Post by Rouxy on Jan 24, 2011 19:29:15 GMT -5
Dolphins and Dolphineers
Dolphins have become an important part of life in the South particularly, but increasingly so for the North as well. From predicting foul weather to assisting in the location of good fishing spots and even helping with the Healer Hall, the Dolphincraft has quite expanded, with a pod monitoring the waters around every beach-lined Weyr and Hold.
First and foremost, the partnership between humans and dolphins is one of mutual regard consisting of a handful of promises on each side.
Dolphins must:
1. Answer the call of the sea-bell when it rings.
2. Guard human beings on or near the water, to the best of their abilities, even to the cost of their own lives.
3. Assist in all sea rescues of humans.
4. Inform humans of oncoming sea hazards, including the presence of dangerous sea creatures.
5. Aid humans with their abilities to detect earthquakes and track tsunami waves.
6. Upon request, spot schools of food fish and inform fishing boats where they are to be found.
In an honorary capacity, dolphins also escort the bodies of the human dead, buried at sea, to their final resting place.
Humans must:
1. Teach and talk to any dolphin.
2. Rescue any dolphin who is in distress.
3. Restore to the sea any dolphin that accidentally beach themselves.
4. Cure sickness and mend wounds.
5. Remove all bloodfish.
The joining of humans and dolphins into partnerships is a thing decided upon by both parties, though it does not happen often. Dolphins do not require and sometimes do not want to partner to a single human, often preferring the equanimity afforded by working with all dolphineers. If a dolphin or human dies in a partnership, the death is mourned, but the partner left behind is not bereft like in a dragon partnership. The depth of the dolphin/human bond is only to that of friendship and high regard.
History and Social structure of the Dolphins
Dolphins on Pern are something considerably different than the dolphins on Earth. They look the same, and in many ways act the same. But they are not. Primarily, the dolphins of Pern are sapient creatures. Mentasynth had long ago been used on Earth's second most intelligent life form, and it was the choice of 25 dolphins, mostly bottlenose but also the deeper water Striped dolphin, to exchange the seas of their birthworld for the seas of a new home.
After learning human speech, the dolphins adopted the names they had been given and formed a tradition of passing them on to their offspring. Many of these names were originally taken from places and historical figures on Earth (for example Amadeus, China, Oregon, Theresa). They have been set to dolphin music, and this Name Song is sung at special occasions and on longer journeys in the Great Currents. Pernese dolphins use human speech not only to communicate, but also in their Songs, which are sung to entertain as well as inform, just like the Teaching Ballads of the human Harpers.
To honor Captain Jim Tillek, the pods adopted the name "Tillek" for the acknowledged leader of all dolphins on Pern. This tradition has been handed down until the present day. It is the Tillek's responsibility that all young dolphins learn Speech and know their duties towards the humans on Pern and the meaning of the ringing sequences of the sea-bell. She will firmly discipline dolphins who are disrespectful towards humans or question the Dolphin Contract. The Tillek is also the keeper of dolphin history and hands it on to the next generation. With the Songs, dolphin history is taught in human speech. Young dolphins will first be taught by their mothers, then by their pod leaders, and finally be chosen to travel to the Northwest Sea to be taught by the Tillek herself.
Long-Distance Communication between Pods and Halls
Dolphin song has the capacity to travel for nearly a hundred miles. By relaying a message through a chain of pods, dolphins can quickly exchange news over long distances. A more specialized form of dolphin long-range communication is "sounding" (undersea sound waves) through sound channels. This technique enables dolphins to send supersonic messages over thousands of miles in specific locations dependent on the shape of the sea floor and the specifics of water currents through the area.
Some of Pern's dolphins always stay in these special areas and serve as sounders, receiving and spreading messages between the pods.
Specializing branches for Dolphineers
Dolphineers choose their specialty somewhere within their third to fourth year of training, gaining the added benefit of the initial years as general apprentice training. Partnering with a dolphin can happen at any time during training or after, or not at all depending on the situation.
General Dolphineer
This is the ‘jack of all trades’ of the Dolphin craft. They are equally talented in all the various specialties.
Dolphinhealer
These are healers of both dolphins and humans. This is a full-time specialty, and although a dolphinhealer may make a hobby of a particular specialty, his main focus is on Dolphinhealing. Dolphinhealers are a must for every Dolphinhall. They remove parasites such as bloodfish from dolphin flesh and treat various illnesses. They are also moderately knowledgeable of human healing, especially first aid. They work often with the Healer Hall, utilizing a dolphin's unique ability to sense 'wrongness' in humans.
Mapmakers
These dolphineers work with their partners to map the known and unknown coastlines to make ship travel safer. They check the coastline once a sevenday for changes, and more often during times of severe weather. When they are not scouting the coastlines, they are often found updating maps or taking news of changes to local Holds and Halls.
Weatherwatchers
These dolphineers are the meteorologists of Pern. Weatherwatching is very important, because it cuts down on the risk of having ships out during storms. Dolphins are adept at watching weather patterns and help their human counterparts predict what the conditions will be like. A good weatherwatcher can predict a storm days in advance.
Ship’s Escort
Often a duty taken on in addition to mapmaking or weatherwatching rather than a specialization all of its own, a ship’s escort sails with various types of boats—sometimes fisherboats, but usually passenger boats that have long trips ahead of them. The dolphin scouts ahead for rough water or obstacles, and the human partner makes note of those obstacles to be added to the maps back home. They help make the trip safer for all those aboard.
Search and Rescue
These dolphins and their partners are called upon to scout for ships which have been missing or were out during a bad storm, as well as general area exploration. If the ship is found still afloat, the seekers escort the ship back home. If the ship is found sinking, the ‘rescue’ part comes into play, and the dolphineer does everything in his power to save the victims. Search and Rescue dolphineers often go out in teams of two pairs or more. A lone dolphin pair is as much at risk as the people on the boat.
Dolphin Specialties
Dolphins can have any of the specialties listed below in larger or smaller quantities, but most tend to choose one or two to practice and learn in.
Long Distance Communication -These dolphins are especially good at sending and receiving messages through the distance channels. Much like harpers, they are well trained in the Teaching Songs and the Name Song, and are among some of the best English speakers.
Agility -These dolphins are good jumpers and good swimmers, agile both in and out of the water. They are good at riding strong currents, and using them to their best advantage.
Sprinters -Speed is key for these dolphins. They are lightning fast for short distances, and good at carrying messages between pods.
Healers -These dolphins specialize in healing both for humans and dolphins. Their echolocation is very sensitive to the minute changes in anatomy and the Tillek has them trained carefully in anatomy.
Storm Sensing -Very adept at sensing the subtle changes in water temperature and flow, these dolphins are trained to tell how the weather will be changing, usually able to warn Hold and Weyr of incoming storms days in advance.
Seekers -These dolphins are skilled in echolocation, but also have the endurance necessary to map underwater obstructions and seek items and cargo that may have washed overboard. These dolphins are also best at searching for lost sailors.
Age, Maturity and Calving
Male bottlenose dolphins, which are the predominant species in Pern's coastal areas, appear to become sexually mature at 9-11 years and females at approximately 12 years of age, though neither will have reached their full length. Females calve from about 12-13 years of age up until their forties. The mating system appears to be polygamous with adult males competing for some mating access to females. This is supported by the presence of sexual dimorphism, where the male is significantly larger than the female.
Gestation for the bottlenose dolphin is 12-13 Terran months (about 13-14 Pernese months) with the calf suckling for about 19 Terran months. The bond between the mother and calf is a very strong one, the calf being dependent on its mother for an unusually long period, from 3-10 years. The bond between mother and calf is so strong that should the calf die, the mother may carry it around on her snout for days.
At birth the mother assists the calf, born tail first, to the surface to breathe. Sometimes aunts, usually nonpregnant females, assist by supporting the calf from underneath. They may also support the mother if necessary. The aunts closely follow the new pair after birth, helping to protect the calf and sometimes acting as baby-sitters while the mother is feeding. If the calf is orphaned an aunt may adopt it, even producing milk to suckle it.
Dolphins have become an important part of life in the South particularly, but increasingly so for the North as well. From predicting foul weather to assisting in the location of good fishing spots and even helping with the Healer Hall, the Dolphincraft has quite expanded, with a pod monitoring the waters around every beach-lined Weyr and Hold.
First and foremost, the partnership between humans and dolphins is one of mutual regard consisting of a handful of promises on each side.
Dolphins must:
1. Answer the call of the sea-bell when it rings.
2. Guard human beings on or near the water, to the best of their abilities, even to the cost of their own lives.
3. Assist in all sea rescues of humans.
4. Inform humans of oncoming sea hazards, including the presence of dangerous sea creatures.
5. Aid humans with their abilities to detect earthquakes and track tsunami waves.
6. Upon request, spot schools of food fish and inform fishing boats where they are to be found.
In an honorary capacity, dolphins also escort the bodies of the human dead, buried at sea, to their final resting place.
Humans must:
1. Teach and talk to any dolphin.
2. Rescue any dolphin who is in distress.
3. Restore to the sea any dolphin that accidentally beach themselves.
4. Cure sickness and mend wounds.
5. Remove all bloodfish.
The joining of humans and dolphins into partnerships is a thing decided upon by both parties, though it does not happen often. Dolphins do not require and sometimes do not want to partner to a single human, often preferring the equanimity afforded by working with all dolphineers. If a dolphin or human dies in a partnership, the death is mourned, but the partner left behind is not bereft like in a dragon partnership. The depth of the dolphin/human bond is only to that of friendship and high regard.
History and Social structure of the Dolphins
Dolphins on Pern are something considerably different than the dolphins on Earth. They look the same, and in many ways act the same. But they are not. Primarily, the dolphins of Pern are sapient creatures. Mentasynth had long ago been used on Earth's second most intelligent life form, and it was the choice of 25 dolphins, mostly bottlenose but also the deeper water Striped dolphin, to exchange the seas of their birthworld for the seas of a new home.
After learning human speech, the dolphins adopted the names they had been given and formed a tradition of passing them on to their offspring. Many of these names were originally taken from places and historical figures on Earth (for example Amadeus, China, Oregon, Theresa). They have been set to dolphin music, and this Name Song is sung at special occasions and on longer journeys in the Great Currents. Pernese dolphins use human speech not only to communicate, but also in their Songs, which are sung to entertain as well as inform, just like the Teaching Ballads of the human Harpers.
To honor Captain Jim Tillek, the pods adopted the name "Tillek" for the acknowledged leader of all dolphins on Pern. This tradition has been handed down until the present day. It is the Tillek's responsibility that all young dolphins learn Speech and know their duties towards the humans on Pern and the meaning of the ringing sequences of the sea-bell. She will firmly discipline dolphins who are disrespectful towards humans or question the Dolphin Contract. The Tillek is also the keeper of dolphin history and hands it on to the next generation. With the Songs, dolphin history is taught in human speech. Young dolphins will first be taught by their mothers, then by their pod leaders, and finally be chosen to travel to the Northwest Sea to be taught by the Tillek herself.
Long-Distance Communication between Pods and Halls
Dolphin song has the capacity to travel for nearly a hundred miles. By relaying a message through a chain of pods, dolphins can quickly exchange news over long distances. A more specialized form of dolphin long-range communication is "sounding" (undersea sound waves) through sound channels. This technique enables dolphins to send supersonic messages over thousands of miles in specific locations dependent on the shape of the sea floor and the specifics of water currents through the area.
Some of Pern's dolphins always stay in these special areas and serve as sounders, receiving and spreading messages between the pods.
Specializing branches for Dolphineers
Dolphineers choose their specialty somewhere within their third to fourth year of training, gaining the added benefit of the initial years as general apprentice training. Partnering with a dolphin can happen at any time during training or after, or not at all depending on the situation.
General Dolphineer
This is the ‘jack of all trades’ of the Dolphin craft. They are equally talented in all the various specialties.
Dolphinhealer
These are healers of both dolphins and humans. This is a full-time specialty, and although a dolphinhealer may make a hobby of a particular specialty, his main focus is on Dolphinhealing. Dolphinhealers are a must for every Dolphinhall. They remove parasites such as bloodfish from dolphin flesh and treat various illnesses. They are also moderately knowledgeable of human healing, especially first aid. They work often with the Healer Hall, utilizing a dolphin's unique ability to sense 'wrongness' in humans.
Mapmakers
These dolphineers work with their partners to map the known and unknown coastlines to make ship travel safer. They check the coastline once a sevenday for changes, and more often during times of severe weather. When they are not scouting the coastlines, they are often found updating maps or taking news of changes to local Holds and Halls.
Weatherwatchers
These dolphineers are the meteorologists of Pern. Weatherwatching is very important, because it cuts down on the risk of having ships out during storms. Dolphins are adept at watching weather patterns and help their human counterparts predict what the conditions will be like. A good weatherwatcher can predict a storm days in advance.
Ship’s Escort
Often a duty taken on in addition to mapmaking or weatherwatching rather than a specialization all of its own, a ship’s escort sails with various types of boats—sometimes fisherboats, but usually passenger boats that have long trips ahead of them. The dolphin scouts ahead for rough water or obstacles, and the human partner makes note of those obstacles to be added to the maps back home. They help make the trip safer for all those aboard.
Search and Rescue
These dolphins and their partners are called upon to scout for ships which have been missing or were out during a bad storm, as well as general area exploration. If the ship is found still afloat, the seekers escort the ship back home. If the ship is found sinking, the ‘rescue’ part comes into play, and the dolphineer does everything in his power to save the victims. Search and Rescue dolphineers often go out in teams of two pairs or more. A lone dolphin pair is as much at risk as the people on the boat.
Dolphin Specialties
Dolphins can have any of the specialties listed below in larger or smaller quantities, but most tend to choose one or two to practice and learn in.
Long Distance Communication -These dolphins are especially good at sending and receiving messages through the distance channels. Much like harpers, they are well trained in the Teaching Songs and the Name Song, and are among some of the best English speakers.
Agility -These dolphins are good jumpers and good swimmers, agile both in and out of the water. They are good at riding strong currents, and using them to their best advantage.
Sprinters -Speed is key for these dolphins. They are lightning fast for short distances, and good at carrying messages between pods.
Healers -These dolphins specialize in healing both for humans and dolphins. Their echolocation is very sensitive to the minute changes in anatomy and the Tillek has them trained carefully in anatomy.
Storm Sensing -Very adept at sensing the subtle changes in water temperature and flow, these dolphins are trained to tell how the weather will be changing, usually able to warn Hold and Weyr of incoming storms days in advance.
Seekers -These dolphins are skilled in echolocation, but also have the endurance necessary to map underwater obstructions and seek items and cargo that may have washed overboard. These dolphins are also best at searching for lost sailors.
Age, Maturity and Calving
Male bottlenose dolphins, which are the predominant species in Pern's coastal areas, appear to become sexually mature at 9-11 years and females at approximately 12 years of age, though neither will have reached their full length. Females calve from about 12-13 years of age up until their forties. The mating system appears to be polygamous with adult males competing for some mating access to females. This is supported by the presence of sexual dimorphism, where the male is significantly larger than the female.
Gestation for the bottlenose dolphin is 12-13 Terran months (about 13-14 Pernese months) with the calf suckling for about 19 Terran months. The bond between the mother and calf is a very strong one, the calf being dependent on its mother for an unusually long period, from 3-10 years. The bond between mother and calf is so strong that should the calf die, the mother may carry it around on her snout for days.
At birth the mother assists the calf, born tail first, to the surface to breathe. Sometimes aunts, usually nonpregnant females, assist by supporting the calf from underneath. They may also support the mother if necessary. The aunts closely follow the new pair after birth, helping to protect the calf and sometimes acting as baby-sitters while the mother is feeding. If the calf is orphaned an aunt may adopt it, even producing milk to suckle it.
