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If you think that Impressing a dragon is the funnest thing in the world, think again. You don't have lesiurely flights with your dragon - not for the first year, anyway! When the dragon is awake, he must be fed, bathed, oiled, and otherwise cared for. When he is asleep, it is time for classes! Between the time a weyrling wakes up, and the time they go to sleep, free time is very close to being nill. This guide is meant to help you write for your weyrling persona, and must be followed exactly.
To build muscles, the Weyrlingmaster has created an exercise program that is done on a daily basis. Exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups, crunches, and squats are incorportated. Weyrlings are started out at a low level, and are gradually built up. No weyrlings are excused from these exercises, and more can be given as an effective punishment when needed.
After Impressing, weyrings and dragonriders have no time for any crafts they had once been part of. While a dragonrider may have the time to play an instrument or make something on occasion, they would be much to busy to even think about gaining rank in the craft, left alone do it!
Dragons do the majority of their growing while in training. When the pair graduates into a Fighting Wing, the dragon generally has only a little bit more to grow, and this is done much slower than the growth for the first few months. Weyrling training generally lasts about a year; we have a timewarp in place to make training last only six months.
Day of Hatching -
Congratulations on having Impressed. It is not surprising to find that this day has passed quickly, with the new rider-in-training moving in a state of shock. After Impression has been made, the dragon is ravenous. Food is provided, and new dragons should be brought off the Sands immediately. After the dragons have been fed, a light bath and oiling should be given before the dragon is allowed to be walked (or carried), to the Weyrling Barracks. Once at the barracks, sleeping assignments will be given out. When the dragon is safely asleep, the rider is then allowed to go into the dining hall and speak with friends and family during the Hatching Feast. This is going to be the only day that weyrlings will have such activities, so enjoy it while it lasts.
Feeding - After that first meal, young riders will find that meat is not again chopped up for them. Instead, they must cut it themselves from beasts provided by the Weyrlingmaster or another dragonrider. Dragons will need to be fed between four to six times a day. Makes one yearn for the day when a dragon will eat only once in six days, doesn't it?
Size of a Dragon through Weyrling Training
(Measured at the beginning of each month) |
|
Hatching |
Month One |
Month Two |
Month Three |
Month Four |
Month Five |
Month Six |
Full Grown |
| Gold |
3-5 feet |
8-12 feet |
15-18 feet |
19-21 feet |
22-25 feet |
28-32 feet |
33-35 feet |
38-42 feet |
| Bronze |
3-5 feet |
7-10 feet |
12-16 feet |
18-20 feet |
21-23 feet |
25-29 feet |
31-34 feet |
35-38 feet |
| Brown |
2-4 feet |
5-7 feet |
11-14 feet |
15-17 feet |
19-23 feet |
24-26 feet |
27-28 feet |
30-35 feet |
| Blue |
2-4 feet |
4-6 feet |
9-12 feet |
13-15 feet |
16-17 feet |
18-20 feet |
21-23 feet |
25-30 feet |
| Green |
2-4 feet |
3-6 feet |
7-9 feet |
10-12 feet |
13-14 feet |
14-16 feet |
17-19 feet |
20-25 feet |
Month One
For the first month, dragons spend most of their time asleep. The young weyrling attends classes by himself but should be on the alert for when a dragon wakes hungry. Dragons will grow quickly, and eat several times of the day. The young dragons have not yet settled into a schedule, so classes are not set and each one may find a handful of people leaving to care for their dragon. Weyrlings are warned not to involve themselves in any romantic relationship because of their dragon's young age. Any previous relationships are to be cut off; any exceptions to this will have to deal not only with the WeyrlingMaster's wrath, but also the possibility of having their dragon emotionally injured.
Lessons
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Feeding, basic care of dragons, problems of overfeeding; basics of dragonhealing, dragon ailments, and dragon anatomy; learning what dragons do and how a Weyr works; understanding how firestone works and how to choose suitable pieces |
Hands On
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Chopping meat, oiling and bathing a dragon; studying various dragons around the Weyr; filling firestone bags and forming "weyrling chains" to toss the bags |
Outside of Class
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Strengthening the bonds between rider and dragon by being with one another and communicating. Young riders and their dragons are encouraged to speak with other pairs and learn the other members of the Weyr. |
Month Two
Meals have shortened to about three times a day, greatly lessening a weyrling's chores at chopping meat. The free time that has resulted is spent in even more classes, for which most the dragon is able to attend. Guest speakers are brought in from the wings to give presentations and lectures. At the end of the month dragons will be trained in flying without a rider or any extra weight.
Lessons
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Types of Threadfalls and wing patterns; what each riding/safety strap is; the basics of flight, demonstrated by the older dragons |
Hands On
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Making riding straps to fit each dragon; mimicking wing patterns on the ground; divided into small groups to practice wing patterns; riders will learn how to mount and dismount, and do "weyrling chains" on their dragon's back; Sevenday 4 - dragons will make short, riderless flights |
Outside of Class
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Dragons and their riders should work on sending pictures to one another and to other weyrling pairs. This will help in going between in a month. Dragons should also practice moving their wings by swimming to build up needed muscles. |
Month Three
In month three dragons will continue the flight exercises, this time with their rider. Flights are done under the supervision of the Weyrlingmaster and his assistants; weyrlings are warned that any paired flights outside of his sight will be met with punishment duty and with being grounded, literally. Meals will decrease to about two meals a day, tapering down to one meal daily near the end of the month.
Lessons
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Lessons this month will be split into two groups; one group will do paired flights, and the other is in a classroom with an Assistant WeyrlingMaster; continued wing patterns and drills |
Hands On
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Weyrlings will be assigned times for paired flights, with those not flying being lectured about the dangers of flight; |
Outside of Class
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Dragons should continue swimming and doing short, solo flights; flight straps should be checked over often |
Month Four
At the beginning of the month, weyrlings are graduated to senior weyrlings and are moved into individual weyrs. Inspection of the weyrs will take place on a random basis; just because you are out of the Barracks doesn't mean you can become a slob! Pairs are now permitted to fly unattended, although must remain in the Weyr unless the WeyrlingMaster is present.
Lessons
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Dragons are taught to hunt for themselves in the feeding grounds with older dragons present for the first few feedings to ensure the young dragon is not hurt; the dangers of /between/ are presented, with weyrlings being told stories about ill-fated trips; firestone is presented and the dragons are taught how to chew it without biting their tongues |
Hands On
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Weyrling chains now take place in the air; in groups, weyrlings will fly to the nearby Holds to learn coordinates for /between/ing; wing patterns and drills are practiced in the air, taking what was learned earlier and applying it here; dragons will practice chewing firestone and producing a flame |
Outside of Class
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Weyrlings continue taking flights and are encouraged to fly as often as possible without straining the dragon. |
Month Five
This month is possibly the most dangerous of all, for dragons learn to go /between/ this month. Weyrlings are cautioned to pay extra close attention, and follow every instruction given. Like first flights, weyrlings will split into groups and only a few pairs will be working on going /between/ at a time. Dragons are now hunting for all of their meals, which begin to occur every other day or so.
Lessons
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Dangers of /between/ are stressed over and over; mating flights are introduced, with the green dragons rising near the end of the next month; the concept of Thread drills are introduced |
Hands On
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Dragons go /between/ from one point above the Weyr to another; this progresses to going from Weyr to Hold and back; once weyrlings have gotten enough practice they will start going /between/ as a whole and in groups and then reappearing in formation; Thread drills with the weyrlings split into groups; in Threadfall, dragons bring full bags of Threadfall to riders who call for them |
Outside of Class
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Weyrlings should fly together as much as possible; chewing firestone should be practiced using the lower quality stones |
Month Six
This is the last month of weyrling training and is one of the hardest. In the middle of the month, Weyrlings will actually fly in Threadfall in the Weyrling's Wing. This is call being Blooded, for many Weyrlings will get injured now. Dragons are finally down to eating only once every handful of days. Near the end of the month, some greens may rise to mate, and the male dragons may join in on mating flights although it is rare for them to win. At the end of the month is the greatly anticipated Graduation.
| Lessons |
Final lessons for dealing with Threadfall; weyrlings are prepared for the Blooding and will fly in the first Fall that appears after the last few lessons; when this is over the Weyrlingmaster will point out what was done wrong and how to correct it |
| Hands On |
Weyrlings will fly Threadfall |
| Outside of Class |
Dragons are finally allowed to go /between/ on their own and are permitted to leave the Weyr in free times |
Graduation!
About a sevenday before graduation, the WeyrlingMaster will get together with the Weyrleaders and any wingleaders to decide where each weyrling will be placed. It is generally an even distribution, unless one wing is severely lacking in a certain color. The night of the graduation, generally either the last day of the month or the same day as Impression fell on, new wing assignments will be announced by either the WeyrlingMaster or the leader of each wing. When their name is called, weyrlings move to the wing's table and are weyrlings no longer.
The day after graduation is spent in grueling practice as the new dragonrider learns to interact with a whole new set of riders.
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