Dejah looks to both Faolain and Delvan to make sure they are ready for the lesson. She takes out her hides and a map from a sack and lays it out on the floor of the deck as she sits down. "Today I'm going to teach you about Pernese Geography. Why do you think it is important for seacraft?"
Faolain oohs. "Because we need to navigate and get to the right places?" She really needs this one, after trying to sail to Ierne Island, but going all the way to Ista instead. Tsk.
Delvan settles with a scrappy looking notebook in his lap, Khepri on his shoulder. "B'cause, if we're goin' to sail, we need to know where land and ocean are in relation to each other." Whoa. Long sentence for a salty fella like him.
Dejah nods with a smile. "You're both correct on both accounts. It'd be disatrous if we didn't know where it was safe to navigate the ship without having to worry about rocky shorelines and reefs. What does geography teach us about in relation to Pern?"
Faolain chuckles to herself. "It teaches us where land and water are on Pern."
Delvan giggles at Faolain's answer, before he answers himself. "Let's us know where the Weyrs n'Holds are, as well as what areas might be more vulnerable to Threadfall." Feeeel the steam comin' outta his ears from thinkin' so hard.
Dejah smiles with a laugh. "I meant in more specifics, what does geography encompass about Pern?" She smiles over to Delvan. "That's partly true. Geography is the study of land and water bodies."
"Mountains, deserts, plains." Delvan frowns...he's just a Southern boy, and can't quite think of anything else.
Dejah nods with a smile. "You're right that is part of geography as well as currents, fishing areas and subsidences and upwellings which we'll cover late her in the lesson. Can either of you name the major ports on Pern?"
Faolain hrms. "I... think there's one at Ista... Tillek... Keroon... beyond that, no clue."
Dejah nods with a smile, "Yes there is one at Ista Hold, in Tillek at the Master Sea Hall as well as Keroon. Delvan can you think of any?"
Delvan grumbles in thought. "Ahhh...Southern too!" Can't forget his home.
Dejah laughs with a smile. "Southern Hold is a port as well. Same with Igen Hold, Nerat Hold, Big Bay Hold, Fort Sea Hold and Ruatha River Hold. Make sure you are familiar with all these ports as they are important as you never go sailing without knowing which are the closer ports in case of a storm and needing a place to shelter at for the duration of the storm."
Delvan scribbles these down in his notebook, then looks up with interest. "Aye, ma'am!"
Faolain scribbles down "Major Ports" and lists the names of each. "Got it."
Dejah smiles as she goes onto the next topic, "Can either of you tell me the names of the major land masses on Pern?"
Delvan pipes up. "The Northern and Southern Continents, ma'am?"
Dejah nods with a smile. "Those are two of them yes...there are four others besides the Northern and Southern Continents."
Faolain hmms... "Ista Island, I know, is one of them... what're the other three?"
Dejah nods with a smile, "Yes Ista Isle is one as well as the Western Ring Islands and the Eastern Ring Islands."
Delvan taps his head with his stylus. "Aye, forget to remember that the isles are land masses too." Grinning, he jots this down.
Dejah smiles to the two apprentices. "We consider them land masses due to the region of land area they take up...the Ring Islands on the West and East both are made up of several islands. This one you should have some familiarity already though. Can you both name what are the major bodies of water on Pern?"
Faolain hmms... "The Southern Sea, Western Sea, Big Bay, and Great Subsidence?"
Delvan pauses in thought for a moment, then glares at Faolain. "Yeah, what the lass said." Tongue is briefly stuck out at her before he turns his attention back to Dejah.
Dejah smiles to Faolain, "Well your first three are correct. The Great Subsidence is not a body of water...we'll talk more later why it isn't a body of water. Eastern Sea, Nerat Bay, Keroon Bay and the Great Bay of Southern are the other major water bodies."
"A flow of water in a certain direction, usually due to tides, winds, etc." Delvan beams.
Faolain eyes Delvan. "What he said."
Dejah nods with a smile. "Correct Delvan. There are two main currents as a seacrafter and sailor we have to worry about...that is the Great Western Current and the Southern Current. The Great Western Current stays to the south between the north and the south then goes north in the open sea, and travels from west to east. Off shoots of this current go up into the Big Bay Area and around Ista...during our winter here in the northern continent...this current shifts further to the south and grows very strong. The other major current is the Southern Current which flows under and in the opposite direction of the Great Western Current from east to west. The strip of water between the Great Western Current and the Southern is known to be very treacherous. Tillek is another location where it is cooled by a northwestern current coming down from the polar areas as a branch of the Great Western Current. The east coast is warmed by a northeastern current of the Great Western Current from the tropics. "
Delvan scribbles madder than a stranded sailor, as he jots down all this info. "Aye..no wonder me da was tellin' me to eye the waters as much as the sky. The currents could wreak mighty havoc with the planned course on the sea!" Scribble scribble.
Dejah looks to the apprentices to make sure they are listening and continues on. "That covers the major currents that we need to know with navigating the seas...secondly we deal with subsidences and upwellings...the major subsidence that we have to be knowledge about and avoid is the Great Subsidence which is high in the Western sea, the waters there turn counter-clockwise. It is a place that is known as a 'test' for dolphins to prove their worth. The area is forbidden to ships because of how dangerous the waters are. There is a minor subsidence located in the Eastern Sea, just above Benden. Upwellings are when cold, often nutrient-rich waters from the sea depths rise to the surface. They tend to occur below the Tillek Peninsula and along an eastern cove of Southern. That is all that you need to know when it comes to subsidences and upwellings. Next topic we'll cover is a minor one but important especially if you're going specialize in fishing. Where do you think the best fishing areas are in the seas of Pern?"
Delvan thinks for a moment. "Well, if the subsidene brings up nutrient-rich waters, I'd guess near there. But, it's too dangerous, aye?"
Faolain hrms. "Near the upwellings?"
Dejah nods. "Well an upwelling is not nearly as dangerous as the currents and subsidences are. But you are right to a certain point...near Tillek is a great place for fishing as is west of Ista Isle as well as north of Balen and west of the Fort area. Well that about covers the lesson. Make sure you are familiar with geography as you'll be using it later in navigation as well."
Delvan writes all this down, then tucks his stylus back into his sack along with the hide. "Thanks, Journeywoman Dejah. Do the ships have maps on all of 'em?"
Dejah looks to Delvan and nods. "They'd be fools if they don't as its one of the most important navigation tools."
Faolain chuckles. "Well, thank you, Dejah. Should we heading back gather-ward? I would think there's plenty a' people just dying to stop by!"
Delvan nods. "Thought as much. Though, if I understand, navigatin' involves usin' the stars as well, aye?"
Dejah nods with a smile. "Yes it does."
Dejah smiles. "Well class dismissed...go and have fun at the gather. Remember we also want to get the Dragonwing in ship shape for Master Chandra."
Delvan huffs his sack up, and nods. "Thank ye again, ma'am!" Turning to Faolain, he grins. "Shall we lass?"
Faolain chuckles as she debarks from the ship. "Will do!"
