Name/Nicknames: Lute Amano
Gender: Male
Rank/Position: Official title is Hydroponics Engineer, but he considers himself a gardener and Pernese Flora Specialist
Age: 27
Birthplace: Southern Africa, Earth
Physical Description: Lute is a petite man, only five foot five. He has a thin frame with compact muscles, although he still isn't particularly strong. Like most of the colonists, he is racially mixed. Much of his ancestry is African, although his father has some Japanese roots that shows up in the shape of Lute's eyes. He has curly, dark brown hair that he wears just long enough to pull into a ponytail. He does not pay much time to personal grooming, so it hair is often tangled. His eyes are that shade of hazel that look almost yellow from a distance. The rest of Lute is rather bland. His face is a little too wide and his features too defined to be very attractive, not to mention his small size, although most lovers are too transfixed on his pretty hair to notice his shortcomings. He wears a short, scruffy beard that blends well with his wild hair. Lute dresses in earth tones and always wears sandals. Most his clothes are dirty and worn out relics he brought from old Earth. Each earlobe sports a silver hoop with a black bead, which he had done as a teenage before coming to Pern.

Personality: Lute is free spirit, a child of the earth, a regular hippy. He is mellow, moves at a slow pace, and is easy going. Lute rarely gets mad, although his ex-wife seems to know how to set him off. He does, however, get worked up about stuff he is passionate about. He has a rowdy side, and has doesn't realize some things are just not appropriate for public conversation. He's lazy and a bit of a BSer. He follows a strict plant-based diet, but rather enjoys drinking and experimenting with Pernese hallucinogens (marijuana is what he misses the most about old Earth--he's secretly working with the hemp plants brought to Pern to restore their mind alterting qualities). Lute is bisexual with a preference for women, but he's open for anyone who is willing.

Despite his passive nature, Lute is impulsive. He goes through phases. When fire-lizards were all the rage, he obsessively scammed his way into getting one egg after another. He was hooked on the thrill of wondering what was inside of the egg and hoping he would get one of the rarer colors. He built himself a rather large collection before people finally realized he was irresponsible and quit giving him eggs. Most of his "collection" has joined wild fairs because he couldn't give them all proper attention, although the ones that do stick around are fairly well trained, mostly to his ex-wife's credit.

Lute's latest fancy is to attach himself to one of those dragon creatures. He is attracted to the romantic aspect of the project and envisions himself riding about the country side on the back of one of the legendary creatures. Lute managed to charm his way into the candidate program by convincing the board he was great with his fire-lizards. Of course, he didn't mention that he'd had just as many go wild.

Background: Lute grew up in the country on a little farm. His parents, rather earthy and liberal folks, ran a small bed and breakfast resort that was a popular tourist attraction. Business slowed after the Nathi Wars ended and Earth became a less popular tourist attraction. His parents decided to sell their land and join the Pern expedition. Lute, a teenager at the time, thought colonizing another planet sounded grand but a lot of work. Still, he wanted to stay with his family, so he joined them on the expedition.

On Pern, Lute studied agriculture in school. He worked on his parents farm until he met Kashi, an apprentice to the midwife who delivered his mother's last child. They had an intense relationship with plenty of fighting and making up. They married on a whim, moved to Old Landing, and had two children before Kashi finally got sick of him and severed their contract. Lute misses Kashi, but also enjoys the freedom of being single. They still fight often since they have mutual children, and those fights often end in intense makeup sessions.

When Thread fell, Lute and Kashi were already split up. They both decided to move to New Landing when Old Landing was abandoned because both parents wanted a role in raising the children. Lute had hydroponics training in school, so he began working indoors tending the plants grown in the safety of indoors.

Family/Friends:
Father Ken Amano, 49, Farmer, Araby Hold
Mother Lara Amano, 50, Farmer, Araby Hold
Sister Sorra Amano, 26, Sled Pilot, New Landing
Sister Jerrika, 20, Farmer, North
Brother Dega, 16 when killed by Thread
Sister Ayamee, 15, Student, Araby Hold
Brother Emmo, 8, child, Araby Hold
Brother Mirk, 6, child, Araby Hold

Ex-wife Kashi Montana, 30, Midwife, New Landing
Son Kenny Amano-Montana, 5, New Landing
Daughter Cora Amano-Montana, 3, New Landing

Hobbies & Skills: Gardening, romantic flings, drum circles, mind altering drugs, debating historical injustices

If your persona were a song, the title: Bohemian Like You

Pets: He's had countless fire-lizards, many of which return to the wild once they're old enough to fend for themselves. A few have stuck around, though. Moon, a nine year old dusty and battle scarred brown, is his oldest and most independent. Draco, a fat seven year old blue, is both loyal and lazy. Luna and Spica are flittery greens, are eight years old and from the same clutch. They're scatter brained and almost identical in temperament and appearances. They stick around because they're too clueless to survive on their own. All are wild types.