Gaellon

Who is Gaellon?

Gaellon is a fictional character I write. I can't honestly say I "created" him, but when I "adopted" the character, he was basically a two page description. That has since been fleshed out, and much has been written about him.

This document has several parts to it, organized as follows:

• A Brief Description of Pern
• Gaellon's Profile
• Description
• Timeline
• Background
• Personality

• Links to Gaellon's Stories:

• "A Dragon Knows" - How Gaellon and M'zel meet
• "Parenthood" - Gaellon becomes a father

A Brief Description of Pern

Pern is a creation of Anne McCaffrey; at last count, she has written a round dozen books about Pern. By her gracious consent, there are several fan clubs allowed to use her world as a setting for their own shared-world writing.

Some time, not too far into our future, at the end of a great interstellar war, Earth ships will colonize a small planet, far out into the galaxy. This planet becomes known as Pern.

Pern is a pleasant world... at least for the first few years of the colony. In the colony's seventh year, something dreadful and unexpected happens. There is a small planet travelling on an eccentric orbit around Pern's primary. Trailing along behind it, caught in it's gravity well, are dormat forms of a mycorrhizoid fungus, which devours any organic material it contacts. As these pods pass Pern, they are pulled into her gravity well and are activated by the friction of re-entry.

The colony is nearly devastated. The genetic engineers, led by Kitti Ping, work frantically to develop something, anything that can combat this enemy. Inspiration strikes. An indigenous species of flying lizard is discovered to be capable of generating flame after chewing a phosphine-laden stone. Furthermore, these "fire-lizards" are highly empathic. Kitti Ping applies Earth's advanced genetic technology to the fire-lizards, and increases their size to the point where they can be ridden by humans. She simultaneously increases their intelligence, and advances their empathy to real telepathy. When the first of the new "dragons" hatch, each selects his or her rider. These fly to meet the fungus, now called "Thread" for its appearance.

Over time, the society organizes itself into three groups - Hold, Hall and Weyr. The Holds are the residences, and appear to be organized on a semi-feudal basis. However, inheritance is not by primogeniture, but selection of the most qualified heir by the Conclave of Lords Holder. Halls are the domain of the various crafts. Pern is a metal-poor planet, and the incursion of Thread has caused the loss of much technology. At the time Gaellon lives, Pern is basically an immediately pre-industrial civilization, stuck there due to lack of metals.

Last is the Weyr. The Weyrs are where the dragons and their riders live. There were, classically (i.e., in Anne's work), six weyrs. At the time we write (see A Brief Description of Sable Weyr for more detail), there are many more than six.

The Weyrs protect Pern from Thread. The Red Star (the erratic planet) approaches Pern every 250 years, strewing enough Thread to cause Falls every three days for fifty years. Each such fifty year period is called a Pass. The Weyrs are supported by tithes from Hold and Hall. How do the Weyr maintain themselves? Golds are the only fertile females, and always bond with female riders. Greens are also female, but are sterile. Bronze, blue and brown dragons are male. Bronzes usually are the only males to mate a gold, being the most powerful males, and only bond with men. Greens, blues and browns will bond with men or women, though women are less common as riders.

Boys and girls of approximately senior apprentice age (thirteen to twenty) who have high levels of empathy are brought to the Weyr to stand at a Hatching. If they are very lucky, they will bond with (Impress) a dragonet. Impression is permanent, and unique. When a rider dies, his dragon suicides. When a dragon dies, the rider often loses the will to live.

Despite being infertile, greens still "rise" on their estrus cycle. Because of the empathic link between a dragon and his rider, the rider becomes sexually inflamed as well. The riders of the two dragons involved in the mating flight invariably have sex in the aftermath of the flight. Since most riders are male, obviously, most of them are bisexual, at the very least. Pern is a nearly prejudice-free society. There are no derogatory terms for homosexuals; though non-Weyr folk may comment on the "loose and licentious morals of the Weyr," that generally includes women as well (who often sleep with a variety of men, as their dragon's whims take them).

Gaellon's Profile

Description

Gaellon is a second-knot Master Harper, currently the Assistant Archivist at Cove Harper Hall until 21.07, after which he is Assistant Weyr Archivist at Sable Weyr. His parents, Maklon and Gaellery, were cotholders beholden to Black Rock River Hold. He has one older brother, a pair of twins (one brother and one sister) who are also older, and one younger sister and one younger brother.

Gaellon has fine, straight blonde hair which he wears long, usually tied back to stay out of his way. His brows are thin and straight, and colored so as to nearly disappear when he has a tan. Gaellon has large, pale blue eyes, the color of a summer sky. His face is rectangular with high cheekbones. He has an aquiline nose and a wide, mobile mouth. Gaellon could definitely be described as "pretty."

Gaellon is 5'8" with a medium build. He can eat anything he pleases and not worry about weight. Gaellon is left-handed.

His favorite color is blue. He doesn't care what he wears. Nearly everything he owns is some shade of blue, so it all goes together. That way he doesn't have to worry about putting outfits together, yet looks appropriately dressed for a Master. His weyrmate, M'zel, gave him a master's pendant-earring for their first anniversary, which Gaellon wears when he remembers.

Timeline

Background

Gaellon was born on a cothold near Black Rock River Hold. When he was 8 Turns old, he was apprenticed to the Black Rock River Healer Hall. Two Turns later, he was cross-crafted to the Cove Harper Hall. It was then that he discovered his love for books. He was a devout student until he was searched for Sable. Being adaptable, he continued his studies with the Weyrsinger. He continued to stand on the Hatching Ground until no longer eligible (21 clutches over 5 years). Gaellon discovered he was eminently suited to Weyr life. For one thing, his sexual orientation was basically ignored in the progressive atmosphere of the Weyr. His quiet, easygoing personality allowed him to fit in with both riders and lower caverns personnel. He said the experience left him with a "dragon longing."

He returned to his Cove Crafthall. His younger sister, Devya, was an apprentice at Cove HH at this time. He was promoted to Journeyman second based on his activities/studies at the Weyr. He was posted to a road circuit out of Markin Hold, which he rode for six years, until he was posted to Elaeis Hold. While there, he fathered a daughter, Tamma. He was 31 when he became a Master, and was posted to the Cove HH a few months later. Shortly after being posted to Cove, Gaellon attended a Hatching at the Weyr, where he met M'zel, blue Tifereth's (tee FEH reth) rider. They shortly became weyrmates. When Tamma's mother died in Turn 20, she came to live with her father. In Turn 21, he realized a long-time wish, and Impressed two blue firelizards, Treble and Clef.

Personality

Gaellon is quiet, thoughtful, studious and brilliant. He also has an eidetic memory. Being a middle child, he learned early on that the best way to stay out of trouble is to be unnoticed. He is well liked by both colleagues and students, but does not make close friends easily, nor does he trust others easily. Both of these are partially due to having been picked upon by three older sibs.

Gaellon is ideally suited to the work of an archivist as he enjoys the quiet solitude and intense concentration of the work. He is also able to use his eidetic memory to piece together long forgotten bits of information from widely scattered sources. It is this talent which he has utilized most throughout his career as an archivist. He is meticulous, not only in his work but in all aspects of his life. Gaellon's life has only three absolutes: one is M'zel, one is Tamma, and the last is the sense that everything must be in its proper place. His students quickly learn that replacing a tool in the exact spot from which it was retrieved is essential to working harmoniously with Master Gaellon. Gaellon's standards of work are rigorous; however, Gaellon is never harsh nor overly critical with his students. He corrects with gentle guidance and positive reinforcement. Gaellon doesn't believe anything is accomplished by being loud, didactic or malicious.

Gaellon is both liked and respected for his manner of handling others and for his skills as an archivist.

Author: Randy Goldberg MD Last modified: 29-Jun-2006

Portrait by Holly Hutchison

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