Weyr
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A Weyr (IPA: [wiɹ]) is a collection of dragons, their riders and support staff in Anne McCaffrey's fictional world of Pern. Weyr is pronounced to rhyme with sphere.
The function of a Weyr is to fight Thread, an organism that originates in the Oort cloud of the Rukbat solar system, carried by a red planet with a loose elliptical orbit. The time during which Thread falls is called a Pass. These Passes last about 50 years, usually with a break of 200 years between.
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[edit] Geology
Weyrs are the physical space which dragons, their riders and support staff reside. Weyrs are usually built into the cliff faces of ancient volcanic calderas. Many of the living spaces are in natural cave systems within the cliff walls, but in early Passes when the colonists still had technology, plasma cutters were used to create extended systems and additional caves to meet the needs of the growing numbers of dragons. There are six ancient Weyrs as of beginning of the 9th Pass.
Two additional Weyrs were built during the 9th Pass in the Southern Continent, on ground level with sand wallows instead of caves for dragons and built-structures for the use of human residents of the Weyr. A third new Weyr is planned as of the last book.
Each Weyr has a Weyrbowl (the bottom of the caldera) which includes a holding area for fodder for the dragons, ie herdbeasts (cattle, sheep, goats, etc), a lake or cove (bathing area for the dragons), Starstones to predict a coming Pass as well as many large grassy areas and ledges for dragons to sun themselves.
An individual dragon's weyr consists of a ledge for landing and sunning, a cavern with a "couch", or raised stone bed (covered with straw or other bedding) for the dragon and sleeping and storage areas for the rider. Some weyrs include a separate alcove for a rider's living area, but smaller weyrs (usually only occupied when the Weyr is very full) have only enough space for a rider to hang a hammock near his dragon and store his gear on hooks. Most weyrs do not have access by foot, the only access being by dragonwing.
Weyrs for goldriders (and some ranking bronzeriders) are located near ground level with stairs or tunnel access to the ground or Lower Caverns so that goldriders can still access their weyrs while their dragons are on the Hatching Grounds with their eggs. The Weyrwoman's chambers in particular are extensive, connecting to her office, a large meeting room and the records room. A few have large, private baths heated by a hypocaust system.
The Lower Caverns are an extensive series of caverns with easy entrance by foot, They contain common use areas such as lounging and recreation areas for riders, kitchens and dining areas, bathing pools, storage areas for supplies, living quarters for support staff, children (Weyrbrats), crafters and more. They also contain special quarters for riders who are involved in mating flights, as their private weyrs are often inaccessible from the ground.
[edit] Leadership
A Weyr is headed by the Weyrwoman. She is generally the rider of the ranking gold (“queen”) in the Weyr. If the Weyrwoman dies, or if her dragon ceases to mate due to old age or serious injury, the rider of the next gold to rise to mate will take the position.
The Weyrwoman is the domestic head of the Weyr. She is in charge of all matters that pertain to housing, food, the raising of children living in the Weyr, training, organization and discipline of the support staff of the Weyr, as well as the day-to-day living requirements of the dragons and their riders. The Weyrwoman is also a diplomatic ambassador, responsible for relations to other Weyrs, Holds and the Crafthalls. Most of her duties are administrative, delegating responsibilities to her Headwoman or junior goldriders.
The Headwoman is the Weyrwoman's primary assistant. The Headwoman is responsible for implementing the Weyrwoman's orders regarding management of the Lower Caverns, where the bulk of the support staff live and work. She is in charge of the cook staff, the cleaning staff, maintenance staff and the Fostering staff. She wields a great deal of power inside of the Weyr.
Junior goldriders are also assistants to the Weyrwoman. All dragons will obey the orders of a queen, unless they contradict the orders of the senior gold. Because of this, all goldriders must act as figureheads. The junior goldriders are typically assigned to record keeping, lower level diplomatic duties and sometimes teaching younger gold weyrling pairs. This provides them with important experience for future leadership positions, as each junior pair has the chance to become Weyrwoman on very short notice.
While the Weyrwoman is the domestic leader of the Weyr, the military side is headed by the Weyrleader. Weyrleadership is determined by the mating flights of the senior queen, the rider of whichever bronze catches her becomes the Weyrleader. The Weyrleader is in charge of making sure that the fighting wings are up to strength, and well trained, he also determines the strategy for threadfighting. The turnover of Weyrleadership varies greatly.
The plural Weyrleaders typically refers to the Weyrwoman as well as the Weyrleader himself.
Wingleaders, who are usually bronzeriders, each lead a wing of 12-33 dragons. Each Wingleader has two Wingseconds who may be brownriders or young bronzeriders in training to be a Wingleader.
One of the most important ranks in the Weyr, below the Weyrleaders, is that of the Weyrlingmaster. He is in charge of the training and discipline of the young dragonpairs known as weyrlings. While under his care, weyrlings learn everything from basic dragon husbandry to advanced threadfighting techniques. The Weyrlingmaster must be appointed by the Weyrleaders. The Weyrlingmaster must have a good deal of experience, and thick skin, because as many as 25% of all Weyrlings can die before the end of their training. Weyrlingmasters are usually bronzeriders, though highly respected and very senior brown or blueriders are sometimes assigned to the position.
[edit] Wing Structure
The fighting units of dragons are organized in groups known as Wings. A collection of three Wings is known as a Flight, and is the largest permanent organizational structure within a Weyr.
A Wing is lead by a Wingleader, who is always a bronzerider. The Wingleader is responsible for ensuring that his Wing is capable of safely fighting thread. He also appoints Wingseconds and recruits newly graduated weyrlings. Ideally a Wing has two Wingseconds, which are also typically bronze or brown dragons. They fill the Wingleader’s position in the case of an emergency, and help to convey the Wingleader’s orders to the rest of the Wingriders. A healthy Wing contains thirty Wingriders (approximately 75% of which are blue or green riders). If a Wing falls to fewer than 12 healthy dragon/rider pairs, the Wing is disbanded and absorbed by other Wings. The smaller blue and green dragons do not have the stamina to safely fly an entire threadfall and must be rotated out in two or three shifts.
[edit] Residents
The capacity of a Weyr varies from 300-600 dragons. However, during a Pass the dragonriders' duties leave little time for any other activity, so each Weyr has a large support staff that can number into the thousands.
Residents of a Weyr include:
Dragonriders - living in weyrs (lower case w, or the individual cavern where a single dragon and his/her rider lives), usually in the cliff faces in Northern Weyrs.
Weyrlings - young, immature dragons and their riders. Young dragons generally fly for the first time at about one Turn (year) and train with the Weyrling Wing until mature enough to join a Fighting Wing, usually between 1 1/2 to 2 Turns. Weyrling dragonriders may not join a Wing until age 16, no matter how mature their dragon. Weyrling riders who have completed training but are not yet Turned 16 are often assigned messenger or sentry duties until they come of age. They do not have adult level rank/status until they have been accepted into a Fighting Wing.
Lower Caverns staff - often, but not always, the Candidates who failed to Impress a dragon, or those who have run away from home to live in the more liberal, accepting atmosphere of the Weyr. This includes cooks, servers, cleaning staff for common areas, those who care for the beasts that will feed the dragons, and many others. Lower Caverns workers often satisfy the sexual needs of riders who have lost a mating flight.
Weyrbrats - The children who are born in the Weyr are called (affectionately) Weyrbrats. Weyrbrats may be the children of Dragonriders, Lower Cavern staff or Crafters. It is the tradition in the Weyr that children are not raised by their natural parents, as dragonrider parents do not have time to raise a child while caring for a dragon. This community model also serves to reduce parental favoritism. Children are Fostered as soon as they are weaned from their mother's milk, and initially sent to the Weyr's creche. Once the child has grown to show distinct personality and talents, they are matched with a Fosterer (foster parent) who suits the child's temperament. Every male Weyrbrat has the right to become a Candidate and stand for Impression at age 12.
Candidates - young people who are given the opportunity to become a dragonrider. They are chosen through Search, where a sensitive dragon, usually a blue or green, seeks mentally sensitive boys and girls who are of the correct temperament to match minds with a dragon hatchling. Usually those searched are young males, aged 12 - 18, although older girls (aged 16-22) are sometimes searched if there is a gold egg available. With the addition of any Weyrbrat aged 12-18, the Searched are familiarized with the eggs and are present when the eggs hatch. The Hatchlings choose, or Impress a Candidate who suits his or her temperamental and/or other (still unknown) needs.
Craftsmen - assigned to the Weyr by their Craft, Craftsmen serve the dragonriders and support staff as they would serve any Hold. The position is usually a high prestige assignment, and they are autonomous from Weyr structure.
[edit] Social Mores
There is no marriage in the Weyr, as dragonriders are so involved in their dragons' needs that it would be unfair to a romantic partner to commit to a permanent relationship. Instead, Weyrs have "weyrmates." In rare cases, weyrmating is as deep and permanent as a marriage. However, a weyrmate would usually be the equivalent to a long-term "boyfriend" or "girlfriend": a form of serial monogamy. A weyrmate might be another rider, a crafter or a lower caverns worker. The term indicates that the pair usually share living quarters, for the time being. Such relationships can be severed at any time by either partner for any reason.
Parental ties are loose, and children are considered to be the property of the Weyr, not of the parent. Usually a child knows who his or her parents are, but have no more contact with them than any other Weyr resident. There is often some fondness between parent and child; a parent might give a "birthing day" or "Turn's End" gift to their child and keep tabs on the child's development. Other parents completely ignore their child's existence. Severing a child's emotional ties with their natural parents is also considered to be a balancing factor, as expectations for Wyerbrats are not tied to the rank or qualities of their parents. Children are seen as indiviuals who must succeed or fail on their own, not on parental merit.
Sexual relations in a Weyr are typically very liberal. Sex is a form of tension release, and can be triggered by mating flights. A goldrider is expected to be open to sexual relations with multiple males, especially bronzeriders. Sexual contact during mating flights is not considered to be any indication of a dragonrider's preference in either individual or gender preference. In addition, sex with a person other than a weyrmate during a mating flight is not considered to be "cheating." This behavior is considered anethema to the Holders and, to a lesser degree, the Crafters.
Homosexuality is accepted in the Weyr as a necessity for the dragons' well-being. Green dragons will only accept a female or feminine gay male rider while blue and some brown dragons will choose gay or bisexual male riders. Because female riders are not known in later passes, this means more than half of all dragonriders are homosexuals. However, homosexuality is not well accepted outside of the Weyr, so the Weyr often becomes a sanctuary for homosexual men.
Suicide is considered to be a "normal" response to the loss of a dragon. A dragonrider whose dragon has died is usually given the option of accompanying another pair Between and releasing from the pair before emerging, effectively killing him or herself. Few riders would ever deny a dragonless rider, since losing one's dragon usually results in insanity.
Abortion is also accepted in the Weyr, while Holders and Crafters believe abortion to be "evil." Going Between while pregnant usually causes a miscarriage, therefore a woman in the Weyr who finds herself with an unwanted pregnancy has the option of asking assistance from a dragonrider. "A short ride Between" is a common euphamism for ending an unwanted pregnancy.
For dragonriders, social and Wing status are completely dependant on the colour of their dragon. This is due to the natural/instinctual social structure of the dragons themselves, a legacy of their firelizard ancestors. Gold and bronze dragons and their riders are at the top of the social/military structure. Brown dragons and their riders have the most flexibility and can achieve rank nearly equal to bronze dragons or fall to lower ranks, according to ability and personal preferences. Blue and green dragons and their riders are at the bottom of the social and military hierarchy, the dragons because they will obey gold and bronze (and sometimes brown) dragons generally without question, their riders tend to have matching "follower" personalities and are usually content to do so.
While the Weyrwoman and the Weyrleader hold the same rank as a Lord or Lady Holder or Mastercraftsmen or -women, even the lowest ranked adult dragonrider is equivalent to a senior journeyman in a craft, and are given the respect due any dragonrider as the protectors of Pern.
[edit] Canon Weyrs
Fort Weyr was the first Weyr built and occupied during the First Pass. It is located in the mountains of the Southwestern peninsula of the Northern Continent. It was built primarily using high tech sonic/plasma stone cutters to form perfectly smooth walls absent in later Weyrs. Fort Weyr has a capacity of 500 dragons.
Benden Weyr was the second Weyr built, also during the First Pass, using plasma/sonic cutters to enlarge naturally occurring caverns. It is located in the mountains of the northeast coast of the Northern Continent. It is also the largest Weyr, with a capacity of 600 dragons.
High Reaches Weyr was the third Weyr built, the last during the First Pass. It was also the last to use the sonic/plasma stonecutters. High Reaches is the highest in elevation, located in the northwestern mountains of the Northern Continent. It is unique, being in a younger ancient caldera, with seven tall stone spires called the "seven spindles." High Reaches has a capacity of about 500 dragons.
Telgar Weyr was the last of the Ancient Weyrs to be built, settled in the Interval after the First Pass. It is located in the central northern mountains of the Northern Continent. It has a capacity of about 400 dragons and was initially a mining Hold; its caverns are primarily cut by miners.
Ista Weyr is located on the Big Island (directly south of the central point of the Northern Continent) in a caldera that opens to a tropical bay. While physically the smallest of the Weyrs, Ista makes up for it by locating dragons in weyr caverns on the *outer face* of the caldera. Using this unusual technique the Weyr has a capacity of about 350 dragons.
Igen Weyr is the smallest Weyr with a capacity of only 300 dragons. It is a desert Weyr located in the south central region of the Northern Continent.
Southern Weyr was not founded until the end of the Second Long Interval, just before the 9th Pass. It is located on the far northern tip of the Southern Continent, on approximately the same longitude as Ista, Igen and Telgar Weyrs. It is partly built on cliffs facing the ocean, but most weyrs are located inland, in non-traditional dwellings consisting of a sheltered sand wallow for the dragons and huts for the riders. It has no set capacity for dragons, as new huts and shelters could be built at any time. This Weyr was moved to an undisclosed location far inland in the 31st Turn of the 9th Pass.
Eastern Weyr was built on open areas in the northeastern coast of the Southern Continent. As the need for dragons expanded in that portion of the Southern Continent the Weyr moved several bays eastward and changed the name to Monaco Weyr. Like Southern Weyr, there are no caves, dragons sleep in sheltered sand wallows and riders live in huts near their dragons. Also like Southern, there is no set capacity, with room for expansion as needed.
Xanadu Weyr (planned but not yet in place) is planned as of the end of Skies of Pern, to be located in high granite cliffs in the central interior of the Southern Continent. The area has previous indication of settlement. In the Dragonlover's Guide to Pern, Breda and her queen Amaranth, a daughter of Ramoth, are said to be the queen pair of Xanadu, although no mention is made of this in the books.
[edit] Fandom Weyrs
There are many Fandom Weyrs of various ages, sizes, levels of activity, degree of canon strictness and maturity. Anne McCaffrey allows Fandom Weyrs as long as they operate within her guidelines. Of thousands of fandom Weyrs, there are several categories. They may be MOO, MUSH, MUD or PBEM style. A few of the oldest, established fandom Weyrs are printed fanzines.
- Canon: Fandom Weyrs that strictly adhere to book canon in physical, historical and cultural matters. As per Anne McCaffrey's permission, canon Weys may allow masculine lesbians to ride blue dragons.
- Alternative Canon: Fandom Weyrs that adhere to book canon for physical and cultural matters, but with a twist in history (alternative timelines). These are very common due to trying to avoid overused (by other Fandom Weyrs) times in Pern's history.
- Semi-Canon: Fandom Weyrs that adhere to the basics of Pern such as strictness of color of dragons but make major changes in historical or cultural matters, such as allowing women/girls to Impress brown or blue dragons.
- Non-Canon: Fandom Weyrs that allow major changes to Pernese structure, such as men riding gold dragons, women riding bronze, dragon colors such as purple, black or red. They often have other major changes to Pernese culture or traditions.
