Post by Telgar Admin on Jan 26, 2011 15:17:17 GMT -5
Our story begins at the beginning of the 7th Pass... Pern had seen generation after generation succeed and leave legacy for their descendents. Colonists made the planet habitable; scientists created companions and lifemates; and the planet itself provided the means to build upon the original settlement. But there have been some drawbacks, in the form of plagues, firelizards disappearing, and the ever-present danger of Thread. Life is never going to be easy for the people of Pern, and still they seem to find enjoyment in the little things, of Gathers and Hatching feasts, in births and promotions. That’s where Isbet found herself at the turn of the Pass, her mentor having passed away and leaving her with the honor of Weyrwoman.
Isbet was forty-four when she ascended the ranks, fit as a fiddle and with a go-get-em personality to match. She tossed bronzeriders out on their bottoms and scared enough sense in the candidates that during her reign they posed little trouble. It surely wasn’t her decision to transfer Veda in, for as surely as they were both goldriders they didn’t have a lick in common; they acknowledged each other and could find strengths amongst the evident weaknesses, but bosom buddies they would never be. Telgar’s Weyrwoman was strong, good-hearted, and blunt, while the other goldrider, a Fort native, was sly, ruthless, and prone to trickery to get what she wanted. Both their queens were good producers, if Grenleth was better at giving the Weyr golds than Caroth was.
Threadfall had been gruesome the year Isbet suffered her injuries, causing the Weyr setbacks. More dragonriders were injured in that year alone than in the nine years preceding it. Isbet took a hit towards the end of the Fall, one which caused bad scaring along the left side of her torso and on seventy-five percent of her face; if the goldrider had survived, she would have had horrible scars. They pronounced her unsalvageable two days before she died, as infection ran rampant in her system. Grenleth followed suit not long after and the whole Weyr grieved. Two months later Caroth rose and cemented Veda as the new Weyrwoman, much to a good portion of the Weyr’s dismay.
Caroth was a good clutcher, providing many more and larger eggs than Grenleth ever did. Everyone hoped the younger gold would produce a gold egg. Turns went by, and while no one particularly liked her, the Weyr’s stores bulked up and the Weyr prospered under her lily-white hand. Still no gold egg was laid on the sands and to make matters worse, Telgar’s youngest queen hadn’t risen as was predicted. Three turns out and she had yet to take to the sky, nor did she seem to have a mind to. It caused panic in the hearts of many – what if Caroth never clutched a gold egg? what if ___ never rose? would that be the end of Telgar’s lineage? would they have to suffer their pride and take another transfer gold? There’s many questions yet standing in the dust of Isbet and Grenleth’s abrupt departure from the world, even two turns later.
