Dragonrider Guide

[Masterharper]

Welcome To Your Life

If you are lucky enough to Impress a dragon, then you are following in the footsteps of legends. The majority of Pern's population lives in its Holds and Halls, and even a good percentage of those who live in the Weyr never Impressed. The Dragonriders of Pern are looked upon with awe and respect by the majority of the Pernese, but there are some who find them overrated, meddling, and out of touch.

This guide will hopefully separate the fact from fiction, and give everyone a good idea of what life is like as a dragonrider.

 

[Masterharper]

Your Dragon

As a dragonrider, your first duty will always be towards your dragon. As Candidates and Weyrlings are taught from day one: there is no going back once you Impress. This creature will be entirely dependent on you for survival. While it will find more independence with age, there could be scenarios and situations where it will require you to sacrifice your own desires for the sake of your dragon. Should they get wounded, you will be responsible for their care or (if it's beyond your scope of knowledge) seeking out the appropriate dragonhealers and aiding in the upkeep of their recovery. Should they become flightless, you will be required to muck out their quarter, and keep them happy and healthy. This isn't like getting a pet and then kenneling it up when you get board or want some free time -- this is daily dedication.

Dragons are hard work.

Tasks:
These tasks might happen daily, weekly, or monthly, but they must be done!

• Feeding your dragon.
  Usually this requires taking them out of the Weyr to hunt wild game. While there are feeding pens in the Weyr, such stock is usually only for weyrlings learning to hunt, ill or flightless dragons, mating dragons, and the rest food for the Weyr. The pens are not an endless source of dragon chow.
  
  
• Bathing your dragon.
  While dragons tend to love to swim, they usually need to be thoroughly scrubbed at least once or twice a sevenday at minimum. This requires getting out brushes and rags, and getting into the water with your dragon so you can actually give them a good scrub and clean off any blood, dirt, or grime. Depending on the dragon they might require more regular bathing.
  
  
• Oiling your dragon.
  Like bathing, a full oiling must happen at least once a sevenday, to keep the dragons skin from drying out and cracking. Most riders do this immediately after they clean their dragon, but more days could be necessary. Many riders will spot-check their dragon between full oilings, particularly sensitive places like where straps sit on their neck and shoulders, scarred areas, and past dry patches. It is imperative dragons get oiled regularly, as going Between with cracks could lead to death.
  
  
• Tidying quarters
  This can be anything from ensuring that they're comfortable. Adding more hay or even getting them furs during the winter months; making sure their sleeping stone or wallow is cleaned. Tidying up any looses ends brought in from the wind and rain. When a dragon is ill or unable to fly, this will also mean cleaning up after them regularly. Dragons tend to be fastidious, so if a rider allows their weyr to get dirty, the dragon might be quite uncomfortable. Especially if the grime attracts spinners or various biting insects.
  
  
• Sweeps, drills, and training
  Dragonriders don't just get to laze about. Between Threadfall, riders will often be assigned to perform sweeps with two or three of their wingates over particular stretches of territory. This could be anything from checking vegetative growth in susceptible areas, checking out any suspicious activity, seeking out missed burrowed Threadfall, and any number of things.
  
  Wing drills happen regularly at the Wingleader's behest and schedule. This is to keep the Wing working together as a group, teaching and sharing new maneuvers and techniques, and practicing during all sorts of weather and wind conditions, as well as altitudes, and times of day. Dragonriers need to be prepared! Sometimes Wings will practice together in Flights. Sometimes Wings will be split up to practice in smaller more individualized groups. Either way, drills will never go away for a dragonrider.
  
  On top of that, it is a rider's duty to make sure they are on point. If a dragon is struggling with a particular maneuver, is coming back from illness or injury and needs some extra help, or just simply needs more practice, then it is up to the rider to go out and practice when able.
  
  
• Riding straps & fittings
  Making riding straps out of leather is something dragon riders are expected to do. While it's possible a leatherworker could make custom designs for a rider for marks, traditionally the riders are encouraged to make their own. These straps are what keep a rider secured to their dragon during the falling, spinning, twisting, and weaving of Threadfall fighting. While multiple protections are in place to keep a rider secure, should the straps be made wrong, poorly, or over-all neglected, they can snap and break. Accidents have been known to happen, so most riders make their own riding straps.
  
  Having multiple pairs and backups are good, just in case of an emergency. As straps will be guaranteed to stretch and snap from all the use, riders will have to set time to make new gear. This also means breaking in the leather, and ensuring it fits your dragon, and that they're comfortable flying in it. All things that take time and energy.
  
  
• Bonding
  Dragons and their riders are connected in ways no man can imagine. One is lost without the other, but this doesn't mean the relationship can be ignored or neglected. While a dragon might have friends or even take on a mate, they still enjoy the companionship and attention of their rider. Dragonriders who neglect their dragons can put their health and even their lives at risk. A strained relationship between rider and dragon can cause problems during Threadfall or other activities, so it's important that a rider doesn't brush off his dragon completely.
  
  They're not runners,after all. They require far more work and attention.
  

Common Dragon & Rider Ailments
Dragon illness is (thankfully) quite rare. Both riders and dragons tend to be healthier than the average Pernese, but this doesn't mean they're supermen. In fact, there are some ailments and woes that come along with being a dragon rider.

Some of these are specifically to one or the other, but all could be encountered as a rider.

Firehead & Other Exotic Illnesses: Riders tend to pick up Firehead after visiting Southern or the tropics. It can be exacerbated by going Between, and its initial symptoms can be similar to that of a cold. It will eventually grow into fatigue, very high fever, chills, congestion, and without proper treatment by a healer, can even lead to death.

That said, dragonriders can appear all over Pern. In some cases, their travels might allow them to be exposed to illnesses that are otherwise quite localized or in contact with a community that is otherwise immune to the disease.

Miscarriage: it is incredibly difficult for female dragonriders to get pregnant, especially women on chromatics. The constant hopping between often means a fetus is lost long before a rider knew of her condition. With Threadfall and drills to attend, a woman can't opt out of going Between. Low birth rates at a Weyr is often why Search is necessary.

Dry Skin: The severe cold of Between tends to a toll on ones skin. Like their dragon, exposed skin tends to get very dry and can crack and bleed.

Aching Joints and Arthritis: From hopping Between to the physical toll that drilling, tossing firestone, and dragonriding can cause, older riders tend to be prone to these ailments.

Backpain: Flying and fighting Thread can often cause strain on a riders back.

Talon Loss: This tends to happen in weyrling or younger dragons, but it can happen at any age due to a botched landing. While it can be painful, and needs to be watched for infection, the talon tends to grow back after about a month.

Threadscore: Threadscore is ugly, painful, and almost always leads to scarring. It can also very quickly become deadly to either rider or dragon. It is the number one killer of dragonriders during a pass.

Mouth Sores: Dragons have to chew firestone to flame. Unfortunately, this can result in bitten tongues -- some of which can be severe -- and other mouth sores. Stone that's rough or jagged could potentially cut the inside of a dragons mouth, which can lead to soreness and infection.

Constipation & Indigestion: Like weyrlings, even adult dragons can suffer indigestion. This tends to happen more with older dragons, sickly dragons, or dragons that eat too much and too quickly. Indigestion can often be remedied by regurgitation -- highly unpleasant -- and a dragon healer can be sought if that doesn't remedy the pain. If they start to get constipated or blocked, common digestion remedies ight be necessary, with healers called if it lasts for more than a sevenday.

Heart Failure Dragons have multiple hearts. Two, to be exact. This doesn't happen often during a Pass, since a dragon living to old age is rare. But as the dragon ages, it is possible for one or both hearts to fail. This is more common during Intervals, but any old dragon could suffer fro it. Such failure can be exacerbated during times of great stress, such as a mating flight, over over-exertion during training. Usually there are signs long ebefore this happens, such as lethargy, and a greyish tinge to their color that doesn't simply pass, and isn't just a greying muzzle.

 

[Masterharper]

Daily Routines

As mentioned above, your dragon, and dragon-related-activites are going to take up the majority of your free-time. Depending on the Weyr, a dragonriders rank, their Wing, and whether it's a Pass or Interval, a rider's day might be more or less packed. Here is a typical daily schedule for a dragon rider, though obviously every day could be different.

Wingrider Daily Schedule

0630: Wake Up
0700: Morning Exercises
0800: Breakfast with Wing
0900: Morning Wing Meeting & Morning Assignments
0930: Morning Drills with Wing: High Altitude Maneuvers over High Reaches Mountains
1230: Cleanup
1300: Lunch with Wing
1400: Afternoon Wing Meeting & Afternoon Assignments
1430: Afternoon Sweeps: Telgar Coast
1730: Cleanup
1800: Dinner with Wing
1900: Evening Wing Meeting
1930: Freed Time
2230: Sleep

Drills and Sweeps tend to alternate. If an Afternoon Drill is scheduled, then Sweeps will happen during the morning. Rest days happen at least once a sevenday and are scheduled by individual Wingleaders.

As you can see, such full schedules mean dragonriders aren't readily available. This can take a toll on relationships -- dragonflights are quite common, and while most riders understand that flights mean nothing, not everyone is so understanding. Especially since there are ways for a rider to opt out of participation.


Furthermore, for riders who are interested n having children, they are almost always put in the Weyr creche and fostered out. This way the child doesn't lack in love or affection, especially if a rider is unable to dedicate time to them. Another reason fostering is so important is because of high death rates during Passes.

Not every rider chooses to foster their child, though. Some try to remain active and present in their lives as much as they can, though having a foster parent does help.

Sweep Riding:
Sweeps are an important task for dragonriders, if perhaps a bit monotonous. Weyrs cover a large amount of territory, and while it would be almost impossible for riders to fly every inch of it every day, the various wings are able to be broken up into smaller groups of three or four, and each group sent to sweep a particular location. These locations tend to rotate daily or weekly, depending on the Wingleader, and can happen during the morning, afternoon, or in rare cases, in the evenings.

Sweep riding not only keeps the dragons fit and in shape, but it also allows wingmates to strengthen their bonds, or at least better resolve issues they might have with one another. Additionally, sweep riding helps dragon riders better learn the visuals of the land when needing to hop Between, particularly when fighting Thread. Dragons tend to need good visuals, else they risk getting lost; getting to know the Weyrs territory well and regularly helps to keep both rider and dragon better up to date.

Lastly, sweep riding is similar to canvassing an area. Riders can search for areas that might have been missed by ground-crews post-Threadfall, as well as make sure Thread isn't surprising the planet by falling off-schedule. Holders can flag down riders if they need something, though this tends to only happen during emergencies. Ultimately, it's just another set of eyes making sure nothing horrible is happening on Pern, and if it is, to report it to either the resident Holders an Lord Holder, or to their Wingleader.

Drills:
Drills are usually scheduled daily, for either mornings or afternoons. These can take place on the ground, or in the air at various altitudes; sometimes these happen in the Weyrbowl, while other times the Wingleader takes them somewhere else on Pern to practice. Sometimes drills are simply practicing aeriel Threadfall maneuvers, learning new ones, or practicing formation transitions. Sometimes it's throwing firestone at one another, or practicing aeriel rescues or emergency situations. It's all up to what the Wingleader decides and what his particular group of riders needs help focusing on.

If individual riders are struggling, then the Wingleader might schedule individual sessions to happen later or smaller group assignments instead of sweeps.

Sometimes Drills are fun and turned into competitions; sometimes two or more Wings will compete against one another to see who does better. Other times, the Wing Drills are difficult, frustrating, and tedious . . .but every position, formation, and request needs to be ingrained in both rider and dragon. Threadfall can change on a moments notice, and if a rider doesn't know how to change formation, or how best to fight mid-altitude clumps versus high-altitude sheets of Thread, then their life and their Wingmates lives could be at stake.

Most Drills are scheduled to happen either during the morning or afternoon, but a rider should expect to be called anytime. Surprise drills are often called snap drills, and can be called by a Wingleader at any time

Threadfall Routine
A wingrider will also find his schedule changed during Threadfall. The schedule is entirely dependent on when Threadfall arrives in the Weyr's territory. Riders will be up long before Thread arrives, checking their gear, feeding their mounts firestone, and going over their assigned tactics. As there are three different levels a Wing might be assigned to fight, there are different tactics for each altitude.

Greenriders will be assigned to rotation. Since greens cannot fight an entire Fall without wearing down, they will fight the Fall in shifts. Depending on the length of the Fall, a green might fight during the beginning of Thread before swapping out with another green rider half-way through. During longer Falls, or Fall with major casualties, a green rider might be asked to return to the fight after sufficient rest.

After Thread finishes the Wings return to the Weyr. During this time, assessments are made on the Wing's overall outcome; injuries will be reported, and any errant riders will likely be called to task.

Dragonriders will tend to their dragons needs first, before their own. This includes checking for injuries, cleaning them of ash, mucking up regurgitated stone, checking for chafing, offering assurance if a Wingmate was lost, etc. Only after their dragon is taken care of will a rider clean up himself or take care of superficial injuries.

The Weyrleader is known to speak at the next meal--which can be cause for celebration, frustration, or grief, depending on the overall numbers. Wingleaders are also known to give a final, more private debriefing to his Wing at the table, and often will officially release them for relaxation and rest.

Threadfall: Thread falls anywhere from 4 to 8 hours, depending on the Pass. At the height of the pass, it isn't uncommon for riders to have to fight it daily. Early on, Threadfall only happens slowly, perhaps only once every couple of sevendays. Eventually, it builds up to become a weekly affair, and at its worst, a daily fight.

Echoes of Pern takes place very early on in the Pass so Thread isn't yet a daily threat.
 

[Masterharper]

Rank & Positions

Please note that all positions listed here, outside of Wingrider, are staff granted only. We will either contest ranking positions away or approach an individual privately to grant them the option.

Ranking position DO require some amount of activity and RP.

Weyrleadership: The Weyrleader's are (traditionally) the senior Queen and her mate. A senior gold isn't necessarily the oldest gold in the Weyr, but is the first gold to rise when the position becomes available. In the cases of new Weyrs it's the firs queen to rise to mate upon the Weyrs founding. In the case where a Weyrwoman retired, transferred, or passed away, then the next queen to rise would get the position. This can lead to inexperienced or young gold riders obtaining a powerful position, and is why gold riders are trained for the job.

The Weyrwoman herself works closely with the Headwoman (or Headman) and helps ensure the Weyr runs smoothly. She keeps records of tithes received, stock of food, medicine, and daily supplies, incoming workers, and generally helps the Headwoman run the day-to-day of the Weyr. There are usually about 1000 non-riders to look after, feed, and clothes -- and it's the Weyrwoman who ultimately signs off on their care. Additionally, the Weyrwoman is required to keep tabs on what crafters are allowed to come in and sell their WEyrs or educate the Weyrbrats and creche-kidss; furthermore, she is in charge of keeping up with all the records and history within the Weyr. This means making sure old records are kept safe or re-written, and keeping up new records as the Weyr grows. From rider lists, to clutches, to wing numbers, and the Weyrs birth- and death-records. It's a big job, and the Weyrwoman and goldriers are the ones tasked to the position. The Weyrwoman helps keep the Weyr functioning, and is the more domestic side of things.

While Weyrwomen tend toward the daily running of the Weyr and its good, the Weyrleader is often in charge of the military side of things. He will be in charge of all the Wings in the Weyr (as well as often leading his own Wing), and will sign off on rider transfers (both in and out of his Weyr), Wingleader assignments, sorting through rider requests from local Halls and Holds, as well as concerns and criticisms from the neighboring Holdfolk. It's not necessarily a pleasant job, and can require a lot of delegating -- while the Weyrleader might promote (or demote) Wingeladers, he will leave the assignment of Wingseconds to those Wingleaders. Similarly he might get a slew of requests from local Halls an Holds requesting transport or rider aid, and will then assign those tasks to his Wingleaders. The Weyrleader is meant to make sure the Weyr is ready to serve and protect all Pern, but it does come with a lot of paperwork.

The Weyrleadership can hypothetically change with every Senior Queen's mating flight. Whichever bronze catches the Weyrwoman's dragon will then be looked upon as Weyrleader. Like the Weyrwoman, this can lead to incompetent leadership, and all the Weyr will suffer for it.

Weyrwoman Second & Weyrleader Second: Just underneath the Weyrleaders are their seconds. Both leaders are a support group to the Weyrleadership, and are often personally delegated tasks an assignments. Should a Weyrwoman or Weyrleader be unable to perform their duties, often their Seconds will rise to the task until then next Weyrleadership flight.

These positions are offered by the Weyrwoman and Weyrleader, which can mean that the person best suited to be in a position of power is not.

Wingleaders: A Wingleader is often assigned by the Weyrleader and are traditionally bronzeriders. Wingleaders are assigned tasks by the Weyrleaders, and are responsible for all the riders and dragons in their Wing. They deal with errant riders, can make transfer requests to the Weyrleader, or put in bids for senior weyrlings. Wingleaders will also dole out punishment to their wingriders, and works with other Wingleaders to make sure the drills and sweeps they assign aren't over-lapping or over-crowding one another. Wingleaders have the ear of the Weyrleader, but ultimately the Weyrleader has the final say in any matter.

Wingseconds: Hand picked by the Weyrleader. They are his assistant in running the Wing, and can run the Wing should the Wingleader be unable to do so. Sometimes a Wingleader might pick a Wingthird as well, depending on the size of the Wing.

Wingriders: The majority of dragonriders fall into this category. They are about equivalent rank to a journeyman crafter. Aside from weyrlings, they are the lowest ranked riders.
 

[Masterharper]

Alternative Rider Options

The above information is general dragonrider information, and tends to pertain to riders who live in the Weyr. In Echoes of Pern, the majority of activity will happen in either High Reaches Weyr or Western Weyr, and all of the above will be relevant.

But for the past a thousand Turns, dragonmen were not trapped in a Weyr. For the past a thousand Turns the majority of dragonmen were free to make their own way, and carve out their own destinies. While their dragons required all of the care stated above, new positions opened up, and Weyrlife -- and its rules -- were long forgotten.

With Thread's return, many dragonriders are being called back to the Weyrs. Some have given up their lifestyles by choice --others have been dragged back to the Weyr by their dragons innate need to fight the Enemy. Others still have decided to hold fast to their new way of life, Threadfall-be-damned.

These positions are open to dragonriders who choose to live inside -- or outside -- High Reaches and Western Weyr. Please keep in mind that riders who are not part of the Weyr officially might not get to participate in meta-events, and still must abide by all the rules and regulations that their rank provides. If your character tries to make world shattering decisions, or suddenly infiltrate and take over a Hold or Hall or NPC Weyr, staff will stop you.

Additionally, every rider who chooses a path different from the Weyr will still need to provide for their dragon. They will need to feed it, care for it, oil it, bathe it, and put in as much time and effort as riders in the Weyr. It is common for green and gold riders to ensure they are nearby other dragons when their beasts rise to mate. For golds it is also common for Weyrs or Weyrholds to open up their hatching grounds for a queen in need of clutching.

Ultimately, non-Weyr affiliated riders will be treated similarly to holdfolk and crafters, just with a giant-sized, telepathic, flying dragons. Furthermore, these dragons will not be allowed to fight Thread. Not only do they risk injury to themselves or their dragon, but they could very well get in the way of the the Weyr dragons that are practiced fighting it. Almost all firestone is now being given to the Weyrs so flaming is going to be difficult. Furthermore, should the Weyr find rogue riders, it is highly likely that any resident queen will command the dragons back to the Weyr. These commands cannot be disobeyed.

All Senior and Junior Weyr-Affiliated Queen's will outrank any non-affiliated Queen and non-affiliated riders.


The last thing to keep in mind is that a dragon was designed to fight Thread. TThey will go out into Threadfall even without firestone to fight it. Their riders will have to fight to keep them grounded and safe, so it is not something to consider lightly. Keeping a dragon away from the Weyr is very hard work.


Entertainers
These riders either travel in their own flights, or often with the holdless caravans. They make their marks by entertaining the masses -- perhaps they decide to re-create Lessa's Flight, or the more daring might show feats of agility and skill while on wing. From actors and music makers, to daredevils and show offs, these dragonriders work with their dragons to entertain all of Pern. White, green, and blue dragons tend to be the most sought out due to their agility while in flight -- but the rare gold always draws a crowd. All colors are welcome!


Mercenaries/Hired Guardsmen
Some dragonmen have taken up sword and shield. Pern might have been relatively peaceful back when Thread (generally) united the planet, but there have always been Holders -- and dragonriders -- who have had an eye for additional power and control since its end. With the eyes no longer needed to look to the skies, some Holds became a bit too ambitious for their own good. While Fax 2.0 never made an uprising, there have been many territory scuffles and surprising changes of power.

With the shuffle over territory came a new breed of dragon riders that could offer protection -- or additional power -- for a price.

Some of these riders go out to make an odd mark as hired help -- perhaps they need to scare some information out of someone, or just look like intimidating hired muscle. There are some Holds on Pern that are a bit more questionable in nature, and a few Holders who enjoy rubbing elbows with dragonmen that know when to turn a blind eye, or can be persuaded to keep their mouths shut. Other riders commit to the cause for life,and might joint some bands of riders that make their own rules, and their own laws. Various aerial gangs have come and gone over the Turns, with some more notorious than others. While it's true that dragons don't intentionally hurt others, there's nothing to stop them from inadvertently doing so. Not every dragon is as passive and squishy as their historic forefathers.

In this position, gold, bronze and brown dragons are often highly desired, but any dragon and rider that's fierce enough (or corrupt enough) is welcome.


Explorers
Some dragonriders said to hell with the Weyr and struck it out on their own. Some went to the great snowy wastelands of the North and South to see what they might see. Others took to exploring the various islands between and around Northern and Southern Continents. Others lost themselves in the mountains of the North or the jungles of the South, and more still took to the sea along with the great ships of Pern.

These rider seem to come in a variety of flavors; some sell their wares and goods all around Pern and travel with Traveling Caravans, while others are more wild and live primarily off the land with minimal interaction. These sorts can be mighty rugged depending on where they grew up or spent much of their livelihoods.


Pirates
Some of the explorers didn't just study the sea, but soon learned to haunt it. Dragons have a natural love for the water and many tend to be fond of the dolphin pods of Pern. These sea-faring riders have the benefit of coming and going to the aid of ship and crew. Dragons can be sent ahead in search of land, can help rescue a sinking ship, and can even scare off rival ships that aren't accompanied by fellow dragons. In addition to aiding ones own crew, a dragonrider can also help intimidate rival ships and obstinate Holds that don't wish to give up their booty. While not every sea-faring dragon and his rider are pirates, there are enough groups out there to cause trouble to any sea Hold, island, or coast.

Rumors & Closed Alternatives

These groups are nothing more than rumored to be out and about on Pern. These are closed options that the shop will open up during events, contests, during meta, or whenever we see fit to allow them. For the ajority of Pern, these groups are nothing but stories to make up to scare - or entertain - children.

Other Tribes, Camps, Troupes, and Cultures

These are group of men and women who could have started anywhere, but eventually found themselves isolated in small groups, and hidden well in the jungles, forests, mountains, and tundras of Pern. While much of Pern has been occupied by Holds, Halls, and Weyrs, these individuals were forced to move to the fringes of society, or seek out uncharted lands. Unlike the explorers of Pern, these groups gave up following old traditions, and made their own.

These groups tend to showcase in local stories to spook, scare, and frighten Holders and Weyrbrats. But Pern is a big place, and nobody can say for certain that wild dragonmen aren't out there somewhere.

Time Travelers

There are rumors of riders that slip between times regularly, but nobody has ever discovered them.

While many dragonriders tend to know about timing it, especially with white dragons hatched a bit more regularly, it is still dangerous and heavily discouraged. In this shop nobody is allowed to time it.

You will know if we decide to change that.