THE WEYRLING GUIDE: The Book by WLM K'synn of Brown Montyseth ************************************************* OVERVIEW & WELCOME Hello, I'm WeyrlingMaster K'synn. Congratulations! You've Impressed a dragonet! That's wonderful. You and your lifemate are going to spend a lot of time together from here on out. There's a few things you should know about weyrlinghood, about what to expect over the next Turn and a half (18 months). The first thing, is that your whole life has just changed. Now you are in charge for caring for a living, breathing, intelligent creature; your lifemate. It's kind of like caring for a baby at first, which means your entire existence revolves around your dragonet, for when its hungry, you're hungry, and when it hurts, you hurt. That's because you and your dragonet share a special bond that links you two mentally, physically, and emotionally. But don't worry, you don't have to go through everything alone, because you're part of a weyrling class, or a clutch. You have other newly-Impressed people to help you out. You'll also attend classes so that you can educate yourself about your dragonet, how to utilize your dragonet's skills, and how you and your dragonet must work as a team with others to fight Thread. Weyrling life is pretty hectic. Farther down the hide you'll see a general daily schedule. Take my word for it that it's just pretty general. Weyrlings Classes are held twice daily and attendence is mandatory. Weyrlings are still required to take part in chores around the Weyr, and if you are part of a Craft, you'll have to dedicate some of your time to the Craft as well. But, first and foremost comes the care of your dragonet. Newly-hatched dragonets require much more care and attention than older ones. A new dragonet needs to eat and be oiled constantly throughout the day, but most of all, it needs your love and attention. You have to develop a bond, a friendship with your dragonet, and you can only do this through good old TLC (Tender Love and Care). Which means when you're not at class, eating, doing chores, or working with your Craft, you're probably with your dragonet. Often, weyrlings try to care for their dragonets in groups so they get a bit of social time with their friends too. It's a good way to kill two wherries with one stone. And when you finally get to go to bed, believe me, you'll be tired. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact myself, WLM K'synn of Brown Montyseth or Assistant WLM Hidie of Green Jubiliath (Tricia- thegoldtigress@hotmail.com or Mary- aqua_fay@hotmail.com) General Daily Schedule - MORNING: Wake at dawn. Bathe, oil, feed dragonets. Dragonets to bed. W'lings breakfast and personal time for 1 candlemark. Class usually for a few candlemarks (this is the one we usually RP unless otherwise specified) Chores (majority of chore work done now) AFTERNOON: Lunch Chores (usually short or light chores) Candlemark or two break to spend with dragonets. Class again for a few candlemarks until dinner (we don't usually RP this, but we will have a few special classes) EVENING: Dinner Personal time (friends, craft, etc) Bed - Lights Out Curfew! ****************************************************** WEYRLING BARRACKS The Weyrling Barracks houses Igen's youngest riders. It is capable of supporting up to 100 dragonets and weyrlings, though most times, many of the weyrs are left unused. Located in the southern portion of the Weyr Bowl, the entrance is directly opposite the Weyrleader's weyrs, in the far north of the Bowl. Through the entrance and to the left is the Weyrlingmaster Office. His Assistants also have their offices there. To the right, is the weyrling classroom, used for a variety of functions. Complete with blackboards and desks, it is where the weyrlings will spend much of their time. The barracks were designed with growing dragonets in mind. Since there are 100 weyrs, 50 are 'green', 25 are 'blue', 13 are 'brown', 11 are 'bronze' and one is 'gold', and are usually grouped together as such, with the larger colors getting the larger weyrs. Since wood is a luxury, doors are just curtains hanging, usually in the 'color' of the weyr. The doors face the outer-most hallway in every case. Each weyr has a couch for the dragon (usually close to the door), a cot for the weyrling, a dresser, a set of shelves, a few pegs, a water basin, and a mirror. They are not fancy, so only a rug or two might lie on the cold stone floor. There are 6 bathingrooms throughout the barracks (shown in blue for men, pink for women) with latrines and bathing pools that are heated by natural springs. Since weyrling class size hardly ever exceeds 50, many of the smaller weyrs are hardly ever used. The WLM might completey forgo the color system and simply group the entire weyrling class in a portion of the barracks so that they are not spread out. There is also a Break Room next to weyr 99, complete with couches and tables for the weyrlings to relax, talk, or study. Current Weyrling Barrack Assignments D'vry & Bz Tiernath - weyr 1 Bran'ic & Bn Riandryth - weyr 2 K'rk & Bn Zenith - weyr 3 R'berto & Bn - weyr 4 Cin & Bn Sith - weyr 74 Zar'a & Bn Rayegliath - weyr 75 Ella & Gn Secadeth - weyr 90 Emalia & Gn Verdaneth - weyr 89 Gabriella & Gn Lyricith - weyr 88 T'ra & Gn Lunarith - weyr 87 Bennita & Gn Rosstarith - weyr 99 Note: There were a total of over 40 eggs for the Double Clutch. While a few were inviable, there are still only 10 PC Weyrlings, which means at least 30 NPC weyrlings of all colors except gold. All Weyrlings, including PCs, are grouped together by color. HW Micha will make sure that the correct color curtain will be over your door shortly! ******************************************************* CLASS GUIDE NORMAL SCHEDULE OF RP's: Weyrling Class One: Basic Care and Triads Weyrling Class Two: Firestone Weyrling Class Three: Dragontoss (Firestone Toss) *Weyrling Class Four: Straps Weyrling Class Five: First Flights Weyrling Class Six: B*tween *Dragonets do not attend the first three classes. May be present for straps (see the specific note for that class) but ARE DEFINITELY present for Class Five. ADDITIONAL CLASSES: (most are not RPed) Aerial Recognition Armscraft: Basic Defense Dragon Communication (class for riders to help them deal with their new partner inside their head) Dragonhealing: Basic Care Dragonhealing: Threadscore (usually work in infirmary after Fall) Dragontoss 2: Aerial (dragons and riders) Drills: Maneuvers, Ground and Aerial (after first flights, dragons too) Goldrider Classes The Gossip Game (dragons only) Hand signals Healing Knots: Making and Recognizing Maps, Holds and Weyrs Mating Flight Class (usually separate for males and females) Proper Chewing of Firestone (dragons and riders) Wing Formation: Standard and Unique Wing Formations Wing Strengthening Exercises (dragons and riders) Class One: Basic Care - This class is always the First Morning after the Hatching. Life begins well before dawn, with the weyrlings waking up to learn how to take care of their lifemates. The first thing is to bathe and oil the dragonets. A full dragonet is a sleepy dragonet, and, with the exception of right after Hatching, that's not what you want when the Weyrlake is close to a mile from the Weyrling Barracks. So, the first thing weyrlings learn how to do is bathe their dragonets in the water using sand from the bottom to lightly scrub away the dead skin. Then they oil the dragonets. Oil jars and paddles can be found in little open storage huts on the edge of the lake that are there with that purpose in mind. Then the weyrlings head back towards the barracks, where the WLM's dragon will have 'breakfast' waiting. The herdbeasts are killed, nothing more. It is up to the weyrlings to cut the meat and feed the hungry mouthes. Then the dragonets are put to bed so the weyrlings can get cleaned up and be in the Dining Hall in time for their own breakfast before they begin the day. Class Two: Firestone - This class begins within a few days of Impression. It is held in the Weyrling Classroom. Firestone of all shapes and sizes fill the various tables in the room. The idea is for weyrlings to learn how to identify good and bad firestone. Good firestone is neither extremely hard or powdery, but rather a good solid stone that can brake into nice pieces fairly easily. A good test is dropping a piece from chin heighth and seeing what happens. If it doesn't brake or it crumbles, it's a bad piece. If is only brakes into a few pieces, it's good. The idea is for weyrlings to learn the texture so that they can begin to identify good stone on sight. The next step is sizing. Generally, for a full-grown dragon, nothing bigger than their eye should be used. Weyrlings use the 'no smaller than your fist, and no bigger than your head' rule since their dragonets are too small to base their decisions on. From this point on, weyrlings are responsible for bagging two to three bags of firestone every day, no matter what. Bags of firestone come in two sizes: large and small. Large bags are used for bronzes and browns, while blues and greens use the smaller. Brown and green ties are used to differentiate the bags. Weyrlings also learn that they are never to get firestone near gold dragons, and that includes the smell that remains on their clothes after they finish bagging. It is believed that firestone renders queens infertile, and no one takes any chances in that regard. Class Three: Dragontoss - Dragontoss is a little deceptive. No one would ever think of tossing dragons around. Rather, in this game, bags of firestone are tossed. Weyrlings start this in their 3rd Month of weyrlinghood. The weyrlings gather in a circle, usually color-coded in some way, and toss the bag(s) about. It is taught that you ALWAYS call out the other person's name and wait for them to give the 'OK' signal before tossing the bag. Surprising a rider with a 15 lb bag of rocks could end up with a serious injury. As the weyrlings progress at the game, elements are added to make it harder. The weight of the bag increases (up to 30 lbs), there is a circle that every rider must stay within, the distance between riders is increased (up to a dragonlength away), etc. Once the dragons themselves are flying, the game is played on dragonback, and eventually, in the air. Class Four: Straps - Weyrlings, like all riders, are in charge of making and maintaining their own riding straps. This is an exciting class since it means they are getting close to the time yhat they will be allowed to ride their dragons in the sky. Weyrlings are taught the basics of tannery either by the WLM, or a tanner at the Weyr. Straps with tears in the leather can never be fixed, only replaced. The cold of b*tween can make such tears brittle, causing the strap to break, maybe at an inopertune moment. Buckles, snaps, and such items are what are fixed on straps. The harness fits underneat the dragon's forearms and around the base of the neck. The rider is secured in place by a harness. Fighting straps usually only have one harness, while other sets of straps might have more to accomodate other passengers. Class Five: First Flights - This is a very critical class for weyrlings. Up to this point, they have not been allowed to mount or ride their dragons except under strict supervision. Weyrlings learn how to mount and sit on their dragons about a sevenday before they actually get to fly. Dragons (who really can fly since birth) have been doing wing excercises for awhile now, and have recently been allowed to practice take-offs and landings, under supervision. The first flight is simple, with the pair taking off, and circling the Bowl twice, staying below the Rim. After the flight is over, the rider must check the dragon's wings for any signs of strain. After this, flights will be a daily part of the routine, and dragons will be allowed to hunt for themselves. Class Six: B*tween - This is the class the Weyrlingmaster hates the most. For a while now, the weyrlings have been practicing place recognition and recall, sending images to their dragons and from dragon to dragon and back to the riders again. It's usually less than two months after the dragons have learned to fly. This is in anticipation of going b*tween, where the proper image makes all the difference in Pern. The first time weyrlings go b*tween, it is usually to someplace easy, like the Bowl Rim, the Fireheights, the Red Butte, etc. Another experienced dragon and rider go ahead to meet the weyrlings at their destination while the WLM remains with them to direct them. The weyrlings are told to make sure their dragons check the images with the WLM's dragon before taking off. Some weyrlings are lost b*tween, but most make it. It is a scary time for the WLM. After this, trips b*tween are made daily, increasing in distance and varying in place. *********************************************************** DRAGONET GROWTH & ACTIVITY DRAGON GROWTH AND ACTIVITY CHART: Class One-Class Two: Dragonets sleep most of the time and demand attention and food when they are awake. Period of initial bonding and adjustment for lifebonded pair. Class Three-Four: Dragonets are growing rapidly and eating more, sleeping less. They are more curious about their environment and surroundings and the social interactions of their riders and other dragons (GOSSIPING!). Still NOT ALLOWED TO FLY, the dragonets will begin wing strengthening exercises to prepare for their first flights. Still do not hunt on their own (usually the WLM's dragon hunts for the entire class). Class Five: Almost full size, the dragonets have strengthened their wings and will begin to fly. After the first flight class, dragons do daily loops of the Bowl UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE WLMs. At this point, the w'lings move into weyrling weyrs and the also have shuttle, or lift, duty (taking people to various levels of the Weyr if they wish) and may make small ground flights with riders as long as they stay BELOW BOWL RIM. They also hunt on their own. At this point, green dragons may have their first mating flights and w'ling male dragons may begin to partake in flights. Weyrlings may once again become sexually active w/ consent of dragon AND WLM. Also, mental recognition classes begin along with aerial wing formation drills. Class Six: Weyrlings are cleared to go out of Weyr with consent of WLM as long as they are accompanied by a FULL RIDER and the destination is within FLYING DISTANCE (NO B*TWEEN!!!!). UNDER SUPERVISION OF WLMs, w'lings learn to go b*tween and start with going small distances and eventually cross the continents. Dragons are full grown and will also be learning to chew firestone and flame at this point. Weyrlings also now have firestone duty to Wings during Threadfall and shuttle bags to refill wing supplies. This generally does result in some Theadscore injuries and the weyrlings have been 'blooded.' Note: This class takes the most time and from the time they learn to go b*tween to graduation is usually 4-5 months, depending upon weyrling progress. WEYRLING PROGRESS CHART IN MONTHS Month 1: Dragonets still very young, sleep mostly. Classes 1 & 2: Basic Care and Triads & Firestone.. Month 2: Dragonets still sleep and eat mostly. Class 2 Month 3: Dragonets beginning to be more active, and growing. Daily exercises are done to develop muscles. Class 2 & 3: Firestone & Dragontoss. Month 4-7: Dragonets becoming more active. Growing a lot. By the 7-month, they are almost 50% of their full size. The majority of additional classes are during this time as well. Ground drills begin as well as learning maneuvers and hand signals. Class 3. Month 8-10: Dragonets are inquisitive and getting into trouble. They are also very active socially and are forming the bonds that will help them work better as a team. WLM and dragon will conduct social games for dragons, which also help to strengthen communication between rider and dragon. Lots of daily exercise is needed INCLUDING wing strengthening, and they are eating less now, more like every other day or so, according to their own metabolism. Class 3 & 4: Dragontoss & Straps. Month 11: Dragonets are very active, very involved in their rider's lives. A few of the greens might begin to show signs that they are getting ready to mate. At this time, the WLM should teach the w'lings about mating flights and what to and not to expect. It is also at this point that rider's may become sexually active again, BUT ONLY with the permission of the WLM, who will make sure that your dragon is alright with the emotions that his/her rider will be experiencing. This is also the time period that the w'lings are taking their first flights, towards the beginning of the month. During the month, the length and duration of their flights are lengthened. The dragons are over 60% of their full growth size and after first flights, they can hunt on their own. Towards the end of the month, short flights in the Bowl are allowed, but the dragons are not allowed to go above Rim level, and there will be sevenday inspections of the dragons by dragonhealers. Class 5 Month 12: At this point, many of the green dragons will rise, and the bronzes, browns and blues will probably give chase. Their wings are going to be getting stronger by the day, and they will be getting agile as well. Flights are still kept short, but riders begin shuttle, or lift, duty, taking people to different levels of the Weyr. Flights out of the Weyr are still not allowed, and must be below rim-level. Weyrlings move into weyrling weyrs. Sevenday inspections still occur. Aerial drilling begins, starting with basic formation of a wing, and moving on to cover maneuverability, agility, and different flight patterns. Dragontoss begins a dragonback as well starting with the dragons on the ground, and eventually moving to the dragons being airborne while their riders throw and catch firestone. Aerial recognition classes begin, along with memorization of Pernese maps, Holds, Halls, and Weyrs, and who's who among them. Class 5: First Flights. Month 13: Flights are getting longer in length and duration. Dragons are allowed to go anywhere within a straight flight of the Weyr (NO B*TWEEN!) as long as they are accompanied by a full-rider. Aerial recognition and memorization continues, along with aerial drills and dragontoss. Inspections are increased to twice a sevenday. At some point during this month, whenever the WLM feels the w'lings are ready, they begin their hardest class. The WLM will send a rider ahead to a destination and each w'ling will go b*tween, one by one. After this initial lesson, there are daily flights b*tween to different destinations, starting with those closest, and eventually moving across continents. Anyone caught going b*tween without permission of the WLM will be held back from graduation! Class 6: B*tween. Month 14-15: Aerial drills increase in duration and intensity, lasting for 6 hours, the regular length of Threadfall, and dragons begin to learn how to maneuver while going b*tween and avoid collisions. Greens and Blues are expected to drill for a minimum of 4 hours, though they usually only fly Thread for 3. The WLM drills them harshly, and in all kinds of weather, except those conditions that would be dangerous to dragon and rider, those which Threadfall is not flown. The WLM is relentless because soon the w'lings will be shuttling firestone to riders during Threadfall and flying 'dummy' wings, and he must make sure they are prepared. Dragontoss distances are increased to those found between dragons in a wing. It is during this time that wingleaders will begin scouting for their future wingmates. W'lings are allowed to go on trips b*tween if accompanied by a full-rider, and all short trips that don't require going b*tween still must be supervised. Aerial recognition and memorization is still continued, and inspections are three times a sevenday. Threadfall Games begin, with riders dropping dyed pieces of fabric down for the dragonets to flame. Instruction in flaming Thread is given to dragons at this time as well. Class 6. Month 16-17: W'lings begin the dangerous duty of shuttling firestone up to riders during Threadfall. Many w'lings will be hit by Thread, and this is termed being 'bloodied.' The w'lings are not to flame Thread unless they are in danger of being hit, and they should go b*tween before attempting to flame if possible. Aerial drills are still 6 hours in length, though after a real Threadfall and shuttle duty, all w'lings are given the day off. Trips b*tween and out of the Weyr still require a full-rider. Aerial recognition and memorization is slowly decreased in intensity as the w'lings become confident in their own abilities. Inspections are three times a sevenday and an additional inspection after Threadfall. On another note, gold dragons may be getting close to rising soon. Class 6. Month 18: During Threadfall, half the w'lings will have shuttle duty, and the other half will be flying a 'dummy' wing at the same altitude as the Sunstorm (gold) wing. There they will have the opportunity to flame true Thread while not having to endure the true intensity of Threadfall. Aerial drills are still 6 hours, with rest day after Threadfall. Aerial recognition and memorization is now only an occasional pop-quiz. Inspections remain at 3 times a sevenday and an additional inspection after Threadfall. This is the final month of weyrlinghood, though the WLM reserves the rights to delay graduation if he feels the majority of weyrlings are not ready. Flights b*tween and outside of the Weyr require a full-rider or a group of three or more w'lings. Class 6. Graduation: At this time, the WLM feels that the weyrlings are capable of fighting Thread and going b*tween competently. If he feels the majority of w'lings are not, then graduation will be delayed until they are. If he feels that a particular w'ling is not ready, he will delay the placement of that w'ling into the fighting wings until he feels the w'ling is ready (the w'ling will take part in the graduation ceremony however). It is at this time that the w'lings receive their knots as a full-rider, with all the privileges that accompany them. They also receive their wing placement. If a gold dragonet has not yet risen before graduation, her rider is released from chastity. Weyrlinghood is over. **************************************************** WEYRLING CHORES (only examples, more surely exist:) Bagging firestone Bathing their dragonet Breaking up firestone into "bite size" chunks Carrying out waste Casting cookware Cleaning the kitchens Cleaning the kitchens Cleaning out rooms that are not in use Cleaning the stables (runnerbeasts) Cleaning the kennels Cleaning the mews Cleaning out weyrwomen, WL, or wingleader's weyrs Cleaning crawler webs out of corners Feeding their dragonet Filling blackrock (coal) bins in the kitchen Filling the reserve water supply (in the supply rooms) Gathering herbs, wild foods such as berries, tubers, etc (in Igen, very little of this) Helping in the kitchen (peeling, mixing, mashing, etc.) Helping with the invalids (if any, both human and dragon) Hunting tunnelsnakes Laundry Learning how to judge firestone for quality "Lift" duty (once cleared for flight, taking non-riders to upper floors of Weyr) Making clothes Making numbweed (smelly chore!) Making sure glowbaskets are filled with a handful of fresh glows Oiling their dragonet Replacing the rushes on the floors Sacking Firestone Scrubbing pots Sorting used clothing into usable and rag piles, then storing usable clothes in proper room Tending Weyr flocks and herds Unloading tithe trains ************************************************************ WEYRLING WEYRS The weyrling weyrs are located on the southern portion of Igen's Bowl Rim, and scar the cliffface with over a hundred mini weyrs. They tend not to have much of a sunning legde, rather are just holes in the rock. They vary in size from tiny to relatively large, for a weyrling weyr anyways. The weyrs are simple and varied in design. The largest weyr can accomodate a full sized gold dragon, but only just barely, while the smallest weyr a blue would not be able to squeeze into. The weyrs tend to be one to two 'rooms' only. The first room has the entrance to the front, pegs on the wall, and the dragon's couch. The dragon's couch take up most of the room. The second room, if there is one, is divided from the first by only a curtain, and usually is just large enough to accomodate a bed and a dresser. If a weyrling is lucky, there might be room for a desk or a chair. There is usually a couple of sets of shelves within the two rooms for personal belongings. Each weyrling is supplied with bedding, five sets of casual clothes, a formal uniform, riding gear, sandals, tolietries and towels, and any other necessities that they need. However, weyrlings are pretty low-ranking on the totem poll, so they do not get extravagent items. Any extravagent items usually come as gifts from relatives or friends. Laundry is done every three days and returned the day after. ************************************************************ BASIC WEYR INFORMATION A Weyr typically has a minimum of ten Fighting Wings, not counting the Weyrling Wing, the Queens' Wing, the Watchrider Wing or the invalids. Three wings make up a flight. Bronze- and brownriders start as wingriders and work their way up to wingsecond and wingleader, though some never do. Greens are the most numerous of the dragons, with their numbers equaling all the blues, browns and bronzes put together. A typical Weyr's fighting complement looks like this: 500 weyrs: 225 Greens (Wingriders 105 Impressed by men, 120 by women) 105 Blues (Wingriders) 90 Browns (Wingriders) 30 Browns/Bronzes (Wingseconds) 45 Bronzes (15 Wingleaders and 30 Wingriders) 5 Golds A Wing consists of: 1 bronze Wingleader 2 bronze or brown Wingseconds 2 bronze Wingriders 6 brown Wingriders 7 blue Wingriders 15 green Wingriders ********************************************************** BASIC DRAGON INFORMATION Draconic color ranges are as follows: Gold - pale yellow to dark antique Bronze - golden green sheen, a few are nearly as dark as a brown Brown - tan to chocolate Blue - whole spectrum of the shade Green - whole spectrum of the shade THERE ARE NO OTHER COLORS INCLUDING NO WHITE DRAGONS! Pernese dragons have four limbs, two wings, and five-toed "hands" and "feet." Both tail and tongue are forked. They have three separate eyelids per eye, and how awake they are determines how many of their eyelids are open. They will also close one set of eyelids while flying Thread or swimming to protect their eyes. They have no eyelashes. They have head knobs instead of ears. Dragon blood--called "ichor"--is dark green. Pernese dragons do NOT have scales. They have soft, hairless skin. This hide is glossy, but not metallic. It may appear dull if the dragon is sick or unhappy and will be silky and springy when the dragon is healthy and happy. Draconic eye color changes with mood. The colors whirl in the eyes. The faster the color whirls, the more intense the emotion. red--absolute fury red-orange--anger red overtones--hunger red sparks--excitement red and yellow--preparing to sear Thread orange-red--challenge; confidence orange--agitated yellow--alarm; anxiety; fright green--sleeping; pleasure blue or green--contentment blue--happy purple--worry white--fright grey-tinged--mourning Dragon wings are delicate and fragile and require special care when injured if the dragon is to maintain sustained flight. Dragons have an arm-like bone, complete with an elbow and finger joint, that supports about half the length of the dragonwing. The shoulder and upper arm provide the power that a dragon uses to lift off the ground by pumping his wings. The arm is slightly flexed allowing for a membrane, called the leading edge, to run from the shoulder to the finger joints. The finger joint includes a vesitigial thumb and the joints for all the four wingbones that divide up the large portion of the membranous wingsail. Between the dragon's body and the inner bone is the primary mainsail, the largest portion of the membranous wingsail. Between the Inner Bone and the Mid-Bone is the Secondary Mainsail. Between the Mid-Bone and the Spar Bone is the Spar Mainsail. The last bone runs parallel with the Spar Bone and ends middway down the sail. The ends of the wingsail is known as the trailing edge. Batten ribs are cartilaginous supports that run through the wingsails and parallel to the wingbones. The Primary mainsail supports the dragon's weight in the air while the secondary and spar mainsails provide agility by the flexing of the wingbones. ******************************************************** IGEN WEYR: GENERAL INFORMATION Igen Weyr is located in an extinct volcano in the Igen Mountain range that runs from Keroon to Telgar Weyr. To the east is the Igen River and the west is the Great Desert. To the north lies Telgar and to the south, the rolling plains that lead to the Sea. Igen Weyr, as a volcano, is filled with a black sand that seems to permeate everything. There is no grass, trees, or other vegetation other than what the farmcrafters have cultivated in greenhouses or desert gardens. There is a large lake in the northeast corner of the WeyrBowl that is deep and clear. Being on the edge of the desert, Igen is hot and sunny and the workday revolves around the heat. It rarely rains and it has never snowed in Igen (to the knowledge of its occupants). Please check out the following link to see maps of the Weyr that include: The Weyr Bowl, the Lower Caverns, the Weyrling Barracks, and an example of a weyrling barrack and weyr. http://www.angelfire.com/rpg2/pernrpg/Igen/Weyr/weyrmaps.html ******************************************************** WLM K'synn, rider of Brown Montyseth. 10th Pass, Igen Weyr.