Post by Omnia Munda on Sept 15, 2008 10:07:49 GMT -8
Month 11, Turn 100, Sixth Interval
One hundred turns into the Sixth Interval, Pern is a vibrant world of social change - at least, those who like the changes enjoy thinking so. Even those who don't admit that the past ninety turns represent an emergence from the dark ages of exploration, times that demanded the cruel heroism of men like the celebrated weyrleader M'tani. Even dragons seem to be embracing the new ways: every clutch hatched seems to result in a few more of the rare breed, the women who ride green.
Nevertheless, Interval is hard on the Weyrs and easy on the holds, favoring agrarian ways over that of the dragonriders sworn to protect the land from a threat that's not been seen in a hundred turns. Many of the beholden lands feel little need to support the Weyrs that do 'nothing' for them (aside from run messages and scout new territory when requested!); a population boom has made holdfolk more interested in caring for their own than for dragonmen, and tithes are thin indeed.
This is certainly the situation at Telgar Weyr, where M'tani's hard decision early in the Interval wins little coin with holdfolk more interested in supporting budding casinos and runner arenas than supporting a bunch of outdated, outmoded dragonriders. To make matters worse, the apparent kidnapping of some fifty or so children from all 'round Telgar's huge territory have set the Holds on vengeance (or 'justice' some say) for their losses.
The missing children vary from infancy to fifteen turns in age and were born to all walks of life, peasants and Blood alike. The last disappearance took place months ago - and since then not a single child has been recovered. The only people who seem to have lost no children at all are those of the Caminar tribes, a nomadic trading folk - so it's the Caminar the holders blame, and the Caminar who've suffered the violent attacks of grieving, angry holdfolk on the trading roads.
In the past six months the Caminar have come to gather in the bowl of Telgar Weyr, counting on the safety assured by the men and women sworn to protect Pern to protect them from Pern - but not everyone in the Weyr agrees that the Caminar should receive such succor. Already tightening its collective belt against the influences of sparse tithe and harsh treatment from its beholden, the Weyr really feels the pressure of a few extra mouths to feed. Perhaps worse, the Caminar are a people of traditional mores and means, led by their men and mothered by their women; the culture clash has already led to more than one mass brawl in the Weyr's bowl.
To make matters more complicated, an 'action committee' consisting of the Mastersmith, Lords Crom and Telgar, and Denba, the master of Telgar's biggest gambling hall - a place apparently bent on growing a reputation to rival Bitra's - have demanded the Weyr stand accountable for investigations into the missing children. They've seen no group of dragonriders with Caminar escort investigating in their territories, they claim. They've seen no sign of the Weyr's action. What the hell is going on at Telgar Weyr?!
One hundred turns into the Sixth Interval, Pern is a vibrant world of social change - at least, those who like the changes enjoy thinking so. Even those who don't admit that the past ninety turns represent an emergence from the dark ages of exploration, times that demanded the cruel heroism of men like the celebrated weyrleader M'tani. Even dragons seem to be embracing the new ways: every clutch hatched seems to result in a few more of the rare breed, the women who ride green.
Nevertheless, Interval is hard on the Weyrs and easy on the holds, favoring agrarian ways over that of the dragonriders sworn to protect the land from a threat that's not been seen in a hundred turns. Many of the beholden lands feel little need to support the Weyrs that do 'nothing' for them (aside from run messages and scout new territory when requested!); a population boom has made holdfolk more interested in caring for their own than for dragonmen, and tithes are thin indeed.
This is certainly the situation at Telgar Weyr, where M'tani's hard decision early in the Interval wins little coin with holdfolk more interested in supporting budding casinos and runner arenas than supporting a bunch of outdated, outmoded dragonriders. To make matters worse, the apparent kidnapping of some fifty or so children from all 'round Telgar's huge territory have set the Holds on vengeance (or 'justice' some say) for their losses.
The missing children vary from infancy to fifteen turns in age and were born to all walks of life, peasants and Blood alike. The last disappearance took place months ago - and since then not a single child has been recovered. The only people who seem to have lost no children at all are those of the Caminar tribes, a nomadic trading folk - so it's the Caminar the holders blame, and the Caminar who've suffered the violent attacks of grieving, angry holdfolk on the trading roads.
In the past six months the Caminar have come to gather in the bowl of Telgar Weyr, counting on the safety assured by the men and women sworn to protect Pern to protect them from Pern - but not everyone in the Weyr agrees that the Caminar should receive such succor. Already tightening its collective belt against the influences of sparse tithe and harsh treatment from its beholden, the Weyr really feels the pressure of a few extra mouths to feed. Perhaps worse, the Caminar are a people of traditional mores and means, led by their men and mothered by their women; the culture clash has already led to more than one mass brawl in the Weyr's bowl.
To make matters more complicated, an 'action committee' consisting of the Mastersmith, Lords Crom and Telgar, and Denba, the master of Telgar's biggest gambling hall - a place apparently bent on growing a reputation to rival Bitra's - have demanded the Weyr stand accountable for investigations into the missing children. They've seen no group of dragonriders with Caminar escort investigating in their territories, they claim. They've seen no sign of the Weyr's action. What the hell is going on at Telgar Weyr?!