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 Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 9:56 am
General Information High Reaches Weyr was the third Weyr built, the last during the First Pass. It was also the last to use the sonic/plasma stonecutters. This means that High Reaches has very smooth, even walls, though they may now be cracked or damaged in some places simply because the Weyr has seen so many Turns.
High Reaches is the highest in elevation, located in the northwestern mountains of the Northern Continent. It is unique, being in a younger ancient caldera. Previously, it was lined with seven tall stone spires called the "seven spindles." However, a spire was struck by a bronze during a mating flight, and in it's destruction it took with it a second spire. This has led to some confusion and a large group of supporters in favor of remaining the landmark the "five spindles". None the less, the original name still remains.
High Reaches had an original capcity of 500 dragons, but now can house up to 700.
Holds Beholden to High Reaches: High Telgar Hold, Nabol Hold, Tillek Hold
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Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 10:53 am
Within the Weyr At the bottom of the caledra is the Weyrbowl. This includes a holding area, also commonly known as a "feeding pen" or "feeding area", where fattened herdbeasts are kept as food for the dragons. After devastating loses due to the Telgar Plague, High Reaches generally fills it's holding area with Wherries; cows, sheep and other livestock are considered a treat and dragons will sometimes squabble over them. Likewise, a dragon allowing another to eat a single cow in the feeding pen would be viewed as either an act of respect (most commonly involves a queen dragon) or a display of affection for the opposite dragon.
Beyond the feeding pen, there is a lake now known as Faseth's Lake (both as a memorial and a taunt to the late dragon), where dragons can bathe or enjoy a session of swimming. Rumors among young children often state that Faseth's body is still laying on the bottom of the lake, waiting to snatch up human swimmers and devour them whole as revenge for his death. However, by their preteen years, Weyrfolk usually recognize this story as a falsehood and learn Faseth's body was recovered and dropped between the day after his death (along with recognition dragons are unable to harm humans). Still, paranoid and/or uneducated people of all ages may find themselves subject to a dare involving a lap around the lake's waters.
There are Star Stones to predict a coming Pass scattered around the Weyr.
Grassy areas and ledges are also found throughout the Weyr, used by dragons to sun themselves.
One will find many a weyr (distinct from the complex, denoted by the use of a lowercase). Each weyr consists of a ledge for landing and sunning, a cavern with a "couch", or raised stone bed (covered with straw or other bedding) for the dragon and sleeping and storage areas for the rider.
Larger weyrs include a separate alcove for a rider's living area. Currently, as a result of the many lives lost to the plagues, dragon and rider pairs will find themselves occupying one of these abandoned larger weyrs. Many of them are still without residents.
Smaller weyrs were carved prior to the sickness, when High Reaches became somewhat overcrowded. They are of poorer quality than the rest of the Weyr, and have only enough space for a rider to hang a hammock near his dragon and store their gear on hooks. Smaller weyrs are close together and could be compared to staying in a motel.
Most weyrs do not have access by foot, the only access being by dragonwing.
Goldrider weyrs are located near ground level with stairs or tunnel access to the ground or Lower Caverns so that goldriders can still access their weyrs while their dragons are on the Hatching Grounds with their eggs. The Weyrwoman's chambers in particular are extensive. Her weyr is found to the North of the other queen weyrs, connecting to her office, a large meeting room and the records room. Recently, goldrider weyrs have been equipped with luxuries not found in other weyrs, including enormous private baths.
One should note that Weyrlings (dragons to young to be assigned a wing), with the exception of queens (who stay in private quarters at any age), thrive in the weyrling barracks (or "werylings' barracks"). The barracks can house up to some one hundred odd hatchlings at a time. It is, essentially, one giant room with many "beds" for the dragons covered with straw and stone slab "beds" for the riders placed above them. How close one rider is to another will often hint at their social tendencies or their opinion of a other rider in particular, given there is more than enough space to spread apart.
The Lower Caverns are an extensive series of caverns with easy entrance by foot. They contain common use areas such as lounging and recreation areas for riders, kitchens and dining areas, bathing pools, storage areas for supplies, living quarters for support staff, children (Weyrbrats), crafters shops and more. They also contain special quarters for riders who are involved in mating flights, as their private weyrs are often inaccessible from the ground.
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Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 11:36 am
Known NPCs Weyrwoman Luci of Gold Dorath
As with any Weyrwoman, there is gossip, speculation, accusation, praise and criticism surrounding Luci. Being fairly young, she tends to be subject to never ending inspection by older riders of the Weyr or those whom did not support Kindley stepping down at all, much less in favor of a queenrider that was born in a Hold; however, she is a favorite among younger women and girl weyrbrats because of boldness and public support of females in all fields of work.
Her gold, Dorath, is a calm dragon that--aside from being the Weyrwoman's dragon--is most notorious for her gentle speaking and bad luck; she had two goldless clutches. This has prompted a saying: "Dorath's Curse", which, not surprisingly, is a term coined for use when describing a clutch without a gold egg. (Use: "I heard that clutch at Telgar has Dorath's Curse on it.") 
H'pez, older than Weyrwoman by a decade or so, is not interested in all the politics going on around him. Truth be told, he would have much rather stayed a Wingleader.
Public opinion is a chip easily brushed off his shoulder. Not that it matters. Most everyone but self-proclaimed "traditionalists" tend to like him and his friendly, yet hard working bronze, Narjith. Many supported H'pez becoming Weyrleader and are glad to see him climb the ranks. Others are concerned he may be too docile. 
Jilis is the brother of former rider Julis ("J'lis"), and a good friend of Luci and the late Weyrleader, D'astel. She is two years the Weyrwoman's senior, but they were friends through candidacy. She was born in the Weyr, and stood from age sixteen onward, but did not Impress, and instead became a renowned dragonhealer and later the headwoman appointed by her old friend.
Due to her lineage being linked with her brother she is often scorned, but Jilis regularly denounces any connection to him beyond blood. She has publicly disowned him on several occasions, in fact. Jilis has a gold firelizard appropriately named Beauty.
To most of the Weyr, Talis is nothing more than another brownrider. The only thing they'd notice is that she's a female brownrider, which compared to blue or green female riders, are more of a rarity. But this is because, out of the entire Weyr, only she, Luci and their dragons know the scandal that centers around her.
Talis' brown, Halteth, has flown Dorath; he is the sire of the 'Song Clutch'. The three vanished over the mountains. Former Weyrleader D'astel and Talis both agreed that it was in the best interest of the Weyr to lie and say Halteth had not been the winner, thus making D'astel Weyrleader again.
(Note: This information is not publicly available IC and under no circumstances should a character know of it unless given permission by staff.) 
High Reaches Weyr has become a place of rumors, scandal and gossip. Partially to avoid thinking of more darker subjects like the Telgar Plague, and partially because they tend to be true. Bronze Faseth is known as the most ego-centric, arrogant bronze to ever hatch on the sands of High Reaches, and his rider no less suited for such accusations. During Dorath's first flight, Fasteth raced against his lifelong enemy and rival, D'astel's bronze, Kentoth.
Spectators recall the flight as being "violent", at least amongst the two bronzes, who clashed so viciously along the way that Fasteth was thrown into one of the seven spires surrounding the Weyr (which then knocked down another). Before he could go between, he suffered deadly levels of head trauma and fell into the lake where he reportedly drowned. J'lis became Julis once more, and his Wingleader position was surrendered to a good friend, K'ban.
Julis is one of three people responsible for later poisoning Weyrleader D'astel.
Former NPCs
Weyrleader D'astel of Bronze Kentoth - A well-liked man (with a much less adored bronze). Died from being poisoned accidentally poisoned in Luci's place; originally suspected to have the plague. He went between with his dragon when his health continued to decline.
Wingleader K'ban of Bronze Tokoth - Proclaimed himself guilty of poisoning the former Weyrleader to protect his son, P'ren - as he and two other people (goldrider Iva of Telgar and Julis) were actually guilty. He was sent to The Nowhere Islands where he was seen as an intruder and killed by the 'natives'.
Wingsecond P'ren of Brown Gharth - The son of K'ban, and one of three people responsible for poisoning the former Weyrleader. He was never found guilty (though was highly suspected), but the guilt of his actions and those of his father drove him and his dragon to suicide between.
Wingsecond Kessa of Blue Jadarath - The second-in-command of H'pez's wing. When H'pez became Weyrleader and the wing disbanded, Kessa stepped down from her rank. She is still around IC, but does not play any kind of important role in the game.
Weyrlingmaster R'o of Brown Yeth - Under R'o's leadership, the Weyr suffered the least Weyrling losses to date in High Reaches. His daughter was killed by the rampaging Jounoth of the Song Clutch, and his best friend - the former Weyrleader, D'astel - was poisoned to death. No one was really surprised when R'o chose to resign his position. He has been granted a pardon from the Weyrwoman himself, meaning he is allowed to excuse himself from any and all duties and wings. He is still around IC, but does not play any kind of important role in the game.
Weyrwoman Kindlely of Gold Palleth - The Weyrwoman before Luci who became her advisor later on. Kindley was the deciding vote in the trial concerning D'astel's poisoning. After K'ban was sent away, she announced she was going to die soon. Rather than dying in bed, she went between with her gold, leaving many baffled Weyrfolk behind.
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