Half Moon Bay Weyr's History

History of Half Moon Bay Weyr by Mynti of PW, with permission from Anne McCaffrey.

This history applies *only* to the game PernWorld MUSH.


The last Threadfall Pern would ever see had been well over 50 turns past, but some conflict between Holds, and Holds and Weyrs occurred. Many Holders saw an opportunity to expand their territory, since thread would no longer pose a threat to land and forests. There were border disputes and political struggles between Lord Holders, with many of the working holders and crafters caught in the middle. Some of these holders and crafters left their Holds to avoid the conflicts and start new Holds. As before, the Harpers offered arbitration and the Weyrs police protection in such disputes. Some Lord Holders refused to support the Weyrs that had protected them and disputed the authority of the Weyrs. Many believed the dragons and their riders were relics of the past. Many riders moved to new Weyrs in the Southern Continent,where the abundant environment could better support dragonkin. The reproduction rate of the dragons dropped off, but there were still clutches at many weyrs, and still interested candidates. The founders of Half Moon Bay Weyr and Half-Moon Bay Hold were born in these troubled times.

Jazmyn, rider of Gold Crystath, was born the daughter of the Lord Holder of Red Sands Hold. Her family was proud when she was searched, but many Lord Holders on Ista believed that since the eradication of thread, the Weyr should learn to take care of itself. When the old Ista Weyrwoman retired, Andria, an older junior queen rider from Fort was brought in to be Weyrwoman. She was weyrbred, and believed that the Holds should always support the Weyrs, as they had when thread was a threat. Her hidebound, old-timer ways and fiery outspoken nature quickly upset the uneasy peace between Ista Weyr and the Lord Holders. Negotiations broke down, and hostilities grew.

Riders were not welcomed in most of the Istan Holds and some Lord Holders threatened to form militia to protect their property from what they called the Weyrs oppression. Andria believed that in the event of any sort of uprising, a show of force would keep the Holds in line. She knew that the huge dragons could be very intimidating and even suggested using firestone against an opposing army. Andria was persuasive and many riders, the bronze riders in particular, took her side in spite of S'ford, the Weyrleader's plea for restraint. Some of the holdbred riders disagreed with Andria, including Jazmyn. When Crystath was close to rising, Jazmyn could not bear to have her flown by any rider who would think of flaming people, and Andria forbade S'ford's Nanth, from participating. With Nanth's help, Jazmyn took Crystath from the Weyr, and flew west, searching for a safe island she had heard of in tales told by the seacrafters she grew up with.

Jazmyn and Crystath found the small tropical forest in the center of the crater and began to live as exiles. One day, when Crystath was very closeto rising, she became upset during a particularly bad squall. The gold told Jazmyn that voice from the sea were crying for help, and became restless, begging Jazmyn to fly with her into the storm. Jazmyn quickly responded, and they flew into the blinding rain and gale-force winds, southeast to where a fleet of 30 small ships and boats were floundering helplessly, overcrowded with terrified people. Crystath began to pluck swimming survivors from the water, carrying them to the larger boats and the one 3 masted schooner, which were weathering the gale well. The Gold called for help, sending as far as she could, for there were just too many people for her to rescue, even with the help of a large pod of ship-fish, who had been the ones that Crystath had heard.

As the storm continued, the wrecked boats and people began to drift. It looked like there would be no way to save them all, when a dark Bronze appeared from "between" over the schooner. The bronze and his rider worked quickly to aid Jazmyn, Crystath and the shipfish, and they managed to save all hands. As the darkness came, the seas calmed. On the horizon was the shadow of the broken crater of the island. Crystath and the bronze helped tow the damaged larger boats, and the shipfish pushed or towed the remaining vessels, while the captain of the schooner steered a course for the island. They all landed in the quiet bay which was shaped like a half-dark moon.

S'lvyn was an apprentice smith who grew up at Nabol. When he was 4, he saw a beautiful old white dragon, who he told people for years after had smiled at him. In his adolescence, he was obsessed with dragons and technology, including computers and far-speak devices. His social life began when he was searched by High Reaches, where he impressed the bronze Jayleath. Jayleath's success at mating flights provided his rider with many chances to enjoy closecompany, but none of the riders won S'lvyn's heart, until his 35th turn, when Jayleath flew Alianth and he met R'neir. The 22 turn Green rider came froma farmcraft background, and his family had all but disowned him when he was searched. He and S'lvyn became weyrmates, and S'lvyn found he could love something besides Jayleath… and science.

The Holder and hold/Weyr conflicts spread across the North Continent. Though the hostilities never reached the point of civil war, there was much confusion and fear brought about by the holder disputes; and mistrust and resentment of the Weyr's police activities. Many innocent people were trapped between the lines, and some factions took advantage of the strife to pray on the helpless.

When word reached the Weyr that roving bandits had taken over the small Hold near R'neir's family's farm, he impulsively flew on his green to aid his family. The bandits were well armed and prepared for the possibility of dragons appearing to aid the Holders. When it became obvious that only asingle green had come, the bandits attacked. Alianth was too small to successfully defend herself and protect her rider. Horrified to see the dragon and rider attacked, the holders and farmers rose up against the bandits, but the small green was already badly wounded. Her cry for help brought S'lvyn and Jayleath and several blue and browns with their riders, but it was too late. When S'lvyn and the other High Reaches riders arrived most of the bandits had been defeated, and the rest had run.

The holders and farmers, including R'neir's family were shocked and grief-stricken. R'neir and his terribly hurt green had attempted to take off from the center of the mob. Alianth had creeled in pain as her broken wing failed and they went *between*..Forever. The riders helped capture the remaining bandits, and shuttled healers to the site to help with the wounded. The wingleader dismissed the S'lvyn, who returned with Jayleath to the weyr they had shared with the green and her rider.

S'lvyn mourned for weeks, and finally could take it no longer. He had been such a loner that there were few friends to console him, and the ones who tried could not bring him out of his depression. One day he repaired some provisions, and without a good-by to anyone, he mounted his dark bronze and together they flew toward the setting sun. They flew on for a long while, pausing only to rest and eat, until it became obvious that they were heading into rough weather. S'lvyn asked Jayleath to fly lower, and find a sheltered place, when Jayleath told his rider heard the call for help. A gold, in desperate need, trying to rescue people drowning in the storm. S'lvyn snapped out of his darkness and saw the image of the schooner, listing in the heavy blow. He told Jayleath to go *between*.

The people Jazmyn, Crystath, S'lvyn and Jayleath had rescued were sailing west from Tillek to find new territory to settle. They had come from all across the Northern Continent, as far as Crom, to escape the borderconflicts and form new Holds and Crafthalls. Most of the usable lands on the continent were already claimed, so they continued on to the western shore,seeking a way to continue their quest. At Tillek, they sought passage by ship to lands across the western sea, seeking the Western continent shown on the Ancient's maps.

The seacrafters of Tillek were suspicious of the newcomers and did not welcome them. Shipmaster Cuthburt; well past his 50th turn and looking forward to retirement; was greatly upset by the treatment his holders were giving to the refugees. When he spoke up for them at an emergency conclave, he was shouted down. Some of his rivals, eager to improve their positions, suggested he join the "refuse" of the conflict. Disgusted, he disowned the hold and resigned hisposition on the spot, pledging to guide the refugees to a safe haven, where they could start a new hold.

In the following weeks, he made ready the expedition to the south, convincing other ship owners to join him. When the time came to depart, they were still short of craft to carry the increasing numbers of new settlers. Under pressure from the Holders increasing hostilities, they set out. Cuthburt warned the ones who overloaded the smaller boats, but they would not heed him. Many saw their only hope to make the dangerous passage in anything that would float. Four sevendays out of Tillek their luck ran out, and a storm hit. A pod of ship-fish assisted in the attempt to recover the many swept overboard or capsized, but the situation looked hopeless. It seemed a true miracle when the two great dragons appeared, and helped them to a safe harbor.

After several days the settlers, lead by Cuthburt and the other seacrafters, recovered from their ordeal. Exploration of the crater island and the surrounding archipelago revealed a bountiful paradise. There was also evidence of camps, undoubtedly the bases of pirates. The seafaring versions of bandits had increased, along with the opportunists who plagued the mainland..

Few ships attempted the voyage to Southern Continent, and even the fishcrafters now only harvested close to the protection of populated areas on the shore. These revelations brought great anxiety to the otherwise relieved and hopeful settlers. Jazmyn and S'lvyn made weyrs for themselves and their dragons in the crater, on the side that was lit most of the day by the warm sun. They would the camps of the new holders often, and took turns flying sweeps to make their guests less tense about the pirate threat.

Jazmyn was jarred out of a sound sleep the morning following the rescue by Crystath and Jayleath bulging.. and the strong, wild feelings of an impending mating flight. S'lvyn looked as if in a state of shock as he watched the dragons blood their kill. Some of the new holders had come to see about the noise, and the looks on some of them told that they knew what was about to happen. Crystath bugled defiantly to Jayleath as she tossed yet another drained wherry aside. The great gold crouched and launched herself up to the crest of the crater, followed instantly by the eager dark bronze. S'lvyn approached Jazmyn, looking very dazed. The crowd attempted to shield their eyes and follow the flight of the pair as the spiraled above the islands. When they were out of site, the people began to head back to the Hold, some of them glancing back to see S'lvyn lead Jazmyn into her weyr.

A couple of sevendays later, Crystath heard a shipfish call for help, and Jazmyn, S'lvyn and Jayleath responded. They came upon a large freight scow, obviously bound from Southern, loaded with goods. She was under attack by the crew of a sloop, who were fighting hand-to-hand with the small but brave crew of the freighter. A few men had been knocked overboard, which brought the shipfish and the call for help.

The appearance of the dragons pretty much stopped the fight, and whenJayleath caught hold of the sloop's mast and backwinged, listing the smaller craft over so far she nearly capsized, the pirates broke off the attack. Crystath and Jayleath let the sloop sail off to the east, ignoring the curses screamed by the pirates. Together they towed the scow to the sheltered bay of the island.

The crew of the freighter were welcomed by the new holders. The scow and her cargo were bound for Tillek, but captain Todde, who was owner-on-board, offered his cargo as payment for the timely rescue. He said he had lost three shiploads over two turns, and that this shipment was to be his last, as he was bankrupt. Jazmyn and S'lvyn told the trader that he need notpay them, and Cuthburt and his cronies took the opportunity to offer Todde a chance to join their new Hold, as his ship and know-how would be valuable. He accepted eagerly.

The pirate incident increased the confidence of the refugees. Many of them accepted Cuthburt's plan to start a new sea hold on the island. They invited Jazmyn and S'lvyn to an impromptu conclave, and asked them to stay, promising to support them in exchange for continued protection. The final decision was not up to them, however…

As Crystath grew egg heavy, S'lvyn and Jayleath tried to get Crystath to return to Ista, but the Queen and her headstrong rider refused. Under the watchful eye of Jayleath and a crowd from the new hold, Crystath laid her clutch of 15 eggs in a cavern on the north side of the crater, that the determined queen widened the entrance to. Cuthburt approached Jazmyn and bowed. "A lovely clutch, from a fine pair, Weyrwoman!" he said. Jazmyn looked shocked, but thanked the old Master. S'lvyn looked even more shocked than the Gold rider.

As remote as Half-Moon Bay Hold; which the new residents now called it; was, word of events from all over Pern still managed to get passed on by far-ranging dragons. News of an important conclave, where all Weyrleaders and major and minor holders were invited to attend and make their thoughts known; to re-draw borders and possibly find an equitable end to the conflicts; reached the new Hold. Cuthburt and the Todde, who had been appointed representatives by the Holders council, came to ask Jazmyn and S'lvyn for help with transportation to the meeting.

Neither of the riders had been on the mainland since their voluntary exile, and their curiosity overran their reluctance to return. Their dragons had told other dragons that they were safe, and no one had come to take them back. One less mouth to fed in a Weyr during theses times was an advantage,it seemed. On the day of the meeting, Cuthburt and the trader mounted Jayleath, taking a seat behind S'lvyn, soon joined by Jazmyn after Crystath had indicated quite firmly that her rider was to go too, while she stayed and guarded her clutch that was to hatch in a week. They flew quickly to above the crater, the two holders obviously to excited with their first trip on dragonback to be frightened; though neither was properly prepared for the cold blackness of *between*.

The meeting was long, and boring to the riders; though it seemed that a lot of progress was being made. At least there were fewer shouting matches and fights then at meetings they had both attended in the recent past. Cuthburt met with other holders and crafters in small sessions, and toward the end of the large meeting on the second day, he finally got his turn to speak. He spoke of the settlers and their journey, the timely rescue, and the decision to found a new Hold on the islands to the west of Tillek. He smiled, noting that he now had everyone's attention, and stood to unfurl a bright banner, not unlike the banners of the established Weyrs. The banner was light blue-green, with a purple silhouette of a great cone-shaped mountain, with one side missing, in the center of the field. A shiny black shadow of a shipfish in mid leap hung before the purple mount. He smiled at Jazmyn and S'lvyn and spoke. "I represent the new independent hold of Half-Moon Bay. We are self sufficient and beholding to no one EXCEPT our Weyr… Half Moon Bay Weyr. I would like to present to this conclave the Weyrwoman Jazmyn, rider of Queen Crystath and Weyrleader S'lvyn, rider of Bronze Jayleath, the leaders of Half Moon Bay Weyr."

The crowd was silent. The look of complete shock was universal, even on the faces of the new Weyrleaders…

And so was born Half Moon Bay Weyr….

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