Word had been put around the Weyr for the last two days that on the fourth of the month Weyrleaders W'dol and D'lana would make an announcement regarding their plans for the future of the Weyr's leadership. All denizens of the Weyr, save those with the most pressing of other duties, were instructed to gather in the Weyrbowl just after midday.
At the appointed time the two riders ascended onto a small stage, W'dol in his understated brown leathers and D'lana in her signature white with her gold firelizard perched alertly on her shoulders. After a brief exchange of words, too quiet for the observers to hear, W'dol raised a hand for silence.
"People of Fort Weyr; riders, crafters, candidates, and weyrfolk, thank you for coming out on this cold afternoon." The bluerider's manner was as grave and measured as ever, he was no sparkling public speaker but his steady confidence was unshakable. "As you will have heard by now my fellow Weyrleader D'lana and I have asked you here today to lay out for you how the leaders of our Weyr shall be chosen in the turns to come. With our golds lost to us, and the hard lessons we have learned from the devastation of the plague, it is clear that we need a new way forward that will ensure stability as we rebuild and move on to face the coming Pass. D'lana?"
As W'dol nodded to her and took a step back D'lana took a step forward and looked out across the sea of faces with a smile. "Thank you W'dol and I second his thanks to all of you for gathering here. Looking out at all of you; strong riders, loyal weyrfolk and crafters, candidates so full of potential, and weyrlings who have given us new hope I could not be prouder. We have been tested, and we have suffered great loss, but together we have endured." The weight of regret and grief was clear in D'lana's voice as she spoke; she had not quite lost her brother but she had lost the man he had been before his dragon had gone between, lost touch with him too for he could not bear to even read her letters. It wasn't fair, but there was nothing they could do about that, all they could do was go forward.
"Over these last two turns since we all gathered at Fort my partnership with W'dol has been invaluable to me and that brings me to my first point; from this day forward the Weyrs of the north shall be led by two weyrleaders. Both of these individuals will be dragonriders, and at least one must ride a flaming dragon. They will share responsibilities, as have W'dol and I, but if one weyrleader rides a non-flaming dragon then they will take on the duties that fell to weyrmen and women in the past." Here D'lana paused for a few moments to allow the audience to absorb her words, they probably wouldn't come as too great a surprise but it would put to rest any rumours that one of the young greens would become a weyrwoman upon graduation. If a gold should ever be shelled by one of their clutching greens, a rare possibility if they were anything like green firelizards, the new edict also ruled out automatic power for her and her rider - D'lana was aware that not everyone would like that very much but she hoped that nobody would be foolish enough to splinter off over it, they needed unity now more than ever.
"Weyrleaders will remain in post until retirement, so maintaining the stability that weyrmen and woman once gave us," D'lana continued smoothly, giving a small respectful bow of her head as she mentioned their lost goldriders. "When a weyrleader steps down they shall name their successor, most likely a weyrsecond but it is their privilege to choose any rider to take on the mantle of weyrleader. If the other weyrleader has serious objections to their choice they may raise a vote amongst the wingleaders to veto it but," D'lana turned to smile at W'dol, "as the weyrleaders will be working so closely together, I would hope that such a thing would never become necessary. Should a weyrleader die before selecting their successor it will fall to the remaining weyrleader to make that choice. Just as we will have two weyrleaders from now on, so too shall we have two weyrseconds. These individuals will be selected jointly by the weyrleaders, most likely from amongst the wingleaders. Wingleaders and their seconds will be chosen as they always have been; wingleaders chosen by the weyrleaders, and wingseconds by the wingleaders."
As she gave the assembled crowd another window of silence to digest the information D'lana wondered idly how history would remember this moment. Would it simply be accepted as a logical decision given their circumstances? How long would it be before this simply became 'the way things have always been done'? Would there be any opposition to it? They had already informed the weyrseconds, wingleaders, and the headwoman of their intentions, but D'lana wasn't sure that all of them liked it and as for the wider population? Only time would tell.
"And finally, a matter that I am sure has weighed on many a mind, I wish to address our plans for reclaiming the other Weyrs of the north." Ista, how she longed to see it! It likely wouldn't be the first they repopulated but one day, one day she would return home. "When W'dol and I feel the time is right one of us will depart alongside a weyrsecond or wingleader, who will step up beside the departing weyrleader to assume the post in the Weyr we are returning to. The two weyrleaders will take approximately half of our population with them to rebuild and repopulate just as we are doing here. In this manner it is our hope that all the Weyrs of the north will have riders ready to face the Thread when the new Pass begins."
And that was all there was to say. D'lana paused for a heartbeat, and three more given how her pulse was racing despite her outwardly composed demeanour, and then addressed the crowd one last time. "I am sure some of you will have questions or concerns about the path ahead; W'dol and I encourage you to take these to your immediate superiors. In the days ahead we will listen to the voices of the Weyr and respond to any overarching themes that come forward. Thank you all again for your attention, and please take the rest of today as a Rest Day to consider everything we have said."
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Summary:
- Going forward the Weyr will always be led by two weyrleaders, both riders, at least one must ride a flaming dragon. They both serve until retirement or death, as weyrwo/men did in the past.
- Weyrleaders choose their successor, this will usually be one of the weyrseconds but they can name another if they wish. If the other weyrleader has serious objections to their choice they may raise a vote amongst the wingleaders and weyrseconds to veto it. This is a radical departure from tradition, flights no longer influence leadership.
- If a weyrleader dies in post the remaining weyrleader will choose their successor. This is a radical departure from tradition, as above.
- Weyrleaders choose the weyrseconds, usually from amongst the wingleaders but they may make another choice. This is in line with tradition, save that some Weyrs previously had one Weyrsecond whilst others had two.
- Weyrleaders also choose the wingleaders, when a wingleader dies or retires they will often select one of their wingseconds to step up but can choose from another wing or make another choice. This is in line with tradition.
- Wingleaders choose their two wingseconds. Weyrleaders have the right to veto but this seldom happens in practice. This is in line with tradition.
- When the time comes to reclaim a Weyr one weyrleader will depart with a weyrsecond or wingleader who shall become a weyrleader in turn. They will bring with them around half of Fort's current population.
Feel free to post here with your characters thoughts on this! It doesn't need to be in RP format if you don't want it to be, you can just say 'X thinks y' etc.
