Utori - Male, age 22

A lance-bearer, with the sense of style and pride that goes along with a sort of parade-show for the weapon. While it is a good ground weapon, Utori knows that it would be best put to use mounted, or up in the air... He crafts his own, using parts from the Warthog Kin's forges, and wood which he finds on the plains.

While many of the Tribe's powers are external and exert their will upon the elements, Utori's couldn't be farther from theirs. He has an innate ability to learn, and does so very quickly. Any language other than his own, can be learned momentarily with a bit of a mental nudge. He loves doing puzzles and Human math problems. His memory is very clear, almost photographic. As a savant in certain ways, Utori tries to exploit his knowledge as much as possible, but at most times he's still just a kitten trying to impress the big cats. His powers were elusive at first, but his rapid and complete understanding of things led to a deeper testing by the normal Kin. He had hoped to remain among them, but that is far too late now.

When Nameh brought up the call that the human-thing had entered the plains, their territory, Utori was one of the farthest south and therefore one of the first to see it.

It looked human enough but there was something odd about it. When it turned out to be a more Kinlike male than they expected, he was almost relieved. But then, he realized, then... his first real thought was that there would not be enough room for yet another male in their Tribe. Not one more. There were enough.

One more was too many - especially with them all trying to vye for Temih's eye. Utori was happy that she'd sometimes look his way, they were age-mates after all.

Ivo turned out to be quite the character. He was active, even though he claimed he was ever-so-tired. He was quite loud too. Nothing like the Tribe. His world, he claimed, was a human world which he barely fit into - especially with his dragon on hand.

"It's a good thing we have all this territory at our disposal, then," Utori said, "otherwise how would a dragon live? They look ... big."

"They are. They come that way. But they also come quite small." Ivo assured him. "I've experienced though, that the smaller they are, normally, the stupider they get."

Ivo didn't realize that Utori was doing the math in his head. "How small?" He asked, and Ivo described a flitter. "And Zkoth, that's this dragon - you said he's a big male?"

"He's one of the larger brutes I've seen bond. There are bigger ones, and different breeds. That is why I'm here to suggest you something."

Utori glanced about. "We haven't the space for that many dragons," he said.

"There's tons of space," Ivo said flatly. "You have caves here, and this whole mountain range is pocketed with caverns. Don't sell it short - dragons live in a surprisingly wide variety of locales."

"There is that low pass," Iryudyo said, his mood obviously softer than typical. "It's got gulleys and those longneck deer usually pass through there. Good food source."

"There is SO much food out here," Ivo laughed, "I can't even believe it. Zkoth's beside himself trying to stop from eating everything in sight."

Utori wondered aloud, "how much food would one dragon that size eat in a season? A heavy buck every few days?"

Ivo glanced at the young cheetah Kin, and nodded. "Yeah, about that. Maybe a little more often. But that's for a big dragon like Zkoth. One big deer-thing, whatever they're called, like that one," he pointed at the gutted and practically bare carcass of the buck they'd hunted the night before, "would feed a typical blue for half a week at least."

"It takes three of us to bring one of those down," Utori pointed out, and glanced at Qodara and then back to Iryudyo - neither of whom tried to stop him from now claiming his kill. "But that dragon's mouth could easily just snap it in half."

"That's about right," Ivo said. "Say, you're pretty curious."

Utori glanced away, shy. "Sorry - I don't mean to ask so many questions."

"Yes, you do, and it's all right," Ivo said. "Ask whatever you like. If you lot go off to bond dragon kind, you're going to need to know lots more."

"Upkeep," Temih said, sliding in behind them, "feeding, care... They look like an awful lot of work."

"They are." Ivo stated, then grinned again. "But in the end, they are well worth it."

After a while, Utori had asked many more questions. He got to understand the varieties of coloration, the different worlds' breeds, and most importantly, that mating dragons flew and their bonded riders would become quite ... interested as well.

Even Temih looked at the fake-innocent expression on Utori's muzzle. "If you pair with a female, and the rest of us with males - mostly," Utori said as he threw a look at Dijo and others laughed, "that would solve one big problem, wouldn't it?"

Ivo blinked and looked around intently. "You're all male!" He said, "Except you," he almost rubbed up against Temih but he'd long gotten the idea that to do so to a stranger was often quite dangerous. "So that's why it's like this here. I'd say you stand a good chance of having your own little weyr right here. And with no other competition to speak of - from your own kind that is," Ivo said, looking away oddly, "you'll be set as the founding weyrwoman."

"Kin Witch," Utori said, and Temih again glanced at him with an odd expression of ... was that approval? He remembered almost everything in detail - and she'd spoken about this title of hers. Few others really wanted to play that game - they were hunters and warriors, runners and ... well, maybe they would be something else soon.

Utori smiled and looked away. "It's a Human expression, but she likes to be called that."

"So we'd be what," Ihnala grumbled, "Kin wizards? I don't think so."

"You're all whatever you are. Not many dragon-hatcheries cling to the same values any more. Some places have to fight to survive, and others supply good strong dragons - like Zkoth - to other worlds."

"Well we do need them right here," Omaciyu said, it looked like he was appraising the change in attitude that Temih had just gone through - toward Utori? Utori didn't dare challenge the eldest. But ...

Maybe if Temih bonded - and bonded a female, who rose, and then...