Post by Cheyenne on May 2, 2012 18:40:04 GMT -8
Then change began.
Plague swept through the continent, killing many and sparing few. And while green dragons continued to pick from those offered to them, the trend began that would turn the tide against Red River and ultimately outcast them. Men did not want their daughters, sisters or betrotheds going off to fight a menace that seemed insatiable and left many riders and their mounts dead. While the rank of a Queenrider was still coveted by any holder, a female on a green became to be seen as a promiscuous, unstable woman, a pariah among pariahs.
Red River fought this trend, and welcomed those women greens who were shunned elsewhere. Relationships with other weyrs and with their own tithing holds grew cool, then resentful, and eventually all but one Major hold was lost to Red River, and the small weyr was forced to make due if it wanted to keep its views.
As a result, Red River withdrew from many attempts to strengthen relations and began to accept castaway riders, candidates, crafters and holders, working to sustain itself and uphold their promise to the people to protect them from Thread.
With the loss of riders due to this fight, a plague that followed brought even more devastating losses. The death of the newest gold weyrling nearly broke the spirit of the Weyr, and the losses took many in the path of the plague before a cure was found. With the rising of two RoseGold’s in quick succession, bringing much needed dragons, and the arrival of a firey-tempered Fay of Gold Pilarth from Fort as answer to the pleas for help, Red River began to see the hopes of survival.
In response to this plague, S’ton of Bronze Bannith, the weyrleader at this time, called together his forces and Timed them all to the past, planning to end the disastrous events caused by Other Weyr and their now dragonless and half-crazed leader. There were, again, many losses on both sides, and the weyrleader and his dragon were irreparably injured, but with a queen egg soon gracing the sands, hope sprung anew.
But now rumors spread. The most recent loss, that of RoseGold Nalisth and the results of her undersized and seemingly underdeveloped clutch has gossip spreading like wildfire. What caused the young RoseGold to Between so suddenly? Why are those of her clutch diminuative and weak?