Dragonhealing - The Programme

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ACCEPTANCE

The emphasis for the Igen Weyr dragonhealing program is good roleplaying. All applicants are expected to have extremely good Igen roleplaying skills in order to be accepted into the programme. If it happens that a player is not accepted, the player shouldn't fret. Developing roleplay is pretty simple: just do it. The Senior should talk to them and explain areas in which they should improve their roleplay.

The minimum requirements for acceptance are:

A strong and canonical character background. This is absolutely basic.
Two months of membership on the Igen Weyr knot and RP at Igen. This is to be sure that the player likes Igen and knows what Igen's style is like.
The Senior has to be familiar with the character's roleplay, either through personal experience or references from other Igenites.

Note: Anyone at the Weyr may join the dragonhealing programme, including posted crafters. The only people who cannot join are Candidates, weyrlings and children. An exception may be made for children aged ten or older, if they are willing to become full residents and shoulder the added responsibility that position entails.

Once all this is together, the Senior (or an approved Capable) will have an OOC interview to go over the character's background in general and in regards to healing. The interviewer is looking for a realistic idea of the character's ability at the present time and as they advance. The interview will also go over the programme and its goals for the Weyr as well as the character applying.

What the Senior wants to know is what individual goals the player has by becoming a dragonhealer, as well as what they would like to bring to Igen as a dragonhealer. The player must understand that all advancement is the responsibility of the player, and the onus is on them to make the Senior aware of their desire for promotions or specific tinyplots.

Once a player has been accepted, they will receive this information packet, which includes information about how the programme runs, how to roleplay with a dragon and rider, some technical information about healing, and the basics of dragon anatomy. Their rank on the DHL knot (and as a DHL on Igen's knot) will be Novice.

NOVICE TO TRAINEE

Novice dragonhealers are learning the basics, the information that serves as the foundation for everything dragonhealers do. They typically spend a large portion of their day on their general chores (for residents and crafters) or training and flying Thread (for riders). Only a few hours a day, at most, are allocated to dragonhealing at this stage.

During the time from Novice to Trainee a character has the responsibility to roleplay an interest in dragons and beginning more formal studies.

This is the time when a character can be the first out with a pot of numbweed, pester the riders about what it's like to have that bond with their dragons, how exactly does Threadfighting work, poke a nose around the weyrlings, drive firelizards to distraction by checking out their wings and so on and so forth. No one else might know why the character is acting so crazy, or the entire Weyr may have heard about it already. The point is to roleplay this new development as creatively as possible. The Novice has a great deal of interest, but not a lot of skills just yet.

To get the OOC knowledge under control, there will be a packet of information made available. This information is the most basic stuff. All Novices are strongly encouraged to read through the books for more, but everything that the Senior feels they absolutely need in order to roleplay canonically - not to get a doctorate - will be provided.

Remember, the goal is roleplay. Once a Novice gets promoted to Trainee, they don't get to roleplay the 'wonder' of initial discovery so much. Enjoy the roleplay while it lasts. Advancement is not a speed contest, but opportunities for character development. The more a player can do at each level, the more memories they will have and the more depth their character will have.

Some opportunities for role-playing will be provided. There might be some classes. There might be a time when the Senior grabs a particular Novice to come hold up the wing that needs stitching. But most of it will be up to the player, as role-playing always is.

Unlike a craft, the Senior does not randomly promote people or hold craftmeets or dinners for the purposes of promotion. Instead, the responsibility to attain the rank of Trainee is on the Novice. They must decide when they feel they would like to be a Trainee. A general guideline to know when it's time for promotion is when a Novice feels they've mastered the basics and their character is past the "I like the looks of dragons" and into "I think I'm understanding what dragons are, how they are, and how they are with their riders," then it's time to consider advancement.

At that point, the Novice must talk to the Senior dragonhealer. It's the duty of the Senior to make sure the Novice is ready and their expectations are realistic. This can be highly subjective, as a Weyrlingmaster won't need as much time to learn about dragons as a gardener might. This is something the Senior and Novice should work on together. Generally, the Senior will ask the Novice why they feel they're ready for a promotion, what they believe being a Trainee will mean ICly and OOCly, as well as what their goals for their time spent as a Trainee will be. When both agree the time is now, the Senior will give the Novice an exam to test the Novice's basic knowledge of canon. There will be IC roleplay, to prove the Novice can now be trusted to work with the dragons. These two 'tests' are often combined into one roleplay session.

Provided the Novice passes this exam, they become a Trainee. This is a signal to the riders that the Trainee is now able to roleplay with them about injuries, keeping in mind the Trainee's abilities and willingness to risk their lack of knowledge. The training experience level is a signal that the character might not have it 'all together' yet but they're getting there. A Trainee cannot ground a rider for a serious injury.

TRAINEE TO CAPABLE

Trainees have the responsibility to roleplay their growing confidence and body of knowledge about dragons and their injuries. Trainees can give riders advice about wrenched muscles and answer general dragonhealing questions. They can leave numbweed slathering to the Novices while they tackle more serious injuries. Trainees often bring strange and thought-provoking questions to the Senior and Capable dragonhealers, and some get into arguments with riders about overfeeding their dragons. At times Trainees may even find themselves assigned to a specific wing, primarily working with the dragons in that wing.

That doesn't mean that other people will yet have confidence in the Trainee though! They might look over their head and say, 'so where is the Senior anyway?' Once again, the burden for making roleplay fun and canonical is on the Trainee.

Another responsibility is to refine the understanding of consensual roleplaying, especially as it relates to riders and their dragons. Riders are pretty picky about what people say about their dragons, and it's important to respect that. At the same time a Trainee might be defining their boundaries about how much notice they want before roleplay a plot, etc. All this is very vague, but that's how it is for everyone. OOCly a Trainee is figuring out how to get people involved in roleplaying that everyone can enjoy.

Again, don't rush this stage. Having a character learn things and then become confident in applying that knowledge is a process that provides a lot of opportunities for roleplay so use them. The elation at watching the dragon whose wing the Trainee actually helped stitch - or stitched while the senior was watching - actually fly is cause for some jubilation and celebration! But it's up to the Trainee to ask the Senior to watch them stitch, and to arrange for a dragon or NPC-dragon to get injured!

There will be no hidden mysteries revealed nor a secret shared when a Trainee is ready to become a Capable. Quite simply, the onus is on the Trainee to request a promotion of the Senior. Generally, when a Trainee feels that their character is ready, they will feel that they have mastered the basic skills of healing dragons, and are fairly knowledgeable about dragonkind in general. If the Senior agrees, then a test will be given. The test consists of a roleplayed examination of injuries. The Trainee must prove that they are capable of carrying dragonhealing roleplay with various types of people (often people who know less about dragons), they must be able to clarify situations OOCly via pages, determine the nature of the injuries IC and OOCly, prescribe accurate treatment and provide a general timeline for recovery.

If the roleplay is solid and the character's development seems reasonable, the Trainee will be given the experience level of Capable.

CAPABLE AND BEYOND

Capable dragonhealers are able to roleplay confident healing of dragons in all situations, and can ground riders ICly, as they have now gotten the 'respect of the Weyr' in dragonhealing and the riders will respect that their prescriptions' are not given lightly.

Once a character is a Capable dragonhealer, they are then respected in the Weyr as a dragonhealer. What a Capable wants to roleplay around that is now up to them - and to the people they can convince to roleplay it with them. A Capable can largely ignore their rank, organise major plots, or just be around to assist with other people's plots.

Capables can ground people and give 'weighty' advice. They still have to follow the principles of consensual roleplay, but their opinions have merit.

Almost all Capables are assigned to a wing, and the most qualified of the assigned Capables will be selected to head the other dragonhealers assigned to that wing.

Not all Capables teach classes. In fact, only Capables who have spoken with the Senior and have been approved to teach are allowed to teach any class. The reason for this is twofold. First, not everyone is a good teacher. Second, to ensure that the correct information is being disseminated to the Novices, the Senior has the responsibility to test each teaching Capable to ensure they will be able to provide the information in an accurate and understandable manner.

Capables should also be creating opportunities for others to roleplay. There are always Novices and Trainees who are itching to help out, and a Capable is one of the people who can help. These things are not only deeply appreciated, they mark the Capable as someone who wants to do things.

There is no rank beyond Capable. If a Capable desires to eventually move up to Senior, or to help the Senior, they should discuss their willingness to help with administration with them. Talk to the Senior Dragonhealer as well as the Weyrleaders, and who knows what will happen?