Post by LyricalBlue on Oct 8, 2009 18:39:57 GMT -5
Once a gold mates she will lay a clutch of anywhere from 8 to 25 eggs depending on the flight and her health. It takes about 4 months before she lays them and then another 2 months on the sands before they hatch.
~The Hatching~
When a clutch is about to hatch all the dragons in the Weyr will start to hum and the closer it gets to the time the louder they are. At this point the Weyrleaders send out riders to fetch those who have been invited and the Candidates, dressed in their traditional white robes file into the Hatching Cavern.
The dragonlings will begin to hatch regardless of who is there or not. Once the Hatching begins Candidates are expected to stand in a semi circle about the clutch. If there is a Queen egg, those girls selected for Impression will stand in another semi circle around the Queen egg.
The dragonlings as the hatch are roughly all the size of a horse and very clumsy. There have been horror stories about the dragon that tripped and the Candidate that failed to get out of it's way.
Impression occurs when a dragonling locks eyes with it's chosen Candidate. And it is an experiance unlike any other (So for those who do Impress please have a very detailed and emotional post)
The newly hatched dragons are always ravenous so buckets of choped meat are ready at the side of the cavern and the Candidates are instructed to bring their charges immidiately there. Hatching ends after all the dragonlings find their Candidates and people begin to leave.
The WeyrlingMaster will lead the newly impressed into the Weyrling Quarters. The fledglings will fall asleep in their wallows almost immidately and a feast in their honor is held the next night.
Anne McCaffrey on Impression:
"It’s love at first sight across a crowded room-one of the most magical things that could possibly happen to anybody. To me, it’s like setting up on a horse that’s been schooled, and the minute you give him the aids, he knows exactly what you want, perfectly, only there’s much more of a rapport. Impressing a dragon is the amalgam of everything you wanted in your pet as a child and couldn’t have, because your pet wasn’t up to it. It’s suddenly having the whole candy store window yours.
At the instant of Impression, part of the miracle is that you realize you will never be alone, you will always be supported for the rest of your life-the feeling of total surrender to another mind which understands you totally. It is completely in rapport with you, and suddenly a great weight has been lifted from your shoulders, because you know there is that support system there. And with it comes a tremendous responsibility, because you know if something happens to you, that the dragon will suicide.
Now, the dragon will take care of you, so it’s really up to you to take care of the dragon. You have the feeling of one mind suddenly encasing yours, and every ounce of your blood, every tissue in your body is suddenly linked to another living creature. It cannot be but the most ecstatic moment. If the kids were old enough, they’d have orgasms.
You feel pain through the link, and you would do anything to stop your dragon’s pain. If you were happy or comfortable, the dragon would also share in the pleasure, but not necessarily the sensory feeling. Dragons would be peripherally aware of ‘mechanical duties’ (such as eating, sex or sleeping) and they’d know right away if you were sick. They would start to get worried, not knowing why. Unusual occurrences or sensations would come to the dragon’s awareness.”
Anne McCaffrey The Dragonlovers Guide to Pern, 2nd ed.
Ballantine Books, New York. 1989, 1997
Pgs 46-7
~The Hatching~
When a clutch is about to hatch all the dragons in the Weyr will start to hum and the closer it gets to the time the louder they are. At this point the Weyrleaders send out riders to fetch those who have been invited and the Candidates, dressed in their traditional white robes file into the Hatching Cavern.
The dragonlings will begin to hatch regardless of who is there or not. Once the Hatching begins Candidates are expected to stand in a semi circle about the clutch. If there is a Queen egg, those girls selected for Impression will stand in another semi circle around the Queen egg.
The dragonlings as the hatch are roughly all the size of a horse and very clumsy. There have been horror stories about the dragon that tripped and the Candidate that failed to get out of it's way.
Impression occurs when a dragonling locks eyes with it's chosen Candidate. And it is an experiance unlike any other (So for those who do Impress please have a very detailed and emotional post)
The newly hatched dragons are always ravenous so buckets of choped meat are ready at the side of the cavern and the Candidates are instructed to bring their charges immidiately there. Hatching ends after all the dragonlings find their Candidates and people begin to leave.
The WeyrlingMaster will lead the newly impressed into the Weyrling Quarters. The fledglings will fall asleep in their wallows almost immidately and a feast in their honor is held the next night.
Anne McCaffrey on Impression:
"It’s love at first sight across a crowded room-one of the most magical things that could possibly happen to anybody. To me, it’s like setting up on a horse that’s been schooled, and the minute you give him the aids, he knows exactly what you want, perfectly, only there’s much more of a rapport. Impressing a dragon is the amalgam of everything you wanted in your pet as a child and couldn’t have, because your pet wasn’t up to it. It’s suddenly having the whole candy store window yours.
At the instant of Impression, part of the miracle is that you realize you will never be alone, you will always be supported for the rest of your life-the feeling of total surrender to another mind which understands you totally. It is completely in rapport with you, and suddenly a great weight has been lifted from your shoulders, because you know there is that support system there. And with it comes a tremendous responsibility, because you know if something happens to you, that the dragon will suicide.
Now, the dragon will take care of you, so it’s really up to you to take care of the dragon. You have the feeling of one mind suddenly encasing yours, and every ounce of your blood, every tissue in your body is suddenly linked to another living creature. It cannot be but the most ecstatic moment. If the kids were old enough, they’d have orgasms.
You feel pain through the link, and you would do anything to stop your dragon’s pain. If you were happy or comfortable, the dragon would also share in the pleasure, but not necessarily the sensory feeling. Dragons would be peripherally aware of ‘mechanical duties’ (such as eating, sex or sleeping) and they’d know right away if you were sick. They would start to get worried, not knowing why. Unusual occurrences or sensations would come to the dragon’s awareness.”
Anne McCaffrey The Dragonlovers Guide to Pern, 2nd ed.
Ballantine Books, New York. 1989, 1997
Pgs 46-7
