Green Crater Weyr Character Bio

You

Name:
Gender:
Age: 
Country and Time Zone:
Primary Email:
Secondary Email (if applicable):
Instant Messenger(s) and User Name(s) (if applicable):

Your Character
 
Name: 
Gender: 
Sexual Orientation: 
Age: 
Rank and Craft: 
Appearance: 

Personality: 

History: 

Strengths and Weaknesses (if applicable):

Dragon

Name: 
Colour: 
Age:  
Appearance: 

Personality: 

Strengths and Weaknesses (if applicable): 

Pets 

Name: 
Species: 
Gender or Colour: 
Age: 
Appearance: 

Personality:  

(In the event of more than one pet, just copy the above information as required.)

Green Crater Weyr Character Bio FAQ

Here, you will find such additional information as may prove useful or necessary when filling out a Bio for a new character.  If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact any of the BoD (Board of Directors) for assistance; our email addresses and Instant Messenger names are located in the Files.

You

This is where you will fill in certain information about yourself, so we have some idea of who we’ll be playing with.  Nothing overly personal or scandalous, just the basics, although some areas might require additional explanation.

Name, Gender, Age, Country and Time Zone:
This … seems fairly self-explanatory; woe be to the person that needs help with these.  If you don’t know who or where you are WE sure aren’t going to tell you, and if you don’t know WHAT you are, we don’t even want to KNOW you.  LOL

Primary Email:
This is the address that we will use to reach you 99.9% of the time.  It may or may not be the same address to which you have your Green Crater mail sent, at your discretion.

Secondary Email (if applicable):
Occasionally, there might be something wrong with your Primary email account; it could be full or it could be down, but either way our mail won’t be able to reach you.  When this happens, we need another way to contact you to let you know that there is a problem and to make sure that you haven’t left the game and not told anyone.  You don’t HAVE to list a secondary email address, but it really does make life easier on everyone if you do.

Instant Messenger(s) and User Name(s) (if applicable):
Email is a notoriously slow mode of communication, and there is no definitive way to know that someone has received your message until they have the time and opportunity to contact you back.  Also, you may need to ask the BoD something one of these days in a more timely manner than email allows, and most of us just plain like to discuss our characters and the plots and threads they find themselves in.  As such, if you have one or more Instant Messenger programs, and don’t mind strange people poking you to talk about the game every so often, please list those messengers you possess and what username you use on them.  

Your Character
 
Here, you will tell us all about your new character.  The BoD need to know everything you do about them in order to ensure that they are acceptable within the framework of canon, policy and game balance, and you will need to place their bio into the Files for the other writers to view.  However, if there is any aspect of your character that you do not wish to become public knowledge, just submit an amended bio when you submit the original so we all know what not to talk about.

Name: 
The Pernese have only one name, with no family or last name.  The only exception to this is the major Holdless trading trains; as they have no Weyr, Hold or Hall to use in further identifying themselves, they have reinstituted the use of multi-part names, calling themselves after the founder of their train (i.e. Kland Lanier of the Lanier Train).  

Probably 60% of Pernese names consist of two syllables, of which the emphasis falls on the first syllable the majority of the time.  About 30% consist of three syllables, in which the emphasis can be placed on either the first or second syllable.  The remaining 10% consist of either one or four syllables, and in four syllable names the emphasis is almost invariably soft on the first syllable and hard on the third.  Names of more than four syllables are unheard of.  

In the Weyrs, the mother names all of her children, although in Hold and Hall the father tends to at least name his sons.  Tradition, although a widely ignored one these days, is for the firstborn, especially a son, to be named using some part of both the father’s and mother’s names, often the first syllable of the father’s and the second or last syllable of the mother’s.  Some parents go further, choosing either the first or last syllable of the father’s name and assigning it as the corresponding syllable in the names of each of the sons.  Women in the Weyrs make a concerted effort to name all of their sons in a way that can be elided nicely should they Impress.

Upon Impression to a dragon, male Candidates either shorten their own given names or, rarely, adopt an entirely new one, and such names invariably make use of an apostrophe.  Such honorifics are typically slurred, pronouncing the initial letter or sound as if it were followed by a schwa, and are occasionally ignored completely, depending on the sounds involved.  The purpose of shortening the name in this fashion is to make it easier to pronounce in haste.

Gender: 
The Pernese have the same cross-section of male and female as are present on Earth, and there is no gender bias hindering full equality; however, as is often the case, some are more equal than others.  A series of near catastrophic plagues and other misfortunes in the distant past greatly reduced the population of Pern, and in order to ensure the survival of future generations women slowly disappeared from positions of authority (and hence, risk) in order to raise large families.  Today, while not looked down on or relegated to ‘second-class citizens’, and often sought out for their wisdom and insight, it is VERY rare to find a woman in any position of direct authority within a Hold or having achieved any rank within a Craft. A female Crafter above the rank of Apprentice will not be treated with scorn or ridicule but CAN expect to be considered something of a novelty; the combined effect of this reaction over the long term results in many of them leaving their Halls for good.  Dragonriders were not exempt from this, and while up to that point Greenriders were predominantly female, they are now almost exclusively homosexual men; female Greenriders and the much rarer Blueriders face the same obstacles that female Crafters do.  And while they do not have the option of returning home during a Pass, many of them eventually join their sisters in seeking out unorthodox places such as Green Crater, where they will be welcomed as capable individuals in their own right.

Sexual Orientation: 
This is especially important for Candidates, as it is a major contributing factor in what color dragon they would get if they were to Impress.  Pern boasts approximately the same likelihood of someone being other than heterosexual as on Earth, although the attitudes towards such lifestyles consist only of the extremes, with almost none of the gray areas present here.  In the Holds and Halls homosexuality or bisexuality is frowned upon and considered immoral and even evil, although among most Weyrfolk it is far more accepted, and sometimes even expected if one is a male Greenrider or female Bluerider.

Age: 
Age deserves special note, as there is a great disparity between Pernese culture and our own.  Pern is NOT 20th Century Earth, nor is it Medieval Europe, or even a combination of the two; it is a wholly alien culture, with ELEMENTS of both.

Babies tend to be much fussed over and cosseted, as many do not survive their first two Turns, but after that threshold is reached they are expected and required to grow up fast.  Except in the most inaccessible cotholds, all children except the mental defectives (who typically become drudges) are taught the fundamentals of reading, scripting and figuring by their parents or fosterer from the time that they are able to speak and understand.  After that, a Harper teaches them history and more specific subjects until they reach the age of ten or twelve, whereupon their basic education is complete; the age of emancipation is twelve, and this is when Apprenticeships generally begin.  In the Weyrs, Candidates are traditionally Searched between the ages of 10 and 14 (slightly older on occasion if circumstances warrant it); although those who fail to Impress straightaway may continue to Stand until they reach 20 Turns, few do, especially among the Weyrbred, considering it somewhat embarrassing.  Fourteen is considered to be the age of reason and responsibility, and at that time a person begins full-time work, although it should be noted that Dragonriders are forbidden to fly Threadfall until they have reached their sixteenth Turn, serving as firestone replenishment and emergency evacuation personnel until then.  Holders marry around age 16, and the girls begin having children as soon as possible. Generally speaking, a good rule of thumb is to add four years to the age of any Pernese between four and twenty to get the corresponding level of education and maturity of that same person if they were an inhabitant of 20th Century Earth.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Pernese live exceedingly long lives by our standards.  Early thirties is still considered quite young and ‘middle age’ spans from about 50 to 70; they are typically still quite active into their eighth or ninth decade.  Those who Impress dragons tend to live even longer, and some dragonriders have attained their eleventh decade with no sign of slowing down.

Rank and Craft: 
There are twelve Crafts to choose from, with innumerable sub-specialties, allowing near infinite options for those who wish to play a Crafter.  As has been mentioned previously, Craft training begins at twelve, unless the child is a prodigy of some sort in which case it can begin as early as ten.  With the exception of the healing Crafts, including DragonHealer and BeastHealer, for which there is about a Turn of introductory instruction, students are brought in as basic Apprentices, then move to one of the specialties of their Craft only if they show an especial aptitude for it.  After moving up through the ranks from Junior Apprentice to Apprentice, then to Senior Apprentice for about four to six Turns, most walk the tables to Journey rank.  There are also three grades of Journeyman, as the Crafter progresses through the ten Turns or so of study and experience required to attain Mastery (far longer in some Crafts, such as the Healer or Sea Crafts), and some remain Journeymen throughout their lives.

The Crafts, their main related specialties, and a few additional notes follow:
•	BakerCraft: Pastry, Breads, Cheeses, Stews, Banquets, along with a host of others
•	BeastCraft: Experimental stocks, Veterinarian, Breeding, Herding, Avians and Fowls, Tunnelsnakes (for learning their habits to make them easier to get rid of them, not for breeding or propagating)
•	FarmCraft: Seedlings, Nursery, Experimental Crops, Hybrid Crops, Green Crops, Fruit Trees, Flowering Crops, Seed and Cutting Gathering, Sapling Gathering
•	HarperCraft: Scriber, Musician (specializing in particular instruments), Voice, Instrument Making, Composition and Writing, Chorale Singing, Musical Arrangement and Conducting, ‘Route Riding,’ Archivist
•	HealerCraft: Doctors and Nurses of Diagnostics, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Obstetrics, Urology, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Surgery, and Respiratory Ailments. Midwifery is also a specialty though all Healers get training in delivering babies.
•	MineCraft: Gem Mining, Ore Mining, Liquid Minerals, Spelunking, Mountain Climbing, Masonry, Petrography, Map Making, Surveying, Geography, Gem Polishing and Finishing, Jewel Cutting and Finishing, Gem Sorting
•	SeaCraft: Sea Fishing, Coastal Fishing, Cartography, Shipwrights, Sail Makers, Trade Seaman
•	SmithCraft: Stress Analysis and Foundations, Tool Making and Practical Metalwork (such as cooking vessels), Fancy Metal Crafting (such as jewelry casting), Glass Crafting (everything from ceramics to lead crystal to porcelain), Blacksmithing, Optics, Draft/Archives, Experimental Metalwork (generally tools, but others as well)
•	TannerCraft: Cobblers, Certifications, Curing and Stretching, Design, Lasts, Riding Gear and Straps, Formulating and Producing Dyes
•	WeaverCraft: Dying, Tatting, Silk Screening, Tapestry, Embroidery, Knitting, Crocheting, Braiding, Frame Making, Loom Making, Spinning, Pattern Copying and Creation
•	WineCraft: Grape, Fruit and Nut Cultivation and Sorting, Herb Purchasing, Pressing, Bottle Purchasing, Keg Production
•	WoodCraft: Saplings Cultivation, Sapling Gathering, Hybrids, Carving, Furniture Making, Mark (blanks) Making, Stain/Varnish/Dye/Oil Formulation and Making, Restoration 

**It should be noted that on Pern everyone is required and expected to contribute in some fashion, and as such ALL children are taught SOME way to do so if at all possible, be it a recognized Craft, Hold management, or some other skill not listed here but necessary nonetheless.  Even in the Weyrs, children and adolescents are put to work at something as soon as it is feasible to do so, and anything they show a knack for becomes their secondary job if they Impress and their primary vocation if they do not.  Not everyone who has some skill at something is technically a Crafter; almost everyone knows some first aid and all Dragonriders know enough leatherwork to make their own fighting straps, for instance.  There is a great deal of underlying study and research involved in any Craft, and the difference between someone who grew up on a farm and a FarmCrafter for example is immense, especially at any rank above Apprentice.

Appearance: 
Due in part to a healthier and more robust lifestyle and partially to the somewhat lesser gravity of Pern, the Pernese tend to grow taller and heavier than the people of Earth do, men averaging anywhere from 5’11” to 6’2” and women anywhere from 5’6” to 5’8”.  These are averages though, and many are either shorter or taller.  Due to 2,500 Turns of interbreeding from a racially mixed genetic stock, the average Pernese tends towards a slightly darker skin coloration and minimal body or facial hair, although just about any racial genotype can pop up on occasion and recessive racial characteristics are not uncommon. Hair color too tends to be dark, with varying shades of black, brown and red common and natural blonde very rare; within the Holds and Halls, maidens tend to keep their hair unbound, while wives tend to wear it up or braided.  Gray is a not uncommon eye color on Pern, and many people’s eyes seem to change color based on their mood; amber eyes are unusual but not unheard of.  Both dwarfism and albinism are possible on Pern, but both genetic conditions are EXTREMELY rare.

**A brief note should be made here about clothing.  The Pernese tend towards various bright, solid colors with extravagant trim for their shirts and tunics, and are especially gaudy and flamboyant with their footwear, as boots and shoes are more durable than pants and shirts.  Black, brown and gray are considered ‘drudges colors’, and are seldom worn in excess by anyone of rank or position, and few people other than Healers ever wear green, considering it an ‘unlucky’ color.  Likewise, no one but Harpers will generally wear their special shade of blue in any quantity, it being the Pernese equivalent of ‘impersonating an officer’.

Personality and History: 
Neither of these need to be ten page essays or anything, but they should at least hit all the high points; use as much or as little detail as you need to in order to get what you’re trying to say across to us.  Any of the more outstanding personality quirks or mental defects that most of our characters seem to display should be spelled out in the Personality, and some mention should be made in the History of exactly how the character came to be at the Weyr.  After all, Green Crater has a total population of less than 200 people just now and is poorly thought of by the majority of the North.  Your character can’t have just ‘always been there’ and not a lot of people end up at the ends of Pern if they have anywhere ELSE to go.  The rest can be filled in the old fashioned way, through roleplay.

Strengths and Weaknesses (if applicable): 
Some people are especially good (or bad) shots with a crossbow, or excel (or not) at hunting or playing cards or whatever; some are good with animals, others are really bad with people.  If something of this sort is true of your character, and wasn’t already covered in their Personality or History, it would be put here.  Don’t feel that you HAVE to put something here just because the field is here, not everyone is especially good or bad at ANYTHING; and don’t feel that if you DO put something here it has to be a huge dissertation.  Use it if you need it, ignore it if you don’t, and use as much or as little detail as you need to; once again, the rest can be filled in through roleplay.  Also, don’t feel that just because you DON’T put anything here when you submit the character that they can never have any special skills or traits; a lot of that comes out in the posts and can be added to the bio later, just like it does for History.

Dragon

Fill this information out only if it’s applicable, you certainly DON’T have to play a Dragonrider. If you DO, we kinda need to know this stuff, but if not then just delete everything from ‘Name’ to ‘Strengths and Weaknesses’ and put in ‘None’.

Name: 
All dragon names end in ‘th’, other than that the only thing we ask is that you don’t use any names from the books or short stories, or any that have been used at Green Crater before; you can find the ones that have in the Dragon Database.

Colour: 
Please limit yourself to the five colors that Anne McCaffrey gave us to play with.  Black, white, plaid, etc would get us in trouble and get our approval to operate pulled, which is why if you try to submit one you’ll be politely advised to go read one of the books and try it again.

Age:  
The important thing to remember about a dragon’s age is that Weyrling training takes about a Turn and a half, give or take.  If your character is supposed to be a Weyrling, then their dragon needs to be younger than that, if they’ve graduated then it needs to be older.

Appearance: 
Size, build, distinguishing characteristics, and anything else relating to the way your dragon looks or sounds goes here.  Remember that each color of dragon is larger than the one before; while there is considerable variation in their specific size, no dragon will be more than one level different in size.  In other words, a Blue could potentially grow to be as big as a small Brown (although it’s highly unlikely), but not as big as a Bronze or a Gold.  Also, a dragon’s hide can show any conceivable shade of their appropriate color, and can have SOME slight patterning to it, such as darker highlights or lighter streaks, but keep it within reason.  And any dragon that’s been through very many Falls will probably have a few Threadscars scattered here and there as well.

Personality: 
Dragons have unique personalities, distinct from that of their riders, and they exhibit just as much variation as those of humans do; they are NOT just big transport vehicles that talk, they’re individuals in their own rights. Also, a dragon’s personality tends to either complement or offset that of their rider, and as such, you need to put just as much thought into it as you do into that of your character.  It still needn’t be a lengthy treatise, but it should be fully thought out and ready for further development in roleplay.

Strengths and Weaknesses (if applicable): 
Just like people, some dragons are especially good or bad at certain things.  Maybe they’re more agile because they’re smaller, or stronger because they’re larger, or have more stamina because they’re stubborn.  Conversely, they could be slower than average because they’re lazy or not as good at visualizing coordinates because they’re not very smart.  I’m sure you get the idea.  Again, this is optional, and if nothing leaps out at you from their Appearance or Personality, or from your character conception, then feel free to leave it blank and see what comes out during roleplay.

Pets 

The concept of ‘pets’, as most of us understand it, is all but unknown on Pern.  While the idea of a close companion who asks nothing from you save a little food and affection is very compelling to people who live very hard and responsible lives, the simple fact is that valuable resources are unlikely to be wasted on an animal that provides no useful service.  As such, only the most spoiled and egocentric Holder would have the sort of pampered house pet that we are familiar with.  Instead, the Pernese tend to form attachments to particular work animals, a herding canine or runner for instance, or to animals that share their habitat and have become semi-domesticated through long association, such as a feral feline or song avian.  Firelizards also are considered pets; please consult the rules for firelizards if you wish your character to have one.  Most people would not have ANY pets, but if you wish your character to be one of the ones that do, please limit yourself to no more than five.  In the event that you do have more than one, the majority should typically be of the same species, such as a pair of canines or a few felines from the same litter.

Name: 
There are no rules for the naming of pets.  Some people are very practical in this regard and others quite whimsical; names such as Chipper, Black, Lucky, Lao, Schafer, Nuzi, Tussi, Sweetcane and Quee are all perfectly acceptable.  Try not to use a name that has already been used (like the examples cited above) if possible, to make list keeping easier, but no one’s going to burst a blood vessel if you mess up.

Species: 
There are several types of animals that can be used as pets on Pern, some of which we don’t even know about yet.  Firelizards, of course, are a perennial favorite, as are canines (dogs), felines (cats) and runners (horses).  Other familiar animals that could conceivably become pets include caprines (goats), ovines (sheep), bovines (cattle) (collectively referred to as herdbeasts), and various hunting or song avians.  Not so familiar animals that are also suitable as more exotic pets include whers, tree whistlers (sort of like a large, six-legged tree frog), tunnel thieves (a six-legged proto-mammal similar to a ferret), or the exceedingly rare tunnelsnake.  If none of these are to your liking but you still wish a pet of some sort, feel free to invent a new species, pending BoD approval, so long as you observe the rules of Pernese fauna.  All native Pernese animals (those not transplanted there by the original Colonists) have six limbs, compound eyes, and green ichor for blood, and very few bear fur, being more reptilian in appearance; also, any new species should be relatively small, generally no bigger than a housecat.  It should be noted that fish of all species are considered an excellent source of protein, not companionship.

Gender or Colour: 
In the case of the draconics (firelizards and whers, both lesser cousins of the dragons), color indicates gender and is thus sufficient in and of itself for this field.  For non-draconics, please indicate whether your pet is male or female.

Age, Appearance and Personality:  
These too are fairly self-explanatory and require little in the way of additional explanation.  Unless there’s something unique about your pet, you don’t need to get crazed with the Appearance or Personality, just give a general idea of how they look and act.