Before the Fall - An AU 9th Pass

[BTF STAFF]

Almost 200 turns ago, Thread failed to fall from the skies, raining down its deadly enemy. Some say that Thread would never fall again, while the dragonriders never stood down its vigilante watch over the skies.

However, it was a mixed blessing that Thread never came. Towards the end of the Lost Pass (as it was come to be known), a terrible airborne flu stuck at the lands of Pern with devastating effects. Dragonriders and Holders fell victim to the disease, which killed off almost a quarter of the population. For Dragonriders, the loss was even more devastating. Only four Queens survived the epidemic; only two of those Queens were still in the prime of their fertile time. The Weyrs struggled with what to do, but soon it became clear that they would have to consolidate their numbers. Closing down first Ista and High Reaches, and then Igen and Telgar when their Queens failed to rise or produce a Queen to replace them. They watched as their numbers dwindle, as more riders died than eggs being laid.

Fast forwards almost 150 turns, Fort and Benden are beginning to once again fill those long empty weyrs, forcing the opening of not only one new weyr but two, High Reaches and Igen. Almost all the Holds had either stopped tithing or cut back their Holds tithes to the bare minimums, giving only their leftovers to the two remaining Weyrs, still there are a few loyal Holds that help keep the Weyrs cupboard from going completely bare. But even with their help, the two Weyrs find that it becomes necessary for them the Dragonriders to enhancement their own incomes by finding jobs.

Fort Weyr
The Weyr of Unbelievers - that is what the 1st Weyr has become known as by those at the 2nd. A Weyr of strict hierarchy and traditionalist, Fort is far from an idyllic place filled with fear and Gold and Bronzeriders are the nobles of the Weyr, getting all the best and don't do any of the work. Brownriders are the true leaders of the Weyr, but don't let those with the ranking dragons know, as some that have voice their concern have disappeared. Women at Fort have almost no rights, instead they are thought of as breeders and drudges. They are only searched for anything but gold, and those that do impress greens are thought of as freaks and are quickly either shipped to Benden or delegated to the lowest rung at Fort.

Telgar Hold
To the Holds, the idea that Thread is coming back is blasphemy to speak of. The tithes have been sending to the weyrs have been getting smaller and smaller with some Holds cutting the Weyrs off completely. Those Holds that are traditionally beholden to Telgar have fought the hardest against the expansion of Fort Weyr and possibly being forced to now tithe to a new weyr. Some say that the Lord Holder just might cause a coop of power. Some Holds have resisted the Telgar philosophy and some have embraced it whole heartily. Strife is inevitable; the question is only when it will happen.

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[Melissa]

Currently Happening at Before the Fall
Senior queen Orlaith has laid a record setting 28 egg-clutch on the sands of Fort Weyr. Unfortunately, the Weyr does not have nearly enough boys to present to her eggs. The acceptable age range of candidates has been widened in special cases (more like most cases) but boys are hard to come by. The queens of Fort have been producing larger and larger clutches over the Turns, and holders are getting tired of losing their sons to the Weyr. The Lower Caverns boys are being pressed into Standing, whether they want to or not and whether they’re really candidate material or not.

To combat this problem Weyrwoman Julianya has decided to allow girls to Stand at the Hatching, despite there being no gold egg present.

Calling her decision a bit of a controversy would be a vast understatement. The Weyr is divided between those who think it’s a terrible idea (a camp that includes the Weyrleader and some of the goldriders) and those that think it’s the best solution to the problem. A smaller, much less vocal minority thinks it’s about sharding time.

The always volatile Weyrleader is raging, claiming this will be the ruination of the wings, the Weyr and possibly all of Pern. Girls in the Lower Caverns are being harassed, warned off from the clutch. Searchriders have been dispatched to the holds, ordered to ignore their feelings on the matter and bring back both boys and girls. Female greenriders have always face a hard time at Fort Weyr, but the soon-to-be weyrlings are going to need a lot of moxie to make it through.

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Before the Fall is looking for those willing for a few good players to play candidates for the next hatching coming up the beginning of December.

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[BTF STAFF]

Before the Fall
An AU 9th Pass Canon Pern RPG

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Plot Summary:

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Fort Weyr - The Weyr of Unbelievers

A Weyr of strict hierarchy and tradition, Fort Weyr is far from an idyllic place to live, often filled with fear. Some have chosen to fight back in secret, and it is well needed in a world where imagining Threads soon return is blasphemy and the lack of tithes form the Holds in threatening imminent starvation. The calm before the storm is building rapidly, and soon it will not doubt boil over into chaos. End the end, it is only one question that is important…. Whose side are you on?

Current Plots:

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And Open Flight?

Clutching and Hatching… Yet again.

Wanted Characters:

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Before the Fall is currently looking for the following type of characters:

Headwomen: This character should be at least 35 in age and has lived in Fort Weyr all her life.

Brownriders: We are in need of one or two more active brownriders. We are in need of both for and against the status que concepts. The characters should be a minimum age of 16.

Candidates: With the Senior Gold clutching within the next few weeks and the Jr. Gold having just rose, the search dragons are out looking to fill out the ranks for hopefuls. As tradition, they are taking anyone that is “searched” outside the hold as long as they are of age (14 or older). Weyr residents, age 12 or older, are as always allowed to request the right to stand at the next hatching. Untraditionally, the riders have been told that girls may also be searched and stand even if there is not a gold egg on the sands.


About Us:

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Before the Fall is a small community that is just getting off the ground. We offer a generally canon game with the traditional five colors and women still impressing to greens (though there is a possibility of few female blue impressions in the future).

[BTF Staff]

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The surprises never cease at Fort Weyr. The first was junior queen Haduth rising for her maiden flight nine months early. Then came the first Weyrleader change in seven Turns. The biggest one of all has happened on the Hatching Sands of Pern’s oldest Weyr. Haduth has laid a twenty-one egg clutch that includes a shining queen egg, zealously guarded by the young queen. The gold and her rider are understandably proud, but it does make for some problems.

While holders will be more likely to give their girls up on Search if there’s a chance for a baby queen, the Weyr still needs good quality boys in the ranks. Thanks to some political maneuvering by the Weyrleaders, new territory has opened up to Fort searchriders. Tillek Hold, traditionally beholden to High Reaches Weyr, has agreed to allow any Weyr on the western half of the continent to search from its territory. Fort has declared territory once covered by the empty Ista Weyr to be fair game, despite the protests of Igen Weyr, which claims the area. Hopefully the benefits will outweigh the costs and Fort can find enough new candidates for the waiting clutch.

Candidacy is a little different at Before the Fall. Candidates at Fort Weyr get recorded with the Weyrwoman and then treated as any other weyrstaff until the Hatching. There’s no barracks, no Candidatemaster, no lessons and definitely no egg touching. Hatchings are scary, chaotic times, even for veteran candidates.

Before the Fall is a small game with lots of room to grow. We want to focus on the politics of Pern in the last days of a Long Interval few people believe will end. We need candidates, riders, and holders and crafters of all kinds. Most importantly, though, are writers who are looking for a fun game with a lot of world building opportunities.

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