Frequently Asked Questions

General FAQ

1.) What is Pern? What is this all about?

Pern is the third world from the star Rukbat. It has been colonized by humans, who bred dragons to combat the areal menace, thread. We suggest that you read at least one of Anne McCaffrey’s DragonRiders of Pern© books before you join.

2.) What do I have to do to join Atora Weyr?

You want to join? Great! Fill out a persona sheet using our Join Form, after reading the rules and history (and preferably lots more, but those are the only essentials). Then, subscribe to our Yahoo! Groups mailing list.

3.) Is there a limit to the number of personas you can have?

You may only join with one character. Provided your first month of roleplay has gone well, you may apply for further personae afterward. There are no set limits on the number of characters allowed, but if we feel that any member is struggling to maintain activity with all of his or her characters, we may apply restrictions on number on an individual basis.

4.) So, how many of them can be ranking personas?

When you join, you will probably not get a ranking persona as your first, unless the sheet is exceptional. No one can join as a Goldrider, and bronzeriders and female greenriders will be limited to one per person. See the rank requirements page for further information.

5.) I’m confused. What do PbeM, LOA, NPC, PC, RL, IC, OOC, ONPC and RNPC mean?

PC stands for played character. They are actively owned and used personae.

NPC stands for Non-Played Character. Actually, they’re personas that anyone can use when posting. Just try not to weave them into major plots – don’t fall in love with them, have them attempt to murder someone, etc.

PbeM means Play – By – Email. That’s what we are, and you have to have an email address to join.

LOA stands for Leave of Absence.

RNPC means Reserved NPC. These are NPCs that can only be used with BoD permission.

ONPC means Owned NPC. These personae are generally related somehow to their owner's active PCs and can only be used by others with their owner's permission, just as with regular PCs.

IC and OOC stand for In Character and Out of Character.

RL means real life.

If there are any more terms you’re confused about, email the BoD at atora-bod@yahoogroups.com

6.) I want to join the BoD - how do I do this?

Joining the BoD is not like joining the club. You have to be unanimously voted in by the BoD members, and we'll only approach you if there's both a need for an additional BoD member and if you've proved to be an exceptional writer and helpful member. Go to the BoD page for more information.

7.) Are there requirements if you want a ranking persona?

Glad you asked. Yes, there are, because if you want rank you have to work hard, both in real life and Pern, and we can’t have a Weyrleader who’s never around to lead, now can we? Again, go to the rank requirements page and check them out.

8.) What kind of creatures may I have as a pet?

Weyrfolk may have firelizards as pets, and are among the most likely to have them. No dragonrider will possess any other sort of mammal, and it's unlikely that a member of the Lower Caverns will possess an animal other than a firelizard as a pet - the Weyr being a semi-military organization, most dogs and cats will be working animals. The Weyrguards keep a Wher.

Among the holds, only the very wealthy will have firelizards in general, though those who spend a lot of time along the coast may get lucky. Domesticated animals like dogs and cats are more common, though again, they're frequently also working animals. A miner or a Hold guard might keep a Wher. Just a note: we're disregarding any Todd McCaffrey "canon" on the matter of Whers. Think Lessa at Ruatha, not Wind Blossom and Dragonsblood.

9.) May I have a Metallic Wher?

If you send in a short essay to the BoD outlining why you want one and what you intend to do with it, yes. Better be a good reason, though.

10.) Can I have a Gold Dragon/Flitter?

Only when there is a hatching, or if the BoD holds a contest for one and you win. You may not join with one.

11.) What happens if I have to abandon my poor computer or lose internet access?

If you’re going somewhere, or aren’t going to be able to access your email, send a note to the mailing list announcing your pending LOA. Include why you’re going, when you’ll be back, and, if you’ll be gone over a month, what you want done with your ranking characters, who may be needed in up-coming plots. You may either assign them to the BoD or to another writer in the club, with that writer's permission.

12.) What if I join, and then discover I don’t like this, or don’t have enough time?

If you’re going to quit, please tell us, and inform the BoD whether you want your personas killed off, adopted out, or turned into NPCs. If you disappear and suddenly return six months later, no, you may not have your personas back, and you probably won’t be getting rank any time soon.

Setting FAQ

1.) How does Pern differ phyisically from Earth?

As far as physical features go, not much - Pern is an acronym, standing for Parallel Earth, Resources Negiligable. There are mountains and oceans and valleys and forests and beaches just as on earth. Terran creatures, such as horses, cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, and dolphins (runners, bovines, ovines, caprines, canines, felines, and shipfish) were brought to Pern with the colonists. Plants, such as wheat, fruit trees, berry plants, herbs, and spices were also brought; however, there is no coffee or tea - drink klah instead! Pernese creatures include tunnelsnakes, wherries, vtols, trundlebugs, packfish, fingerfish, and, of course, the draconics - firelizards, whers, and dragons.

2.) What books are relevant to this game?

Dragonflight, Dragonquest, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern, Nerilka's Story, The Harper Hall Trilogy, and the beggining of The Renegades of Pern reflect the Pernese setting that this club roleplays in. All the Weyrs of Pern is not relevant, and neither are any books dealing with the Post-AIVAS world. This game is an alternate-Ninth Pass game, in which there have been no long intervals.

3.) Are there dolphineers in this Pern?

Nope. Dolphins remain the mysterious, playful, enigmatic shipfish of the earlier novels; while some sailors may attest to their ability to talk or their intelligence, most dismiss these as tall tales.

4.) What about Telekinesis? And going between times?

Telekinesis is out; while dragons may be unlikely aviators according to modern physics, and may fly mostly through telekinesis, the Pernese don't know about this, and the dragons don't either. Going between times happens, but only rarely; generally, knowledge of this phenomenon is restricted to goldriders and senior bronzeriders. As this is a major plot, and a nightmarish disturbance of the space-time continuum, the BoD will probably only approve going between times once in a blue moon.

5.) What is the status of women on Pern?

After the devestating plague in the Sixth Pass, women were more useful for breeding than as crafters or dragonriders. Conditions have improved in these times, but it is still a common prejudice that women are not equal to men, and that women should not impress fighting dragons. In Atora, women can impress Gold and Green. While other clubs allow female blue and brownriders, we do not. Female greenriders are rarer than the males, and are usually scorned, as they are generally not considered equal to males, in mental and physical ability. Atora is more liberal than some, but expect to find plenty of chauvinism. Female greenriders have a special status - while there are no extra writing requirements, each member may only have one female greenrider.

Technology FAQ

Is AIVAS ever going to be discovered in this club? Will there ever be old-earth technology on our Pern?

answer is no on both counts. Atora's Pern has medieval level technology. There is no electricity, no gas or steam powered engines, no means of travel save by foot, on the back of an animal or dragon, or by sailing ship. Fandarel's invention in Dragonquest of a "telegraph" machine is out, but the original flamethrowers still exist, not having died out over the (nonexistant, in our setting) long intervals.

2.) How good is medical treatment on Pern? What is the status of the Healercraft?

Healing is fairly advanced compared to the rest of Pern; herbs and sensible treatment promoted by the Healing Hall are far in advance of the quackery of the middle ages. A much higher level of cleanliness and lack of fear of baths, for example, are marks of the improvements. Advanced surgery, however, along with treatment for cancers or plagues, and knowledge of the human body on the cellular level, are all beyond the current level of medicine. The main Healer Hall is located in Fort territory, in the same complex as the Harper Hall; there is no Southern Healing hall, though many healers have residence in the Weyr and holds.

3.) How do the Pernese get heat, light, and energy?

Coal mines in the Northern Continent, along with hardwoods and some mineral oils, provide heat as well as light for the Pernese. Light also comes in the form of glows, a phosphorescent, cave-growing moss. Candles are used for light as well, but rarely, and are made from rendered animal fats. There is very little machinery on Pern, as it is an almost exclusively agricultural society, but energy for mills to grind flour comes from wind. Wind power also fuels most boats and ships that travel long distances. Tools such as the plow and wagon have not been lost.

4.) How do the Pernese keep records? Do they use hides, or paper?

The Pernese write very, very few books and almost none of a non-technical manner; stories are told by harpers, in the form of ballads. Musical scores, as well as records, are usually written on hides. This is due to the scarcity and high value of wood for much of Pern's history. Forests are a hazard in threadfall, and so few have been allowed to remain; that wood is used for furniture, boat, wagon, and decorational purpose first, paper last. This means that records often deteriorate - hides rot, grow moldy, and deteriorate. Messages that need to last for centuries are sometimes carved in stone, to prevent rapid deterioration. In the south, due to the huge forests, paper making is more common, especially at Jinani Hold. Hides are still the more common form of record-keeping, however.

Posting FAQ

1.) What format is does this club use for roleplay?

This is a PBeM - a Play-By-Email. Messages are sent by individual players, through their email lists, to the yahoogroups address, AtoraWeyr@yahoogroups.com . This mailing list sends the message to all list members, who then read the messages. Posting is done in both full and round-robin format. Full posts are complete stories, done either as solos or as coposts, in which two writers collaborate off-list to write a complete story. Round-robin posts are usually shorter, and can be replied to in a faster-paced style, as they are sent to the main list and replied to in individual messages.

2.) When should a post be considered full? When should I make a piece of writing into a full post?

Full Post format is appropriate for standalones longer than three or four paragraphs, as well as roleplays between several characters in a private setting, i.e., a rider's weyr or sleeping chamber. If you wish to have a private roleplay between yourself and another writer, consider making it a full post if it will be closed to outside participation. Remember to submit it with the appropriate tags and signature, found on the rules page.

4.) Can I use other people's characters when writing a post?

No. It is considered extremely rude to pose - use another person's character without permission - as it may go contrary to the author's wishes or thoughts about the character's personality. Powerplaying - controlling another person's character during a post - is also forbidden. Powerplaying entails writing out a character's actions or reactions during a post.

Here's an example. B'ob belongs to writer one, and Mary-Sue belongs to writer 2. See how writer one is controlling Mary-Sue? -

"B'ob walks into a room, and sees Mary-Sue. He walks over to her and sits down near her. He says, 'Hello, Mary-Sue,' and laughs when he sees her blush."

Powerplaying can be anything from writing a character's response to a greeting, to writing out a blow-by-blow account of how your character destroyed someone else's character, without consulting the writer.

5.) So, can I kill of my character/someone else’s character/ an NPC?

You can kill off as many of your characters as you want; they are yours, after all. Other people’s characters can only be killed with their owner’s permission. It wouldn’t be very nice if someone went up to your B’ob and knocked him off, now would it? NPCs can be killed only if you have BoD permission, seeing as someone else might want to use them.

6.) If this club were a movie, what rating would its roleplay get?

Atora Weyr's roleplaying lists operate on a PG-13 level. No extreme, graphic violence or explicit sex, then, on the main lists - though you're welcome to play that out, privately, in loving detail. If there's enough demand, we may at some point set up an adult list.