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Weyrling Training Guide A note: Gold Weyrlings do not participate in elevator duty, transport duty, ferrying firestone, or join any Wing but the Queen's Wing. They do ferry flamethrowers to the Queen's Wing. They attend all other classes and duties with their clutchmates. Items listed after GOLD WEYRLINGS: are classes that the gold Weyrlings must attend in addition to the regular Weyrling classes. SEVENDAY TRAINING 1) Care of your dragon: feeding (including lessons in basic butchering), oiling, bathing, etc. Sensations of Impression: Getting used to mental and emotional communication with the dragonet. Developing and understanding the bond between dragon and rider. Learning to control the dragonet. Remedial reading, writing, and mathematics taught where required. Remedial Teaching Ballads taught where required Basic health care and dragon first aid. Included are: treatment for scratches, bruises, pulled muscles, constipation, diarrhea GOLD WEYRLINGS: Introductions to all Weyrs' Queenriders Begin attending every-sevenday Queens' Wing meetings, Start assisting with chores/tag along Figuring firestone requirements of the Weyr 3) Duties of ground crews in Threadfall. Weyrling etiquette: Includes curfew, explanation of no-relationships ban, emotional control, behavior towards each other, full riders, and non-riders. Tying your shoulder knot and starting Weyrling chores. Firestone: Selection, sizing, and bagging 5) Drills: Passing firestone in groups of three, six, and twelve. Weight of firestone sacks is gradually increased until Weyrlings are able to throw full sacks easily. Marching in groups of three, six, and twelve in ground versions of aerial formations. (Both continue until Sevenday 28) GOLD WEYRLINGS: Assisting healers during Threadfall (continues to end of career) Gold dragon influence in calming and command: controlling an injured dragon, inhibiting dragons of all colors Weyr structure, staff, meeting important people, Weyr behavior, Duties to queens, Weyr, and position , Duty of procreation, survival of the breed, Duty to the Weyrleader, Teaching songs on Queenrider responsibilities 8) GOLD WEYRLINGS: Meeting the riders (by Wing) 11) Drills: Marching and tossing firestone in groups of three, six, and twelve in ground versions of aerial formations (continues until Sevenday 28) 14) Care and repair of flamethrowers: Recognizing metal fatigue, cracked and worn parts, how to disassemble and reassemble them. Crafting: Making riding straps. Care and repair of riding straps: Recognizing stretched, rotten, and cracked leather, when and how to patch and when to scrap the straps and make all new ones GOLD WEYRLINGS: Record keeping - dragonriders: Eggs laid, Hatchings; ratio of colors to Hatchings, Names of new dragons and partners, Mating and egg production, Deaths of dragons and riders, Wing placement of new riders, transfers, injuries, disciplinary actions Record keeping - non-riders (taught by the Headwoman): Marriages, births, deaths, Rank/position changes, transfers, disciplinary actions 16) Flight Training: Dragons fly without their riders, glides at first and then gradually extending the distance. Riders must be present to reassure/encourage their dragon. Daily exercises to strengthen flying muscles (continues until graduation) GOLD WEYRLINGS: Introduction to Queens' Wing formations (on the ground and later in the air) The Holds and their Lord Holders. The Crafthalls and their Mastercraftsmen 17) Flight Theory: Meteorology, air currents and thermals, Threadfall charts. The effects of weather on Threadfall Hunting: Observation of adult dragons. 18) Dragon Healing: Advanced first aid: Includes treatments for cuts and gashes, recognizing stretched/torn muscles and ligaments, torn wingsails, broken bones Crafting: Sizing, adjusting, fitting, testing riding straps, and putting them on your dragon. Hunting: Weyrling pairs hunt for themselves, accompanied by adult dragons at first GOLD WEYRLINGS: Dragon healing: Treatment for: Lacings, punctures, amputations, sensitive organs (eyes, etc.) recognizing symptoms: Wing fatigue, mating flight strain, wing dropsy, Ailments of the joints, tendons, and ligaments 19) Dragons fly with riders, short glides only 20) Dragons fly with riders, gradually lengthening distance (continues until graduation) 24) GOLD WEYRLINGS: Flight training: Queens' catch, top and bottom (theory and mock practice. Actually attempting this in real situations doesn't start until near the end of graduation due to the strain it would put on a growing skeleton) 28)Flight Training: Flying in groups of three, six, and twelve in formations practiced on the ground Drills: Dragon toss (aerial version of firestone bag tossing) 'Elevator duty' within the Weyr Flight Training: Sight recognition, receiving and sending visualizations Straight flight to destination outside the Weyr and back for firsthand visualizations (all continue until graduation) 34) Going between with the Weyrlingmaster or other full rider 35) GOLD WEYRLINGS: Representing the Weyr in public and in private, Areas under the Weyr's protection, behavior at gathers and official functions, Dealing with commoners, Holders, and Crafters; formally representing the Weyr, Current political atmosphere Weyr management - stores: Perishable (food) and non-perishable (clothing, etc.); supply versus need, medical stores (with Master Healer), firestone stores, Assigning weyrs, assigning duties 39) Weyrling pairs go between on their own Going between from the Weyr to known points 41) Going between in groups of three, six, and twelve, maintaining formations when going /between/ Transport duty, Pern wide (continues until graduation) 43) Fly straight to unknown destination, obtain visual, and go between back to the Weyr. Flaming: Chewing firestone. Learning your dragon's capacity, preventing chewing injuries. Ground practice of flaming: learning to aim and control the amount of flame expelled Flaming: Flying safely, maintaining appropriate distances, learning to judge wind speed and direction and how it affects flaming, flaming in groups of three, six, and twelve in formation (Continues until graduation) 46) Testing and observation by the Weyrleader and Weyrwoman Bronze and Brown Weyrlings, in preparation for their later possible advancement to Wingleader or Wingsecond are taught basic diplomacy and leadership skills, how to lead a Wing, including (practiced with their Weyrling Class as their Wing) leading Drills, maintaining discipline in a Wing, appropriate disciplinary measures for various problems, when to appeal to a higher authority. Also taught is basic (theoretical) tactics for leading a Wing in Fall, including dealing with injuries and the gaps they leave in a formation, which formations are best against which sorts of Falls etc. (continues until graduation) Female Riders: Detecting/preventing human pregnancy, convalescent period after an abortion or birth Green and gold riders: Explanation of mating flights, mating cycles, the effects of stress and injury (either the rider or the dragon) on mating flights, post-mating flight etiquette Bronze, Brown, and Blueriders: Dealing with your dragon when he loses, preventing him from chasing (if injured or for personal reasons <ie the rider of the dragon rising is the male dragon's rider's mother/father/sibling>) post-mating flight etiquette GOLD WEYRLINGS: controlling your gold so she doesn't eat, explanation of draconic pregnancy and clutching, possible problems, including becoming egg bound, overexertion during laying, and how to prevent/correct them. Dealing with a broody queen. Hatching Day problems and how to deal with them, including "dud" eggs, a dragonet that can't seem to find its rider, and dealing with the relatives of the new Riders (whether they're thrilled for their relative or ... not.) 47) Tying shoulder knots of the appropriate adult rank Weyrlings follow Queen's Wing Ferrying firestone to the Wings during Threadfall AKA "Blooding" (continues until graduation) 48) Weyrlings join Queen's Wing GOLD WEYRLINGS: Accompany Weyrwoman and Queenriders in official duties Assist Headwoman in Lower Caverns management Awareness of dragons, riders during Threadfall 49) Weyrlings join Low Flight 50) Weyrlings join Mid Flight 51) Weyrlings join High Flight 52) Graduation party, assignment to Wings
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