Wings
Fort Weyr has seven wings, the following are descriptions of the temperament and habits of each wing, though they may change somewhat as their leadership does.
Citrine Wing (Queens)
Wingleader: Cirse and gold Peirith
Wingseconds: Hattie and gold Elaruth, a rotating ’second from the current riders making up the wing.
The queen’s wing is made up of the Weyr’s golds and an ever-changing collection of other riders. Usually employing simpler formations, fewer drills and no sweeps, it is often included pairs returning to duty after illness or injury, giving them time to regain their strength before rejoining their usual wing. Because the queen’s goes between far less frequently than the other wings, pregnant riders often join during their second trimester. Due to the transitory nature of so many of its riders and the fact that goldriders have many other duties, Citrine wing forms only loose bonds and tends to have an overall ‘good enough’ attitude.
Agate Wing
Wingleader: Cariel, brown Borzeth
Wingseconds: Sh’vaul and blue Prenth, Liira and green Sesmiloth.
Agate was a ‘light’ wing until the reshuffle of Turn 20 when it’s color ratio was balanced with more bronzes and browns brought into the wing. ‘Seconds Sh’vaul and blue Prenth and Liira and green Sesmiloth split the generation gap, with Sh’vaul a veteran of the last Pass and Liira who Impressed out of Zaiventh and Zibeth’s clutch and rose through the ranks rapidly due to the high age-related attrition rate in the wing. Agate has perhaps more than its fair share of older riders and while drills themselves are regularly scheduled and kept up, a high percentage of the wing is used on other duties such as watchriding and message delivery. Many of the weyrlings currently finishing up training wind up in Agate due to the large number of vacancies, which creates some tension between older ‘traditionalists’ and younger ‘experimental’ riders who are looking at Interval duties from a different perspective than their veteran counterparts.
Carnelian Wing
Wingleader: W’don and bronze Atrath
Wingseconds: N’set and bronze Byeth, Ysmila and green Saverenth.
Carnelian is an evenly composed wing, with a good number of bronzes and browns to balance out the usual complement of blues and greens. The ‘Seconds reflect this spread, with N’set on bronze Byeth and Ysmila on green Saverenth. The age spread of the wing is also pretty even with a few older riders who mostly do watch duty either at the Weyr or out in the coverage area, many veterans and a good number of up-and-coming ‘youngsters’ be they a few turns out of Weyrlinghood or true greenhorns. Carnelian’s wingleader prides himself on his blend of hard work and fun, with no-nonsense drills, that are regular but spread out across the week every other day. Carnelian only drills three days a week. There’s a good amount downtime in the wing and plenty of group activities, trips out of the Weyr, gaming and other fun pursuits.
Flint Wing
Wingleader: T’rev
Wingsecond: G’fry and blue Boulonth, second slot vacant.
The wing has an opening for a ‘junior’ wingsecond since Aleine, brown Havroth’s, was promoted to wingleader of Hematite. The wing’s tactics are divided evenly between Thread-fighting practice and Interval-oriented duties. Flint has an established poker night in Fort’s bar, usually the fourth day of the week and frequent intra-wing competitions, with the focus being on agile maneuvers and running obstacle courses in the fastest time possible. As the Interval really gets going, T’rev seems to be orienting some of his riders more on hold outreach and seems to be picking more riders who have a footing in hold politics. More about Flint, including days off etc.
Hematite Wing
Wingleader: Aleine and brown Havroth
Wingseconds: Ol’vae and brown Siurith, Loya and green Isrimath.
Once led by harried bronzerider J’ki and his Utmeth, the wing passed to the management of Aleine, former wingsecond of Flint. Level-headed and inspirational, Aleine has been whipping Hematite back into shape after turns of poor management. Until Turn 20 when the wings were re-balanced, Hematite suffered from an above average number of older riders and very few ‘professional-class’ 30-somethings. The wing shuffling led to a much better balance of ages, though Hematite still has a lot of veteran riders and is still on the ‘heavy’ side with a fair few browns and bronzes and the blues are on the larger side. Wingsecond Ol’vae is a hardline drill sergeant type whose style is a very poor mesh with the younger riders in the wing. As of the wing shuffle, he’s now balanced out by 20-something, bouncy whippernsapper Loya and her green Isrimath. The atmosphere in the wing has settled out with veterans taking mentoring roles to their younger counterparts. Drills are held consistently, four days a week with the fourth drill day devoted to team-building exercises. The wing seems to be aligning towards transport duties.
Jasper Wing
Wingleader: C’ston and bronze Shimroth
Wingseconds: Mistella and blue Vairoth, Yu’bin and brown Tairionth.
Jasper is a mixed wing with a phalanx of bronzes and browns led by the wingleader and a tight-knit alternating formation group of blues and greens. The ’seconds each lead a ‘mini-wing’ of mixed blues and greens within the overall wing, effectively making them wingleaders in their own right. Jasper’s wing-within-a-wing approach is considered by some to be a little bit nuts, by others a prime example of team-based leadership. Discipline is firm but fair and with most of the riders knowing each other for turns, with only a few younger ones rotating in after every hatching. Loyalty and respect keep the wing running well. Watching Jasper perform traditional wing formation maneuvers is usually a breathtaking sight due to the wing’s attention to detail and precision timing. As a wing, Jasper is probably the toughest on new riders, with the least welcoming attitude, until the ‘rooks’ have proved up. Once the bar has been passed though, Jasper makes every rider ‘one of its own’.
Malachite Wing
Wingleader: Taria and green Bayerth.
Wingseconds: Marei and brown Ivrilath, Zh’ue and blue Virth.
Malachite used to be a ‘light wing’ with a high proportion of greens, but since the wing-reworking of late Turn 20, the wing has been balanced better, though the number of greens remains a little higher than blues and browns. Taria is in her 30s and very steady, but steers the wing with what some might see as a slightly ’softer’ hand that’s more oriented on teamwork and teambuilding. Some of the older riders in the wing may at times refer to former retired wingleader, bronzerider J’bar ‘fondly’ hearkening back to days of strict discipline. Speed and agility remain the hallmarks of this wing. Two days a week they drill ‘traditional’ methods and one day a week, they’ve taken to drilling search and rescue techniques as being the best fit for their particular abilities.
Obsidian Wing
Wingleader: T’kyn and bronze Dargonath
Wingseconds: TBD
Obsidian is currently undergoing more changes after running through several wingleaders over the past few turns. Former Weyrleader R’uen established an experimental feel in the wing, trying out new approaches to traditional drills. Former wingleader bronzerider D’kai helped to work on camaraderie and set a slightly more informal atmosphere in the wing prior to transferring to the South for reasons that remain unknown. Former wingsecond N’kan apparently didn’t want the wingleader’s knot and punted when it was offered. R’lis and bronze Istoreth then took over the wing and made a complete hash of the job with rumors running wild that he was about to be replaced when T’kyn’s Dargonath flew Peirith. The new Weyrleader recently took command of Obsidian and is pulling the wing back into shape.
Sandstone Wing
Wingleader: T’rien and brown Cavoth
Wingseconds: P’vit and green Druvith, F’vel and brown Saulienth
Sandstone has developed a reputation for being a somewhat innovative wing. Non-traditional, challenging, ready to bend the rules a bit to improve itself overall – these are the qualities that define Sandstone. T’rien as wingleader insists upon discipline among his wingriders, despite the wing’s reputation for bucking the trends. He thinks of himself as a fresh thinker and prides himself on the ability of his wingriders to adapt to his ideas. Anyone who cannot conform to this approach, who fusses and fights change when presented with it does not usually last long in Sandstone. T’rien is a firm, but understanding, Wingleader: what he expects from his wing, he also expects from himself. While the attitude of Sandstone may appeal to mostly younger riders, the wing is a surprisingly even mix of differing ages and dragon colors.
Quartz Wing (Weyrling)
Wingleader: Weyrlingmaster or rotation of weyrlings.
The weyrling wing is made of the of the weyrlingmaster staff and the weyrlings in their charge. During the early months of weyrlinghood is it largely non-existent as the young riders and their lifemates learn the ropes. After the weyrling dragons are flight ready, the wing begins to operate as any other wing, with regular drills and sweeps preparing its riders for the rest of their lives. During threadfall, they regularly serve as the resupply wing; in the interval, they take that role in training exercises for the rest of the Weyr, and sometimes practise the types of sweep, rescue, and transport mission that the other wings undertake as their regular work.