Man gives every reason for his
conduct save one, every excuse for his crimes save one, every plea for his safety save
one; and that one is his cowardice.
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950). Don Juan, in Man and Superman, act 3.
Y'know?
Zarvind is an enigma, even to me the player. That's why I so enjoy playing him. Below are the assorted logs I have collected in various scenes. And ...
I figured I would spare the commentary and let him speak for himself. He does it well enough, if you read between the lines.
Before that, here's the standard disclaimer:
All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction
are copyright© Anne McCaffrey 1967,2000, 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. The following are logs created for the interest of members of Threadfall
MUSH (threadfall.firstmagic.com 4201).
Threadfall MUSH runs with permission, and any violation of copyright is entirely
unintended.
History
Zarvind grew up in Igen Hold, and has been immersed in travelling since he
came of age, going a few times to and fro the land. On his last hiatus to the south he met
up with a beastcrafter, and took up what he deemed his life's work as stablehand. Animals
weren't his forte, but he liked the relaxed banter, the atmosphere. That was until a bad
experience (something about a runner) sent him scuttling back home, only to get tied up
with family and clan friends. He joined their trading expedition -- a one-way boat trip to
Ista Hold -- their party bustled to meet the hordes of buyers. The storm was unexpected,
and he knew few in the temporary shelter they housed the rescued in, but he's worked up
from there, and there were always his cousins to turn to.
He didn't plan to come to Ista, not really, but the shipwreck marooned him and a couple of
friends here for a while. Then the all-too-trustworthy pair decided to run away from the
Weyr and the lazy Zar; right after he had colluded with them in the plan to evade the
trader ship and remain in the Istan Isle for good. He stayed on sullenly; but there was
yet another twist of fate. One more bet out of the thousands he had made before sent him
into the candidate barracks with a new knot and a new title. Then, from an egg he thought
he liked but never voiced a word about, came Kealath. Kealath. His Kea proceeds to
overturn Z'vind's life. Life never ends.
The
journey's beginnings
Boy on the Move
Zarvind makes his entrance in the player's imagination, on some other lonely planet Pern,
where he makes new acquaintances by a lake.
Shipwreck's Survivor
A crashed ship brings Zarvind and his kin to Ista Isle, where they take refuge in the Weyr
and meet the local inhabitants.
Slavery!
Gaming gets Zar into unwonted trouble, breaking the serenity of a stretch of Istan beach.
Laira and Bil the NPCs cameo as fellow trinket salesmen.
Guys 'n Gals
Zarvind meets his match in the form of his ex-master, Belena, and a new friend. The scene
is set in the bathing pools, with a couple of embarrassed adolescents. Mild innuendo here.
Caught in the Act?
Could this be Zar? Working? Catch this amazing snippet in which the youth looks to be
doing his chores.
Onward Ho
Fishing Contest
Fisherfolk Vesta hosts a fishing contest, and Zar tries his hand at spearing, not without
a small scrape or two.
The Perils of Gambling
Zar loses another bet -- with the perilous result of additional labour for brownrider
J'sen -- but even that is deferred as the unexpected occurs and he is put to task, and
conditions are exchanged.
Kitchen Chores
Two candidates share chores in the kitchen, with some grousing about candidate work and
such.
Theft -- and Trouble
Candidates begin to stream in, and the trouble starts. First to go are the girl's towels,
and the others get to gawk at their sheepishness. The culprit is not Zarvind though. Trust
him.
Candidates Speak
The culprits have not been discovered as yet, but Zar appears to be looking, and
definitely concerned. Mark the ploy to Improve his Reputation, as he struggles with
another devilish chore.
The Tithe Cometh
Weyrfolk and riders alike congregate to unload the tithe trains, brought in by an
assortment of Lords. Chaos breaks out momentarily when a runner gets injured, but peace is
soon restored. Afterwards, the Living Caverns celebrate a job well done.
Doubt and Despair
Zarvind utters the query of every candidate about to go onto the sands: What if...?
Candidates and Riders share their thoughts. A rare moment of truth and pre-Hatching blues
here.
Eggs and Earthquakes
The eggs hatch, to the errant youth's surprise, and a slick but earthy brown promptly
latches on to him. His life will never be the same; send your condolences. See Kealath's very own character page!
Born Anew
Dragon, Pools and Weyrlings
Late night jaunt in the weyrling barracks, where green Aiareth gives the others Ideas, and
weyrlings share their troubles.
New Weyrling
Z'vind tries out his spurs, displeased by his new situation as weyrling, and unwittingly
makes the acquaintance of Assistant Weyrlingmaster Jalani and weyr visitor Kayla.
A Lesson in Table Manners
Zar and his fellow weyrlings get to learn table manners, and he discovers that eating is
no easy task.
First One Up
Dragon and rider attempt their first flight and swim, respectively.
A Prank and a Promise
A conference between dragons results in attempted theft of a prized picnic basket intended
for Istan festivities. Kealath and Nimoth play the protagonist; Z'vind the careless victim
flanked by equally baffled weyrlings.
Lifemates Fly Together
A truncated log occurring after a lesson on flights.
Brothers and Lovers
Brief space in which a sister considers promiscuity, and the object of her attentions
refuses on account of her age. Interesting discussion on relations, and differences,
between the sexes.
Inmates
A Long Flights lesson, then a new posting and home.
Defend Thyself
Weyrlings learn how to defend themselves, and Z'vind displays some redeeming virtues of
his own.
Sting from the Past
An old foe comes back to tackle Vesta, D'kar puts the self-defense lesson to good use, and
Zar plays escort once again.
Moving on
Tragedy!
The weyrlings' Betweening lesson turns into nightmare as I'pav and his lifemate
disappear. All restrictions are consequently lifted, and weyrlings mourn their
fellows' deaths.
The Frolick of Dragonkind
Dragons play outside the living caverns while Z'vind finds repose in drink and banter
within; Kealath, however, is more inclined to toy with Aiareth the proddy green.
Aiareth's Maiden Flight
Belena's green Aiareth flies and males go after. Kealath fails to catch, but causes
no serious dent to his confidence, whilst Zar's self-esteem is boosted by a tryst with
another green's rider. Strong undercurrents here, beware.
Promotion
Z'vind gets promoted to wingrider, and he rejoices with a nice gesture -- a treat to
drinks. Ulterior motives optional.
Tipsy
Drink flows freely in the living caverns, as Zar attempts to corrupt a girl new to Ista.
The Innocence of Babes
Zar babysits, to his horror, then ropes someone into helping.
Mind Battles
Z'vind and Kealath meet their match in the form of Arallia and Miyath.
The Calm After the Storm
Riders fly Threadfall; after, wingmates seek relief in talk and more.
Too Close For Comfort
The wingmates toy around in Z'vind's weyr. Afterwards, they venture outside
together.