History of Dragonhope Weyr of Northern Pern

Established nearly 300 turns ago, just decades before the end of a Pass, DragonHope weyr was cut from the high craggy peaks and dark stone unlike those usually found in a volcano. Dragonhope was made by crafters interested in finding the right place to put a weyr that would last the test of time. They figured, the mountain has been here that long, why not? So rather than trying to determine if a volcano was going to erupt out of its old caldera (as had been the case in several other failed weyrs) they used technology believed long since lost, to excavate a hollow within one of the frigid mountains of the Northern continent's north-east coast. The machinery which was used is still being preserved, through few if any of the inhabitants know how to use it. More than enough weyrs have been carved that expansion of the weyr is possible for upwards of five thousand inhabitants!

Most of the inhabitants of the Weyr are either crafters or riders. Their support staff is young, mainly weyrbrats or fosterlings, but also has a large structure of drudges who have been with the original inhabitants for generations. It is extremely rare for one of them to Impress, though it has happened a couple times in the long history of the Weyr.

The first Weyrwoman of Dragonhope was an experienced queenrider, named Serrian, on gold Spooketh. Her dragon clutched eighteen times over twenty-three turns, and chose seven different mates in that time. Serrian had children with three of those dragon's riders, all of whom remained in the weyr and had children of their own.

The Weyr is rather insular in the way it keeps its riders once it's got them. Those who were born there are very rarely sent away for impression or for riding in other Weyr's wings. Thread has not begun to fall yet, but the weyr has always been prepared for it.

Ten generations later, the weyrwoman Kira is indeed a distant relative of the original weyrleaders. Her dragon rose when the dam of Nozomith could no longer. She carries on the tradition of long-term clutching potential, though her dragon will probably not lay many more. Nozomith has laid twelve clutches on these sands in twenty turns, though they have often been quite large clutches, and more often than not either have many bronzes or a gold.

DragonHope Weyr is not currently part of the Kshau Protectorate, but their Weyrleader S'xon is indeed the same Saxxon who is part of the lineage of that complex system of weyrs and Holds. He either traveled forward in time to be part of Viridia's bloodline, or back to Impress and become the Weyrleader at DragonHope.

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Years passed! The Weyr has had to expand quite a bit in the years leading up to the 11th Pass. The Dragons know, and gear up by having larger clutches and more queens. They have a collection of queens to rival any much larger Weyr. But their standards have not changed - the Weyr is also a strong craft hold, and supports a very wide variety of services and systems. That said... the weyrleader and his wife are still in charge. Somehow, well into their 80s, going strong.