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The life of a Candidate or a Weyrling is one full of chores, lessons and skill development meant to guide each one into being a productive member of the Weyr as well as an effective rider should they Impress a dragon.

For Candidates the short and sweet story is that their days consist of blocks of lessons in the care and traditions of the Weyr interspersed with chores. Many of those Searched from Holds believe that once you become a Candidate, it's a life of luxury and prestige. Not so - you're expected to work just as hard as any other weyrfolk regardless of how you came to be in the Weyr; it can be quite the eye-opening experience for some new Candidates.

For Weyrlings the summary is this: with a new dragon to care for, whatever free time they once had as Candidates is now long gone. Each day is partitioned between chores, lessons and caring for the young dragons. Oil is a Weyrling's new best friend - as are the Weyr's herders - to care for skin and stomach alike.

Most Weyrs will allow a Touching when the shells of the eggs on the Sands are hard. This ceremony occurs under the watchful eye of the clutching mother - Gold or sometimes Crimson - and allows the Candidates to familiarize themselves with the dragonets growing inside the eggs. At this stage most can sense something about the dragon(s) within and many believe that there's a return affect as well, and that the dragonet can sense something about those touching it's shell. By necessity, this is a relatively short ceremony; Candidates rarely linger overlong and are often ushered away by attendants, the dragon's rider, or by clutch-mother's irritated rumbles.

Hatchings can begin at any time of day or night and only those with the proper knowledge of dragons can estimate the date(s) near where the event can be expected. During this time, the entire Weyr - but most especially the Candidates themselves - are alert and on edge, ready for the moment the eggs begin to crack. The whole Weyr thrums and hums - a signal for the Candidates to gather immediately on the sands; they drop whatever they are doing and hurry to their pre-assigned positions after donning the simple white robes that have been the 'uniform' of all Candidates on the Sands for as long as anyone can remember.

As each egg hatches, the Candidates wait excitedly to see whom the unsteady (and sometimes frightened) dragonet will choose as it's lifemate. Sometimes a dragon will find their match among the stands quickly, but sometimes they will not find a match at all. The former is a joyous occurrance for all and the latter is an unfortunate - but blessedly infrequent - reality that the entire Weyr hopes will not happen as all dragons are hardwired to Impress or die - there's no second best for them and if they do not find Theirs, they go Between forever.

Should a lucky Candidate Impress, it is said that it is like having a part of your heart, mind and soul filled that you never knew was missing. You are flooded with the knowledge that you are loved and will never be alone again; it is a very intense connection, and while it varies from person to person, no rider would trade their dragon for another. The bond is strong and true, even within a few minutes of the actual Impression; Impressing is such a deep connection that one cannot live without the other: a riderless dragon will often go Between to die without Theirs, and a dragonless rider will attempt to end their own life if not forcibly restrained (they will typically starve to death if that is their only recourse. Very few dragon riders have the will to live once their bonded has died).

After Impressing, a Candidate is guided off the Sands with their new dragonet in tow and over to the waiting riders who give the new rider food for his or her dragonet. New riders are then assigned a bunk in the Weyrling's Barracks and more often then not the dragonpair will fall promptly asleep upon reaching said bunk.

Once a dragon has reached adulthood, the dragonpairs are most often wing riders that train daily with their wingmates. Those with the skill and ambition to do so can pursue other ranks such as Wing Second, Wing Leader, or Searchrider. Regardless of their station in the Weyr, each and every rider pair must take part in Watches - whether Threadfall is a threat or not.

How then do you become a Wing Second, Wing Leader or Searchrider?
ICly: You must have proven yourself extremely capable. Bronze, Brown and Silver riders often manage to achieve Wing Leader or Wing Second due to their endurance and innate leadership leadership capabilities. Green and Blue riders are highly valued members of the wings, but do not possess the endurance to last through an entire threadfall.
OOCly: The staff must trust you and see you as responsible. There is no guarantee for anyone to acheive a rank of status but with dedication and effort, there is always the possibility.

What about becoming a Weyrleader?
ICly: Your Bronze or Brown must successfully fly the Rising Senior Queen.
OOCly: Again, the staff must trust you and feel that you are responsible and dedicated enough - even so, there are still no guarantees.

What about becoming a Weyrwoman?
ICly: Your Gold must be the first Gold to Rise successfully after the previous Weyrwoman has either stepped aside or died.
OOCly: Again, the staff must trust you and feel that you are responsible and dedicated enough. There are no guarantees here either, but please note that all goldriders default to Jr. Weyrwomen when their Golds mature into adulthood.

The vast majority of dragonpairs become wing riders. So please keep this in mind.