Month 1: Dragon Ages 0-2 months
Overview
These first couple months of your dragon's life may well be the most exhausting your character will ever experience. They'll also be some of the hardest to adjust to, as you've now got your own personal voice in your head, complete with feeding, oiling, and caring needs!
At this point, your dragons are very immature and may need your constant presence to reassure them. Remember, they're just starting out, and while they may be physically more able than an infant, they're still just babies. Luckily for you, this also means that they sleep quite a bit. Less luckily for you, it means that you need to do quite a bit for them. They'll be eating a full, large bowl of meat about four to five times a day during this time period, and they're not able to hunt it down. This means that you and your fellow weyrlings are about to become very familiar with the butchering process. They'll probably need bathed about once a day as well, since they'll be needing oiling anywhere from two to four times a day and are not quite able to avoid getting themselves dirty yet.
Your most important duty right now, ICly, is to explore your new bond. You'll need to learn to 'firewall', figuring out just what /you/ feel as opposed to what your new partner is feeling, whether it be hunger, sleepiness, or itches. Your dragons are still very curious, and may ask a number of questions about you and why you do the things you do or feel the way you do about certain people. There will almost always be an adult dragonrider somewhere nearby to help and to keep an eye on you, though you will certainly have plenty of privacy to explore what is indeed a very private bond.
At this juncture, your lifemates are no more able to care for themselves than a human toddler, even though they might seem to be more advanced mentally. You'll have to muck out your cleaning area daily, as they're certainly not able to go between to deposit their waste, and each of their several feedings a day must be followed by oiling before they settle down for a nap. For this first IC month of life, weyrlings will be excused from all chores that do not directly involve caring for and learning about their new bonds, which are a handful in and of themselves.
Basic Dragon Care
Newly hatched dragons grow quickly and must eat a great deal to keep up the pace. This month, they’ll be eating three times a day, and during growth spurts they may even demand snacks between meals. You’ll need to cut meat to feed your dragon, as well as tend closely to make sure he or she doesn’t overeat or fail to chew.
Of course, what goes in must come out. Adult dragons excrete *between,* but until yours learn how, they’ll excrete in their couches (at first) and in the weyrling field (when they have better control). You’re responsible for mucking out their waste from the barracks.
Overeating or a diet consisting of too little fat (when meat is lean) can cause thicktail, or constipation. Supplies for purging the condition are available, and you will be instructed on the diagnosis and purging process in the first sevenday of your dragon’s life.
The dragons’ hides must be oiled regularly; due to the fast growth, dragon “skin” becomes tight and itchy. Failure to keep it supple with oil can cause dry or thin patches and eventual discoloration on the beast, while scratching at itchy spots with sharp dragon talons can cause injury and infection. Weyrlings need to do the work of scratching when necessary, and oil their beasts regularly.
Restrictions
The only restriction on your freedom is that, when your dragon is awake, you must be near him or her. Without your presence, your young dragon may panic, and this can upset not only the other weyrlings, but the rest of the Weyr. When your dragon is asleep, you have the run of the Weyr. Otherwise your responsibilities are comparable to that of most dragonriders: behave respectfully toward others, with especial care to the requirements of rank and duty; be dedicated and responsible about your dragon and your work; keep yourself and your dragon and your living space tidy and clean.
For these first, crucial months of life for your beasts, sexual relations are disallowed; there should be no extra time for such activities anyway.
Additionally, R'vain has demanded, simply put, sobriety from the weyrlings. We'll see how long he manages that himself.
Sample Schedule
Many days will follow this basic format. Many days might not; feel free to RP doing other things if it works for you. Remember that your lifemates require constant attention when awake, and when they sleep you’ll find you desperately need that time for cleaning, personal hygiene, and lessons.
• 6:00 AM - Wake up, dawn feeding of dragons
• 6:45 AM - Weyrlings run circuits around the bowl
• 8:00 AM - Cleanup/Breakfast
• 9:00 AM - Classroom lessons, dragons nap
• 11:00 AM - Late morning feeding of dragons, bathing and oiling
• 12:30 PM - Lunch/free time
• 3:00 PM - Group exercises
• 5:00 PM - Evening feeding of dragons
• 6:00 PM - Dinner/free time
• 10:00 PM - Nighttime feeding of dragons, lights-out
Chores:
Get to know your fellow weyrlings
Butchering carcasses
Haircuts
Feeding and oiling dragons
Physical exercises
Keeping the barracks tidy
Mucking your cots
Refilling oil vats