Here is an overview of the events of Chapter 2, which take place from Spring of 1,256 through Summer of 1,260. The player characters go from teenagers to young adults. Events are organized by year and season. Minor encounters are not included. Click here for the soundtrack.
Turn 1,256
SPRING
- Kebrin and Toria finish their sixth Turn of study at the Halls. Toria is offered a promotion if she discovers one significant advancement for her craft. Kebrin is not promoted in order to keep a low profile.
- Spring break feels different when there are no further classes to take. Eurielle and Kebrin break up, as their careers are moving in different directions.
- Kebrin and Toria are given field postings to aid the Holds. The Halls make more postings than average and will “run light on staff.
- Kebrin is posted to Keroon under Master Jeralan. He is asked investigate an attempt to kill Jeralan’s firelizard Rondo by drowning in a sack.
- Toria is posted to Keroon under healer Master Landon. She intends to study reptile poisons and potential cures, a topic of great interest to the Lord Holder of Fort.
- The Hephastus arrives at Fort Sea Hold to take the PCs to Beacon Cove by way of Ista Hold.
- Kebrin talks to miners and explores Keroon, locating an ancient cache.
- Toria reunites with her friend Keeva, who left Healer Hall for Beastmaster Hall.
- The Masterharper directs all posted Harpers to sing more often about Thread and dragons. Some are turned out of their Holds or beaten for inciting fear and pushing support of Weyrs. “Drummer, beat and piper blow, Harper strike and soldier go. Free the flame and sear the grasses, ‘til the dawning Red Star passes.”
- Lord Sandemar orders Captain Maldin to beat journeyman Sylar in front of everyone for singing Thread songs at dinner. The next night, Kebrin plays instead to spare him a second beating. Maldin uses Chance as an excuse to find another punishment.
- Kebrin is assigned to repair, clean, and disinfect empty poultry houses with hydrogen peroxide, under herder Master Stanlar.
SUMMER
- Fort Weyr’s junior gold Chelbeth of Laena rises to mate.
- Toria makes a significant breakthrough in her anti-toxin research.
- Kebrin is sent on a cattle drive by Herder Master Korbin, to get him away from the Hold until things calm down. It is better than cleaning chicken coops.
- The herd is attacked by bandits. Kebrin, Seliana, Loren, and Velis win the battle but not without injury.
- Toria continues to investigate the attack on Jeralan’s firelizard Rondo.
AUTUMN
- The PCs enjoy their first Gather at Keroon Hold.
- Seliana, a senior journeyman herder, teaches Kebrin and Toria to ride runnerbeasts.
- Search begins for Chelbeth’s clutch of 21 eggs in Fort’s holdings.
- Toria locates a shed used by the conspirators to brew medicine given to Weyr-marked herdbeasts. The “inky brew” lowers their libido and also reduces the number of mating flights by any female dragon who eats them.
- Kebrin and Toria finish their investigation and speak to Master Korbin of Beastmaster Hall. He realizes the full implications and calls a posse of men to deliver swift justice to the renegades.
- Learning of the plot, Ista Weyr sends B’dir to Keroon to investigate. He formally duels Captain Maldin to secure access to the Holdand confront Lord Sandemar. Maldin dies honorably. Lord Sandemar claims innocence.
- Renegades responsible for the “inky plot” are hunted down and hung.
- Herders learn about the plot and march on Keroon Hold with revenge in mind. The PCs are evacuated by N’rion and blue Erenath for their own protection. That night, Lord Sandemar is killed.
- After spending two nights at Ista Weyr, the PCs are transferred back to their Halls for several weeks.
WINTER
- High Reaches Weyr’s gold Nimaleth of Caterin rises to mate.
- The Lord Holder’s Conclave elects Ackerley as the new Lord of Keroon.
- Ackerley invites the PCs back to Keroon to finish their contracts in a show of good will. The PCs accept to keep the peace.
- Steward Deckitt of Keroon sends a letter to the PCs by green firelizard stating that Lord Sandemar had nothing to do with the inky feed plot. He asks for help proving his former Lord’s innocence to save the noble family from exile.
- Master Korbin suggests the PCs learn to fight with knives or swords.
1,257 (~age 19)
SPRING
- Search for Nimaleth’s clutch of 29 eggs in High Reaches’ holdings.
AUTUMN
- Autumn begins early with unusual cold snaps.
- Toria and Kebrin are called back to their Halls for promotion to Master rank.
- Toria dreams about Threadfall over Healer Hall, upsetting local firelizards.
- Kebrin helps select senior journeyman Harper Tassian for posting to Ista Weyr.
- Kebrin notices all watch whers are agitated and clingy.
- Kebrin and Toria are sent back to Keroon, secretly to help with preparations for a potential Pass. The Hall populations drop to historic lows as most journeymen and many Masters are placed in the field.
- The PCs encounter Master Jeralan drinking heavily after discovering a cover-up of Thread evidence by Captain Lorcan from journeyman healer Ethelyn.
WINTER
- At Winter Solstice on 1/15, the Star Stones align with the Red Star.
- Former lordling Colton personally sends a letter asking the PCs to find proof that his father, Lord Sandemar, had nothing to do with the inky feed plot, for the sake of his half-siblings.
- Random minor clumps of Thread fall over northern mountains and a high Keroon mesa cothold called Clearview but come down as crackdust.
- All Lord Holders and Weyrleaders meet at Fort Hold. It is officially determined that a Pass is coming.
- Runners and drummers send word of an imminent Pass to all Halls and Holds. A basic Fall schedule released, with a weekly Fall for Ista Weyr and a monthly Fall for Keroon.
- Warehouses are opened, where all smiths and adults with free time are tasked with making agenothree and tanks.
1,258 (~age 20)
SPRING
- The Pass begins with irregular Fall every week in Ista Weyr’s area of coverage.
- The first Fall at Keroon. The drum heights beat a warning no one has heard before. There are many injuries with ground crews due to numerous clumps hitting the ground and a lack of experience.
- Panic turns into riots at the holds as cotholders compete for limited shelter space.
- Children and the elderly are sent to Keroon from several cotholds while the adults stay on to work.
- Cotholders left out on their own sneak into the lower caverns to set up a hidden camp. They die from “fixed air” (carbon dioxide) poisoning.
- Masons work on restoring full flow of Hold ventilation and water systems. It will happen slowly, taking at least a Turn to complete.
- Toria treats Injuries due to poorly made agenothree tanks erupting and leaking.
- No Spring Gather takes place at the great Holds.
SUMMER
- Telgar Weyr’s gold Mirakith of Vanorica rises to mate. There is widespread hope that the queens will rise and clutch better, now that they aren’t eating tainted herdbeasts.
AUTUMN
- Search begins for Mirakith’s clutch of 15 eggs in Telgar’s holdings.
- Benden Weyr’s junior gold Malasanth of Farwyn rises to mate sooner than expected.
- A minor Autumn Gather is organized at Keroon with horseshoes, poker, kites, hackberry cookies, and a pie baking contest.
- Lord Renaldus of Ruatha Hold dies of a heart attack due to stress. His son becomes Lord.
- Seliana makes a play to become Kebrin’s girlfriend, but he chooses to pursue Toria.
WINTER
- Search begins for Malasanth’s clutch of 22 eggs in Benden’s holdings.
1,259 (~age 21)
SPRING
- More cotholders demand shelter at the Holds as Thread infestations are found in areas of terrain that are difficult to reach.
- Traders begin constructing slate-roofed travel wagons in an attempt to resume trade routes. They don’t work well.
- Illness and violence increase in the holds due to overcrowding. Crafters work to the bone to fix problems.
- Keroon Hold finally reopens all living and inner caverns. Miners achieve their motto, “Everyone fits”. A celebration is held.
- Fort Weyr’s gold Feyneth of Jonara rises to mate.
SUMMER
- Search begins for Feyneth’s clutch of 24 eggs in Fort’s holdings.
- Karthen’s new sunlit gold firelizard Lyrica drops off a message to Kebrin from Benden Hold, reading “My firelizard is bigger.”
- Igen Weyr’s gold Kyloth of Bellora rises to mate. L’rad’s bronze Chalkoth loses to R’ker’s bronze Telorith, heralding a change in leadership. R’ker is seen as more stable and intelligent than L’rad.
- Kebrin sends Tumar a firelizard egg which hatches into fiery bronze Gallant.
AUTUMN
- Search begins for Kyloth’s clutch of 19 eggs in Igen’s holdings.
- Autumn Gather at Keroon has its first small rodeo.
- Benden Weyr is able to reinforce Ista Weyr during Falls over Ista, thanks to heavy snowfall in Benden’s mountains.
WINTER
- Toria and Kebrin are married by Lord Ackerley.
- Garoway visits for Turnover, flown straight by N’rion as he is too old for travel between.
1,260 (~age 22)
SPRING
- Toria and Kebrin attend Spring Gather at Ista Hold. They take Garoway to see his childhood home on a small island. He asks them for grandchildren.
SUMMER
- Ista Weyr’s gold Liviath of Daena rises to mate and is flown by G’mar’s bronze Delfeth. Kebrin learns that Search will begin in 19 weeks.