Difference between revisions of "Life in the Hold"

Hold Overview

Here you will find detailed information into the Hold structure at Triad Weyrs.

Ranks

Lord Holder
The Lord Holder oversees the direction his Hold is taking and is ultimately responsible for all formal business decisions. He has a duty to responsibly govern those who look to him for protection, which means ensuring their survival, distributing supplies, and resolving their disputes. He also serves as his area's representative to the rest of Pern, and has responsibilities to attend Conclave.

Lady Holder
The Lady Holder is married to the Lord of the Hold. She is to produce heirs, oversee the Headwoman, and promote positive relationships between the Hold and Weyr. The Lady Holder also oversees her Ladies-in-Waiting who look to the Lady of the Hold for introductions to eligible bachelors. She also oversees any children "fostered" by neighboring Holds.

Steward
The Steward's job involves a mix of working with people and large amounts of hidework. Those who need to appeal to the Lord must first pass their request through the Steward, who is responsible for making sure that critical information is brought to his attention. He makes sure the Hold has up to date records of all the business transactions it is involved in. It is alo the Steward's job to know the types of work that needs to be done in the Hold's territory, and decide who is doing it. Male holders are organized into labor divisions that report to the Steward.

• See: Steward's Staff for detailed information on the Steward's responsibilities and those that work with him.

Headwoman
The Headwoman's job is to oversee the internal needs of the Hold. She makes sure the Hold is not going to run out of vital supplies, and oversees the distribution of common supplies to the residents of the hold. She allocates housing assignments to the residents, and helps ensure the domestic records are kept accurate. Drudges and servant women are organized by the areas where their duty lies - laundry, kitchen, creche, cleaning, etc - and they are overseen by the Headwoman.

• Note: The Headwoman and the Steward fill complementary roles. Her job is to handle the Hold's internal operations, while his job is to handle the Hold's relationship with the outside world. The pair must coordinate to know what supplies and resources the Hold currently possesses, what it is scheduled to receive in tithes and shipments, and what it might owe to its parent Weyr as well as any bigger Hold it looks to.

Occupations

Holders make up the bulk of Pern's population and workforce. There is a wide variety of jobs for them to perform, and two people working for the same Hold may have entirely different duties according to their talents, temperaments, and assignments.

The type of workers a hold needs depends on the environment of the hold and what resources it has access to. Sea holds will have holders who know about fishing and boats and weather, while farm holds will have animal herders and field hands.

The hold residents of noble bloodlines have slightly different duties from an average holder. In general, they are fostered to different Holds in hopes of forming marriage alliances. Members of both genders receive training in Hold management from the appropriate higher-ranking members of the Hold structure. They may work as assistants, understewards, or other positions above those of the regular laborers.

Note that some jobs overlap in name and function with those in the established Crafts. A Craft education is formal advanced training in many aspects of a trade. The holder versions of the same job are informally taught via on the job experience and focused on the practicalities of day to day living. Occupations that overlap with a Craft are denoted via an *. Note that none of the overlapping jobs on this list may wear Craft knots; that is a privilege for the Craft-trained only.

Here is a list of sample jobs:

People of the Hold

Crafters

Crafters are contracted to work at a Hold via agreement with the local Lord. The contract benefits both sides. The Lord Holder provides them with housing and workspace from which to run their business. In turn, the Crafters contribute the benefit of their skills to the Hold where they reside. Contract durations may range from a short-term agreement to a long-term one.

Some Crafters are hired by a Hold to provide services. For example, Technicians repair the electronics in more modern Holds, while Harpers teach children and provide entertainment. Other Crafters might be leaders of the non-craft-trained holders who work in a field related to theirs. For example, a Journeyman Woodcrafter might be in charge of the Hold's complement of carpenters, or a Beastcrafter's job to run the stables.

There are multiple options for those Crafters who produce tangible goods like Weavers or Smiths. They might assist the Hold's Headwoman is managing the non-craft-trained holders, so a Journeyman Weaver aiding the women who spin and tailor. Or they have the option to operate mostly independently. These Crafters might use their provided space as offices for their business and spend most of their time taking private commissions from individuals. They would still be expected to provide items that the Hold needs as part of their tithe, or else pay a set amount of marks from their profits.

Drudges

Drudges are unskilled laborers at the hold. See the Drudges article for more information on their daily lives.

Cotholders

Basic Schedule and Overview

Cotholders live in the small cots (cottages) surrounding the Hold proper and it’s outlying areas. Holders living outside of the Hold might be married journeyman craftsmen (healers, farmers, etc.) and their families, beastcrafters and their families or any member of a craft (official or otherwise) needing or meriting space due to the expansion of their family etc.

The cots themselves are simple dwellings, with a main living area, one to two bedrooms and a bathing room.

Mealtimes

• 6cm-10cm Breakfast period
• 12cm-2cm Lunch period
• 18cm-20cm Dinner period

While many cotholders choose to prepare and eat their meals at their own cots, some might choose to eat particular meals at the hold and the same basic meal times apply for all.

Clothing

Most often clothing materials (cloth, thread) are obtained via trade or with marks during market days. The Hold will also provide simple garments if absolutely necessary, however most cotholders have some method of trading or using marks earned to buy the basic clothing and toiletries needed from day to day.

Guardsmen Information

Women's Role in the Holds

Childrearing in a Hold