~ Ista Weyr ~
~ What's In A Color? ~
If you are a candidate at Ista Weyr, read the following and come to the Color Seminar ready to ask any questions you might have. Check out the FAQ section to see some questions that have been asked in the past. Here's what various Ista Weyr riders had to say about their particular dragon color:
GREEN
~~ By Taliena, rider of green Danaleth
Green, green, the bestest fruit of them all. Versatile, fabulous, sparkling, mischievous and fun. Greens are just about the most fabulous dragons to have for the sake of pure fun in RP.
Greens are more than just the randy, horny, lewd, lascivious subjects that
they are often thought of. In fact, a greenrider can hold any position in
the weyr save Weyrleader and Weyrwoman and are seen on many games,
including this one, holding positions of Weyrsecond, Wingleader,
WeyrlingMaster and are just durned fun to RP.
Greens are highly versatile. In flight they are the fastest, the most
acrobatic of the dragons. They are the roller coaster ride of your life
dragon. The only thing they lack from the larger dragons is the stamina.
They are quick and fast and can turn on a dime, but they can't do it for
hours on end.
The reason green appealed to me as a player was how much fun they can be.
Riding a green gives you the opportunity to play your character in many
ways that would be thought of as strange for anyone else. If your
character is shy, she can be outgoing when proddy, flirty and fun, or
conversely an outgoing character can become shy and reserved. The fun of
it is, that it is up to you.
I have played many different types of dragon on many games. I have ridden
blue, green, bronze and briefly gold. Green is the most lighthearted,
carefree and fun there is to RP. Many of the other colors like to take
themselves so seriously, but with my greenriders -- here they are, love em
or leave em, take em how they are, but they'll like you no matter what, and
they don't hold grudges for long.
In fact, the flight/proddy aspect need not even be an issue at all if it
doesn't appeal to you. Many greenriders choose to do their flights off
camera and just comment about this flight and that in their RP. The
sexuality need never be an issue when you ride any color dragon and Flights
are only if you want to do them. As with any color you should never feel
any pressure to get involved with TS or situations that make you
uncomfortable and if you feel you are being pressured, you should let your
Weyr or Game leadership know immediately so that it can be stopped.
To sum up my long-windedness, Taliena has been one of my most fun
characters to RP because of the ability to play her in so many different
ways at different times. She changes, she grows, but her interactions with
others and theirs with her are some of the most fun I've had on any game.
I would recommend green to anyone who just wants to have a good time,
contribute to the weyr and to RP in the weyr. Greenriders are the most
fun, and the cutest. *wink*
BLUE
~~ By Klari, rider of blue Daemith
Go blue! You see it everywhere! The sky, ocean, color of Klari's eyes ;D It's just flat out natural to have more blue
around! But really, contrary to popular belief (or that of those that
don't ride blue) blue really is the best. There isn't any competition, I
swear it! You'll never be pressured to have a flight (cause you'll chase
instead!) nor do you -have- to chase. But who doesn't want to chase in a
flight? Though since blues don't chase golds, your blue lifemate will
never win you the chance of waking up next to one of the lovely Weyrwomen,
but NPCs are always welcome! And of course those are always fun to mess
with. Once you try it, you'll never go back!
Admittedly, I started off wanting a gold. Or maybe even a green,
considering Klari is female. But blue was on my list as well, and from the
moment Klari and Daemith were paired together, I knew there was no way I
would have been happy with a green or a gold. Heck, it's been almost three
years now (I believe) and the more I think about it, the more I realize
just that. Klari isn't stuck in the position of Jr. Weyrwoman and I don't
have to worry about if she's living up to the reputation of one or not. As
for green, I don't have to worry about whether my next flight will be on or
off camera and even less, who will I pick to win? And the Weyr doesn't
have to worry about a proddy Klari (that would be -scary-).
Really, the only thing that you can't do with a blue is be Weyrleader or
Weyrwoman. Everything else is game! Trust me, Klari's been weyrmated, had
twins, been Wingleader of a brand new wing, and now Weyrlingmaster. Heck,
I'm even on staff. But again, if none of that is for you then that works,
too! No one's going to twist your arm to hold any position higher than
Wingrider if you impress to a blue. Nor will you have to worry with the
steriotypes as much as on any other color.
For the girls: What better than to have a male mind stuck in your head?
Talk about your advice on men when you need it, even if it is coming from a
dragon. A male is a male, honey ;) Sure, over the turns, Klari's started
to think more like a guy when it comes to things like relationships and
things like that, and Daemith's been the influence that gets her swinging
towards females from time to time, but still if you don't want your
character to turn out like that, then don't RP her that way. (Not that
there's anything -wrong- with Klari, lol.) I guess what I'm trying to say
is riding blue is different and gives you -more- options than gold or
bronze. More options for a female character than even green... Heck that
goes for males as well, all riders on males stay on a constant level of
"proddy" as it is *wink*
So what is it that makes blue so perfect for Klari? It's small, for one, but that has nothing to do with
the influence he's held over Klari. I wanted something for Klari that
would guide her but not force her into things like being Weyrwoman or
having her be proddy, unable to really control herself (wine will do that
whenever *winks*). Secondly, I wasn't sure at the time whether or not I'd
even -have- time to devote myself to being a Jr. Weyrwoman. It just didn't
feel like it would be fair of me to take that opportunity away from someone
else that wanted it as well. And while, at the time, I was sad for not
having the time for gold, I know now I wouldn't've been as happy with gold
as I am with blue. (And guess what, I ended up having time. Hehe. Boy I
hope all that made sense, if not... I blame the meds. *winks again*.)
BROWN
~~ By L'lia, rider of brown Xornath
Riding brown. Brown is one of my favorite colors to ride because of the
sheer versatility of the color. Brownriders are able to do anything in the
weyr -- even be weyrleader (If the rider is male). They can chase golds
and greens, they are more agile and smaller than bronzes, and larger and
have more endurance than blues. They are the 'average' male, in many
respects.
But, of course, there are the stereotypes. The steady brownrider, the
dependable, constant, rider. And you can follow that stereotype or fight
against it. Because at Ista Weyr, we like to play with stereotypes. Over
time, L'lia's been a rebel, a tease, a wingleader, a weyrsecond, etc. As
well, she's been a regular rider. She's been weyrmated, she's been
single... in short, a brownrider can do anything they want to. And I think
its the best color of all. How can I help it? Xornath's brown and he's
the best.
Riding brown you get to chase in flights. I can chase in any flight and
have a decent chance of winning (Alright, bronzes have an unfair advantage
in a goldflight, but who wants to get stuck on the sands anyway?) I think
its the best color of all.
BRONZE
~~ By K'vair, rider of bronze Polth
Bronzeriding is an art form, but then, so is riding any color of dragon.
It's what you make of it. Bronze dragons are just a different flavor of
ice cream, and we all have our favorite flavors.
So, what's a bronze dragon like? Well, first and most obvious, it's
bronze colored, and if you didn't know that, you might've drank a little
too much Benden Red. They're the biggest male dragons. With that in mind,
a bronze has lots of strength, but lacks the maneuverability that the
smaller dragons have. So, a bronze is more likely to catch that lovely
gold -- go stamina! -- than that glowing green over there. Not that they
can't, just that it's unlikely. Bronzes also have the ability to sire
clutches.
So, now you ask, what's it take to ride bronze? Well, the main thing is
that your character has to be a heterosexual male. If you're brave enough
to consider being Weyrleader someday, then bronze is for you, though I
would like to point out that there are plenty of leadership positions in
the weyr that have absolutely nothing to do with your dragon's color --
Wingleaders, WLM, AWLMs, as well as OOC staff positions.
Bronzeriders are typically exceptionally self-confident men who are often
womanizers. Now, there are exceptions to every rule, but for the most
part, this is true. There's no need for anyone to play a cookie-cutter
character -- how boring that would be! -- but playing a shrinking violet
bronzerider just wouldn't cut it, in my opinion. Supposedly, there's some
'fishbowl' effect that you have to watch out for, as in everyone's watching
you, when you ride a metallic dragon, though I haven't run into it. It's
something to consider, if you'd prefer 'no pressure'.
Anyway, bronzers are exceedingly fun to play. :)
GOLD
~~ By Katarra, rider of gold Tajiath
Gold is hands-down the hardest color to ride. But it gets a big thumbs up for being a huge blast as well. It's hard for me to make comparisons since gold is the only color I ride so I'll stick with just describing what its like.
The Dragon. Golds are the biggest dragons and come in all sorts of shiny hues from the palest wheat gold to fiery reddish gold and all the shades of sunshine in between. They are the only ones that can lay eggs, thus over time a good portion of the weyr end up being their offspring. Golds can only be caught by brown or bronze dragons. That limits the choices somewhat, but there are always NPCs too, which is an especially nice option for Juniors. In the case of the Senior Weyrwoman the choice is completely out of her hands as the decision is usually made by weyr or staff vote. Of course that doesn't mean there has to be an IC relationship and the consequences of waking up with someone you didn't expect can be a lot of fun. Golds are definitely the most defined of all dragons, as Anne tended to make them main characters and went into great detail on their roles. This might seem confining at times, as many devoted fans feel a goldrider should fit this mold (often called the 'fishbowl effect'), but at Ista Weyr you can be as unique as you want. Motherly, or not. Regal, or not. Outgoing, or not. Demanding, or not. Since golds are basically what keep the weyrs growing, they wouldn't be horribly off base, but there's still major room for creatively in there.
The IC Job. The RP involved in laying eggs and organizing the hatching is certainly a highlight of riding gold. Impressing gold means you are automatically a Junior Goldrider in the Pegasus Wing, and along with that comes certain responsibilities assigned by the Senior Goldrider. The possibility of becoming Senior someday isn't automatic, but is out there, and although it isn't forced on anyone, it is expected that if the necessity should arise a Junior would step in to fill the role. Therefore prospective goldriders are often put under a lot more scrutiny than those seeking other colors. Personally, I take riding gold very seriously. Yes, it is just a game, but its a game that a lot of people like to spend their precious free time playing, and they come to Dragonsfire to do it. So it's important to keep a healthy, happy, active, and fun environment - which means dedicating more of my own time than I might otherwise to a simple 'game'. I think that kind of attitude is important for a goldrider
The OOC Job. Juniors are not automatically on Staff, the Senior is. Staff is made up of seven weyr residents. The Senior WW, the Weyrleader, and five others regardless of IC position who have the ability, the time, volunteer, and are voted in by the weyr. All seven work together to take care of 'behind-the-scenes' administrative foo and discuss matters equally. Search! The bane and blessing of riding gold. Search time is always exciting and hectic for goldriders, especially if you are the clutchmom and/or searchlead. It's a three month process requiring a lot of devotion and RL time. Fortunately at Ista we currently have two active golds so the responsibility doesn't fall on one person all the time. I think because of all the OOC foo that often comes along with riding gold it's easy to get caught up in that and forget to keep your character alive - keep TPs going and interesting things happening in their life. Maybe its that way for everyone, but it just seems like golds burn out quicker to me so its worth mentioning.
The Player. Describing a player who rides gold is distinctly different than describing a character who rides gold. A character can be just about anything, but the player has to have certain qualities. Patience and tact are two big ones. It stinks, I know, but others will automatically look to a goldrider as an example and nit-pick if they see anything wrong. And that's ICly as well as OOCly. You have to be good at letting negativity slide off your back and remember you can't ever please /everyone/. But at the same time, being bluntly rude and saying whatever the heck you feel like saying all the time is going to hurt a lot of feelings and when it comes down to it people /will/ form opinions about a weyr by its leaders.
There's so much to riding gold it's hard to be brief. It's definitely not for everyone, but for those that can do it it's a whole lot of fun.
FAQ
(Inquiring Minds Want to Know.......)
What does it meant to be a stand-only candidate?
Being a stand-only candidate is an OOC designation only. ICly, there is no such thing as a stand-only candidate. All candidates participate in the same activities and have the same requirements. What makes a candidate stand-only is that the player has decided before being searched that they do not want their character to impress, and indicated so on their application. There are many reasons why a player may choose this route. It does not reflect negatively on the player or character whatsoever. In fact, going through candidacy and not impressing is a huge milestone for character development!
Can a stand-only candidate change their mind?
Before they are searched - yes. Once they are searched, they may not change their designation. However, in that situation, we highly encourage the player to use the opportunity to develop and deepen their character and thereby be all that much more of an appealing candidate for impression the next time search opens. On the other hand, a candidate who is not stand-only may choose to become stand-only at any time. We strongly request if this becomes the case that SearchCo be informed at least two weeks before the hatching. We put a lot of thought into personalizing dragons at Ista Weyr so would appreciate advance notice.
Can my character impress if they have a disability?
It depends on the disability. If the disability does not interfere with the character's ability to perform the functions, duties, and responsibilities of a dragonrider then they can impress. This would rule out any major disability such as loss of sight or hearing, but would not include a challenge such as stuttering. SearchCo will be happy to clarify if there are questions on any particular problem that arises.