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Joining

To join the craft, simply get through chargen after you character is approved. Make sure you age your character appropriately for the rank you wish to begin at! Also, ensure that your background reflects their progression to the rank you desire. Once approved, use the Crafter Exit and a wizard can add you to the craft if need be. doc .who in game will let you know what other Dolphineers are on.

Uniform

The DolphinCraft uniform isn't very complex, it consists of a dolphin blue jacket and pants, and a white shirt. The jacket has long sleeves and is made of soft fine leather , the knot is worn on the right shoulder and on that shoulder a patch is worn if the dolphineer is assigned to a hold or weyr rather than the main hall, on the opposite shoulder a dolphincraft patch is worn.
There isn't much difference between the ranks when it comes to uniforms, The apprentice uniform is just as described and the journeyman uniform adds some intricate knotwork and such along the edge of the jacket. For masters the knotwork is a little more detailed and also runs down the seams of the pants legs.
Of course, when they're working in the water or diving, dolphineers will have a different uniform aka diving gear. For a description of the diving gear please go to the Teaching Cavern at the DOC and look at the Diving Gear Booklet.

Promotions

APPRENTICE: People accepted into the craft start at this rank of course. Commonly people come in around the age of 13 turns or so, though this is quite flexible. People joining the craft significantly later in life also begin at this rank. Commonly an apprentice is able to swim when they join and must be physically and mentally able to handle their duties and training.

Duties: An apprentice spends most of their time learning, including how to swim, but much of the rest of the time is spent doing work and chores to pay for their education. Mainly, they don't spend all their time playing with dolphins and that's for certain, however, they're expected to play with the dolphins and get to know them. If they find a suitable match for their personality and such both parties might decide to become partners.

Skills: A dolphineer learns a large variety of skills as an apprentice, from dolphin physiology to meteorology, the list is really to numerous to list here but they tend to be more varied than specialized.

Knots: The apprentice knot is laced with only DolphinCraft blue until the apprentice has a partner, and then the secondary color is added.

SENIOR APPRENTICE: These are apprentices who have distinguished themselves some by moving beyond the basics of the craft. Most commonly, this rank is attained when they have been allowed more time alone with a potential dolphin partner with whom they will potentially partner to and train with.

JOURNEYMAN: These crafters have established that they can perform the duties required of a dolphineer and no longer need basic training. There is a hard age guideline of 19 turns for this rank, and many do not achieve it until 20 or more turns, even if they started quite early. It is upon Journeyman that most dolphincrafters will partner with a Dolphin. Not every dolphin chooses a partner and not every Journeyman will partner to a dolphin either. It is an agreement between dolphin and human.

Duties: Journeyman dolphineers are generally posted at various seaside Holds and Weyrs all around Pern. They care for local pods of dolphins, verify sea charts in their area and make new ones, work with fishermen, and work with local healers to some extent.

Skills: There aren't many specialist journeymen, usually those journeymen who begin working on specializations become masters upon becoming proficient in that speciality. This isn't always true, but generally is. Journeyman skills are very widely varied.

Knots: The knot is a standard Journeyman knot, laced in dolphin blue and white.

SENIOR JOURNEYMAN: This rank is commonly bestowed upon either dragonriders who are very experienced, but not so much so as a master or simply do not have the time devotions required of a master, and upon a posted journeyman who is the most senior at their post (and hence in charge of craft operations there). The age restriction is a bit softer, at around 24 turns, though this is more of a situational rank than anything else.

MASTER: To attain this rank a journeyman must do one of two things, have the ability and inclination to teach, or be focused into a more specific field of study within the craft, and teach that as well. While journeyman might teach apprentices some things, its the masters that really do the heavy lifting. Some teach more than others, but all can and do at times. Most journeyman are not inclined towards this and do not become masters. The age guideline tends to be at least 28 turns, and many are significantly older.

Duties: The duty of most masters is to teach apprentices and journeymen, others are posted to the larger seaside holds or weyrs and have similar duties as journeymen there.

Skills: Most journeymen become masters because of either, their ability to teach or they've gained a specialization in the craft which they can practice.

Knots: The standard master's knot in DolphinCraft colors, dolphin blue and white.

Masters of the craft vote to determine the Craftmaster, who then picks the Craftsecond.

Postings

Dolphin CraftHall: The main Hall, located reasonably close to Landing. This is the nexus of the craft instead of Landing and is where most Dolphineers are located. The main duties besides the usual is teaching apprentices.

Healer Craft: This posting is generally for cross-crafting Dolphineers, basicly a Healer trained Dolphineer, usually specializing in the uses of dolphin sonar for healing the sick. (currently in process of being worked on)

Most any other seaside Hold or Weyr is fair game for a posting. Inland weyrs are not. Dolphins do not hang out in fresh water areas.

Specialty

Dolphineers learn a very wide variety of skills including but not limited to, dolphin physiology, meteorology, chartography, dolphin medicine, fishing, diving, marine biology, search and rescue at sea, and a little to do with most things sea related really. Some dolphineers, usually masters, have specialized in some areas, these tend to be things like dolphin healing, dolphin linguistics and sonar, and marine biology.

To set your speciality on the DOC knot:

&specialty me=<specialty>

Rules

IC:

  1. Angst: Feel free to do angst scenes, in fact, they are great for RP, but please make sure those involved in the scene are comfortable with it.
  2. Relationships: Go for it! Everyone from Apprentices to Masters are allowed to be in relationships. The Hall is located pretty close to Rubicon River Hold which is quite free, this in turn has influenced the Hall. The Dolphincraft is one of the more open Halls.
  3. Alcohol: As long as they are 16 turns of age, anyone is allowed to drink. However keep in mind ICA=IAA. If an apprentice comes to class drunk they will likely be facing some form of punishment. And if anyone attempts to swim after drinking alcohol there will be MAJOR consequences. Our S&R workers shouldn't have to worry about rescuing their own.
  4. Apprentice Behavior: Apprentices should be respectful to those above their rank and should have general courtesy towards each other. Depending on who you are apprenticed to, you may feel free to pull pranks. If your NPC wouldn't care, RP it as if he wouldn't. You're really free to do as you wish, but keep in mind that other PC characters of higher rank or their NPC's may not take to it as kindly and you might be in for some punishment.

OOC:

  1. Please be courteous to those around in the Hall. We are all here to just have fun and play. Just leave the drama out of it and enjoy yourselves!

Search

Humans and Dolphins sometimes partner. Not all Dolphineers have dolphin partners, and it is not required that you have one. It is more common for a Dolphin to choose a non-rider as a partner, than a rider. Those non-riders who choose a partner rarely accept Search afterwards, because this will mean giving up their dolphin partner.

Please ask a wizard if you need a dolphin partner object set up.

Staff

Currently Master rank Kalen is staff so feel free to message him or +mail him with questions. Please ask HelpDesk or the wizards for assistance with making dolphin puppet.

The wiki is run by Valeska and Taline.