Gaellon isn't the only character I've come up with. I'm no longer actively writing for any of the fannish Weyrs, but here are some of the other characters in my portfolio.
Aron hasn't really told me much about himself yet (yes, I am a victim of the fiction writer's conceit that his characters talk to him). There are no stories yet about him; in fact, there's little but this description.
Aron is 6'1", 165 pounds, has black hair and violet-blue eyes. Aron is unusually tall for a Pernese - an appropriate Terran colloquiallism might be "a tall drink of water." He is not one to stand much on ceremony, though he wears his Master's stone (indicating his standing as a first-knot Master Healer) with pride whenever he is on duty. He generally prefers not to wear his rank cords unless forced to it. He favors rich jewel-toned blues and purples, colors that highlight his deep blue eyes. Although he is rather thin, he cuts a fine figure of a man, and he knows it.
Aron is a very sensitive healer. He has a deft touch and a mild bedside manner that reassure the most nervous of patients. He is primarily trained in the treatment of disease and illness. He is an incredibly accurate diagnostician.
He often appears withdrawn; he is prone to introspective moods. When he comes out of his cogitation, however, he can utterly charming. The transformation is often quite startling, as he suddenly changes from a seated statue to a rapidly flowing bundle of energy.
Aron knew from a fairly early age that he was not particularly interested in girls. Weyrbred, male-male pairings seemed perfectly natural to him. Indeed, he was conceived in a mating flight between a female greenrider and a male bluerider who was usually bound in a male-male relationship. As a teenager, Aron discovered that he could play off his rather startling eyes and boyish charm to his great advantage. He had more than his fair share of "encounters," until about the time he Turned 30, when he decided he had had enough of the life of a wildcat, and has since been seeking a partner with whom to settle down.
It's common at Sable Weyr for characters to be drawn based on famous people; it gives the reader a fair image of who he's SUPPOSED to be seeing in his mind's eye. I've long been an admirer of Rod and Bob Jackson-Paris for their work with gay and lesbian youth, for their bravery in standing as role models, and, of course, for their beauty. Rojac and Boris are based on them; they'll mostly be background characters, brought in whenever I, or one of my collaborators at Sable, need a gay bar setting.
These two gentlemen own "The Queen's Rest," a tavern at Black Rock River Hold. "The Queen," as it is commonly known, is a pleasant bar, noted especially for the high concentration of same-sex couples (and singles looking for partners) who frequent it.
Ro and Bo have been a couple for quite a few Turns now, and are STILL deleriously in love - you can see it every time they look at each other. They leave glassy stares and drooling tongues in their wake wherever they go; even among so well-favored a people as the Pernese, these two stand out.
Rojac is about 32 Turns old. Tall, blond, muscular and tan, he is a very nearly perfect specimen. Boris is a few Turns older. Black-haired and ruddier than Rojac, his smile is even more brilliant than his partner's. It would be easy to hate them for being so beautiful, but they are both so genuinely nice and kind that it is impossible.
They can often be seen together in the streets of the Hold, or on the nearby beaches in the early morning hours; sometimes they are exercising, running at full tilt, while other times they will just be strolling hand-in-hand. And once the sun sets, you will always find them at the Queen, one behind the bar, one circulating amongst the customers.
![[Rand's Portrait]](rand.gif)
Rand is not at Sable, but at Logres Weyr, a club founded in 1994. He is the WeyrHealer there; that is, he is the Healer responsible for the health of the entire Weyr staff, riders, support staff and their families. Rand is my direct alter-ego. His family history is based on mine, and his appearance is drawn from mine as well (but he never had my weight problems). The drawing of Rand is hanging on my desk as inspiration as I diet. Rand WILL be getting a weyrmate some time soon; I'm currently trying to get my friend Teddy to come up with a character we can agree on.
Rand is about 6 feet tall and about 200 lbs. He is "thickset" because he is heavily muscled, not because he is especially fat. His dark brown hair is curly when it gets some length, but is usually worn short on the top and sides; he allows it to curl over his shoulders in back. His eyes are a brown so deep as to be almost black. He has a large, aquiline nose and bright ruddy complexion.
Rand favors blues and purples in his wardrobe, especially the brighter jewel-like tones. He wears a small amethyst in his right earlobe.
Rand is an egregrious, outgoing individual, but he occasionally does drop into deeply pensive moods. It is sometimes difficult to shake him out of these moody states. He enjoys singing; what he lacks in skill, he makes up in enthusiasm.
Rand is currently romantically unattached; both the men and the women of the Weyr have yet to understand why he keeps rebuffing them. His younger sister Eilenne is a member of the Dragonhealer contingent; they are very close.
Rand has a gift for healing; he is a contact sensory empath. His ability to sense JUST where it hurts has been invaluable to him in diagnosis.
Rand's parents, Rashel and I'ran, came from the Oldtime. Rashel's family had produced many healers over the years, and actually traced their lineage back to Masterhealer Capiam. I'ran, rider of blue Ormeth, asked her to come with him when the Five Weyrs came forward.
Being among the younger riders, I'ran remained at Ista when the Oldtimers were banished in Turn 8. Rashel naturally stayed with him, and was not displeased when a modern Weyrhealer transferred to Ista. She was particularly interested in achieving her Mastery in Adult Diseases, and delayed having children until she realized that goal. Two turns later, Rand was born, and two Turns after that, daughter Eilenne arrived.
Rand expressed an interest in his mother's work very early on. From a very young age, she had him rolling bandages and carrying bottles and jars, and otherwise helping out. Unlike most weyr-bred boys, Rand never particularly wanted to be a dragonrider, and continually pestered the Weyrhealer, to accept him as an apprentice. When Rand was twelve Turns old, he finally agreed.
Everything was fine for about a turn. Suddenly, when Rand's voice began to change, he seemed to have forgotten everything he ever knew about patient care. He was irritable around the patients, and often missed days, complaining of being ill, despite there being nothing physically wrong. Finally, just before his 15th natal day, Ormeth pointed out to I'ran that Rand would make a good rider, if he would be interested in standing to Impression. Rashel made the necessary connection and realized that the boy was an empath, and was picking up illness and pain from his patients! Recognizing that this apprentice could not be properly trained at Ista, Rand was sent to the Healer Hall at Fort Hold.
At Fort, Rand worked on developing his empathic skills. The first thing he learned was how to shield; it appeared that Rand was one of the most powerful sensory empaths yet known. Rand's gift gave him no ability to affect the physical condition of his patients, although it did allow him to affect their mental/emotional state in small ways.
At the end of his apprenticeship, he studied in the department of Injuries for his first journeyman knot. When he was promoted to his second knot, he was assigned to ride a circuit out of Southern Hold (the environs of Southern being supplied by Fort HH).
Six turns later, in Turn 40, I'ran was killed in a Fall over Ista Hold. Rand asked to transfer back to Ista Weyr to be with his mother, who was dealing very badly with I'ran's death. His request was granted, along with a promotion to his third journeyman knot. Rashel seemed to lose the will to live when I'ran died, and she followed him some nine months later.
Rand's sister, Eilenne, had also inherited the family gift for healing, but she seemed to have an affinity for animals, and had apprenticed at the Beasthealer Hall in Turn 24. In Turn 42, she returned to Ista Weyr as a second knot journeyman, where she joined the contingent of Dragonhealers. Rand was overjoyed to have his "baby" sister nearby again.
In Turn 47, Rand walked the tables and received his Master's stone. For his accomplishments at the Weyr, he was formally appointed Weyrhealer to Logres Weyr, which was just getting ready to open down on the Southern Continent.
Teddy's original proposal for Rand's weyrmate was a boy of 17. I'm having enough trouble coping with M'zel and Gaellon being 10 years apart; I'm not prepared to have Rand and R'vael be 20 years apart! I promised Teddy I'd develop a weyrmate for R'vael; he'll probably be a 20 (or so) year-old dragonrider (my first active rider character), if I ever get around to thinking about him. He hasn't even a name yet.
As stories about these characters begin to get written, links will be added here, or they will be moved to their own pages.
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Author: Randy Goldberg MD Last modified: 5-Feb-03 |
Portrait by Holly Hutchison