, except his pleasantly whirling green eyes that stare back. He's sleek, with hardly any deviation except silvery, lighter scar tissue that streaks across his wing sails like permanent flashes of lightning; old threadscore from the early days.

They say that opposites attract, and that is certainly the case with A'khal and Denebith. Where A'khal is the life of the party, Denebith is quiet. He's not shy, nor particularly reclusive- dragons are rarely solitary themselves- but he enjoys basking in the energy of others, enjoying their company but mostly participating in appreciative silence. He enjoys watching and listening, and can go a long time without 'talking' to his rider and A'khal can count on one hand the number of times he's talked to other people. It doesn't make him a favorite with the greens, especially since his favorite couples activity is sitting in companionable silence. He is, however, an expert at succinctness and quick communication, making him invaluable to the Wing whether or not he's actively in the air.

Approved: January 1st 2025
Last updated: January 1st 2025

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Persona Profile: A'khal