Weyrling Lessons:
Months 0-6
Month 1
Size: Approx. 3 ft tall at shoulder
For the first month of a dragonet’s life, they really do little more than eat, sleep, and grow. In fact, after feedings which are normally messy, it’s highly likely that before the dragonet’s bath and oiling sessions each morning is even finished that the dragonet will already be falling asleep. But just because the dragonet is sleeping doesn’t mean the rider get’s to relax, as now is the time that the new riders work-out, learns, and trains.
Remember: Weyrlings also need to have their weyr mucked out every day, as the babies cannot go between to defecate.
Training:
* Taught by Dragon healer
** Taught by Weyrwoman
*** Taught by Weyrleader
**** Taught by Weyr Archivist
Suggestion for IC play: Concerns about young dragon. Washing and oiling troublesome dragonet. Threads that emphasis the strength and needs of the young dragon. Please note, interaction with the general Weyr are very limited. The newly Impressed pair will be required to stay within visual range of each other while outside at all times for at least this month. Possible IC material in over-eating or preventing over-eating. Many of the lectures will involve people coming to them and food will be brought to them rather than them leaving their life mate for the first couple of sevendays. Bear this in mind when RP-ing.
For the first month of a dragonet’s life, they really do little more than eat, sleep, and grow. In fact, after feedings which are normally messy, it’s highly likely that before the dragonet’s bath and oiling sessions each morning is even finished that the dragonet will already be falling asleep. But just because the dragonet is sleeping doesn’t mean the rider get’s to relax, as now is the time that the new riders work-out, learns, and trains.
Remember: Weyrlings also need to have their weyr mucked out every day, as the babies cannot go between to defecate.
Training:
- Daily endurance runs, rain or shine, increasing in distance.
- Rope climbs and stair runs.
- Oiling, including the diagnosis and treatment of common hide problems.
- The empathic bond- utilization, effects on both life mates, cautions, and advantages.
- Communication, including how to be assertive with the ever-growing dragonet.
- Basic Draconic first aid, including the treatment of digestive and elimination problems.
- Draconic anatomy: includes the needs, abilities, and patterns of growth.
- Weyr etiquette and customs.**
- Duties of Riders.***
- Pernese history and basic politics.****
- Recognition of rank knots and badges.****
- Care and feeding of dragonets.
- Care of personal space, plus a share of weyrling barracks cleaning.
- Repair of personal clothing.
* Taught by Dragon healer
** Taught by Weyrwoman
*** Taught by Weyrleader
**** Taught by Weyr Archivist
Suggestion for IC play: Concerns about young dragon. Washing and oiling troublesome dragonet. Threads that emphasis the strength and needs of the young dragon. Please note, interaction with the general Weyr are very limited. The newly Impressed pair will be required to stay within visual range of each other while outside at all times for at least this month. Possible IC material in over-eating or preventing over-eating. Many of the lectures will involve people coming to them and food will be brought to them rather than them leaving their life mate for the first couple of sevendays. Bear this in mind when RP-ing.
Month 2
Size: Approx. twenty percent of adult size
While the dragonets still nap often and their growth is still going at a rapid pace, the dragonets now have periods of time when they are awake and interested in what their lifemate is doing.
Training:
Suggestion for IC play :- During a Fall - with Healers - as ground crew. Lessons as designated by the AWLM(if there is one). Possible tests on dragon knowledge. Revising this knowledge for an exam in a study group. Heavy emphasis on the dragon and rider pairing still. The dragonets will be clumsy but there will be trips to the Lake for washing etc
While the dragonets still nap often and their growth is still going at a rapid pace, the dragonets now have periods of time when they are awake and interested in what their lifemate is doing.
Training:
- More runs and rope climbs.
- Dragontoss- tossing sacks of firestone from one to the other, gradually increasing space between riders.
- First Basic Ground Drills- riders marching through the formations which will be used in Threadfall.
- Politics, history, geography and weather patterns of Fort territories.
- Communication, particularly practice messages rider to dragonet to dragonet to rider to teach how to relay clearly and accurately.
- Formations training, stressing the responsibilities of the different positions within the formations.
- Initial Firestone training- How to select, size, bag Firestone tailored to a dragons capabilities.
- Frequent testing of knowledge through tests, written, oral and practical.
- Action in Fall-maintaining Firestone supplies for the Dragon wings. (i.e. bagging Firestone)
- First involvement with Threadfall assisting healers (to get them used to possible draconic reaction to scores etc.).
Suggestion for IC play :- During a Fall - with Healers - as ground crew. Lessons as designated by the AWLM(if there is one). Possible tests on dragon knowledge. Revising this knowledge for an exam in a study group. Heavy emphasis on the dragon and rider pairing still. The dragonets will be clumsy but there will be trips to the Lake for washing etc
Month 3
Size: Approx. forty percent of adult size
Training:
Suggestion for IC play: Swimming is popular. The AWLM may well come up with different "trust" exercises but the blindfold one is a good one to RP. Possible Fall experience. Learning hand signals, etc.
Training:
- Work-out runs continue.
- Dragontoss- now with the dragonets awake and watching, gradually increasing in distance to be able to toss the bags the length of a dragon.
- Swimming lessons for the dragonets to begin strengthening of wing muscles early on.
- Continued ground drills with more complex formations and development of understanding of a three dimensional flight. Dragonets are walking through the formations with the riders.
- Working with the Dragon-Rider bond. Trust exercises. Blindfold - utilization of each other’s eyes.
- Continuing education regarding politics, history, geography and weather patterns of associated Northern territories.
- Principles of flight (note: dragons instinctively know this, but riders do not).
- Communication in Fall. Mental Protocols, physical fall backs.
- Frequent testing of knowledge through tests, written, oral and practical.
Suggestion for IC play: Swimming is popular. The AWLM may well come up with different "trust" exercises but the blindfold one is a good one to RP. Possible Fall experience. Learning hand signals, etc.
Month 4
Size: Approx fifty percent of adult size
Training:
Suggestion for IC play: Swimming is an activity not available in a lot of Weyrs so we make the most of it, when the months are warm enough. If relevant you may RP your interview.
Training:
- Continued Dragon-Rider bond exercises.
- Ground drills continue and increase in time spent and complexity.
- Continued Swimming.
- Politics, history, geography of other Weyrs.
- Elements of flight, including meteorology lectures to explain wind patterns and thermals.
- Introduction toriding straps, including type of straps, leather craft to create personalized riding straps and harness, as well as how to properly use the straps and harnesses.
- Frequent practical testing across all topics.
- Review meeting with the Weyrlingmaster/Assistant Weyrling Master on progress.
- Fitted for flight jackets and gloves.
- Practice making riding straps and harness.
Suggestion for IC play: Swimming is an activity not available in a lot of Weyrs so we make the most of it, when the months are warm enough. If relevant you may RP your interview.
Month 5
Size: Approx fifty five percent of adult size
New Weyrlings are released from their seclusion and are now allowed to mingle with other people in the Weyr.
Training:
Suggestion for IC play: Problem solving task may be assigned by your WLM. Connecting with other Riders in a wing is a good one to RP as it helps links between writers develop as well.
New Weyrlings are released from their seclusion and are now allowed to mingle with other people in the Weyr.
Training:
- Complex Ground drills and starts of Wing work.
- Dragontoss, from rider to rider sitting a-dragonback on the ground only.
- Continued Dragon-rider bond work, reaching out to include other riders.
- Dragons allowed off the ground for their first flight *without* their riders. And these small flights are slowly lengthened to exercise the wing muscles off the ground.
- Feeding of dragonets: rider supervises as dragonet tears apart whole animal, freshly killed by experienced riders.
- Detailed Threadfall notation and theory of charts. Reading and Interpretation.
- Lectures on Threadfall - different composition, and pattern.
- Continued exploration of social structures and Weyr territories.
- Dragon injury prevention and first aid, with concentration on wing strains and common landing injuries.
- Dragonrider Etiquette and public behavior - lectures by Junior Weyrwomen.
- Problem solving - individual and group work.
- Frequent testing.
- Required that first set of personal riding straps and harness completed to appropriate standards.
Suggestion for IC play: Problem solving task may be assigned by your WLM. Connecting with other Riders in a wing is a good one to RP as it helps links between writers develop as well.
Month 6
Size: Approx sixty percent of adult size
Training:
Suggestion for IC play: Selecting a Weyr. A Weyrling run ground drill. A Self defense class. Possible problem solving exercise. And, of course, first time off the ground riding your dragon.
Training:
- First flights *with* their riders - just a short glide, then farther every day.
- Strengthening of wing muscles resulting in short flights within the Weyr.
- Ground drills - flight sequences run internally by impression rank of Weyrlings for that class (assessing leadership potential).
- Continued exploration of social structures and Weyr territories.
- Advance interpretation and creation of Threadfall Charts.
- Begin working on recognition points and principles of visualization.
- Individual and group problem solving.
- Bronze, Brown, and some male Blue Only: Self defense training introduction, including Rules of Honor Duels and associated responsibilities. Strict testing on rules. If Weyrling doesn't pass then they don't train till they do pass.
- Goldriders will be working more with Weyrwoman at this time.
- Maintenance of harness, straps and Thread fighting equipment if relevant.
- Female riders, greenriders, and those blueriders not included in the self-defense classes begin errand running for wing leaders, Weyrleader, Weyrwoman, or whoever the WLM assigns them.
- After First Flight dragons are expected to hunt their own meals in the Weyr’s beasthold.
- Selection/ assigned personal Weyr by the head woman and Weyrwoman. They do not move in for another month.
Suggestion for IC play: Selecting a Weyr. A Weyrling run ground drill. A Self defense class. Possible problem solving exercise. And, of course, first time off the ground riding your dragon.