Kateri Kuhl - Rider of Green Merulath : Female

Name: Kateri Kuhl
Age: 18 (Winter)
Gender: Female
Distinguishing features: She's of obvious Native American descent.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Dark brown

Description: A strong bone structure gives Kateri the appearance of someone older than her eighteen years, and her coppery skin tells of her heritage. Her face is boldly sketched, a study of broad planes and angles that come together in a visually appealing whole. Her eyes are large and set under feathery black brows, framed with lashes only slightly darker than each iris; when she smiles, they almost disappear into happy crescents. With age, her nose might become hawkish but for now it's elegantly straight, perched over a generous mouth whose upper lip is more full than the lower. Kat's smile is large and unrestrained. Thick black hair is worn loose when she isn't working, falling in light waves to just past her shoulder blades; when in class or on duty, she tends to braid it and pin it up to get it out of the way. If asked, she'd claim her one physical flaw is her lack of height. Although she stands at the average of five foot four, a solid frame and curves that have yet to fully blossom make her appear shorter than she truly is. (Inspired by Q'orianka Kilcher)

Personality: Kateri is a nurturer in every sense of the world. Nothing gives her more pleasure than lending a hand, or a strong shoulder. She's quick to smile and laugh, and generally tries to find the good in even bad situations. She's also something of a daydreamer, although she takes care to not let it affect her work performance. But it's difficult for Kat to let go of her whimsical side, and the curiosity that leads her to be both an explorer and an observer of other people. In her downtime, she's frequently found with a book or journal near to hand, although she has yet to allow anyone to read just what makes it into that journal.

History: P.E.R.N. was the answer to Kateri's childish dreams. She was only eight when her family received permission to travel to the new colony; her father was an engineer who had served during the war, and he received his family's stake as a reward for surviving his service. Theirs was a scientifically-minded family, except for Kateri. Not only was her father an engineer, but her mother was a botanist and her older brother a sled pilot. Although Kat did well enough with math and science, she far preferred language, which made her the much-loved black sheep of the small family. Her nature was too sunny for there to be any disapproval of her preferences.

P.E.R.N. appealed to the little girl's inquisitive nature. A whole planet, there to be explored! Even as a child, she was beyond excited at the prospect of watching the colony grow, at seeing what the colonists would make of it. And once their journey was over, the reality proved to be every bit as incredible as her dreams. With the other children of her age, Kateri helped by working where she could, and spent the rest of her time disguising exploration and discovery as play. Her favorite game was hide and seek, and more than once when she was "it", she forgot to actually look for the others after being distracted by some new plant or shiny secret pond that she could claim as her own.

As she grew older and continued to attend the colony's school, Kateri became the girl who was approached by others for advice, or just to act as non-judgemental listener. It was a role she felt comfortable with, and she took some pride in providing practical, helpful advice or a comforting shoulder to lean on for her girlfriends. By the time of her thirteenth birthday, she was assisting at the colony's creche and had decided to study to become a teacher. Her favorite subject was english and literature; word-craft appealed to her as much as people watching did.

When tragedy struck, and Thread fell for the first time, Kateri reeled from the shock of seeing the world she thought she knew change so dramatically. She was safe within the creche while so many others died, and did her best to maintain calm among the children, swallowing her own fear for her family. Emerging afterwards, there was too much to do to dwell on grief; there were wounded to help tend, friends to try to comfort and a frightening future to look forward to. Kat was one of the fortunate few to not lose anyone to that first Fall, but rather than feel grateful, the young woman felt guilt at having come through unscathed why so many of the people she cared for were dead, scarred or in mourning.

The next several months passed in a haze of shock. Impetuously, she approached her brother and insisted to be allowed to train as a sled pilot; she thought that perhaps serving in such a fashion might atone for her lack of loss, and help the remaining colonists. He was gentle as he refused that request, urging her instead to focus on the children and friends who looked up to her as a calming influence. Kateri couldn't argue with such logic, and did as her adored older brother suggested, but she also signed up to learn how the flamethrowers worked, and was soon serving with the ground crews that provided backup to the pilots fighting the silver menace in the sky.

The time of her graduation from her own studies was approaching. Kateri still intended to become a teacher but those plans had been put on hold. She was approached and asked if she would stand as a candidate for the clutch of dragon eggs. There was no other answer for her than "Yes!", for that tickle of guilt still plagued her. Until the eggs deigned to hatch, she continued to work part-time in the creche, and to assist her favorite teacher with grading schoolwork, and supervising the children at recess.

The first of the genetically modified eggs began to rock at four in the morning, in late summer. Roused from their beds, the candidates took to the sands with buckets of meat, unsure of what to expect. Events moved quickly; a blue hatched first, and was quickly followed by all of the other colors. Kateri remained with the others until near the end, after a hatching gold had mauled two of the other candidates, a small green broke free of her egg. This green all but danced up to her chosen, declaring her name to be Merulath and asking Kateri to join her in life.

Now the pair are among the first weyrlings, and look forward to an uncertain future. Whatever comes, they know they have each other.

Pets (limit of four)

Name: Dream
Species: Firelizard
Breed: Blue (Gold Lulu x Bronze Warrior)
Age: 6 months
Description: Kateri named her pet for the color of his hide, a deep sapphire blue streaked with drifts of softer shades, like a night sky kissed by clouds. He's small for his age, with a set of oversized wings that have made him occasionally clumsy. His build is reed-thin, without the stockiness of many of his blue comrades.
Personality: Like his mistress, Dream is bright and inquisitive, possessing an eager curiosity for the world around him. So great is his curiosity, in fact, that Kateri admits she has a difficult time keeping him with her; he's frequently off poking his long, narrow snout where it doesn't belong. When he does come home, however, he is sweet and affectionate, preferring to tuck himself between her neck and her shoulder to observe the world, rather than watching her actions from some perch high above.