Post by Administrator on Feb 1, 2011 19:43:38 GMT -5
Background
When J’lorin, a Fort bronzerider, swept in during Benden’s siege on Selenitas in 3012 and took over Benden Weyr with gold Baith’s help, it was inevitable that some people would feel betrayed. Benden was their home. This man had fought as their natural enemy for turns, and he and his wing came in and killed who they pleased. (Even though these people were often the most violent, cruel, or radically loyal to C’leon, that can be easy to forget.) There were isolated pockets of unrest and grumblings until J’lorin’s Illumiath won Baith at the beginning of 3013. Now they were officially under the Fortian’s thumb. It started out as little acts of sabotage: herd beasts let out of the pen, spoiled food, tainted water. J’lorin had little choice but to question anyone suspicious. There was no evidence that he was behind it when one of the riders detained for questioning turned up dead behind closed doors, but there was no evidence against it, either. The grumblings grew.
It is hard to pin down the exact time when the whisper began to circulate through the most disillusioned and disgruntled of the remaining Benden riders. A group was forming to retake Benden Weyr from J’lorin. Some received coordinates on the hush to an abandoned Weyr on the southern continent. Many rumors flew, and they grew in frequency when some reported seeing riders wearing different colors raiding some of Benden’s tithe trains, or attacking a sweep rider. Amongst them was a promise of a gold and a clutch for those who chose to travel south…
Life at Wasteland Weyr
Fomerly Monaco Bay Weyr, the location was chosen due to its desolation. It is a good deal east of Selenitas Weyr and all her holds. Add to that the fact that a volcano recently erupted and destroyed all the vegetation in the near vicinity, and there was no reason for Selenitas riders to fly over the area. It is located on the coast, just enough back to be not immediately spotted from the sea. The ‘weyrs’ are nothing more than sheltered wallows dug into the sands and ash, making it very flexible to accommodate increasing numbers. For food, a resident of Wasteland had to find seafood, venture far to the jungles untouched by the volcano to hunt and gather, or raid Southern supply trains, though never tithes meant for Selenitas.
Further raids were conducted on Benden tithe caravans. These tended to be better organized. Skirmishes with the occasional Benden riders was not unheard of, but rare, and always a matter of defense or opportunity. Wasteland riders did not actively go out looking for fights with them - though that’s not to say they’d hesitate to engage when a good opportunity to kill a Benden rider or two presented itself.
Due to the belief that a gold would be showing up at Wasteland soon, the Wastelanders also began conducting Searches. They biased toward males with some sort of craft experience. Most Searches took place in the north, in Benden territory, but there are a few from Fort territory, too. Southern candidates are extremely rare, and are the result of Searches when the war in the north made it too hot to risk raiding parties or Searchriders from Wasteland.
Wasteland Weyr had been functioning for over two turns by the time July of 3015 touched the southern continent. It was a loose coalition of riders and candidates, where the law of the land was be one of the strongest or have one of the strongest around to protect you. Justice was conducted in house and often decided on by uninterested parties who had enjoyed some level of leadership or responsibility at Benden before J’lorin came. These same individuals usually headed up raiding parties. No official leadership was in place, and discontent at the harsh conditions and no end in sight - no retaking of Benden - made things increasingly unstable.
These factors meant that they were all too willing to welcome Benden’s Weyrsecond, Ja’kin of Demotaeth, into their midst. He brought them leadership. He brought them direction. He promised them a real Weyr, and a gold. And within days of his arrival, he delivered…in the form of Selenitas Weyr. Suddenly, taking back Benden Weyr didn’t seem quite so unreachable after all.
Three Generations of Benden
Generally, Benden riders fall into one of three ‘generations’, so to speak. The first is composed of riders who graduated from weyrlinghood before the turn 3006. These riders saw Benden through the beginning of the war before C’leon began changing the political structure of the Weyr. For the most part, riders of this generation see Fort riders as the enemy. They’ve been struggling with them for survival all their lives, lost many people to them in the wars, etc. C’leon, while not necessarily viewed as a hero, was regarded as a ‘necessary evil.’ Without him, Benden would likely have lost the war to Fort long ago. While reasons for leaving Benden may vary, most of this generation chafes at a Fortian leading them, and that’s usually the driving force behind their joining the Wastelanders.
The second generation is the ‘C’leon’ generation, those who graduated from weyrlinghood between 3006 and C’leon’s death in 3012. These were brought up during the oppression and brutality that Benden Weyr is now known for. They tend to respect little but power and strength (only if they can’t get around it somehow), and have trust issues and more violent tendencies, as a general rule. For this group, the issue is not so much a bronze rider from Fort leading them as freedom. They’ve gotten used to no restrictions and find the new environment at Benden Weyr stifling. Most of your ‘problem’ riders will come from this group.
That leaves the third and last generation. These have been conditioned to respect authority and value all colors under J‘lorin‘s new Benden. Very, very few of these would ever go to Wasteland for reasons of their own, and are more likely to follow someone else who went if they go at all.
(Written by Requiem)
When J’lorin, a Fort bronzerider, swept in during Benden’s siege on Selenitas in 3012 and took over Benden Weyr with gold Baith’s help, it was inevitable that some people would feel betrayed. Benden was their home. This man had fought as their natural enemy for turns, and he and his wing came in and killed who they pleased. (Even though these people were often the most violent, cruel, or radically loyal to C’leon, that can be easy to forget.) There were isolated pockets of unrest and grumblings until J’lorin’s Illumiath won Baith at the beginning of 3013. Now they were officially under the Fortian’s thumb. It started out as little acts of sabotage: herd beasts let out of the pen, spoiled food, tainted water. J’lorin had little choice but to question anyone suspicious. There was no evidence that he was behind it when one of the riders detained for questioning turned up dead behind closed doors, but there was no evidence against it, either. The grumblings grew.
It is hard to pin down the exact time when the whisper began to circulate through the most disillusioned and disgruntled of the remaining Benden riders. A group was forming to retake Benden Weyr from J’lorin. Some received coordinates on the hush to an abandoned Weyr on the southern continent. Many rumors flew, and they grew in frequency when some reported seeing riders wearing different colors raiding some of Benden’s tithe trains, or attacking a sweep rider. Amongst them was a promise of a gold and a clutch for those who chose to travel south…
Life at Wasteland Weyr
Fomerly Monaco Bay Weyr, the location was chosen due to its desolation. It is a good deal east of Selenitas Weyr and all her holds. Add to that the fact that a volcano recently erupted and destroyed all the vegetation in the near vicinity, and there was no reason for Selenitas riders to fly over the area. It is located on the coast, just enough back to be not immediately spotted from the sea. The ‘weyrs’ are nothing more than sheltered wallows dug into the sands and ash, making it very flexible to accommodate increasing numbers. For food, a resident of Wasteland had to find seafood, venture far to the jungles untouched by the volcano to hunt and gather, or raid Southern supply trains, though never tithes meant for Selenitas.
Further raids were conducted on Benden tithe caravans. These tended to be better organized. Skirmishes with the occasional Benden riders was not unheard of, but rare, and always a matter of defense or opportunity. Wasteland riders did not actively go out looking for fights with them - though that’s not to say they’d hesitate to engage when a good opportunity to kill a Benden rider or two presented itself.
Due to the belief that a gold would be showing up at Wasteland soon, the Wastelanders also began conducting Searches. They biased toward males with some sort of craft experience. Most Searches took place in the north, in Benden territory, but there are a few from Fort territory, too. Southern candidates are extremely rare, and are the result of Searches when the war in the north made it too hot to risk raiding parties or Searchriders from Wasteland.
Wasteland Weyr had been functioning for over two turns by the time July of 3015 touched the southern continent. It was a loose coalition of riders and candidates, where the law of the land was be one of the strongest or have one of the strongest around to protect you. Justice was conducted in house and often decided on by uninterested parties who had enjoyed some level of leadership or responsibility at Benden before J’lorin came. These same individuals usually headed up raiding parties. No official leadership was in place, and discontent at the harsh conditions and no end in sight - no retaking of Benden - made things increasingly unstable.
These factors meant that they were all too willing to welcome Benden’s Weyrsecond, Ja’kin of Demotaeth, into their midst. He brought them leadership. He brought them direction. He promised them a real Weyr, and a gold. And within days of his arrival, he delivered…in the form of Selenitas Weyr. Suddenly, taking back Benden Weyr didn’t seem quite so unreachable after all.
Three Generations of Benden
Generally, Benden riders fall into one of three ‘generations’, so to speak. The first is composed of riders who graduated from weyrlinghood before the turn 3006. These riders saw Benden through the beginning of the war before C’leon began changing the political structure of the Weyr. For the most part, riders of this generation see Fort riders as the enemy. They’ve been struggling with them for survival all their lives, lost many people to them in the wars, etc. C’leon, while not necessarily viewed as a hero, was regarded as a ‘necessary evil.’ Without him, Benden would likely have lost the war to Fort long ago. While reasons for leaving Benden may vary, most of this generation chafes at a Fortian leading them, and that’s usually the driving force behind their joining the Wastelanders.
The second generation is the ‘C’leon’ generation, those who graduated from weyrlinghood between 3006 and C’leon’s death in 3012. These were brought up during the oppression and brutality that Benden Weyr is now known for. They tend to respect little but power and strength (only if they can’t get around it somehow), and have trust issues and more violent tendencies, as a general rule. For this group, the issue is not so much a bronze rider from Fort leading them as freedom. They’ve gotten used to no restrictions and find the new environment at Benden Weyr stifling. Most of your ‘problem’ riders will come from this group.
That leaves the third and last generation. These have been conditioned to respect authority and value all colors under J‘lorin‘s new Benden. Very, very few of these would ever go to Wasteland for reasons of their own, and are more likely to follow someone else who went if they go at all.
(Written by Requiem)