The Morning Report
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Sia
Date Posted: 14th April 2025
Characters: I'thralos, Tannar, Komin
Description: Ilthralos works on the latest edition of the Weyr newspaper
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 5, day 7 of Turn 12
Notes: A Tangolst Press is a flatbed-cylinder press that would print eight pages at a time, in two colors, on one side of a sheet of paper at a speed of over 2,000 impressions per candlemark. Pages are then flipped over and printed on the opposite side. Probably incorrect descriptions of printing presses Introducing The Weyr Report, a newspaper coming to a Weyr near you
Ilthraolos wiped a streak of ink off his cheek with the back of his hand, smearing it darker. He didn't notice. His eyes were locked on the press bed as the roller clunked past the end of the forme, releasing another impression of The Weyr Report. He snatched the top sheet from the drying rack; still warm, the scent of oil and ink fresh and scanned the masthead.
Clean lines. No blur. No inking drag.
Perfect.
He let out a breath.
The Tangolst press groaned again as the apprentices kept the rhythm: paper in, press down, paper off, hang it high. They were halfway through today's run already, and it was still early. The papers were expected to be dropped off at the Dining Hall ahead of breakfast hours, when riders were still waking up and getting ready for the morning activities. That meant late nights for all the Journeymen working on the papers, and Ilthralos was one of those unlucky junior journeymen that ran the night shift on alternate sevendays.
"Good to go on pages three and four," He called to Journeyman Komin, the more senior (barely) journeyman stationed with The Weyr Report. "Type's locked. Just needs the block cut for that Harper sketch." He looked down at the galley proofs. This issue had weather forecasts, Wing rotation updates, predicted Threadfall patterns across the protectorate and, partially due to a dare and partially because he was feeling brazen after the sudden success of Master Unknown- both a gossip column and an anonymous advice column. The headline, of course, was copied from Dragonsfall's own galley proof, about the holdless rescue and subsequent encampment in their Weyrbowl. The harper sketch was a rough outline of what that camp looked like, sent along by the weyr printer's firelizard that required too many snacks to give up its prize.
Running the print crew had a steep learning curve. He'd helped with the first small prints of The Emerald Journal, when the Printer Hall was still a subsection of the Harper Hall, and was trained on the opening big edition on Turn's End. The Weyr Report was nothing like that, not yet, but it was growing.
He tugged the inking level, checked the mix; it had to be thinner than he was used to, to speed dry time. Coastal humidity liked to make trouble. He remembered that, briefly, from the time his apprenticeship ended him back at the Weyr despite his best attempts to stay away, but it had been a rough lesson to re-learn as a Journeyman.
"Smudge on the weather page," Tannar called. The apprentice held up the sheet like a harper showing evidence of a crime.
Komin grimaced. "That's the same roller that caused problems last night. Swap it out after this batch."
There were better jobs in the Printer craft. He had a journalist specialty, after all, and in the days he wasn't rushing to get the copy together he was writing or thinking about writing or researching the writing he wanted to do. He could have been an editor, or a typesetter, or an artist. But none of those had the bone-weary satisfaction of watching the Weyr wake up with the printed word ready for them.
He lived for this rhythm now: ink, press, paper, repeat. Each impression a whisper of the Weyr's voice. He'd be home in time to wake the baby and have breakfast with Vianne before she went off for candidate lessons and chores. Then Ithianne would go to his fostermother and he'd pass out for a few candlemarks. And then it was the same route all over again.
"Next bundle coming up!" one of the apprentices called, shaking Ilthralos back into focus.
Ilthralos grinned, rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, and stepped back to the press. "All right, let's finish this run before the Weyr wakes up."
Last updated on the April 22nd 2025