History of Warden's Weyr
When Thread ended, people rejoiced; feasts were had, people danced as if to taunt the absent star, dragons were revered for doing such a good job for so long. Some waited for the return, worried the efforts taken were not enough, that somehow, the red star would be back.
The worry proved to be in vain; Thread never returned. For a hundred turns, Pern prospered. Crafthalls flourished, without the fear of Thread hanging overhead, people flocked to new futures, from Weyrs and holds alike. Those who impressed cared exclusively for the dragons for two turns and either stayed at the Weyr, joined Weyrholds, or returned to the Crafthalls to finish their education, with their dragons in tow. Crafthalls added special buildings to accommodate these new 'rider/crafters'. Golds alone were expected to remain in Weyrs, though many dragonriders found themselves settling back at a Weyr eventually, dragons preferring the company of their fellows.
A hundred turns of peace.
Then, Crackdust.
Like many unsavory things in life, Crackdust started with the best of intentions. Healers found a way to concentrate the fellis plant and put it into a powdered form to be snorted by people with chronic and intense pain. It worked, too well, as the majority of users quickly became addicted to the euphoric feelings the powder created.
Reports of violent crimes rose. The more innocent masses were confused as to why so many bad things started to happen. When the toll became too high, twenty-five years after the creation of the drug by then known as 'Dust', a council was called. Leaders of Weyrs, Holds, and Crafthalls met to discuss ways to deal with Dust and it's effects.
They banned Dust from all public or private use and like any drug, Dust hit the underground and hit it hard. Not all healers are moral creatures, and even without their help, there were enough laymen who now knew how to create the drug. Dust continued to filter through and crimes maintained their upward trek.
To fight against the rampant drug use and escalating crime, the Dragon Watch was created. They became the justice system in Pern, policing the people, capturing the 'bad guys', and deciding their fates. While all colors were encouraged to join, the Watch quickly made it known they would uphold the more traditional 'color bias' and preferred male riders to females. All Weyrs, Holds, and Halls either contributed to or supported the Dragon Watch, seeing it as one more battle for the dragons to help them with.
The Watch helped some with the crime. What it did not do was provide an outlet on what to do with the criminals. The old ways no longer provided as much threat. What was exile without Thread? And they could hardly kill everyone who committed a crime. Some places attempted to create their own miniature prisons, hold a few of them at a time. Fourty-seven years after the creation of Dust a wise Weyrwoman finally threw up her hands and said, "We aren't equipped."
The future prisoners themselves built Warden's Weyr. A tired and aging M'onk of Bronze Mikhaith was placed as Warden. Guard duty in such a bare and basic joke of a 'Weyr' was seen as punishment for subpar, insubordinate or otherwise disappointing riders and they thought M'onk, the original head of the Dragon Watch, could control them.
M'onk was less than impressed when a deformed gold was placed to the Weyr for appearances sake, a turn and a half after it's opening, the authorities saying that any gathering like the Warden's Weyr needed a gold to help control things. The gold by the name of Brakihethnever attempted to Rise as she was too weak to take to the air and presumed sterile. She is, in his eyes, a waste of a glittering hide. Meanwhile, Brakiheth's rider,Kaelyandra, saw the transfer as an insult to her dragon and simmered with not so quiet rage.
Prisoners sentenced by the Dragon-Guard poured in, as did Crafters and other dragonless personnel that wanted a different life. They agreed to work as commanded in order to make the prison operate. So many came that Warden M'onk requested more riders to contain them.
Whers were sent along with their handlers and a 'donor clutch' from several different dragon Queens. Small eggs for smaller breeds but they were dragons. Crafters and staff alike stood and twelve of fourteen impressed. Two small greens betweened.
Not even a turn later, Brakiheth Rose. ... Sort of. Being so weak and small meant she could not fly so when Brakiheth became proddy, she Ran like a Wher. Only a few chased after her but in the end the one who caught and mated with Brakiheth was a small blue by the name of Mordath, dragon to a common, low status guard and friend to Kaelyandra.
No one cared too much at first, save for the fact a blue 'flew' a gold making a bluerider the figurehead Weyrleader. There were plenty who had objections to that. But no one minded too much until Brakiheth grew egg heavy and clutched.
Chaos ensued.
The prison guards and staff found themselves torn on what to do about the clutch. Some wanted to kill them. What good could come from a damaged gold and a blue? Others wished to allow them to hatch and Impress. they were, after all, dragons. They'd only be blue or greens, everyone was sure, small fast dragons awfully useful for catching escaping prisoners.
Secondary Warden V'tyai asked M'onk to allow the eggs to live and, more than that, allow the prisoners to stand. While V'tyai hated his job and those around him, he hated the idea of dead infant dragons more. He used the knowledge that dragons didn't Impress bad people to support his case.
M'onk agreed on two conditions: only the non-violent and mentally sound would Stand and that if the Weyrlings turned bad, V'tyai himself would have to cripple their dragons, not the Weyrlingmaster or any other guards.
V'tyai, not wanting to back down in face of authority, agreed.
