Senior Weyrwoman Jenessa & Gold Taylienth
Weyrleader E'lan & Bronze Tasyirth
Junior Weyrwoman Branella & Gold Rienth
Weyrsecond T'reli & Brown Nayleth

Colors: Turquoise blue, orange and black.
Emblem: Turquoise blue water, black mountains and a blazing orange sun..

Location: On the shores of the Caspian Lake, near the Sea of Azov.

The ninth Weyr, or the third founded in the Southern Continent, Xanadu is located on the western shore of the Caspian Lake. Carved from a large granite outcropping that overlooks the small body of water, and smaller than most Weyrs, it nonetheless has the capacity for housing more riders in nearby cotholds. Xanadu is currently responsible for the coverage of four Holds: Rubicon River Hold, Malay Hold, Azov Hold and Xanadu Hold; and two Crafthalls: Vintner and Farmer.

Xanadu was founded in the early Turns of the Ninth Interval as a way to deal with the overcrowding of the Northern Weyrs. Named for the Ancient stakehold, which buildings form its Weyrhall, kitchen and other main living quarters, Xanadu overlooks the western shore of the Caspian Lake where the wide Rubicon River meets the smaller inner sea known as Azov -- a body of water full of tiny upthrust islands. It is located on the top of a large granite outcropping and is famed for both its chimneystack and the wide stone steps that were cut into the granite from 'hall to lakeshore.

Breda, a former Weaver Journeywoman from Crom, and her Dragon Amaranth, Ramoth's daughter, were thought to be good possibilities for Weyrwoman and Senior gold of the ninth Weyr. Indeed, Xanadu flourished through the first quarter of the Ninth Interval under Breda's management, her legacy left forever within the magnificent tapestries of the Weyrhall. The Weyr expanded slowly during that Interval, riders making their homes in the cliffs dug into the cliffs of the Weyr, although both riders and residents also constructed stone cotholds in the lush valleys and plains surrounding the Weyr.

The only tragedy to speak of was the sudden death of one of the Weyrwomen during the latter Turns of the Interval, from what appeared to be a weak heart. Still, when the Tenth Pass arrived, Xanadu was more than ready to fight Thread over Rubicon River Hold, which was at that time the only Hold in the area. Several large farming communities, however, were scattered from the Sea of Azov to the coast and between the Hawaiian and Rubicon Rivers. During the Tenth Pass these areas prospered and eventually three more areas were granted formal Holdings: Xanadu, Malay and Azov.

A standing feature during the Tenth Pass was Xanadu's Headwoman, Griela -- a formidable woman who ran the Weyr efficiently with two separate Werywoman, Nadina and then her successor Ysolde. Even during her latter Turns, Griela could not be stopped from offering sage advice to the new Headwoman and only deteriorated when, at eighty-two, her beloved husband Jiaren passed away.

Shortly after the end of the Tenth Pass Ysolde, the Senior Weyrwoman, at that time began complaining of symptoms that the Weyr's Healers could not explain. Suffering from persistent, steadily worsening headaches and a slowly ebbing reserve of physical energy, the Weyrwoman continued to serve at the side of Weyrleader A'ster for nearly two Turns, during which her lifemate did not once rise to mate. At the end of that time, it was officially decided that Sarianth was infertile -- though no Dragonhealer could discover a cause -- and that Ysolde herself was unfit to continue as Xanadu's ranking goldrider.

As tradition dictates the Senior position was thrown open to the next gold to rise. To the surprise of many it was the Jayrieth who took the skies, a Dragon and her lifemate, Corina, who had temporarily transferred from Southern Barrier Weyr to help while Ysolde was sick. She was caught by bronze Leyath, J'rey's lifemate. Jayrieth's leadership of Xanadu sealed a bond between the two Weyrs; one that was to be repaid some several hundred Turns later. The resulting 35 eggs were the first in a lengthy string of successive clutches as the Weyrleaders presided over the lakeside Weyr for nearly forty-five Turns.

Jayrieth proved to be an extremely fertile gold, clutching four queens during her tenure as senior, including her successor. The tradition of strong golds and riders continued well into the Interval, Xanadu's uneventful existence marred only by the occasional ice storm. In fact, during Turn 120 of the Interval a tragic accident happened at the Weyr that cost the lives of several residents and three Dragonriders -- one a Wingleader. After spending the night drinking in the Weyrhall, they'd decided to make their way back to their Weyrs, not knowing of the storm outside, and they slipped on the icy stairs. Immediately a wooden handrail -- metal would've given ice burns -- was installed and rules instated about salting the steps. On any given icy night, the first one to leave the Weyrhall must carry an ever-present bucket down the steps, salting as he or she goes.

As the Eleventh Pass loomed closer, the disease hit Xanadu hard. Several of her queens were already reaching an age at which they were unlikely to rise again and in the same Turn as the disease hit only two of the then five golds flew. Trapped in meetings to determine their response to the disease, many of the senior riders passed away in the first few Sevendays including the Weyrwoman, two Junior Weyrwomen, the Weyrleader, Weyrsecond, two Wingleaders and the WeyrlingMaster. The remaining two Junior Weyrwomen, one but newly graduated from Weyrlinghood, set up a system of drum codes for communicating between the individual cotholds and the main Weyr. If no one responded to a drum code with in seven days, their cottage was razed to the ground. Somehow, although devastated, Xanadu rose quite dramatically from the ashes, both Weyrwomen surviving.

Almost immediately it became apparent that many of the Weyrs were less fortunate. Their oldest friends, Southern Barrier, had lost all its Weyrwomen and so, in repayment for Corina's transfer so many Turns ago Hass, the youngest Werywoman, and her lifemate Cyrith, still unflown, were sent to assist. Malene, the remaining Weyrwoman, threw herself into reviving the Weyr venturing out to help build cotholds, gathering crops and doing everything that she could to get Xanadu viable once more. Her Dragon, Sirioth rose and was caught by bronze Jorilth, S'dor's lifemate, laying a respectable clutch of 32 eggs. Unfortunately Malene, still intent on restoring Xanadu, was fatally injured when involved in rebuilding a cothold -- her legs were crushed beyond any Healer's help. Refusing a mercy draught, Malene battled in a fellis-induced haze to keep alive just long enough to see the eggs hatch. Thankfully, it was but two days later.

To everyone's surprise (including the candidates themselves), it was the eccentric Harper Apprentice Jenessa, who'd just been raked across her sandaled foot by a particularly clumsy green and was within seconds of being carried off by the Healers, who Impressed the second-to-last hatchling on the sands, clouded amber gold Taylienth. The last egg to hatch produced one of only two bronzes, royal scarlet bronze Tasyirth who chose the Healer attending Jenessa -- Eelian, making him E'lan. The end of Weyrlinghood saw all thirty-two pairs, a number of them close friends, graduate into the Wings.

Two and a half Turns later, somewhat early but definitely needed, Taylienth rose to mate. In the end, bronze Tasyirth earned the favor of the wiley gold, his lifemate Weyrleadership. His ascension ushered in several changes in Wingleaders and Wingseconds, as well as the tapping of a much younger, more liberal Weyrsecond in clutchsib T'reli. Though young, the newest of Monaco's Weyrleaders appear to have their Weyr well in hand, E'lan's innate sense of caring and odd dosing of humor balancing Jenessa's tendency toward shyness.

When the Weyrs broached the subject of returning to the past, Jenessa and E'lan firmly backed the proposal, and welcomed new members to their home some months later when the plan had come to fruition.

Xanadu, for all its past, is a family orientated Weyr with many of the riders and residents choosing to spend their lives together. For despite its cold winters, Xanadu is a beautiful location. Much of the free time at Xanadu is often spent wallowing in the lake, which is spectacularly warm and clear during the summer months -- it's often possible to see the bottom of the lake even from the deepest points. Indeed, many of the Weyr's Dragons love to fly high above the water and then fold their wings, diving into the water with huge splashes.

Xanadu produces very little of its own supplies, relying more heavily on its surrounding cotholds to feed its riders and residents. Indeed, during the Tenth Interval Rubicon was awarded Major Hold status and both the Vintners and the Farmers moved their Southern Crafthall into the Weyr's coverage area at Malay and Xanadu respectively.

Xanadu has five fighting wings: Horizon, led by K'brel and brown Tamlanth, Meridian, led by D'ran and bronze Ladarath, Equator, led by K'ren and brown Saeryth, Tropic, led by Dorissa and green Seereth and the Weyrleader's wing: Hemisphere.

Born a child of Fort's Harper Hall, Jenessa was always considered eccentric. Not overly bizarre of course, as she was able to interact as any child would, just very unique. From an early age, she was able to sing and memorize nearly every scroll she was given, talents that almost (but not quite) outweighed her inability to master any instrument. At seventeen Turns, the young Harper had worked her way to Senior Apprentice and was teetering on the edge of her promotion to Journeyrank when a visiting blue dragon selected her out of a crowd of young Fortians to stand for the hardening clutch at Xanadu Weyr. A dazed, slightly disbelieving Jenessa accepted and was whisked Southward.

Candidacy was, as it usually is, a blur as much for the eccentric Harper as for any other. The tragic accident involving Weyrwoman Malene two days before the hatching shocked the Weyr at large, leaving a somewhat shaken candidate class to file onto the Hatching Sands to greet both clutch parents and Weyrleader S'dor alone. It was the second-to-last egg which held the much needed gold hatchling, an egg which went entirely unnoticed as having watched all five of those she'd come to call friends leave the sands with lifemates, Jenessa's attention wandered her into the path of a particularly clumsy green, who's misplaced talon foot stepped across Jenessa's sandaled one, leaving a deep gash across the Candidate's foot. She was in the process of being led off the sands when a voice mind to mind halted her. << Where do you think you're going? I've been waiting for you /forever/ and now you're walking away -- come back here! I am Taylienth by the way, and I'm hungry. If you're going to go eat, don't you dare do it without me. >> Everyone, most of all Jenessa, was shocked at the Impression of the Clouded Amber Gold Hatchling.

Taylienth proved as surprising as her lifemate, rising when only two and a half Turns old, confirming Jenessa as Xanadu's Senior Weyrwoman and clutchsib E'lan as Weyrleader. The resulting thirty-eight eggs were exactly what were needed; most of all the gold egg which produced Branella's Rienth. Jenessa, despite predictions to the contrary, has become a dependable if unusual Weyrwoman.

Originally from Nerat, Eelian or Eelie as he is commonly known grew up in a small but prosperous fishhold among a large family. Certain from an early age that a SeaCrafter's life was not for him, the boy shadowed one Crafter after another until finding a specialty which suited him startlingly well: healing. It was the Hold's posted Journeyman who recommended his young assistant to the Hall, though it was the CraftMaster himself who welcomed Eelian in as full apprentice in his fifteenth Turn.

Earning his Journeyman's knot at nineteen, Eelian was given a posting at Xanadu Weyr, arriving a-dragonback as luck would have it on the night the hardening clutch there began to rock. Stationed on the sands with several others, it was Eelie who attended a somewhat clumsy female candidate raked by a searching green, and it was he who witnessed her Impression to the clutch's gold hatchling. But what no one expected was the choice of the last dragonet, a scarlet bronze: << E'lan! Look at me. She will be taken care of, you have seen to that. Now you too will be cared for, for as long as I am alive. I am your Tasyirth, and you are my E'lan. You were gentlest of them all and this is why I chose you. >>

Three Turns saw the unexpected Impressee go from Healer Journeyman, to bronzerider, and finally to Weyrleader as Tasyirth won the flight of Jenessa's gold Taylienth. Recognizing something beyond a simple respect for his Weyrwoman in his feelings toward the unique goldrider, E'lan dared ask the question that made them not only Weyrleaders but Weyrmates.

Branella was raised among the children of Southern Hold, uncertain of her parents except for the fact that he rode green and she had never wanted children. Learning snippets of everyday tasks from her foster parents and the other Holders, Nella, as she was known, quickly realized that her passion in life had nothing to do with dull, dreary indoor work. What she required was motion, lots of it. It came as no surprise to anyone when the hyperactive little fosterling began training as a Hold runner.

It was while on messenger detail some four Turns after joining the Hold's runners that a green dragon not of Southern but Xanadu Weyr took notice of her, deciding that if she did as well in flight as she did on foot, she would be perfect for the newest Weyrwoman's clutch. After turning the little girl upside down and downside up in an impressive aerial display, Dorissa's green deemed her worthy and carried her to the Weyr.

The queen egg was the first to hatch among the thirty-eight, a Misted Sunlight Gold Hatchling who knew exactly who and what she wanted and made a VTOL line straight as any runner's route to Branella's side. << You /are/ here! I didn't think there'd be anyone as perfect as you here. You must have come a long way getting here. My name is Rienth, I like you Branella. Can we eat now? I'm hungry. And this *itch*! Please do something about it? >>

Branella joined the queen's Wing, Polar, out of graduation, and has been working hard with Jenessa to secure Xanadu's future.

Torelassi, or Torie as he was known to his friends, was a Weyrbrat plain and simple. Raised in Xanadu's creche as the product of a mating flight, the child was a notorious prankster and forever getting himself in as much trouble as he possibly could. At thirteen the questions became ever more insistent: would this unruly Weyr terror ever join a Craft, or just linger in the cotholds forever raising chaos? The questions that generally ruled the gang of rough and tumble Weyrboys were often quite different, and one day they went along the line of -- "Can we make a dragon sneeze?" But instead of making the lounging brown's nose tickle, the startled boys found themselves rumbled at, wuffled and then approached by an amused-looking lifemate. According to her, ringleader Torelassi wasn't in trouble this time, he was Searched.

Needless to say, Candidate pranks abounded. Coming within an inch of getting himself thrown out more than once, somehow the rambunctious young man survived till hatching day. As eggs cracked one by one around him, Torie failed to notice the docile, elegant Courier Brown Hatchling tottering toward him until << T'reli, my name is Nayleth and I am /very/ happy to see you. I am also very hungry and-what are all these things you desire to do? You would not do any of them to *me* would you? >>

The unusual blend of T'reli's wild nature and Nayleth's conservative outlook made for many the challenge during Weyrlinghood, eventually creating a much more well-balanced man than the prankster of the Turn before. On E'lan's ascension to Weyrleader, the presentation of an elaborate knot and the phrase, "We need you," served as proof of T'reli's reformation, turning humorist into Weyrsecond.