What You Should Know About Glacier (OOC)
Having been the only PC in Glacier in, uhmn, a while now, I'm taking a page from K'del to indoctrinate the new inductees. There's a mystique to the Wing that's been in my mind for the past couple of years, and it's been easy for me to just "know" what it's like to be a Glacier rider, 'cause it's not like I had anyone else to worry about. So here's some notes-- Philosophy, Leadership, Drills, Duty & Discipline, What K'ndro Can Expect, and What B'tal Can Expect.
Philosophy: Glacier is what it is: a boys' club. They make no apologies for being a "hard" group of men and women to like. There are women flying in the Wing, obviously, but they fit the group pretty well-- either not boat-rockers or the kinds of strong, hard women that would be able to stand their own. Thread's dead and gone, so threadfall-fighting prowess is not really a trait that's bothered with. (See Drills.)
While Glacier may seem hard and cruel to those not in the loop, it's also extremely tight-knit. They have each others' backs without question. While they may harass someone for winning a greenflight with another guy as the rider, they're also the first people to throw a beating if someone else dares to ridicule one of their own. They may snicker at the man that can't hold his own in a poker game, but they're the first people to offer a loan when a person's really down on his luck.
Leadership: F'rint has been Glacier's Wingleader essentially since Teonath's suicide. There's no "official" Wingsecond ("No thread, what do we need a Wingsecond for?"), but different veteran riders can fill in. Kh'met and blue Easrith fill in for F'rint for drills if necessary and can do coaching for riders who might want help with maneuvers. Discipline (beyond the usual "dawnsweeps, sucker!") is still left to N'thei, though it's hardly an issue with the current riders.
Drills: Once a week. Glacier drills once a week, but riders are only required to attend once a month. F'rint leads drills. On the rare occasion that he can't, Kh'met and blue Easrith do so.
Duty & Discipline: Probably should go in philosophy, but that was getting lengthy. ;) In Glacier, you /do not question orders./ F'rint tells you to take a flying leap, you take a flying effing leap. Usually, being that he's a level-headed and reasonable guy, F'rint's orders make sense: "Take sweeps over such-and-such hold." "Keep an eye on so-and-so hold, they're acting shady." On the off-chance that a person is being singled out (likely to happen to B'tal), they're expected to suck it up. The first line of discipline are the crappy sweeps over the crappy holds at the crappy times. Favored riders get sweeps over places like Tillek (with its bars and the barmaids that come with it). Those on the outs wind up at back-of-nowhere holds at midnight.
When bad sweeps fail, F'rint will ground his riders to the Weyr. When that fails... that's when you get to have a "talk." Usually, N'thei delivers these talks, and there's no denying that there's a certain amount of talking-with-fists. So far, this has been effective, and complaints don't leave the Wing. Anyone who would go over F'rint's head would probably find himself pretty well battered-- just never happened so far. Thankfully.
What K'ndro Can Expect: To be welcomed into the brotherhood. He comes across as steady, reliable, easily indoctrinated into the way-of-life. He'll be invited to poker games, encouraged to advance if he wants to, and generally given a real clap-on-the-back treatment.
What B'tal Can Expect: To be warned, in no uncertain terms, by F'rint about his outness. Gay is part of life at a Weyr, but the homosexual riders in Glacier keep their private lives /private./ Even the "out" riders are quiet about their sexuality, don't act on it in public /EVER!!!/, and rarely openly acknowledge that their weyrmates/lovers are their weyrmates or lovers. Mostly, he can expect to be alienated. Depending on his reaction...
Leova pointed out that this kinda surprised her, and I guess it does sound kind of harsh, so let me add: The personal lives of all Glacier's riders are just that-- personal. This isn't the kind of Wing where you go cry on someone's shoulder because you got dumped. F'rint doesn't talk about his woman, N'thei never chatted about his "relationship" with the Weyrwoman, Leova never nattered on about Anvori (or did that happen after she was an AWLM? anyway, probably safe to bet she wouldn't have anyway!), it's just not part of the culture of Glacier. Oggle a pretty little caverns girl? Sure. Talk about the babe you bagged last night? Go for it. But don't put your personal life "out there."
A) No one cares.
B) It will annoy someone.
C) They will probably punch you for it.
Philosophy: Glacier is what it is: a boys' club. They make no apologies for being a "hard" group of men and women to like. There are women flying in the Wing, obviously, but they fit the group pretty well-- either not boat-rockers or the kinds of strong, hard women that would be able to stand their own. Thread's dead and gone, so threadfall-fighting prowess is not really a trait that's bothered with. (See Drills.)
While Glacier may seem hard and cruel to those not in the loop, it's also extremely tight-knit. They have each others' backs without question. While they may harass someone for winning a greenflight with another guy as the rider, they're also the first people to throw a beating if someone else dares to ridicule one of their own. They may snicker at the man that can't hold his own in a poker game, but they're the first people to offer a loan when a person's really down on his luck.
Leadership: F'rint has been Glacier's Wingleader essentially since Teonath's suicide. There's no "official" Wingsecond ("No thread, what do we need a Wingsecond for?"), but different veteran riders can fill in. Kh'met and blue Easrith fill in for F'rint for drills if necessary and can do coaching for riders who might want help with maneuvers. Discipline (beyond the usual "dawnsweeps, sucker!") is still left to N'thei, though it's hardly an issue with the current riders.
Drills: Once a week. Glacier drills once a week, but riders are only required to attend once a month. F'rint leads drills. On the rare occasion that he can't, Kh'met and blue Easrith do so.
Duty & Discipline: Probably should go in philosophy, but that was getting lengthy. ;) In Glacier, you /do not question orders./ F'rint tells you to take a flying leap, you take a flying effing leap. Usually, being that he's a level-headed and reasonable guy, F'rint's orders make sense: "Take sweeps over such-and-such hold." "Keep an eye on so-and-so hold, they're acting shady." On the off-chance that a person is being singled out (likely to happen to B'tal), they're expected to suck it up. The first line of discipline are the crappy sweeps over the crappy holds at the crappy times. Favored riders get sweeps over places like Tillek (with its bars and the barmaids that come with it). Those on the outs wind up at back-of-nowhere holds at midnight.
When bad sweeps fail, F'rint will ground his riders to the Weyr. When that fails... that's when you get to have a "talk." Usually, N'thei delivers these talks, and there's no denying that there's a certain amount of talking-with-fists. So far, this has been effective, and complaints don't leave the Wing. Anyone who would go over F'rint's head would probably find himself pretty well battered-- just never happened so far. Thankfully.
What K'ndro Can Expect: To be welcomed into the brotherhood. He comes across as steady, reliable, easily indoctrinated into the way-of-life. He'll be invited to poker games, encouraged to advance if he wants to, and generally given a real clap-on-the-back treatment.
What B'tal Can Expect: To be warned, in no uncertain terms, by F'rint about his outness. Gay is part of life at a Weyr, but the homosexual riders in Glacier keep their private lives /private./ Even the "out" riders are quiet about their sexuality, don't act on it in public /EVER!!!/, and rarely openly acknowledge that their weyrmates/lovers are their weyrmates or lovers. Mostly, he can expect to be alienated. Depending on his reaction...
Leova pointed out that this kinda surprised her, and I guess it does sound kind of harsh, so let me add: The personal lives of all Glacier's riders are just that-- personal. This isn't the kind of Wing where you go cry on someone's shoulder because you got dumped. F'rint doesn't talk about his woman, N'thei never chatted about his "relationship" with the Weyrwoman, Leova never nattered on about Anvori (or did that happen after she was an AWLM? anyway, probably safe to bet she wouldn't have anyway!), it's just not part of the culture of Glacier. Oggle a pretty little caverns girl? Sure. Talk about the babe you bagged last night? Go for it. But don't put your personal life "out there."
A) No one cares.
B) It will annoy someone.
C) They will probably punch you for it.