The melting of snow as winter gives way to spring is a near-magical time, even on Pern, when the air grows fresh and hope bounds anew, when spirits run high with vigor and zest. But for some, the simple magic is forgotten in the face of opportunity, the thrill of the complex hunt.... Raiders off the coast of Darksea Hold are becoming more and more daring with each attack, and the number of men, ships and supplies lost "during storms" has risen to a suspicious number. Pern and its law-abiding residents are starting to notice, starting to wonder...

Are the crew members of the Stiletto, and those connected to them, growing too cocky for their own good? Will the temptation of a trade ship, - ferrying not only supplies from Darksea to Southern Hold, but an unexpected live "cargo", as well - present too much of a temptation for the underground ring of criminals and smugglers to resist? How much longer will they remain covert, when blunders and mistakes are around every corner? Only you, a new player, will be able to determine! Fancy theft, attack, kidnapping, murder? The Stiletto is just the place for Pern's "unsavory" citizens. Perhaps there are a a few residing in your mind, just waiting for a chance to act?

Raiders aren't the only one affected by the changing of seasons, of course! As spring washes over the Southern Continent of Pern, spores of Thread fall into a warmer climate, emerging as voracious silver tendrils, and the Wings of Caufar Weyr are called to duty for another Turn. Rising to the skies of Pern, dragonriders defend the homes and families of those beholden to them, sacrificing time, safety, and in many cases, their own lives...

The life of a dragonrider is not without its pitfalls, but neither is it without its glories. The bond of Impression is one fabled across Pern, known to few, and envied by all. The eternal loyalty of an understanding creature, the constant companionship brought about by being a dragonrider, not to mention the glory of ranking amongst the elite scores of Pern's heroes... It's tempting, no?

Temptation may well be answered, shortly enough. Searchriders will be making their way to the Holds and Halls of Pern in no time at all! Gold Rhaeath's clutch is not the only one that will mark the sands of Caufar, and the need for Candidates is an ever-present demand in the Weyr. Caufar's most junior gold, the Weyrling Cevineth, is not far from maturity, and with it, her first mating flight and the resultant clutch. Perhaps you'd fancy taking your chances?

And what are these rumors that a foreign gold will soon find herself in Caufar's Hatching Grounds as well? Lynyara and gold Keth, guests from Monaco Bay Weyr, sent to train with the Wings of Caufar, are in need of a temporary player, and it could just be you! Staff isn't revealing too much about what this plot will entail, but so far they're letting on that a clutch of dragonets will be in need of writing, a hatching hosted, and even a golden egg will need Impressing!

With not just one, but two chances offered to play a gold rider at Caufar Weyr, who could say no? Plotting is underway for the massive event, set to take place over the next few months and culminate a dramatic finale on the cusp of the holiday season, and Caufar Weyr wants you, with your fresh ideas and new characters, to come in and join the fun! Come play along, won't you?

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When it rains, it pours... Whether that fact in itself is a good thing or not, really depends on what's falling out of the sky, and in the case of Caufar Weyr and its protectorate, it's been nothing but ill luck!

It began with an avalanche at one of the minor settlements in the territory of Western Barrier Hold, a natural disaster which none saw coming, but all felt. Riders from Caufar were called in to assist with the rescue efforts, and then themselves felt the chilling ache of loss when a second avalanche followed the first a day later, trapping two of the Weyr's queens, and killing dozens of countless others, dragons, riders, Holders and Crafters alike... While Alorioth and her granddaughter Cevineth were quickly rescued by the actions of numerous Caufar dragons, they did not escape unscathed. Cevineth, still just a Weyrling, is barely able to fly due to the severe wing damage she sustained, to say nothing of her young rider, and Alorioth... Well...

No one saw the damage done to Caufar's egg-heavy senior gold until she tried to oust Sylfaeth, on the sands with twenty-one hardening eggs, from the Hatching Grounds, a full month before her own clutching date. The pair almost came to blows when Sylfaeth refused to give ground to her superior, and Alorioth, finally called off her heinous quest by Araceli, promptly made for the Weyr's lake shore, where she passed an aborted clutch of twenty fetal dragonets. The shocking, gruesome mess has thrown Araceli's position as Weyrwoman into question. What if Alorioth is now sterile? There are many questions to be answered, though it may be another full Turn before Alorioth rises again (if she even rises) and bears a clutch (if she even clutches), before anyone can say for certain what those answers will be... All the Weyr can do for now is grieve for their losses, and wait.

But not all hope has been lost, and Weyrwoman's Second Anodelle and her queen, Sylfaeth, would thank everyone to remember that! Sylfaeth's clutch has recently hatched, giving to the Weyr twenty new riders, the Junior Weyrlings of Thunderblaze Group. Amongst their numbers, the records of Caufar now count two more women riding brown dragons, Eliora of Sobreleth and Averyn of Dharseth, as well as a rather unexpected Impression made from the Stands, bronze Iphaeleth to Z'mir. Though the man, a good friend of Anodelle herself, has now had his life turned upside down by the momentous event, it doesn't seem to be the sudden change which has him so out of sorts, but rather, what that change means... Perhaps the solo trader is more than he says he is?

Reports from Darksea Hold tell of trade ships lost in winter storms, but many of these ships had experienced Captains and seasoned crews... Weather ought not to have been an issue for them, so where are the ships and their goods going? Are the rumors of organized Raiders, perhaps, more than just old wives' tales?

Disaster or not, rumors or not, time marches on, bringing life right along with it... Weyrleader J'sin is settling comfortably into his new station, one he previously held at Telgar Weyr, and though he too feels the loss of his bronze Arroth's eggs through Alorioth, the man also has a new son, Heylsin, mothered by blue rider Heylora, to occupy his time. As if J'sin's minx of weyrmate wasn't enough of a distraction! Life, too, will go on for gold rider Ahnia, who is gradually moving past the death of her infant daughter, Aithne. A good thing, too, for her Rhaeath is due to be the next gold to rise, and the saffron beauty likely won't appreciate any distractions!

Fancy yourself a rider, a Raider, or perhaps something more? If you're looking for a semi-strict canon Pern RP, Caufar Weyr might just be the place for you. We are a forum-based club with a comprehensive history, a variety of plots for all genres from romantic to comedic to dramatic, and a (presently) small but active membership. We're always looking for enthusiastic, creative writers who will bring something new to the game, and carve out their own corner in the sandbox. If we sound like we might be your cup of tea, come on out and have a look!

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From the distant horizon, a gentle silhouette makes a steady path for Caufar Weyr, the purpose clear and the intent unmistakable: change is coming.

In the Weyr, Alorioth’s daughter has already taken to the sky, the place of Weyrsecond falling upon the reluctant F’gon and his wily bronze, Brydroth. Sylfaeth’s future clutch brings with it the need for new candidates to stand, and although the clutch has yet to grace the sands of the Hatching Grounds, there are already bets to how many lives will be changed in one sitting…

Caufar waits for the newest class of weyrlings; the rest of the world and weyr goes on. While Caufar watched the older woman and feared the worst, Weyrlingmaster Shiandra has safely delivered her second child and only son, Sebrin. The healthy birth went off without a hitch, almost as if Shiandra was daring even Mother Nature to bring up the subject of her age…

Gold rider Ahnia and her young weyrmate N’thin were not so fortunate and now face what every parent dreads with the birth of their identical twin daughters: what if one doesn’t survive? Tiny Aithne slipped from the world within two days of her birth, leaving the young parents to deal with the daunting task of taking care of newborn Aiyana and facing their own grief…and while the Weyr is focused on the future, so is the Captain of the mighty Stiletto, who has sent in an informant to gather information about Caufar. Will the Weyr listen to the one person who knows the Informant’s history? Will that one lowly candidate even bother warning Weyrwoman's Second Anodelle from the new friendship she’s developing with the informant? Only time…and secrets…will tell.

The change just skirting Caufar has made its way through Pern, stopping Hold and Hall alike. The Dolphincraft Hall has welcomed Takka’s first calf, Nuri, into their pod, and the Hall has welcomed two new Apprentices into their mists, Safavid and Beneson. Takka’s impromptu choice to name the calf after Darksea’s Lady Nuriel has amused even the straight laced Holderwoman, much to the relief of the Hold that has seen so much duress lately. Thenriel, Nuriel’s son and heir apparent to Darksea Hold, was recently kidnapped by a Darksean taking matters into his own hands---and any lightheartedness is welcome. The kidnapper has been executed, but the memory of Kalus of Darksea has left a permanent stain on the history of the Hold and Weyr alike; not only did the man manage to kidnap the heir of Darksea in an effort to wedge further tension between the Hold and Caufar, but he managed to take the life of a newly Impressed Weyrling from Alorioth’s hatching in the mean time.

While Darksea recovers from the potential loss of their heir, change has erupted at Igen Weyr as well with P’dest’s bronze Leibreth having taken the Weyrleadership. A new queen had graced the sands of the Weyr, as well as another female brown rider. The Female Brown Trio have been offered the opportunity to return to Igen, but at least one of the riders seems uncertain of her fate…much like Weyrwoman Araceli. Alorioth is looking once against to rise, and the outcome of Queen flights are never certain. Will Alorioth once again choose Daloruth as her mate, or will the Weyrleadership be up for grabs? Change is striding into Caufar Weyr, and with a mountain of plots to choose from, it seems like it is here to stay…

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"Babies, babies, babies! By Faranth, I came here to get away from midwifery!"

That's right, folks, the words of Journeywoman Healer Kaelyn say it all: there has to be something in the water at Caufar...

As the southern Weyr moves into another Turn, the population of Caufar and its Holds seem to be experiencing a veritable boom in population growth.

In the Holds, Lord Restair's two eldest daughters have each given him healthy granddaughters, Andesra and Nolyn, yet Restair's eldest, Morestyn, has yet to sire a child with his bride of ten Turns, and people are starting to talk... Perhaps it's time for the Three Rivers patriarch to consider another heir apparent, if the root of the problem lies in the current choice? A Holding family needs a firm Bloodline, after all.

Darksea's Lady Nuriel has delivered a healthy son, Thenriel, to serve as the much-coveted heir for her home, and she's contact the boy's sire, green rider V'rae, to let him know of the fact. After pushing V'rae so staunchly away from anything to do with the babe upon first discovering the pregnancy, what could possibly have prompted Nuriel to contact her child's reviled, man-loving father?

And the Weyr, of course, is ripe with life! Brown rider T'sor and green rider Julian are the newest parents, of a feisty girl named Aesora, but before them, Master Woodsmith Quent and his mate, brown rider Clarra, welcomed their son, Harlee, into the world, finally naming the boy after much prompting from Quent's younger brother, the recently promoted Assistant Candidatemaster, H'rolque. Weyrlingmaster Shiandra and her lover, Candidatemaster T'bin, are now only a month away from the arrival of their child, and Shiandra's... in fine color... Just don't you dare suggest she'll have anything less than a healthy labor, or she'll shove a boot so far up your -

As I was saying, the baby boom's into full swing, for it seems that numerous impromptu "couples" with all also be welcoming life due to the aftermath of senior gold Alorioth's mating lust. It seems the Weyr's eldest queen did more than make Daloruth's rider Weyrleader...

Masterhealer Rian and his new pupil, Journeywoman Kaelyn, found themselves in a most awkward position while dragons twined overhead, and now Kaelyn has found herself firmly centered in motherhood, when she'd come to Caufar to avoid playing midwife... Blue rider Heylora also finds herself in an interesting conundrum: having snagged bronze rider J'sin while mothing Alorioth's flight, she soon fell into a casual physical relationship with the older man, and now finds herself bearing his child. Well, she hopes it's his, but wouldn't dare dream of telling him that, or why. Gold rider Ahnia and her mate, bronze rider N'thin, are also expecting, but the couple is rather on the young side... Are they ready to be parents, or will the very stress of that pressure be too much for the Weyr's sweethearts?

Of course, it's not just a baby that had N'thin and Ahnia excited. After all, a Weyr is a home for dragonriders, and dragons are being born just as often as babies, and in larger numbers, too! The clutch of Ahnia's Rhaeath yielded twenty-one healthy dragonets. The Junior Weyrlings of Breakwater Group are now happily residing in the Weyrling Barracks, which have only just recently been vacated by the the Rising Hope Group, now graduated to the ranks of Seniors. Congratulations to all!

Of course, Seniors the Rising Hope riders may be by rank, but let's not forget that the Group contains both the oldest and the youngest Werylings in Caufar's entire history, some members as young as eleven or twelve Turns... While no one's talking about it, yet, it's only a few months before those greens start to rise in mating flights, and the boys begin chasing. Are the prepubescent riders going to be ready to handle an event that has, in the past, always been left in dragons' talons? Or will Caufar deviate from its old adage of 'trust the dragons' and try to preserve the innocence of its youths with human intervention?

Weyrwoman's Second Anodelle's gold, Sylfaeth, is bound to be in the air in only a few month's time, and she'll need Candidates for those eggs. With Alorioth's latest clutch intended to be a group of unnamed NPCs and ANPCs, and Sylfaeth's next brood still some months off, now is the perfect time to create a Candidate and play them actually living life as a Candidate, if that piques your interest. After all, we didn't all start out as riders, let's see some history being made!

And speaking of NPCs and ANPCs, it seems the Weyr's "extra" characters are going to get some serious revamping, in the form of larger, individual profiles, a work-in-progress that any player, new or old, is eagerly invited to help with. There's a lot of them, folks, so if you feel the need to the "character creation bug" out of your system, come check out the action. Who knows, you might find somebody special to play...

If all the talk of babies in the Weyr has you bored, perhaps you'd like to see what's happening in the Halls and Holds? The Dolphincraft Hall will soon be seeing the arrival of another calf, and - oh, wait, we were trying to get away from babies, weren't we? Hmmm...

Best take yourself straight to Darksea's harbors, then, where a few mysterious vessels have been laying in, and goods can be found for very reasonable prices, if you know who to speak with, and don't spread the word too quickly. And don't so much as mention the ship the Stiletto, or some rather disappointed raiders be set to pay you a visit. It seems they have eyes and ears everywhere, a finger in every pot, and maps to every trade route, nautical or landlocked. One must wonder: where are the thieves and smugglers getting their information?

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In the Weyr, in the Hold, in the Hall, life springs eternal. And quite often, the lines between one and the next cross over and blur into an odd melding...

In the Weyr, Junior queen Rhaeath led Caufar's males on a merry chase in her maiden flight, and was finally snatched from the air by bronze Zhulath. Ahnia and N'thin seem to be getting along relatively well, considering their first awkward morning together, but will the possibility of a slowly blossoming romance put a damper on N'thin's own relationship with his brother, T'syn? Unbeknownst to either gold or bronze rider, N'thin's brown rider twin harbors quiet emotions for Ahnia, but will he speak out about them?

In the Hold, Lady Nuriel still carries her unborn heir, flightspawn with green rider V'rae. An event which ended in quiet relief, the proof that she had not miscarried the babe showed us a startlingly human side of Darksea's Lady. Nevertheless, will her child, the kin of dragonriders, grow up beneath Nuriel's overbearing shadow, hating its sire, as V'rae fears? Or will V'rae be successful in his attempts to play a part in the unexpected babe's life?

And in the Hall, very shortly now, Master Woodsmith Quent will welcome the birth of his first child... The mother, you ask? None other than ex-Caufaran Weyrleader, Clarra, rider of brown Sarhauth! Wait a moment... ex-Weyrleader?

Yes, folks, late in her third trimester and no longer able to fulfill her duties with the Wing, Clarra chose to step down from her position as Weyrleader, leaving Weyrsecond V'tez as her proxy. V'tez enlisted the aid of Wingleader L'mat to assist him as temporary Weyrsecond until a new Weyrleader will be elected via senior queen Alorioth's impending mating flight. So much rank-shuffling for one little baby... And it's not even born yet!

But babies will be born, and dragonets will soon be shelled out of as-yet unlaid eggs. Rhaeath's clutch will soon grace Caufar's sands, and with that clutch will arise, as ever, the need for new Candidates to become Caufar's Weyrlings. Within a few sevendays, Alorioth will take to the air and choose for her home a new 'Leader. Darksea shall have an heir, and life, as always, will go on...

But all is not well in our little corner of Pern... Dark clouds loom on the seaward horizon, so to speak, for ocean faring raiders are now slowly seeping into the harbors and travel routes, taking goods and selling them back where they will through a highly complex network of traders, informants, and yes, raiders themselves... Though their presence is unknown, for the most part, it is still felt, for now fire lizard eggs begin to fill the market with surprising frequency, many metallics... No one's complaining, but it can't be long before someone starts to notice a pattern, can it?

Whether your place be the skies on dragonback, the Holds filled with intrigue and mystery, or on the bounding seas as a raider, there's no shortage of choices in Caufar's environment. Got an idea? We'd love to hear it... Come join us, won't you?

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