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Search was an action taken by a Weyr in which dragons and their riders were sent out to various Holds to look for people with the potential to Impress a dragon. All people of Pern had a right to be Searched, and it was forbidden to either take an eligible person against their will, or to prevent an eligible youth from being searched. During the First Interval, there was a list of candidates, along with an 'Announcement of Search' letter.
Searches were held after a clutch was laid by a queen dragon. During the Search, the dragons would sense youths who were likely to be Impressed. When likely person was chosen, he or she would be taken to the Weyr, if their parents or guardians allowed it. Some dragons were especially talented at choosing likely candidates. Canth, a brown dragon from the Ninth Pass, was noted for his talent at finding likely riders, especially queen riders.
People who were chosen by the dragons were referred to as Candidates. Searching was necessary due to the fact that Weyrs preferred a surplus of candidates to eggs, as a dragon that could not impress would die. While those people born in the Weyr were automatically allowed to be candidates, there were sometimes not enough eligible people in the Weyrs, requiring that outside people be brought in. For much of Pern's history, female candidates were only chosen when a Queen egg had been laid, though female riders became more common in the Ninth Pass, when green dragons resumed impressing women alongside men. Those who did not impress a dragon could remain in the Weyr or return home as they wished.
Description[]
The Search began after a queen dragon had mated and clutched. Wings of riders were assigned territories to Search. The wing would typically start at the Major Hold, then proceed to the Crafthalls and minor holds under that Hold's jurisdiction. At each stop, the dragons would sense those who had a good aptitude to become a rider. It was a common misconception amongst laypeople that the riders chose the candidates, rather than the dragons.
Once a candidate had been chosen, they would be taken to the Weyr and held until the Hatching.