Post by Dizzy on Dec 27, 2005 15:50:57 GMT -5
Falling into disfavor, the Dragon Riders found times to be hard. The Holds had plenty… but for the Weyr this was not so… they fed themselves, their folk and their dragons on the very little that fell from the Lords over full tables. But hadn’t it been this way before? Circumstance…times would change. Thread would once again Fall and the Holds would tithe. The storerooms would be full and the Weyrlings Fat…
And so 200 hundred turns came and went… Just as they had seven times before.
Dragons and their riders decreased in numbers but they prepared for what they knew would come, First Fall...the menace of Thread. Harpers preached of duty, of the deadly Spore… They spoke of the evil of the RedStar… they taught the old ways.
It was whispered that Thread was no more, but the Lords and Masters with much grumbling made ready. Finally the set time, the set day came. Nothing. Nothing happened… for fifty turns they waited for First Fall, a Fall that wasn‘t to be.
Harpers were laughed at… Dragonmen were called liars, their word was ruined. Spit upon, cursed… Harper and Rider both fled to their refuges, their fortresses, their Weyrs and Halls. Those that didn’t risked their lives… stonings, knifings.
A triad, everything happens in threes.
A wasting sickness then struck the Weyrs... riders and thus dragons dying... It wiped Igen almost completely out, killing all of her Gold riders and Golds. One Wing was left… they called themselves Helios.
Others though, weren't quite so devastated… a quick death from disease would have been kind.
Twenty turns past the Fall that Wasn’t all tithes stopped… famine ran rampant The tithing trains trickled down to the worst of the worst and then completely stopped... The Weyrs were starving.
Most of the riders poached heavily, some gathered going from place to place with the Lower Cavern Folk, trying to find enough food to feed the remaining four Weyrs. (High Reaches Weyr died out... long before Igen. No one knows if it was sickness... Those that were left were brought into Telgar Weyr... it was only lower cavern folk... the records are not clear as to what exactly happened.)
They are welcome nowhere. Some of the Weyrleaders and Wingleaders talked of revolt...of taking what they want. Others are in shock… Disbelief. This had been a long time coming though... but no one thought it would be this bad.
Queens aren't rising because of lack of food... the clutches they do have aren't hatching... the Weyrlings that do... they don't live long because there is nothing to feed them. The Weyr's children were dieing from starvation. 220 turns of poor treatment from the Holds and Halls came to this.
A conclave of the Weyrs is called, autonomy has long since lost its usefulness.
One Wingleader … a known rebel from Telgar steps foreword. At first he is laughed at. After all finding the lost land of the south was always talked about... But it was nothing more than a dream. The South was myth and legend even in the Weyr... where the old ways and maps had been kept... Still he steps foreword, his wing behind him... no one seemed to notice that Telgar's dragons were a brighter hue... still thin, very thin bone visible under hide... but they are not as gray... and the yellow and red of hunger is not flashing in their baneful eyes.
He tells them... no it is not Myth and Mist.... if it is… then My Wing, Sidus, and I have been to the other side of between... and lived....
Several trips are made to explore, to bring food into the Weyrs. It is too late though for many.
Some believe that they should keep their Weyrs in the North, use the South only as a supply source... But many riders have lost lovers, weyrmates, children... family... they are resentful toward the holders... firestoning, burnings have been rumored. Aside from that the holders are not leaving them in peace... many want to drive them out... to wipe them off the face of Pern...
And thus the decision was made to go south, to cut all ties with the North until they were needed again taking with them only those loyal to the Dragon Weyr.
And so 200 hundred turns came and went… Just as they had seven times before.
Dragons and their riders decreased in numbers but they prepared for what they knew would come, First Fall...the menace of Thread. Harpers preached of duty, of the deadly Spore… They spoke of the evil of the RedStar… they taught the old ways.
It was whispered that Thread was no more, but the Lords and Masters with much grumbling made ready. Finally the set time, the set day came. Nothing. Nothing happened… for fifty turns they waited for First Fall, a Fall that wasn‘t to be.
Harpers were laughed at… Dragonmen were called liars, their word was ruined. Spit upon, cursed… Harper and Rider both fled to their refuges, their fortresses, their Weyrs and Halls. Those that didn’t risked their lives… stonings, knifings.
A triad, everything happens in threes.
A wasting sickness then struck the Weyrs... riders and thus dragons dying... It wiped Igen almost completely out, killing all of her Gold riders and Golds. One Wing was left… they called themselves Helios.
Others though, weren't quite so devastated… a quick death from disease would have been kind.
Twenty turns past the Fall that Wasn’t all tithes stopped… famine ran rampant The tithing trains trickled down to the worst of the worst and then completely stopped... The Weyrs were starving.
Most of the riders poached heavily, some gathered going from place to place with the Lower Cavern Folk, trying to find enough food to feed the remaining four Weyrs. (High Reaches Weyr died out... long before Igen. No one knows if it was sickness... Those that were left were brought into Telgar Weyr... it was only lower cavern folk... the records are not clear as to what exactly happened.)
They are welcome nowhere. Some of the Weyrleaders and Wingleaders talked of revolt...of taking what they want. Others are in shock… Disbelief. This had been a long time coming though... but no one thought it would be this bad.
Queens aren't rising because of lack of food... the clutches they do have aren't hatching... the Weyrlings that do... they don't live long because there is nothing to feed them. The Weyr's children were dieing from starvation. 220 turns of poor treatment from the Holds and Halls came to this.
A conclave of the Weyrs is called, autonomy has long since lost its usefulness.
One Wingleader … a known rebel from Telgar steps foreword. At first he is laughed at. After all finding the lost land of the south was always talked about... But it was nothing more than a dream. The South was myth and legend even in the Weyr... where the old ways and maps had been kept... Still he steps foreword, his wing behind him... no one seemed to notice that Telgar's dragons were a brighter hue... still thin, very thin bone visible under hide... but they are not as gray... and the yellow and red of hunger is not flashing in their baneful eyes.
He tells them... no it is not Myth and Mist.... if it is… then My Wing, Sidus, and I have been to the other side of between... and lived....
Several trips are made to explore, to bring food into the Weyrs. It is too late though for many.
Some believe that they should keep their Weyrs in the North, use the South only as a supply source... But many riders have lost lovers, weyrmates, children... family... they are resentful toward the holders... firestoning, burnings have been rumored. Aside from that the holders are not leaving them in peace... many want to drive them out... to wipe them off the face of Pern...
And thus the decision was made to go south, to cut all ties with the North until they were needed again taking with them only those loyal to the Dragon Weyr.
