Yakima

Description

Yakima is a slender woman with fair skin and blond hair that she often keeps pulled back in loose braids or ponytails. Her eyes are blue-gray.

Personality

With a serious side that sometimes takes a bit of time for her to show mischievous tendencies, Yakima presents herself as a leader of confidence. She does not always hold to traditions like others, and knows that sometimes traditions should change if individuals or societies must grow. Yakima is confident in both her knowledge of running a Weyr and what she learned while on Rerir.

Abilities

While on Rerir, Yakima learned magic from Ishyar-Tethari. While she never completed her training to earn the title of Mage, she is still called such by those at Isla Weyr since it's easier for people to explain.

Yakima also has training with an elven longsword and has been training herself to channel magic through her weapon, similar to that of a magus.

Relationships

Family

Zerah. Yakima did not meet Zerah much during the Tenth Pass, though she knew her father had had another daughter after Impressing Rhiath and she left to establish Isla Weyr. She cares for her sister and supports her as Senior Weyrwoman but also acts as a mentor for the younger gold-rider.

M'kent. Despite being her son, Yakima is distant with M'kent as she vanished while he was still a child and did not return to his life until he was close to adulthood. She is proud of him and see's much of his father in his actions and manners.

Romantic

E'lan. E'lan was her first love and still is. He is a kind, easy-going man that has been her best friend since their days as weyrlings, even if he was from Fort and she was from Benden. Yakima was one of the few people who never held the fact that E'lan came to Fort with no idea who his family or parents were and helped him through darker times when his past causes him to doubt himself.

M'hant. Her love for M'hant was slow to build and she never felt the same 'spark' with the bronze rider as she did with E'lan. Regardless, he became a steady rock in difficult times and was a fair and just Weyrleader during most of the time Isla was active in the Tenth Pass. His death was a catalyst for Yakima who has stated time and again that Lauer cheated and murdered M'hant - duel or no duel.

Pets and Companions

• 

  Elnora

  gold firelizard, female

  A dedicated friend, companion, and messenger, Elnora goes where Yakima goes, always watching for danger to her best friend.

  Image from Isla Weyr

History

Yakima was born in Benden Weyr to Y'nor, rider of bronze Hendelth and Kymira who worked in the Lower Caverns. Her mother primarily raised her though she knew and loved her father who tried to stay in his daughter's life as much as he could. When Y'nor became the Weyrleader of Benden Weyr, Yakima was eight years old. She always saw her father as a hero.

When she was fourteen, Yakima was presented at Narirth's clutch, sired by bronze Hendelth, and Impressed Rhiath.

As Rhiath and Yakima were entering their second year as weyrlings, with Yakima showing great promise as a Weyrwoman once Rhiath was older, she met E'lan - a young bronze rider who was being sent often to Benden Weyr. They talked often, forming a friendship that Y'nor approved of as E'lan was also a promising leader for a Weyr, even if he was from Fort.

When Yakima was chosen to be one of the queen riders to found the island support weyr in the Western Ring Islands, she was thrilled to know E'lan was one of the bronze riders being sent as options for the queens, and Weyrleader. Both were young and when Fort-bred Azanith, ridden by Nyarna, was the first to rise, Yakima was perfectly fine being second as it had been J'tha's sunset Zenith to win the flight, not E'lan's bronze Narth. This left the bronze rider to herself.

Yakima was fine with her role supporting Nyarna but was more fond of Dlyza, gold Niayith's rider, and the two formed a strong friendship. As Nyarna clearly only preferred the position for fancier dresses and favors, Yakima and Dlyza were usually the ones running the Weyr.

When the Fort Weyrleader began to use E'lan to try to make things difficult for J'tha, who was never a favored candidate to lead Isla Weyr. E'lan was sent to Dark Moon Weyr when it was announced the new Weyrwoman, Azala, would be opening her queen's mating flight up to other bronzes. E'lan didn't want to win but Narth clearly had other plans. His leaving hurt and when Rhiath rose again, it was bronze Jerith who caught her queen.

It would take a very long time for Yakima to warm up to M'hant, but what she thought was a one-time win for bronze Jerith would become a common one when Azanith died after Nyarna became deathly ill. The Council decided that it made sense for Yakima and M'hant to become Weyrleaders since Rhiath had risen so recently.

As a Weyrwoman, Yakima enjoyed the position and did far better than Nyarna. She kept Dlyza close and the two were a very good team running the Weyr.

Yakima and M'hant would have one child, a son named Morkent. Yakima attempted to be more of a mother to her son than some women riders but never felt like she was there for him enough after he was weaned and M'hant was more of a traditionalist who did not acknowledge Morkent often. This irritated Yakima who thought that children had the right to know their parents - something she had developed from her time with E'lan who struggled with not knowing his parents and why he was found by riders and brought to Fort Weyr as a small child.

Yakima was present for the duel between the Lord Holder of Kay's Point, Lauer, and M'hant in which M'hant lost his life. She was one of the few to actually see the use of magic - the other being Philippe - which caused M'hant to hesitate just long enough to be stabbed fatally by Lauer. After his death, she secluded herself and when she came out she sought anything she could about magic, often questioning off-world riders or residents - such as Philippe or Juniamaa - about magic.

After Rhiath had laid her last clutch, sired by Jerith, Yakima began to have dreams of a place that Rhaith told her she could see and that she wanted to go there. Yakima was skeptical but eventually the two made the attempt to go where her dreams indicated. The jump nearly killed both but in the last minute, Yakima remembers feeling a golden glow wrap around them and yank them in a different direction.

Studying on Rerir

When Yakima woke, she was in an unfamiliar place. After asking questions, she was told she was in the city of Thyrayyah - the City of Mages - and the healing ward. She asked about Rhaith who was told she was fine, though it was clear the large queen was causing some to get nervous. Rhiath, however, was a queen from the start and told Yakima that there was someone here that wanted to talk to her.

That person was Ishyar-Tethari.

Not long after Rhiath announced this, Ishyar came to speak with Yakima. He explained that it was he who pulled Rhiath from between to save them. It took Yakima time to get Ishyar to explain everything but he eventually told her that Kythar, the world she was now on, was planes-locked and he is surprised that Rhiath was even able to get into Kythar. It was Rhiath who had called out to Ishyar and he answered, simply plucking them from the void and bringing them to Thyrayyah. Yakima then would tell her story, ending with M'hant's murder and how she had seen the magic that had caused M'hant to hesitate - something a skilled fighter such as himself would never have done.

While on Rerir, Yakima began to study magic, explaining how her dreams were constantly telling her that something bad was coming and she wanted to be ready for it. She trained as a mage for a year though she struggled greatly given she was from Pern. However, she passed the first trials of becoming a mage and learned her powers were attuned to the wind and sky.

Before she could complete her training as a Mage of Rerir, Ishyar sent for her and gave her a choice - he had been delving further into her sense that something bad was about to happen to Isla Weyr and told her he could send her and Rhiath back to Pern. At first she quickly accepted but Ishyar warned her that when he pulled her and Rhiath out of the Void he had brought them through time as well - the Isla she would be going back to save would not be her Isla. Yakima and Rhiath both determined that they would go back regardless because home was still home. Unknown to her, Ishyar had packed her bag full of books that hoped would help her finish her training.

Return to Isla Weyr

Yakima and Rhaith returned to Isla Weyr just as Tabenyen began his assault with undead. Yakima was able to help (and save) Philippe who had recently returned from death himself to protect the Weyr. With the help of Calyenna, a druid from Sentra, and Philippe, Yakima protected the Weyr from Tabenyen, who was killed in the end by Philippe.

Yakima was thankful to see familiar faces as she helped deal with the mess of the zombies and the fatalities that had resulted. It was clear to Yakima instantly that Kahii was not a fit Weyrwoman but was thankful that Calyenna and Kizanzee (whom she remembered from the Tenth Pass), were quite capable to assist her. She also noted that Kahii's previous weyrmate, J'ren, was a far better choice of Weyrleader than her current partner, B'torl. This caused her to do digging and she learned that Kahii was up to something. Yakima would often back J'ren before Kahii in a way that made it clear that Yakima knew what she was doing even if the younger Weyrwoman was oblivious. Because Kahii was more focused on her plot to turn Isla Weyr into something other than what it was suitable for, and meant for, Yakima and the other weyrwoman made sure everything ran as it should.

The arrival of E'lan and riders from Dark Moon was a blessing for both the Weyr as well as Yakima who tried to make it very clear that the only bronze to catch Rhiath would be Narth. E'lan, however tried to distance himself from Yakima stating that both of them had changed despite the fact that when they were together nothing really seemed to be different, except they were older.

When Kahii and Nysheth were killed suddenly during Threadfall, leaving the Weyr in shock, Yakima took the rank of Senior Weyrwoman to keep everything going until a new Weyrwoman was to be chosen. In the end, to her annoyance and protest, B'torl refused to choose a new Weyrwoman any other way other than traditional. Yakima finally voiced her frustration over 'tradition' stating that tradition nearly destroyed this Weyr and stormed out on B'torl. While heading to J'ren to hopefully talk sense into the young man about being Weyrleader once again, Rhiath informed her that Ainnth and J'ren had left. Yakima questioned where and Rhiath only said they would be back eventually.

J'ren finally did return after a sevenday, bringing with him another queen; gold Caroath and Zerah, who was Yakima's half-sister.

When Caroath rose, so did Rhiath. Yakima used her magic to hold Rhiath down until Caroath left the Bowl. The flight still could have ended in a disaster but E'lan and J'ren were able to end both flights quickly. In the morning, Zerah and J'ren were confirmed Weyrleaders of Isla Weyr, with Yakima and E'lan stepping back to relax a bit more.

Rift Wars

The Memorial Clutch brought a warning that Yakima felt acutely. She saw many things in a vision that rendered her unconscious. The Healers told her she was just tired and confirmed that she was pregnant with E'lan's child. This caused him to be over protective and fussy but Yakima was certain what she saw was a warning and began to look at the books Ishyar had slipped into her bag before she left Rerir. Seeking answers, Yakima accompanied Philippe to Sentra and would later speak with the recently resurrected Thanar about her journey to Rerir. What Thanar told her was that her visions were not something that had happened, but something that would happen. With Thanar's help, Yakima was able to contact Ishyar briefly and learned he was alright but he took her dreams as a warning and promised he would do everything in his power to remain safe.

At least for now. And as investigation into the death of Nysheth and Kahii continued, Yakima began to have a nagging feeling that something was still out there that would be a direct threat to Isla Weyr.

Appendices

Gallery

Appearances

Yakima has appeared in Skies of Fire.

RPG Stat Block

Yakima is either a stormborn sorcerer or a homebrew Mage class. She would be level 8ish.