Contains rules, information about the setting and ODW specifically, and all kinds of handy-dandy stuff. MUST READ.

For all your out-of-character chatter needs. Please be respectful at all times!

All approved character bios are stored here. Click to view the Master Character List.

Post characters waiting for approval here.

Click to view the Character Submission Form.

A massive nexus of connected caverns and tunnels, the lower caverns houses most of Ista Weyr's population. Ranging from the infirmary to the living cavern to the dormitory, the caves of the inner Weyr provide a place for those who live and work at Ista.

More than a mile long and approximately half a mile wide, the Ista Weyr bowl stretches from the southeast - where the caverns are - to the northwest, where an ancient explosion blew away part of the bowl wall. Fenced at that end, the feeding grounds rest alongside a small lake that spills into a waterfall, crashing down from the high plateau to the beach far below. Private weyrs dot the walls of the bowl, and the shadow of the Star Stones is often cast across the hard-packed ground.

The Ista Weyr Hatching grounds are along the northeast wall of the bowl, marked by two massive entrances - one at ground level and one a few 'lengths up, the lower one leading in to the Sands and the gallery while the upper one gives access to the ledges. The Sands themselves are the same, striking black as the beach sand, an arresting sight for those making their first visit to the Istan scenery. Stretching around them, tiered seating rises up toward the ledges, lifted from the Sands themselves about ten feet and then climbing high before terminating: benches carved out of the cavern itself, some of them set with plush cushions when a Hatching is underway, reserved for special guests. A low railing made of brass, polished impeccably whenever a Clutch is laid, separates the galleries from the Sands. High up, dragon ledges provide a commanding view.

The skies over Ista Weyr offer access to the many, many weyrs for dragons and their riders. Most of the weyrs are along the inner wall of the bowl, but there are a few dozen weyrs along the outer wall, overlooking the jungle or the beach. Off to the north, the Ista Weyr Star Stones are just large enough for a pair of queens to land simultaneously, and it's here that the watchrider waits, keeping tabs on who comes and goes from the Weyr, keeping a weather eye open for signs of thread.

An irregular coastline curves along the western edge of the Weyr, bracketed by the jungles both on the north and the south. The sands of the Istan beach are black, peppered liberally by volcanic debris so that the pale beachsand has an ebony glint - making it even hotter underfoot in the daytime. Although the Weyr has no official port, there's a dock large enough for two vessels still off to the south, a relic of the Long Interval when the Weyr welcomed sailors and traders to put in (for a nominal fee). The waters off the Istan coast are clear and warm, inviting even.

Caverns that have been cut and chiseled to perfection over thousands of Turns wind and climb throughout the interior of Ista Hold. From the mammoth and impressive great hall to the auditorium to the private residences, from the bathing rooms to the kitchen to the infirmary, the entirety of the Istan residence is contained within the deep caverns of the Hold.

The flagstoned courtyard of Ista Hold permits passage from the road to the great hall, itself large enough for an entire caravan of wagons to park within the high walls. Surrounded on all four sides by a thick, stone-brick enclosure ten feet tall with guard posts at the two outer corners, it provides a feeling of safety and security to those who live at Ista Hold. Up a short flight of steps, one can access the heavy bronze doors to the great hall; through a larger set of doors, there's a wide leading out of the courtyard and down to meet the road to the docks. There are a few other smaller doors leading in to the guard posts, and a staircase that circumvents the inner Hold to reach the fireheights.

The beach for the Hold is small compared to that of the Weyr, a slight crescent of black sand stretching away from the Hold before it runs into a headland of volcanic rock, reaching out like a finger into the sea. No more than a twenty minute walk down a path from the Hold, it's fairly common to find people enjoying the scenery, sometimes in the shade of the palm trees or the jungle growth that limns the narrow stretch of sand, sometimes getting some sun, sometimes swimming. The docks are a totally different scene: massive, busy, loud, fish-smelling, they're a prime port for almost every major fishing and trading vessel. At any given time, there are dozens of ships harbored there, with cargo being loaded and unloaded, with people coming and going.

For RP happening everywhere else on Pern. Be sure to note the location! :)