Esselin was a Master Miner in the Ninth Pass.
Biography[]
Esselin was described as persnickety and pompous. He judged people by their rank rather than merit; for example, he acted obsequious towards the Benden Weyrleaders, but was dismissive of minor craftsmen.
He oversaw the original excavation at Landing, using Lessa's mound as an office, and storing stuff in the building that F'lar uncovered for storage. When the Weyrleaders, Lord Holders, and Craftmasters decided to make AIVAS accessible to the people of Pern, he became the steward of Landing, with Breide as his aide. He judged requests by rank rather than importance. Due to this, his job was soon taken over by Lytol, D'ram, and Robinton.
Following the self-termination of AIVAS, he became archivist of its many records. He was very particular about how the records were returned to their proper shelves.
Tai mentioned that Esselin disapproved of her studies in astronomy, because she was "only a green rider". F'lessan mentioned that the man also disapproved of his residence in Honshu Weyrhold.
Esselin later escorted Shankolin into the Admin Building and the AIVAS chamber, at Toric's request. He witnessed Shankolin being killed by AIVAS' defense systems and never recovered from the shock of that event. A few days later, the Healer at Landing reported that he had died of a brain hemorrhage.