Post by Luna on Jul 14, 2009 11:02:45 GMT -5
Pets aren't that common in a Weyr. Everything in a Weyr has to have a reason. Not to say you can't have a cuddly Fire lizard that does nothing all day. But you need a reason for it.
Flitts
Also known as fire-lizards, they are what the dragons were bred from when settlers first inhabited Pern. They average about the length of a man's arm. They come in the same original five colors and genders. Unlike dragons, golds and greens can both lay clutches. However, greens lay small clutches that hatch only blues and greens. They can communicate well with their owners, but do so in feeling and pictures rather than words. Their owners have to bathe and oil them daily, but they can hunt for themselves. Flitts are used mainly as messengers in the Weyr.
Flits are rare in the North, very rare. Eggs can occasionally be available to purchase at Gathers and such, but mind you it will cost and arm and a leg to get one. With prices starting at around 3-5 marks for a wild green egg. (15 marks is considered a small fortune), no low ranking character would be able to afford more than a wild blue or green, if that. Of course, that doesn't mean they can't have one, but they must have a viable reason in their history as to where they acquired their flit.
Mating flights will depend on the female's color. Greens rise far more often, usually every 6 sevendays or so. Golds rise once every turn. The females must be at least one turn old to be mature. Flitt mating flights carry a degree of feeling with them, but they are nowhere near as intense as a dragon's flight.
Whers
The other draconics are watch whers. They will be given to their handlers, whether it be a Hold watchwher, or the watchwher at the Weyr. Whers are used for hunting, guarding, and exploring. They can also be used to patrol with groundcrews when threadfall comes at night. These are not meant to be pets and only those, generally beastcrafters, who go through the proper training are bonded. A child, or someone who wasn't trained as a wherhandler be given one. They can be quite dangerous creatures and giving one to a kid would be the same as giving them an attack dog.
Their hides are more armored than that of flits and dragons and they do not need to be oiled, but they do need to be bathed. Whers are photosensitive, which means their huge eyes cannot handle light. They are nocturnal animals and you will not see them during the day. They are very protective, can communicate with images and stilted speech. They usually live in dens and are very fierce creatures. Wher Runs are the mating flights of whers. A female will rut and then a male will catch her, they mate, and a clutch is produced with the female looking after it in a den at the end of a long tunnel somewhere. The feelings are more intense for the handlers, compared to a flitflight, but it is still not quite as potent as that of a dragonflight. They are not pleasure pets.
Runners
Descendants of the Terran horse, they generally have denser bones, larger eyes and ears, and larger hearts and lungs. They can come in a wide variety of sizes and colours and are normally used as mounts, pack animals, or racers. Like flits, they're not exactly cheap to buy. A good runner can run anywhere from 8-12 marks, but it is possible to pick up old nags for cheaper. However it's the keeping that is the problem. Fort has limited room for runners so any staying in the beasthold have to be paid for, either in marks, goods, or labour. Unless the owner has a good fortune of marks for special care, runners in the beasthold will be put to work by whoever needs them. Whether that's working the fields or given as mounts to messengers, they will be doing something. Most Weyrfolk will not have runners, except for Harpers, who generally need them to travel to the surrounding areas to teach and mediate. There are runners available for lend at the beasthold, however, if one should need one.
Felines and Canines
Easier to come by, but the same rules apply to them as everything else. They need to be working. Felines will be expected to hunt mice in the kitchens and such; canines can be used for herding, guarding, tracking, hunting, turning spits in the kitchens, and even hunting mice or tunnelsnakes as well. Felines are generally alright to stay in the owner's room or weyr, but most dogs will be put in the kennels unless they're kept tied or contained in some way within the weyr or living quarters. One exception to this rule is the canines used for the blind or deaf. Felines are less excepted than canines for their sometimes vicious nature.
Flitts
Also known as fire-lizards, they are what the dragons were bred from when settlers first inhabited Pern. They average about the length of a man's arm. They come in the same original five colors and genders. Unlike dragons, golds and greens can both lay clutches. However, greens lay small clutches that hatch only blues and greens. They can communicate well with their owners, but do so in feeling and pictures rather than words. Their owners have to bathe and oil them daily, but they can hunt for themselves. Flitts are used mainly as messengers in the Weyr.
Flits are rare in the North, very rare. Eggs can occasionally be available to purchase at Gathers and such, but mind you it will cost and arm and a leg to get one. With prices starting at around 3-5 marks for a wild green egg. (15 marks is considered a small fortune), no low ranking character would be able to afford more than a wild blue or green, if that. Of course, that doesn't mean they can't have one, but they must have a viable reason in their history as to where they acquired their flit.
Mating flights will depend on the female's color. Greens rise far more often, usually every 6 sevendays or so. Golds rise once every turn. The females must be at least one turn old to be mature. Flitt mating flights carry a degree of feeling with them, but they are nowhere near as intense as a dragon's flight.
Whers
The other draconics are watch whers. They will be given to their handlers, whether it be a Hold watchwher, or the watchwher at the Weyr. Whers are used for hunting, guarding, and exploring. They can also be used to patrol with groundcrews when threadfall comes at night. These are not meant to be pets and only those, generally beastcrafters, who go through the proper training are bonded. A child, or someone who wasn't trained as a wherhandler be given one. They can be quite dangerous creatures and giving one to a kid would be the same as giving them an attack dog.
Their hides are more armored than that of flits and dragons and they do not need to be oiled, but they do need to be bathed. Whers are photosensitive, which means their huge eyes cannot handle light. They are nocturnal animals and you will not see them during the day. They are very protective, can communicate with images and stilted speech. They usually live in dens and are very fierce creatures. Wher Runs are the mating flights of whers. A female will rut and then a male will catch her, they mate, and a clutch is produced with the female looking after it in a den at the end of a long tunnel somewhere. The feelings are more intense for the handlers, compared to a flitflight, but it is still not quite as potent as that of a dragonflight. They are not pleasure pets.
Runners
Descendants of the Terran horse, they generally have denser bones, larger eyes and ears, and larger hearts and lungs. They can come in a wide variety of sizes and colours and are normally used as mounts, pack animals, or racers. Like flits, they're not exactly cheap to buy. A good runner can run anywhere from 8-12 marks, but it is possible to pick up old nags for cheaper. However it's the keeping that is the problem. Fort has limited room for runners so any staying in the beasthold have to be paid for, either in marks, goods, or labour. Unless the owner has a good fortune of marks for special care, runners in the beasthold will be put to work by whoever needs them. Whether that's working the fields or given as mounts to messengers, they will be doing something. Most Weyrfolk will not have runners, except for Harpers, who generally need them to travel to the surrounding areas to teach and mediate. There are runners available for lend at the beasthold, however, if one should need one.
Felines and Canines
Easier to come by, but the same rules apply to them as everything else. They need to be working. Felines will be expected to hunt mice in the kitchens and such; canines can be used for herding, guarding, tracking, hunting, turning spits in the kitchens, and even hunting mice or tunnelsnakes as well. Felines are generally alright to stay in the owner's room or weyr, but most dogs will be put in the kennels unless they're kept tied or contained in some way within the weyr or living quarters. One exception to this rule is the canines used for the blind or deaf. Felines are less excepted than canines for their sometimes vicious nature.
