A Guide to the Flight System

[Rown]

Welcome to Dragonflight's....Dragon Flight System!

Now as we all know, when a man loves a woman...er, a green gets all kinds of proddy and decides it's time to do certain things, everyone in the Weyr knows what's going on.

How does this work? There will be a thread listed below in the OOC forum with the current dragon that is rising. If you have a Green you don't need permission, but if you have a Crimson or Gold express permission from Skie must be obtained. Still curious as to how this will work? Keep reading below to find out the rules, as well as to read a sample Gold flight played out!

* If you have any questions at all, please PM Dragonflight_pern ( as she set this up ) and she'd be more than happy to answer any and all questions!

Flight options for riders

We all know how flights affect dragons. When a female comes into season she rises, is chased by males who are interested in her and chooses either the strongest or simply the one she likes the most to be her mate. Often the riders of the female dragon and the victorious male will take a tumble in the furs together but this is not always the case, and nor is the stance of any Weyr that riders of female dragons ought to just lie down and accept whatever male wins their dragon. If they don't want to do it they don't have to; there are options.

For those who do not wish to accept the outcome of the flight there are two main options. The first of these is simple: to lock themselves alone in a private place and allow things to run their course. The second option is to select a stand-in to lock themselves away with, and let things run their course in company. Both of these choices are completely accepted, and education about them is a part of everyone's Weyrling training. The first option is often employed by young riders, for example, because their dragons mature before they do.

It is no more acceptable to force yourself upon another person during a flight than it is at any other time. Even if they are eventually carried away by the feelings of the Flight they must give consent, otherwise it is still a crime that is dealt with seriously. If any rider is concerned that in the heat of the moment their conduct might be less than perfect - or just counter to their wishes when not under the influence of dragons - they are encouraged to have a friend or friends to look after them.

The phrase “the dragon decides, the rider complies” is not strictly adhered to in Dragonflight. While the dragon’s choice of mate will often strongly influence the rider’s choice of a lover, the rider does retain some semblance of coherence throughout the whole encounter and can choose to isolate themselves. First Flights are often overwhelming new experiences where the phrase holds true but after that point, most if not all riders become accustomed to high-running hormones of the Weyr and are better able to control themselves. Those riders that insist it be the ‘golden rule’ are often viewed as arrogant or backwards because of the lack of choice this implies.

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1 - Create a thread in the OOC forum for flight sign-ups.

• Current dragon rising
  
• people sign up to chase the dragon
  
• have a sign up end date/time so that way people can be on

2 - Dice game!

• Golds get 5-6 numbers depending on their stamina ( basically rolling 5 or 6 d20 )
  
• Crimsons get 4-5 numbers depending on their stamina ( 4 - 5 d20 )
  
• Greens get 3-4 numbers depending on their stamina ( 3 - 4 d20 )

3 - Rolls for the boys

• Bronzes get 4 dice
  
• Browns get 3 dice
  
• Blues get 2 dice

4 - How does this work

• Rising dragon generates set amount of numbers
  
• Chasing dragons will roll to match numbers.
  
• First to match all the numbers of the rising dragon wins
  
  
• During this time RP is not optional.
  
• Each post must have an action in it
  
• The rising dragon does not roll again, but will make an action post of her own after each contestant has rolled

5 - Optional ( but fun ) RP

• PG-13 rating/fade to black
  
• Lasts not longer than three days tops
  
• Monitored by DF Staff

example of how it would work:

Gold Brakiath is going to rise. Since she is a medium-sized she will get the smaller of the two numbers to generate - 5 total

Bronze - will be chasing after the Queen. He is a large bronze, so will roll 4 dice to help match numbers

Brown - will be chasing the Queen. Since he is a brown, he will be rolling 3 dice  

[Rown]

This is the rising dragon's post, and will have a starting action to it. This starts the RP and lets everyone know it's time to participate.

example:

Her hide had been glowing ever so closer to Gold, the sun shining down on her and making her both dazzling and blinding to the eye. She'd been sleeping more than usual, her body in a constant state of rest, but suddenly she was awake and her emotions were soaring. The connection between Hers and herself was quickly established, a feeling welling between both that neither dragon nor woman could deny, and it was with wings spreading that the Queen made her way to the feasting grounds.

Already eager dragons had gathered to watch, some of them blooding their own prey eager to give chase, ready to mate. The Queen pounced on a fat buck and blooded, her screams of protest from what one could assume to be her rider urging her on filled the air, and soon she pounced to another and another. Five blooded bucks later the Gold spread her wings once more with a loud cry and shot into the air, a bugle of challenge issued to those around her.

The Queen was in flight! Catch her if you dare!

The action for this post involves generating the specific amount of numbers. In this case, for a small-medium Gold, we generate 5 numbers using a d20.  

[Dragonflight Pern]

The tension had been palpable in the hours leading up the gold's triumphant ascent and the bronze had been attentively watching the glowing queen. Eager, proddy, his emotions were running high and his whirled with lavenders and blues to echo the queen's own tumultuous thoughts.

When her cry pierced the air and she blooded her kills, he mirrored her actions then leaped into the air, hot on her trail with nothing but victory in his mind.

Below, his rider lingered with the group of gathered riders whose dragons were giving chase and more then one longing glance was tossed at the Goldrider.  

[Rown]

While it was rather funny for a brown to want to give chase a Queen, this specific brown had absolutely no problems giving a good chase. His rider certainly always said that any flight was a good flight, so the moment that a Queen was in the air the brown was right after her.

His wings beat quickly as he made to give chase, his own calls after her loud and energetic. He may not catch her, but he certainly was going to give it his all!  

[Rown]

This is the response to the rolls of the other two. The rising dragon basically respond to numbers rolled, and in this case since the Bronze has gotten a number correctly the Gold will respond to it

The Gold was doing well, quite a few following her. Her wings beat strongly as she moved forward, though from her left flank she noticed one of the bronzes was pulling closer. With a hiss in his direction she tried to speed up, eager to get away.

She would not be caught!

The bronze now rolls again  

[Dragonflight Pern]

With a mind for the queen but the knowledge of competition from the cloud of bronze and brown bodies around him, the bronze hissed back at the queen - a half croon, a half admonition - as he jockeyed for position.

Match: 3, 1  

[Rown]

The Queen was pulling ahead but he would not give in! Who cared if that blocky bronze was getting his way, the Brown was not going to give in!

With another bugle he tried to pull closer, unwilling to let himself slip out of the contest!  

[Rown]

The bronze was getting closer, and one of the browns was actually managing to hang on during her flight! How dare either of them think they might actually catch her, make her theirs! They were fools if they think they could even dream to catch this queen!

With a twist of her body she pushed herself higher into the air, wings carrying her through the clouds as though it was effortless to do so.  

[Dragonflight Pern]

Snapping at the brown that dared to infringe upon this metallic affair, the bronze swerved to cut the brown off and used the momentum to swing into a climb after the queen.

She was a glittering golden streak and they a mottled flashing train of eager males. And of those males, this bronze was determined to win.

Match: 3, 1, 20  

[Rown]

How dare that bronze act as though the Queen was his alone! Snapping back at the tail that was before him the brown muscled his way through a few others that were still in the chase, his sheer size allowing him the speed he needed. If he had the technique she'd be his by now, or so he thought!

When the Queen pulled herself into the sky he moved and followed, his pace a little slowed from having to shift so suddenly.

Match: 9, 3  

[Rown]

No no no! There were still dragons coming after her! Her, the Queen who could not be caught! She was growing tired, her flight going on longer already than most would have already thought it could. She would not show how tired she was though, her personality would not allow it, and instead she tried to streamline her body in an effort to gain more speed.

It did humor her however to see the fighting that was going on behind, her head swinging around for a few glances as she taunted her suitors.  

[Dragonflight Pern]

Bugling as he saw her wingbeats slow and her head turn to glance back, the bronze redoubled his efforts, spiraling up in the hopes of cutting the corner of one of her arcs.

The pack was drawing nearer, spreading out as the less enduring dragons fell behind.

Match: 3, 1, 20, 9  

[Rown]

He was getting.....tired. But you know what, he'd keep going. If his could become a Weyrleader that would be awesome, not to mention he'd have something of an amazing clutch to brag over. A brown who flew a queen was something of bragging rights amongst all dragons, and this specific brown wanted that praise.

Pleased to see the queen was getting tired but irked that the shardin' bronze was getting closer, the brown pressed on with the desire to succeed!

Match: 9, 3  

[Rown]

There were only a few dragons left chasing, but still not enough to consider this flight out of limits. A bronze was so close he was practically on her tail, touching her with his wings as it were, and there was still that brown encroaching on the end of the herd. It looked as though they were the only two left but that didn't mean she didn't have to work like she wasn't being chased by dozens.

Higher into the air the queen flew, her muscles straining to keep her going.