Cynara's Blue Marsath

Contained Tempest Egg

Subtle, chilly distance seems to pervade the curves and heated imaginings deep in the play of hues held prisoner by shape and surface. Hues of psychedelic acid yellow lashes through stormy violet with scarlet arrows, calmed here and there with demure curls of blue-green turquoise and broken by raging sunset tones. Nighttime shadows edge bright color, passionate life waiting for the right touch before emerging - yet the tempest seems to whirl within the ovoid, a curious overlay that shimmers with a touch of silvery jade that keeps it out of focus, untouched, locked up tight.

Egg Inspiration: "Genie In A Bottle" by Christina Aguilera.

If you wanna be with me, baby
There's a price you pay
I'm a genie in a bottle
You gotta rub me the right way
If you wanna be with me
I can make your wish come true
Come and set me free, baby
And I'll be with you

Hatching Message: The Contained Tempest Egg gives one final shudder, and then the tempest is unleashed. One after another, shards of acid yellow, stormy violet, and turquoise fall to the black sands beneath the onslaught of the dragonet within. As the final shard falls, the hatchling gives itself one final shake, dispelling remnants of egg goop.

Sleek and Sophisticated Teal Blue

All skin and bones, huge slanted eyes and raspy wings, the young teal-blue dragon hasn't yet filled out to his future sleek physique. Those wings, set at a particularly effective angle, promise aggressive acceleration and torque to spare - when they're not busy tangling around dark talons, at least. A broad neck provides a stable base for his future rider, while narrow but strong haunches will learn to propel him powerfully, his hindlegs shorter than some but with more leverage thereby. As for his hide, for all its luxurious sheen, it boasts no grandiose changes of hue or value but instead a subtler sophistication: faint striping that parallels his ribs all the way to rangy flanks, artful highlights along aerodynamically curved neckridges, and an odd little squiggle right down his long and inquisitive muzzle.

Final Size: 29

Dragon Inspiration: We wanted Marsath to change over time, even in appearance. Not only that, but we wanted someone creative and powerful for you, who not only helps ground Cynara the way you asked, but who also helps her dreams become reality. Marsath therefore draws upon both Sting, the singer, and the Corvette Sting Ray, the car. Sting the man is known for his musical versatility, both in the instruments he plays and in the traditions he draws from, as well as for a lyrical, literate style that is very much his own. Plus, the music sounds good. ("Don't Stand So Close to Me", "Everything She Does is Magic" The Sting Ray, meanwhile, is famed for its elegant engineering, prodigious performance, and amazing acceleration; very much a muscle car, it matches sophistication with speed. Plus, it looks cool!

Links: Sting.com, Corvette Sting Ray, VH1 Sting Biography

Name: Marsath - Branford Marsalis was instrumental in the making of Dream of the Blue Turtles, Sting's first solo release. A secondary significance comes from marsala, a dark dessert wine that can go to one's head. On its own, the name also carries something of the seriousness you were looking for.

Mindvoice: Marsath has a raspy, unmistakable tenor, that not only conveys meaning but conveys it -his- way. There's a kinesthetic sense of power about his mental touch, the engine always humming: buoyant in good moods, bumpy in bad, and quite possibly overwhelming in excitement, like Marsath himself speeding dizzily around curves - or poised on air, wings wide, moments before plummeting jubilantly _down_.

Internal Impression Message: The heat, the noise, and the unceasing motion on the Sands begin to dwindle. Then, beyond dwindling, they compress, growing smaller and smaller until reality is just a pinprick of light and sound. Into the vacuum trickles, and then floods a swell of music, light, and love greater than anything the Sands could inspire. The pitch rises gradually and adapts a roughened quality, while solid strength takes hold of you, ensuring that you won't be overwhelmed. << You were meant for me, and I for you, Cynara. >> This voice twines itself about your thoughts, filling crevices that will never again be empty. << I am your Marsath, and you are *fascinating.* >>

External Impression Message: The Sleek and Sophisticated Teal Blue forges blindly ahead, paying no heed to the rows of white-garbed candidates on either side. Then, something abruptly makes him stop, sit back on his haunches, and twirl right around. He's gazing straight into a small, delicate-featured face with its riot of black curls, as though she were the most magical thing in all Pern.

Temperament

Weyrling:
The very first thing you'll see from Marsath is the fact that he is absolutely fascinated by you. Everything about you, from your personality to your friends to your dreams to your life in general, is the center of his universe. There will be plenty of questions about you to answer in those initial sevendays, and more when he forgets the first ones, as dragons do. He warms up when you're near, and becomes noticeably more withdrawn when you have to leave him alone for a time.

At first, this intense interest in you will leave Marsath with little time to pay attention to weyrling lessons. << But why listen to Taralyth's rider? When you are so much more exciting? >> You'll become familiar with that question, << Why? >> Once you can convince him that lessons are important, he'll take to them with a passion. In fact, you'll soon find he's passionate about any job he's set to, as long as he sees "the point." (Even if that point is to have fun.) He won't learn a lesson just for the sake of learning. But when he understands why, then whatever the labor involved, he'll do it right. << This is important. Come on, let's make it count. >> You'll need to be careful that he doesn't overdo!

Once hes begun to grow out of youthful clumsiness, you'll find that Marsath has a natural talent for the physical things a dragon is called to do. He's built to fly, with power and style--although the latter will take no small amount of practice to obtain. At first he'll be all about muscle, relying on sheer force and energy. He'll rely on them so much that you'll have to make sure your straps are fastened and you're hanging on tightly. Gradually, toward the end of weyrlinghood, you'll be able to teach him smooth, maneuverable flying.

One thing that Marsath isn't too good at--according to the usual standards--is visualization. His images are too bright, too beautiful, and often painted up with extra interesting details that may not, in reality, be there. Through more steady work, you'll be able to train him to keep the brilliance of his imagination in its proper place (and you'll have to, because if you don't, you know the consequences). You may even find that you become more grounded in reality as he does.

Adult:
With the strain of intense learning and growth removed, you'll begin to see Marsath really come into his own. He's learned that hard work leads to success, and knows by now that he's quite bright for a blue. This means that he can help you put your dreams into reality, whether you like it or not. It also means that he's become assured of his future success and his own intelligence, such that if you don't curb him, he'll flaunt these attributes--to females, males, stray firelizards, whoever's there to impress at the moment.

Now that he knows you as well as you know yourself, what he really likes about you (beyond your imagination, your love, and a good oiling) is your humor. If you come up with a funny turn of phrase, he'll love you all the more for it; he'll also enjoy telling you some of his own, occasionally at inopportune times. Sometimes Marsath will even pass along a good one that he heard from some other dragon. These make a real impression on him, and he'll form strong bonds with any clutchmates or wingmates who are good with words.

Words aren't all that determine his relationships, though. Whenever he finds a dragon, or even a person, with whom he shares some passion, a friendship may be forged. Marsath connects with those who share his realization that duty can be fun, his by-now firm grounding in reality, and his taste in loud colors. That last may sometimes influence your wardrobe choices if you allow them to; anything bright, when paired with something equally vivid, is a favorite of his.

Flying is a pastime that you can now really enjoy together, as Marsath has matured into an incredible aerialist. He's the perfect balance of skill, maneuverability, and the sheer will to put power behind every wing stroke.

Flight:
The one thing you will not have to provide Marsath with a reason for doing is chasing greens. The reason will be patently obvious to him. When a green rises before the Weyrlingmaster allows him to chase, in fact, you'll be hard pressed to restrain him from following.

Once he can participate in flights, he'll want to use every last drop of his energy for fast, powerful, straight-ahead flying. The flight is a race, and he's set to win it. Because greenflights don't usually focus on endurance, that shouldn't be much of a problem, but his maneuverability is a shame to waste. If you have enough of your wits about you, it will probably be a good idea to encourage Marsath to throw in a few tricks.

Should he win that race, you'll find that his reactions to the green he's caught will vary immensely. If she shares any of his passions, he may well want the relationship to continue. If, on the other hand, he doesn't find anything noteworthy in her personality, he'll be gone from her ledge by the next morning.

Should he lose? Well, he always has you for comfort. He may need a wry joke or two from you to cheer him, but at the end of the day, you mean far more to him than any green ever could.

Wing:
Working and drilling with a wing is all about duty, and Marsath understands that even without Thread to fight, it's still one of the most important duties the pair of you will ever be entrusted with. Consequently, he'll push both himself and you hard. He'll learn the drills by heart, but sometimes, usually when you're alone, toss in a few ideas about how things could be done differently. It'll be up to you to go to the Wingleader or 'seconds with those suggestions, and to filter those that are worthwhile from the dangerous ones.

Many of those suggestions may be ways to make drills more fun. After all, without Thread, isn't there a little extra time to mix some excitement with labor? Should the two of you someday find yourselves in a leadership position, daily exercises may take a turn for the unusual with drills morphing into games, and games into drills. It's just the right kind of thing to turn dull Interval drudgery into something more lively.

Credits:

Egg: Belanca
Description: I'sai and Ellery
Hatchling: I'sai and Ellery
Puppeteer: Ellery