To give our timeline a more "global" feeling and to allow interactions between PC and NPC Weyrs, we've tried to develop the unique flavor of each Weyr. Here is a brief overview of how each one is generally perceived around Pern. If you're writing a persona who originated in another Weyr you'll want to look over that description here, though of course your persona might have his own opinions.

Arolos

Arolos has a reputation of being the "last chance" Weyr for troublesome dragonriders. Construction there began late in the Eight Interval, as the proliferation of humanity on the rich Southern Continent would clearly need protection when Thread came again. Work was slow, done by hand and by simple tools, unlike the way the Northern Weyrs had been carved out so quickly thousands of years earlier. When the Pass began, the Weyr was not yet ready for habitation, and the other Weyrs covered its intended territory in shifts. Four Turns into the past, Arolos was finally opened, relieving the strain of both extra land to cover and overcrowded conditions in the Weyrs. Southern sunlight and pioneering spirit, as well as the unfortunate habit of the North sending a steady stream of rejects and ... creative thinkers down, have conspired to make Arolos a more freewheeling Weyr than its elder sisters. This is a strength as much as a weakness; though Arolos must fight a reputation for being gullible and disorganized, it finds itself adapting successfully to problems and conditions that would wreck a hidebound Weyr trying to follow Tradition. It also has the respect of its local Crafts and many of its Holders, though smallholders have been covertly coming under the influence of a mysterious new power in the politics of Pern ... Despite its problems and scruffy appearance, Arolos boasts the highest survival rate of all the Weyrs for Threadfighting dragons, and it is working with some of the more amiable Weyrs to train up Weyrling- and Candidatemasters in techniques that hopefully will raise the life expectancy of all who Impress.

Benden

Benden is a solid, by-the-book Weyr. Lead by young, image-conscious N'pron, Benden residents have a reputation for following a strict-- some would say archaic-- code of honor and respect for those above and below them. Benden is as good as its word and willing in duress to forsake Tradition in favor of justice, but it much prefers peaceful maintainance of the status quo. Arolos' erratic, liberal nature distresses the leaders of Benden, but they're not certain if Fort's odd notion of "justice" isn't enough to erase the points it gains in Benden's eyes for upholding Tradition. Still, Fort is the traditional leader of the Weyrs, and Benden will speak out against it only under extreme circumstances, when honor and fairness demand it.

High Reaches

Whilst not as hidebound as Fort, its previous Weyrwoman, Jesa, was a close friend of Fort's Masena, and until Jesa's death a couple of Turns ago, Fort and High Reaches formed a rather unholy alliance, much of it directed against Arolos. Arolos' first Weyrleader, R'tal, had demanded punishment for transgressions committed by a favorite crony of Jesa's, and Jesa in turn had framed R'tal for assault against her, which nearly lead to murder as the bronzeriders of High Reaches rushed to defend their Weyrwoman. For a full Turn, an embargo existed between the two Weyrs, gradually being relaxed under pressure from riders and Weyrfolk on both sides who had friends and family to see. After a Weyr Conclave which had seen the deaths of Weyrwoman Sytria of Ista from a stroke and the Fort-appointed Weyrleader T'sutar of Arolos from attempting to fly without a dragon, Jesa also died heroically in Threadfall. At least, that's the official story. Under its new leaders, High Reaches is attempting to find its equilibrium again. Its relationship with Arolos is weak, its dirty-dealing association with Fort is gone, and its trustworthiness in the eyes of other Weyrs is tarnished. Its leaders are left to struggle withS their own consciences as well as the legacy of their predecessors.

Igen

Igen is a relatively neutral Weyr on the political scene, in no small part because its leaders are uninterested and outright incompetent in politics. Weyrwoman Kassa is a rather bubble-headed goldrider, entirely too much in love with the status and supposed freedoms of being a goldrider, though she's conscientious enough about doing her basic domestic duties in the Weyr. Her gold has a terrible habit of allowing B'rat's Varapth to fly her, leaving that blowhard of a man in charge. Like Kassa, he is at least capable of performing the most necessary duties of the leader of the Weyr's fight against Thread, even though he manages to display just what sort of fool he is in front of other Weyrleaders; more junior goldriders and wingleaders at Igen might be considered saints for taking up the slack and keeping the rest of the Weyr's affairs organized and its residents healthy and happy. On the whole, Igen has a more relaxed-- some would say lackadaisical-- atmosphere than Fort, High Reaches, Telgar, or Benden, often disdaining Fort's repression and Benden's outmoded preoccupation with honor, though even they can be disturbed by liberal goings on down in Arolos.

Ista

Ista Weyr is the greatest friend of Arolos, and therefore a great inconvenience to Fort. Its late, beloved Weyrwoman, Sytria set a standard for fairness and compassion to which her successor is trying very hard to live up. The Weyrwomen of both Arolos and Telgar spent many Turns as juniors at Ista, and though there is little sisterhood between those two, while Sytria lived both Telgar and Arolos followed her lead in Conclave. After Sytria's death, Arolos still clings tightly to the alliance with this other, almost as liberal Weyr, but Telgar has withdrawn somewhat, unsure of the new leadership; Telgar's loyalty, it seems, was more to Sytria than to Ista. Fort greatly resents Ista's support of the despicable Arolosians, as well as the fact that Sytria's memory seems to carry more weight in Conclave than a Fort leader's voice.

Telgar

Telgar Weyr has a reputation for impartiality, one it struggled for and will fight to protect. It has no great trade resources, no great heroes or innovators, and its leadership cannot match the charisma of others, but it _can_ stand as a voice of reason, pleasing no one and offending no one. It tries and often succeeds in taking the middle path, equally unimpressed by the extreme conservatism of Fort and the extreme liberalism of Arolos, and regarding Benden as naive and Igen as vapid. The untrustworthiness of High Reaches makes that Weyr barely worth mentioning. Ista is still respectable, but Telgar's Weyrwoman Lasia esteems its new leadership not nearly as highly as she did her mentors Sytria and M'tol. Weyrleader H'gan is a shrewd man, managing to stay in the good graces of the often harsh and exacting Lasia, earning her respect and fondness, though not love, by leading their Weyr well and seeing through the political maneuvering of other Weyrs -- and Holds, for that matter. He is the father of a headstrong, greenriding daughter, and Lasia holds tight to the lessons in ethics and justice she learned at Sytria's feet, and so traditionally low-ranking chromatic riders can find safety, respect, and useful work at Telgar. One occassional headache for Telgar is the legacy of Moreta's Ride. More than three hundred years after the fact, many of the ballads and lessons _still_ point out that Telgar's cowardice contributed to that heroine's death and nearly brought far worse disaster for Pern. When those songs are sung in Telgar's territory, most Harpers have the tact to edit them.