Fort Hold

External view of Fort Hold during the 6th Pass from the Dragonriders of Pern book, "Nerilka's Story".

Introduction
Fort Hold is Pern’s first hold on the northern continent and occupies a massive cliff-face looking out over the Fort River near the Western Range. Opened as a result of the Crossing, the Hold is able to house thousands within the fastness of its stone walls. Due to its age and size, Fort is commonly looked to as one of Pern’s most eminent and tends to hold a strong position at Conclave.

Fort Hold as seen from above, from the "Dragon Lover's Guide to Pern"

Fort Hold, From Above

Situated a short distance, but over rugged terrain from Fort Weyr and just a short walk from the Harper and Healer Halls, the Hold is known for its cultivation of fabric-producing crops and some hardwood exports. Something of a fashion center on Pern with a high percentage of weavers in its coverage area, including the WeaverCraft’s main hall, many interesting styles of clothing tend to come out of the Fort region.

Current Leadership
Lord Esraval (NPC)
Lady Isobel (NPC)
Steward Hesren (NPC)
Headwoman Mavina (NPC)

Geography

Climate

Economy

History
From The Atlas of Pern:
Although relatively close to Ruatha, Fort Weyr is much closer to Fort Hold: “only about two miles as the crow flies, but fairly inaccessible.” Fort Hold was the first human habitation in the Northern Continent, but after the dragons bred by the Ancient grew too large to be house in the Hold, Fort Weyr — the first of the great Weyrs — was established in a nearby extinct volcano. The cone was damaged, however, when “an earthslide had rampaged down the range, broken through the southwest part of the Weyr and into the lake.”

Fort Hold was named by the Ancients for the protection they hoped to gain in “the natural caves of the northern mountain ranges”. The planning of Fort Hold was rather haphazard, “thrown together as a temporary accommodation after the Crossing” from the Southern Continent. The haste accounts for the strange configuration of some of Fort’s passages, such as the “steep, circular, and narrow … blind stairways of which Fort had more than its fair share. The Ancients had been fond of them in the construction of the first holds as auxiliary access between levels of what were, essentially, natural caves.”

The natural caves which house Fort are in a familiar cliff formation — a palisade. Telgar and Half-Circle also occupy palisade cliffs.

Sources:
McCaffrey, A. (1987). Nerilka’s Story. Del Rey: New York.
Nye, J., with McCaffrey, A. (1988). The Dragonlovers Guide to Pern. Del Rey: New York.
Wynn Fonstad, Karen. (1984). The Atlas of Pern. Ballantine Books: New York