Rowan and Her Crew

Whew! So I finally got the screencaps I wanted. The light was more yellowish, which was good for everyone but Tarah. That, coupled with the crew bios, makes this entry ready for the shoot. So here we go.

Rowan Ashayam Starblanket:

Rowan is half Vulcan and half Human, born in 2370 aboard the U.S.S. Farragut, where her parents were serving. Her father is a full-blooded Cree from Saskatchewan, old Canada. Her mother was a Vulcan from Shi'Kahr province. Both parents were members of Starfleet, but Rowan's mother was killed in action during the Dominion War. Her father resigned from Starfleet in grief over the death of his wife, returning with Rowan to his home on Earth. Having been raised among humans, Rowan is more relaxed about her emotions than most Vulcans, but still more generally reserved than humans. Some Vulcans might consider her V'tosh ka'tur, though she does not formally subscribe to that philosophy. Her keen and logical intellect contrasts with her spiritual outlook, a result of her First Nations heritage.  Rowan studied at Starfleet Medical Academy, completing her residency in 2401. She specializes in Xenoendrocrinology, and Combat Trauma. Not a starship commander by choice, Rowan nevertheless has accepted the mantle of command, as she feels it is a logical extension of her Hippocratic Oath to care for her crew.

Rowan's full name comes from several sources. "Rowan" is part of my main avatar's name in World of Warcraft. It is a tree species sacred to the druidic Celts. "Ashayam" is Vulcan for "beloved," according to the Vulcan Language Dictionary. "Starblanket," despite what you may think, is actually a town in Saskatchewan, and the surname of a former chief of the Assembly of First Nations in Canada. I rolled Rowan as a Vulcan with the inherent racial attributes. Her mixed heritage is purely RP.

Shintarah zh'Rithsiria:

Tarah is Rowan's First Officer, Chief Tactician, and closest friend, having been with her since before the Battle of Vega. Born on Andoria in 2376, she is one of the last Andorian children born before the resolution of the Andorian fertility crisis and therefore seen as precious to her people. Her zhavey was particularly upset with her decision to join Starfleet, considering Tarah's responsibilities to her bondgroup to be more important than her "personal ambitions." Tarah graduated from Starfleet Academy in 2400, with a major in Tactical Analysis and a minor in Military History. Like all Andorians, Tarah is bonded to three other Andorians, but none of her bondmates are aboard. Though efficient in her duties, Tarah can become despondent over the long separation from her family. The crew of the Wayfarer have in many ways become her surrogate family, especially Rowan and Thierry.

Tarah is my favorite Bridge Officer, Rowan's Spock. It's cool that when I visit my bridge, a Voyager-like setup,  Tarah is there in the XO's chair where she belongs. I have come to realize she needs at least one bondmate with her, so I got another Andorian officer, but have not used or developed it yet. I don't even know if it is male (chan/thaan) or female(shen), but it will be one of Tarah's bondmates. In these pics, she appears a little green with blond hair. But that is a trick of the light. Tarah is very much blue-skinned with white hair. There are some players who choose to ignore the four-gender concept for the Andorians for various reasons. I happen to think it adds RP interest to the race. Plus, it seems to be an in-game (if not canon) fact, as the Andorian genders are part of the character creation screen.

Jean Thierry Brasseaux:

Thierry is from the bayous of Louisiana, born in 2367. He holds advanced degrees in Warp Mechanics and Electro-plasma Systems Engineering. A wonderful amateur chef, he often treats his crewmates to delicious Cajun meals. He is also a bit of a father figure to many of the bridge officers, being the oldest member of Rowan's crew, though less than three years older than Rowan herself. He could be a starship commander if he so chose, but Thierry is more comfortable in the position of chief engineer, maintaining and improving the efficiency of the warp engines and ship systems. He is one of Rowan's most trusted advisers, spinning sage advice in his characteristic Cajun drawl.

Thierry is not my first human engineer, I had a younger one named Wyatt. But when I restarted Rowan not long after I started playing, I rethought his backstory, making him older and changing his name and culture as I tweaked his look. He had the most fully developed backstory besides Rowan, before I started this blog. BTW, even though pronouncing his name as "theory" would be fitting, it is actually more like "tee-airy."

Auzran Torbin:

Auzzie, an unjoined Trill born in 2392, is the youngest member of Rowan’s crew. A prodigy, she is on the waiting list to join the Symbiont candidate program, but has been deemed too young to be a host for now. Auzzie applied to and was accepted to Starfleet Academy in 2406, graduating just this year, 2409, with degrees in Exobiology and Anthropology. She is an invaluable member of Rowan's crew, though she needs a few more years of experience before she will be ready to take command.

I just thought Auzzie would be a cute name, this was a variation on the game-provided name that I can't even remember.

Ymiro Larrea:

Larrea hails from the rural Kendra Province of Bajor. Born in 2379, she attended Starfleet Academy around the turn of the century, graduating in 2402 with degrees in Advanced Theoretical Physics and Probability Mechanics. She joined the crew as a lieutenant when they transferred to the Wayfarer.  Having led a sheltered childhood with her very traditional family on Bajor, Larrea went a little wild at the Academy and continues to be a bit of a man-eater. Also a bit of a loose cannon on away teams, Larrea frequently gets in over her head, and needs to be rescued by the rest of the team.

I am not kidding about that last bit, I don't know if it's her weapon or her other ground abilities. I frequently look around for her, only to discover her hip deep in enemies.