Beholden Areas of Ista Weyr

Ista Weyr flies coverage for a myriad of smaller holds throughout its coverage area, among them Rocky, Hold Gar, Sea Cliff, and Red Sands, all on Ista Island itself; the majority of these are an hour behind Ista Weyr's time. Ista's coverage extends across five time zones, to encompass the following major settlements:

Nerat Hold on the Nerat Peninsula offers a climate similar to that of Ista, with tropical rainforests wherein the ging trees grow profusely. As a result, Nerat supplies Ista Weyr with the bulk of its produce received from a single hold: wedgenuts (Brazil nuts), peanuts, pecans, almonds, walnuts, citrus, teas, berries, pears, apples, numbweed, a teak-like hardwood, a triangular bamboo that the Weyr binds and dries into furniture, chicken, fish, wherries. Free-range hen eggs are a rare and especial treat from Nerat to Ista. Wine, brandies, liquors, and grain are also produced. Herbs are plentiful here as well, for Nerat raises the whole range of herbs brought to Pern by the colonists. Included among these are spices expensive and not so plentiful elsewhere: ginger, cinnamon, basil, chamomile, clove, oregano, nutmeg and more.

The Farmcraft Hall shares location with Nerat Hold, taking advantage of the area's lush greenery and rich earth to grow and experiment with the most innovative and hardiest strains of crops in the Northern Continent. Due to the presence of the Farmcrafthall, Nerat produces the widest variety of vegetables, fruits, grain, and woods than any other Hold on the Northern continent, and Ista benefits of this richness from both Hall and Hold.

Half-Circle Sea Hold is now under Ista's coverage, having been ceded when Benden Weyr's coverage area was redistributed (the majority between Telgar Weyr and Igen), after Benden's water sources dried up to the extent it was unable to support a significant dragon population. The Sea Hold has accepted the change in its inimitable manner, and curently tithes to Ista Weyr portions of its grain, tubers, and fruit along with salted and smoked packtail and other fish.

Nerat, the Farmerhall, and Half-Circle are four hours ahead of Ista Weyr.

Keroon, as a Hold with a sea port in Keroon Sea hold, offers not only its own products to the Weyr, but a portion of those taken in exchange from other holds and crafts who use its ports, thus giving Ista access to furniture and other wooden goods from Lemos. It also has some of the richest iron, tin, copper, vanadium, and lead on its lands, so Minecrafters are a common presence, lending to the Hold's ample supply of metals. Most of the hold, though, is plains land and a major center for the breeding of several types of herdbeasts. The hold also specializes in bovines and procines, in addition to their runnerbeasts.

The Master Beasthall is directly involved in the study and breeding of once-Terran animals: runnerbeasts, bovines, llamas, porcines, caprines, ovines, and canines, and also look after domesticated wherries, aivans, chicken and geese. Ista's herds are largely composed of the tag-ends of animals bred at the Beasthall, and send a few live beasts to help maintain the Weyr's small store of animals geared towards human consumption.

Keroon and the Beasthall are two hours ahead of Ista Weyr.

Katz Field is reknowned for its runnerbeast races, for its location and flat plains make it a good testing area. The hold is also a gambling center probably second only to Bitra as farmers and other Pernese flock to their prize fairs and long racing season. Katz's bettors even have a special badge of their own to identify them, a native blue-crested aivan well known for its thievery.

Katz Field Hold is an hour ahead of Ista Weyr.

Big Bay (Igen Sea) Hold is a chief trading center for all sorts of animals and goods, with a storehouse or beastfold for each trader; additionally, it is rich in crafters, as at least one from every Hall is posted there to maintain control over quality. The beasthold here is the second largest on Pern. Ista benefits of this hold's wealth by receiving a portion of all that passes through as tithe. Rivergrains, ovines, and runnerbeasts are seen in their tithe to the Weyr.

Ista Hold (Ista Sea Hold) is the most densely populated of the holds in the Northern Continent, and is a short distance--perhaps a day's travel by foot--from Ista Weyr. It tithes to the Weyr a goodly portion of the Weyr's fish, including flatfish, yellowtail, speckler, spiderclaws, and sea eel. An offshore shellfish is used to make the distinctive orange dye that is both the Hold's and the Weyr's color, and the visits of seagoing traders make it a good place to pick up news from across Pern. The rich tropical climate also enables Ista and the other holds on the island to be the Weyr's suppliers of sisal and flax, occasionally supplying the same to Boll and the Weaver Crafthall.

Citrus is grown here, in groves of orange, yellow, and greenfruit; and sugarcane, which produces sweetening. Minerals are plentiful, the island being a major source to the Minecraft of the emeralds and sapphires which make up badges for Lords Holder and Craftmasters (as well as black diamonds, of which in dust form the Smithcraft is fond). Peppers are a particular specialty, all kinds of all heats from baby-mild to dragon-hot grown by the farmers here. Not only is the palate thus produced unique, but artistic taste is singular as well, scrimshaw, shell jewelry, mother-of-pearl, and cameos all seen on the island in profusion not available elsewhere.

Ista Hold and Big Bay are in the same time zone as the Weyr.