Sigyn
The Silent Lurker
Eireth clutched 18 eggs, with no golden egg. Clutch name is Rising Stars!
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Post by Sigyn on May 28, 2014 22:43:17 GMT -8
 Life on Pern during a Pass of the Red Star is constantly limited by the question of Threadfall. The dragons and their riders have the primary responsibility of keeping the planet Thread-free, and by extension, the population hale and hearty. As a result, what goes on around the weyr in the daily grind is usually focused around the care of dragons and their riders. Even though the Interval is almost ending, the Weyr’s denizens continue to perform all of their traditional responsibilities in an attempt to make sure that the lessons learned over so many turns of thread-fighting are not lost. Weyrfolk have duties, just as riders do, and oftentimes may specialize in certain areas, concentrating their daily chores in that. Almost all goods, including foodstuffs, are tithed into the weyr from the holds and halls it protects, and weyr residents often barter their own handmade goods, or riders transport for other luxury items that they want. Most riders barely have time for sweeps, drills, and caring for their dragons, so things such as hobbies, and sometimes even weyrmates and children often get lower priority. It's not uncommon to have a bunch of children born from riders running around the lower caverns and fostered by one, or even several parents. There's a common saying: It takes a Weyr to raise a child.This is not to say that life at the weyr is all work. Far from it! In fact, the Dragonriders of Pern™ series says in several places that women stay fairly young and vigorous for their age at a weyr, not expected to have baby after baby to help out in the fields. Another important difference between weyrs and holds/halls is the easy acceptance of sexuality. In holds and halls, with bloodlines to worry about, virginity is a prize. In weyrs, it's often a burden, particularly for weyrling riders. Due to dragon mating flights and the intensity with which they affect their riders, and the rest of the weyr for queens, children learn about sex at a much earlier age than in holds, and it's a far from taboo subject. In short, life at a weyr is both easy and hard, with the constant spectre of Threadfall only so recently departed to remind you of your own mortality. The motto of the weyrbred might as well be: Live hard, play hard and die well! |
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Sigyn
The Silent Lurker
Eireth clutched 18 eggs, with no golden egg. Clutch name is Rising Stars!
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Post by Sigyn on May 28, 2014 23:11:23 GMT -8
Regional Customs at High Reaches Weyr
Some customs at High Reaches are typical of most weyrs. Among them: a lady breaks bread first, weyrmating insteady of marrying, music usually accompanying relaxation after the dinner meal, wine and spirits served after flights, and sometimes, after a particularly bad Fall or the death of a rider, there are wild displays of dancing and music, as riders forcibly remind themselves that they are still alive and continuing the battle against Thread. However, because a weyr exists through the tithes of the holds and halls in the area it protects, much of the food, clothing and diversions found at High Reaches derive from other places in the coverage area.
Foodstuffs
Salted fish is a frequent main dish, supplied in tithe by Fort Sea Hold. Fort Hold makes salty cheddar, stilton, and a few soft cheeses for spreading on bread. Mushrooms are popular, as are dishes made with peanuts, river grains (rice), and soybeans. Legumes are added to savory dishes to thicken them up. Fort Hold grows sugar beets for sweetening, several varieties of berries, and wheat. Southern Boll is the weyr's main supplier of fruit, and vegetables including: redfruit, bananas, kiwi, mangos, goru pears, peaches, melons, and celery. They also produce herbs for tea and several varieties of pressed ciders. Ruatha Hold is the main supplier of herdbeasts and wine, and their meat is essential in the stews and soups that make up many a meal at the weyr.
Clothing
Weyrfolk of High Reaches in general have a keen eye for style. Less so at the Weyr than the hold, but having the Weavercrafthall in the coverage area means that those with a fashion sense are usually up on the current fashions. The Weyr lies in the mountains in the temperate zone, so the style of dress varies with the current season. In the winter, fur-lined cloth garments are necessary to keep out the chill of the stone. Floor length dresses and pants can be worn even through the height of the summer, though it's not uncommon to see more skin as the temperature rises. Long sleeved boat-necked sweaters and bush trousers are not uncommon for those that work out of doors.
The weavers tithe cotton velvet, terry cloth and other slubbed fabrics. A common cloth similar to denim is used for work clothes. There are no zippers on Pern. Trousers close with button flaps, drawstrings or a two-sided substance like Velcro. Wherhide is a popular material for clothing as well, usually moderately lined for the cold winters that the weyr can have.
Diversions
Dragonriders like gambling on the whole, and games of chance are not just limited to Bitra. Weyrfolk have reinvented craps and other games of chance. Dragon poker is always a good way to spend a pleasant evening by the fire. Dominoes are making a comeback among the under set, though these spotted tiles are often used more for building than a true 'game'. Chess is also a fairly common game, imported from the Hold proper, though beware of leaving a game unattended, lest a playful firelizard move the pieces.
Celebrations peculiar to High Reaches Weyr and Hold include:
Firstday of the Weyr - the first day of the fifth month, which celebrates the establishment of the weyr and the first of dragonkind. The firstday celebration at High Reaches is usually a bit more elaborate than most, because it is intended to honor the birth of dragonkind.
Landing Day - the eighth day of the third month. Originally intended to be a celebration of the Landing of the colonists, over the years the meaning has been lost and now it has become a planting festival for early crops.
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