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The Weyrs of Pern

The Weyrs are the home of Pern's renewable air-force. The non-capitalization; "weyr" applies to a shelter in which a single pair - a dragon and his rider - live. "Weyr" as a proper noun, stands for a collective of weyrs and the surrounding pasture and land that support a colony of between 200 and 500 dragon and rider pairs. The Weyr, a mysterious place to most Pernese, is where the dragons are born and live out their lives, ceaselessly training in the art of threadfighting.

Operations of a Weyr:

Parts of A Weyr:

Lower Caverns:
Hatching grounds
Underground: stores, archives, beneath main complex
Main complex, cooking, dining and social halls
Guest lodging
Bathing cavern (branches from scrubroom. people are either morning or evening bathers, this is the busy time of day)
Scrubroom (laundry, dishes, any job requiring excessive wate use...)
Work Shop (connected to scrubroom)
Infirmary
Drudge's caverns
Fosterling's/Weyrbrat's barracks
Weyrlings' barracks

Grounds:
Outcropping building, grounds: Candidates lodgings
Water 
Pasture
Stables
Firestone pits
Land fill (human waste, and the few things that get thrown away)
Star Stones


Upper  Caverns
1st tier:

  • Senior Queen weyr - private bathing

  • Weyrleader's weyr - private bathing

2nd tier: Wingleaders and Wingseconds - may not be connected to LC
3rd tier: Other weyrs - not connected to LC

Weyrfolk:

The weyr isn't inhabited solely by individuals who are bonded to dragons... (Copied from pern.wikia:)


"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. Lower Cavern staff are often the grown children of dragonriders. 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. They are lead and organized by a headwoman, who is usually ranked just under the weyrleaders in authority."

Dragonriders:
  A dragonriders primary purpose in life is to protect Pern from Thread. See "Threadfighting." Nowhere on Pern is overlooked by the watchful Dragonriders, with their constant sweeps of the land, and dedication to the Holds. 

Weyrleader:
  A bronze dragonrider who is in charge of the Weyr's fighting force and who shares authority with the Weyrwoman over how the Weyr associates with Holds and Halls. The Weyrleader is decided when his bronze catches the senior queen in her mating flight.

Weyrwoman:
  The Weyrwoman is rider of the Senior female Queen and her responsibility is to the health of the Weyr and to keep records in her leadership. She also plays the ambassador to the other Weyrs and delegates responsibilities to the Junior Queens. The Weyrwoman is replaced when she dies or her Queen fails to mate due to old age. The next Queen to rise is the new Weyrwoman. 

Headwoman:
  Ever hold has a "Headwoman," and while her duties may be similar, the Headwoman of the Weyr is not only overseer to the Lower Caverns, she is the primary assistant of the Wyerwoman. Managing the Weyr is a full time job for the Headwoman - and even a dragonrider would be wise not to impede her work. Weyrlings, Candidates and fosterlings are also employed alongside lower caverns staff to do chores as she delegates.
 

Fighting Wings, Wingleaders and Wingseconds:
  The Wingleaders and their two Wingseconds are bronze and brown riders whose exceptional understanding of threadfighting tactics has given them the task of coaching 30 or so dragons of a fighting wing in a Fall, and relaying orders from the Weyrleader. The larger colors cannot reach the higher levels of a fall, where thread is most dense without a greater risk of being scored. From a safer distance, the Wingleaders, Wingseconds and Weyrleader can observe and direct the attack.  Wingleaders keep an observant eye on the individual dragons in their fighting wing. Wingseconds are usually browns who are a part of the fighting levels who report to the Wingleader about what is happening from a closer vantage point. They can alert the Wingleader that a dragon is showing signs of fatigue or having other issues.

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Jr. Queenriders and the Queen's Wing: 
  Young Jr. Queenriders assist the headwoman on most days. They are also additional eyes and ears of the Weyrwoman, observing the activities of the lower caverns and reporting on the treatment of the staff and condition of things. The Headwoman may delegate tasks to the Jr. Queenriders, to prepare them for the time they may be in charge of the Weyr, but she must always be respectful of the gold-riders. One or more Jr. Queenriders may be assigned to the position of Storekeeper or Archivist/Recordkeeper. Queens fly in the Queen's Wing, led by the Weyrwoman, which patrols lowest and safest tier of a threadfall. They catch thread the upper levels miss. Because golden dragons cannot flame, their riders burn the thread with flamethrowers.

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Archivist and Recordkeeper:

  This individual tends the records and ensures that any borrowed are returned. Essentially a librarian. Traditionally it is Jr. Queenriders who actually write the records. Weyrharper's songs and daily observations often make it to the Archives as well. Sometimes, the Archivist is a queenrider herself, though sometimes a harper serves well in the position.

 

Weyrharper: 

  This person is a general educator, and spreader of news and information. His job is to keep tabs on everything going on and spin a story or song about it to present during any gathering - usually meals. Wyerharpers have stock tunes which can be authentic to the harper or classic and they often use these to tell jokes, and sing ditties that celebrate births, or tell of recent or upcoming events. A song which is composed of a completely unique tune is called a ballad.

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Weyrhealer: 

  This individual may tend to dragons but their usual job is to treat humans. Dragonriders have an uncanny ability to avoid falling ill, and due to it's rarity, the weyrhealer is sometimes referred to as the Lower Caverns Healer by Weyrfolk, since that is typically where he or she practices their craft.

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Dragonhealer: 

  The title of Dragonhealer is earned by all gold riders, as their education focusses on medical knowledge, while other riders are focussing on threadfighting. Another member of the weyr who is fit to train gold riders in medicine, or shares equivalent knowledge in healing, may also be called a Dragonhealer.


Weyrlingmaster:
  The Weyrlingmaster's role is extremely important and perhaps as difficult as the Weyrleader's. He is chosen for this lifetime role by the Weyrleader and Weyroman. He must be experienced dedicated and considerably sound, for Weyrlings die for various reasons - usually before or just after joining a wing due to betweening errors.

Candidates:
  Candidates are "searched" from various major holds, crafthalls and cotholds by the Weyr. Children chosen by the dragons to be candidates are not necessarily the strongest, they don't have to be the brightest, and dragons don't care about looks. What qualifies them is something unseen and un-detectable to humans. This gift  pertains to neither personality nor character, and is the initial qualifying trait to enable a hatchling dragon to impress them. While the candidate lives in the Weyr waiting to impress, they are expected to do hard work. The Weyr does what it can to ensure that a child's code of ethics is well established if they are to become a dragonrider. A child's character is proven once he or she has successfully impressed the dragon, for the creatures rarely make "mistakes." Read More About Candidates.

Weyrlings:
Weyrlings were formerly candidates, and who now have impressed.  They are new Dragonriders with the long journey ahead of learning how to work leather for gear and straps, ride, fight thread and most especially, the daunting task of caring for their new lifemate as they rapidly grow tens of feet in length.

Weyrbrats:
It is a sad reality that dragonriders have little time for parenting, as comitted as they are to patrolling, political duties, practice, chores, and all the care and attention a dragon demands. They must rely on a third party to be there for children born in the weyr.  The weyrborn offspring of riders and weyrfolk. These children normally end up being Candidates, but they don't always impress. They are fosterlings of the weyr and while they often know and are guided by their parents, they are primarily cared for by one or a few foster parents. They will shadow one adoptive parent, or be cared for alongside other weyrbrats communally, by the designated foster mother, depending on the current customs of the era/Weyr.


Lower Caverns Staff: (The details of some of these positions will vary from Weyr to Weyr.)
  The Weyr's other inhabitants consist of support staff who reside in the lower caverns. These people were often born and raised in the weyr, the fosterlings of riders and ex-Candidates. Not one member of the weyr's populace is missing a title or job. Positions among the lower caverns staff are:

 

Head Assistants - One or a few individuals chosen by the headwoman to run the errands she's simply to busy to

Storekeeper - A person assigned to haggle over all items taken from the stores to ensure that no more than what is needed leaves the storeroom

Weyrcooks - This is a team of chefs, assisted by a team of weyrbrats and candidates

Laundrywomen and Laundrymen - The weyr produces tons of dirty laundry in one day, weyrbrats and candidates also assist in this

Maintenance Crew - replacing glows, cleaning, fixing things, etc...

Hall Patrollers - Sometimes weyrlings or usually a mature member of lower caverns staff. These individuals never leave their assigned hall, until relieved by their replacement at the end of shift

Dishwashers - a chore for weyrbrats and candidates, overseen by a Head Assistant, or a Wyercook.

Groundskeeper - This individual tends grass, keeps up the appearance and function of the weyr

Groundsmen - These people run the errands of the Groundskeeper and assist in large jobs like digging, moving firestone and tools etc...

Beasthandler - This person maintains the health of herdbeasts and any other helpful animal found in a Weyr. 

Weyr Day:

This is the general hourly breakdown of the Weyr on a macro scale. Each member of the weyr has their own unique duties to perform during the day. More strict schedules apply to candidates, drudges, weyrbrats, and weyrlings. Dragonriders can dodge some of these responsibilities but they are encouraged not to.​​


1st hr - Waking: (a period to pursue morning rituals, chamber pots - everyone does this, it's shameful in the weyr to forget - washing, dragon care)
2nd-4th hr - Breakfast and Rally: directions from Weyrwoman and Weyrleader, news and songs from Weyrharper (Drudges are up before anyone else, though usually participate during the Rally after preparing breakfast)
4th-5th hr - Morning Class, Personal Duties: before any hard physical work so minds are sharp
5th-8th hr - Morning Chore: includes preparation of lunch, more lessons for some, and free time for those without schedules who avoid the Headwoman
8th-10th hr - Lunch: harper playing music, siestas are traditionally taken in some weyrs around this time
10th-11th hr - Second Class, Personal Duties
11th-13th hr - Evening Chores: Includes preparation of dinner
13th-15th hr - Dinner and Rally: harper recaps on the day's events
15th-17th hr - Games: on certain days, the weyr will observe sports activities participated in by varoious Fighting Wings and Weyrlings. Sometimes other weyrs are invited.
17th-19th hr - Evening Study: essentially time to do homework
18th-24th hr - Lights Out: night hours, though sleeping is only enforced for Weyrbrats, Candidates and Weyrlings.

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Visit a Weyr:

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