Post by Ichigo on Apr 2, 2011 12:38:58 GMT -5
Fifteen years. It took fifteen years for the colony ships to reach the planet known only as Pern in the Rukbat system and land upon its surface. Plans had been made and carried out as best as they could in order to get everyone safely there on this one-way trip. The colonists succeeded in that area, coming to claim the planet as their own. This would be a place to start over, a new beginning for all six thousand of the colonists. A place away from the strife, pollution, and worries of the Federation. A chance to make sure their planet started out the right way without the interference of Earth in a system that people cared little about. They carried with them their ideals, morals, families, and hope.
However, barely eight years passed since Landing when disaster struck. The first Threadfall. Thread, which would devour everything and anything organic that it could as it fell from the skies. Scientists worked through the night in order to study the menace. A meeting was called for at the place known as Landing, the settled area that had sprung up around the original landing site of the ships and the leaders, Admiral Paul Benden and Governor Emily Boll put in charge of the central administration once more. Several more Threadfalls would occur before Kitti Ping began working on a solution that would impact the planet for centuries and centuries. She would take the dragonets’ DNA and manipulate it into something bigger and able to communicate better with the humans. Kitti Ping would make the dragons.
More Threadfalls came and went. The first group of dragon prototype eggs was created and the second started on. However, Kitti Ping would die before her work was completed as she finished the 42nd egg. Within the next three days, one of the colonists would make an attempt to escape off world with all the riches she had gathered from Pern’s surface. However, she would be foiled by one Sallah Telgar and left to crash into the Red Star. That would be one disaster averted but more were brewing and there was still the ultimate problem yet to be solved. How would the people of Pern protect themselves from Thread?
The only homing capsule would be sent by one Ted Tubberman, completely sure that that was the only way to save them all. However, he would be Shunned, as his actions had been completely outside of everyone else’s opinions. Yet there was an ominous feeling in the air as he left. The arrogant Tubberman’s meddling was not done yet. No, not by far as the first of the earthquakes began. However, he had left behind something positive. Tiny grubs that would be able to devour Thread and protect the crops while supposedly the dragons would protect the dwellings if all went well. The grubs were proven to work as the mature eggs were moved to the first hatching sands in preparation for their hatching. The colonists would wait to see what would become of Kitti Ping’s work. Wind Blossom, Ping’s granddaughter. would take over the project and continue her grandmother’s work.
The first eggs would successfully hatch, impressing to candidates standing between the ages of eighteen years and early thirties. Bronzes, browns, and golds would all find their lifebonds on the Sands that night. This success would soon be clouded by volcanic activity being seen and a volcano erupting. Wind Blossom would continue to work on making new dragon eggs, hoping to produce viable ones like her grandmother as the second year of the first pass of the Red Star would come into being. Later that same year, the first safety harnesses and goggles would be made for the riders as they would make their first Flights. The dragon project seemed to be on track…
Then there would come another hatching. Wind Blossom had made yet another clutch of eggs, hoping that these would succeed in producing what she expected. Four creatures that would be known as watch-whers or just simply whers hatched and did not Impress to any of the candidates that had come to stand for the eggs, expecting dragons. However, one dragon would break out of its shell that day. An anomaly that wasn’t supposed to live, wasn’t even supposed to make it past its development stage. A green dragon stepped gracefully out of her shell but that was not the most shocking thing. No, this dragoness’s hide also bore the tell-tale marks of golden hide, the hide color of a queen. Looking at the girls standing in the Hatching grounds, she would make her way over to one in particular, Hikari Haname. The dragoness’s name was Mertaith. Mertaith survived, strong despite her unusual hide and small size when compared to the other dragons who were all browns, bronzes, and golds. However, there would soon be more trouble on the horizon for Pern.
Mount Pichu, the volcano close to Landing, had begun to smoke and plans to evacuate to Fort in the Northern Continent were announced. However, in the midst of this, Ted Tubberman would come into play again, his bio-engineered cheetahs murdering him and setting loose a menace upon the South. Enhanced with mentasynth like the dragonets, dolphins, and dragons, these felines were deadly, intelligent predators that had turned upon their creator. The evacuation is later ordered but not everyone would go. 10 dragons and their riders would forced to stay behind, including a young gold rider who did not think her queen would be able to make the jump. The group would include the still young gold-green, Mertaith and her rider.
Scouting for a place for a Weyr after the volcanic eruptions, Enae Rinsat and young Gold Hondath would come to the Paradise River and be attacked by felines. Before anyone could do anything, the young goldpair mis-betweened, the only gold in the South lost forever between. The small group of dragonriders would move off from Paradise River to Maori Lake, following a map of the stakeholds. Using a cave system discovered in the nearby mountains, they were able to set up a Weyr and a Hold was later established nearby as some hundred-some people came and gathered there, not being able to be evacuated with the rest of the people in time. Plans had been set up with the North previously to contact the group of riders eventually; but for now, all the people and riders could do is wait.
Two turns passed, Thread was falling as it would and the people struggled to maintain a living in the Southern continent. Then one day, the very first Flight of the Weyr occurred, Mertaith taking to the skies. Mertaith was caught by the brown, Uustath of Hykru Eriskan. Nothing was thought of it for awhile, only remembering the Flight experience in order to take precautions against what had happened during it. However, a surprise would come as the gold-green was realized to be egg-heavy, despite having chewed firestone. Preparations are being made for its laying and its eventual hatching. Candidates needed to be found and that meant the candidate age limit had to be to be lowered from eighteen, right the way down to a mere thirteen. Hikari and Hykru, along with Mertaith and Uustath, had been made the Weyrleaders respectively.
Despite the misgivings of many, that first clutch proved highly successful. Mertaith's clutch was small, at least when compared to what would have been expected from a true gold. Nine eggs lay upon the sands. Those nine eggs would be the saving of the south. When hatching day came, all nine hatched producing several surprises among their number. Mertaith had produced a gold-green daughter, Zeltath. In addition there were two browns, three blue and three greens. Btu even among those more normal dragons there were things no-one had expected as Blue Orvoth chose a woman, Ayana as his rider and Green Illusith taking a boy, Peter, as her rider.
Nearly a Turn later Mertaith rose again, this time choosing Bronze Cheleigamenth as her mate, making his rider Quintin the new WeyrLeader. Once more Mertaith took to the sands, laying upon them eleven eggs. And once more the results of the Gold-green's clutch contained surprises no-one was prepared for, this time in the form of Agate Excalith, a dragon who was part bronze, part brown and part blue, and in the Fire Opal Nepalth, a not especially pleasant tempered dragon whose hide ranged through shades of red and orange.
Lothos, Lord holder of Maori hold, unimpressed with the results of the Dragon Project and with Weyrwoman Hikari in particular, challenged the weyrleadership. For his insolence he was overthrown and his daughter Saerabe took his place as the leader of the hold. Lothos disappeared into the wilds after swearing vengeance upon the riders who had deposed him.
Nearly two turns after Mertaith's fist clutch hatched, the first true greens began to rise. And yet another surprise was in store for the weyr as Green Lyricath took her own place upon the sands. Of the five eggs she lay, only two produced normal dragons, with the rest suffering from strange mutations. Blue Erementh resembled a wyvern of old, completely lacking in front legs, while Blue Alianth and Green Vixeth were neither one gender, or the other, but somehow a bit of both.
Now Mertaith has risen once more. Brown Tamith is her newly chosen mate and his Kn'len the new weyrleader. The next clutching is eagerly awaited but whispers run rampant through weyr and hold about what strangeness might be contained within the shells which are soon to be lain upon the sands.
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Upcoming events:
Dragon Clutch - Gold-Green Mertaith has recently risen and been caught by Brown Tamith. The weyr is eagerly awaiting the coming clutch and candidates of all ages and genders are needed.
Dragonet/Firelizard clutch - A clutch of eggs have been found upon a nearby beach. The contents of said eggs are a mystery. Are they Firelizards? Dragonets? Or perhaps some of both? You'll have to attend the hatching to find out.
Plot - Former Lord Holder Lorthos has not been seen for many months now, but it is certain that he is up to something. The question is what is he up to, and when will he make his move?
Plot - Some months ago the Weyr led an expedition back to Tubberman's holding to collect the thread eating grubs the shunned man created. While there a pack of Tubberman's other creation, metasynthed felines of varying species, attacked the dragons. The felines proved themselves more intelligent than anyone had thought, capable of telepathy similar to a dragon's mental speech. The felines demanded that the dragons leave and left the group with a threat. In three months time they would attack the weyr. Three months have come and gone and now the people of the weyr wait anxiously to see if the felines will hold true to their threat. Is the attack going to come? Or were they empty threats? Only time will tell.
Currently Looking for Bronze Riders, Brown Riders, Candidates (Male and Female), Crafters and Holders