Arolos Weyr

The Weyrling Barracks

The Weyrling Barracks are huge - as they could be housing around 150 weyrlings at a time theoretically. In the wake of an earthquake, they have been strengthened with pillars and supports and less open than they used to be. The primary features are the large dragon couches, which are essentially made of long ledges of stone for the dragons. Initially these may have some furs on them as frequently the young dragonet wants to actually SLEEP with their life mate and after a short period of time the wooden cots that serve as beds are nowhere near big enough.

The lay out is a little different to the Candidate Barracks in that the stone dragon couches stick out at right angles to the wall. with the bed of their rider along side them, and their chest and drawer. When they impress, these are moved for them into the Weyrling Barracks on their first night and empty ones replace them in the Candidate Barracks. They actually gain another larger set of drawers each for their straps and weyrling gear and the valuables they may have had in the Candidate locked cupboard are issues individually and are their responsibility. In a similar fashion to the Candidate Barracks there are adjoining bathing rooms and latrines. For the dragons there are latrine pits a little distance from the Barracks.

The Weyrling Barracks also have some "study weyrs" linking off, where the weyrlings can study for their assignments and the lectures are held. There are in fact six of these room, spaced down each side of the Barracks. At the front of the Barracks on the left is the corridor and the Office used by the Weyrling Master and the Weyrling Masters Assistants and like the Candidate Barracks the big notice board with Lesson schedules, assignments etc is in the entrance where it can't be missed.

On the right is the main storerooms for oil, brushes, buckets and clothes and once again, the weyrlings are expected to maintain high levels of cleanliness. Once again there are stoves in the barracks, one on each side in the middle where the doors are parallel to each other across the main corridor intersection to the Weyr, for their personal use, as klah is a constant need during Weyrlinghood. There is a large entrance both ways, as well as a Holdside Exit - again, usually locked at night.

The Weyrlings have their own area and training ground in this quadrant of the weyr as they need to have some privacy from the rest of the Weyr, at least for the initial part of their training.

The Dragonriders of Pern® is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited.