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Th’rok Rider of Bronze Rugarth, Monaco Weyr Th’rok is a High Reaches native, a weyrbrat (both his parents were riders) who had the type of childhood one might expect from one who wasn’t fostered away from the Weyr: Tharok bonded more with the other children there than his own parents, who didn’t really want much to do with him. An only child from that rider combination, he tried to make up for his short height by developing somewhat of a smart mouth. This did not endear him to many of his peers, but he didn’t care. Fiercely independent, Tharok knew how to manipulate things in his favor: he’d start fights and then, when confronted by adults, cry false tears and blame the taller, bigger kids.
He won flights, even fathered a few children (five along the way), although he seemed to share his parents’ enthusiasm for parenting and had little to do with them. He did send those he could to foster at Holds. Out of sight, out of mind. For a long stretch, Th’rok faded into the background, not standing out, not causing trouble. Then the 10th Pass began, and he had something to focus his energies on. And yet he also now had something that exhausted him, flying Threadfall, and this drained his mostly polite demeanor quite a bit. His temper began to resurface, and the arrogance of his youth showed up in his flying. One day, a handful of turns into the new Pass, he took too big a chance during a particulary nasty Fall, and was severely scored. His face is the most visible part of it, but much more was burned on his left arm and shoulder. Enough that his vision is impaired slightly in one eye, his hearing completely in one ear, and his left arm is in enough pain that he tends to favor his right one instead. It was enough that the High Reaches Weyrleader found it a convenient excuse to say Th’rok wasn’t in flying shape and put in a strongly worded request that the bronzerider retire to the South. Just in his early 40s, Th’rok isn’t quite sure he’s ready to retire, and so he came to Monaco with hopes of convincing the leadership there otherwise. And yes, Briana and C’bol seemed to sense something left in the old man, as he was asked to serve in the Dawnsisters (Gold) wing while he recovered, and after some time, he was tapped into the Hurricane Wing. Since then he’s settled in, made a few friends (and overcome his worries over his scars to find a lover, Jemai), and seems to be doing all right. He’s recently realized that he might not want to leave Monaco. Meanwhile, at High Reaches, Th’rok has become friends with his ex-weyrmate Lanea, mother of his youngest, Aroka. After he himself Impressed a brown, Th'rok's son Tharlow (now Ar'low) has warmed to his father. When Katala stepped down as Monaco's Weyrsecond, X'dros asked the experienced Th'rok to take the position. The bronzerider has maintained this rank even as N'veen assumed Weyrleadership Description: The scar is wide, jagged yet not deep, running from what’s left of his left ear and the edge of his jaw. This man’s face looks weathered enough, even without that mark. Hair still dark brown but thinning, it’s cut short in the rider’s style, not hiding his rising hairline at all. His eyes are the darkest brown, as are his eyebrows which are often tilted in the beginnings of a frown. Lips thick, they occasionally part to show his rare, rather snide smiles overlooking a cleft chin. One might put his age in the mid 40s — it looks like this man has lived through a lot. He is not a tall man, but he has broad shoulders and his posture is indicative of a man who is used to fighting to make up for his stature. The rest of his body follows in this way - on the small side but with potential for something more. He wears well-worn riders’ leathers and a jacket suited for the cold of Between. On his shoulder is a knot of a rider of the Hurricane Wing at Monaco Weyr. Rugarth: A bronze dragon for sure, and yet his colouring — or lack of such — might give an observer pause. His hide is dark maroon, almost grey ahead of its proper age, with the violet-tinged reds of the hide showing up mainly in highlights. In proper sunlight, however, the amber tones underwhelm yet reveal themselves further. The proportions are all bronze, however. He’s not the largest of his brethren, yet he is all sleek lines and tight, compact muscles. His wings are average in width, the half-transparent sails filtering light at the right angle to suggest they’re on fire. He might be seen as short — certainly more on the size level of a brown — and looks like he might have the stamina of one of those browns. But looks can be deceiving, and a little can go a long way when used correctly. Impression message: << Sir! >> The voice is very young, very excited. And somehow, more formal than you would expect, given the circumstances. << Sir! >> Even more excited this time, practically begging (though still so very politely) for attention. After a very short pause, when there is no answer, the voice finally, says, << Please, Th’rok. I must have a bit of your attention! I feel certain that you are the right one. I am so very hungry, you see, and mum’s not going to feed me dinner. Would you please be kind enough to help me find a bite to eat? I am sure you can. Oh, and sir. My name is Rugarth, and I love you very, very much. >> (Rugarth is an instadragon, so I never actually roleplayed his hatching. This hypothetical Impression message was written by Jemai, based on my vague description of his adult voice: proper, a bit stuffy and aristocratic, fiercely loyal when it counts, patriotic -- basically a terrible approximation of a British accent. He begins nearly every thought to other dragons with << I say, >> and recently I've been inspired by PG Wodehouse's Jeeves stories for the Th'rok-Rugarth conversations. Wearily, << Very good sir. >> There's also a bit of Winston Churchill in him, which really comes out in flights.) 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(r) is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited. Th’rok is named after Tharok, a half-human, half-computer hybrid villain, member of the Fatal Five in the Legion of Super-Heroes comic series. Likewise, Rugarth’s name comes from Jaxon Rugarth, a university professor in the series who was trapped in an infinite loop of time, driven insane, and given the villain name Infinite Man. Needless to say, the resemblance stops there. Given my shaky description skills, it may not be clear that Th’rok’s supposed to resemble Humphrey Bogart, except for the part about the scar. Page last updated October 12, 2000. To Steve’s home page |
![[Thumbnail picture of Th'rok]](tharok.jpg){kind=small}