Marblaine - Claire
Persona Sheet
PERSONA INFORMATION
Name: Marblaine
Pronounciation: Mar-blayn
Nickname: Mar
Honorific: n/a
Birthdate: 05-08-2500
Current Age: 42
Gender: Female
Rank: Candidate Master
Birthplace: Cibryen Weyr Current Location: Cibryen Weyr
Mother: Baine, Lower Caverns worker, Cibryen Weyr, deceased
Father: Marlbo, journeyman beastcrafter, Cibryen Weyr, deceased
Siblings: Matalazet, OAA, 44
T'lazar, injured bronzerider, 41, Fort Weyr; former wingleader at Cibryen
Children: Elzbet, 22, wingrider, Fort Weyr
Marlazar, 6, Weyrbrat, Cibryen Weyr
Celwen, 5, Weyrbrat, Cibryen Weyr (foster, former Weyrwoman Celaena's son)
Sefarli, 5, Weyrbrat, Cibryen Weyr (foster)
Rihazar, 5, Weyrbrat, Cibryen Weyr (foster, T'lazar's daughter)
Corran, 5, Weyrbrat, Cibryen Weyr (foster)
Orla, 4, Weyrbrat, Cibryen Weyr (foster)
Lara, 4, Weyrbrat, Cibryen Weyr (foster, former Weyrwoman Celaena's daughter)
Significant others: none - the occasional lover, but no special somebody - yet!
PERSONA DESCRIPTION
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 180lbs
Build: medium build; now she's getting a bit older she's realised that, distressingly, the spare pounds aren't as easy to shift as they were before. She's slightly plump but not fat. Comfortably rounded, with an impressive bust that she's secretly rather proud of. Likes to wear V-shaped necklines, particularly on her Gather dresses, to emphasise her cleavage.
Hair color/style: dark brown, straight and long, with touches of gray beginning at her temples and threading through her hair. She usually keeps it plaited, either in one or two tails, and then winds the plaits into loops or knots - it doesn't take long to do and she prefers the effect to a more simple style. When she gets harassed, she can tug unconsciously at her hair until it starts to hang loose, with hairpins tumbling out as she moves. On Gather days, though, or for big events like Hatchings or Turn's End, she leaves it unbound, then it falls halfway down her back and people don't recognise her until she turns around.
Eye color/shape: pale blue and roundish, giving her a slightly owlish look. But don't be fooled: she has a disconcertingly direct gaze that can see through troublemakers and winkle the truth from lying weyrbrats.
Complexion/Skin Color: Fair, with a tendency to burn in sun. Her skin is quite dry and thin, meaning that strong wrinkles are making themselves noticed around her mouth, nose and eyes, with two frown-lines becoming prominent on her forehead. She uses a special emollient cream from the healers to stop her skin becoming flaky and dry.
Facial features: round face with a strong chin. Marblaine tends to jut her chin forward when she's making a point, giving her a stubborn look, but really she's not particularly dogmatic. It can be a bit intimidating, though, and she has been known to do it deliberately to scare certain people, including some high-ranking Weyrfolk!
Style of dress: Marblaine tends to be practical in dress; with young foster-children and a Weyr to help run, it's a necessity. She likes long, divided skirts or loose pants with tunics for everyday wear but prefers flowing dresses for her Gather finery. Her favourite colour is blue but she also suits deep forest greens or rusty reds for a spot of brightness. She *never* wears anything white, though, or even cream-coloured, if she can help it - even for feasts or Gathers. Darker colours don't show stains as much and Marblaine comes into contact with *lots* of stains .....
Habits: disarranging her hair.
Hobbies: Marblaine enjoys fine embroidery, but doesn't really have much time to spend on it. She does have one unbreakable rule: on her rest days, she spends time with Marlazar and her foster-children, often organising something special to do with them, such as a picnic outside the Weyr or - if a friendly dragonrider can be found - a trip to the beach. And since most riders want to keep in with the Headwoman, it's usually not too difficult to organise!
Pets: Gold fire-lizard Gira; usually well-trained and quite a help to Marblaine in locating people scattered throughout the immensity of the Weyr.
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Personality: Anyone describing Marblaine wouldn't bother with physical details or a potted history. They'd simply say, "She's the one in charge." Because, as far as the Lower Caverns go, Marblaine is. She demonstrated this from an early age, when it was more properly termed bossiness, but as she matured she allied the trait with her organisational abilities, plus a strong streak of determination, to become an extremely competent Headwoman.
Marblaine has very definite ideas of how a job should be completed, but once she's given someone the task and told them what she expects, she lets them get on with it. This ability to delegate is essential to a Headwoman, who has so many different demands on her time. As long as the job is done to her satisfaction, she'll be happy, but woe betide any slackers, shirkers or slowcoaches who don't measure up - Marblaine can have a rough side to her tongue, which she uses to good effect on those who don't meet her high standards.
Despite being a stickler for detail, Marblaine is a very caring person who would love to have had more children. She's well-known for fostering youngsters, which places even more demands on her, but she enjoys their energy and enthusiasm, even though it does drastically reduce the amount of free time (and energy!) she has to spend on herself.
Passing 40 has had a subtle effect on Marblaine: though never a vain woman, she's started to think a little bit more about the way she looks and even her effect on men - or the lack of it. She's still young to be a Headwoman and is beginning to wonder what else she has to look forward to in her life. This vague itch sometimes manifests itself in flashes of irritability or annoyance with her present situation, but really Marblaine can't imagine a life outside of the Weyr, with the constant demands of Thread, dragonriders, fosterlings and Weyrfolk. Her occasional outbursts are simply weathered by all, they tread softly around her for a while until she has recovered her customary good humour and then life in the Lower Caverns continues as normal.
Background/history: Marblaine has lived in Cibryen Weyr all of her life. She first drew breath in the small room shared by her parents, a journeyman beastcrafter and a Lower Caverns worker who had met and fallen in love at the Weyr. She was their second child; her older sister, Matazalet, wasn't entirely thrilled to share her home with a squalling baby, but in the way of these things her jealousy gradually worked itself out and she and Marblaine grew to be close. Not that it stopped them having huge fights now and again as they grew up: Marblaine was neat and organised while Matazalet was definitely messy, and their shared room became the source of many an argument. The addition of a foster-brother, Ticolazar, one Turn younger than Marblaine, helped balance the situation a little. Marblaine's mother took the boy in when he was nine Turns old after his parents died of a mystery disease; Marblaine was delighted to have a new brother and initially tried "mothering" him, but Ticolazar was having none of it and soon the trio settled down together.
Marblaine, Matazalet and Ticolazar were popular; they each had their gang of fellow Weyrbrats with whom they dodged chores (sometimes successfully), endured Harper lessons (reluctantly) and created mayhem (occasionally). They enjoyed a typical Weyr upbringing which left them with a relaxed attitude towards sex and nudity, an ease around dragons and their riders, and a desire to join their ranks as soon as possible. Both Matazalet and Marblaine stood on the Hatching Sands on several occasions, but neither Impressed.
Marblaine accepted it more quickly than her sister; at 16 Turns, she was already being trained as a potential assistant Headwoman and at least had something to occupy her. Matazalet kept standing for clutch after clutch - she was on the Sands when Ticolazar, three years her junior, Impressed bronze Brodenth - and that was the beginning of Matazalet's dissatisfaction with Weyr life. She did not want to work in the Lower Caverns like her mother and sister; she couldn't find another job she desired in the Weyr - other than that of dragonrider - and after she'd passed her 21st birthday, that too became closed to her. She left the Weyr soon afterwards, following a blazing row with her parents, and Marblaine hasn't seen her since then.
Very, very occasionally a message will come from Matazalet, seeking marks; Marblaine will send some, along with an invitation to come to the Weyr, but this is never accepted. Marblaine knows she probably could track Matazalet down, but she figures her sister will return when she is ready, whenever that will be.
Shortly after Matazalet left, Marblaine was betrothed to Elbern, a journeyman trader. They'd first met several years previously, when Elbern came to the Weyr with his caravan, and carried on a sporadic courtship before Elbern finally proposed betrothal. Marblaine accepted, but only as long as Elbern was happy to stay in the Weyr. Feeling ready for a change, he agreed, but it was soon clear that he felt stifled by the pressure of Weyr life, the looming cliffs around him and the constant presence of hundreds of other people. Their relationship lasted for several Turns, but by the end it was obvious they really had little in common.
Their only real link was their baby daughter Elzbet, born during their second Turn together, but Elbern was not her father. Marblaine was never really sure whether Elbern knew the truth: that Marblaine had allowed herself to give in to the lust of a particularly powerful goldflight and spent time afterwards with one of the bronzeriders. Weyrbred Marblaine could accept what had happened, but she suspected Elbern - if he knew - had found it much harder to deal with. She felt both guilty and relieved when Elbern returned to his wandering life with the trader caravans.
He still keeps in touch with both Marblaine and Elzbet when his caravan calls in at the Weyrs of Cibryen and Fort ..... Elzbet Impressed a Cibryen green, Tellath, when she was 16 but transferred to Fort at the age of 20 to be with her lover, brownrider M'tan. Marblaine misses her, but knows she's well settled and happy at Fort. She still finds it hard, though, whenever Fort rises to meet Threadfall (she knows Fort's patterns as well as she knows Cibryen's) and remains uneasy until the Fall is over by several hours. She figures M'tan would let her know quickly if anything serious happened to Elzbet.
When Elzbet was a scant Turn old, in 2521, Thread returned at the start of the Ninth Pass. Now the dragons and their riders could live up to their true purpose - to keep Pern free of Thread. And they did, though not without many losses as the wings, despite their drills and practises, suffered from their early contacts with Thread. For the first time, Marblaine had to learn to accept deaths on a larger scale than the usual losses in Weyrling training. After Elbern left and Marblaine sought solace among others, it was especially difficult to have a rider in your bed one night and, the next, to know that he and his dragon were both gone ..... Marblaine grew to dread the moment that dragons keened their grief. She still tenses up before every Threadfall, even though 21 years have gone by since the Ninth Pass began.
In 2534, just before Marblaine's 34th birthday, Cibryen's old Headwoman died. Natyla had acted as mentor to Marblaine, putting her into different positions of authority to prepare her for the task of one day becoming the Weyr's Headwoman. Although Marblaine was comparatively young to become Headwoman, there was simply no-one else who had the range and depth of knowledge she possessed .... and her age had one advantage: she should be in a position to see Cibryen through to the end of the Pass. A little daunted by the task, Marblaine nevertheless took it up with alacrity.
The intervening Turns have only extended and deepened her experience. She seems calm, confident and capable in almost all situations - it takes a lot to upset Marblaine! But she has had to adjust to the loneliness that often comes with being in a position of authority; this is why she welcomes fostering children, to give her something else to focus on and an outlet for the maternal side of her nature which she was never fully able to express. She did, however, have a second child at the age of 36 - in Pernese terms, comparatively late in life. Again, a lost goldflight was to blame.
Her foster-brother T'lazar, now wingleader of Ridge Runner wing at Cibryen, was deep in dragonlust when he came upon Marblaine and she, much to her surprise, responded in kind. Marblaine was well aware of the effect that mating flights could have on her, but she thought she had grown used to containing her emotions, especially now that she was Headwoman. Clearly, she had not and a son, Marlazar, was the result. But both Marblaine and T'lazar realised a lasting relationship between them would not work out, although T'lazar remained good friends with Marblaine and she even fosters his second child, a girl, Rihazar, born from his relationship with a greenrider, Andriha. It was in the aftermath of Marlazar's birth that Marblaine decided to steer clear of men, for a while, at least.
Unfortunately T'lazar and Brodenth were seriously injured fighting Thread in 2040. T'lazar - normally a strong, active man - could not adjust to being grounded. He became deeply depressed about being unable to fly Thread and eventually the Healers suggested that he should return to his home Weyr, Fort, until he and Brodenth are able to return to a fighting wing. T'lazar has occasional contact with his children, but like most riders, he is not inclined to spend much time with them.
With five children now on her hands - one blood relation, four fostered - Marblaine certainly did not intend to take on any more, but in 2541 she accepted the care of two youngsters, Corran and Orla, whose half-sister was standing as a Candidate for the first clutch of Calystath and Mnerath. She agreed to do it on a short-term basis only, but by the time Vari Impressed green Verseth, Corran and Orla were settled and happy with their new foster-family. Marblaine decided not to disturb them, although Corran, in particular, has turned out to be a bit of a pickle ..... the episode where he left a dead tunnelsnake in the Weyrleader's bed was a challenge, even for the usually unflappable Marblaine.
Recently, Marblaine has tentatively ended her self-imposed decision to stay away from men. At first, she was afraid that giving in to her natural urges would either make people disrespect her or would leave her open to ridicule from the other Weyrfolk. For this reason, she has been extremely circumspect. But her encounter with the gruff bronzerider R'tuer, in the fourth month of 2542, was really only the continuation of an occasional relationship that had started some 25 turns previously. Her night spent with the young bronzerider L'varen, however, was purely about sex - and they both enjoyed it tremendously! There's a lot to be said for being a Weyrborn woman, after all - Marblaine simply does not have a holdbred's hangups about sex. Having said that, she is not going to hop into bed with just anyone who comes her way. However, she is enjoying exploring this aspect of life again and she does have her eye on some more potential partners in the future .... ;D
The Headwoman also added another role to her repertoire in 2542: she effectively became the Candidatemaster when the former holder of the post transferred to another Weyr. New Candidates are welcomed to the Weyr by Marblaine, who organises a range of people to teach their classes - everyone from Lower Caverns workers to crafters, the Weyrlingmaster to Wingleaders are called upon to cover their particular area of expertise. Marblaine takes the classes on Weyr life herself - she is, after all, well qualified to teach them! She relies on her assistant, Tianet, to take over her duties in the Lower Caverns while she is engaged with the Candidates. Both women work well together and make a formidable team.
Having lived through 20 years of Thread, Marblaine is stoical about facing 30 more. She is all too aware that life can change rapidly, so she is careful to identify potential assistants for the future and train them up to ensure that the Weyr's support staff will always be properly organised - a decision that proved its worth during the plague, when Marblaine fell ill and Tianet had to take over.
Marblaine enjoys being included in the Weyrcouncil, both to make sure that the Lower Caverns staff are represented in discussions and also to be able to voice her own opinions on issues which would normally be considered out of her sphere of influence. She is particularly keen on ensuring that dragonriders - especially new ones - remember that the Weyr could not exist without its support staff. At a ratio of roughly 10 Weyrfolk to every dragon in the air, it's a vital lesson to learn. She's very quick to crack down on offenders who treat workers or drudges with disrespect, but politeness and good manners will always win her over.
CRAFTER INFO
Craft: WeyrStaff
Specialty: Lower Caverns
Rank: Headwoman
Years in craft: 30
Date Apprenticed: 5-12-2512
Date Journeyman: (no younger than 17)
Date Master: (no younger than 30)
Masters studied under:
People mentioned in Background:
Baine, mother, deceased
Marlbo, father, deceased
Matazalet, sister
T'lazar, foster-brother and bronzerider, now at Fort Weyr
Elzbet, daughter, greenrider at Fort Weyr
Marlazar, son
Celwen, foster-son
Sefarli, foster-daughter
Rihazar, foster-daughter
Corran, foster-son
Orla, foster-daughter
Lara, foster-daughter
Elbern, journeyman trader, former husband
M'tan, Elzbet's lover, brownrider at Fort Weyr
Natyla, former headwoman at Cibryen Weyr, deceased
Andriha, greenrider at Cibryen Weyr
R'tuer, bronzerider, Cibryen Weyr
L'varen, bronzerider, Cibryen Weyr
Tianet, Assistant Headwoman, Cibryen Weyr
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