Post by lithle on Dec 21, 2010 20:50:43 GMT -5
When Thread ended, people rejoiced; feasts were had, people danced as if to taunt the absent star, dragons were revered for doing such a good job for so long. Some waited for the return, worried the efforts taken were not enough, that somehow, the red star would be back.
The worry proved to be in vain; Thread never returned. For a hundred turns, Pern prospered. Crafthalls flourished, without the fear of Thread hanging overhead, people flocked to new futures, from Weyrs and holds alike. Those who impressed cared exclusively for the dragons for two turns and either stayed at the Weyr, joined Weyrholds, or returned to the Crafthalls to finish their education, with their dragons in tow. Crafthalls added special buildings to accommodate these new 'rider/crafters'. Golds alone were expected to remain in Weyrs, though many dragonriders found themselves settling back at a Weyr eventually, dragons preferring the company of their fellows.
A hundred turns of peace.
Then, Crackdust.
Like many unsavory things in life, Crackdust started with the best of intentions. Healers found a way to concentrate the fellis plant and put it into a powdered form to be snorted by people with chronic and intense pain. It worked, too well, as the majority of users quickly became addicted to the euphoric feelings the powder created.
Reports of violent crimes rose. The more innocent masses were confused as to why so many bad things started to happen. When the toll became too high, twenty-five years after the creation of the drug by then known as 'Dust', a council was called. Leaders of Weyrs, Holds, and Crafthalls met to discuss ways to deal with Dust and it's effects.
They banned Dust from all public or private use and like any drug, Dust hit the underground and hit it hard. Not all healers are moral creatures, and even without their help, there were enough laymen who now knew how to create the drug. Dust continued to filter through and crimes maintained their upward trek.
To fight against the rampant drug use and escalating crime, the Dragon Watch was created. They became the justice system in Pern, policing the people, capturing the 'bad guys', and deciding their fates. While all colors were encouraged to join, the Watch quickly made it known they would uphold the more traditional 'color bias' and preferred male riders to females. All Weyrs, Holds, and Halls either contributed to or supported the Dragon Watch, seeing it as one more battle for the dragons to help them with.
The Watch helped some with the crime. What it did not do was provide an outlet on what to do with the criminals. The old ways no longer provided as much threat. What was exile without Thread? And they could hardly kill everyone who committed a crime. Some places attempted to create their own miniature prisons, hold a few of them at a time. Fourty-seven years after the creation of Dust a wise Weyrwoman finally threw up her hands and said, "We aren't equipped."
The future prisoners themselves built Warden's Weyr. A tired and aging V'tya of Bronze Yusuth was placed as Warden. Guard duty in such a bare and basic joke of a 'Weyr' was seen as punishment for subpar, insubordinate or otherwise disappointing riders.
Warden was less than impressed when a deformed gold was placed to the Weyr for appearances sake, a turn and a half after it's opening, the authorities saying that any gathering like the Warden's Weyr needed a gold to help control things. The gold by the name of Semith never attempted to Rise as she was crippled and presumed sterile. Warden also believed (believes) that the female was mentally handicapped. She was, in his eyes, a waste of a glittering hide. Meanwhile, Semith's rider, Leshta, saw the transfer as an insult to her dragon and simmered with not so quiet rage.
Prisoners sentenced by the Dragon-Guard poured in, as did Crafters and other dragonless personnel that wanted a different life. They agreed to work as commanded in order to make the prison operate. So many came that Warden V'tya requested more riders to contain them.
Whers were sent along with their handlers and a 'donor clutch' from several different dragon Queens. Small eggs for smaller breeds but they were dragons. Crafters and staff alike stood and twelve of fourteen impressed. Two small greens betweened.
Not even a turn later, Semith Rose. ... Sort of. Having one working wing meant she could not fly so when Semith became proddy, she Ran like a Wher. Only a few chased after her but in the end the one who caught and mated with Semith was a small blue by the name of Mordath, dragon to a common, low status guard.
No one cared too much at first, save for the fact a blue 'flew' a gold making a bluerider the figurehead Weyrleader. There were plenty who had objections to that. But no one minded too much until Semith grew egg heavy and clutched.
Chaos ensued.
The prison guards and staff found themselves torn on what to do about the clutch. Some wanted to kill them. What good could come from a damaged gold and a blue? Others wished to allow them to hatch and Impress. they were, after all, dragons. They'd only be blue or greens, everyone was sure, small fast dragons awfully useful for catching escaping prisoners.
Weyrlingmaster L'vey begged the Warden to allow the eggs to live and, more than that, allow the prisoners to stand.
'They are not all bad," he said, "Dragonets could die. They don't impress bad people.'
The Warden agreed on two conditions: only the non-violent and mentally sound would Stand and that the Weyrlingmaster would take sole responsibility. If the Weyrlings turned bad, L'vey himself would have to cripple their dragons.
L'vey, being himself, agreed.
The hatching of the eggs led to quite a few shocks. The first were the dragons themselves. Grays, a yellow, a pink and an opal were among the regular colors. The second, and in some way more troubling surprise, was just how many criminals impressed.
It was later discovered that the irregular dragons could harm a human. This was kept utterly secret, only two or three people know and they're not sharing.
And then it happened. Jessan, a mindhealer, came to the Weyr. She seemed nice enough. She certainly made plenty of friends. But she also organized and put into motion a massive breakout. Over thirty prisoners escaped. Two dragonriders and a number of wherhandlers left with them. The Warden was killed. Now, the Outlaws try to survive in the jungle while Warden's tries to pull itself together in the wake of the escape.
The worry proved to be in vain; Thread never returned. For a hundred turns, Pern prospered. Crafthalls flourished, without the fear of Thread hanging overhead, people flocked to new futures, from Weyrs and holds alike. Those who impressed cared exclusively for the dragons for two turns and either stayed at the Weyr, joined Weyrholds, or returned to the Crafthalls to finish their education, with their dragons in tow. Crafthalls added special buildings to accommodate these new 'rider/crafters'. Golds alone were expected to remain in Weyrs, though many dragonriders found themselves settling back at a Weyr eventually, dragons preferring the company of their fellows.
A hundred turns of peace.
Then, Crackdust.
Like many unsavory things in life, Crackdust started with the best of intentions. Healers found a way to concentrate the fellis plant and put it into a powdered form to be snorted by people with chronic and intense pain. It worked, too well, as the majority of users quickly became addicted to the euphoric feelings the powder created.
Reports of violent crimes rose. The more innocent masses were confused as to why so many bad things started to happen. When the toll became too high, twenty-five years after the creation of the drug by then known as 'Dust', a council was called. Leaders of Weyrs, Holds, and Crafthalls met to discuss ways to deal with Dust and it's effects.
They banned Dust from all public or private use and like any drug, Dust hit the underground and hit it hard. Not all healers are moral creatures, and even without their help, there were enough laymen who now knew how to create the drug. Dust continued to filter through and crimes maintained their upward trek.
To fight against the rampant drug use and escalating crime, the Dragon Watch was created. They became the justice system in Pern, policing the people, capturing the 'bad guys', and deciding their fates. While all colors were encouraged to join, the Watch quickly made it known they would uphold the more traditional 'color bias' and preferred male riders to females. All Weyrs, Holds, and Halls either contributed to or supported the Dragon Watch, seeing it as one more battle for the dragons to help them with.
The Watch helped some with the crime. What it did not do was provide an outlet on what to do with the criminals. The old ways no longer provided as much threat. What was exile without Thread? And they could hardly kill everyone who committed a crime. Some places attempted to create their own miniature prisons, hold a few of them at a time. Fourty-seven years after the creation of Dust a wise Weyrwoman finally threw up her hands and said, "We aren't equipped."
The future prisoners themselves built Warden's Weyr. A tired and aging V'tya of Bronze Yusuth was placed as Warden. Guard duty in such a bare and basic joke of a 'Weyr' was seen as punishment for subpar, insubordinate or otherwise disappointing riders.
Warden was less than impressed when a deformed gold was placed to the Weyr for appearances sake, a turn and a half after it's opening, the authorities saying that any gathering like the Warden's Weyr needed a gold to help control things. The gold by the name of Semith never attempted to Rise as she was crippled and presumed sterile. Warden also believed (believes) that the female was mentally handicapped. She was, in his eyes, a waste of a glittering hide. Meanwhile, Semith's rider, Leshta, saw the transfer as an insult to her dragon and simmered with not so quiet rage.
Prisoners sentenced by the Dragon-Guard poured in, as did Crafters and other dragonless personnel that wanted a different life. They agreed to work as commanded in order to make the prison operate. So many came that Warden V'tya requested more riders to contain them.
Whers were sent along with their handlers and a 'donor clutch' from several different dragon Queens. Small eggs for smaller breeds but they were dragons. Crafters and staff alike stood and twelve of fourteen impressed. Two small greens betweened.
Not even a turn later, Semith Rose. ... Sort of. Having one working wing meant she could not fly so when Semith became proddy, she Ran like a Wher. Only a few chased after her but in the end the one who caught and mated with Semith was a small blue by the name of Mordath, dragon to a common, low status guard.
No one cared too much at first, save for the fact a blue 'flew' a gold making a bluerider the figurehead Weyrleader. There were plenty who had objections to that. But no one minded too much until Semith grew egg heavy and clutched.
Chaos ensued.
The prison guards and staff found themselves torn on what to do about the clutch. Some wanted to kill them. What good could come from a damaged gold and a blue? Others wished to allow them to hatch and Impress. they were, after all, dragons. They'd only be blue or greens, everyone was sure, small fast dragons awfully useful for catching escaping prisoners.
Weyrlingmaster L'vey begged the Warden to allow the eggs to live and, more than that, allow the prisoners to stand.
'They are not all bad," he said, "Dragonets could die. They don't impress bad people.'
The Warden agreed on two conditions: only the non-violent and mentally sound would Stand and that the Weyrlingmaster would take sole responsibility. If the Weyrlings turned bad, L'vey himself would have to cripple their dragons.
L'vey, being himself, agreed.
The hatching of the eggs led to quite a few shocks. The first were the dragons themselves. Grays, a yellow, a pink and an opal were among the regular colors. The second, and in some way more troubling surprise, was just how many criminals impressed.
It was later discovered that the irregular dragons could harm a human. This was kept utterly secret, only two or three people know and they're not sharing.
And then it happened. Jessan, a mindhealer, came to the Weyr. She seemed nice enough. She certainly made plenty of friends. But she also organized and put into motion a massive breakout. Over thirty prisoners escaped. Two dragonriders and a number of wherhandlers left with them. The Warden was killed. Now, the Outlaws try to survive in the jungle while Warden's tries to pull itself together in the wake of the escape.