|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 10:54 am
General Information Here you will find information detailing ranks within the Weyrs and Hold, as well as social taboos and accepted practices. It is important to note that things are different between Weyr to Hold, and even from one Weyr to the other. It should also be noted High Telgar Hold (formerly Crom Hold), is a combination of three Holds, and thus may face some social dilemma between it's residents.
Holders who are, for whatever reason, transported to the Weyr are likely to have differing views from Weyrfolk born within the Weyr. It is, however, very unlikely a Weyrbrat would share Holder views without a very good and probably very rare reason (being raised by former holder parents within the Weyr, etc.).
People are recognized by rank knots, found here.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:43 pm
Hot Button Issues
Death, Suicide, Homosexuality, Sex, Marriage, Children, Abortion, Women Dragonriders Death
In both High Reaches, Telgar and Ghenza Weyr: Death is mostly seen as one's own business within a Weyr, particularly because the mortality rate is high among dragonriders for a number of reasons. These deaths may be grieved, but vary depending on many factors (the individual grieving, the reason for death, etc.). It is unrealistic to assume no one would speculate what comes after death, but Pern has no established concept of heaven/hell, rebirth, etc. They worship no Gods and have no defined religion.
In High Telgar Hold: Dying young is regarded more seriously (for lack of a better word) in High Telgar Hold. Residents are not prepped for high numbers of causalities (as dragonriders as part of their training to fight Thread are), and so the single loss of a child by accident or illness may be cause for more grieving than you would see in a Weyr. The Telgar Plague has numbed many of the older generation. It is unrealistic to assume no one would speculate what comes after death, but Pern has no established concept of heaven/hell, rebirth, etc.
Suicide
In both High Reaches, Telgar and Ghenza Weyr: Suicide is accepted as part of life (no pun intended) within a Weyr. It is, in fact, dubbed normal for a rider who lost their dragon to commit suicide. They may die with the dragon by going between, should the dragon be ill or old but in good enough health to make the trip. Or, they may ask another rider to take them between after their own dragon's death and jump from the living dragon's back before the end of the journey (thereby killing themselves). It is not unheard of for a rider to live on after the death of their dragon should they choose, but these has-been riders describe themselves as "not whole" or "missing a part of themselves".
Healthy non-dragon riders, or riders in good health with an equally healthy dragon, are looked at somewhat differently when it comes to suicide. Issues like broken hearts are not seen as a good enough reason to end ones life and it is highly unlikely a rider would knowingly permit a passenger to go between as a way of dealing with their hardship. However, if for some reason a dragon and rider pair wish to commit suicide via going between, no one can prevent them from it unless the dragon is to young to go between or too young to carry a passenger between. Killing oneself for such reasons is a varying opinion (note there is no religion on Pern, so religious-based influence on suicide does not exist).
In the High Telgar Hold: Similar to the Weyrs, broken hearts, depression and other emotional problems are not seen as good enough reasons to assist in suicide. However, if a patient is ill and the healer, the patient and the healer's apprentice agrees the illness is untreatable, they will assist in suicide. Killing oneself is a varying opinion (note there is no religion on Pern, so religious-based influence on suicide does not exist).
Homosexuality
High Reaches Weyr: Homosexuality is accepted in the Weyr. It is sometimes necessary during a dragon mating flight (such as when a blue with a female rider flies a green with a female rider). This acceptance has leaked throughout the Weyr entirely and is granted to any residents. As a result, homosexual Holders or Telgar Weyr natives will sometimes move to the High Reaches seeking this approval.
Telgar Weyr: Homosexuality is a very tricky subject at Telgar. The riders seem to have adopted a "if we don't talk about it, it might go away" type of mentality, and while it's not openly condemned, it's not openly accepted either. Flight sex is accepted as the norm, but many of the Hold's prejudices still remain within the Weyr.
Ghenza Weyr: In no place is this issue more on the fence than Ghenza. On one hand, many argue they don't need more people with their resources already so limited. On the other, some say too many of 'them' could hurt the population too much. Some people don't care at all, and many are having their opinions changed by the recent onslaught of changes.
High Telgar Hold: Homosexuality is frowned upon by the Hold (note this is not for religious reasons as Pern does not have a pronounced religion). The degree of disapproval it generates may vary from Holder to Holder, but overall, it is not a welcomed nor an approved lifestyle. Homosexual Holdfolk may go to a Weyr seeking a sanctuary for themselves with or without a partner.
Sex
In both High Reaches and Telgar Weyr: Sex is loose in both High Reaches and Telgar Weyr and if someone is judged by it, the one pointing fingers is probably Hall or Hold born. Sex is seen as a tension relief and riders may engage with many different partners. Mating flights result in an overwhelming, telepathic bond between dragon and rider in which the rider seeks out a sexual partner (of both genders, many ages and many personality types). Should their dragon 'lose' a mating flight, lower cavern workers may be used as sexual partners. Riders who engage in sexual activity as a result of a mating flight are not considered "cheating" should they have a weyrmate.
A Weyrbrat being uptight about sex by their teenage years is very rare, and will be the result of shyness or fear rather than morals. Still, Hold or Hall born riders may be more wary of the idea.
Ghenza Weyr: Intimacy as a result of dragon's mating is unavoidable; however, Ghenza is very particular about what children may be born. Because their group is so small, bloodlines must be carefully monitored to prevent future inbreeding and ultimately population loss. Loose sex among non-riders is highly frowned upon, and it is even worse to knowingly 'cheat' on your spouse.
In High Telgar: The Hold is more conservative with it's sexual practices than a Weyr. (Note Pern has no religion, so this is not for religious-based reasons.) Couples engaging in sexual acts are expected to be willing to take up responsibility for any backlash, i.e. pregnancy. Those whom take many partners to bed may be looked down upon, as will those of homosexual orientation.
Marriage
In both High Reaches and Telgar Weyr: There is no marriage within the Weyr between dragonriders, and marriage between any Weyrfolk is a rarity, usually only practiced if the individuals are former residents of a Hold. Dragonriders are expected to place their dragons above all else, and so it as seen as both unfair and impractical for a rider to take on such a lifelong commitment. Instead, Weyrs have "weyrmates". Weyrmates can form a bond similar to a permanent marriage, but mostly, a weyrmate is looked at as a long-term boyfriend or girlfriend would be. Weyrmates can be between a rider and a crafter, a rider and a worker, a rider and another rider or any such combination. Weyrmates usually share living quarters.
In Ghenza Weyr: Ghenza does not practice marriage, per say, but people are expected to be mindful of the population and stay true (as possible) to their selected partner. (See the Ghenza guide for more info.)
In the Hold: Marriage exists within High Telgar Hold and the practice is similar to our system; it is between a single man and a single woman. However, it is not uncommon for people to have children then get married, or to stay together (without or without children) and never get married. This is not frowned upon and not viewed by Pern tradition as wrong.
Children
In both High Reaches and Telgar Weyr: Parental ties tend to be more loose in the Weyr, especially among offspring of dragonriders (which may be the result of mating flights). Children are seen as the Weyr's children rather than simply their parents children. A child, usually, will not be in contact with their parent too often. However, some parents may have a fondness for their offspring and give them birthing day gifts as well as keep tabs on them from afar. Other parents completely ignore their children; some may not even claim them. Rarely, a dragonrider will accept and assist in raising their child, but this may be looked at as a social taboo of sorts. Regardless, expectations of a child are not equal to that of their parent. Children are seen as individuals responsible for their own destiny, pass or fail. (But it is not abnormally for a child to brag to his peers his father is a bronzerider, for example). Additionally, it is accepted a distant relationship may benefit the child should their parent die during a Pass.
Children of a crafter x crafter, worker x worker combination or other such pairs are held to a different standard than children of dragonriders and it is normal for these pairs to partake in a more traditional family structure. They are not obligated to, though, and may choose to take any of the same decisions as a dragonrider.
Ghenza Weyr: See the Ghenza guide for more info.
In High Reaches Hold: Hold children are different from Weyr children. It is as seen as scandalous for a Holder to disown or leave a child unclaimed. (The Hold is small and tight-knit enough people tend to know who belongs to who.) They are by all accounts more traditional with their families. Holders will have any number of children, most often planned or at least not entirely unexpected offspring, and raise them as their own. At any given time, these children may be Searched and taken to the Weyr to stand as candidates, travel to a Crafthall or decide to stay in their Hold and work with their parents.
Abortion
In both High Reaches and Telgar Weyr: Abortion is openly accepted in the Weyr. Going between during the first trimester of pregnancy will usually cause a miscarriage. Female dragonriders may be cautious of this after a mating flight, but most often, they will assume themselves to be without child and go between, unknowingly terminating their pregnancy. There are also unproven but believed cases of going between causing a woman to become unable to bare children entirely.
Any woman in the Weyr, such as a crafter, can ask a dragonrider for assistance going between to terminate her pregnancy and this is not frowned upon by other Weyrfolk (unless they happen to be former Holders). "A short ride between" is a common euphemism for abortion within the Weyr.
In Ghenza Weyr: See Ghenza guide for more information.
In High Reaches Hold: Abortion is considered wrong or evil by Holders (note this is not for religious reasons as Pern does not have a pronounced religion). The degree of which it is frowned upon may vary from Holder to Holder, but overall, it is not a welcomed nor an approved practice. Because Holders do not have mating flights to fall back on as an excuse, Hold women are seen as responsible for their actions and, should those actions lead to pregnancy, responsible for the resulting child.
Female Dragonriders
In High Reaches Weyr: Female dragonriders are accepted same as male riders within High Reaches. Any rider who disrespects a female rider is part of a very, very small monitory.
In Telgar Weyr: Female candidates are always allowed to stand whenever there is a gold egg on the Sands, but are rarely encouraged to stand in any other case. Thus, female riders are somewhat of a minority, and many have to work harder than their male counterparts to gain any kind of recognition. Females on male dragons are considered an abnormality, and are dealt with in the traditional Telgar way (if we ignore them they might go away).
Ghenza Weyr: Ghenza has very little sexual discrimination among riders.
In High Reaches Hold: Most Holdfolk will look at a female dragonrider the same as a male, if only because they don't know to think any more of it. These opinions vary greatly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:54 pm
Ranks: Weyr NOTE: These ranks apply to typical Weyrs such as High Reaches or Telgar. Abnormal Weyrs (such as Ghenza) may have differing ranks. To learn more about these sorts of places, consult their individual guides.
Weyrwoman - The rider of the ranking gold (“queen”) in the Weyr. If the Weyrwoman dies, or if her dragon ceases to mate due to old age or serious injury, the rider of the next gold to rise to mate will take the position. Though she and her gold are called "senior pair" they are senior in rank, not necessarily in age or in experience.
The Weyrwoman is in charge of all matters that pertain to housing, food, the raising of children living in the Weyr, training, organization and discipline of the support staff of the Weyr, as well as the day-to-day living requirements of the dragons and their riders. The Weyrwoman is also a diplomatic ambassador, responsible for relations to other Weyrs, Holds and the Crafthalls. Most of her duties are administrative, delegating responsibilities to her Headwoman or junior goldriders.
Weyrleader - Weyrleadership is determined by the mating flights of the senior queen, the rider of whichever bronze (or rarely, brown) catches her becomes the Weyrleader. The Weyrleader is in charge of making sure that the fighting wings are up to strength, and well trained, he also determines the strategy for threadfighting. The turnover of Weyrleadership varies greatly.
Headwoman - he Headwoman is the Weyrwoman's primary assistant. The Headwoman is responsible for implementing the Weyrwoman's orders regarding management of the Lower Caverns, where the bulk of the support staff live and work. She is in charge of the cook staff, the cleaning staff, maintenance staff and the Fostering staff. She wields a great deal of power inside of the Weyr.
Senior Goldriders - Retired goldriders often remain in the Weyr as an assistant or advisor to the Weyrwoman. They are sometimes designated to represent the Weyrwoman in the Weyrwoman's absence.
Junior Goldriders - Junior goldriders are also assistants to the Weyrwoman. All dragons will obey the orders of a queen, unless they contradict the orders of the senior gold. Because of this, all goldriders must act as leaders. The junior goldriders are typically assigned to record keeping, lower level diplomatic duties, training gold weyrling pairs and fostering teenage girls who are likely to rise to a leadership position within the Weyr. This provides them with important experience for future leadership positions, as each junior pair has the chance to become Weyrwoman on very short notice.
Wingleader - Wingleaders each lead a wing of 12-33 dragons. Each Wingleader has one to two Wingseconds who may be brownriders or young bronzeriders in training to be a Wingleader. The Wingleaders are equal in rank with one another.
Wingsecond - Second in command under their Wingleader. There may be one or two Wingseconds. In the event there are two, one will be ranked above the other. Wingseconds may or may not be training to become Wingleaders if they are riding a bronze or a brown. Wingseconds can be any color, depending on what the Wingleader chooses.
Weyrlingmaster - One of the most important ranks in the Weyr, below the Weyrleaders and Wingleaders, is that of the Weyrlingmaster. He is in charge of the training and discipline of the young dragonpairs known as weyrlings. While under his care, weyrlings learn everything from basic dragon husbandry to advanced threadfighting techniques. The Weyrlingmaster must be appointed by the Weyrleader. The Weyrlingmaster must have a good deal of experience, and thick skin, because as many as 25% of all Weyrlings can die before the end of their training.
Wingriders - Adult dragon and rider pairs who are part of a wing.
Craftsmen - Assigned to the Weyr by their Craft, Craftsmen serve the dragonriders and support staff as they would serve any Hold. The position is usually a high prestige assignment, and they are autonomous from Weyr structure. However some craftmen gain their position as a Weyr by being Searched and proficient in their craft discipline, at which point they are appointed by their Mastercrafter as the official representative.
Weyrlings - Young, immature dragons and their riders. Young dragons generally fly for the first time at about one turn and train with the Weyrling Wing until mature enough to join a Fighting Wing, after one turn.
Candidates -Young people who are given the opportunity to become a dragonrider. They are chosen through Search, where a sensitive dragon, usually a blue or green, seeks mentally sensitive boys and girls who are of the correct temperament to match minds with a dragon hatchling. They age between 12 and 21.
Lower Cavern Workers - Often, but not always, the Candidates who failed to Impress a dragon, or those who have run away from home to live in the more liberal, accepting atmosphere of the Weyr. Lower Cavern staff are often the grown children of dragonriders. This includes cooks, servers, cleaning staff for common areas, those who care for the beasts that will feed the dragons, and many others. Lower Caverns workers often satisfy the sexual needs of riders who have lost a mating flight. They are lead and organized by a headwoman, who is usually ranked just under the weyrleaders in authority.
Weyrbrats - The children who are born in the Weyr are called (affectionately) Weyrbrats. Weyrbrats may be the children of Dragonriders, Lower Cavern staff or Crafters. It is the tradition in the Weyr that children are not raised by their natural parents, but this is not always so. A parentless child, once the child has grown to show distinct personality and talents, are matched with a Fosterer (foster parent) who suits the child's temperament. Every Weyrbrat has the right to become a Candidate and stand for Impression at age 12 to age 21.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 9:44 am
Ranks: Crafthall Note: Currently, there are no RPable Crafthalls within the shop, but we are putting this here for reference purposes none the less.
Mastercraftsman - The single leader of a crafthall. Not to be confused with craftmaster; both use the title "Master". They are in charge of everything involving their craft and have the final say on any conflict.
Craftmaster - The highest rank in a crafthall aside from Mastercraftsman, a craftmaster is a fully trained craftsman. This rank denotes the ability, right, and responsibility to pass the ways of the Craft on to apprentices and journeymen.
Journeyman/woman - The middle rank in a crafthall. A journeyman has reached a level of knowledge and competence beyond an apprentice and journeys around Pern, hence the name.
Apprentice- The lowest rank in a crafthall. One still actively learning their craft, usually under one designated teacher.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dragonriders of Pern Shop Captain
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dragonriders of Pern Shop Captain
|
Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 9:53 am
Ranks: Holds Lord Holder - Major Holds are managed by a Lord Holder. They are responsible for the discipline of its wrongdoers. Most times the Lord Holder will make the wrongdoer pay restitution and service to the wronged party. The next severest punishment is incarceration. Death penalty can also be used in response to heinous crimes. But the greatest punishment is to be named holdless. They also oversee Minor Hold owners.
Lady Holder - The wife of a Lord Holder who oversees the activites of the headwoman.
Stewards - Responsible for the Hold's economic health, trade with the outside, tithes to the Weyr, and dealings with its vassal Holds. The Lord's sons, along with fosterlings, nephews, and other male relatives, are given experience in Hold management. This can consist of acting as Steward (or assisting the Steward), taking charge of a particular portfolio of the Hold's activities (such as husbandry) or becoming Holder of a Minor Hold. These young lords are often referred to derisively as lordlings.
Headwoman - In charge of food, clothing, healing, and other maintenance of the dwellings and residents. The Lord's female children and relatives frequently assist in these tasks.
Harper - Hold children are educated by the Hold's Harper, typically trained in the Harpercrafthall at Fort Hold.
Other - Citizens or workers of the Holds.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
