Crafters and Holders
The people who make sure that Pern keeps going between Passes and that it doesn`t just all collapse around our ears - in fact the people who dragonriders are meant to protect.
Holders
Basically farmers. A Hold is a building with land attached...
it`s their responsibility to get men to work it, keep greenery
from paths (you have greenery on your paths, you`re just ASKING
for trouble from Thread) and keep it economically viable - that
sorta thing. They must also put up with Harpers on their land -
it is a basic law of Pern that EVERY man, woman and child in the
land has a right to be taught to read and write by a Harper.
Lord Holders are a bit different - they own land too, but they
also oversee all the Holders in the particular part they are
responsible for. If a Holder isn`t keeping to the laws of the
Charter, or needs help it is their responsibility to make sure it
is sorted. A Lord Holder has equal position to a Weyrleader - and
vice versa.
Crafters
Specialised people who work in Crafts They are based in Halls
where they learn their professions. Each Craft has one Master who
oversees everything and ecides promotions, and below that there
are three ranks, apprentice, journeyman,and master. Apprentices
are taken on from 9 onwards, then if and when they are good
enough move on to be journey men (normally between 18-early
twenties) then if they are really good move on to be masters -
this hrdly ever happens before they are at least 40, becoming a
master takes WORK.
The two most well known Crafts are the Healers and the Harpers.
The Healers are the doctors of Pern. Working with numbweed (a
local aneasthetic), fellis (a sort of general anaesthetic -
knocks you right out!) and what herbs they have they will try and
help the best the can. Remember though, this is not twentieth
century earth, this is Pern - they aren`t real big on technology!
Operations are dodgy to say the least... they just don`t have all
that much KNOWLEDGE any more. They do however have enough that if
you are Threadscored you will be VERY grateful to them.
The Harpers are the teachers of Pern, as well as the
entertainers. Using the Teaching Ballads they pass down the
history of Pern, and what rights people have under the Charter.
They are also the peacekeepers of Pern - if there if a quarrel
between a Weyr and a Hold, or two Weyrs or a Hold and a CraftHall
or anything like that it will be the MasterHarper who decides who
is in the right. Of course they are also entertainers and
composers, and will keep people happy at a Gather, a hand-fasting
or a party
Other, less well-known Crafts are the Smiths, the Herdsmen, the
Archetects, the Weavers, the Miners... there are dozens of them
;-) if you can think of a profession that is not dependent on
technology, then most likely there will be a CraftHall for it
somewhere.
To go back to the basics click here
To learn about dragon stereotypes go here
If you think your character is too young to be in a profession yet try this link
Candidates and Weyrlings, HoldBrats and WeyrBrats
If you want the meanings of some of these words, try this one
And if you`ve heard enough and now want to join a Weyr... that would be this link.