Name: Virje
Age: 36 (Nameday 3538.13.23)
Sex: Female
Sexual Orientation: Sapiosexual bi (they gotta have brains or she's not interested)
Weyr: Western Weyr
Rider Rank: wingrider
Previous Rank/Craft: "Apprentice" Starcrafter, specializing in Meteorology (never formally studied)
Physical Description: Virje stands around 5'8" and is built slender and whippy, even a bit too thin (because she sometimes forgets to eat). Her flat black hair is kept simple, about butt-length and center parted; she shoves it up haphazardly under her hat and flying helmet, so it's usually a mess. She has big pale blue eyes that are usually wide with wonder at the world, a small slightly upturned nose, and a perpetually befuddled expression. Her fair skin is tanned from being outdoors all the time. She typically wears a big fur-lined leather flaphat with goggles, leather pants and jackets with fur-lined boots, with close-fitting simple shirts and tunics. She carries her weather-observing gear around in a big worn leather backpack along with a scarf and gloves; she always looks ready for flight and adventure.
Personality: Virje has her head in the clouds, both literally and figuratively. She has a natural weather sense and a deep love of climatology and meteorology; she's often found perched on the upper rims of the Weyrbowl with Unogeth studying the sky with her equipment and making notes. She's enthusiastic about her adopted craft and flying and her travels around Pern, and is happy to share stories of her adventures with others. But she's so oblivious to small social cues that she often ends up shoving her foot into her mouth and saying or doing the wrong thing.
Despite being a dragonrider, Virje is still at heart a scientist (if an amateur one). Endlessly curious and inquisitive, she will seek out knowledge and information about whatever is catching her imagination at the moment, wherever the best source of that knowledge and information might be. And that whatever is usually weather-related. She often will disappear for a day or two at a time to study weather phenomenon elsewhere, transmitted to her via a network of other weather nerd and Starcrafter riders across Pern via their dragons. This disappearing act has gotten her in trouble in past, though she hasn't missed a Threadfall or any other expected duties; she just forgets to mention to anyone where she's going or how long she'll be gone. She's trying to be better about this, with Unogeth's help.
Virje is something of an introvert and does her best when left alone and on her own, just her and Unogeth. She's had romantic relationships in the past, but they would invariably fizzle out due to her need for isolation and general obliviousness about how her romantic partner feels about her -- and her ever-present focus on the weather. She has absolutely no fear (because she's too oblivious to be afraid) and won't let distance or the idea of visiting someplace she's never been before stop her from pursuing the weather information she seeks. She'll seek that information from anyone, too; Weyr denizen or caravan trader or Lord Holder or pirate, it doesn't matter. It's the fact that she has had dealings with people like them before that makes her so unafraid; surely if one pirate treated her nicely, they all will, right?
She adores her Unogeth and wouldn't trade her for any other dragon on Pern.
Positive Trait List enthusiastic, inquisitive, rather fearless
Negative Trait List space cadet, introvert, wanderlust, oblivious
History: Virje grew up a weyrbrat at Southern Weyr, largely raised by her dragonrider parents V'ren and Lijet. She was taken as an "apprentice" by the Weyr's resident Starcrafter at age 9 and learned to love the stars and sky. In particular, she was fascinated by the weather, especially the monster storms that sometimes swept through. She wanted to go to Starcrafter Hall at Landing to further her studies but her parents forbade it; they wanted her to be a dragonrider and told her she had to start standing for clutches. She ultimately obeyed them and to her great surprise Impressed gold Unogeth at age 15.
Still caught up in her love of weather, she was fairly hit or miss with her Weyrling training. Once she graduated she left Southern to further study the weather all over Pern. She spent several Turns studying the weather of the Northern Continent, inadvertently setting up something of a network of other Starcrafters and meteorology nerds who happened to be dragonriders in the places she visited, who could send information to each other on interesting weather phenomena via their dragons. She learned about weather on the open sea, too, actually doing a turn or two as ship's meteorologist and navigator on a couple of trading (read: pirate) ships.
She was exploring the wild Western Continent when Thread unexpectedly returned. She'd seen Rukbat in the sky and didn't know what to make of it, but Unogeth forced her to take cover in a cave. Virje was terrified; she'd heard all the old teaching songs about Thread but like most of the rest of Pern thought it was gone forever. When it was safe, she made her way to Western Weyr and volunteered to station herself there, both to learn more about Thread and prepare herself for it to fall again, and to help fight it. And to study the Western weather, of course.
Other: Her prize possessions are her weather-observing tools: a spotting scope, a small wind vane, and a rain gauge. Appearance-wise, she looks like what would have happened if Posh Spice (Victoria Beckham) had been cast as Jet Girl in the Tank Girl movie.
DRAGON
Name: Unogeth
Age: 21 (shelled 3553.04.19 from Monaroth x Tatroth's clutch at Southern Weyr)
Color: Gold
Size: 48'
Physical Description: Unogeth is a big girl, on the large side of average, with strong broad wings and a stout build. Her hide is on the green-tinged side of gold, with a pale underbelly and wing sails and dark markings around her wrists and ankles. She's a pretty dragon, just… big.
Personality: Unogeth is a dragon who's happiest when she's flying. She loves to soar on the air currents, and since she shares her rider's interest in the weather, can predict where the currents will be best. Bold and brassy in temperament, she helps keeps Virje down to earth and engaged with the world. She loves to socialize with other dragons; she will no doubt have numerous friends amongst the other colors.
Unogeth doesn't much care for mating flights, finding them more of a nuisance than anything. Still, she has had a couple of "emergency" clutches at other Weyrs, and proved herself to be a doting mother to her eggs. When her babies hatch and Impress, however, she loses interest, figuring the dragonets have Theirs now and will be just fine without her.
She is dedicated to fighting Thread and actually does best when flying with her wingmates. With her knowledge of weather and wind patterns, she understands air currents enough to be able to predict fairly well which way a clump of Thread is going to go and is able to either avoid it or guide her rider to blast it with her HNO3 canister. She shares Virje's wanderlust and is happy to go off on weather adventures with her.
Dragon Art or Proof of Obtainment:
