Post by Alexias on Mar 1, 2009 20:13:59 GMT -5
Society
In a Weyr, there are no marriages. A dragonrider is so involved in the needs of their dragon, that it would be unfair to make a commitment to a partner for a permanent relationship. Instead of marriage, there are weyrmates. Sometimes, a weyrmating can end up being as deep and permanent as a marriage. However, the majority of the time a weyrmate is the equivalent to a long term 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend': a form of serial monogamy. A weyrmate may be anyone from another rider to a crafter or lower caverns worker. The term indicates that the pair usually share their living quarters for the time being, and such relationships may be severed at any time by either patner, for any reason. When a queen rises to mate, the bronzerider whose dragon catches her becomes the Weyrwoman's weyrmate until the next flight. However, if the queen rider and her queen prefer the bronze and his rider, they may continuously allow that pair to capture them during their mating flights, though this used to be rare.
In a Weyr, parental ties are loose, with the children being considered the property of the Weyr-not of the parents. Usually a child will know who his or her parents are, but many have the same amount of contact with them as they would with any other Weyr resident. There is often some fondness between a parent and child, however. A parent might give a child a 'birthing day' or 'Turn's End' gift and also keep tabs on the child's development. Other parents will completely ignore the child's existence. Severing a child's emotional ties with biological parents is also considered a balancing factor. The expectations for Weyrbrats, therefore, are not tied to the ranks or qualities of their parents. Children can therefore been seen as indviduals who must succeed or fail on their own, not on parental merit or expectation. During a Pass, when a dragonrider parent risks life and limb fighting Thread, this also limits the child's trauma if a parent should die.
Sexual relationships in a Weyr are typically very liberal. Sex is used as a form of tension release and can be triggered through telepathic cues produced by the dragons in mating flights. A goldrider can be expected to be open to sexual relations with multiple males (especially bronzeriders) and greenriders are expected to not mind having many partners as well. Sexual contact during mating flights is not considered to be any indication of a dragonrider's preference for any one individual, though times have changed since two hundred turns ago, and now that dragons rise less there is time for relationships to be formed. It is also not an indication of gender preference at times. In addition, sex with a person other than a weyrmate during a mating flight is not usually considered to be 'cheating'. This behavior is considered unacceptable to the Holders (who are very conservative in their morals) and, to a lesser degree, the Crafters as well.
Homosexuality is accepted in the Weyr as a necessity for the dragons' well-being. Green dragons prefer to Impress a female or gay male rider while blue and some brown dragons may choose gay or bisexual male riders. However, homosexuality is not well accepted outside of the Weyr, nor even by some inside it who are heterosexual, but the Weyr often becomes a sanctuary for homosexual men and women.
Suicide is considered to be a 'normal' response to the loss of a dragon. A dragonrider whose dragon has died is usually given the option of accompanying another pair Between and releasing from the pair before emerging, effectively killing him or herself. Few riders would ever deny a dragonless rider due to the strength of the bond between dragon and rider, losing one's dragon almost always results in insanity in all but the strongest of character such as Lytol.
Abortion is also accepted in the Weyr, while Holders and Crafters believe abortion to be 'evil'. Going into the absolute cold of Between during the first trimester of pregnancy usually causes a miscarriage; therefore any female dragonrider risks aborting before she even knows she is with child. As such, there can be no stigma against abortion within a Weyr. Any woman in the Weyr who finds herself with an unwanted pregnancy has the option of asking assistance from a dragonrider. "A short ride Between" is a common euphemism for ending an unwanted pregnancy.
There is no religion on Pern, only set consciences and morality. The Pernese believe that if god is everywhere, then he can most certainly be on Pern, too. They often refer to death as going 'beyond between'. Other than this, they go about their lives without religious structure of any sort or kind.
For dragonriders, social and Wing status are completely dependent on the colour of their dragon. This is due to the natural/instinctual social structure of the dragons themselves, a legacy of their firelizard ancestors. Gold and bronze dragons and their riders are at the top of the social/military structure. Brown dragons and their riders have the most flexibility and can achieve rank nearly equal to bronze dragons or fall to lower ranks, according to ability and personal preferences of the Riders. Blue and green dragons and their riders are at the bottom of the social and military hierarchy, the dragons because they will obey gold and bronze (and sometimes brown) dragons generally without question, their riders tend to have no problems as 'followers' and do well with them.
While the Weyrwoman and the Weyrleader hold the same rank as a Lord or Lady Holder or Mastercraftsmen, even the lowest ranked adult dragonrider is equivalent to a senior journeyman in a craft, and are given the respect due any dragonrider as the protectors of Pern.
Healers
We all know about Healers on Pern. They can always be seen running here and there, caring for this person, helping that one. But just what do they DO? How do they know what's wrong? Its obviously not easy, or all fun and games. And they don't have the advanced medical techniques and equipment that you'll find in modern day Earth.
Microscopes do exist on Pern, but they are expensive, hard to make, and not nearly as accurate as some Earth microscopes. Sorry, no electron microscopes. They aren't found in smaller Holds, or minor ones, but most major Holds would be able to afford one. Healer Hall itself would of course have them, but everyday Apprentices and Journeymen probably won't be able to have easy access to them. They aren't going to be in every room.
Two of the most valuable tools available to Pernese Healers are good old fashioned observations and palpation. Palpation is essentially poking around for things that don't feel normal. Its amazing what you can tell from just looking at someone. Assessing color, checking for fever, and feeling around for sensitive and painful places can tell an experienced Healer a great deal. If someone's green, they aren't feeling well. Get the idea? Healers can look into eyes, test skin elasticity, reflexes, all the basic tests that have been done in the medical profession for centuries here on Earth.
When someone breaks a bone on Pern, its not the same as it is on Earth. Bones aren't always able to heal well, and nothing more advanced than a simple plaster cast or splint exists for mending broken bones. To assess the type of break, the healer is going to have to poke around and feel for bones that are out of place. Breaks heal improperly, and joint breaks are almost invariably crippling, unless the injured person is very, very lucky.
The Glascow Coma Scale is a useful tool for healers to assess a patient's level of consciousness. A patient is asked to do different things, and the Healer can use this to determine the level off consciousness, and to a degree, the severity of a head injury or neurological disorder.
A type of stethoscope does exist. It is usually a plain tube used to listen to internal sounds.
Another good indicator of someone's general health is a urine sample. These tests aren't very accurate, but can generally indicate a problem. The color of urine is of interest; some with dark orange urine is usually dehydrated an in need of fluids, red indicates blood (not a good thing) and extraneous particles (sediment, cloudy urine) can be indicative of infection.
Hygine
Pernese don't have electric washing machines, synthetic toothbrushes, fancy toothpaste, and deodorant...so what do they do? Do they do anything? Is the Pern population a generally smelly bunch?
Actually, no. Healers have forgotten the source of their knowledge, but cleanliness is important, and while they can't exactly reach the level of our perfumed, coiffed, and carefully washed society, they are certainly not dirty barbarians.
Teeth are important to survive. Without them, it is hard to eat, and obviously, you need to eat to live. Pernese may use green stick toothbrushes, which are essentially plants that have been split and frayed at one end. Perhaps runner-hair brushes have been made. Sorry, no fancy clear plastic in an array of colors. Toothpaste is more interesting. Among the things that have been used in less advanced Earth societies are wine, clay, and even salt. White clay (kaolin) paste does a good job of scouring teeth. Alcohol itself is excellent at finishing up the job. A little raw cane alcohol freshened with a bit of mint makes a great mouthwash to wash the dirt out of your teeth and give you that minty-fresh feeling.
Deodorant is a trickier matter. As an agrarian society that works hard and doesn't have air conditioning, Pernese sweat. Sweat stinks. If you live in a cave, this is bad. There is hope. There are several methods that would work. Dried herb, powdered, would absorb the moisture and mask the smell. Maybe the more well to do could use flowers. Even crystals can be rubbed across sweaty areas to help absorb moisture. There are also a number of herbs that reduce perspiration when ingested, which will help to reduce the problem.
Bathing is the one thing we have some concrete facts about. One very famous scene is Lessa's Benden bath when she is Searched in DF. Menolly is also shown bathing with her flit in DS.
There are such things as hot baths. Being a very geologically active planet, Pern has thermal pockets of water that rise to the surface when breached. The ingenuity of the Ancients and the Smithcrafthall have brought this volcanically heated water to the bathing pools. Most bathing pools in the Weyr used to be communal, with the exception of the Weyrleaders. Private baths are rare, but not unheard of.
Ivory soap doesn't exist. Pernese use cleansing sand to clean their clothes and scour out the dirt. Lessa is shown washing her clothes when she bathed. Sweet sand is a foaming cleanser that's a little to foamy for cleaning clothes, but works perfectly for bathing bodies. Sweet soap is also made. Animal fat-based soap may exist as well. Clothes are generally washed while bathing, but in large holds and some Weyrs, large laundry rooms separate from the bathing area may be set up. With thermally heated water rising from the earth, there is always fresh, clean water, and the old dirty water is swept away.
Early colonists had no need to shave--they took inhibitors before they embarked on their journey. After the inhibitors wore off, razors were probably made of wood and bone, with metal heads, although they are not nearly as sharp as the razors you can buy on Earth. Shaving requires talent, and I imagine that a lot of Pernese men have nicks and cuts. Leg hair is probably just ignored, especially in the Northern climes. Its just too much trouble, and Pernese ladies don't generally show their legs much anyway.
Okay, you're clean, you smell nice, now you have to visit the privy. Hmm. No Charmin, no Sears catalog.
Here's just a few of the methods that are possibly used on Pern: soaked corn cobs, moss, shells to scrape with. In one primitive earth society, linen and wool sheets cut approximately the size of modern toilet paper. This may be the most commonly used method on Pern. Probably scraps of old clothes, ruined linens. These would probably be dropped into a basket to be washed and reused for cleaning or...more toilet paper.
Close your eyes, guys, women stuff ahead. ;o) Dragonrider women have it easier than the general population. Going between interrupts human menstrual cycles, and so dragonriders don't have to worry about it as much. It helps make it hard for them to get pregnant, and relieves them of their monthly curse.
Holder women, however, have no dragons to make their lives simpler. The most common method of containment is probably just plain old rags tied to their undergarments. Another contraption would be to use two cloths, with a wad of wool in the center, tied with string.
"There are doctors and nurses and apprentices of diagnostics, pediatrics, geriatrics, obstetrics, urology, pharmacy, dentistry, surgery, and respiratory ailments." - The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern
Diagnostics-That part of medicine which has to do with ascertaining the nature of diseases by means of their symptoms or signs.
Pediatrics-The branch of medicine that deals with the care of infants and children and the treatment of their diseases.
Geriatrics-The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and problems specific to the aged.
Obstetrics-The branch of medicine that deals with the care of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the recuperative period following delivery.
Urology-The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the urinary tract and urogenital system.
Pharmacy-The art of preparing and dispensing drugs.
Dentistry-The science concerned with the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases of the teeth, gums, and related structures of the mouth and including the repair or replacement of defective teeth.
Surgery-The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of injury, deformity, and disease by manual and instrumental means.
"Each Weyr has atleast one urologist, and surgeon." - The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern
DRoP Info (c) Anne McCaffery
In a Weyr, there are no marriages. A dragonrider is so involved in the needs of their dragon, that it would be unfair to make a commitment to a partner for a permanent relationship. Instead of marriage, there are weyrmates. Sometimes, a weyrmating can end up being as deep and permanent as a marriage. However, the majority of the time a weyrmate is the equivalent to a long term 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend': a form of serial monogamy. A weyrmate may be anyone from another rider to a crafter or lower caverns worker. The term indicates that the pair usually share their living quarters for the time being, and such relationships may be severed at any time by either patner, for any reason. When a queen rises to mate, the bronzerider whose dragon catches her becomes the Weyrwoman's weyrmate until the next flight. However, if the queen rider and her queen prefer the bronze and his rider, they may continuously allow that pair to capture them during their mating flights, though this used to be rare.
In a Weyr, parental ties are loose, with the children being considered the property of the Weyr-not of the parents. Usually a child will know who his or her parents are, but many have the same amount of contact with them as they would with any other Weyr resident. There is often some fondness between a parent and child, however. A parent might give a child a 'birthing day' or 'Turn's End' gift and also keep tabs on the child's development. Other parents will completely ignore the child's existence. Severing a child's emotional ties with biological parents is also considered a balancing factor. The expectations for Weyrbrats, therefore, are not tied to the ranks or qualities of their parents. Children can therefore been seen as indviduals who must succeed or fail on their own, not on parental merit or expectation. During a Pass, when a dragonrider parent risks life and limb fighting Thread, this also limits the child's trauma if a parent should die.
Sexual relationships in a Weyr are typically very liberal. Sex is used as a form of tension release and can be triggered through telepathic cues produced by the dragons in mating flights. A goldrider can be expected to be open to sexual relations with multiple males (especially bronzeriders) and greenriders are expected to not mind having many partners as well. Sexual contact during mating flights is not considered to be any indication of a dragonrider's preference for any one individual, though times have changed since two hundred turns ago, and now that dragons rise less there is time for relationships to be formed. It is also not an indication of gender preference at times. In addition, sex with a person other than a weyrmate during a mating flight is not usually considered to be 'cheating'. This behavior is considered unacceptable to the Holders (who are very conservative in their morals) and, to a lesser degree, the Crafters as well.
Homosexuality is accepted in the Weyr as a necessity for the dragons' well-being. Green dragons prefer to Impress a female or gay male rider while blue and some brown dragons may choose gay or bisexual male riders. However, homosexuality is not well accepted outside of the Weyr, nor even by some inside it who are heterosexual, but the Weyr often becomes a sanctuary for homosexual men and women.
Suicide is considered to be a 'normal' response to the loss of a dragon. A dragonrider whose dragon has died is usually given the option of accompanying another pair Between and releasing from the pair before emerging, effectively killing him or herself. Few riders would ever deny a dragonless rider due to the strength of the bond between dragon and rider, losing one's dragon almost always results in insanity in all but the strongest of character such as Lytol.
Abortion is also accepted in the Weyr, while Holders and Crafters believe abortion to be 'evil'. Going into the absolute cold of Between during the first trimester of pregnancy usually causes a miscarriage; therefore any female dragonrider risks aborting before she even knows she is with child. As such, there can be no stigma against abortion within a Weyr. Any woman in the Weyr who finds herself with an unwanted pregnancy has the option of asking assistance from a dragonrider. "A short ride Between" is a common euphemism for ending an unwanted pregnancy.
There is no religion on Pern, only set consciences and morality. The Pernese believe that if god is everywhere, then he can most certainly be on Pern, too. They often refer to death as going 'beyond between'. Other than this, they go about their lives without religious structure of any sort or kind.
For dragonriders, social and Wing status are completely dependent on the colour of their dragon. This is due to the natural/instinctual social structure of the dragons themselves, a legacy of their firelizard ancestors. Gold and bronze dragons and their riders are at the top of the social/military structure. Brown dragons and their riders have the most flexibility and can achieve rank nearly equal to bronze dragons or fall to lower ranks, according to ability and personal preferences of the Riders. Blue and green dragons and their riders are at the bottom of the social and military hierarchy, the dragons because they will obey gold and bronze (and sometimes brown) dragons generally without question, their riders tend to have no problems as 'followers' and do well with them.
While the Weyrwoman and the Weyrleader hold the same rank as a Lord or Lady Holder or Mastercraftsmen, even the lowest ranked adult dragonrider is equivalent to a senior journeyman in a craft, and are given the respect due any dragonrider as the protectors of Pern.
Healers
We all know about Healers on Pern. They can always be seen running here and there, caring for this person, helping that one. But just what do they DO? How do they know what's wrong? Its obviously not easy, or all fun and games. And they don't have the advanced medical techniques and equipment that you'll find in modern day Earth.
Microscopes do exist on Pern, but they are expensive, hard to make, and not nearly as accurate as some Earth microscopes. Sorry, no electron microscopes. They aren't found in smaller Holds, or minor ones, but most major Holds would be able to afford one. Healer Hall itself would of course have them, but everyday Apprentices and Journeymen probably won't be able to have easy access to them. They aren't going to be in every room.
Two of the most valuable tools available to Pernese Healers are good old fashioned observations and palpation. Palpation is essentially poking around for things that don't feel normal. Its amazing what you can tell from just looking at someone. Assessing color, checking for fever, and feeling around for sensitive and painful places can tell an experienced Healer a great deal. If someone's green, they aren't feeling well. Get the idea? Healers can look into eyes, test skin elasticity, reflexes, all the basic tests that have been done in the medical profession for centuries here on Earth.
When someone breaks a bone on Pern, its not the same as it is on Earth. Bones aren't always able to heal well, and nothing more advanced than a simple plaster cast or splint exists for mending broken bones. To assess the type of break, the healer is going to have to poke around and feel for bones that are out of place. Breaks heal improperly, and joint breaks are almost invariably crippling, unless the injured person is very, very lucky.
The Glascow Coma Scale is a useful tool for healers to assess a patient's level of consciousness. A patient is asked to do different things, and the Healer can use this to determine the level off consciousness, and to a degree, the severity of a head injury or neurological disorder.
A type of stethoscope does exist. It is usually a plain tube used to listen to internal sounds.
Another good indicator of someone's general health is a urine sample. These tests aren't very accurate, but can generally indicate a problem. The color of urine is of interest; some with dark orange urine is usually dehydrated an in need of fluids, red indicates blood (not a good thing) and extraneous particles (sediment, cloudy urine) can be indicative of infection.
Hygine
Pernese don't have electric washing machines, synthetic toothbrushes, fancy toothpaste, and deodorant...so what do they do? Do they do anything? Is the Pern population a generally smelly bunch?
Actually, no. Healers have forgotten the source of their knowledge, but cleanliness is important, and while they can't exactly reach the level of our perfumed, coiffed, and carefully washed society, they are certainly not dirty barbarians.
Teeth are important to survive. Without them, it is hard to eat, and obviously, you need to eat to live. Pernese may use green stick toothbrushes, which are essentially plants that have been split and frayed at one end. Perhaps runner-hair brushes have been made. Sorry, no fancy clear plastic in an array of colors. Toothpaste is more interesting. Among the things that have been used in less advanced Earth societies are wine, clay, and even salt. White clay (kaolin) paste does a good job of scouring teeth. Alcohol itself is excellent at finishing up the job. A little raw cane alcohol freshened with a bit of mint makes a great mouthwash to wash the dirt out of your teeth and give you that minty-fresh feeling.
Deodorant is a trickier matter. As an agrarian society that works hard and doesn't have air conditioning, Pernese sweat. Sweat stinks. If you live in a cave, this is bad. There is hope. There are several methods that would work. Dried herb, powdered, would absorb the moisture and mask the smell. Maybe the more well to do could use flowers. Even crystals can be rubbed across sweaty areas to help absorb moisture. There are also a number of herbs that reduce perspiration when ingested, which will help to reduce the problem.
Bathing is the one thing we have some concrete facts about. One very famous scene is Lessa's Benden bath when she is Searched in DF. Menolly is also shown bathing with her flit in DS.
There are such things as hot baths. Being a very geologically active planet, Pern has thermal pockets of water that rise to the surface when breached. The ingenuity of the Ancients and the Smithcrafthall have brought this volcanically heated water to the bathing pools. Most bathing pools in the Weyr used to be communal, with the exception of the Weyrleaders. Private baths are rare, but not unheard of.
Ivory soap doesn't exist. Pernese use cleansing sand to clean their clothes and scour out the dirt. Lessa is shown washing her clothes when she bathed. Sweet sand is a foaming cleanser that's a little to foamy for cleaning clothes, but works perfectly for bathing bodies. Sweet soap is also made. Animal fat-based soap may exist as well. Clothes are generally washed while bathing, but in large holds and some Weyrs, large laundry rooms separate from the bathing area may be set up. With thermally heated water rising from the earth, there is always fresh, clean water, and the old dirty water is swept away.
Early colonists had no need to shave--they took inhibitors before they embarked on their journey. After the inhibitors wore off, razors were probably made of wood and bone, with metal heads, although they are not nearly as sharp as the razors you can buy on Earth. Shaving requires talent, and I imagine that a lot of Pernese men have nicks and cuts. Leg hair is probably just ignored, especially in the Northern climes. Its just too much trouble, and Pernese ladies don't generally show their legs much anyway.
Okay, you're clean, you smell nice, now you have to visit the privy. Hmm. No Charmin, no Sears catalog.
Here's just a few of the methods that are possibly used on Pern: soaked corn cobs, moss, shells to scrape with. In one primitive earth society, linen and wool sheets cut approximately the size of modern toilet paper. This may be the most commonly used method on Pern. Probably scraps of old clothes, ruined linens. These would probably be dropped into a basket to be washed and reused for cleaning or...more toilet paper.
Close your eyes, guys, women stuff ahead. ;o) Dragonrider women have it easier than the general population. Going between interrupts human menstrual cycles, and so dragonriders don't have to worry about it as much. It helps make it hard for them to get pregnant, and relieves them of their monthly curse.
Holder women, however, have no dragons to make their lives simpler. The most common method of containment is probably just plain old rags tied to their undergarments. Another contraption would be to use two cloths, with a wad of wool in the center, tied with string.
"There are doctors and nurses and apprentices of diagnostics, pediatrics, geriatrics, obstetrics, urology, pharmacy, dentistry, surgery, and respiratory ailments." - The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern
Diagnostics-That part of medicine which has to do with ascertaining the nature of diseases by means of their symptoms or signs.
Pediatrics-The branch of medicine that deals with the care of infants and children and the treatment of their diseases.
Geriatrics-The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and problems specific to the aged.
Obstetrics-The branch of medicine that deals with the care of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the recuperative period following delivery.
Urology-The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the urinary tract and urogenital system.
Pharmacy-The art of preparing and dispensing drugs.
Dentistry-The science concerned with the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases of the teeth, gums, and related structures of the mouth and including the repair or replacement of defective teeth.
Surgery-The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of injury, deformity, and disease by manual and instrumental means.
"Each Weyr has atleast one urologist, and surgeon." - The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern
DRoP Info (c) Anne McCaffery