GOLDRIDER MERUYA

Persona : Meruya
Writing Status : PC/Active
Age : 33
Gender : Female
Rank/Craft : Goldrider
Residence : IIW

Physical Description : Meruya is somewhat taller than average, athletic, with close-cropped white-blonde hair and pale grey eyes. She's better described, perhaps, as 'handsome' or 'striking' rather than 'beautiful', but she's found that her looks have their own appeal - it doesn't hurt that she knows how to dress to accentuate the effect.

Personality : While she looks like an 'ice queen', Meruya doesn't act that way - at least not all the time. Although her personality does have a vein of arrogance, she has learned a thing or two about how much that can alienate others, so she does try to keep it under control. For the most part, she's pragmatic and blunt, with a good sense of humour - all legacies of her foster mother who was a down-to-earth sort - and those aspects of her personality are her strongest points. Her weakest points are those moments of arrogance, her belief in the doctrine that "leaders can be wrong, but can never be indecisive", which sometimes prompts her move too fast, and a certain vanity regarding her looks.
That, and a truly atrocious singing voice, which doesn't stop her from thinking she can sing.

Life Story : Born at Telgar Weyr, latest descendant of a long line of riders, Meruya was certain from the start that she wanted to be a gold rider - and just as certain that she would get what she wanted. Her foster family didn't let her get away with being a spoiled brat - but she certainly had a will of her own when she was growing up. While it caused some heartache for her foster family, that later proved to be very useful in controlling Sinevath, who certainly has leanings in the direction of 'wilful' herself.
There were two things that were probably more responsible than any others for preventing Meruya from turning into a complete spoiled horror. First was a foster mother who was about as no-nonsense as any one person can get, and refused to allow Meruya to get away with her worst excesses.
The second event was the first time Meruya stood on the hatching sands. A queen egg and a dozen green dragons - and not one single hatchling gave her so much as a second glance. Left standing, Meruya was absolutely crushed and went into a depression that seemed unreasonably deep, even to those used to dealing with younglings upset by being passed over.
It took half a turn for Meruya to outwardly recover from the shock of being passed over, and from the merciless teasing and taunting. Proud, she hadn't been quiet about her certainty that she would impress gold, and others in the Weyr weren't shy about letting her know their feelings.
When she did recover, she was a quieter, more thoughtful person and when she stood on the hatching sands again, it was without boasting or arrogance. When she was passed over a second time, the shock was no less deep, but she hid it better.
It was a full two turns before Meruya would again stand on the hatching ground, but this time, Sinevath was there. It was a long time before Meruya could admit to herself just how desperately she needed that third time to be a success.
Although they didn't completely wipe out her arrogant moments, the two failures did teach her some degree of humility and she set to learning how to be a good queen rider with a good will and, it turns out, a pretty good result. Now in her early thirties, she has a good reputation in the Weyrs as a mostly level-headed woman. Although she's never been in the position of senior queen, she has occasionally led the queens' wing at Telgar when the senior was either egg-heavy or on the hatching ground, and performed creditably.
The one area of her life that is less than satisfying is her love life. Sinevath is content to cut as wide a swathe as possible through the bronzes - but Meruya does secretly long for someone special. Despite that wish, it hasn't happened yet, and Meruya remains unweyrmated.
Regarding her move from Telgar to Ierne Island, Meruya would describe it as simple logic; too many queens in one Weyr meant that someone had to go, and she decided to volunteer. "After a lifetime of being in the same place," she told anyone who asked, "a little adventure looks exciting."
The truth - which she told to far fewer people - involved one particular bronze rider, and one particular queen rider as well as Meruya. Not many people know of the awkward, painful triangle - but when the chance to move to Ierne Island came up, Meruya decided it was time to break the deadlock.


Dragon's Name : Sinevath
Dragon's Colour : Gold
Dragon's Age : 13
Sire/Dam : Transfer
Rider's Age at Impression : 20

Physical Dragon : Sinevath is a medium-sized gold, built along sleek, sinuous lines, elegant and graceful. Her hide is a notably darker shade of gold than normal, very rich in appearance. She has no obvious scars marking her hide, but there are a few subtle, faded marks if you know where to look.

Dragon's Personality:Sinevath is a touch highly strung. In particular, the entire Weyr will know when she's within a few days of a mating flight, and candidates at her hatching are warned that, no matter what she looks like, she really won't eat them. (Weyrlingmasters with an evil sense of humour have phrased it, "She's never savaged anyone...yet.")

Apart from those occasions, she's demanding of her rider's attention, proud, and more than a touch vain about her appearance. When it comes to threadfall, however, she focuses on the job, and as long as Meruya is with her, Sinevath is fearless.

Last updated on 8-Jul-05.