Persona Profile: Ch'bal

Writer: Vix

Name: Ch'bal
Age: 26
Birthday: m3 d2
Rank: Wingrider, Hurricane Wing
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Craft: Beastcrafter
Craft Rank: Junior Apprentice

Physical Description of Persona:
At seventeen, Chabal has achieved his full height of 5'11" but has not quite filled out to fit his size. At 150 pounds, much of it muscle from his work with various beasts, he appears thin. His light brown hair tends to curl tightly when wet, but normally lies in looser waves, something that he finds to be an embarrassment. His eyes are brown and darkly lashed.

Emotional Description of Persona:
Chabal can best be described as "responsible." He spent much of his childhood looking after his younger sister; after his grandfather was injured, Chabal looked after the old man as well. He tends to be quiet, reluctant to start conversations. He focuses on his chores, giving them all of his attention and energy, and then spends his off-time alone.

History of Persona:
Chabal was the first-born of Tonbal, a beastcrafter, and his wife, Darcha, during the early turns of their marriage, while they were still on friendly terms with each other. They resided near Topaz Seahold, with Tonbal often traveling to transport runners and oxen to outlying holds while Darcha remained at home with Chabal and his younger sister, Toncha. In time Darcha grew tired of being alone and during one of her husband's stints away, she befriended a smith who was traveling through the area. When the smith left, Darcha went with him, leaving the children, then aged 7 and 5, with a neighbor – along with a letter telling Tonbal that they were his and he could take his turn caring for them. Tonbal did so for another two turns, but then accepted a transfer to the Beastcraft Hall where he could pursue his studies and possibly work toward mastery. Feeling that the children would hold him back, he appealed to Darcha's parents, Drydar and Chanda, to take them.

And so, at the age of 9, Chabal found himself living at a small coastal cothold beholden to Topaz Seahold, with grandparents he had seen only a few times in his life. He took on responsibility for his younger sister, both to watch out for her and to cling to that last part of his former life. Although Drydar and Chanda did not mistreat the children, life at the cothold was difficult, with all hands – including the children – pitching in to help with the care of the fruit trees and grain crops raised there.

At 12 Chabal apprenticed to the beastcrafter who looked after the animals for the settlement, hoping to some day escape the cothold. However, a few turns later that dream seemed to fall through when Chanda succumbed to an illness, pushed herself to keep going, and developed pneumonia. After her death, much more was expected of the children, with Toncha caring for the family's cot and Chabal helping as much as he could in his free time. Two turns later Drydar was injured in an accident involving a team of plow oxen and almost lost his arm. The man became even more bitter and demanding of his grandchildren.

Life changed again when a few days after his seventeenth birthday – an event that held little celebration – a dragonrider stopped to deliver messages and check on the cothold's preparations for Threadfall. The green dragon showed interest in both Chabal and Toncha. Though the boy was reluctant to leave, his grandfather, certain that neither would be chosen by dragons, stressed to him that his greater duty was to answer the possible call and to offer himself up as a candidate. The two siblings left that day, expecting to eventually return.

Family and Friends
Drydar, 76, Farmcrafter (grandfather)
Chanda, 9, Deceased (grandmother)
Darcha, 45, Unknown (mother)
Tonbal, 48, Beastcrafter (father)
Toncha, 24, Candidate (sister)

Dragon's Name: Vaith
Dragon's Age: 8
Dragon's Hatching Date: m4 d16
Dragon's Colour: Green

Approved: July 3rd 2007
Last updated: December 8th 2008

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Persona Profile: Ch'bal