Ista Weyr is the fifth Weyr on the Northern Continent. It is located on Ista Island in sea-caves and an extinct caldera. It bordered with Igen Weyr in the north on Igen and Keroon Hold and Benden Weyr in the north on the Nerat peninsula. Ista and Nerat Holds are beholden to Ista Weyr. It is sometimes referred to in song as Ocean Ista.
Description[]
- A detailed description of the Weyr, established, the surrounding countryside, the economy and the other (on the basis of the The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern)
Ista, the fifth Weyr, is one of the most curiously constructed. Situated on the bay at the southwest corner of the Big Island, the black half volcano thrusts four fingers and a thumb into the tropical sky. The mountain must have been formed by an eruption that knocked the bay half of its caldera into the sea, letting lava flow in a gradual drop-off, which the pounding of the current has worn away into a plateau. For all its tiny size, Ista has a mindboggling, mazelike warren of narrow tunnels that double back and run into one another.
Just offshore, a small mountain surfaces once in a while when there are earthshakes or upheaveals. The beach under Ista Weyr is sand that, when inspected, proves to be black diamond dust.
Ista supplements the lack of dragonrider weyrs with «forest weyrs», cliffside dwellings on the outer face of the Bowl. It attained its full population shortly before the Second Pass in the year 258. Fresh water flows into the caverns from the northeast through underground streams. The corral where the herdbeasts graze has an artificial pool filled from pipes coming through the Weyr. With the sea so near at hand, there is no need for a bathing pool for dragons, though the dragonets who have not yet learned to fly like to bathe under the cataract of the artificial waterfall created by Ista Weyr's architects in the north wall of the Bowl.
The Old Time Weyrleader of Ista, D'ram, declared the mating flight of his junior queen Caylith open after the death of his Weyrwoman. The current Ista Weyrleader, G'dened, is a son of D'ram.
D'ram removed to Southern, where he drew attention to the handsome bay in which Cove Hold was later constructed. In time, he assumed the Weyrleadership at Southern, holding his own with Lord Toric. D'ram has shown interest in the archaeological excavations in the Landing plateau and elsewhere, lending the aid of his younger riders and dragons to dig and sort artifacts.
Protected Territories[]
Ista Weyr protects territories Southern Igen, Keroon and Nerat Holds. and the most part in the north of Keroon Hold. It is worth noting that the Major Hold Igen and Keroon, subject to neighboring Igen Weyr, are defended against Threads by the Ista Weyr.
History[]
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First Pass / First Interval[]
Although not an official Weyr, the caldera that would later become Ista Weyr had been used throughout the First Pass as a place for queenriders to take their dragons during mating flights. As a result of overcrowding in Fort Weyr, it was decided in the twentieth year of the First Pass to establish a Weyr at Big Island to protect the settlers there, as well as one at the Telgar mines and another on the east coast where the remaining settlers on the Southern Continent were preparing to move to (the future Telgar Weyr and Benden Weyr, respectively). The location of two more sites was also noted (the future High Reaches Weyr and Igen Weyr).
Benden Weyr was the first of these Weyrs to be occupied. Despite them being planned earlier, historical records indicate Ista and Telgar Weyr were the last two Weyrs to be established. This could be a retcon, although it could be that the dragonriders were later forced to establish High Reaches and Igen Weyrs sooner to protect settler growth in those areas.
- Weyrleaders:
- K'nel and bronze dragon
First Interval / Second Pass[]
Second Interval / Third Pass[]
- Weyrleaders:
- Dragonrider with status: junior Weyrwoman — ; Wingleaders —
- Weyrhealer: G'trial (Gatrial)
Sixth Pass[]
By the Sixth Pass, Ista Weyr was hit bad by the flu
- Weyrleaders:
- Dragonrider with status: junior Weyrwoman Moreta; Wingleaders D'say, T'lonneg
- Weyrhealer: Ind
Eighth Interval / Ninth Pass[]
Under D'ram and Fanna's leadership, the inhabitants of Ista Weyr went forward in time, leaving the Weyr un-occupied until the Ninth Pass.
- Weyrleaders:
- Dragonrider with status: junior Weyrwoman — ; Wingleaders —
| Weyrs | |
| Northern | Benden • Fort • High Reaches • Igen • Ista • Telgar |
| Southern | Southern • Monaco Bay • Xanadu • WeyrHolds: Honshu • Malay River |
| Western | Eastern • Midriver • Northern • Sky • Southern • Southriver • Western |
| Holds • Stakes • Crafts and Halls | |