Jessera of High Reaches

Full Name: Jessera of High Reaches
Nickname: Jess, Red
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Species: Human

Appearance:
There’s no mistaking Jessera as anything but a native of Pern's High Reaches. She’s tall, easily 5’9” with room left for another growth spurt, and has the lean musculature of someone who’s led a physically demanding life. While her complexion is naturally pale, it’s hard to tell beneath her multitude of freckles. They swarm over her high cheekbones and slightly-upturned nose, softening features that might otherwise fall into ‘regal’ territory. Jess’ faintly-angled eyes are a lovely shade of spring green and often sparkle with humor. They strike a stark contrast with her flaming red hair. Said hair is cut to her shoulders and often pulled back in a tight braid.

Personality:
A fundamentally upbeat woman with a spine made of tungsten carbide. Practical, reliable and down-to-earth above all else. Habitually polite but not deferential- if you’re wrong, she’ll call you on it, no matter who you are or what rank you hold. Self-confident but not arrogant- she’s proud of how far she’s come but acknowledges how far she still has to go. A doer and a helper who struggles to sit still when she sees a task that needs doing or a person that needs helping. Often steps into leadership positions without meaning to. Leads by example and is free with her praise when someone has done something praiseworthy. A calming and steadying presence in crisis situations. She keeps her head until the danger has passed, then she can fall to pieces. An open and welcoming extrovert who likes people and is usually well-liked in return. Witty and occasionally bawdy when the opportunity presents itself. Always, always hopeful with a knack for seeing the good in every bad. A solid shoulder to cry on, though she tends to try to fix things even when it’s unnecessary. Ambitious and determined; though it’s often tempered by kindness she still sometimes forgets herself. Can be stubborn and recalcitrant when she thinks she’s right. Strong sense of justice paired with a sometimes unfortunate merciful streak- it’s her job to lessen the hurt in the world, not add to it. She’s got some mental and emotional maturing left to do, but she’s well on her way and gets better every day.

History:
Jessera was born in Aphadon Weyr, first of two children born to parents newly transplanted from Pern. She grew to maturity in the weyr’s creche, drilled in discipline and cooperation from the moment she was old enough to understand such things. Like many of her fellows Jess set her sights on dragonriding as a child. Unlike many of her fellows, she never wavered in her pursuit of that dream. No one was particularly surprised when she was offered a candidacy at the age of twelve- especially not after her unique ability to hear and bespeak all dragons was revealed.

Unfortunately for Jessera, Aphadon operated on an elven timescale rather than a human one. The weyr’s three queens flew rarely and laid notoriously small clutches. Simple economies of scale meant Jess had few opportunities to achieve her lifelong goal. Undeterred, she stood for every clutch the weyr’s leadership allowed her to.

And she kept standing, even as the years and the clutches kept ticking by.

At the age of nineteen even Jess was forced to accept the inevitable: she wasn’t going to Impress before aging out. Rather than let her dream die, she turned her attention outward. Other weyrs didn’t cleave as strongly to tradition as Aphadon did, in fact let candidates of any age stand for hatchings. Perhaps her destiny awaited her in another weyr, one that moved faster than an elf’s glacial pace.

And so Jessera arrived at Haven Weyr in search of her fortune- and, with any luck, a draconic partner in crime.

Skills
Hears All Dragons - Jessera is one of those rare people blessed with the ability to hear all dragons. She can choose to speak to any dragon anywhere on Teragaia, though she’s far from mastering this skill.

Jack of All Trades - Raised as she was in the weyr’s creche, Jess learned a little bit of a lot of mundane skills. She knows how to cook, clean, mend, weave, tan and goodness knows what else.

Apprentice Healer - While not a properly trained healer, Jessera nevertheless spent time under the tutelage of Aphadon’s weyrhealers. She knows basic first aid and a smattering of more advanced techniques, enough to keep a patient stabilized until a proper healer can tend to them.