- 6:00 AM: Wake Up, Get Ready, Roll Call
- 6:30 AM: Breakfast
- 7:00 AM: Morning Exercises
- 8:00 AM: Morning Lessons
- 9:30 AM: Morning Chores
- 11:30 PM: Lunch Hour
- 1:00 PM: Crafter Lessons/Chores
- 3:00 PM: Afternoon Lessons
- 5:00 PM: Afternoon Exercises
- 6:00 PM: Clean-up and Dinner Hour
- 8:00 PM: Free Time
- 11:00 PM: Official "Lights Out"
Wher Candidate Daily Schedule:
- 4:00 PM: Wake Up, Get Ready, Roll Call
- 4:30 PM: 'Breakfast'
- 5:00 PM: Crafter Lessons/Chores
- 7:00 PM: 'Morning' Lessons with the Candidatemaster (Also required for Dual Candidates)
- 10:00 PM: 'Lunch' Hour
- 12:00 AM: Evening Lessons with Wherhandlers
- 3:00 AM: Evening Chores
- 5:00 AM: Clean-up and Dinner Hour
- 6:00 AM: Free Time/Socials
- 8:00 AM: Official "Lights Out"
Candidate Lessons and Lectures:
Basic Reading, Writing, and Mathematics:
- Required of all new candidates unless they prove to the candidatemaster that they can read, write, and do math
- Lessons are given three times a week by the Weyr's resident harpers
- Lessons are given during the breakfast and lunch hours
- The candidates will be tested at the end of every month; they will "graduate" from harper lessons when they can fully pass the tests and the harpers are satisfied
- All candidates must attend, even those who have heard it before
- Lesson is given sometime before every Hatching
- Guest Speakers: One rider of each dragon color will come in to "guest speak" to the class about his or her dragon color
- Color generalizations and stereotypes will be shared
- Pros and cons of each color will be explained
- Candidates will learn that not all dragons fall into the personality stereotype of their color (i.e. Not all browns are calm, not all greens are flirty, etc.)
- This is a time for candidates to ask questions and learn more about what they might be able to expect should they Impress
- All candidates must attend
- Lesson given the sevenday before every Hatching
- Candidatemaster will review Hatching protocol
- Injuries and how to avoid them will be discussed
- Proper attire and presentation will be reviewed (no nudity!)
- Robes will be inspected for signs of wear and tear
- Candidatemasters (if riders) might share their own Impression stories
- Candidates are given a last chance to back out if they don't think dragonriding is the right path for them
- All candidates must attend
- Lesson given anytime between a clutching and a Hatching
- Guest Speakers: The Weyrlingmaster (or assistants) and one–three older weyrlings (chosen by the Weyrlingmaster)
- The Weyrlingmaster will share his or her expectations
- The Weyrlings will share their personal experiences with weyrlinghood
- At the end of the lessons, the candidatemasters and weyrlingmasters will leave so that the candidates can ask the weyrlings anything they want
- All candidates in their twenties must attend, though all younger ones are welcome too
- Lesson given at the end of every turn
- Guest Speaker: Someone who has aged out of candidacy
- The guest speaker will share his or her experience with aging out, how he or she coped, and what he or she did after candidacy
- Candidates will be asked to come up with a "Plan B" for in case they do not Impress
- The backup plans will be shared with the class
- All candidates must attend
- Lesson given anytime
- Guests: One of the weyrling classes, and the Weyrlingmasters
- Possible Alternative Guests: Some older dragonpairs
- The candidates with be split up among the volunteer dragonpairs
- Each rider will teach his or her group how to properly clean and oil dragon hide
- Healthy dragonhide and unhealthy dragonhide will be exemplified
- Candidates will assist in bathing and oiling
- This is a good time to ask questions!
- All candidates must attend
- Lesson given before every Threadfall
- Candidatemaster will review the candidates' Threadfall duties
- The "Dragon Toss" for firestone will be practiced
- Candidates will bag firestone after the lecture
- Candidates will be assigned either firestone or infirmary duty for the day of the Threadfall
- All candidates must attend
- Lesson given as a treat every winter (when there is no Thread)
- Candidatemasters will take the candidates out of the Weyr for a sevenday
- The candidates will learn basic survival skills
- Building fires will be taught
- Edible local plants, and plants that can be used for healing, will be shown
- Candidates will learn how to build shelters and find clean water
- Scary stories will be shared over a campfire
- Group bonding exercises will be employed
- All candidates must attend
- Lesson given once a sevenday in place of afternoon exercises
- Hand-to-hand combat, knife fighting, and archery will be covered
- Honor duels and how to survive them will be discussed
- Candidates will each get practice time with the candidatemasters
- Candidates will be broken into pairs to spar against one another with wrapped fists or wooden blades
- Lessons can be given anytime
- All candidates must attend
- Guest Speakers: Journeymen or Master Crafters
- Candidates will learn about each craft
- Hands-on experience might be given
- New candidates will be asked to chose a craft to learn during their candidacy after being exposed to all the crafts; they will be doing this craft in place of their afternoon chores
- This lesson is designed to give candidates options in case they age out
Sewing, Basic Leatherworking:
- Lesson can be given anytime
- All candidates must attend
- Guest Speakers: A tailor, cobbler, and potentially a tanner
- Candidates will learn how to mend their own clothes and shoes
- They will learn how to get the most out of their footwear and how to properly care for their shoes
- Candidates must be able to take care of their own clothes; good riders must be self-sufficient as much as possible
- Lesson can be given anytime
- All candidates must attend
- Guest Speaker: A journeyman or master tailor
- New candidates will make their own robes
- Older candidates will have their robes looked over and mend them if need be
- Older candidates will assist new ones if needed
Basic First Aid:
- Lesson is given monthly
- All candidates must attend
- Guest Speaker: The Weyr's masterhealer
- Anatomy will be covered
- Candidates will learn what to do with a major wound until a healer arrives
- Candidates will learn to patch up minor wounds
- They will learn to stitch up wounds
- Burn treatment
- Threadscores
- The uses of healing herbs and medicines will be covered
- Simulations of wounds will be given so candidates can learn hands-on
- Candidates need to attend these lessons to help in the infirmary during Threadfall
- Lesson is given monthly
- All candidates must attend
- Guest Speaker: The Weyr's master dragonhealer
- Candidates will learn to take care of dragon wounds
- Burns, bites, scratches, Threadscores, and more will be covered
- Draconian medicines will be covered
- Draconian anatomy will be covered
- Thicktail and its treatment will be discussed in-depth
- Simulations with a volunteer dragon will be given for hands-on practice
- Necessary for candidates to help in the infirmary during Threadfall
- Lesson given daily
- All candidates must attend
- Lesson will start off with proper stretching techniques
- Candidates and candidatemasters will go on a jog around the training grounds together
- Depending on the day, various exercises will be done
- Swimming
- Rock Climbing
- Sports
- Ground Drills
- Combat Training
- Bodyweight Exercises for Strength
- Candidates will run a timed obstacle course at the end of each month to test their progress
- Lesson can be given anytime
- All candidates must attend
- Guests: As many volunteer dragonpairs possible
- One by one, candidates will be taken on a ride around the Bowl by the volunteers
- Riders will show the candidates how to properly mount and strap themselves in
- One ride per candidate
- Acrophobia does not excuse any candidate from this lesson
- This lesson is designed to get the candidates used to dragons and flying
In a Nutshell–What Your Candidate Will Learn During Candidacy:
- Weyr Social Structure
- Weyr Rules
- A Craft
- Basic Human and Dragon First Aid
- All About Firestone
- How to Maintain Physical Fitness
- Flights
- Dragons!
- Survival
- Right and Wrong
- Respect
- Their Duty to the Weyr
- Sewing
- Reading, Writing, and Math
- Cooking and Cleaning
- Much, much more!