Weyrlinghood

On these webpages, you’ll find all of the basic information that you need for Weyrlinghood at Fort Weyr. When in doubt, the outline below and links through to each month’s page are a touchpoint for you to come back to if you need to know anything about what stage the dragonets are expected to have reached and what your reponsibilities as a Weyrling are. The RL dates for each week are posted in the outline and on the monthly pages.

Outline

This outline is a high-level view of Weyrlinghood at Fort, week by week.
This cycle, the Weyrlinghood will start on Hatching Day, immediately after the hatching and will run for approximately 16 weeks.

Month 0 – Bonding, Butchering & Basic Care

  • Dragon age: 0 days to 1 month
  • RL Dates:
  • Move into the Barracks right after the Hatching
  • Bonding between weyrling and dragonet as the pair get to know each other better
  • Sleep deprivation from frequent feedings and constant cleanup after dragons
  • Learn to salute
  • Learn to butcher a herdbeast carcass to feed your dragonet
  • Learn the basics of dragoncare including feeding, bathing, oiling and dealing with common young dragon ailments such as thicktail and tonguebites

Month 1 – Exercise & Dragon Anatomy

  • Dragon Age: 1 month – 2 months
  • RL Dates:
  • Dragonet sensitivity decreases a little
  • A regular, structured schedule begins to be applied with the weyrling day broken up between morning exercise and afternoon lecture
  • Morning calisthenics are added to your daily routine
  • The afternoon general lecture focuses on dragon anatomy and learning all the parts of a dragon
  • Other classes offered include lessons in general etiquette, Weyr history, and harper catchup classes for those weyrlings who need remedial assistance with reading, writing and arithmetic.

Month 2 – First Aid, Mentors & Hunting

  • Dragon age: 2 months – 3 months
  • RL Dates:
  • Dragonet sensitivity continues to decrease as bond becomes more comfortable
  • Morning laps and sandbag tossing are added to the exercise routine
  • Basic First Aid for both dragons and humans is the focus of some classes
  • Dragonets begin hunting for themselves on foot
  • Weyrlings start studying and memorizing wing formations in preparation for ground drills
  • Rider mentors are assigned to each weyrling. Weyrlings are encouraged to talk with their mentors, ask questions and may seek extra practice and training with their mentors

Month 3 – Etiquette, Self-Defense & Gliding

  • Dragon age: 3 months – 4 months
  • RL Dates:
  • Laps and calisthenics are now a part of the daily routine along with ever-increasing loads in those sandbag tosses and stretching exercises for dragonets
  • The first walking ground drills are introduced during morning exercises.
  • Rider Etiquette is taught with a specific focus on rank, hierarchy in the Weyr and the proper modes of address for riders of different ranks towards holders and crafters
  • Self-defense and basic weapons training will also be provided in the afternoon and builds somewhat on etiquette training and the appropriate times to use these techniques
  • Dragonets begin short, supervised glides across the Bowl
  • By the end of the month, dragonets are able to fly comfortably around the Bowl
  • Weyrlings start examining straps and learning the theory of strap-making

Month 4 – Ground Drills, Full Hunting & Straps

  • Dragon age: 4 months, – 5 months
  • RL Dates:
  • Walking ground drills are a regular feature of morning exercise
  • Weyrlings begin mounted ground drills in addition to other classes
  • Weyrlings start putting together their first set of straps
  • Weyrlings continue to practice self-defense and are expected to demonstrate proper etiquette as regards rank around the Weyr
  • Dragons hunt from the air and can fly short distances around the Weyr’s general area

Month 5 – Flying Together & Weyrs

  • Dragon age: 5 months – 6 months
  • RL Dates:
  • Weyrlings should complete their first set of straps for inspection
  • Strap inspection will take place in preparation for mounted flight
  • Weyrlings and dragons take off for their first flight together early in the month
  • Weyr tour: weyrlings are taken around on a tour of the vacant weyrs available.
  • Weyrlings log their weyr preferences with the Headwoman who works with the Weyrlingmaster and Weyrwoman to make final weyr assignments, then prepares the weyrs for occupancy with her staff.
  • Weyrlings get their measurements taken for riding leathers and get two sets of ‘working’ leathers from Stores with the headwoman.
  • Intimacy restrictions are lifted

Month 6 – Elevator Duty & Flying Long

  • Dragon age: 6 months – 7 months
  • RL Dates:
  • Drills migrate to the air
  • Weyrlings begin to be assigned elevator duty as each dragonet gets strong enough to carry more than one person.
  • Weyrlings may fly long anywhere between Fort Weyr and Fort Hold and within a radius equal to the distance between the Weyr and the Hold, or about 15 miles
  • Weyrlings begin learning visualizations using the Star Stones, the Tooth Crag, the Landslide and other points of reference around the Bowl
  • Weyrlings get one set of new leathers from the Weavers, paid for by the Weyr, based on measurements taken last month.

Month 7 – Firestone, Flamethrowers & Air Drills

  • Dragon age: 7 months – 8 months
  • RL Dates:
  • Afternoon classes will focus on learning about firestone and the theory behind flaming
  • All weyrlings will learn how to operate and maintain a flamethrower
  • Air drills take the place of ground drills in the morning
  • Weyrlings start studying more advanced wing formations
  • Weyrlings begin learning visualizations from around the general Fort area including the Hold, Fort Sea and Ruatha Hold.

Month 8 – Between

  • Dragon age: 8 months – 9 months
  • RL Dates:
  • Weyrlings apply the visuals they’ve been learning to make their first jumps Between
  • Weyrlings begin practicing long distance jumps using visuals providing by the weyrlingmaster team.
  • Weyrlings may leave the Weyr accompanied by a weyrlingmaster to practice Between jumps.
  • Weyrlings may leave the Weyr unaccompanied
  • Flaming rope drills begin this month with the weyrlings applying what they’ve learned in ground and aerial drills to actually flame ropes out of the skies. Group sessions might take the form of an actual played rope drill including floured ropes that weyrlings must flame from the sky.

Month 9 – Mating Flights

  • Dragon age: 9 months – 10 months
  • RL Dates:
  • One on one and small group talks about mating flights start this month and last throughout.
  • Precocious males may start chasing with OOC clearance from the WLM-team.
  • Weyrlings my fly Between to proven visualized destinations unaccompanied.

Month 10+ – Weyrling Duty & Weyrling Wing

  • Dragon age: 11 months – 13 months
  • RL Dates:
  • All classes are replaced with an even division of drilling in the morning and duties in the afternoon
  • Weyrlings are allowed to leave the Weyr alone and to jump Between to proven visualized destinations
  • Weyrling Duty includes: elevator duty, messenger duty, transport duty, watchrider duty
  • Weyrlings continue to drill with the Weyrling Wing
  • During Weyrwide Threadfall simulations, the Weyrlings fly re-supply
  • Every weyrling is assigned to a regular wing to shadow during the wing’s regular drills and sometimes to a specific rider to shadow that rider on sweeps

In the event of game downtime, please check the main page of this website (http://fort-weyr.net) or the Fortlings Livejournal (http://fortlings.livejournal.com) for announcements and you may also join us on TOOMush (too.logrus.com 6660) in the NorCon Refugee area or Fort RP rooms.

If you have any questions or need anything game-related from your WLM-team, please drop us a +mail on the game. If you have questions about this website, please +mail T’rev or if the game is down, you can reach me via email to mecaith AT gmail dot com.

– Fort’s Weyrlingmaster Team