Persona Profile: Arima

Writer: Victoria Voss (ONPC)

Name: Arima
Age: 89
Birthday: m12 d19
Rank: Master Vintner
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Craft: Vintner
Craft Rank: Master
Speciality: Fruit

Physical Description of Persona:
Arima is tall and lean. She's a little taller than some of the shorter men, but not quite as tall as the taller ones. She has managed to maintain her slim figure thanks to all the weeding and hauling that she does. Arima usually keeps her long, thick, waist length hair pulled up in a loose bun at the base of her neck. A few turns ago, Arima's hair started to turn turned from dark brown to silver, there's still a few strands of brown in there but it's mostly silver by now. Arima thinks that her silver hair has the distinct advantage of making her look a bit more distinguished. Because of the amount of outdoor work she does, Arima's skin is always tanned. Arima is a very good looking woman. She is not beautiful in the classic sense of the word, but her joy in life and all things shines through and makes her otherwise pretty face something to be admired.

Emotional Description of Persona:
Arima is generally calm and collected, she's quick to smile and takes the time to enjoy life ... all of life. She's spent turns getting to this point in her life, and she recognizes that there's only a few more decades left, but she refuses to believe that she's past her prime. "Life, like fine wine, only gets better with age" is one of her favorite sayings. Arima takes the time to enjoy the people around her, interacting on whatever level they will permit ... although she's somewhat discrete about certain levels of interaction.

History of Persona:
Arima was born as the only child to a pair of master vintners. She was always a quick child and growing up in the Vintners Hall she picked up a lot of knowledge on all forms of the craft. Even as a young child she would help her parents in their experiments and brewing. As soon as she was eligible, Arima became an apprentice at the Hall. She quickly rose through the ranks and became known for her fruit wines and ciders as well as for her ice wines. In the 6th month of turn 1159 of the interval, at the age of 32, Arima became one of the youngest Master Vintners in the Hall.

Six months after her promotion to Master, the plague swept through the Vintner Hall and killed Arima's parents. The Hallmasters met and the ban on women crafters was initiated. The Hallmaster assured Arima that her current rank would not be removed, but he strongly encouraged her to stop practicing her craft, find a husband and have a few children. After 3 months of having men thrown at her and having every possible thing done to make her stop crafting, Arima applied for a transfer to River Bluff Weyrhold. The vintners at the weyrhold were more than happy to have someone of her talents join them and Arima was welcomed with open arms.

Arima found that life in the Weyrhold was all she could ask for and more. The weyrfolk, for their part, where more than happy to have a pretty young master vintner in their mists. A few of the riders were even shocked to find out that she could drink them under the table, and it became a challenge to get her drunk.

For the next few turns, Arima moved between men with the grace of a dancer. In turn 1162 of the interval, Arima found the man of her dreams, a brownrider named G'zel, and finally settled down. He was everything she dreamed of, with an alcohol tolerance to match hers. G'zel and Arima had two children, a son named Arzel (born in 1163) and a daughter who they named Garima (born in 1167). Arima and G'zel cherished their children and raised them mostly on their own. Arzel was very much his mother's child and when he was 13 (Turn 1175), he was sent to the Vinter's hall to study by his request, and with his mother's blessing. There Arzel proved to be his mother's son and showed a distinct knack for brewing and he rose through the ranks to senior journeyman.

Garima stayed at the weyr and followed her father around everywhere for her first 13 turns. Once she was old enough, she begged to be allowed to stand as a candidate. Arima and G'zel were happy to let her stand, but she did not impress. Disappointed, Garima began working with her mother. Garima had an unfortunate encounter with a bluerider while she was still young and exploring, and Arima's granddaughter Marza was born in 1188 of the interval. In 1190, when Cusyanth clutched 45 eggs, the call went out for candidates. Garima, at age 21, was still young enough to stand on the sands and was asked to do so. The nervous parents, Arima and G'zel, watched as Garima impressed green Zoluth. To give her daughter the freedom to focus on her dragon, Arima took over the care of her young granddaughter.

In 1203, thread returned and G'zel flew with the weyr. G'zel few 2 falls successfully, then on the third fall he was fatally scored. G'zel's brown went between and never returned. Arima spent most of the following turn in her vineyards. It was only the needs of her young granddaughter that brought her back to weyrlife. Finally accepting that death is a part of weyrlife in the pass, Arima embraced life again and with her granddaughter and other weyr children and adults to help, she began brewing some of her best wines and liquors yet. In an effort to help the weyrfolk, Arima also began to work with the healers to develop a line of medicinal wines and liquors that tasted good as well as was good for you. Although these experiments are not totally successful, the medicines taste better now, and if you drink enough, you won't care anymore.

Arima continues to enjoy life with her daughter and granddaughter in the weyr, and hopes that one day her daughter will find someone to settle down with, and that her son will finally be allowed to make Master vintner.

Family and Friends
Arzel, 52, Senior Journeyman Vintner, Vintner Hall, Amber Hills Hold (Son)
Marza, 27, Wingrider, Cascade Wing, River Bluff Weyr (Granddaughter)
G'zel, 10, Brownrider (RBW) (Weyrmate - deceased)
Garima, 45, Greenrider of Zoluth (RBW) (Daughter)

Approved: November 3rd 2005
Last updated: February 2nd 2010

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Persona Profile: Arima