Post by ShadowReine on Sept 28, 2008 0:04:36 GMT -5
A Weyr is where a dragon lives. Due to the size of the great beasts, all of the Weyrs except the most recent, Monaco, are located in the craters of extinct volcanos.
At full strength, a Weyr expects to house several hundred dragons, including two or three queens.
To support each fighting pair, five ground crew are needed, as a general rule. The ground crew is predominantly female, and consists for the most part of people raised at the Weyr who did not Impress. In addition, there are Crafters assigned to the Weyr. Also, it is not unknown for holders to seek work at the Weyr. Often, these are women escaping abusive marriages or homosexuals poorly treated in their home Hold. In general, homosexuality is completely tolerated at the Weyr...not so in many Holds.
Weyr children are wholly or partially creched. The children of support staff tend to stay there while their mothers work. Those of dragonrider women are often entirely left to the crecheworkers (female dragonriders tend, in any case, to have few children as repeated trips Between often cause miscarriages and lessen the chance of conception).
At twelve, all male children raised in the Weyr are expected to start Standing for clutches. Girls have the option of doing so. Their numbers are supplemented by young people Searched from outside the Weyr. In general, new candidates are brought in by blue and green riders, with a tendency for homosexual boys to be preferred. When there is a Gold egg, entire wings ride Search together...the blues and greens to assess a girl's potential, whilst the bronzeriders judge her suitability as a weyrwoman. These days, less suitable girls may also be given the option of Search in the hope that they will Impress as fighting riders.
Riders are not legally permitted to own real property. Their personal effects return to the Weyr on their death, although it is not uncommon for known offspring to receive items of sentimental value. Riders are also not permitted to marry. In general, support staff also do not marry, although crafters assigned to the Weyr may bring spouses with them.
The word 'weyrmate' is generally reserved for riders who are lovers and share living quarters. Although a rider may have a long term, serious relationship with a support staffer, they generally do not move in together. 'Weyrmate' strongly implies both lover and comrade in arms, rather akin to the archaic 'shieldbrother'. Fraternization is not only not frowned upon between riders, but expected and welcomed and it is rare for long term weyrmates not to be in the same wing.
The women of the Weyr are expected and assumed to bestow their affections as they wish...when it comes to breeding, the female chooses. Rape is considered the worst crime a rider or weyr dweller can commit. However, excessive promiscuity is discouraged. A woman who cannot name the father of her child is likely to be mocked for not keeping good enough track. Children generally receive names that show their bloodline...a syllable from the father's name and one from the mother's.
Riders of fighting dragons are indicated by a shortening of the name..Torkil, for example, becomes T'kil. In rare cases, a new rider may choose to change his or her name completely...be it to avoid confusion or to honor a deceased role model. Queen riders do not change their names.
The ultimate authority in the Weyr rests with the Weyrwoman. She is always a goldrider and generally an older one. When she dies or retires, the title goes to the rider of the next queen to rise to mate. Her field of responsibility is both the smooth running of the Weyr and diplomacy with Holds and Weyrs. The tithe the Holds pay to ensure the Weyr's support, for example, goes to her.
The fighting wings fall under the responsibility of the Weyrleader. He is the rider of the dragon that caught the Weyrwoman's dragon in her last mating flight. Pernese generally believe, perhaps rightly, that the desires of the Weyr are sensed by the queen and influence her choice. Because of this, the Weyrleader is almost always a bronzerider. Rarely, he rides brown.
The support staff fall under the governance of the Headwoman (or rarely, Headman) of the lower caverns. She answers to the Weyrwoman and is responsible for ensuring that the riders are fed, clothed and housed. Candidates also answer to her.
Candidates are considered ground crew. They live with the support staff, but instead of a support staff knot wear a single strand of white. They either perform general support staff duties, or ones appropriate to personal talents (for example, a healer apprentice would work in the infirmary, a girl who was a talented cook in the kitchens). Candidates are not expected to avoid sexual relations, and female candidates are, in fact, encouraged not to walk onto the Sands as virgins. Girls who are showing pregnant, however, are not permitted to Stand...female candidates are often advised to befriend a rider who can take them Between. A healthy libido is considered a good thing for a rider to have.
The newly Impressed are weyrlings...outranked by all other riders. They live in a series of caverns off the bowl. Weyrlings are forbidden sexual relations until their dragon first either rises to mate or chases. Green weyrlings are warned to be especially careful, due to the...tendencies...of their lifemates. Weyrlings answer to a Weyrlingmaster, normally an older bronze or brown rider, often a man too old to fly with the wings. He usually has two or three assistants, at least one of which is a greenrider, giving the riders of female dragons somebody to turn to. Weyrling training lasts eighteen months, however, riders remain weyrlings until they turn sixteen.
New goldriders are not treated as weyrlings. They receive their own weyrs from the moment of Hatching and are trained by an adult goldrider, not normally the Weyrwoman herself (she's too busy), unless there are currently no other queens. The sex rule, however, does apply to them...and is harsher, as it's not unknown for a gold not to rise until she is two or even three turns old, especially during an Interval.
Retired riders live out their days at the Weyr, sometimes asked to perform light duties. Older riders are sometimes assigned as watchriders, especially if a rider comes from a particular hold. It is considered light duty, as the only thing required is to ensure that the hold's residents know of incoming Thread or other hazards and occasionally to fly search and rescue for missing individuals.
All riders fly daily Threadfall drills, and have sweeps duty three or four times a sevenday. Due to Ista's island location, sweep riders spend less time watching for Thread, more watching for storms and ships in difficulty. Blue and green riders are also expected to keep an eye out for possible candidates.
At full strength, a Weyr expects to house several hundred dragons, including two or three queens.
To support each fighting pair, five ground crew are needed, as a general rule. The ground crew is predominantly female, and consists for the most part of people raised at the Weyr who did not Impress. In addition, there are Crafters assigned to the Weyr. Also, it is not unknown for holders to seek work at the Weyr. Often, these are women escaping abusive marriages or homosexuals poorly treated in their home Hold. In general, homosexuality is completely tolerated at the Weyr...not so in many Holds.
Weyr children are wholly or partially creched. The children of support staff tend to stay there while their mothers work. Those of dragonrider women are often entirely left to the crecheworkers (female dragonriders tend, in any case, to have few children as repeated trips Between often cause miscarriages and lessen the chance of conception).
At twelve, all male children raised in the Weyr are expected to start Standing for clutches. Girls have the option of doing so. Their numbers are supplemented by young people Searched from outside the Weyr. In general, new candidates are brought in by blue and green riders, with a tendency for homosexual boys to be preferred. When there is a Gold egg, entire wings ride Search together...the blues and greens to assess a girl's potential, whilst the bronzeriders judge her suitability as a weyrwoman. These days, less suitable girls may also be given the option of Search in the hope that they will Impress as fighting riders.
Riders are not legally permitted to own real property. Their personal effects return to the Weyr on their death, although it is not uncommon for known offspring to receive items of sentimental value. Riders are also not permitted to marry. In general, support staff also do not marry, although crafters assigned to the Weyr may bring spouses with them.
The word 'weyrmate' is generally reserved for riders who are lovers and share living quarters. Although a rider may have a long term, serious relationship with a support staffer, they generally do not move in together. 'Weyrmate' strongly implies both lover and comrade in arms, rather akin to the archaic 'shieldbrother'. Fraternization is not only not frowned upon between riders, but expected and welcomed and it is rare for long term weyrmates not to be in the same wing.
The women of the Weyr are expected and assumed to bestow their affections as they wish...when it comes to breeding, the female chooses. Rape is considered the worst crime a rider or weyr dweller can commit. However, excessive promiscuity is discouraged. A woman who cannot name the father of her child is likely to be mocked for not keeping good enough track. Children generally receive names that show their bloodline...a syllable from the father's name and one from the mother's.
Riders of fighting dragons are indicated by a shortening of the name..Torkil, for example, becomes T'kil. In rare cases, a new rider may choose to change his or her name completely...be it to avoid confusion or to honor a deceased role model. Queen riders do not change their names.
The ultimate authority in the Weyr rests with the Weyrwoman. She is always a goldrider and generally an older one. When she dies or retires, the title goes to the rider of the next queen to rise to mate. Her field of responsibility is both the smooth running of the Weyr and diplomacy with Holds and Weyrs. The tithe the Holds pay to ensure the Weyr's support, for example, goes to her.
The fighting wings fall under the responsibility of the Weyrleader. He is the rider of the dragon that caught the Weyrwoman's dragon in her last mating flight. Pernese generally believe, perhaps rightly, that the desires of the Weyr are sensed by the queen and influence her choice. Because of this, the Weyrleader is almost always a bronzerider. Rarely, he rides brown.
The support staff fall under the governance of the Headwoman (or rarely, Headman) of the lower caverns. She answers to the Weyrwoman and is responsible for ensuring that the riders are fed, clothed and housed. Candidates also answer to her.
Candidates are considered ground crew. They live with the support staff, but instead of a support staff knot wear a single strand of white. They either perform general support staff duties, or ones appropriate to personal talents (for example, a healer apprentice would work in the infirmary, a girl who was a talented cook in the kitchens). Candidates are not expected to avoid sexual relations, and female candidates are, in fact, encouraged not to walk onto the Sands as virgins. Girls who are showing pregnant, however, are not permitted to Stand...female candidates are often advised to befriend a rider who can take them Between. A healthy libido is considered a good thing for a rider to have.
The newly Impressed are weyrlings...outranked by all other riders. They live in a series of caverns off the bowl. Weyrlings are forbidden sexual relations until their dragon first either rises to mate or chases. Green weyrlings are warned to be especially careful, due to the...tendencies...of their lifemates. Weyrlings answer to a Weyrlingmaster, normally an older bronze or brown rider, often a man too old to fly with the wings. He usually has two or three assistants, at least one of which is a greenrider, giving the riders of female dragons somebody to turn to. Weyrling training lasts eighteen months, however, riders remain weyrlings until they turn sixteen.
New goldriders are not treated as weyrlings. They receive their own weyrs from the moment of Hatching and are trained by an adult goldrider, not normally the Weyrwoman herself (she's too busy), unless there are currently no other queens. The sex rule, however, does apply to them...and is harsher, as it's not unknown for a gold not to rise until she is two or even three turns old, especially during an Interval.
Retired riders live out their days at the Weyr, sometimes asked to perform light duties. Older riders are sometimes assigned as watchriders, especially if a rider comes from a particular hold. It is considered light duty, as the only thing required is to ensure that the hold's residents know of incoming Thread or other hazards and occasionally to fly search and rescue for missing individuals.
All riders fly daily Threadfall drills, and have sweeps duty three or four times a sevenday. Due to Ista's island location, sweep riders spend less time watching for Thread, more watching for storms and ships in difficulty. Blue and green riders are also expected to keep an eye out for possible candidates.