The visual presence of this Brown is one of contained power. His head is a solid shadow atop his muscular neck many shades darker than the rest of his hide almost as if he is wearing a caul. Bright swirling eyes look out from beneath this hood, deep set under pronounced 'ridges. This dark mask ends in a visible line half way down his thick-corded neck, where the colours lighten to the tone of rain-soaked earth. By the time this hue reaches his shoulders there is almost a ruddy nature to it - bay and tawny, the shade of blood soaked leathers. His entire body is made of stout blocks, solid and strong, muscle rippling under the surface. The rust seems to puddle about his feet, tainted a vivid terracotta with hooks of deepest black forming his talons. His long, spaded tail is the hue of a tarnished axe behind him, as if ready to chop anything that stands in his way. His wings seem like sturdy mahogany, no light penetrating the dark membranes even when raised, save for a spider-work of cinnamon so vivid it seems almost to be gold lining.
Egg Name and Description
Chiming the Passage Egg
Cobble stones trail over the surface of this egg, a winding trail of sandy brown and steely grey. To break the uniform patterning however, are what the eye might see as bells. At every angle dotting the miandering route, they appear to chime a passage for the observer, large and small, brilliant brass hues and faded bronze, slowly, slowly down from the apex to the base curve. There however, a patch of shadow appears almost to form a chamber in the wending streets and chimes. There however, a single orange-yellow flame glows on a pale stick of tallow in that darkness; a guide and a hope perhaps. There however, the hollow of this illusion seems framed by inverse 'L' shapes the shade of old wood, a small triangle in the join of the axis making them appear to be glow-posts perhaps.
Hatching Message
The Chiming the passage egg seems to have reached the end of its patience. First there is a sound of impact, like the beat of a drum, pounding out an ominous rhythm. Thud. Thud! THUD! Then finally the surface of the egg begins to crack along the winding trail, showering the sands with cobble stone sized chunks of its casing. The shadows seem to fall away from the path as the surface erupts finally, rent entirely asunder by the blocky head emerging from confinement. Shoulders pressing forward in a heave, the Hooded Compassion Brown hatchling finally leaves behind his prison of the past few months
Impression Message
The chaos of the hatching sands rather suddenly seems displaced. It's not that you no longer feel or see them, but rather that they no longer seem to impact upon you. A steady footstep seems to grow in your mind, the thump of a drum, the measured pace of a stoic walk, and then, there's the pulse in your mind, strong and deep like a bell-clap. The resonance of it washes through you, vibrating your essence and twanging through every fiber of your being, as a melody and a haunting presence comes into a final focus. «Alorye» the voice is so deep, a bass, throaty husk of thoughts that contains so much love in that one word. You are everything. The final destination of… «I am Garroth. I'm here. I told you I was patient. Now… could we see the ocean you spoke of? After I've eaten. It was a long wait in there.» and there he is, looking up at you solemnly, The Hooded Compassion Brown Hatchling
Mind Description
Deep-throated Toll of Passage
This mind appears to be soundwaves initially, vibrations that ripple through the thoughts in peaks and troughs either in jagged staccato or undulating andante. Passion might be transmitted through persistance of a 'vibration' or anger as fast-paced jagged-edged vibration. Think the difference between the visual sound of a soft peel of evensong, and a claxon dinnerbell or alarm, if recorded on an audiograph. Then shadows by the firelight might creep into the awareness, warmth and protection, or suspicious claustrophobia depending on the mood of the moment, as a 'stage' for the sounds to reach the ear.
Garroth's voice is gruff and bass, a deep gravelly presence in your mind. He is not prone to ever being loud, or abrasive, instead he favours a sense of immobility with his taciturn stoicism. However, the harmony and discord that flavoured his mind in the eggshell does not leave him, it simply becomes the background for his voice. Think… theme music. His anger is a reaffirmation of that stubborn streak, accompanied by Mars Bringer of War. Pride might be the strains of Peter's theme from Tchaikovsky's Peter and the wolf. Sadness the notes of the main theme of Braveheart.
Personality
Well, a long time in a tower, locked up with only a small view of the world outside, where few would pop in and visit creates patience. From the word go, Garroth is a patient fellow. Not for him, this rushing through every experience headlong. Even in those first days as he's coming to know the world around him and you, his Alorye, he will not rush at anything he does. This patience is at least partly genetic, inherited from his sire. The problem is, much like his sire, his hatchlinghood will be filled with situational accidents. The thing is he's so /strong/ and coming to understand that strength he has will be a challenge for you and he to overcome and the /problem/ is he hates to be as clumsy as he is in those first months. To him, it's a chore to have to eat, a chore to have to get oiled, and a chore to have to tiptoe and pull his strength back from things. Expect to be arguing in those first times, where he does not wish to exert the caution he needs. Stubborn? Oh yes indeed. Delicacy isn't something he understands. Why after all, if he was given this disproportionate strength, must he mitigate it for the pleasure of others? He has to find his own ways of doing everything, and no matter how much he is told, or shown, or commanded, that is not going to change. Something else you'll notice in these early days is his gallows humor. Garroth is fully capable of making a rather black statement over someone else's ineptitude, you included. He can find the funny side in watching his clutchsiblings falling flat on their faces, in the weyrlingmaster's warnings about BETWEENING into rock faces, and never returning. Why? Because really that should be common sense shouldn't it? Maybe if those weyrlings, possibly you included, had accepted the full responsibility of what they were taught, they'd not have gotten into that mess. But for all of that, he wisecracks in this manner, it's not to cover any fear. You'll discover he has no fear of BETWEEN, no terror associated with the thought of death. Each day with you is just that - A day. He is not morbid however, not in his deepest core, rather he is aware of his own mortality and yours far more than many dragons, and he accepts it, even at a young age. Though you may never fully realize, his youth is actually part of the view through his 'window' - Living is not all sunshine and flowers. Living is /being/ for him. Good and bad. He'll argue and be contrary because he feels it's necessary to experience the bad with the good, in order to understand who he is, and who you are.
Adolescence brings some of his other qualities and flaws to the forefront of understanding. Though still possessed of his gallows humor, Garroth has sensitivity inside him toward life. As you begin to explore the world through his eyes further, you will find he enjoys a kind of solitude, best epitomized by moments spent watching something from afar, whether it be gazing at the horizon by the oceanside, perching atop a ledge and viewing everything from a distant view, or simply observing human interaction at what seems an oblivious distance. His love of music will also be apparent at this stage in his life, although he prefers quiet songs, and shares your love of watching the sea. Shanties and old harper compositions are among his favourites. Strangely he has a rather good singing voice for a dragon, and may infact hum along with a rough tune, in odd but somehow fitting harmony. He'll gleefully ignore your interactions with your fellow weyrlings, even going so far as to grunt or feign ignorance if you ask him about a situation he's been witness to. It's not the situation that warrants his attention, it's his own growing sense of duty and responsibility. Only now that he's reaching 'teenage' will he start to care how much destruction he wreaks on his environment. And he /will/ surprise you. Just when you thought he was totally unaware of anything but his own high 'tower' he'll come up with an insightful and perhaps shocking viewpoint on something he's observed. Out of the blue. Just like that. And leave you spluttering or demanding to know how he came to such a conclusion… because he's frequently right. «Thought it was obvious myself.» the frustrating response to such probes.«What, can't see it?» When lessons of responsibility to weyr and Pern come around, it'll wake up a fascination in him, and a need to understand how his duty is done, and how to help make sure justice is done also. Your placid, stoic, stubborn brown will focus his stubborn nature toward finding his niche, and may well encourage you to do the same. He's capable at least, of leading… when he has to. Of doing something because /someone/ has to.
Come adulthood, this burgeoning maturity and sense of self culminate in his indomitable intractability. He rarely gets truly upset or angry over his lot in things. He has a place, a duty, and a sense of justice that may have you having to play the bad guy sometimes. He will not like it when someone is truly wronged. Irascible, his compassionate core is hidden behind the layers of his complex exterior viewable to only a few, but he may surprise you by defending the most unlikely of underdogs. When it comes to flights and the inevitable turning of his eyes to females, he approaches flights with the same patience he went through his youth. So what if he loses this gold flight, or that green flight? He'll learn from the experience, and may well deliberately lose a few flights in order that you can come to terms with his own passion. Such is his inner 'humanity'. Not one for overt flirting, his complements may be rather awkward if he gives them…«You have really nice legs.» or «You look.. um.. really clean today.» may well be good examples of his attempts at flattery. %R%RAll in all, Garroth's raison D'etre is giving you a sense of purpose, whether it be keeping him in check, arguing to better your own understanding, or simply making sure you feel as if you belong for your OWN reasons.
Why Alorye? I chose you because I think you need me in your life. I know that's not the most helpful of notions, but… You are not like everyone else. You showed me the horizon, Alorye. You showed me that which is beyond my reach. And you? You seem to need something solid in your life. I am that, if I am anything. Also, you need someone that'll tell you you're being an idiot. Who else is going to? You've taken responsibility in your life before I came to you. Now I can help shoulder some of that, and channel it. Also… some of your notions are /really/ cock-eyed. What, you expected me to not notice? So perceptive and yet sometimes you don't see what's right under your nose *enter deep sonorous chuckles* You've carried yourself on tides, back and forth. You've lived vicariously through other people. Together, I'm going to show you how to live for yourself as well. It is my duty.
Credits
Garroth's egg was based on the English nursery rhyme, Oranges and Lemons - "Oranges and Lemons" say the bells of St. Clements / "You owe me five farthings" say the bells of St. Martins / "When will you pay me?" say the bells of Old Bailey / "When I grow rich" say the bells of Shoreditch / "When will that be?" say the bells of Stepney / "I'm sure I don't know" says the Great Bell of Bow. / Here comes the candle to light you to bed / And here comes the chopper to chop off your head! / Chip, chop / Chip, chop / The last man's head! - This rhyme reflects the processional path of the condemned prisoner along the cobblestones of London, from Newgate prison to the gallowtree of Tyburn, with the bells of the various churches marking the passage as they pass. The inspiration for his description is the Executioner, hooded to protect his humanity, doing duty by crown and court. His nature comes from a combination of the essence of the Tower of London, reflecting jailer, prisoner, justice and the knowledge of duty done. His name comes from the Garrote, used both in torture, and in execution! Indeed, there is a darkness ever-present in your Garroth, but also a deep understanding of the nature of justice and that which /must/ be done.
| Hooded Compassion Brown Garroth | |
| Dam | Gold Sevaruth |
| Sire | Bronze Gilanth |
| Created by | M'kail |
| Impressee | Alorye |
| February 26, 2005 | |
| Western Weyr | |
| PernWorld MUSH | |