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Positions
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Positions
Council Positions
Weyrwoman
Weyrleader
When a rider becomes Weyrleader, he does not switch out of his Wing. Rather, that Wing changes places with whichever is currently flying the top level of the Threadfighting pattern. He does become Wingleader of his Wing, however, as befits his rank. There may be some shuffling around if people don't like the idea of taking orders from an ex-wingrider, but that should be the extent of it. A Wing is a closely-knit unit. Junior Weyrwoman
The other queenriders have a share of the responsibility, too. If neither the Weyrwoman or her Junior can be there, one of the other queenriders must step up to the plate. They may all work together on large endeavors, so it is good if they get along. All of the queens are permitted to clutch. No gold is able to chew firestone, so their riders use flamethrowers and act as a mop-up crew for the upper wings, ensuring that no Thread gets through. In Galen Weyr, Beth only permits three clutching females besides herself. Headperson
People under the Headperson are the cooks who do the actual food preparation, the stewards who oversee the drudges, and the drudges themselves who do most of the fetch-and-carry busywork. Furthermore, the Headperson may draft any idle candidates or weyrlings who are hanging around to do chores for him or her. Ideally, the Headperson is capable of doing any of the above at any given moment. This position is currently held by Jonsi. Weyrlingmaster
Senior Rider
Junior Rider
Weyrling
Senior weyrlings have it a little easier, but not much. Instead of chores, they have lessons, and these are very serious. Lessons last all day with few breaks only for refreshment, beginning at dawn and ending at dusk. It is in this time that they learn the real skills they will need to become Threadfighters. All weyrlings help with the selecting and bagging of firestone during Threadfall--not for the present Fall, but the following. It is crucial to have a good supply ready at all times, and the riders must know about the stone. Senior weyrlings, once their dragons learn to fly and have had sufficient practice in the air, are assigned to carry bags of firestone to the Wings. This is perhaps the most dangerous time for them, and more often than not the first "blooding" that would make them a junior rider is fatal. On the upside, when their dragons can fly, the pairs also move into their own Weyrs. Candidate
Inactive
All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright ©
Character:
The Weyrwoman is the rider of the Senior Queen. She, like her dragon, is considered the mother of the Weyr. She is the one who works with the other leaders and the staff to keep everything running smoothly. It is her responsibility to see that everyone in her charge is well provided for and taken care of. She is the primary record-keeper and is responsible for keeping track of clutches, Hatchings and Impressions, staff, wares, stores, and animals. She is also the one to keep everyone organized and on-track in day to day life. It's a big job and she may not always be there, so she has helpers ready to take over just in case. They are the Headperson and the Junior Queenriders, one of which she will choose to train as Junior Weyrwoman so that there is someone ready to fill her shoes should she meet an untimely demise.
This position is held by Jenni and brown female Beth.
Player:
I am Neshomeh, and it's my job to keep this Guild running smoothly on a day-to-day basis as well as keep the website up-to-date. It is NOT my job to tell everyone what to do all the time. I appreciate people who take initiative and ask questions if they aren't sure of something. I tend to be fairly easy-going unless I feel like I'm being ignored, which I cannot stand and do not tolerate well. This includes on the message board and everywhere on the website. My favorite admonition is Read EVERYTHING. I'll mostly let and even encourage my players to have free rein in their doings unless they interfere with a current story arc, violate the Pernese canon, or are deliberately harrassing other players. As far as the canon is concerned, while I do allow some breaches (i.e., mutant colors), I like to stay well within the Pernese spirit. I consider myself well-versed in the canon, and I can tell when something is off. Don't make me quote the books at you! ^_~ I am admittedly something of a control freak where the website is concerned, so while I do dole out responsibility to other council members and people of appropriate status, if it isn't done right, I will explain this to the player in question and probably fix it myself. I do try to be fair. I will not break my own rules, and I will treat everyone equally in equal situations. If anyone has an idea or a problem, they should feel free to talk to me. I will listen, and I will not dismiss anyone out of hand. I almost always have a reason for doing things. If I'm out of line, more often than not I'll catch myself and apologise. I consider myself to be intelligent, loyal if not always dilligent, a decent role-player, and good at HTML. That said, I'll shut up about myself and let you read on!
I play Weyrwoman Jenni, and my username is neshomehs_galen.
Character:
The Weyrleader is he who rides the dragon clever enough to catch the Senior Queen in her mating flight. This is usually a bronze or black dragon--rarely a brown or copper male--and a senior rider. His responsibilities include the training and organization of the fighting wings and relations with the world outside the Weyr. If the people of the Weyr are the care of the Weyrwoman, the dragons are his. He is in essence THE dragonman. He must know the strengths and weaknessess of all his dragons and riders so to place them to best effect in a fighting Wing. He works together with all the Wingleaders to do this. The coordination of that many beasts and their riders is a huge job, so he too has special helpers. Usually they are his Wingseconds, though they might also be other Flight- or Wingleaders like himself.
This position is currently held by J'dan and bronze Vaensnth.
Player:
The player of the Weyrleader is in charge of organizing all role-playing involving Threadfall, including the initiation and termination of the Fall; the type of Fall, if any is noted; coordinating the Wings, and "assigning" injuries. All this is done with the approval of the Weyrwoman and must be checked with her beforehand to make sure there is no bias in the last item especially. This person must know something of flight patterns, a typical Fall, training drills, and the like as detailed in the Pern novels and, if possible, The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern by Jodie Lynn Nye and Anne McCaffrey. Any edition will do, but recent is better. The Weyrleader is also in charge of keeping the Wings page up-to-date and shares responsibility for the rest of the site with the other council members. That being the case, anyone who wishes to be eligible for this position had better have fair to middling HTML skills as well as being prompt and responsible. He or she must also be a decent role-player who displays a good command of the English language and the keyboard. It doesn't hurt to be on good terms with the Weyrwoman, either!
The council member with this position is katedillon.
Character:
The Junior Weyrwoman is a Queenrider-in-training to succeed the current Weyrwoman should something happen to her. In the meantime, she acts as the Weyrwoman's leiutenant. She is responsible for whatever job the Weyrwoman sets her, so she must be responsible, reliable, and compliant. On the other hand, she must also be independant as there may be times when she must take over all the Weyrwoman's duties for a while. She rides a gold or other queen-ranking female and flies at the Weyrwoman's right in the low-flying Queen's Wing.Current Juniors
Gweneth - gold/silver Arviath
Tarerra - silver Amaranth
Player:
The Junior Weyrwoman generally acts as a backup to the Senior Weyrwoman, sharing responsibilities with her and the other council members. The Junior Weyrwoman is in charge of keeping track of her own dragon's clutches on the website, but she may also be asked to do other similar jobs if the Weyrwoman cannot for some reason. This particular Weyrwoman believes if you want something done right you have to do it yourself, so the Junior may not get a lot to do unless she is gone for a lengthy period of time. However, you still get status according to your rank and vice versa, so HTML skills are a must. As with the Weyrleader, the Junior Weyrwoman should be responsible and prompt as well as a skilled role-player. The Junior should also be able to follow directions as well as show initiative, for both are useful traits. This goes for the other goldriders as well, just in case they suddenly find themselves with the job. They may or may not be given admin. rights to Guild and website anyway.
The council member with this position is . Others are: dragonsinger3 and katedillon.
Character:
The Headperson has what many consider one of the most important jobs there is: He or she is in charge of the food! The Headperson works closely with the Weyrwoman and reports to her the status of the Lower Caverns so that the proper measures can be taken to keep the Weyr's standard of living up to scratch. The Headpeson is usually someone brought up in the Weyr who hasn't Impressed, but has good organizational and 'people' skills. They constantly have to be on guard against candidate and weyrling pranks and pilfering. Some develop a wonderful sense of humor about it, others become bitter, but either way, they are given authority to discipline when the rascals are caught. The Headperson is also in charge of the organization and upkeep of the Weyr's creche, though he or she may delegate the actual responsibilities involved to others.
Player:
He or she who plays the Headperson is a failsafe in the case that all the other council members can't be around. This is not likely to happen, thankfully, but in case it does, this person is entrusted with passwords and admin. abilities. They should be responsible, intelligent, a good role-player, and good at following directions. They, too, should also display some initiative. The Headperson is in charge of all Lower Caverns role-play, such as meals, housing of guests, the creche for the Weyr's children.
The council member with this position is grace_of_love.
Character:
The Weyrlingmaster is a senior rider chosen by the Weyrleader to handle the instruction and training of young dragons and their riders. This is a huge job and not for the weak. The newly Impressed are a handfull and there are always some lost to a fatal "blooding" in their first real Threadfall. The Weyrlingmaster may also be the Candidate Master, the person in charge of seeing that the candidates for a given clutch understand what they are getting themselves into and what is expected of them. The Candidate Master is also responsible for making sure everyone gets to the Hatching at the same time, on time. However, the Candidate Master may be another individual decided upon by the Weyrlingmaster, the Weyrleader, and the Weyrwoman. This team also decides on who becomes the leader of the weyrling wings, training groups designed to give the new riders experience at functioning in a wing. The leaders may be particularly adept weyrlings or albinoriders, whose adult beasts are about the same size as the young dragons. The Weyrlingmaster may delegate other people to help him or her as needed, too.
This position is currently held by R'byn with brown Tavarth.Delegates
Candidate Master E'mizil - blue Indigoth.
Player:
Last but certainly not least on the council, the player of the Weyrlingmaster works with those of Weyrleader and Weyrwoman to keep the Riders and Wings pages accurate. The Weyrlingmaster is in charge of planning and playing weyrling lessons, a big job all by itself. This person must have knowledge of dragon growth patterns, training timelines, and other aspects as detailed in the Pern novels and, if possible, The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern by Jodie Lynn Nye and Anne McCaffrey. Any edition will do, but recent is better.
The council member with this position is crystal_stardancer.
Character:
A senior rider is anyone who has achieved seniority, experience, and skill to rival the younger members of the Weyr. Most riders will be considered senior riders when they've been Impressed and with the Weyr for five Turns or more, though the ones that Impress younger may take longer to mature sufficiently. A senior rider may be expected to carry more responsibility than a more junior rider, so he or she must be mature, personality type notwithstanding. Generally, up to a certain point, the older you are, the more options open up to you. The larger dragons may have the oportunity to be a Wingsecond, for example; or instead of transporting goods, you might get to transport a high-ranking Craftsperson. Senior riders get first pick of watch hours, as well. Once you get too old, of course, the process is inverted. All in all, though, whether you have a position of responsibility or not, a senior rider is a good thing to be. This rank includes the queenriders who aren't the Junior Weyrwoman as well as the Weyrleader's seconds and other persons of status who aren't listed elsewhere.
Player:
To become a senior rider, you must demonstrate good role-playing skills, firm knowledge of all things Pern, and be at the Guild consistantly. Most people want to be you, so set a good example. You are eligible to take a place on the council if someone resigns or just leaves, gets "fired," or, in the case of the Weyrleader, is replaced in the natural course of things. You are the heart of the Weyr.
Character:
Junior riders are lovely people. The Weyr would not function without them. The junior riders are the ones who get all the nitty-gritty work done while the seniors are occupied with other duties and fill the ranks of the fighting wings. Junior riders are still learning how to BE riders. Their young dragons may still grow and mature at a notable pace between the ages of one and five Turns, and the riders have to compensate. This doesn't leave much room for more stressful jobs than the actual Threadfighting, which everyone will agree is bad enough. Still, everyone takes turns at the various jobs that must be done. There is always call for transport a-dragonback; there will always be Clutches, so there will always be Search parties; and someone always needs to be on the watch ridge.
Player:
All you have to do is be at the Guild and role-play to the best of your ability, which should have improved since weyrlinghood. Once you've been around for a while, you may get promoted to senior rider provided you demonstrate the qualities listed above.
Character:
Weyrlings are riders with dragons at the age of about one Turn or younger. They are learning the fundamentals of their new status and are kept busy 24/7 with lessons, chores, and caring for their young beasts. The junior weyrlings have it hardest in the first weeks of their friends' lives. All their new lifemates seem to do is eat and sleep and grow. The riders have to do everything for them, including the onerous task of mucking out the barracks until the young dragons learn to take their business between. Young dragons must somehow be oiled and bathed daily, though all they want to do is have just a little more food, or take just a short nap first. During this time, the young riders have little room in their lives for anything but their dragons. To make matters worse, even when they do find themselves with down-time they will find themselves drafted to help in the Lower Caverns with this or that, or assigned other chores by the Weyrlingmaster. Ai! All of this is designed to turn frightened and confused young people and dragons into functioning members of a fighting wing.
Player:
You're working on getting promoted to junior rider. To do that, you must be at the Guild and post regularly. You will automatically be promoted to junior rider when your dragon reaches the age of one Turn (four months), but it's up to you to go from there. Do try to have fun, but keep it in the spirit of Pern.
Character:
A candidate is someone who was Searched for the clutch currently on the Hatching Grounds. Most will Impress, but all suffer from fear of failure to some degree. How the candidate bears it could have something to do with how they Impress, but one really never can tell for sure. If they don't Impress at that Hatching, they may stay at the Weyr and try again the next time, or they may depart. If they choose to stay, they will be treated like any other resident of the Lower Caverns and assigned chores and other duties in the meantime.
Player:
To Impress, you have to be at the Guild and post regularly. The color you get depends on your character's personality to some degree, but really has more to do with your skills as a role-player. A good role-player who wants to Impress a bronze will get that just as easily if they wanted a green, if the character's personality is right for it; but a poor player who wants a brown will have a much harder time of it. Fear not: you can always improve, and there will always be another clutch!
Character:
Inactive characters will be put up for adoption.
Player:
If a player joins but never posts, or posts for a while and then stops, they will be considered inactive. Everyone starts as inactive because so many people will join a guild and then never post a word. To get promoted to candidate status, simply post regularly and in-character. About ten posts is the usual "period of doubt." Should you Impress in this time, you directly become a weyrling. After this time, noted absences such as vacations will not count against you. You can get your rank back if you are gone for some reason you couldn't control, like being sick. Characters will not be put up for adoption until more than a month has gone by. If you ever feel that your status should have changed but has not, feel free to ask neshomehs_galen or another councilperson about it. They aren't above forgetting such things. ^_~
Anne McCaffrey 1967, 2001, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author.
This page last updated 6.06.06 by Nerissa.