Candidate Guidelines

Definitions

Candidate - (n.) 1. Any person between the ages of 14 and 30 who has been Searched by a dragon. 2. One of many individuals from whom hatchling dragons will choose to Impress to.

Candidatemaster - (n.) 1. The person in charge of the candidates and who assigns daily chores, gives out punishments as necessary, and generally aids Candidates during the time between clutching and hatching. 2. The authority figure to whom Candidates are turned over. 3. When no other is available, these responsibilities default to the Headwoman.

Assistant Candidatemaster - (n.) The assistant to the Candidatemaster, in all aspects of his/her duties. This means he/she deserves the same amount of respect as the Candidatemaster.

Rules

Yes, these are in addition to those rules outlined on the Rules page.  These are more specific to Candidates, though, and address some of the more minor points of being a Candidate.
OOC

• Attend as many of the activities and mini-plots as possible. Though none are mandatory, it is recommended that your character incorporate him- or herself into roleplay, especially those designed specifically with Candidates in mind.  These will be highlighted in order for Candidates' gamers to easily identify them.
• Get permission from the Headwoman or Candidatemaster before beginning a new Candidate prank or Candidate mini-plot (if no IC Candidatemaster, ask Kes).
• Do not beg the administration or the clutchmother for a specific dragon. We will try our best to accommodate you, but it is simply not possible for any dragon to hatch three golds or ten browns.
• Roleplay at least two of your assigned chores sometime before the hatching day. These build your character in a literal sense, including the relationships between Candidates.

IC

• Intimate relationships are prohibited. The point of Candidacy is for Candidates to prove themselves capable and worthy of being dragonriders, and as such they should not be distracted from their tasks.
• Candidates are allowed ONE glass of alcohol with supper.
• Listen to your superiors, not just the Headwoman and Weyrleadership, but any other resident of the Weyr. They're here to help you, and they deserve both your respect and your attention.
• Keep in mind that any pranks or breaking of rules can and will result in punishment (if discovered), the severity of which will be proportional to the misdemeanor. These will range from mucking, or cleaning of latrines, to being taken out of Candidacy. (Sometimes punishment can be a fun thing, regardless, and it can help a plot.)  Please note: this applies even to known pranks (a.k.a., you may have permission from Kes or the Candidatemaster's gamer to participate in the prank, but if you get caught, you'll still be punished)!
• When there is a need, younger/older Candidates may be Searched and can Impress from the stands; this only occurs on special occasions and with prior permission.  Those under the age of 16 or over the age of 30 will never stand on the sands, even if they were Searched.

Lessons

Since candidacy is not a set period of time, with every Candidate starting together and ending together, lessons are rather loosely planned. The Candidatemaster will cycle through the schedule, giving one-hour classes once a week; typically, this schedule is compressed the last week before the Touching so that all the lessons will be covered during that week. Sometimes there may be bonuses, and sometimes there may not, but it's all in the timing. After the Candidatemaster goes through all the lessons, she starts over from the beginning.

Lessons are not mandatory for candidates to attend, but even Candidates who've been to them several times before are encouraged to keep on attending, to drill the knowledge into their heads and make sure they don't miss any important details that may not have come up previously. Candidates will not all come to the Weyr in time to take the lessons in perfect order, and it's not unheard of for a Candidate to start with lesson 4 and end with lesson 3, then go through lessons 4, 5, and 6 a second time before Impressing or leaving the Weyr.

At any time, the Headwoman may ask a full dragonrider or two to come speak about their own experiences and answer questions Candidates may have.

• Lesson 1: "Welcome to the Weyr"
  The Candidatemaster explains all about regular Weyr life, from the lowliest cavern folk to the highest riders, covering ranks and duties. This is mostly for the benefit of Candidates Searched from Holds and those who are otherwise unfamiliar with the inner workings of the Weyr.
• Lesson 2: "Manners for the Mannerly"
  Candidates learn all about formality and behavior within the Weyr ranks, including how to address their betters, how they, as dragonriders, will be expected to respond to formal greetings or commands, and how to welcome guests to the Weyr or greet foreign riders, including titles.
• Lesson 3: "Be Nice to the Ickle Holders"
  The Candidatemaster explains how the Weyr relies on the Holds/Halls and vice versa, so that future dragonriders don't get too cocky in their business dealings.
• Lesson 4: "The Point of No Return"
  Candidates get to learn all about what to expect come Hatching, covering the behavior of the clutchmother and details concerning the ferocity and fragility of newborn dragonets.
• Lesson 5: "Don't Choke"
  The Candidatemaster explains what Candidates need to know about the Hatching, from placing themselves on the Sands and staying focused to where to go and what to do if they Impress, such as getting the hatchlings safely fed, out of the way, and how the Weyrlingmaster will take over from that point.
• Lesson 6: "The Days Ahead"
  Candidates get a brief run-through of what they can expect from weyrlinghood, including a vague outlining of lessons for things like drills, flying, formations, and gear.
• Final Lesson: "Touching"
  This lesson is different than the rest and takes place for one hour a day for the three days leading up to the Hatching. It is the only mandatory Candidate lesson.
  The Candidatemaster leads the Candidates down to the Sands. This lesson requires coordination with the clutchmother's rider in order to prevent any serious problems. Candidates are instructed to walk among the eggs; despite the name of the lesson, Candidates are strictly forbidden from actually touching the eggs. The idea is to move among the eggs and get a feel for how large the hatchlings will be when they actually hatch. It also gets the Candidates a chance to familiarize themselves with the way the sand moves under their feet and how they're going to be arranged during the Hatching.

Chores

Portions of below courtesy of Fort Weyr NorConMUSH, fort-weyr.net

Candidates are assigned chores daily by the Candidatemaster or Headwoman via a board in the Candidate Common Room. Each of these assignments could consist of a number of possible jobs, generally working under the supervision of whatever residents specialize in those duties. Chores are mandatory for all Candidates. They're a way of teaching discipline and building up muscles for hard futures in weyrlinghood and riding.

Chores are usually assigned for either the morning period or the afternoon period with a lunch break in between. Residents and crafters who had existing jobs prior to candidacy are welcome to continue their prior work during the non-chore period.

The Candidatemaster divides Candidates into five groups and assigns each group to a different detail (Food Service, Housekeeping, Groundskeeping, Caretaking, or Errands), rotating the details every sevenday.

• Food Service
  There is always a meal of some sort being prepared in the kitchens and candidates may be given some of the more menial duties. Aside from that, the living caverns are in constant need of busing, neatening and resupply. If candidates are more experienced, they may be put to other tasks. Example tasks:
  • Chopping ingredients
  • Stirring pots
  • Washing dishes
  • Supplying the meal table with food, dishes, silverware and napkins
  • Collecting used dishes
  • Wiping tables
• Housekeeping
  Housekeeping includes all the various jobs that make the Weyr a neat and tidy place to live, including laundry. With so many people living at the Weyr, laundry is a very big job. Candidates will assist with laundry in various ways. Example tasks:
  • Cleaning the resident dormitory
  • Cleaning the candidate barracks
  • Sweeping and moping of major caverns and passageways
  • Cleaning latrines
  • Changing glows
  • Hauling laundry bags
  • Collecting dirty laundry
  • Sorting clothes by weight or color
  • Scrubbing out stubborn stains
  • Hanging clothes and linens to dry
  • Delivering clean laundry
• Groundskeeping
  Groundskeeping refers to all those jobs that are done primarily out of doors. They change depending on the season except for two constant duties: clearing the feeding grounds after dragons have had a meal (dragging out partially eaten carcasses, bones, hide, etc.) and caring for and managing the runnerbeast and herdbeast herds and the wherry flocks. Example tasks:
  • Spring
    • Weeding of the grounds and gardens
    • Pruning and mulching
    • Removing debris from the bowl and around the lake
  • Summer
    • Weeding of the grounds and gardens
    • Pruning and harvesting in the gardens
    • Removing debris from the bowl and around the lake
  • Autumn
    • Weeding of the grounds and gardens
    • Pruning in the gardens
    • Raking leaves and other debris
  • Winter
    • Shoveling snow from major pathways
    • De-icing major pathways
    • Removing icicles from overhangs
• Caretaking
  Under the supervision of the resident nannies, some Candidates are expected to help out with the numerous children and elderly in the Weyr, while others under the supervision of the healers and infirmary aids are regularly employed to perform the grunt work of the infirmary. Example tasks:
  • Entertaining children with songs or games
  • Feeding and changing
  • Aiding in basic education
  • Changing clothes or bed linens
  • Providing meals
  • Cleaning rooms
  • Aiding while walking
  • Providing companionship
  • Cleaning the infirmary
  • Organizing or stocking infirmary stores
  • Fetching meals for patients
• Errands
  Candidates remain on hand around the kitchens, conference rooms, Weyrbowl, and other popular locations in case anyone, resident or dragonrider or whomever, asks them to deliver or fetch something, be it a package, a message (written or spoken), or whathaveyou. Note that some people are willing to pay marks to have their errands run.
• Punishments
  There are several less-than-savory chores that Candidates can be put to when caught stepping out of line. The most popular of these (at least, for those handing out penance chores) are emptying, stirring, or cleaning the midden and latrines.

Academics

While many people on Pern are largely uneducated, Weyrs require a basic knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic of their riders and with that in mind, candidates are expected to be on a path to such an education. Upon being Searched, Candidates will be seen by a harper to evaluate their knowledge and abilities. Those who are deemed in need of further instruction will have days scheduled for study and private tutoring, either by a resident or sometimes a retired rider. This education will continue until they have mastered the basics.

For those who "test out," academics means that they will be assigned to work in whatever field they have chosen to specialize. Those who were in a craft may be assigned to work under resident crafters, nannies assigned to the nursery or seamstresses taking on some of the mending of the Weyr's tailors.  For those who have not yet chosen a "career path," these days may be spent exploring options of interest.

Rest Day

Candidates will have at least one Rest Day a week and may apply to the Candidatemaster or Headwoman for additional time off for personal reasons if necessary.

Dorms/Barracks Upkeep

Candidates are expected to keep personal areas, both in the dorms or in the barracks neat and tidy at all times. Candidates living in the barracks are expected to take turns doing general tidying of the barracks including:

• Towel and cleanser re-supply – making sure the general access shelves for candidates have towels and sweet-sand or soap as available
• Daily sweeping
• Glow re-supply
• Dusting

Individual cots are the responsibility of the person using the cot, including making it up daily.

Impression

Impressions are partially need-driven; when the Weyr needs stonemasons, more stonemasons from the Miner Crafthall are Searched and are more likely to Impress.  Availability is also a factor; for example, C'gan is the only Weyrharper on record, and his Impression occurred in part because there were so few Candidates available to Benden at that time and partly because the Weyr needed a full-time Harper to keep their traditions alive.  When a particular type of Crafter is needed, those who are Searched are more likely to be older and already have, or about to earn, their Journeyman knots.