☪ Sands of Pern: SHAFFIT?! 3427

[Deadglow]

Guild

Guild Chat

AIM Chatroom name: sopchatting
(Add yourself to your own buddylist, select 'create new chatroom' type in the name above, select yourself and hit enter to invite yourself to the room if you would like to join. <333! )




Dragon and Wher Artwork is © KaiserFlames (kaiserflames.deviantart.com) and was commissioned for use in this shop.

[Deadglow]

Updates

09.03.11 - Wooops! Ok, updates... well. We've got a Queen Flight about to wrap up and.... some pretty crazy things planned to start immediately after its conclusion! Stay tuned~
07.20.11 - We've been busy on the backside setting up a whole pile of things to throw at our loyal shop-goers! The question is.... can you handle what the shop is cooooookkkiiinnngggg. >D! Stay tuned!
05.15.11 - Congrats to all of our new hires! Once the dust settles, keep an eye out for some exciting things coming down the pike from our new super talented colorists! We're ridiculously happy to have them. <3 !!!
04.26.11 - We're HIRING! Looking for RP peeps and Colorists! Also, get ready for a rumble in the jungle, the current Meta is set to go into its final stages soon!
03.01.11 - The Monaco Hold Turn's End Gather has begun, and with it we would like to introduce a new character class! Welcome Wherhandlers!
01.15.11 - Custom Event Here, general announcement and notice of Meta being nudged back is on page 1890!
01.01.11 - SUP! Tons of stuff announced on page 1807. GO THERE~! Also, HAPPY NEW YEAR~!
12.20.10 - The Secret Santa event is OVAH! Congrats all you ridiculously loved people, you now have 999999999 hungry lizards to feed! <3 We've also got a contest going on in the guild for one of the key characters in our Meta Event! Just a reminder: our Meta runs until Dec. 31st, and the first segment (the Raid) will be concluding shortly. We'll take a quick breather, then launch the second segment! STAY TUNED!
12.12.10 - Lizards, lizards! Get your lizards here. Buy some for your friends!
12.01.10 - This ain't yo momma's Pern! (What? Meta?!)
11.21.10 - This doesn't look promising...
11.15.10 - Arcturus Wing is hosting an OOC contest! We've also opened up applications for Search Dragons!

Old News

10.18.10 - Contest winners are posted; find them in their contest threads in the guild. Wings assignments are also up. They're posted in their subforum here. And don't miss the Touching on Saturday!
08.18.10 - Do you want to rule the world a Hold? We're looking for someone to take on the role of Lord Holder at Monaco Hold!
08.17.10 - OH s**t. OH s**t. ALL OF OUR WINGLEADERS ARE DEAD. (Haha, not really. But we do need some new ones!)
08.15.10 - The Blue & Green event is officially over. Thank you everyone who made it a success! Winners, dragon and rider profiles are due by the 21st. And stay tuned. You haven't seen Plots like SoP Plots, we can promise you that.
07.08.10 - WHOO-HOO, LIFE! There's a premade/custom flatsale going on right here!
12.30.09 - It's almost New Years, and so we're looking for some new colorists to help out! Hiring thread is here!
10.15.09 - The Touching is taking place! It'll likely run for at least a week, so get your Candidates in while you can!
10.02.09 - Setting up!

[Deadglow]

Shop Rules

» No bitching
» No whining
» No OOC drama
» No begging
» No stealing
» No spitting
» No shoes, no shirt, no service
» You do not talk about the Fight Club
» YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT THE FIGHT CLUB
» Follow the Gaia TOS
» Sands of Pern has a zero tolerance policy for player harassment in any form. If you are caught antagonizing other players, you will be granted one chance to present your side of the disagreement to Management Staff. Decisions reached at the end of discussions are final, and we reserve the right to contact Gaia Moderators should harassment continue.
» Do not attempt to 'give back' a baby dragon after it has Impressed to your character. The penalty for doing so is blacklisting. Entering a Hatching is essentially throwing away any and all hopes you may have had for the kind of dragon you want your character to Impress. If you cannot abide by this, wait for customs to open. We do offer custom write-ins for baby dragons from time to time.
» If you are not familiar with the Pern books, please read the introductory information in the guild before submitting your character.

Roleplaying Rules

» Your character is not Jesus (J'sus), so don't try to play god.
» Your character must be approved before RPing.
» You may NOT create a dragonrider who has already Impressed. These are attainable only through bribes, customs, or special events.
» Sands of Pern is NOT RP REQUIRED and never will be for anything other than Meta Characters and Metallics. We are, however, RP Intensive.. meaning those players who RP will be getting the most out of their experience with the shop.
» Likewise, dragons are NOT RP required. However, in the world of Pern, those who Impress metallic (gold and bronze) dragons are expected to take up leadership roles. We expect the same of our RPers. If you Impress a gold dragon and go inactive for an extended period of time, the staff reserve the right to NPC your character to another Weyr until you return to activity. This is to prevent an overabundance of inactive queens, as more than 2 – 3 golds in a single Weyr is already quite crowded. The same applies to bronzeriders.
» Do not dramatically deviate from the personality given to your dragon. If you desperately need a dragon with a specific temperament, wait for customs to open.
» Pernese dragons are not violent towards humans. They will not kill, harm, or threaten to kill a human being under any circumstances. Do not violate this rule.

FAQ

Coming Soon.

[Deadglow]

Welcome to a Pern written in shades of grey.

Our story starts some 600 turns in the distant past, when the heroism of the 9th Pass Dragonriders successfully saw the end of the Threads. For generations, the people of Pern have taken this success for granted. Holders and crafters have continued settling the large Southern Continent, under the jurisdiction of the Weyrleaders. The dragonriders themselves have taken a stab at holding and working in the crafts, particularly those which would be helped by the presence of these large, graceful, and self-aware creatures. The firestone mines were closed, holds and crafts stopped tithing to the Weyrs, and dragonriders were mostly left to their own devices. While dragonriders are still respected, their status is not nearly as elevated as it was in the past. Non-sympathizers might go so far as to call them anachronisms: ancient relics of a long-gone society.

In this interlude, other factions have developed as humanity struggles and expands across Pern's peaceful surface. Drama unfolds within the Weyrs, creating a marauding band of riders known only as The Rogues. In the pits of Monaco Bay Hold, wherhandlers set their beasts against one another for a bit of coin and prestige, giving rise to a new standard among whers. Fighting Whers. And in the dense jungles of the South, what were once dragon-killing terrors are now committing the unthinkable. Working with man, the felines of the South have joined as partners, possessing an intelligence as keen as the Dolphins of Pern. Economic niches have been filled within the Holds, with such places as Bitra and Monaco Bay turning to a darker line of work in the absence of history's nobler pursuits

Some twenty Turns before our shop Meta begins the astronomers, yet again called “starsmiths”, noticed an anomaly in Pern’s skies. Naturally, harmless and not-so-harmless objects had been tracked over the years and dealt with as necessary. However, this particular new body seemed to be more than a passing comet. Surreptitious checks of the old AIVAS files suggested that the object seemed to be following a similar, albeit altered, orbit to that of the old Red Star. The Starsmiths brought this information to the Weyrleaders’ attention. Many dragonriders discredited it—every couple hundred Turns, around the time a Pass would have started, rumors would circulate that Thread was back to ruin the lives of all hardworking Pernese. And, of course, it never did. People went about their lives, only more convinced of the 9th Pass dragonriders’ success.

Until now.

Scarcely two weeks after the Rogues launched their first major offensive against a governing body of power, during a Gather meant to celebrate Monaco Bay Hold's ability to rise up from the ashes of the Rogue Raid, Thread descended.

It is not without irony that the Rogues themselves, the only dragonriders on Pern with the knowledge of how to fight with firestone, were in attendance at this Gather, intent on rescuing two of their own who had been captured during the Raid. Doubly ironic, is that their decision to fly as Dragonmen against Thread followed the traumatic execution of a greenrider who owed them her allegiance.

Now that the immediate threat has been dealt with, and the Weyr has rallied to the best of it's ability following the ignoble death of their Weyrleader at that very same Gather, the question remains..

Will the Dragonriders of Pern, nay, the People of Pern be able to rally together in order to defeat the Threads... or will 600 years of disconnect finally see the end to a civilization begun some 3000 years in the past when the colonists first arrived?

Only you know.


*Note: The events recorded in All the Weyrs of Pern, The Dolphins of Pern, and The Skies of Pern should be considered canon.

[Deadglow]

Green dragons are the smallest normal color, and make up about half of all dragons on Pern (50%). They are female, but unlike the queens, they are infertile and can produce flame. They are extremely valuable in Threadfall because of their agility, but they lack the stamina to last an entire Fall and generally fly in two or three shifts. Originally, greens Impressed to girls; however, after various natural disasters and plagues decimated Pern's population, women were needed to help repopulate the planet. Since going between during pregnancy can induce miscarriage and because removing pregnant riders from the Wings reduced the effectiveness of the Wings, it became impractical to present large numbers of women as candidates for Impression. Thus, green dragons began Impressing homosexual boys; by the time of the end of the 2nd Pass, female greenriders are becoming rare. By the time of Moreta in the 6th Pass, female greenriders are entirely forgotten, although greens gradually begin Impressing to women again in the 9th Pass. Both genders and any sexual orientation may Impress Green.












Blue dragons are the smallest males, and make up about a third (30%) of all dragons on Pern. They are nearly as agile as greens, but unlike the greens, they often have enough stamina to last for an entire Threadfall. They mate only with greens, as they are simply too small to keep up with a massive queen over a long mating flight. There are few prominent blue dragons or blueriders in the books. Some assume the position of teaching the new riders after their Impression. Males and females of any sexual orientation may Impress Blues.











Brown dragons are the next largest color. About 15% of all dragons are brown. They may occasionally mate with queens, although this is rare, and becomes even more rare as the dragons increase in size; by Ramoth's time in the Ninth Pass it is unheard of. All brownriders in the Pern novels are men; most are heterosexual, but bisexual or "masculine" homosexual brownriders are not rare. Anne has also stated that Masculine females also have the ability to impress to a Brown, although this is extremely rare (as in non-existent at this time) in our setting.












Bronze dragons are the largest males, although they are significantly smaller than the queens. Bronzes only comprise of about 5% of all dragons. They are almost always the ones to mate with queens, as the smaller colors generally lack the stamina to chase and catch the gold dragons when they rise to mate. Due to the 5-1 bronze/gold ratio and the infrequency of gold mating flights, they often mate with greens (the losers of a gold flight almost always seek a green for their needs), but their size often puts them at a disadvantage in chasing the agile, smaller females. The senior bronze of a Weyr is determined through which bronze wins the mating flight of the senior gold. In canon Pern, the rider of a bronze dragon is always a heterosexual male.











Gold dragons, also called queens, are the largest dragons and the only fertile females. Gold dragons are by far the rarest dragons on Pern, at just less than 1% of the population. They are dominant over all other colors; any non-gold dragon will invariably obey a queen's orders, even against the wishes of its own rider. Queens are incapable of digesting firestone and producing flame (see below); however, they do fight Thread - they fly in the lowest wing, with their riders armed with specially designed flamethrowers to flame any Thread missed by the above wings. An egg that is going to hatch a gold dragon is notable: It is gold-colored and larger than other eggs. A gold dragon will always Impress a heterosexual female and are believed by most Weyrfolk to prefer young women who were not raised in the Weyr.










Dragon Life Cycle

Egg → Dragonet → Weyrling → Adult

Egg: All eggs are laid by Queen dragons, as they are the only fertile females. Eggs must harden on the Hatching sands for an extended period of time, during which they are vulnerable and should not be disturbed by curious candidates. Once the eggs have hardened, there may be a candidate “touching”, in which candidates acquaint themselves with the eggs. During the incubation time, eggs are strictly guarded by the clutching Queen.

Dragonet: Upon emerging from their eggs as clumsy, drippy, giant-headed, alien looking things, dragonets must immediately impress upon a candidate. Dragonets who do not impress will go between, or sometimes simply will not hatch. This crucial moment happens in a formal ceremony at which candidates are allowed to stand on the sands for a chance at impressing; there is no turning back from here. Once the bond is made, dragon and rider are bonded for life.

Weyrling: As the dragonet matures, it enters the Weyrling phase, during which dragon and rider are both trained in what it really means to be part of the Weyr. Think of this as Dragon Puberty. Your dragon is growing and maturing, and must be properly cared for. These months are of utmost important in a dragon's development.

Adult: At approximately 18 months of age most dragons will reach their fully physical and mental maturity. At this point, dragon and rider should be fully prepared to face the threat of Thread, and will be assigned a proper fighting Wing.

Dragon Physiology

Body____________________

Dragons have hides, not scales. Their hides are thick and resilient, smooth, hairless, and soft to the touch. A healthy hide is glossy with no hint of grey or dryness. Dryness leads to patches of hide that may crack and cause great pain while between. Regular oiling prevents such cracks and is essential to dragons, whers, and flitts. Dragon epidermis is thick and resilient to abrasions. Despite this, it is still absorptive and topicals such as oil and numbweed can penetrate through, though the time for numbweed to reach sensitive tissues takes longer. Dragon bones are strong and do not break easily. Unlike Terran carbon-based life forms, Pernese life forms are boron-based, and the dragon's diet sustains bone strength. Dragon bones are different than humans as they are modified plates that allow for sliding and thus, are able to sustain the impact of landings and takeoffs. A ball and socket joint keeps impact on the knees minimal as well.

Dragons are heavily-muscled but especially so in their hindlegs as these muscles are involved in takeoffs and landings. Dragon muscles are gray but appear greener where ichor supplies are heavier. Dragons have shorter frontlegs than rear, and thus have an awkward gait when on all fours. Their muscles are much more suited to sitting upright than remaining at an angle tetrapod position. Firelizards have more equal leg-lengths and thus spend less of their time upright than dragons. Dragons have five digits on both front and rear appendages with each digit ending in a talon. Talon's are keratin-based and grow from the bed outward, much like human fingernails. Thus talons themselves are nerveless until the bed of the nail where ichor and nerves abound.

Eyes____________________

Dragons have three eyelids that protect their eyes. The inner membrane is translucent with the outer two increasing in thickness. The inner membrane is used when the dragon is submerged in water to allow the dragon to see while protecting the eye. The outer lid is the thickest and tends to be the same color as the dragon's hide. Dragon's lack eyelashes and rely on their eyeridges as additional protection. Dragon eyes are multifaceted and whirl. They eyes are able to reflect draconic moods with the speed of the eyes representing the intensity of the emotion. Dragon's do not express their mood in quite the same way as their riders, but their moods are easily visible in the color of their eyes.

◕ Contentment Blue/Green
◕ Fear Yellow
◕ Combat Reddish Yellow
◕ Anger Reddish Orange
◕ Hunger Red
◕ Lust Purple
◕ Danger White
◕ Pain Grey

Abilities____________________

Dragons possess unique abilities, which make them better suited to fighting thread and assist in communication with their riders and other dragons. Among these are telepathy, teleportation, flaming.

Telepathy: Dragons communicate with their riders, other dragons, flits, and watchwhers through the use of telepathy. While it is possible for a dragon to communicate to a human other than their rider, it rarely happens. When it does, it is usually a show of respect or fondness.

Teleportation: Dragons are able to teleport by going between. The process of going between is something taught to dragons and riders during their Weyrling training. To accomplish this, the dragon must be given a clear mental picture of the desired destination. Using it's innate ability, the dragon is able to vanish and travel through between. Between is a cold nothingness, a complete void outside of time and space. It takes only as long as coughing three times to travel between, before the dragon is able to reappear in the desired location.

While it is possible to travel between times with this method, that knowledge is restricted to high-ranking riders and those who come across it on their own. Attempting to travel between times comes with severe risks of altering the future, and being in the same time as your former self (ex; traveling between times to when you were a child), can be severely draining if done for a prolonged period of time.

Flaming: Dragons are able to breathe fire by chewing a phosphine-bearing rock, called "firestone", which reacts with an acid in a special "second stomach" organ. This forms a volatile gas that can be exhaled at will and ignites upon contact with air. The flame is used to burn Thread from the sky before it reaches the ground. However, the chewed firestone must be expelled from the body after it is used up, for the dragons cannot digest it. It was long believed that chewing firestone produced infertile dragons. As genetically programmed by Kitti Ping, green dragons are naturally infertile, and queens are unable to chew firestone. Instead, gold dragons fight Thread in low-flying wings, their riders wielding flamethrowers.

[Deadglow]

Firelizards are one of the best known of Pernese species. Attaching themselves to human companions and providing the genetic material from which the dragons were developed, firelizards are smooth-skinned carnivorous creatures that have beaks only in the hatchling form, where they are used to break out of the egg. In the wild, the natural species is found only in the tropics, although the larger, heavily domesticated varieties can live in all regions.

The original Pernese "dragons", firelizards are a tropical species with a highly organized social structure based around different castes defined by genetically determined colors. Each group, or fair, of 'lizards is led by a goldenyellow queen who defends a hunting, breeding territory, permitting no other adult queen to trespass. Of the other colors, the small and numerous greens are female, while the blues, browns and bronzes are male. The males, especially the browns and bronzes, stay close to the queen and vie for her favor, while the greens spread throughout the territory -- their small, undefended nests often mark the edge of a fair's territory. Both golds and greens are fertile, but the greens have little maternal instinct and their eggs are thus more vulnerable to predators than those of the golds; those that do hatch, however, produce hatchlings as fit and healthy as any queen's.

When a queen's clutch hatches, the fair collects small prey items and feeds the emerging hatchlings, imprinting and binding them to the fair as they do so. Young firelizards reach maturity at two Turns of age; greens, blues and browns remain with the parental fair, but young bronzes of this age leave to settle with other fairs (spreading genetic diversity) and young queens are driven out by their dams, who won't tolerate rivals for their males and their territory. A young gold may challenge her dam for her territory, but more usually leaves to seek her own. There is a high casualty rate amongst eggs, even those of a queen, and amongst young and inexperienced 'lizards -- especially those who leave to seek new fairs and territories.

One of the most notable things about firelizards -- and the thing that made them suitable for creating the dragons from -- is their mental abilities. A fair is held together by empathic and telepathic ties that are established at birth, and the hatchling 'lizards will bond to humans as readily as to others of their own species. So far as can be established, firelizards regard a human companion (and any other 'lizards that human may have) as their "fair"; queens regard their human as representing their "territory", albeit one with few good clutching sites -- those humans who own more than one gold 'lizard may find themselves with problems!

Firelizards can also teleport from danger, a tremendous advantage for a small animal. Another defense mechanism is the ability to metabolize firestone to produce a flaming gas - the "second stomach" used to break down the stone is actually a development of the wherry crop. All 'lizard castes can flame; the inhibitions that prevent queen dragons from flaming (and those that prevent green dragons from breeding) were engineered into them when the dragons were first created.

0
0
0

In depth information about Whers and how Sands of Pern has made them into something a bit more then simple 'accessory' pets can be found here.

Both types of whers come in three stages, egg, hatchling, and adult. The difference between miner and fighter whers is apparent at birth, but the lineart is exclusive only as an adult. It is also important to note that in Sands of Pern canon, wher color does NOT predict size. A green wher can grow as large as a gold, and defeat a bronze in a fight. Likewise, fight divisions are made via size and weight, not color.

Fighter Wher:
Brightly colored, heavily muscled, and often quite vicious towards everyone but their handler. The smallest fighter wher is generally the size of a medium miner wher. The largest rival a pony in size, and can be ridden as such if they have the kind of bond with their handler that allows for it. Some gambling halls have also taken to tattooing their 'champion' whers with intimidating markings. It is unclear if this as had any effect on the whers themselves, but it has certainly affected the human betters (who tend to bet on the brightest and scariest colors.)

Miner Wher
Lean and dusky, miner whers are quite personable and usually bond closely with their person, and are quite tolerant (even protective) of other camp members. While some miner whers can grow large enough to rival a bronze fighter wher, those 'big guns' are generally only kept in areas where tunnelsnakes are a problem. Day-to-day operations value the small size and high sensitivity of the smaller whers, so over time even bronze miner whers have become slight and weasel-like.

[Deadglow]

Hatching Cost: 5k (You do NOT have to pay to Stand, only if your character Impresses)

Hatchings are RP Events that work the same way as RP flatsales in other shops. Once your candidate character is approved by staff, they are eligible to stand at Hatchings. You do not have to RP to be eligible to stand, but keep in mind that activity and writing skill are taken into account during Hatchings, particularly when it comes to those oh-so-coveted metallic dragons. The more you RP, the more knowledge the staff will have of your character, making it more likely that they can match your character to the most suitable dragon.

The Hatching itself is done as one continuous RP. A pre-set number of eggs/colors will be available, with pre-written personalities. Winners are determined before the Hatching is held. On a pre-determined date, the Hatching RP will be posted, in which you can RP your candidate's arrival on the sands, their reactions to other Impressions, etc. The staff will write up a post for each Impression, in which the newly-hatched dragonets will pick their riders. If your character Impressed, you roleplay the Impression. Payment should be sent the mule within 48 hours to avoid re-Impression of your new dragonet.

Hatching Rules

» No whining, crying, bitching, complaining, etc. If you have a question about why your character did not Impress or why they Impressed to a certain dragon/color, you can send it to the mule, but it's unlikely that the decision will be changed.
» These RPs are going to be read by a lot of people, so try to write your posts clearly and with proper grammar.
» Do not RP something that did not happen in a staff post. If a dragon is going to maul your character, the staff will write it in a post. If a candidate is going to suddenly turn into a werewolf, strip naked, and start humping the Weyrwoman, the staff will write it in a post. Please do not take it upon yourself to introduce dramatic plot twists into the RP.

[Deadglow]

Monaco Bay Weyr
Monaco Bay Weyr was built on open areas in the northeastern coast of the Southern Continent. As the need for dragons expanded in that portion of the Southern Continent. Like Southern Weyr, there are no caves, dragons sleep in sheltered sand wallows and riders live in huts near their dragons. Also like Southern, there is no set capacity, with room for expansion as needed. With the removal of the threat of Thread over 600 Turns ago, the riders of Monaco Weyr have largely turned to the Crafts for their income. Feline hunting (along with the selling of resultant pelts) is a large source of commerce for the Weyr. Some green and blue riders also run messages and transport for extra marks, but it is not considered a marketable skill with the trading routes being well so established.


Monaco Bay Hold
Monaco Hold was among the last of the Holds to stop tithing to Weyrs long, long ago. During the Passes, Monaco played a role as a primary provider of firestone. Carved into and built upon the rocky cliffs, the inner halls eventually give way to a winding series of caverns. These caverns, even after turns of serving the Weyrs before AIVAS came along, are still rich in firestone and only accessible through the Hold itself.
However, with AIVAS came a need for change, as the Hold could no longer depend on firestone to support itself. Without Weyrs in need of their services, Monaco underwent a time of struggle and depression. While most had ceased their tithes by the one-hundred turns mark after AIVAS, Monaco held out for an additional hundred turns. Ultimately, laborers became tired of pouring their hard-earned wages into the antiquated Weyrs, and many felt that the age of the dragonriders had come to an end. Riots broke out in the Hold as the old family Holders demanded that people adhere to the traditional ways; tithing, monogamy, and other notions which the average man had begun to see as needless and outdated. Ultimately, Moncao Hold could no longer support itself, and the Hold collapsed into anarchy. The Lord Holder and his family were cast out, marked as holdless, and vanished into the jungle surrounding the Hold.

It was a dark time for Monaco Hold, and the Weyr it served, as it marked the fall of the last Hold to pay their tithes. With Monaco Hold's abandonment, Monaco Bay Weyr was left to fend entirely for itself. Five turns passed before a new Lord Holder rose out of the chaos. This man promised freedom from the grip of the Weyrs, and vowed to restore Monaco Hold to its former glory. Without firestone, he told them, the people must turn to the land around them and to their own wits and cunning to survive. The new Lord Holder held to his promise, and over hundreds of turns his family has seen Monaco Hold into a new age of prosperity and wealth – but at a cost.

Monaco Hold is known in modern days not for their noble providing of firestone, but for their black market and brothels. Their markets are filled with rare, exotic animals and precious metals, and some say that one could even find dragon meat in their halls on rare occasions. Flit eggs are produced in mass to be sold as pets, with little regard for the safety or welfare of the parents, and the hatchlings are not fed until sold to guarantee impression. It is this cutthroat business ethic which has raised Monaco to new heights. In this new age where dragonriders no longer reign, Monaco is the prime example of life without restrictions, under the thumb of the infamously clever holding family.

Paradise River Hold

Landing
Despite being the oldest human habitation on the planet, Landing prides itself on something far beyond it's history. Landing is a place for innovators, a magnet for craftsmen who long to reach beyond the accepted norm and grasp the unknown with both hands. The fires of success and failure burn just as brightly, even if the failures burn more often. Which, if you ask any of Landing' inhabitants, just means more time to figure out what went wrong. Children are around but not underfoot, and the place has a definite sense of energy and industry. Nothing stays the same in this place, even the Council of Three, whose positions are up for grabs every 5 turns. (Although good administrators tend to keep their posts for quite a long time.)

Cardiff Hold
A large hold populated by Herders, Cardiff has one of the largest feline populations in the South, and is a well known employer for those dragonriders looking to earn some extra marks taking down big cats. The beastcraft has a large crafthall in Cardiff, and many dragonriders have hailed from Cardiff stock. The Holding family has a long established tradition of friendship with Landing and the Weyr they used to support.

Black Rock Hold
Aptly named for the coal mined in the nearby mountains, Black Rock Hold shares a certain sibling-esque rivalry with neighboring Xanadu Hold. Their recent emergence as a leader within the Miningcraft has afforded the residents of Black Rock hold a far more affluent lifestyle then their neighbors in Xanadu.

Xanadu Hold
Bearing the Ancient name of the original Stakeholders, Xanadu hold was once a thriving mining Hold, haven fallen on hard times since neighboring Black Rock Hold found a new vein of rich coal, Xanadu has yet to find a vein substantial enough to compete. In their heyday, Xanadu produced some of the finest firestone and was a large supplier for both dragon Weyrs.

Southern Weyr

(NPC Only)

Politics and grudges mar the beauty that the first Weyr in the South has long be lauded for. Notable as the origin of the Rogues of Pern, the role this Weyr and it's leaders have played has yet to be fully appreciated.

Southern Hold
A thriving port Hold, Southern has done well by it's pioneering roots. While not as innovative as those in Landing, or as cutthroat as Monaco Hold, Southern has it's own reputation for pushing the gauntlet. The ambitious ruling family are direct descendants of Lord Toric, and it is in modern times that they have finally begun to put his expansionist ideals into practice now that the influence of the Weyrs is well and truly gone.

Cathay Hold
Closest to Southern Hold, the holders in Cathay were once Southerners that fled the policies and politics of the main Hold. They currently sit in an uneasy truce with Southern Hold, and many believe that the moment the current Lord Holder of Cathay dies, Southern Hold will move to take them over.

[Deadglow]

[Deadglow]

Weyr____________________

Senior Weyrwoman and Weyrleader:

Current: Iathe of Gold Panth & "Number One" of Bronze Scorseth?!?!?!?!

The leading pair in the Weyr, these two are the final authority in all internal disputes. They are also the primary liaison with Holders and Crafters, but since Weyrs, Crafthalls, and Holds are autonomous, they hold little power over areas outside their own Weyr’s territory. The Senior Weyrwoman also serves as the primary Recordkeeper for the weyr, though she will often delegate her duties to journeymen Harpers and Junior Weyrwomen when it comes to general bookkeeping. The Weyrleader maintains his own records in regard to weather patterns, patrols, and Holder interaction with his Wings. He is also the final say on any and all promotions, and holds the authority to give or take away rank at will.

Weyrsecond:
Weyrseconds are usually bronzeriders who serve as the wingsecond to the Weyrleader in his Wing, as well as serve as his ‘Second when it comes to matters of management in the Weyr.

Wingleaders and Junior Weyrwomen:

Current: Annelie, Rinfala, A'bri - Damascus Wing, I'ver - Wing Five, K'em - Wing One, S'en - Arcturus Wing, Y'ul - Corentin Fleet Wing

Holding similar rank, Wingleaders and Junior Weyrwomen, both receive their orders directly from the top, although sometimes an older weyrwoman or the Weyrsecond may delegate tasks to these junior riders on behalf of the Weyrwoman and the Weyrleader. Wingleaders are charged with creating and managing reports on the health and abilities of their respective Wings, and in normal conditions, are also expected to conduct drills and report any problems to the Weyrleader.

Headwoman:

Current: Vacant

Reporting directly to the Senior Weyrwoman, the Headwoman is the ruler of all things domestic within the Weyr. She delegates duties to the Head Cooks, the overseer of drudges, the Candidatemaster, as well as any craftmasters in residence. She is responsible for creating and maintaining reports regarding (but not limited to) imported and weyrmade/grown supplies, manpower, and exporting Weyr goods. All delivery trains and traders need her approval to proceed, and most Weyrfolk will know her by name.

Weyrlingmaster:

Current: Vacant

This is a rank held especially sacred within the Weyr. Responsible for teaching the next generation of riders, the pressure put on the Weyrlingmaster is awesome. There are no color restrictions for this position, and it is rare for one Weyrlingmaster to serve for prolonged periods of time during a Pass or in times of great conflict, when they are more likely to see the lives of their young charges unfortunately brought to an early end.

Candidatemaster:

Current: Vacant

Often delegated to a bronze or brown rider (although it doesn’t have to be) the rank of Candidatemaster is either best suited for a rider who works well with children, or someone currently in the doghouse with the Weyrleadership. This rider reports to the Senior Weyrwoman and the Headwoman, as well as reports for regular Wing duties to the Weyrleader, and while not as emotionally trying as the position of Weyrlingmaster, it still takes a special kind of rider (and dragon) to deal with the foibles of youth Turn after Turn.

Wingsecond:

Current: Gh'lan - Arcturus Wing, S'van - Damascus Wing, T'mor - Corentin Fleet Wing

Serving as point men within their Wing, the wingsecond acts as an extra pair of eyes for the Wingleader, and in Weyrs where wings can have as many as 35 dragons, more than one Wingsecond may be required. Wingriders are encouraged to bring their problems first to the Wingsecond for mediation, and if it cannot be resolved (or the problem is with the ‘Second) then the problem is brought to the Wingleader. Each Wingsecond is expected to engage all riders regularly, and assist in maintaining Wing morale. Wingseconds are also expected the lead the wing during an emergency in the case of their Wingleader being incapacitated.

Searchrider:

Current: See Here

Less of a rank and more of a characteristic, Searchriders are the riders of dragons who possess particularly keen instincts when it comes to spotting potential Candidates.

Wingrider:
An adult dragonrider.

Hold____________________

Lord/Lady Holder:

Current: Lord Murden - Monaco Hold

Functioning a lot like the Lord and/or Lady of a medieval castle down, the man or woman in charge of a Hold is responsible for the lives and livelihoods of the smallholders and cotholders calling their territory home. They are judge and jury, ambassador and king, and they are expected to conduct themselves in a manner befitting both their station and the Hold they represent. It is important to note that the Holder system was not in the original Charter for the Colony of Pern, and it is highly reminiscent of Earth’s Dark Ages and Renaissance. 600 Turns prior to our setting, regular Pernese were reintroduced to the Charter and their rights, but is expected most have forgotten them again, except in places like Landing or the Harperhalls where knowledge is kept. New Lords (or Ladies) have to be approved by the Conclave of Lord Holders, and most Lords liberally sire and then foster their children to have the widest possible selection when they die.

Heir (First through Third degree):
Offspring of the Lord/Lady Holder. These are young men and women currently being groomed to one day Hold. Often fostered out to other Holds for a broader education, they usually return when they are older to serve as the Steward or assistant to the Steward.

Steward:
This person is responsible for overseeing all things domestic within the Hold. Functioning similarly to the headwomen of the Weyrs, this position is not gender oriented.

Head of Guards:
While Pern in times of Thread is largely a peaceful place, one need only remember Fax to recall why Guards are needed. In our setting, guards have evolved to embrace several disciplines. Ranging from common footmen to specialized trainers and assassins, the scope of their responsibilities varies from Hold to Hold.

Small/Minor Holder:
A man or woman who’s family holding has grown to encompass more than ten families in addition to his own. Generally related to the ruling family directly or distantly, the passed over offspring of a Lord Holder are often given small holds to govern.

Cotholder:
Common folk, usually a man who has established a small homestead for his family. Single men and women can also be cotholders. (These are usually craftsmen.)

Hall____________________

Craft Master:

Current: Coagh - Harper Hall

Referred to as ‘the Masterharper’ or ‘the Masterhealer’ their spoken rank is subtly different than that of a masterhealer or a masterharper. The responsibilities of these men and women vary depending on their craft, but they all act as the Heads of State, so to speak, as well as set the standards for which the rest of the craft will abide. The flaw in this system is a glaring one, as it is not always seniority or ability that produces a new Craft Master, but rather a popularity contest when a new one needs to be chosen. When a predecessor hasn’t chosen a successor him or herself, (and even sometimes when they have) the combined master level craftsmen in the Craft will get together to elect a new Master. Sometimes a new Master is chosen not for their skills, but for the policies they will bring, like less innovation, or more.

Craft Second:
Interchangeable with a craft successor, though this is not always the case, a Craftsecond is similar a Weyrsecond and a Steward. They are often privy to all of the craft ‘secrets’ that the Master is, and if they are not in the running to succeed, are generally called upon to be mediators in the succession. Their responsibilities run to the more mundane facets of overseeing a major crafthall, though most are gifted craftsmen as well.

Master:
A craftsmen who has attained the most senior rank available in their craft. They often become teachers; a common modern analogy would be a university professor.

Journeymen:
A craftsmen who has acquired enough knowledge to begin their own independent practices. All journeymen are required to take one traveling assignment outside of their home Crafthall, though whether it is just to another Hall, or on a circuit depends entirely on the craft and the journeyman.

Apprentice:
Ranging from a green initiate to senior apprentices nearing Journeyman rank, this is the lowest rank a craftsman can have and still get a craft stamp on their produce.

[Deadglow]

Like most shops, obtaining a custom slot here at Sands of Pern gives you complete freedom to design your own rider and dragon. All we ask is both pass through our RP Managers for approval and official RP in the guild.

Pricing:
30k - Our price is set for any color obtained, green through bronze.

Procedure:
Generally, our custom slots are held as a Concept Contest. We may open either a set number of available slots, or leave it undefined. In both cases, we reserve the right to take none at all. Players will need to post the profiles for both rider and dragon at the same time. After event closure, staff will go through all entries and choose concepts. Winners have 24 hours to send payment and repost their profiles in the guild for approval. Any needed changes (usually very minor, like removing an incorrect setting element) will be posted by staff, or the profile will be approved as-is.

FAQs:

Why do our customs still have to be approved by RP Managers?
» Because we want to make sure you are abiding by the rules of our setting. We can’t do that if we make it a free-for-all, but we don't want to refuse a promising form because of some small, fixable, issues either.

Can I custom a gold dragon?
» No.

Can I custom a special rank? Like wingsecond or searchrider?
» Wingseconds are chosen by our PC wingleaders, so we ask that no one makes a character with that rank specifically attached. The ‘rank’ of searchrider is not restricted however. Please see this thread in the guild for information on making your character a search rider.

I want to make a Rogue! They look cool! I’ll name him H’ulk and his dragon can be a badass named Tyranth and they can terrorize the countryside.
» Whoa there! We appreciate your enthusiasm, and would love for you to make a rogue! However, please keep in mind not all rogues are evil badasses (though some certainly are), and while Tyranth would be a pretty cool dragon name, H’ulk could use some revisions. When designing your characters, please keep a sense of realism about them, make sure you add appropriate and balanced strengths and weaknesses, and don’t name anybody something silly. For a more in-depth explanation of building a character, please see our character creation guide.

Can I ask for a specific colorist?
» Yes! Just say so at the top of your form, but keep in mind doing so may hurt your chances in securing a slot if that colorist is not participating in that particular custom event.

[Deadglow]

General Managers:
Celeanor : Crazy Geo-Nerd, appreciates rock jokes and often drives everyone crazy with her spontaneous outbursts.
Cihiru : The Calm One, major gamer nerd. Yes Hiru, it's true. And I wrote it here about you.

RP Managers:
Zephira738 : She of the Dramatic Plot Twists!
Celeanor : She of the W. T. F. Ideas!
Cihiru : She of the Logic and Reasonableness!

Colorists:
Mewrose : Colorist and Wher Wrangler Extraordinaire!
AndrAIa : Wields a tablet & pen like Chuck Norris wields... himself!
Hanging Gallow : The humble. The talented. The HG. Deal With It.

Part-Time/Hiatus:
Kimie Kitty
Tsunake
NinetailedNightmare

Interested in working with us?
Please fill out the following form and PM it to Deadglow

Quote:

Username:
Desire Position:
RP Manager / Colorist / Certist
RP Management Experience:
(Please include sample links to some of your favorite RPs if applicable)
Colorist Experience:
(Please include coloring samples if applicable, we will reply with the files to do samples on our lines)
Personal Statement:
(Why you want to work for SoP, your thoughts on the Pern Universe, or any ideas you may have and would like to take on as a project while on staff, etc...)
Instant Messenger:
(Aim/Yahoo/MSN/ etccc.)

[Deadglow]

Whitelist
All of our shop-goers! heart
Shaddaling: For being a generous shop benefactor and all-around lovely person!!!

Greylist
None!

Blacklist
None!

[Deadglow]

[url=http://tinyurl.com/SoP10thPass][img]http://tinyurl.com/SoPButton[/img][/url]

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

[Deadglow]

Leikkun & x_Nata_x, for making the original shop that brought together the creators and many members of Monaco Bay Weyr.
demon_pachabel, for our certs. <3
Kaiserflames.deviantart.com, for allowing us to commission her awesome artwork.
Cihiru, Orestae, & Trundlebug, for our gorgeous templates. <3
and Wikipedia... because it saves a lot of time. 8D

Dragonriders of Pern © Anne McCaffrey