<div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 2em;"><strong>Social Structure</strong></span><br/><br/>===========================================================================<br/><br/>The Pern of the Ninth Pass is a highly structured society, consisting of four different groups of people, Weyrfolk, Holders, Crafters, and those without a permanent home, the Holdless and Traders. The Weyr, Hold and Hall are all separate from one another and the leaders of each are equal in rank. But in the same way, they are interdependent, and no one group could exist without the other two. Individual Weyrs, Holds, and Halls are autonomous, but generally maintain good relations with one another.<br/><br/>Weyrs<br/>The Weyrs are the home of the dragonriders of Pern. They are expansive structures, often situated in a cave-riddled extinct volcano, or along a mountain face, where there is enough space for both the dragons, their riders, and the people of the "lower caverns", the staff which maintain the Weyr. Due to the unsuitable terrain of Weyr locations (volcanoes, cliff faces), Weyrfolk are generally unable to grow food. They depend on tithes of goods from the holds in order to survive, and in exchange, the Dragonriders have pledged to protect those holds from Threadfall.<br/><br/>Dragonrider social structure is loosely based of a militaristic society, with the dragons as the core. The Senior Weyrwoman (also referred to simply as the Weyrwoman) is the woman who rides the Head Gold dragon of the Weyr and is the most important woman in any Weyr, almost certainly one of the most important positions on Pern, as it is her Queen dragon that sustains the Weyrs dragon population and holds order amongst the dragons. The Weyrwoman is in charge of keeping draconic comfort and overseeing the Headwoman in her charge of the Lower Caverns. The Weyrwoman also acts as liaison between the Weyr and Holds.<br/><br/>The Weyrleader is the rider of the bronze that catches the Senior Queen in her mating Flights. He is in charge of the Fighting Wings of dragons and keeping disciplinary functions in order. It is his job to make sure that the Wingleaders keep on top of their wings, and that the Weyrlingmasters keep up their training.<br/><br/>Wingleaders are in charge of a dragon wing. The smallest unit for fighting Thread. It is usually the size between 11 and 33 dragons strong. A Wingleader is generally a bronzerider and has a Wingsecond and a Wingthird. The wingsecond is usually a brown dragon, though it isn't unduly uncommon to see a blue as a Wingsecond, and the Wingthird is often a blue or green. Women riders are often preferred for the Wingthird position, as it is this rank that connects the most with the other riders. That and male greenriders tend to be rather how shall we say... disorganized.<br/><br/>Weyrlingmasters are in charge of the Weyrlings, the newly Impressed dragonriders form the last hatching. They have the duty to protect and guide the new pairs into full fledged riders.<br/><br/>The Headwoman is the highest ranking position for a nonrider in the Weyr. They are in charge of all domestic duties (overseen by the Weyrwoman) and are often the keepers of all the gossip and knowledge of who's doing what in the Lower Caverns.<br/><br/>Holds<br/>The majority of people on Pern live in Holds. There are three sizes of Hold: Major, Minor, and Cothold. Major Holds are ruled by a Lord and Lady Holder, and their family. The remainder of the residents are staff and workers who run the hold, and professional crafters; all told, they usually number around one thousand. The Headwoman is in charge of the inner hold, and looks after all of the workings inside, while the Steward runs the outdoor parts of the hold. Major Holds tithe a portion of their produce to the nearest Weyr in return for protection from Thread.<br/><br/>Minor Holds are always beholden to a Major Hold, and tithe to them in return for protection from Thread and other dangers. They are run by a person who bears the title of Holder, and are home to smaller numbers of people than Major Holds.<br/><br/>Cotholds are small, family-run holds, and usually all those who live there are family or close friends. 'Family' on Pern generally means an extended family of several generations and branches, as opposed to the nuclear-family common in Western societies on our own world.<br/><br/>Each hold is responsible for the discipline of its wrongdoers. Most times the Lord Holder will make the wrongdoer pay restitution and service to the wronged party. The next severest punishment is incarceration. Death penalty can also be used in response to heinous crimes. One of the greatest punishments is to be named holdless. This is where a person is stripped of all rank and status and thrown out of the hold. The altogether most severe punishment is exile, usually to the island archipelago known as the Eastern Ring Islands. The reason this is the most severe punishment is because the holdless have nowhere to go during Threadfall and have no other human contact.<br/><br/>Crafthalls<br/>The Crafthalls are the home to craftsmen; those Pernese skilled in a particular industry. The Crafts of Pern are: Harper, Smith, Healer, Miner, Weaver, Farmer, Fisher, Tanner, Baker, Vintner, and Herder. For example, the Harpercraft is responsible for the arts (specifically music) and teaching young children the Teaching Ballads, which provide them with basic knowledge. When a child is ten or twelve, they can be sent to be an apprentice at a Crafthall if they show a flair for that particular craft. The Crafthalls train the crafters and send them out all over Pern to provide their skills to even the remotest hold. Note that it is not necessary for someone to be (for example) a trained farmcrafter in order to grow food; holders have a wide variety of skills, but it is the crafters who are the experts.<br/><br/>The most recent craft, Starsmith (astronomy) was created during the Ninth Pass when Wansor, a Master of the Smithcraft, began his research into local celestial bodies. His work was influential to the major events of the Pass.<br/><br/>The crafts all use the same hierarchy. Everyone in each craft begins as an apprentice, usually from age 12 to 18, then becomes a journeyman (18 to 30), and then, with a great deal of hard work and dedication, possibly a Master (30+). Not everyone makes it to Master status, and some leave before even Journeyman. Such a step from apprentice to journeyman is called 'walking the tables', based on the custom that apprentices and journeymen eat at different tables at a crafthall. The craft rank of and hold they are beholden to are indicated by complicated knots which are worn on the shoulder.<br/><br/>The crafthalls are located near or in the Major Holds. For example, the Harper Hall and Healer Hall of the Northern Continent are both located in Fort Hold. At least some crafts have local crafthalls at other Major Holds; for example, there is a small Weavercraft Hall at High Reaches Hold, as well as a branch of the Healer Hall in South Telgar Hold.<br/><br/>The leaders of the Halls are called Mastercrafters, for example, the Masterharper is the head of the entire Harper Hall, and is not to be confused with a Master Harper, of which there may be several.<br/><br/>Traders<br/>These are the people who take tradeable goods to less well off holds, and those people who often cannot reach a Gather. It is these isolated holders that need the traders and their trains of goods to keep them equipped with flamethrowers and farming equipment from the Crafthalls. Traders usually visit those holds that have few or no marks and so take produce instead. It is very rare that a trader will carry perishable goods that can be found somewhere else such as grain or culled animals. The only way this will happen is if the good in question is local and/or exotic and will be highly valued by those with more marks in the larger holds.<br/><br/>Another way the traders serve the rest of Pern is by allowing Craft Journeymen or Masters to travel with them so that these talented men and women do not have to take the long and sometimes dangerous journey by themselves.</div>