AshmereCharacter type: Harper Appearance: Very tall, at around 6'2", Ashmere is also very heavy set. His family being miners the build has passed to him. Massive, bull like shoulder top a wide, heavily muscled chest, which flows down to wide hips... and a stomach that's a lot less flat than it was when he was younger. His legs are rather like tree-trunks, and he would be pretty imposing if it wasn't for the slight paunch which can make him seem cuddly. At least when he isn't frowning. Ashmere is getting on a little in turns, his once dark hair is now distinctly salt and pepper. His beared, always neatly trimmed and carefully kept, is also showing sings of age, though mostly black there are two wide white stripes in it either side of his mouth. Ashmere's blue eyes seem to sparkle with an inner fire, and they dance with inteligence showing that for all he may *look* like he's ageing he's still well on top of his game. As befits a Master Ashmere is always clean and well turned out, he refuses to wear clothes that are not neatly pressed! Personality: When working with Journerymen and Apprentices Ashmere is a hard task master. He expects *everything* to be done with precision, and he never repeats himself so woe betide the man that doesn't pay attention! His one passion in life is composing - Ashmere can craft the most wonderful, sweeping song and instrumentals or the simplest, catchiest ditties to fit any occasion. When he's composing he will deal with people in an offhand manner... it's impossible to bother him because he will be so engrossed in his work that people rarely get more than a grunt! Of course he'll then get very stroppy if he's missed a message because someone *didn't* bother him while he was working! He expects, nay *demands* that everything runs smoothly, and if it doesn't he will not rest untill things are running as smoothly asd a well oiled machine. When things are just so Ashmere is a very pleasant man to be around, jovial and friendly, open when people ask him for help. Of course if things *aren't* just so - if one of his Apprentices is being incompetant, if a delivery hans't arrived on time - the man turns into a moster. Ashmere has a firey temper on him and anyone saying the wrong thing at thew wrong time should simply sit back and watch the fireworks! If one word could be used to describe Ashmere it's officious - things have to work, and they have to work *his* way. End of story. History: Ashmere was born in Crom Hold - the son of a Master Miner and his wife. From a young age Ashmere was *always* whistling tunes to himself - frequently things people had never heared before - and he join the Miner's choir as soon as they would let him. While seemingly a little angle to the adults of the Hold Ashmere often used his size t bully the other kids into 'working properly' which almost inevitably meant doing what he told them too. His father *tried* to get him apprenticed to the Mine craft at the age of 11... but the MasterMiner informed him that the child would be far better off in the Harper Hall, especialy as he seemed to have no 'rock sense'. So off to the Harper Hall it was, with a weeping mother and a father frowning because his eldest son wasn't going to be a miner. Asmere continued to 'bully' the apprentices when he arrived at the Fort Hall - and fairly soon theirs was the tidiest barracks in the place. He took to his lessons with aplomb but got in a *lot* of trouble on several occasions for loosing his temper with the older Masters - as far as *he* was concerned they were doddering and not fit to teach! It was no wonder that when walked the tables to JourneyMan they had him packed out of the Hall as fast as they could. He was sent to assit an ailing Master in Greyfloods Hold (Telgar territory) but was effectively running the place within a few month's of being there. Sadly, however, he seemed to be too short tempered for teaching - especialy the slower children. With great regret the Master applied for a new JourneyMan to assist him. This pattern was repeated several times - Ashmere was sent out to holds to assist Masters... ended up practialy running the place but was recalled because he couldn't teach slow kids. After the fourth time the MasterHarper reluctantly decided that he'd have to stay at the Hall. Ashmere settled down quite happily into the role of teaching-aide for the CompositionMaster, and after several turns in that role had driven the older man nearly to distraction and was sitting his Master's exams. He passed, with ease, and spent several turns at the Hall not really knowing what it was he was supposed to do - after all there couldn't be *two* CompositionMasters, and they couldn't send him to a Hold because of his short temper! The MasterHarper is now so tired of having him around that he's posted him to head the 'new' Hall at Arolos in the hopes that the position will keep him occupied enought that he doesn't try and take over the whole damned Harper system! Information about Ashmere's pets Pet Name: Ortayn Pet Type: Brown flitter Appearance: Ortayn, though on the small side for a brown, looks *refined*. He's slim, and rather fine boned, and his head is chiseled - as Ashmere would put it - 'just so'. He's a rich, warm colour like firelight playing over polished oak. Personality: Ortayn is Asmere's pride and joy - and well he knows it. The brown flitter will listen to *no one* but Ashmere, and will do the most annoying things AND GET AWAY WITH THEM because Ashmere is as doting on him as a father with a baby. Ortayn is a spoilt child - and everyone but Ashmere will end up knowing it! Information about Ashmere's craft Craft: Harper - composition 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. |