FAQ / Life on Pern / Craft Information / Mine Craft
Please note: The FAQ is no longer updated; for current info please see the Wiki
Last updated 26th March 2008 by Eimi
Minecraft Specializations
Article by: Eimi
EXCAVATORS
The Excavators are the earth-movers of Pern. They are responsible for civil engineering projects from digging canals to building roads, dams and dikes, to carving tunnels, Holds and Weyrs. Excavators need more than just brute strength. They also need a deep understanding of math, geology, chemistry and explosives. Theirs is often times a dirty and thankless job. Many only notice the Excavator’s when something goes wrong. Still, it is their civil projects on which the foundations of Pern society are based on.
GEM CUTTERS
After the gemstones have been removed from the ground, it is the job of the gem cutters to extract them from the encasing stone and appraise each one for value. Their job requires quite a delicate hand and a keen eye. Once the gem cutter has freed the gem, they must then give it it’s first rough cut. As many of their gems are used by the Smith Hall for their purposes, it is not particularly necessary that they cut all the stones down perfectly. Many are left in their rough cut state for the Smiths to cut to serve their own purpose. However, some are cut beautifully and sold to private citizens who can later have them set into jewelry or pass them down to the next generation. The gem cutters are also responsible for setting a value on the gems that pass over their table. They have to have a deep understanding of geology and an understanding of the current market. They also need to have a an honest reputation, a steady hand and confidence as one wrong move can cost marks worth of damage, and one gem slipped into a pocket or priced suspiciously too high can ruin a gem cutter’s reputation forever.
GEOLOGISTS
Geologists are more than just simple rock-hounds. They cover a wide range of duties and terrains as well as disciplines. Some of their duties include searching out potential sites for new quarries and mines, searching for suitable stone cliffs and caverns from which new Holds and Weyrs can be carved, locating underground wells, finding suitable soil for farmland or certain crops to grow, studying erosion patterns and assessing risk to an area based on natural disasters recorded in the geological history. Their work can take them from the top of the highest mountain down to the ocean floor. They have to be highly skilled in areas such as chemistry, mathematics, hydrology, climate and mapping. They may work in close association with all other specializations within the Minecraft.
MASONS
Masons are highly specialized and can be divided into several groups, including the stonemasons, the bankers, the carvers, and the tylers. Stonemasons are those that lift and lay stones, often using mortar to join the stones together. They may be asked to build simple walls to mark boundaries, or stronger walls to offer protection to a Hold or Hall. The stonemasons build the stone structures which many Holds, Hall, and cots are made of. Some also specialize in helping the excavators build levies and retaining walls when needed. The bankers carve the stones the stonemasons will need out of larger, rougher stones. They are not to be confused with the sawyers (see Quarriers). The bankers cut the stone to a specific geometric shape to fit into an intended slot along a wall, door frame or window, which requires a good eye and a steady hand. Even more specialized are the carvers who posses a certain amount of artistic skill and talent. They can carve intricate patterns into or out of stone which is often used to decorate Holds, Halls, Weyrs and monuments of all kinds. Finally, there are the tylers which specialize in laying the tile floors of many buildings. Masons learn their skills from observation and practical practice, though a certain amount of knowledge in surveying, chemistry and geology is quite useful.
QUARRIERS
The quarries are depended upon to supply the masons with their needs. The most obvious job of the quarrymen is to cut large stones slabs out of the side of hills and mountains. These stones are then passed along to the sawyers who then cut them down into rough, though manageable blocks which can be delivered to the site and cut down into even smaller, more specific blocks by the bankers. While the term “quarrier” would denote the excavation of stone, on Pern some quarries specialize in the making of bricks and tile. They work more with clay than actual stone.
SEISMOLOGISTS
The job of the seismologists is a specially skilled one. They use tools such as maps, the geological record, as well as the historical record, to asses the predicted risk of earthquakes within a region. This is important when one is planning to build a new structure. Seismologists work closely with the masons when constructing a new building to give advice as to what type of ground to build on to avoid liquefaction (the liquefaction of soil due to ground water seeping up through shaking soil), and how to reinforce the structure to give it the best chance of surviving the quakes typical of the region. They must have a broad understanding of physics, mathematics, geology, vulcanology, and maps.
SURVEYORS
The surveyors are the masters of space on Pern. They do much more than just draw maps. Their skills may be called upon to settle disputes on property boundaries, to draw the boundaries of a particular building, to measure elevation and area, or to provide information on how to best utilize an area’s resources. If you want to build a road, ditch, canal or Hold, the surveyors are the ones you would call upon to tell you where exactly it should be put. For that reason they work closely with geologists, masons, seismologists and vulcanologists. They must have a deep understanding of mathematics such as geometry and trigonometry, as well as geology, physics and historical records.
VULCANOLOGISTS
The skills of a vulcanologist are highly specialized, though vital considering the geothermically active areas in which Weyrs are typically built. Where there are hot springs, there is magma under the surface of Pern heating it, and where there is magma pushing up towards the surface, there is always the possibility of an eruption. Their job is to monitor the temperatures of thermal pools, the seismic activity, and the changes in the shape of known volcanoes which might signal an impending eruption. It is their job to not only alert those who may be effected by the volcanic event, but also to predict the path such an eruption may take, create evacuation plans and recommend such an evacuation to those in a position of authority when it might be necessary. Those these events are rare, it is their job to stay always on the alert and continue to study the natural world to better predict these events and save lives. They must have an understanding of geology, seismology, physics, surveying and map reading.
See Also: No articles yet
Referenced By: No articles yet
EXCAVATORS
The Excavators are the earth-movers of Pern. They are responsible for civil engineering projects from digging canals to building roads, dams and dikes, to carving tunnels, Holds and Weyrs. Excavators need more than just brute strength. They also need a deep understanding of math, geology, chemistry and explosives. Theirs is often times a dirty and thankless job. Many only notice the Excavator’s when something goes wrong. Still, it is their civil projects on which the foundations of Pern society are based on.
GEM CUTTERS
After the gemstones have been removed from the ground, it is the job of the gem cutters to extract them from the encasing stone and appraise each one for value. Their job requires quite a delicate hand and a keen eye. Once the gem cutter has freed the gem, they must then give it it’s first rough cut. As many of their gems are used by the Smith Hall for their purposes, it is not particularly necessary that they cut all the stones down perfectly. Many are left in their rough cut state for the Smiths to cut to serve their own purpose. However, some are cut beautifully and sold to private citizens who can later have them set into jewelry or pass them down to the next generation. The gem cutters are also responsible for setting a value on the gems that pass over their table. They have to have a deep understanding of geology and an understanding of the current market. They also need to have a an honest reputation, a steady hand and confidence as one wrong move can cost marks worth of damage, and one gem slipped into a pocket or priced suspiciously too high can ruin a gem cutter’s reputation forever.
GEOLOGISTS
Geologists are more than just simple rock-hounds. They cover a wide range of duties and terrains as well as disciplines. Some of their duties include searching out potential sites for new quarries and mines, searching for suitable stone cliffs and caverns from which new Holds and Weyrs can be carved, locating underground wells, finding suitable soil for farmland or certain crops to grow, studying erosion patterns and assessing risk to an area based on natural disasters recorded in the geological history. Their work can take them from the top of the highest mountain down to the ocean floor. They have to be highly skilled in areas such as chemistry, mathematics, hydrology, climate and mapping. They may work in close association with all other specializations within the Minecraft.
MASONS
Masons are highly specialized and can be divided into several groups, including the stonemasons, the bankers, the carvers, and the tylers. Stonemasons are those that lift and lay stones, often using mortar to join the stones together. They may be asked to build simple walls to mark boundaries, or stronger walls to offer protection to a Hold or Hall. The stonemasons build the stone structures which many Holds, Hall, and cots are made of. Some also specialize in helping the excavators build levies and retaining walls when needed. The bankers carve the stones the stonemasons will need out of larger, rougher stones. They are not to be confused with the sawyers (see Quarriers). The bankers cut the stone to a specific geometric shape to fit into an intended slot along a wall, door frame or window, which requires a good eye and a steady hand. Even more specialized are the carvers who posses a certain amount of artistic skill and talent. They can carve intricate patterns into or out of stone which is often used to decorate Holds, Halls, Weyrs and monuments of all kinds. Finally, there are the tylers which specialize in laying the tile floors of many buildings. Masons learn their skills from observation and practical practice, though a certain amount of knowledge in surveying, chemistry and geology is quite useful.
QUARRIERS
The quarries are depended upon to supply the masons with their needs. The most obvious job of the quarrymen is to cut large stones slabs out of the side of hills and mountains. These stones are then passed along to the sawyers who then cut them down into rough, though manageable blocks which can be delivered to the site and cut down into even smaller, more specific blocks by the bankers. While the term “quarrier” would denote the excavation of stone, on Pern some quarries specialize in the making of bricks and tile. They work more with clay than actual stone.
SEISMOLOGISTS
The job of the seismologists is a specially skilled one. They use tools such as maps, the geological record, as well as the historical record, to asses the predicted risk of earthquakes within a region. This is important when one is planning to build a new structure. Seismologists work closely with the masons when constructing a new building to give advice as to what type of ground to build on to avoid liquefaction (the liquefaction of soil due to ground water seeping up through shaking soil), and how to reinforce the structure to give it the best chance of surviving the quakes typical of the region. They must have a broad understanding of physics, mathematics, geology, vulcanology, and maps.
SURVEYORS
The surveyors are the masters of space on Pern. They do much more than just draw maps. Their skills may be called upon to settle disputes on property boundaries, to draw the boundaries of a particular building, to measure elevation and area, or to provide information on how to best utilize an area’s resources. If you want to build a road, ditch, canal or Hold, the surveyors are the ones you would call upon to tell you where exactly it should be put. For that reason they work closely with geologists, masons, seismologists and vulcanologists. They must have a deep understanding of mathematics such as geometry and trigonometry, as well as geology, physics and historical records.
VULCANOLOGISTS
The skills of a vulcanologist are highly specialized, though vital considering the geothermically active areas in which Weyrs are typically built. Where there are hot springs, there is magma under the surface of Pern heating it, and where there is magma pushing up towards the surface, there is always the possibility of an eruption. Their job is to monitor the temperatures of thermal pools, the seismic activity, and the changes in the shape of known volcanoes which might signal an impending eruption. It is their job to not only alert those who may be effected by the volcanic event, but also to predict the path such an eruption may take, create evacuation plans and recommend such an evacuation to those in a position of authority when it might be necessary. Those these events are rare, it is their job to stay always on the alert and continue to study the natural world to better predict these events and save lives. They must have an understanding of geology, seismology, physics, surveying and map reading.
See Also: No articles yet
Referenced By: No articles yet