Ranks | Simon's CA-Archive23

Dragonriders

Weyrwoman: leader

The Weyrwoman is typically the rider of the eldest fertile gold in the weyr. She is appointed by her dragon being the first gold to mate after the previous Weyrwoman retires, and serves until her dragon stops mating or dies which makes replacing an incompetent Weyrwoman difficult without full cooperation of the weyr. She is the ultimate authority on all matters pertaining to housing, food, the raising of children, the training, organization and discipline of staff, and the day-to-day living requirements of the dragons and their riders. Additionally, she is responsible for relations to other weyrs, holds, and crafthalls. Most of her duties are administrative, delegating responsibilities to her Headwoman (or Headman) and junior goldriders.

Junior Goldriders: hunter or scout

Junior goldriders, of which there are typically 1-3 at a time, are assistants to the Weyrwoman. Their primary duties are record-keeping, lower-level diplomatic duties, training gold weyrling pairs, and fostering teenagers likely to rise to a leadership position within the weyr. This provides them with important experience for future leadership positions, as each junior pair may become the next Weyrwoman on very short notice.

Weyrleader: hunter or scout

The Weyrleader is the rider of whichever dragon last mated with the Weyrwoman's dragon. If a Weyrwoman and the other riders like a particular dragonrider, he is likely to remain Weyrleader for a long time. Some Weyrleaders specialize in food management (hunting) while others specialize in diplomacy (scouting) but are expected to manage dragonriders who do both.

Dragonriders: hunter or scout

Dragonriders, grouped in wings of 12-22 individuals, make up the bulk of the dragonriding population. Wingleaders, chosen by the Weyrleader, are in charge of managing a wing with the help of 1-2 wingseconds. Weyrlingmasters, chosen by the Weyrleader, are in charge of training and disciplining weyrlings. They are expected to have a lot of experience and thick skin because as many as 25% of all weyrlings may die before the end of their training.

Weyrlings: apprentice

Weyrlings are young dragon-rider pairs learning from the Weyrlingmaster or from a junior goldrider how to care for their dragon, airborne maneuvers including going between, behaviors expected of dragonriders, and other such things. After the Ninth Pass, weyrlinghood was extended to five or more turns to allow for additional education.

Crafters

Healercrafters: healer

Healercrafters are professional doctors who train to use modern medicinal and surgical tools. They often work closely with non-Craft healers to create medicine and salves. Weyrhealers specialize in caring for dragonkind.

Farmercrafters, Woodcrafters: gatherer

Farmercrafters are professional agriculturalists and botanists, and typically specialize in crop plants.

Woodcrafters are professionals engaged in the cultivation, harvest, and usage of trees. They work closely with woodsmen, non-Crafters who work in forestry.

Beastcrafters, Fishercrafters, Tannercrafters: hunter or fisher

Beastcrafters are professional veterinarians and animal breeders. Most work with livestock but some work with canines, draybeasts, felines, and runnerbeasts.

Fishercrafters are professional shipbuilders and many captain transport ships. They hire sailors as crew.

Tannercrafters are specialists engaged with crafting leather items for practical and decorative use.

Glasscrafters, Smithcrafters: warrior

Glasscrafters are specialists engaged with crafting glass items for practical and decorative use.

Smithcrafters are professional engineers and mechanics. They work to create new technology for Pern and are the origin of several sub-Crafts.

Harpercrafters, Starcrafters: scout

Harpercrafters are teachers, musicians (composers, instrumentalists, and singers), archivists, and spies. They are often employed to teach children the laws, ballads, and history of Pern. Drummers are specialists who work in drum towers to communicate in morse code across holds.

Starcrafters are professional astronomers and rocket scientists. They work closely with weyrs to detect and deflect threats from space, plan and build spaceworthy vessels, engage with the satellites above Pern, and study the stars.

Weyrfolk

Headwoman/Headman: gathering chief

The Headwoman or Headman is the Weyrwoman's primary assistant. They are responsible for managing the weyrhold staff, including the cooking, cleaning, maintenance, and fostering staff, and facilitates the apprenticeship of children.

Lower Caverns Staff: gatherer

The Lower Caverns staff includes anyone who lives in the weyr and is not a rider or crafter. This includes the cooking, cleaning, and maintenance staff. Some individuals are known as "craft helpers" if they work closely with Crafters but are unable to or choose not to receive the specialized higher education.

Fostering Staff: substitute caregiver

The Fostering staff cares for children while their parents work.

Candidates & Testers: tester

When a child turns 8, they begin trying out different professions to see which one they would prefer. At 13, if they have been determined to have telepathic potential, they are invited to Stand as Candidates. Occasionally, outsider Candidates with telepathic potential are brought into the weyrhold. Most will Stand at no more than two hatchings before apprenticing to a Craft or into the staff if they do not Impress a dragon.

Weyrbrat: child

Weyrbrat is an affectionate term for weyrhold children. As children are typically fostered within a year of their birth, they grow up in cohorts. Many marriages are made between cohort-mates.

Retirees: elder

Retirees are riders, Crafters, or weyrfolk who have become too frail to continue with their duties. Dragonriders will also retire if their dragon dies and will often advise the Weyrwoman and Weyrleader.