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Thank you all!  I have been having a really epic couple of days!  My friend from college is visiting me and we've been wandering all over town and beyond, eating yummy food and exploring new places.  And karaoke.
Lots of karaoke.  Tomorrow we fly up to Tokyo for a reunion with exchange student friends from 20 years ago!  Not a bad way to slip into "middle age" ;)

So dangerous....

I think that there is a graduation ceremony at the start of the Turn for those turning 12 that Turn.  After that they would either apprentice or be on chore duty until their 12th birthday.  From 12 they can become a Candidate.  I don't think there would be a cut off for a child to leave their foster parents.  They are often just as much, if not more, of their parental figure than their biological parents. 

Basically, I think that adolescence on Pern would be a much more murky area than it is today.  At 12 they would still be under their family's protection and guidance, but would be expected to start contributing to the family and/or community in some way, be that a craft, Candidacy, or another career path.  True independence wouldn't happen until they were emotionally and financially ready for it.  I don't think a 12 Turn old, even in the Weyr, could walk up to the Headwoman one day and say "I want my own place" or could just disappear without someone going to get them and bring them back. If they really didn't get along with their foster family (for many of them, their one true family) they might move to the Candidate barracks, or to another family, but I don't think at 12 they would be on their own at all.

My opinion 

He can be married, but I believe the marriage would be dissolved should he Impress.  Doesn't mean they couldn't be weyrmated, but the relationship between dragon and rider takes precedence over man and woman.  They cannot hold to the same kind of marriage vows living in a Weyr.

   May I offer you a fun copost for your birthday?

If none of my personas would work, I'd be happy to NPC someone for whomever you like!

   Since you've been gone, I've been back, too!  So happy to see you!

 

Message sent!

I have Zh'no at DFW!

Wow, sounds like life happened!  Congrats on all the wonderful stuff that you've had going on!

As far as posts...  Me me me!

And I remember how Kamalia was U'kaiah's stalker for a while... Fun times 

I'm back from my vacation full of food, friends, family and BABIES!!!  I spent my holidays falling totally in love with my beautiful new nephews, got spit up on more times than I can remember, and caught up with friends and family I hadn't seen in 6 years or more.  But now I'm back and ready to write!  Anyone else in the mood for some posting action?

I just got back from my vacation to see my family, so I'm here for ya!

I have T'nep at DCW...

Merlish is always up to meeting Tasni again!

L'keri and J'nev can definitely have a whinging contest...

We do need a post for Jayala and Vestian!

And the Vintner Hall can use some people...  Just saying...

I think it is not outside the realm of possibility that a Hold might have a printing press lying around in their basement somewhere, even if currently they don't have much need.  Depending on how old a Hold is, just think of the layers of history buried in their vaults, so to speak.  There may have been a Lord Holder hundreds of years back in love with the printed word and determined to make it available to his people.  Or perhaps there had been a fad of Lord Holders having a printing press whether they needed one or not just to show off to the other Lord Holders, since it would definitely cost a pretty penny.

What printing can be used for now?  Plenty of things!  For example, maybe Devrin decides he needs to clean inventory in his shop and wants to have a sale.  He might not be able to afford to pass fliers out on the street or anything, but he might be able to make a few to post in strategic places.  A new ship might advertise for a new crew.  Blue prints, schematics, technical instructions might need to be printed rather than hand copied by a Harper.  Maybe a craftsman at a Hold is working on a breakthrough and wants to share it with others in the same Craft.  What about a local farmer's almanac?  I think if you look at what presses have been used for over the centuries, they have been useful for far more than just printing books.  I think a press in any Hold would be used.

But I do think that only printers would have the technical expertise to really be able to operate them efficiently.  It wouldn't be like the Hold's copy machine available for everyone to use.  The paper, ink, type faces, type setting, drying, etc. would all take some real specialized know how.

That's what I think anyway.

I would say that it would be very possible that there might be those on Pern who write as a hobby in their free time, in their retirement, on those cold winter nights.  There is a chance that some of that writing could find it's way into the hands of their local Harper who finds it worthy of passing it along to someone who might print it.

I could also see some rich man's son (or daughter) getting the printers to print out copies on their own dime, so to speak.

But I think that these would be rare cases and the chances of that person becoming famous in their own lifetime would be slim.  Just my two cents.

There have been posts were U'kaiah has taken different people on tours of the archives and finding them fiction and non-fiction books to read (since he's an archivist).  I think in Major Holds and Weyrs they would have extensive libraries and probably even store rooms of documents and books not being circulated.  Smaller Holders would probably not have quite as much of a selection, but would have their own records and local stories.  And probably some Holds and Holders dedicate more of their time and funds to others, so collections might come in fits and starts.

That's my image at least!