The following is a log of roleplay on Star Stones MOO, logged by D'ney.
All references to the world and characters of Pern™ based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction
are copyright© 1967 by Anne McCaffrey, all rights reserved. The Dragonriders of Pern® is
registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey and used here with
permission.
NorthWest Bowl
A shelter from the stronger desert winds that strike across much of the rest
of the bowl, the original founders of the weyr found the lee a suitable
location for the most active area of the weyr. A gaping stone awning
provides covered protection and suitable sunning space for the occupants of
the dragon infirmary. Shallow steps lead into a recessed entrance to the
guest weyr. A much smaller entrance leads to the living caverns.
The following dragons are here: Dagath, Fereth, Nunth, Tirelth, Halaith,
Sayurith, Kezasuth, Peyth, Nebanth, and Nhaeth
From here you can go:
Living Cavern Infirmary Center Bowl
Guest Weyr Stairs Up Weyr Entrance
The current weather report:
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IgenW: Center Bowl Area (#5491)
Soft fluffy clouds are gathering idly overhead. It is a summer evening.
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(Nhaeth) Beginners paintstrokes of night sky brush across the matte hide of
this exuberant blue. Spilt milky blue, splashes and dribbles down his
lovingly buffed eye ridges and muzzle, washing down his long neck like water
down a dark rocky slope. His color deepens noticeably as it reaches his neck
ridges, light melting away into the marbled shades of dusky blue that
dominate his chest before wandering off into the shadows that hide under the
bed on his haunches and tail.Tiny flecks of pale blue, like the giggles of a
happy child dot his flanks. While his wing spread around him like the
billowing sails of a schooner, steadfast and strong, the spars ropey drills
across them, heralding him on new adventures. Glimmering like beacons are the
twin fires of his eyes, lighting the way, the signal in the clouds.
(Nhaeth) Lashings of battle scarred and rugged leather loops and curl about
Nebanth's neck, snugly fit. Buckles of burnished bronze flash with gilted
gold flecks, securing the riding straps about his body. Thicker pale blue
padding almost melts in with the colour of his hide here and there,
protecting him from painful rubbing.
(Nhaeth) Nebanth is 4 Turns, 2 Months, and 21 Days old.
D'ney dismounts from Nhaeth.
Nhaeth didn't move, see? Well, maybe his tail does flicker a little as Dallan
dismounts and his head swing towards the warmth of the living caverns, but he
goes no further than so.
Nebanth is moving. Constantly. He doesn't notice anything apart from the pile
of pebbles piled up between his front paws though. Interesting rocks them.
Nhaeth cranes his neck to investigate the attention-consuming pebbles, paws
taking a groaning step across hard sand.
Nebanth covers his pebbles with a forepaw. <<Mine>> is uttered posessively
<<But they are such nice shapes!>> If a dragon could beam, he's doing it
right now, hunched over, tail whirring, eyes bah-linking.
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth reaches out /here/ instead of in that other
realm, thoughts swishing quick-fire over the ethereal web: << What are those
about? Are you building something for Igen? >> Rider-influence, this,
chased by pink fuzz at the edges.
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth is a splat of colour through the darkness <<No, I collect
them and keep them safe from crawlers and dirt. C'air lets me keep them on my
ledge..>> Posession flares again, a canary yellow streak <<Don't touch
them!>>
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth probes. Lightly, cautious with the image of a
pile -- pebbles? -- << Where are they from? >> He is kindly, soothing for
all the curiosity, pulsing a light violet beside your brights.
Nhaeth stays a tail-length away from the blue dragon, spinning eyes fastened
on a spot near the other's treasured stones. Covetous he is not.
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth isn't overly unkind, just an anxious sort <<They are from
under the dirt. I dig them out and take care of them. We even have breaky
rocks from the water!>> he spins an image, a marvelously exaggerated
collection of corals for Nhaeth's approval.
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth approves entirely, a plethora of blue and red
mingling eagerly with your corals. Rocks from the water. << We have seen
them -- once. >> Wistful. << Where is the water they are from? >> Smooth
foam rolls through his voice, languid, mixed with some recollection half
forgotten, mate-retrieved. << Southern? >>
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth :considers the direction, muzzle lifted from over his
pile to glance southerly <<No...yes...I do not know. C'air calls it Calm
Waters. It is a place with jumping fish and a...>> searching for the word and
coming up short, the blue decides to simply show Nhaeth, a loverly image of a
reef from above. <<There>>
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth laps it up immediately, preserving the picture
in layered wrappings. His, now. Reflection takes over next, embroiling
thought with strands and fissures, the hallmarks of an internal struggle too
evident. Amused, << It would be nice to go, too. >>
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth cowers further over his pebbles. He doesn't want them
sucked up into Nhaeth mind along with the reef picture too! <<We don't go
much anymore. We used to go to Fort a lot, but then that girl made C'air
upset and we always have a lot of drills and things to do now instead. We
don't go anywhere>> Pouting telepathically, the blue's tail flumps into the
earthy ground behind him, as if disapointed.
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth teases with a whirl of colour and a spray of
physical sand. << We have drills too. They can be fun, though I would much
rather play in the lake. >> Water returns, to comfort and roil at will.
Then an image, unbidden, of another dragon overhead, blue like you. << Go
without--? >>
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth :happily plays amongst the colour and water, burbling his
own voice in a thrum in harmoney with it until it is cut short <<Go without
who?>> confused, since he really isn't the brightest spark of his clutch he
voices <<my rider? Nooooooooooo>> droaning the ooo sound trails off, and he
drops his muzzle over his pebbles again, one rolling from the pile toward
Nhaeth himself.
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth speculates endlessly, rolling stones of
what-if's over the boulder of the scenery. << No, we could not, >> comes the
denial, and oh, a stone. He snags out a paw to flip it over, flip it back,
courteous lad as he is. << There. >>
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth nods decisively, paw thumping over the rock <<Thank you.
Did you know my rider does not say those words enough? Strange they are,
riders>> Yellow mingles with green, reds peaking through the mash of colour
at the end as the stone is nudged back towards Nhaeth <<You keep it. It
looks like a crawler. See??>>
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth muses over this. << Thank you? D'ney never
does. I have to do it more. >> An onrush of pink tickles at the blue
seascape, and he backs a paw away, echoing your forward movement. <<
Crawlers are bad, I think. >>
Nhaeth hunkers down, away from the pebble, for some inconceivable reason.
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth has to agree, but washes it away with a foamy spill of
amber <<Unless they like rocks>> He muses <<You can see as many things
in
stones as you can see in clouds, or so I think. Like this one..>> Snuffling
his muzzle through the mound for a moment, he tenderly lips one between his
teeth, a flick of his head sending it skittering towards the other dragon <<I
think that one looks like a lake, with it's rippled>> It's a science,
studying rocks.
Nhaeth pries himself carefully upright, then sets his nose to studying the
tiny (teeny!) 'lake' before him. A deep sniff brings it rolling slightly
forward; intrigued, the brown stabs a talon at the crawler too, to check its
texture. Hesitantly, he extends verbose. << --Maybe like Igen, when the
sands are ruffled. Under the water, sand also looks like this. >>
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth preens happily, whuffling. <<Yes!>> he exclaims, voice
vibrant and brassy. <<I collect them so I can always see new things even if I
can't go on adventures like that...>> He nudges into his pile again with his
muzzle, as if sorting through them. Agile blue arrow tail coils around his
haunches, stirring up grit as it churns into the ground <<I shall find more
for you to see into>>
Nhaeth watches the prying action for a moment, his own tail spading into sand.
<< I shall try -- It /is/ all right to make holes here? >>
Nhaeth is half into a pit of his own making by this time, of course, so the
query isn't really relevant. Luckily for him, D'ney is elsewhere.
[In the LC:]
D'ney has been here all along, that is, rendered invisible by the chair she's
huddled on.
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth abadons his pile to twist around, claws working into the
hole now to tear up more sods of dirt and stones <<I have never heard anyone
say we can't>> Of course he's never been here to see people trip into the
holes either.
C'air has been here to. Snoring loudly. While a pair of firelizards pluck out
the hairs in his eyebrows leaving them much more patchy than he'd like.
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth likewise embeds himself in a morass of
scraped-up dirt, burrowing molehills around the psychic realm as well. << I
never knew Igen had rocks. But Dallan used to have some. >> He lost them,
presumably. Those big claws can do a lot of work when they are needed -- or
aren't, as might now be the case.
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth makes little work of digging up a clod of pebbles, and he
pours over them, snuffling and licking the dirt from their surfaces <<No
good>> is the static grumble as he returns to his hole. <<Who
is..Dallan?>>
is the query, distracted as dirt goes flying and his nostrils become churned
with dust. **sneeze** <<Oops>>
D'ney has a wineskin slung across loose fingers, themselves flung over skinned
knees and grimy boots. A muffled grumble passes over the dark face in answer
to some argument. "...and a rock..." Snore.
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth returns a mental sketch of a petite rider
sprawled /inside/. Spying the clod the blue unearths, he emerges to prod at
the measly grit. << This one is not bad. I can see dots in them. >>
Squint. << No, wait. There's a wing of dragons here -- with -- with a
bronze in front! >>
C'air too is mumbling but of different things "Hair!" snuffle snort
"Ripppppples" the drawl suprises his firelizards, who approriately scatter.
Smudging his hand across his cheek, the bluerider cracks open crusty eyelids,
lips sucking drool from the corner of his mouth. "Nebbie?" he grunts, voice
hoarse from his snooze "No hang on, inside. Right.." yeah he wakes up slowly.
(Nhaeth) A pack of brats start hopping around the melee, kicking loose sand at
each other. One starts to yell, but a tussle distracts.
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth scroonches forwards, dragging his underbelly a few inches
across the ground to join in the scrutiny <<No, Nhaeth. I see a -blue- in
front>> he argues in a spicey blend of honey and cinamon, clouding his words
in a haze.
D'ney isn't near awakening at all. The hand holding the skin shudders,
agitating slumped shoulders into brief action. Delayed reaction, perhaps,
quietened by blissful sleep.
C'air props himself up onto elbows, and it's not hard to imagine that in a few
moments he may test his legs and try standing up. "Hey..." eyes narrow
"you...your gonna spill that.." he calls out, groggy focus not recognising
D'ney yet. Scrubbing a hand through his tumbled hair, the bluerider attemps a
sitting position. Ah sucess! He can sit!
(Nhaeth) Nhaeth tugs his gaze across to match Nebanth's eyeline. Eyeridges
rumple faintly. Crease. Uncrease. He rumbles light-hearted reply,
tunnelled to the blue only: << You see yourself Nebanth. I see our
Wingleader, and Sanath. >>
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth blusters. The air blown through his nostrils making the
sand tir up in an eddy for a moment before it resettles. <<That's because I
am leading everyone to the reef to go on an adventure>> He explains, voice
pedestrianlly matter-of-fact. A talon unsheathes and clicks over the rock,
turning it to it's side, perhaps a different perspective <<And that squiggle.
It is you>> No doubt!
C'air might be sitting up, but D'ney is sinking into restless slumber. "Mmm,"
goes the mumble, as the skin does topple. A sickly splat, and it's on the
floor, comatose. Poor wineskin, if it weren't empty.
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth flicks a wheeling eye at the eddy of dust. <<
You can be Wingsecond. >> A pause to roll his head all the way around,
glance touching off Nebanth's appreciatively. << You are ... flying forward.
It is right. We are going to the reef. And I am there with the wing. >>
Assertive, he is, accompanied by a blast of healthy air fresh from the sea.
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth is getting much too excited and his voice reflects it,
turning into a jangling brassy concoction as if you've been given a glimpse
inside a rollicking inn <<Yes! See, that is Igen bellow, the desert is that
swoosh>> he continues, nudging the rock again. <<I wonder what we will do
once we get there, Nhaeth. There must be a pebble that tells us that>> and
turning towards his hole again, the blue resumes digging with fervour, tail
wiggling happily.
C'air stands up, groaning as his muscles try to avoid the movement. But his
mind wins and he stretches his spine in a fluid arc. "I'll geddit then,
nevermind" he says with yawning resignation and the bluerider begins to
stumble towards the wineskin.
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth is as calm as ever, on his part, voice rumbling
smoothly over hillock and hollow. << We will swim -- the water should be
near. >> Down /he/ goes, too, delving directly at a lump of hopeful sand.
D'ney is oblivious to wineskin and bluerider. The last batch was a potent one.
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth obviously finds his hole lacking that type of stone and
he rears up onto his hindquarters, forepaw scracthing across his muzzle in
dirt-induced irritation <<It will be deep and warm! With lots of fishies>> He
adds, sneezing through the words.
C'air scoops up the skin, jangles it and with a sigh, throws it onto a chair
beside D'ney, disapointed that it's empty. "Well no wonder your not waking
up.." he says, hands rasping over his head.
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth springs into sudden, exuberant life. For he
now brandishes a crusted pebble on a huge talon. << Here! I see the
shoreline. The beach, here. Ooh, the sand is different here. >> He offers
both images and counter-image, physical and mental.
D'ney can wake from heavy slumber at a moment's notice. It's part of the job,
after all. Fingers claw into steeples, and a tousled head peeks over the
support of the arm. "What? Sweeps already?" Be thankful it was a good
dream.
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth snakes his neck Nhaeth-wards, bringing his eye to the
pebble <<Yes it is! Those specks, spiderclawscratchers on the beach>> His
interpretation adds to it, a scuttle of crabs an undercurrent under his
words. Leaning forwards, the blue's weight makes the edge of one hold
crumple, sending him dropping a few good inches downwards. Not that it makes
a difference to him <<Can you see our riders there? Or just us?>> Perhaps
it's like reading tealeaves.
C'air snorts, an unattractive sound, through his nose "Nuh-uh, go back to
sleep D'ney" he says, fanning a hand at her. "You dropped your 'skin.."
he'll
add through a yawn as he heads for the food table, klah a necessity now.
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth reads tea leaves with ease. << They are there.
I see them. All the dragons here have their riders with them. >> Which
somehow leaves him immensely pleased with the world, tinting his optics a
merry aquamarine. << We are nearly at the sea. >>
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth plunders the hole while his feet are buried in it,
scratching away with delight. Merriness is obviously diffused and his voice
takes on it's usual sing-song putter <<When we are at the sea I hope we swim,
and those dol'things turn up with their sounds and their jumping>> Perhaps it
is because his rider is awaking, that he seems to babble more just like C'air.
D'ney scrabbles for the floor, a fair distance, but found by dint of dangling
her boots downwards till they touch something. Success. "What 'skin? I
only had a few," her voice drops, and so does her head, as the brownrider
herself loops over to scoop up the wineskin. "Nhaeth's being noisy again.
What? -- Nebanth?" Unbending, she peels a glare in C'air's direction.
C'air turns as if in slow motion, pitcher in one hand, empty mug in the other
"Whaaat?" he whines nasally, eyes clouding instantly as he too checks on his
own lifemate. After a moment, and a shrug, the bluerider goes about pouring
his drink "Don't get all stressed, he's just showing Nhaeth all about
pebbles.." Innocent sounding.
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth theoretically should recover his sense, then,
but he doesn't. << Dol-things? I do not know them. >> Memory slips farther
away than his ken, hissing in a sigh out of flared nostrils. Meanwhile, he
claws at the found pebble, guiding it up into the light.
"Pebbles." Patent relief can be glimpsed in D'ney's expression, if anyone
cares to look. She picks her way off the chair, tossing the wineskin onto a
table and a flight jacket over wry shoulders. "Thought he was in the sea.
He'd better not be." They have a job to do later.
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth spirals another image then, to help Nhaeth along. It's a
dolphin, a sleek smooth torpedo leaping waves around a familiar blue dragon.
<<Them>> he utters, bolstering closer to his companion to see the stone
aswell <<Let me see!>>
(Nhaeth) Nhaeth shoves the stone the last bit of the way up, and turns it over
for Nebanth's inspection. Lifting his foreclaws out of the pit, he peers
upwards shortly.
C'air follows D'ney out with a suprised squeak "Why would they be in the
ocean?" puzzle puzzle
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth watches a stone roll, worry entering his mind
in the form of flickering yellow specks.
(Nhaeth) [-] Nebanth nudges closer still <<There! We are swimming! And there
is a ship with lots and lots of herdbeast on it!>> No that rumble of his
belly is not affecting the story told, at all. Nope.
D'ney moves swiftly away from the hearthside and welcome flames, pushing the
tapestry-exit aside with a dismissive flick. Once perched on the threshold,
she hurries on, bounding into a run.
[Outside:]
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth sloshes with blue: water, sea, fishes, more.
Intrusion is hence too rude at this point, and he rears with an astonished
snort onto all four paws, wings mantling protectively. << Oops. D'ney! >>
Flurried words precede this, lost in mind's bustle.
C'air fumbles in from Main Living Cavern.
Nebanth falters, loosing his balance and tipping forwards. Which just ends up
grinding his muzzle along the ground, dirt piling up in his nostrils, while
his haunches end up firmly in the air. "Oh hi Nebbers" C'air says casually,
supping his drink as he rounds out after D'ney "Find some good ones didja?"
D'ney sprints to her lifemate's side, arms flailing to her sides. "What's
this about, Nhaeth? You shouldn't go digging holes here. Did you hear me?"
A round tirade begins, interjected by hand-waving. Nhaeth flutters his
wingsails a bit, slanting a plaintive glance at his blue companion.
D'ney interrupts herself. "You /knew/ they were making holes?"
C'air sees nothing wrong with this picture and nudges at his dragon's muzzle
with his bare toes. "I didn't know they were makin' holes...but I don't think
it's a reason to loser yer block...am I right, guys?" Cas says casually,
turning a grin towards the pair of troublemakers. <<Just after rocks we
were>> Nebanth comments to Nhaeth, finding no offence at his own rider.
(Nhaeth) Nebanth sees: Nhaeth hides his nose behind an upraised wing. << But
D'ney says it is wrong, and we have to put it back. >>
D'ney grunts. "They're nice holes, good for playing in, but they belong at
the lake, not here." She reverses track, crossing her arms. "Nebanth should
put it back."
C'air laughs at D'ney then "Nebbie should? No way, Nhaeth can.." he points
out, glancing at his own dragon whose currently picking himself out of the
hole. "No-one will notice 'em, I bet a mark on it..." and with that and
because he's immature, the rider begins swaggering back towards the caverns,
ready for more klah and possibly more snoozing.But guiltily with a <<It's not
all your holes!>> the blue scrapes some dirt back into the hole with his
hindfoot and then scampers off, squealing through the mindlink to Nhaeth in
excitement <<Holes by the lake!>>.
C'air goes home.
Nebanth dozes off...