WT1

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

Lakeside Weyr

Weyrling Training

Weyrling Training Guide

Thanks to Morlevan Weyr for this guide

First Month

During this month, dragonets do little more than eat, sleep, and grow! Weyrlings have to make sure that they do not overly cosset the dragonets - no carrying them around - and weyrlings have to make sure that the dragonets get some exercise every day.
Weyrlings also have to make sure that the dragonets do not overexert themselves. Swimming in the weyr lake is encouraged after the first sevenday.
Sevenday 1
- Dragonets Hatch!
- Bathing and oiling the young dragons. (Learn to watch for peeling/stretched hide)
- Lessons on feeding. (Not letting dragonets overeat)
- Basic health. (Overeating, biting the tongue, wrenched wings, overstretched muscles, and other injuries as they occur)
- Dealing with dragon-induced emotions.
- Learning not to strain the dragon/rider bond. (This includes learning how to "vent" emotions, and learning to live with another being in your mind. Each pair will have their own way of dealing with one another.)
- Weyrlings shown the table(s) at which they will sit during the main meals and special functions in the dining hall.
- Weyrlings are assigned a group "name." This is helpful when there is more than one clutch of weyrlings being trained.
Bathing, oiling, and feeding - (in that order!) - will be done every day for the first five months. The reason for the order of events is simple: After they are fed, dragonets fall asleep. It is very hard to thoroughly bathe and oil something that outmasses you!
This is not to say that spot oiling and cleaning cannot be done after your dragonet has fed, (some of them are awfully messy!), it's just that the thorough scrubbing and oiling that all dragonets require must be done prior to feeding.
Sevenday 2 - Bathing and oiling the young dragons.
- Basic health. (Lessons on dragonhealing conducted by the dragonhealer in the Weyr.)
- Resumption of chores. (All those fun things you did as a Candidate!)
Sevenday 3 - Continuing lessons on dragon health.
- Physical training. (Sparring and knife fighting lessons are available for those who are interested. Knife fighting is done with wooden practice blades, which are also used if two riders need to "settle their differences," and cannot resolve the matter any other way.)
Some form of physical fitness will be expected of all weyrlings; the instructor will repeat over and over than dragonfolk do not draw live steel for any reason other than to defend their lives. Dragons die when their riders die. This is the most important lesson to be learned at this time.
Sevenday 4 - Activities continue as in the weeks before. (Caring for the dragonets, attending the Weyrlingmaster's lessons, and doing assigned chores.)

Second Month

Dragonets continue to eat, sleep, and grow, though they are starting to show more and more interest in their surroundings, and their mental voice is already starting to mature.
- Human first aid, taught by the weyrhealer. (Cuts, burns, breaks, etc.)
- Weyrlings are assigned to their first set of trios. (These trios will be assigned a specific chore, to get them used to working in team situations. Weyrlings will be assigned to new sets of trios several times; goldriders are included at this point, though this will change later in the training.)

Third Month

The dragonets have reached 15% of their total size by the beginning of this month. Daily exercise is now mandatory, though duration is often short, due to the sleeping habits of the dragonets. Weyrlings are repeatedly told that unless they encourage them, their dragonets would probably never exercise at all, (dragons tend to be lazy!).
All lessons this month are handled with the weyrlings in trios, with adjustments to the trio assignments for personality, strengths and weaknesses handled by the Weyrlingmaster.
- Begin firestone drills!
- Selecting and judging firestone ore. (A miner is brought in for this lesson, lasting a sevenday.)
- The Dragon Toss. (Weyrlings are trained how to throw and catch full bags of firestone. Beginning tosses are done with bags full of something other than firestone, and at short distances,less than a quarter dragonlength. Note: Dragons cannot fly yet. The Dragon Toss is practiced from the ground.)
- Sizing of firestone. (Learning what is considered "bite-sized.")
- Breaking stone down to size. (A miner is present.)
- Bagging of firestone. (Learning how much stone is needed to make a "full" bag.)
- Question and Answer drills. (Quizzes on what's been learned.)
The "Dragon Toss" takes time and skill to perfect. It is not busywork -- in Threadfall, it's vital to be able to either toss a bag of firestone to a rider in need... or to catch one, when you've run empty. In Threadfall, this could mean your life! Though our characters are now in an Interval, they know that preserving these skills could mean life or death for the generations to come.
Ladies especially should be aware: Gender will not spare you from this training! Your upper arm strength will be developed. All riders of fighting dragons are expected to be able to toss a full bag of firestone a full dragonlength, (the size of an adult green dragon.) This might be hard for the female dragonriders, but no allowance will be made. They'll be worked extra time, if necessary, to develop their strength to the point where they can manage this feat. (If they can't, female Candidates will have to be restricted to golden eggs only.)
Even though gold dragons never chew firestone, the goldrider weyrlings are included in this training as part of their preparation as future weyrwomen. The Dragon Toss also helps build stamina and reflexes, as well as creating the team spirit that is vital to a healthy, well-run Weyr.
Special Note: Drilling will take place no matter what the weather is. (The only exception is if the elements are hazardous to the health of the weyrlings, i.e., lightning storms, etc.) Since Thread is flown in all kinds of weather, the weyrlings have to get used to being out in all kinds of weather.
Even though Thread drowns in heavy rain and freezes in snow and sleet, some can get through, so light wings are flown during Threadfall even in the worst conditions.

More Months

WARNING: This group does contain some graphic posting. They are however labeled with a PG 13 warning. We request that you be at least 16 to join, though exceptions can be made. For more info on this please look at the Writing Requirements.

Navigation

Home
Records
Characters
Club Rules
Join

Mail to..

Members
BoD
Contact Webmaster
Links

Blah

All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright© Anne McCaffrey 1967,2000, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author. The Dragonriders of Pern® is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited.

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws