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A Hatching is a major event in a weyr and refers to the time when the dragonets emerge from their eggs and impress with their lifelong human partner. 

Description[]

Hatchings are considered an important and joyous event in the Weyr and takes place at the Weyr's Hatching Ground. Newly hatched dragons will choose a suitable human to impress. The pair become part of the weyr, ensuring the Weyr's continuation so that there will be sufficient forces to fight Thread. Weyrs will often invite important dignitaries from the Holds or Crafts to attend, as well as families of the candidates. Hatchings will be followed by a meal for all in attendance. Music would often be performed by the Weyr's Weyrsinger and any harpers in attendance.

Hatchings are preceded by a Search, where potential candidates are chosen. While any Weyr-bred individual can stand for a hatching, Weyr tradition dictates that a surplus of candidates be available. Thus dragonriders will travel to crafts and holds, while their dragons look for any persons with the potential to impress a dragon. It is not required that a person become a candidate, and in fact some families will often refuse to let a potential candidate stand.

Candidates are said to have natural empathic abilities which initially draw search dragons to them and can cause hatchlings to find them suitable for Impressions. The cause of the empathic abilities is not known, although many references to "dragonrider blood" making people more likely to be Searched shows it may be possible that there are genetic influences. This is mere speculation, however, and neither the books nor the authors of the series have confirmed or denied it.

Candidates at hatchings are always white clad and are usually between the ages of ten and the early twenties. A surplus of candidates is required as dragonets who do not find a suitable candidates to impress will die. At the end of the First Interval the records showed five cases in which this happened. The majority of candidates tend to be male. While gold dragons only impress to female candidates, gold dragon hatchlings are rare. Meanwhile, while green dragons initially impressed female candidates, a lack of availability led greens to impress male candidates, until the Ninth Pass, when greens once again began impressing women.

Dragonets would sometimes choose a human who aws not explicitly a candidate. Once chosen, a candidate who impressed was expected to put aside all plans in favor of the Weyr. The only know exception to this rule was Jaxom, who was allowed to remain as both Lord Holder of Ruatha Hold and a dragonrider due to his unique situation. Candidates who failed to impress could choose to remain at the Weyr or return to their home or craft. A Weyr's Weyrleaders would often make a point to comfort candidates who failed to impress.

Dragon and human reactions to the Hatching[]

Dragons in the weyr will react to the Queen's maternal croon with a deep humming (called "a pre-birth lullaby" by headmaster Clisser). The humming gets louder and louder and a chorus of tones will develop when more and more dragons (their throats swelling) join the queen (at the last stages the dragon's chest and belly also start to vibrate). Some of them get so excited that they start aerial maneuvers, flipping here and there on seemingly unavoidable collision courses. People react to this humming on an emotional level with a mix of primal emotions (for example: pride, joy, hope, fear, yearning, sadness and hunger), ranging from utter happiness to fear and sadness. Healers are always attending hatchings because of the injuries that generally occur.

Notable Hatchings[]

First Pass[]

First Interval[]

Second Interval[]

  • Clutching Queen

Third Pass[]

Sixth Pass[]

Eighth Interval[]

Ninth Pass[]

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