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Dragonriders
Nonriders/Crafters
Miscellaneous

Notice about full posts: To count towards rank requirements, a full post must be at least six kilobytes long. Please list all authors at the top of the post. The length in kilobytes will be divided by the number of writers, and the resulting number will be the number of "posts" counted towards each character's rank requirements. We'll round up.

Rank at Dark Fort is limited rather strictly. This is for several reasons: the methodical way we are attempting to go about expanding the game, the wish to maintain balance, and the fact that in this situation, it's simply more fun to play a non-ranker than a ranker. You must have played a non-ranked character at Dark Fort for at least a month before applying for rank. If you have previously played at Arolos Weyr, this requirement may be waived if you demonstrate a firm grasp of Fort's setting, and make a non-ranked character at the same time you make your ranker.

Blue and greenriders are ineligible for any and all rank other than Searchrider. This includes even the Weyrlingmaster and Candidatemaster staff. At most, they will be called upon to give lectures specific to their dragon colours, or to inspect other blue and greenriders before Threadfall. Goldriders are eligible for only Weyrwoman and Junior Weyrwoman rider rank, though they may hold minor Craft or HAF/HAW rank. Sorry.

If the rank that you want is not available at this time, wait. A new Wing will open up when two thirds of the riders in current Wings are PC. As more nonriders come along, more supervisory staff will be needed.

VERY IMPORTANT: Goldriders, Hear-all-Dragons, and Weyrleaders are very high ranks of great responsibility and privilege. They are also very rare. Because of this, there is a limit of ONE out of that category per player in the timeline. We don't care what characters you have in other games, but if you have a goldrider, HAD, or current Weyrleader in either Arolos or Fort Weyr, you may not have another. For example, if you have a goldrider at Arolos, you may not have another goldrider, HAD, or Weyrleader at Arolos or Fort. We believe that this is the only fair and workable way to manage these premium ranks. Again, this counts ONLY for Arolos and Fort Weyrs, not for any other game out there. You can be Weyrleader of ten other clubs and we won't care, as long as you don't slack on Arolos.

That being said, here are the requirements. At least half of the minimum number of posts per month must be related to the character's rank. With female fighting riders and bronzeriders, this will happen automatically. For the others, a Wingleader, for example, could be seen running drills, inspecting his Wing, meeting with other rankers, or doing paperwork. An HAD could chat with dragons, spy, or relay messages. The post count is in effect for only the higher requirement. This means that a bronzeriding Wingleader would have to post only 25 posts per months, to fulfill the Wingleader requirement, rather than 40 posts, which would be bronze reqs. plus WL reqs. These may look like a lot, but one thread will fulfill most of them. We don't think asking you to participate in one or two threads a month is really all that much.

Failure to meet a rank's requirements will result in two warnings, one each consecutive month, with the third month meaning removal of the rank. No, we won't be sitting there counting every single post you make, waiting for you to slip up, but if you consistently lag in posting, we'll notice. Please announce a leave of absence in advance whenever possible.

Dragonriders

Female blue and greenriders: 20 posts per month. Yes, this is a rank here. They are rare. Out of a Wing of thirty, no more than three greenriders and one bluerider may be female. If the female rider slots in the current Wings are full, you'll have to wait until either a slot or a new Wing opens. As the female rider of a fighting dragon, your character will be seen as different, even freakish. This is worse for female blueriders than greenriders-- the greenriders are at least seen as performing their "proper duty" of spreading their legs every so often.

With the exception of the Weyrwoman, all female riders, to varying extents, can be controlled by bronze riders. Bronzeriders are the elite. Goldriders are pretty tools, except for the Weyrwoman. Greenriders are for sex, and blueriders are avoided like the plague. Many Wingleaders try to exclude female riders from their Wings, on the assumption that they will be a hazard in Fall.

If you just can't wait for an adult female rider, or to get your female Candidate to Impress, you might want to give our mother game, Arolos, a try. It has no limit on female blue and greenriders, and is much more lenient on females Impressing. In both games, adult goldriders are granted only when the BoD asks a player to create one.

Weyrwoman: Gold only. 30 posts per month. The Weyrwoman of Fort touts herself as the true power in the Weyr, but how much power does she truly wield? To what extent is she trapped by the same Tradition which traps the lower orders?

Weyrleader: Bronze only. 30 posts per month. The Weyrwoman prefers to think of the Weyrleader as her toy or tool, but to what extent this is true depends on the Weyrleader. He is absolute ruler of all things related to Threadfall, and final say in the disciplining of dragonriders.

Junior Weyrwomen: Gold only. 25 posts per month. Junior goldriders, while technically having responsibilities and clout which place them a important people in the Weyr, effectively rank below the senior bronzeriders. They are expected to sleep around less than greenriders, and can refuse a man's attentions, but are expected to submit to a bronzerider's direct orders, and to refuse his advances only with good reason. Brownriders, on the other hand, are to be dallied with only with discretion. Their dragons are not to _mate_ with browns, so they riders are not to form attachments openly. Brownriders are sometimes rewarded by sexual favours from a junior weyrwoman; others are controlled by that method. Older goldriders, trusted by the Weyrwoman, have more personal choice in this, as long as they remain discrete. Blue and greenriders are taboo, and no one really cares if a goldrider has relations with a nonrider.

They must ward off pregnancy at all costs; their dedication is to be to their dragon and the Weyr, not a child. If a girl is not strong enough to overcome this repression, she has no business being the Senior Weyrwoman, whose job above all is to see that the traditions of the Weyr, this included, is maintained. Goldriders, at their heart, are an oft-confusing paradox, creatures who are both woman and authority at once. They are a walking expression of the Madonna/whore complex.

Weyrsecond: Bronze only. 25 posts per month. Often a yes-man with the talent of getting others to second that yes, the Weyrsecond makes sure that the Weyrleader's word is law. He will serve as the Weyrleader's senior Wingsecond. However, since he's not necessarily chosen for his leadership abilities, the more junior Wingsecond may be the one who takes care of the Wing duties. The Weyrsecond may be a former Weyrleader, but that is not guaranteed.

Wingleaders: Bronze only. 25 posts per month. Must have at least eight Turns of experience as a full dragonrider, meaning at least twenty-two Turns old, but few will be this young. ICly and OOCly, Wingleaders have a great deal of control over their riders. They may mete out punishments and rewards, suggest promotions, control the composition of their Wings, and run plots which affect the entire Wing, but not the Weyr as a whole.

Wingseconds: Bronzes, some browns. 20 posts per month. Must have at least six Turns of experience as a full dragonrider, except in emergencies. This means they must be at least twenty Turns old, but few will be this young. There are two Wingseconds per Wing. Though officially of the same rank, one has effective seniority.

Weyrlingmaster: Bronze or brown. 25 posts per month. Must have at least eight Turns of experience as a full dragonrider, more preferred. The Weyrlingmaster is in charge of overseeing the health and training of all Weyrling riders and dragons, as well as teaching classes himself. While not necessarily harsh, the character must be a stickler for rules. Else, he'd never get the appointment from the Weyrleader.

Assistant Weyrlingmasters (AWLMs): Bronze or brown. 20 posts per month. Must have at least six Turns of experience as a full dragonrider. The number of these is at the discretion of the current Weyrlingmaster. OOCly, talk to him or her and find out if he or she is taking assistants.

Candidatemaster: Bronze or brown. 25 posts per month. Must have at least eight Turns of experience as a full dragonrider, more preferred. The candidatemaster is in charge of overseeing the health and training of all Candidates, as well as coordinating all Searchriders. He must certify that all Candidates presented at a Hatching are mentally and physically fit to become dragonriders. His authority begins the moment a Candidate sets foot in the Weyr and ends at the moment of Impression.

Assistant Candidatemaster: Bronze or brown. 20 posts per month. Must have at least six Turns of experience as a full dragonrider. Like the Assistant Weyrlingmasters, the number of ACMs is at the discretion of the senior Candidatemaster. They are deputies, teaching individual classes, tutoring, and basically doing what the Candidatemaster assigns.

Special note: We will be accepting one nonriding female assistant Candidatemaster to serve as a mothering figure for the Candidates. She will have rank as long as she does not get "uppity."

Bronzerider: Males only. 20 posts per month. Bronzes are in automatic positions of authority in Fort Weyr, revered by just about everyone, feared by a more or less equal number. Regardless of their true sexual orientation, they must appear heterosexual, and are expected to disdain male greenriders above all. They are to be attentive and courtly to all goldriders, though their unofficial clout is often greater than that of the junior golds. After all, at the end of the day, a goldrider is still a woman. A younger bronzerider is waiting to acquire rank; an older bronzerider without rank has made enemies of the wrong people.

Bronze weyrling: Males only. 15 posts per month. Must be at least 12 Turns old. They will be looked to as role models and leaders of their class. They will be encouraged to help and monitor the blue and green riders, but not to form friendships with them. They should pay court to any gold Weyrlings, but should not attempt to form a relationship.

Gold weyrling: Females only. 20 posts per month. Must be at least 15 Turns old. Gold weyrlings are housed in comparatively luxurious rooms, and given special classes, attending only the basic ones with their clutchmates. Their bronze classmates-- and older bronzeriders-- are expected to court them, but to maintain a "hands off" policy until the gold's first mating flight. Anyone found threatening a gold weyrling will be severely punished.

Nonriders

Headwoman: Women only. Minimum 30 Turns of age, older preferred. The Headwoman is the real power to most of the Weyr's population. She is absolute ruler of the Lower Caverns, answerable only to the Weyrwoman, who rarely concerns herself with managing the nonriders. She may promote and demote workers, order supplies, negotiate with lower-ranked Crafters, and is of equal rank with the Candidatemaster in assigning chores and punishments to Candidates. Hers is a delicate balancing act between respecting and maintaining the status quo and keeping her workers safe and happy, all the while keeping the dragonriders supported.

Assistant Headwomen/Stewards: Minimum 25 Turns of age. These serve as section heads, overseeing such places as the laundry, kitchen, creche, and storage areas. They may have individual titles such as "Chief Laundress" or "Creche Mother" rather than "Headwoman." Women are more common in the position than men, since most of what they do is "woman's work." They have the same powers in their areas as Wingleaders do in their Wings.

Master of any Craft: Male, at least 30 Turns of age. 25 posts per month. No female master will be assigned to Fort Hold or Weyr. The Mastercrafters, heads of the Crafts, are BoD-NPCs, and may not be adopted by players at this time. Ask if you would like to use one. (When enough dragonhealers are active, we will take applications for the Masterdragonhealer. A notice will be put on the front page and OOC list at that time.)

Journeyman Healers (of humans): Must be at least 20 Turns old with 8 Turns as an apprentice. 20 posts per month. These, as well as Journeyman Harpers, are restricted mainly because they are a popular character type and are needed for the functioning of the Weyr. They may be male or female, though females will be less trusted by their patients. We'll take as many Dragonhealers as we can get.

Journeyman Harpers: Must be at least 19 Turns old with 7 Turns as an apprentice. 20 posts per month. Harpers must guard what they say, for the leaders of the Weyr have the right to turn them out if they "encourage unsavory behavior and rebellion."

Miscellaneous

Hear All Dragons (HAD): 35 posts per month. There is a limit of one-- I repeat, ONE-- of these in the Weyr at one time. When we're ready to take one, we'll put out a call for persona sheets. Don't call us, we'll call you. An HAD persona can hear and and make him or herself heard by any dragon within range, whether the dragon likes it or not. An HAD may be male or female, rider or nonrider. For fairness' sake, the persona may not be a goldrider, and the character sheet will have to be truly spectacular if it's a bronzerider. The are treated as rare and valuable tools, kept under constant, more or less discrete surveillance by agents of the Weyrleader and Weyrwoman.

Hear All Firelizards/whers (HAF, HAW): 25 posts per month. You're nuts if you want to play one of these. Seriously. Invest in padded wallpaper. There's a limit of one each in the Weyr. They're a lesser rank than HAD, and may be goldriders. (Did we mention you're nuts if you want one, ESPECIALLY one that rides gold?) They will require a good character sheet and a short (300 words minimum) essay on what you plan to do with their powers. Yes, an essay. Told you you're nuts.

HAP: No. We invented that joke. We'll invent something worse if you tempt us.

Firelizard owners: 10 posts a month for gold, bronze, and brown firelizards. 5 posts a month for green and blue. Because of their rarity in Fort territory, an explanation of how the character got the firelizard must be included in the persona sheet. Unless you can come up with a credible story, only ranking characters will have brown or bronze firelizards. Only very high ranking characters will have gold. Please note that the posts must involve the firelizard, not just a note that the firelizard was sitting on his owner's shoulder while something happened.

Wher handlers: 10 posts a month involving whers bonded to your character. A handler may work with whers not bonded to him, as well. Whers are not pets in the North. Callameres are hard to come by, so most whers are the less bright, more vicious traditional variety. Wher handlers are trained professionals who care for and command the whers that guard the Weyr and holds. They are never dragonriders, and they are never bonded with less than three Turns experience dealing with whers. They must be strong of will and strong enough of body to handle the massive beasts. They may be cross-crafters from such Crafts as Beasthealing, Herding, or Dragonhealing.

The Dragonriders of Pern� is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited.