TsaliName Pronounced: TSAH-lee Appearance: Tsali is not a tall fellow, being only about 5’6” or so. He is average in build but as bandy-legged as a runner wrangler. He walks with the rolling gait of one who has spent a great deal of time on runnerback as well, although this is due to the congenital shape of his leg-bones rather than any occupational sequelae. He is starting to develop the beginnings of a paunch, and his round face has started to get just a trace jowly. Tsali has rather ordinary facial features, along with a moderately tanned complexion that tends towards ruddiness. His nose seems perpetually sunburned despite the broad-brimmed straw hat he wears while working among the vines. His face is mobile and expressive, and his lips are often pursed in mild consternation or worry; he has developed a few wrinkles around his mouth from that habitual expression. His eyes are brown with a grayish cast, bracketed in deep wrinkles from outdoor work, and framed with surprisingly lush lashes for a male. Tsali is balding, his klah-brown hair having retreated from his shiny pate to cling to the sides of his head. What hair is left Tsali lets grow to just above his shoulders; he usually wears it gathered into a diminutive runner-tail at the nape of his neck. Except for the top of his head, though, Tsali is quite a furry man, of the type who needs to shave twice a day rather than just once. Personality: Tsali is a fussy, meticulous man, who prefers structure and order because it comforts him to know that there is a place for everything, and that everything is in its place. Therefore, he is quite comfortable with the strongly hierarchical nature of Pernese society and his own place within it. As he is a basically kind-hearted man, he does not use his station for mean-spirited ranking or soaring over others lower than himself; on the other hand, he is also not very flexible in regards to rank-related behaviors and manners. This inflexibility applies equally whether the other person is above or below him in rank – for example, he would never behave in a familiar manner with a Lord Holder, no matter how strongly the man tried to befriend him. Tsali is most comfortable socially in situations where there are clear expectations of all parties involved, himself included. He has been unable to pin down specific rules for flirtation and courtship, and so becomes flustered when faced with “available” women, especially ones he finds attractive. To date, this has kept him out of any serious relationships with women. (This problem has largely abated since his arranged marriage to Farah.) History: Birthdate: 5th day of the 5th month Information about Tsali's pets Pet Name: Malt Pet Type: Brown Wher Appearance: Malt has grown to be of average height for a Callamere brown wher and a bit longer than average, although he is still within acceptable limits for the Hold's breeding program. He is sleek and lean, and whip-quick in his reactions. Malt is a light toasted brown color, much like that of the roasted crystal malts used in brewing ales, with a patchy stippling of darker flecks across his wings and withers. The highlights in his hide are a pale enough brown to border on amber, giving him an almost liquid appearance when moving through dappled light. Personality: Malt is smart for a wher, which allows him to operate with a fair degree of independence when it comes to his guard duties. When he is in doubt, however, he will always bespeak Tsali before doing anything drastic. Malt is very protective of his pack, and most especially of the pack's "pups", making him quite good as a babysitter. He will also guard anyone or anything else he is told to by Tsali, although with lesser intensity than he does his pack. Like Tsali, Malt likes to know the rules - although in his case it is because the more thoroughly one knows the rules, the easier it is to find the wiggle-room in them. Second Pet Name: Oloroso Pet Type: Bronze Firelizard Appearance: Oloroso is a great chunk of a bronze, especially for a wild type. Everything about him is broad – his body, his wings, even his head. As if that were not enough to draw attention, his coloration is strikingly odd: oxidized-bronze base color enlivened by shiny bronze spots. Round spots, no less, like polka dots. The smallest one nestles between his ears, and the largest ones can be found along his body and wings, but all are remarkably symmetrical. Personality: For all his hugeness and bronzeness, Oloroso is one of the mellowest fire lizards you are likely to meet. No squabbling or scolding for him, and no pointless flashing about in fairs with his fellows. If he moves, it will be with purpose, and once he starts off to do something he is very difficult to stop. He enjoys being in his pet’s company, watching everything Tsali does with intense fascination. This bronze also has a few silly behavioral eccentricities to go with his clownish coloration. First, he prefers to sleep flat on his back with his wings spread out to either side, occasionally causing someone to mistake him for dead. Second, he likes flowers. The bigger and the more colorful, the better - red and orange blooms are his favorites. Once he has found some suitably bright blossoms, he will often transport them to a place where he can heap them all together and admire them. Or, alternatively, sleep on them. If he doesn’t feel like moving his flowery finds, or if they are for some reason not movable, he will perch himself in their midst and refuse to budge until he is done looking at them. Information about Tsali's craft Craft: Vinter All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright© Anne McCaffrey 1967,2005, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author. The Dragonriders of Pern® is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited. |