Note: The NPCs listed below are just a few of the non-player-characters in Thunderbolt. If you
wish to submit another NPC persona to be added to the roster below, please either email or +mail it to
Kassima.
C'row, Bronze Servoth's Rider
C'row, once Cirowe, was born and bred at Benden Weyr, and is quite proud of this fact. He Impressed stocky
red-tinged bronze Servoth from one of the last clutches to Hatch before the move to Telgar, but his
relatively short time flying for his home Weyr didn't keep him from developing a lasting opinion that it's the
absolutely best one on Pern. He has little time or patience for the Telgarian old guard, and in fact was one
of those who got in trouble early on for quarrelling with H'tor and his cronies. His loyalty endears him to
some of his wingmates, though--and his strong Threadfighting abilities and irrepressible sense of humor do
the same for many of the rest. He and Servoth are a truly unique pair. C'row is given to blatant
innuendos and cynical wisecracks, while Servoth pokes fun at life through sarcasm and satire. It's no
wonder that they spend so much of their off-duty time in proverbial stitches, laughing at some remark that
the other made. Their humorous traits serve them in good stead whenever they're recouperating in the
Infirmary, which is not an unknown occurace; their fearless daredevil tactics lead them to cut more corners
than their Wingleader would prefer, and this has more than once resulted in Threadscore.
Amelyssan, Brown Gromnith's Rider
One really could not say that Amelyssan is among the most popular of her wingmates. Though her rich
auburn hair, slim figure, and remarkably intense eyes prompt most to consider her a good-looking woman,
she's had no weyrmate and borne no child; some speculate that she has no time for such pursuits (despite
having a marked fondness for tight leather clothing), being entirely too focused on her personal ambition. Ever
since Impressing her eccentric, fierce briar-burl brown Gromnith on Telgar's Sands several Turns ago, she has
attempted to scheme and plot her way into a Wingsecondship--and few doubt that she would be content with
that rank for long. However, she simply hasn't the capacity for leading: her keen intelligence is supported by
very little wisdom, and her manner is entirely too volatile. This shows up clearly whenever a fellow rider
decides out of mischief or malice to tease her about the fact that she's been passed over for promotion in
favor of younger riders more than once. Yet she and her brown are still an excellent fighting pair, possessed
of an uncanny ability to destroy great swaths of Thread while taking little damage... and with every passing
Turn spent exposed to more of Gromnith's perpetual whimsy, Amelyssan seems to be relaxing a little more into
the sort of person one could bear to spend more than five minutes with. C'row was even once heard to remark
that at this rate, she might become downright tolerable by the end of the Pass.
R'huen, Brown Siuenth's Rider
Rihuenal was the sort of quiet lad who always kept to himself, and so it came as a surprise to many when
he Impressed the considerably more lively, outgoing sun-baked clay brown Siuenth. The Nerat-born
brownrider soon proved that he could indeed, adapt to Weyrlife... but in his own way, continuing to
avoid congregation with others when possible and maintaining his introverted nature despite his dragon's
loquaciousness. Most of his wingmates have learned over time to deal with R'huen's idiosynchrases,
especially given the way he and his brown fight Thread together; while far from the best of the best, they
still have all the skill of any pair originally trained at Benden Weyr, and can be tough and formidable
fighters when the Wing rises to meet a Fall. Their primary flaw is a surprising one: neither rider nor dragon
can seem to keep themselves from flying to the rescue of any wingmate who has been injured, and as a
result, wind up acquiring Threadscores all too frequently. Despite the fact that these two often earn
themselves chides and extra sweeps from their Wingleader when this fixation leads them to behave
carelessly, those who've been helped out of a tough spot by the duo aren't complaining. It's been
theorized that gratitude for the brownrider's peculiar guardianship is what's led to the silent pact amongst
most of the Wing members to leave him in peace and never rib him about his shyness.
Ylysse, Blue Alymbrith's Rider
Impressing her iridescent electric blue Alymbrith over thirty Turns ago changed Ylysse's life forever--and
if you ask her, she'll be hasty to assure you that it was all for the better. The Lemosian bluerider faced a
handfasting to a particularly noxious young man when Shoulzulimarth scooped her up and hauled her off to
Benden. If one thing's for certain, it's that she would have been wasted on a Holder's life; tough and
competant, though lacking whatever spark it takes to make a true leader, Ylysse and her blue have been
flying Thread with Thunderbolt since the Pass began. If Alymbrith's blazing blue coloring has started to
fade a little more towards silver, and there are streaks of grey in his rider's shoulder-length black hair, what
of it? They're still prepared to give these Telgarian stick-in-the-muds what for! Alymbrith's most
distinguishable characteristic outside of his hide is his tendency to strike like lightning in Threadfall, and
his reflexes are nearly as sharp as his rider's tongue can be when the spirit moves her. His major drawback
is that he tends to forget the finer arts of dexterity in his preference for straight attacks, something which
will likely not be improved once his joints start stiffening with age.
Miryenne, Blue Guarith's Rider
The daughter of two particularly promiscuous riders, Miryenne is Weyrbred to the bone and has just
enough of a sadistic streak to enjoy shocking any naive Holders or Crafters that she can. Her fiery auburn
hair and dark blue eyes ensure that she'll never lack for admiring glances--but it's only those from the
women of the Weyr that interest this rider. Flirtation is her absolute favorite pastime. Oddly, though, she's
known for being a bit cold towards any non-Weyrfolk who seek to ask her about the particulars of
Weyrlife--and, if she's in a particularly bad mood, towards non-Weyrfolk in general. She's not on the top
of anyone's list as the sort to send on errands that would require tact and diplomacy. Still, she's a strong
and efficient Threadfighter who has a sharp wit and a keen eye for otherwise-overlooked details, and her
brashness will never be untempered so long as her midnight blue Guarith lives. In complete contrast to
his lifemate, this dragon is sober, somber, and serious to a fault. He's not quite dour, but refuses
to let himself relax so long as there's anything he or Miryenne need to be doing. This attitude no doubt
helps him wonderfully in 'Fall, which may explain why there are so few scars on his hide; but that could
also be due to his innate agility, surprising in a blue so large at thirty-two meters long. So skilled is he,
in fact, that he quite unintentionally encourages his rider's lusty nature by winning more mating flights
than he loses.
L'cher, Blue Leerth's Rider
Leerth gave young Lachier of Bitra Hold a most appropriate name when he Impressed to him on
the sands of Benden over two decades ago. From the day he first discovered what women were, L'cher
has been after 'nigh anything with a pulse and legs,' as his wingmates can be heard to facetiously quip
from time to time. His lusty nature has driven him to sire over two dozen children, and cause no end of
minor disputes with Holders as they catch him dallying with their daughters. It's gotten to be so bad that
he's no longer trusted on sweeps alone--and would probably be on probation, if Thunderbolt didn't need
the smooth and solid fighting skills of his suave midnight's-depths blue dragon. Only in Fall does L'cher
forget about his womanizing long enough to prove his true virtues: a quick wit and a stubborn mind that
lets no Thread fall unchecked. He'll never be placed at any crucial point within the Wing formations,
though he's been known to fib a bit about his value in the Wing to win himself more bedmates. Kassima
in particular has often remarked that she believes L'cher exists for the twin purposes of vexing her and
repopulating all of Pern. Yet none can fault his usefulness in fighting, or in providing a source of betting;
the Wing's pool on the eventual number of his offspring is nearly as lucrative as the similar one that's
still being held on F'hlan.
Maidil, Blue Masth's Rider
Maidil and her devilish frosted plum blue Masth are relatively recent additions to Thunderbolt's ranks, having
flown for the Wing a scant handful of Turns. The choice of this particular bluerider from her Weyrling crop left
quite a few Thunderbolt riders scratching their heads; though both halves of the pair are terribly clever Thread
fighters--Masth's build is small and lithe, almost more suited to a green, and he prides himself in his agility in
chasing down Thread patches without gaining scars for his trouble--the young woman's nature can make her
difficult to work with. Outside of drills, she's a daydreamer and wastrel, a trait some theorize that she picked
up from her mentor V'dan during her training. (V'dan himself denies this... but then, he would.) And when her
mind is hauled forcibly out of the clouds, it's less apt to focus on serious matters than on one of her two
favorite pursuits: playing tricks on her wingmates and coaxing new lovers into her bed. The latter is something
she manages quite readily; not surprising, given her lovely face, rich dark hair, and figure that could only be
described as lush. Certain Wing wits propose that she was tapped purely because the Wingleader was hoping
she'd carry on Thunderbolt's childbearing tradition. Strangely enough, most of these wits have found
tunnelsnake heads in their furs not long after.
V'dan, Green Chymeth's Rider
Valetudan was a junior Healer apprentice until that fateful day when Kassima and Lysseth dragged him
off to Benden to Stand for Leilanth and Laerth's second clutch. Just what Lysseth saw in him, only
Faranth knows. He's hardly anyone's idea of an archetypical rider, for a man more geeky than he
could likely not be found if you searched throughout the length and breadth of Pern--yet for whatever
reason, green Chymeth chose him as her lifemate and he became a part of the permanent Weyr crowd.
He's fairly well-known at both Benden and Telgar simply because he's so difficult to miss; his clothes are
perpetually disarrayed, being worn backwards, or both, and at least one lock of his unruly chestnut hair is
always dangling over his hazel eyes. His voice is unfortunately nasal and has a tendency to crack even though
he should be safely past his adolescent Turns. It doesn't help matters that Chymeth is, quite bluntly, the ugliest
green in the North: her dull olive green coloration is overlayed with streaks of greasy brown that make her
look downright slimy... especially when she's just been oiled. The pair's one redeeming feature is that they
are absolutely stellar Threadfighters. V'dan is actually rather intelligent beneath that ineffectual exterior,
and he's able to calculate the path of falling Thread to a precise degree even as Chymeth moves to flame
it with a surprisingly liquid grace. The pair haven't even come close to being Threadscored in over fifteen
Turns with the Wing. This fact never fails to surprise some of their wingmates, since V'dan's exceedingly
bad luck in all other matters--especially wagers--is legendary.
Jirel, Green Joiryth's Rider
What a remarkable pair Jirel and Joiryth make! The fiery-haired rider and her sturdy aged ivy green dragon
are always ready and even eager to meet any challenge, be it Threadfall, a new drill manuever, sweeps
in the middle of a blizzard... you name it! It's said that the duo have been at their hobby of finding new
heroics to perform for all of their life together--which means that only Faranth could tell how they've
managed to stay alive as long as they have. Sheer stubbornness, some would argue. Whatever the
reason, Joiryth and her Jirel have been fighting Thread since the Pass began, and survived that first
terrible Turn of Falls at Benden without more than a light 'scoring or two. They're skilled enough to have
earned quite a name for themselves amongst their wingmates, and few don't look upon the slight
greenrider with respect... even if it is somewhat grudging respect at times. However, Jirel's temper is
as hot as the flame her hair resembles; she, too, was involved in that initial flare-up with H'tor after the
move to Telgar, and has continued to bait the bronzerider every chance she gets. Joiryth neither
participates in this behavior nor denounces it; the stable, immutable green simply stands in support of her
rider as she always has, lending her strength and energy to Jirel's pursuits. Due perhaps to looks that
haven't yet faded entirely with the onset of age on the part of both rider and dragon, Joiryth's flights tend
to be very well-attended--and yet, for whatever reason, the greenrider has formed a permanent alliance
with no man or woman in all her Turns.
S'cot, Green Kilth's Rider
When Kassima and Lysseth picked young Sancot up at Igen Weyr, the lad was known primarily for two
things: a brogue even thicker than that of the greenrider who'd Searched him, and an affinity for pipe
music... the more eerie-sounding, the better. Neither trait has faded much since his misty moor green
Kilth swaggered up to him on Benden's Sands. However, much more has become known about him: he's
turned into a strapping young rider of not inconsiderable height, with a thick shock of pitch black hair and
brown eyes in a face that has finally lost most of its Igenite tan. He is generally a pleasant and amiable
man, which offsets Kilth's tendency towards cockiness and self-assurance as nothing else could. These
two have always seemed to belong together, more so even than some other pairs--and it's said
that S'cot lets nothing get between him and his Kilth. Their closeness has a beneficial effect in Threadfall,
allowing them to work as one in a daring and occasionally even reckless manner. It is somewhat less
beneficial when either one of them gets 'scored, however, as happens from time to time; their fighting
methods, though usually successful, are less cautious than they will hopefully become should the two
live long enough to learn the wisdom of correcting them.
Alicienne, Green Kilvath's Rider
Many maleriders of the Weyr can be heard to comment that there's just something unusual about Alicienne.
Despite the former Telgar Hold woman's unremarkable close-cropped chestnut hair, mud-brown eyes, and
lack of any features that particularly lend themselves to beauty, the greenrider seems to be trying to help
keep Thunderbolt's history of being a Wing of prolific dragonriders alive. She could only count the number
of lovers she's had in the past five Turns on one hand if she were counting by tens. All of her previous
paramours will admit that she possesses a certain charisma that makes her hard to resist--though her
wandering eye never allows her to stay with any one man for long. Her assignations have resulted in eight
children so far, though it's hoped that now that strands of silver are starting to find their way into her hair,
the Wing will soon see the end of her periodical maternity leaves. In a perfect contrast to her rider,
silver-traced forest shadow green Kilvath has beauty to spare and absolutely no interest in the opposite sex
outside of her infrequent mating flights. Intelligent and pensive, the dragon is as introverted as her rider is
extroverted; it seems hard to think of them as a pair, for all that they undeniably are. Only in Threadfall do
they act with anything remotely similar to accord. Kilvath is a skilled but unimaginative and overly-cautious
fighter, which Alicienne seems to approve of, save for the times a rare moment of ill-timed hesitation causes
Kilvath to come away from a Fall with a new wingtip score-scar to add to her collection.
Shiara, Green Riatth's Rider
One of the relatively few native Telgarians in Thunderbolt Wing, Shiara's main asset is her enthusiastic
acceptance of the new patterns and traditions that the Bendenites brought with them... which can also
be her primary fault. She didn't take kindly to the former Telgar Weyrleaders' view of a greenrider's place,
and is widely said to have been a regular thorn in G'mort and Benna's side. When they were deposed,
she quite vocally supported the Benden faction and alienated several of the old guard--which, of course,
didn't concern her a bit; she was too preoccupied by her visions of Telgar becoming a second Benden.
The intervening Turns have allowed her to resign herself to the fact that this will never quite come to be,
but they haven't dimmed her exuberance, nor her adoration of taunting the older Telgarians with reminders
of the changes that have been made in the Weyr. She and her sunlit summer grass green Riatth behave
similarly in Threadfall, chasing down patches with determination and bouncing from place to place as
though it were all a breeze to them. The silver traceries along Riatth's right side attest to the fact that
it sometimes pays to be a bit less confident and a bit more cautious. Only time will tell whether Shiara will
take the lesson to heart, however. In the meanwhile, dragon and rider, both of like mind and temperament,
simply delight in serving 'a proper Weyr at last!' and show their pride in the reformed Telgar at every
opportunity.
Back to the Thunderbolt Wing Page
Last updated October 29, 2002.
The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright. The character
of Kassima, her websites, and all materials being presented as written by her are the intellectual property of her player. My heartfelt
gratitude goes to K'ran for giving me my current websites, to M'rgan for providing
the idea for a Wing homepage, and to all the other people who made this page possible.