Great Wyrm

A puddlejumper in youth may count their growth by the seasons and see the future as a continuation of a cycle of life. The Elder Caelfoc, those Great Wyrms held up inside their outposts by bodies too broken to continue their work know that it is quite the opposite.
While the mighty oak may shed her leaves to survive the winter and see the next spring, the fieldmouse will often find no refuge and become food for scavengers in the spring. The forces of nature are not filled with whimsy as those followers of Plospryn would have you believe.
No, to face the fury of Firn is to see her frosted mask and recognize it as the truth. The truth that few can ever learn to accept.
The puddlejumper finds their life to be likened to and defined by the seasons, but the Wyrm knows that their death is the more accurate comparison.

— Caelfoc; March against the Climate.

Great Wyrms are those Ancient Caelfoc that have grown to an age or state that they can no longer perform their functions. Once they reach this point, they are retired to an administrative position in one of the major cities of Renai. In this way, the surviving Elders of the Caelfoc are preserved as wellsprings of knowledge and advice to the next generations.
Every major city is nominally staffed by two Great Wyrm, however, the amount of people that survive the treacherous climb to that rank are few in number and cities often have only a single lead Caelfoc, or may have to share with other cities while Ancients continue the climb to become Great.

To Become a Great Wyrm

There is a single requirement to become a Great Wyrm.
All that is truly required for the change is rank is for an Ancient Caelfoc to have or profess an inability to perform the necessary functions of their position. Rarely, this comes about through old age, but the Caelfoc Union is not a group to grow old in. More commonly, an Ancient is forced to retire after being injured or once their health has declined to the point that they can't object to being constrained to the safety of an urban environment.
This does result in a culture of Ancients going on 'Final Runs' before being locked into cities for the rest of their lives. More 'Final Runs' end in fatalities than any other activity the Caelfoc participate in.

To Be a Great Wyrm

Great Wyrms are consigned to dealing with the paperwork and administration of their regions.
This means that the Great Wyrms are in charge of accepting and training new Wyrmling Caelfoc before assigning them to work details and directing them to the places where they are needed the greatest.
This responsibility combined with the low numbers of available Caelfoc means that Great Wyrms are constantly subjected to political outcry over their decisions. Not every road can be cleared, but the people often believe that the Caelfoc are capable of miracles.
In addition, Great Wyrms have the responsibility of approving promotions and directing more senior members to tasks that require a higher amount of skill and wherewithal.

Type

Civic, Professional

Related Locations

• Draconic Range
• Frost Shield
• The Coast of Lights
• The Interior

Related Organizations

• Caelfoc Union

Where are these quotes from?

Caelfoc; March against the Climate. Is a book written in the middle of the 900s when the plummeting membership of the Union and other significant events pushed the populace into a melancholic depression. Many pieces from this time period reflect on the futility of life and ambition when the hands of fate seem to take offence to such actions.