Eastern Weyr

FAQ

Out-Of-Character Questions

How do I join?
How do I ask the BoD a question?
How do I make edits or additions to my character's sheet?
How do I add listings to the Timeline?
What makes a character more likely to be approved?
Can I have a ranker? What ranks are open?
Are there any specific character types Eastern Weyr is looking for?
How do Hatchings work at Eastern Weyr?
How are dragons' ages calculated once they're out of weyrlinghood?
How is dragon/flit/wher speech written at Eastern Weyr?
How is Out-Of-Character time kept at Eastern Weyr?

In-Character Questions

Can my character have/acquire a flit or other pet?
How big is my character's dragon/wher/flit?
Can my flit have a flight, and a clutch?
Can my dragon rise/chase in a flight, and at how old?
How old does a dragon have to be before it can Search?
Can my dragonrider "time it"?
Can I play out Threadfall injuries and incidents?
How can my rider move up in rank within their Wing?
How can my character move up in rank within their Craft?
How is In-Character time kept at Eastern Weyr?
What is the layout of Eastern Weyr?
What is the layout of a dragonrider's weyr?
What is the layout of the Candidate/Weyrling barracks?
How often does a dragon need to eat, or be bathed and oiled?
What do various dragon/flit eye colors mean?

How do I join?

To join Eastern Weyr, first read our RULES. Also visit the WEYR INFORMATION page for the essentials on Eastern Weyr - its history, timeline, layout, and canon.

Then, decide what kind of character you want to create. If that character is a candidate, weyrling, or crafter, you can read up on that information by following the links below:

CANDIDATE INFORMATION
WEYRLING INFORMATION
CRAFTER INFORMATION

Once you've read up on the relevant information for what kind of character you want to create, then visit the JOIN page and fill out the character sheet. Just hit "Submit" at the bottom once you're done, and we'll get back to you shortly!

How do I ask the BoD a question?

To ask the BoD anything at all, just email your question to easternbod@gmail.com!

How do I make edits or additions to my character's sheet?

To edit or add something to a character's sheet, either email the edited/expanded portion of the sheet to easternbod@gmail.com, or just resubmit the character through the JOIN form on the site (you can leave out any portions that aren't being edited, but we do need basic information, such as the character's name, so we know which sheet we're changing!)

Any character edits or expansions are subject to the normal rules of character approval.

How do I add listings to the Timeline?

To add an entry to Eastern Weyr's Timeline, just submit the entry and the corresponding date to easternbod@gmail.com.

What makes a character more likely to be approved?

There are a lot of factors that go into approving a character at Eastern Weyr. First, there are simply factual concerns - are there issues with canon conflict in the history? Does the person have blue hair? Are they a Journeyman at 16? Usually, however, the majority of edits tend to have to do with toning down character 'virtues' and adding 'flaws' - basically, making a character balanced. For more information on that, read number six of Eastern Weyr's RULES, or look through Eastern's Guide to Rankers.

Can I have a ranker? What ranks are open?

If you've been a member for at least a month and have been posting consistently, then the chances are good that the answer is "Yes!" While we only very rarely very allocate ranks like Weyrleader, goldrider, Candidatemaster, Weyrlingmaster, or Wingleader, we like to spread other ranks out among our memberbase to make sure that everyone who earns it gets to play someone of ranking importance to the Weyr. And the best way to get a rank?

1. Let us know you're interested.
2. Play!

If we see a lot of consistent, quality activity from a writer, chances are that we'd be more than willing to let that person, either with a new character or a promotion of a relevant current one, play an Assistant Candidatemaster, Assistant Weyrlingmaster, Wingthird, Wingsecond, Journeyman, or Master in any craft. These are the kinds of ranks that we find really help to flesh our a Weyr when played often and well, and we want them in the hands of the people who want to play them!

To see what ranks are available, both major and minor, please visit our WANTED page.

Are there any specific character types Eastern Weyr is looking for?

Yes! While we welcome applications for whatever type of character someone wishes to write, there are certain IC populations that could always use a little fleshing out. To see what types of characters Eastern Weyr happens to be most in need of at the time, please visit our WANTED page.

How do Hatchings work at Eastern Weyr?

For information on how Hatchings work at Eastern Weyr, please visit Eastern Weyr's Hatching Guide.

How are dragons' ages calculated once they're out of weyrlinghood?

While a dragon is still in weyrling training, their age, size, and picture will be updated by month as they grow and get older. A dragon is 18 months old at the completion of their training (since a Pernese Turn has 13 months, not 12, this is actually about 1.38 Turns old, not 1.5 as might be expected), and will updated to the approximation '1.5' to represent their age one month out of training. After that point, we approximate their ages by syncing their updates with that of their rider's age - when their rider next has a birthingday, the '1.5' Turn old dragon will turn '2', and then age along with their rider as the Turns go by. Since a dragon's age doesn't really matter much once they're out of Weyrlinghood, and only basic categories of 'young,' 'mature', or 'old' can usually be discerned visually anyway, the need to be exact shouldn't ever come up - but feel free to list your dragon's hatching day in your character's history as a personal reference. Any dragon hatched after or during the 2757th Turn at Eastern Weyr will also have its hatching day listed on the Timeline.

How is dragon/flit/wher speech written at Eastern Weyr?

Here at Eastern Weyr, we utilize a simple system of dragon, human, wher, and flit speech:

((Dragon))

"Human speaking voice" [[Human mindvoice]]

~Flit speak~

**Wherspeak**

Remember - flits don't actually communicate in words! They use a combination of images, emotions, and other simple sentiments to get their point across. In other words, anything in ~Flit speak~ is really just a short-cut for something ultimately non-verbal. A flit would probably be able to convey names, but that's about it.

Whers can in fact use words, albeit at the level of a very young child (age 3-4) for even the most intelligent of cases, and communicate mainly by way of feelings or mental images.

How is Out-Of-Character time kept at Eastern Weyr?

Here at Eastern Weyr, we ask that the In-Character date be included in each post, in the subject line, to allow for better organization and so that everyone knows what happened when. We allow 'fuzzy time' - what that means is that just because we're at a certain point in our TIMELINE, that doesn't mean you can't be posting to a thread that took place in a previous In-Character month. For example, just because we're in the 8th month of the Turn doesn't mean you can't have threads which take place in the 5th, 6th, or 7th months. The format for Pernese dates is:

mm.dd.yyyy

To find out what the current date is, see the chart at the top of the TIMELINE page. Our In-Character and Out-Of-Character timelines pass at a ratio of 1 to 1, meaning that one day that passes in the real world is also one day passing in Eastern's timeline.

Can my character have/acquire a flit or other pet?

Under most circumstances, sure! Apart from the rule that we only allow two pets per characters (VERY special circumstances might allow for more - if you have an idea, let us know!), we have no rule against who can have felines, canines, or chromatic-colored flits. There are three ways (other than starting with one upon character submission) to acquire one of these kinds of pets:

1. You can purchase one a feline, canine, or chromatic flit egg either on- or off-camera at any Gather.

2. You can receive a flit egg from a played out IC flit clutch.

3. You can make a request of the BoD to receive your pet through other IC means (for example, finding a firelizard clutch and coming away with an egg).

Whers and metallic-colored flits are harder to come by, and for that reason we consider them something to be earned. While we do consider requests for gold or bronze flits or the occasional wher-handler character, we will not be giving them out to anyone who hasn't shown considerable effort in writing and commitment towards the Weyr. Additionally, gold and bronze flits may occasionally be available through contests. That being said, if you've been at Eastern awhile and have been active, it can't hurt to ask whether or not you're eligible for a shiny!

Runners are something that we consider to be craft-specific in Terms of ownership - unless there are exceptionally well-justified IC circumstances, runners will only be owned by Beastcrafters.

How big is my character's dragon/wher/flit?

At Eastern Weyr we utilize dragon sizes that are slightly larger than those laid out in the books set in the 9th Pass. For any individual dragon and rider, we create sized pictures for each sheet, so that the writer of the character (or anyone writing with them) will have an idea of how big the dragon is in comparison to that particular rider. However, for anyone wondering about general sizes, the size charts for Eastern Weyr's dragons may be found HERE.

Since it wouldn't be feasible to provide size-referenced pictures of flits and whers, if you're wondering how big one of those pets might be, please see:

Flit Size Information
Wher Size Information

Can my flit have a flight, and a clutch?

Yes!

Here at Eastern Weyr, our flit gestation times are calculated to be seventeen days from flight to clutch, and then seven days for the eggs to harden until they hatch. To properly incubate a flit egg that isn't being kept warmed by a hearth, but rather by just the heat of the sands alone, the sands need to be changed about three times a day. A fresh supply of well-heated sand can always be found at the Hatching Cavern - though if there's a queen brooding, whether or not anyone will be allowed near enough to collect it is anyone's guess.

Gold flits can lay anywhere from 6 - 15 eggs - for RP purposes, while there may be this many eggs ICly, depending on the circumstances, only a portion will be distributed to player characters. Green flits can lay anywhere from 3 - 7 eggs, with a potential danger of any given one of them not being viable. Both the size (and thus color) of the male flit who caught, the size of the female, and the circumstances of the flight (as well as random luck) all factor into how many eggs result from any given flight.

Green flits rise every 5-7 months, and gold flits rise every 8-12, as a general rule. The first flight tends to be around 6 - 8 months of age for a green, while queens usually rise for the first time at anywhere between ten months and a Turn (13 months) old.

Can my dragon rise/chase in a flight, and at how old?

Sure! Any member with a green dragon is more than welcome to play out their flight - greens rise approximately every 3-5 months, so anywhere between two and four times a Turn.

Green dragons start rising anywhere between 10 and 15 months old, so between the 11th and the 16th months of their weyrling training, and may have a slightly erratic rising schedule for a few Turns to come until they settle into a more normal and predictable rhythm. Male dragons usually chase in their first flight somewhere during the same time range in their own growth.

Gold dragons rise for the first time anywhere between the ages of two and three Turns of age. Golds are much more affected than greens by the hormone pool of other golds, and almost always synchronize cycles as well as following their own rhythm. Usually, the next gold in the 'hormone queu' will rise between one and two months after the last hatching has occurred.

How old does a dragon have to be before it can Search?

When it comes to Searching, there are two things at play: the talent for detecting potential candidates, and the official rank which entitles a Searchrider to formalize that possibility and admit an individual for entry into the Candidate program.

In terms of just the ability to Search, most Searchdragons display their talent for the first time somewhere during their second Turn of life (between the ages of 1 and 2, so either late in Weyrlinghood or just out of it), whether explicitly or in little hints. But despite the age at which a dragon shows the ability, a dragonrider fresh out of Weyrlinghood is expected to train in their Wing first and foremost, not for other duties quite yet. Unless Searchriders are for some unusual reason in very short supply in a Weyr, the actual rank and ability to admit candidates into the program through official Search won't be applicable until the dragon in question is at least three Turns old, and all official Searches will be overseen and confirmed by an older, more experienced Searchrider until the younger rider has held the rank for at least one Turn.

Can my dragonrider "time it"?

Unfortunately, no. No exceptions.

We know that other Weyrs sometimes allow these kinds of plots, but according to Eastern's specific canon, timing it is an ability that does not exist. It had never existed, it never will exist. Please don't ask for plots involving it.

Can I play out Threadfall injuries and incidents?

YES! In fact, we encourage it!

At Eastern Weyr, we don't generally have "played Threadfalls" unless there's a Fall that takes place under unusual circumstances, such as severe weather. Every Threadfall is technically "played" - to play out an injury or post something that happens during Fall, just check the Threadfall schedule and pick a Fall date!

How can my rider move up in rank within their Wing?

When any rider is played actively and the writer lets us know that they're interested in that character attaining a Wing rank, a promotion can occur.

There are a few things that need to happen ICly - first, no matter how active a writer is, we can't promote a character who's played to be a poor Threadfall fighter or a discipline case. No Wingleader or Weyrleader would promote a rider who either can't or won't follow orders, or who can't protect themselves, let alone look out for anyone else. However, if the rider is played to be responsible and a good flyer in Fall, then they may be promoted. The following ranks are available to riders of each dragon color:

Green: Wingthird
Blue: Wingthird, Wingsecond
Brown: Wingthird, Wingsecond, Wingleader
Bronze: Wingthird, Wingsecond, Wingleader

Please note that blueriders in Wingsecond positions are rare. Please visit THIS page for details on what could qualify a bluerider for the position of Wingsecond.

How can my character move up in rank within their Craft?

Any crafter who is not ICly played to be slow or deficient in the areas of their Craft, or to have some other quality which would hamper their promotion, can walk the tables at any time once they meet the following criteria and age minimum for the rank that they wish to attain:

Senior Apprentice: 15+ (must have at least three Turns of normal apprenticeship)
Journeyman: 19+ (must have a least four Turns of senior apprenticeship)
Senior Journeyman: 26+ (must have at least seven Turns as a normal journeyman)
Master: 34+ (must have at least eight Turns as a senior journeyman)

Please note that dragonriders wishing to move up in their Craft are held to a different standard. Since dragonriders simply don't have as much time to practice their Craft, any time spent training for their next rank, starting once they're out of Weyrlinghood, will count as only half of the time that it would for a Crafter for purposes of meeting the criteria above.

For example, a greenrider who became an Apprentice at 12, a Senior Apprentice at 15, Impressed at 17, and was out of Weyrlinghood by 19, could not attain the rank of Journeyman until she was 23, since the four Turns out of Weyrlinghood would only count as two Turns of Craft training (which, combined with her work from the ages of 15-17, before she Impressed, totals the required four Turns of senior apprenticeship).

How is In-Character time kept at Eastern Weyr?

A Pernese year consists of 364 days, divided into 13 months of 28 days each. The notation for a Pernese date is:

mm.dd.yyyy

There are 24 'candlemarks' in a Pernese day, approximately corresponding to earth-time hours, so the length of a Pernese day is pretty much what we're used to. Individual inhabitants of Eastern Weyr often use hourglasses to keep time, and every hour from sunup to sundown is announced by the drum-tower, with summary wakeup calls being announced in the Weyrling barracks, Candidate barracks, lower caverns, and craft quarters. Dragonriders who happen to accidentally sleep in are generally roused by their dragons, who alert them when their Wingleader's dragon gives out the customary mental 'ten minutes until drills' call to the members of their Wing.

What is the layout of Eastern Weyr?

The layout of Eastern Weyr, as well as a map, can be found on the Weyr Layout and Weather page.

What is the layout of a dragonrider's weyr?

For a detailed explanation of the layout of a dragonrider's weyr (complete with pictures!), please click HERE!

What is the layout of the Candidate/Weyrling barracks?

The layout of the Candidate or Weyrling barracks can be found on the information pages for those respective groups of characters:

CANDIDATE INFORMATION
WEYRLING INFORMATION

How often does a dragon need to eat, or be bathed and oiled?

Adult dragons generally eat twice a sevenday, with the size of the meal dictated by color, size, and build.

A full-grown dragon must be bathed EVERY DAY, and oiled at least every other day.

What do various dragon/flit eye colors mean?

Dragons' and flits' eyes turn different colors depending on their emotions. Generally, an especially dark or rich color signals a very strong emotion, while a pale one indicates a more mild sentiment. It is very possible for non-contradictory colors to mix - anger is often expressed by a red-orange tone through the facets, a dragon who is both very interested in a conversation and feeling happy may display teal eyes, and a dragon who is talking about their lifemate may often have their eyes turn indigo.

Red: strong, immediate primal instincts (anger, hunger, or mating lust)
Orange: anger/alarm
Yellow: frustration/annoyance
Green: curiosity/interest
Blue: happiness
Purple: love
Grey: worry/pain/agitation
White: fear/severe pain

Didn't find what you were looking for?

Question not answered?

Just email the BoD at easternbod@gmail.com, and we'll get you an answer!