Post by Pi on Feb 6, 2008 14:22:02 GMT 3
This game is based on Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. It is recommended that you read at least one of these books before joining the RP.
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It is 300 turns since AIVAS was discovered, and the Red Star was averted from Pern's orbit forever. AIVAS was destroyed shortly afterwards, and its wealth of technology soon forgotten as the methods to develop it disappeared.
The dragonriders' numbers had diminished over the turns, with golds rising less frequently and clutches becoming smaller. Golds themselves became more scarce, until there was never any more than two at any Weyr; some Weyrs, such as Benden and Igen, lost their last queen without her having laid a replacement, and found that the best solution was for the riders to split up and join the other remaining Weyrs.
And so it went, until there were only two Weyrs left, comprising of immigrants from the others - tropical Ista, and cold High Reaches. Between the two Weyrs there were only four queens, two in each, though High Reaches had only one fertile queen.
One morning, a fisherman noticed a gleam of red on the horizon. Putting it down to nothing other than a rosy sunrise, he noted it in his log and thought nothing further of it. That was, until he noticed a sudden storm up ahead - a storm like no other he'd ever seen, in all his years. In a panic, he sent his firelizard back to Ista Hold with a note of what he'd seen; and it was the last that was heard of him.
Shipfish reported to their Holds in a frenzy, claiming that thread had returned, and was falling over the sea.
The dragonriders were roused - but what could they do? Mining for firestone had hardly been a priority, and so supplies were low. The riders themselves had never trained for such an event, and the chaos was evident in the quickly formed wings that scrambled to fight from both Weyrs.
Casualties were high as thread was met over Ista Hold. Where 232 riders rode out, only 102 returned. Much of the lush foliage beneath was taken, as were the cattle and other beasts unable to find cover in time. In short, Pern's emerald isle was a ravaged mess, with only the rocky slopes of Ista's volcanic weyr protecting it from a similar fate.
Devastated, Ista and High Reaches did not know what to do. They knew that a flight like Lessa's epic one through time would be unfeasible; there were no records of the Weyrs disappearing again, and so they knew it hadn't been done. With only one clutch on the Sands of Ista, there was no hope of replenishing the riders that had been lost in time to meet another Fall.
It was with heavy hearts that the two remaining Weyrleaders, K'ral of Ista and T'bin of High Reaches, called together the Holds, including the refugees of Ista. Together, they decided that a mass exodus was the only option, with everyone setting sail for the Southern Continent as soon as possible.
Dragons worked overtime to ferry passengers and goods to the long-abandoned Southern Weyr, while every possible vessel was filled with as much precious cargo as it could carry. Women and children were sent ahead to set up their new home, while the men stayed behind to load everything necessary to them.
As much as could be saved was. Grain, crops, animals; all were loaded aboard boats or dragons. Luckily, there were no more threadfalls to hinder the efforts.
In Southern, things were crowded and difficult. Living quarters had been hastily constructed. Former Lord Holders went looking to find their new domains, and spread out across the continent to look for likely stakeholds.
The most disturbing thing, though, was that thread had returned, and, left unchecked, had destroyed the Northern Continent. Southern, being seeded with grubs, managed to survive. The Holders made new dwellings for themselves.
And the Weyrfolk? They found an island, with an extinct volcano, perfect for a new home. It's not a huge island, but there's just enough room to grow some minimal crops, and there are enough natural features to adapt it into a Weyr just like home. They called it Castaway Weyr. The only main difference was that the adapted hatching cavern seemed to always have a funny smell, which the Miners put down to volcanic gasses seeping up through the sands.
Fifty years on, and thread is still falling in sporadic patterns. The dragonrider numbers are still not up to strength, though they are slowly but surely getting there.
Five turns ago, something unusual happened. Gold Palriniath, the only remaining queen at this point, rose to mate and laid a fine clutch of 32 eggs. Some of them were even quite large, bringing the weyrfolk to hope that there would be a gold egg among them.
When the day for the hatching came, they were right - there was a gold egg. She hatched, and impressed to Myr, becoming her Capricath. What was to follow, though, really shook things up.
There were still three large, queen-sized eggs on the sands, after Myr had impressed. These were the last to hatch, as if they wanted to be sure that all eyes were on them. As they began to crack, they certainly drew attention; from one, a tiny purple dragonet appeared, and chose former Lower Caverns girl Pi as her lifemate. The two others hatched out small black dragons, one who impressed a young man (K'eld), and the other a girl.
While it was obvious that these were no runts, their appearance shook not only those in the Weyr, but the rest of the Continent.
The biggest shock was yet to come, though. The first to rise to mate was Pi's purple Miracath. Although tiny, smaller than an average green, she was chased by the Weyr's bronzes, browns and blues, and it was a bronze who eventually caught her.
Two sevendays passed, Capricath also rose, and was also caught by bronze.
Six sevendays later, and Miracath, who was looking decidedly plumper than usual, made her way to the hatching sands and promptly laid eight eggs. Though, not being broody, she left them on the sands to harden on their own. Capricath soon went in to lay her own clutch - a solid 20 eggs - and began brooding over both sets of eggs.
The word on everyone's lips though is what will become of Miracath's clutch?
*******************************************************
It is 300 turns since AIVAS was discovered, and the Red Star was averted from Pern's orbit forever. AIVAS was destroyed shortly afterwards, and its wealth of technology soon forgotten as the methods to develop it disappeared.
The dragonriders' numbers had diminished over the turns, with golds rising less frequently and clutches becoming smaller. Golds themselves became more scarce, until there was never any more than two at any Weyr; some Weyrs, such as Benden and Igen, lost their last queen without her having laid a replacement, and found that the best solution was for the riders to split up and join the other remaining Weyrs.
And so it went, until there were only two Weyrs left, comprising of immigrants from the others - tropical Ista, and cold High Reaches. Between the two Weyrs there were only four queens, two in each, though High Reaches had only one fertile queen.
One morning, a fisherman noticed a gleam of red on the horizon. Putting it down to nothing other than a rosy sunrise, he noted it in his log and thought nothing further of it. That was, until he noticed a sudden storm up ahead - a storm like no other he'd ever seen, in all his years. In a panic, he sent his firelizard back to Ista Hold with a note of what he'd seen; and it was the last that was heard of him.
Shipfish reported to their Holds in a frenzy, claiming that thread had returned, and was falling over the sea.
The dragonriders were roused - but what could they do? Mining for firestone had hardly been a priority, and so supplies were low. The riders themselves had never trained for such an event, and the chaos was evident in the quickly formed wings that scrambled to fight from both Weyrs.
Casualties were high as thread was met over Ista Hold. Where 232 riders rode out, only 102 returned. Much of the lush foliage beneath was taken, as were the cattle and other beasts unable to find cover in time. In short, Pern's emerald isle was a ravaged mess, with only the rocky slopes of Ista's volcanic weyr protecting it from a similar fate.
Devastated, Ista and High Reaches did not know what to do. They knew that a flight like Lessa's epic one through time would be unfeasible; there were no records of the Weyrs disappearing again, and so they knew it hadn't been done. With only one clutch on the Sands of Ista, there was no hope of replenishing the riders that had been lost in time to meet another Fall.
It was with heavy hearts that the two remaining Weyrleaders, K'ral of Ista and T'bin of High Reaches, called together the Holds, including the refugees of Ista. Together, they decided that a mass exodus was the only option, with everyone setting sail for the Southern Continent as soon as possible.
Dragons worked overtime to ferry passengers and goods to the long-abandoned Southern Weyr, while every possible vessel was filled with as much precious cargo as it could carry. Women and children were sent ahead to set up their new home, while the men stayed behind to load everything necessary to them.
As much as could be saved was. Grain, crops, animals; all were loaded aboard boats or dragons. Luckily, there were no more threadfalls to hinder the efforts.
In Southern, things were crowded and difficult. Living quarters had been hastily constructed. Former Lord Holders went looking to find their new domains, and spread out across the continent to look for likely stakeholds.
The most disturbing thing, though, was that thread had returned, and, left unchecked, had destroyed the Northern Continent. Southern, being seeded with grubs, managed to survive. The Holders made new dwellings for themselves.
And the Weyrfolk? They found an island, with an extinct volcano, perfect for a new home. It's not a huge island, but there's just enough room to grow some minimal crops, and there are enough natural features to adapt it into a Weyr just like home. They called it Castaway Weyr. The only main difference was that the adapted hatching cavern seemed to always have a funny smell, which the Miners put down to volcanic gasses seeping up through the sands.
Fifty years on, and thread is still falling in sporadic patterns. The dragonrider numbers are still not up to strength, though they are slowly but surely getting there.
Five turns ago, something unusual happened. Gold Palriniath, the only remaining queen at this point, rose to mate and laid a fine clutch of 32 eggs. Some of them were even quite large, bringing the weyrfolk to hope that there would be a gold egg among them.
When the day for the hatching came, they were right - there was a gold egg. She hatched, and impressed to Myr, becoming her Capricath. What was to follow, though, really shook things up.
There were still three large, queen-sized eggs on the sands, after Myr had impressed. These were the last to hatch, as if they wanted to be sure that all eyes were on them. As they began to crack, they certainly drew attention; from one, a tiny purple dragonet appeared, and chose former Lower Caverns girl Pi as her lifemate. The two others hatched out small black dragons, one who impressed a young man (K'eld), and the other a girl.
While it was obvious that these were no runts, their appearance shook not only those in the Weyr, but the rest of the Continent.
The biggest shock was yet to come, though. The first to rise to mate was Pi's purple Miracath. Although tiny, smaller than an average green, she was chased by the Weyr's bronzes, browns and blues, and it was a bronze who eventually caught her.
Two sevendays passed, Capricath also rose, and was also caught by bronze.
Six sevendays later, and Miracath, who was looking decidedly plumper than usual, made her way to the hatching sands and promptly laid eight eggs. Though, not being broody, she left them on the sands to harden on their own. Capricath soon went in to lay her own clutch - a solid 20 eggs - and began brooding over both sets of eggs.
The word on everyone's lips though is what will become of Miracath's clutch?