Threshing is the event that takes place annually on October 1, where first-year cadets bond to the dragon that they will ride for the rest of their lives.
General Information[]
Before being able to participate in Threshing, cadets must first complete the Gauntlet two days prior. Cadets that complete the Gauntlet will then proceed to Presentation where they walk through the meadow so that the dragons that are willing to bond can see and assess that year's cadets. Any cadets that the dragons do not like are incinerated. Cadets will also try to take out those they view as competition because fewer cadets means better odds at Threshing. There are never enough dragons willing to bond with the number of available cadets.
Threshing takes place in the bowl-shaped forested valley, also called the fields, beneath the citadel at Basgiath. During Threshing all first-year cadets are put in the training grounds to find a dragon that is willing to bond to them while the second- and third-year riders watch as the cadets decide which dragons to approach and which to avoid. Second- and third-year cadets are not allowed to interfere. This leads to first-year cadets being able to act on their vendettas and kill other cadets that they do not like, or whomever they deem to be a liability to the wing.
If a dragon has already selected a cadet to bond with from Presentation, they will be calling to that cadet. Cadets are instructed to pay attention to their feelings, so they don't miss that call and to trust their instincts if something tells them to walk in a different direction to avoid a dragon. Cadets are also instructed to go on their own because they are more likely to be incinerated if they travel in groups.
Threshing begins around nine o'clock in the morning and does not officially conclude until nightfall. If unbonded by the end of the day, cadets are told to continue to walk around the fields looking for a dragon to bond with and a professor or senior leadership will bring them out when Threshing has officially concluded. If a first-year cadet survives Threshing unbonded, the quadrant allows them to repeat the year and attempt to bond again the following year.
Once a cadet bonds with a dragon, the dragon will put them through a series of flight trials, where the dragon will fly and turn, testing the rider's abilities, and the rider must stay on the dragon. If the rider falls from their seat, then the dragon might either catch them and place them back in the seat, or if the dragon deems them unworthy, then the dragon will let the cadet fall to the ground and die.
After a successful flight trial, the dragon will land on the flight field and the rider will tell the roll-keeper their dragon's full name. Only the rider and the roll-keeper know a dragon's full name. The rider giving the roll-keeper the dragon's full name confirms that they have bonded. Bleachers are set up near the dais for spectators to observe.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- There's always a shift in the power dynamics the day after Threshing. Bonding to a powerful dragon will raise a rider's status, and bonding to a smaller dragon will lower their status.