Opal Cove Hold

Location

Opal Cove Hold is located at approximately 55 degrees south and has a rather chilly climate, with winter lows reaching an average of 19 degrees Fahrenheit and summer highs only an average of 54 degrees Fahrenheit.

There are two small Sea Holds, each with their own fleet and approximately 100 to 150 holders, beholden to Opal Cove, along with four inland Minor Holds supporting anywhere from 200 to 250 holders. Thirteen cotholds housing between 25 and 50 people also look to Opal Cove. The main Hold is home to just over 350 individuals. There are two Halls located at Opal Cove: Beastcraft Hall and Tanner Hall.

Building Information

The main Hold building is a large, sprawling, four story building constructed of imported gray granite. It was built in a gothic design found within the AIVAS files. The roofing is made of slate tile, and the twin spires are topped with delicate looking metal vanes. There are intricate carvings along the buttresses and scrollwork along the arches of the doorways and windows. The windows themselves are very large, especially the two on either side of the main entryway. They are made of stained glass and depict scenes of dragons searing thread from the sky. When the windows were commissioned, it was to be an honour for the services of the dragonriders who had served Pern so well. When Thread returned it was decided that the windows should be protected and special metal shutters were designed not only to protect the stained glass windows, but all the large windows of the Hold. The Hold took ten turns to complete before it was officially founded thirty years after the end of the Ninth Pass.

Technology Level

Power for heat is supplied to the Hold proper, the Halls, the Minor Holds, and the Sea Holds through hydroelectric generators built next to the rivers flowing into the Sea. The cotholds are generally too far away to take advantage of such power sources, though a few of the larger cotholds do possess small generators. Cotholds without such power rely on hearths and woodstoves for warmth.

Female Policy

Jade Harbour currently adheres to the female craft bans, with the exception of its Technicians Hall, which is Northern-aligned rather than Southern.

Population and Plague Effects

The Plague hit Opal Cove Hold very hard and it has not recovered as quickly as other, more northerly Holds. There are over 200 empty quarters in the main Hold building alone that give silent testimony to the losses suffered.

Economy

The fleets of the two Sea Holds are small, made up of mostly light, quick schooners. However, each Sea Hold owns a few large vessels that spend most of their time following schools of fish as they migrate from one area of the Sea to another. The fishermen working the Sea of Azov do not have the advantage of dolphin help and so rely on the lighter vessels to scout for them.

The climate at Opal Cove makes growing most crops difficult, though the ample grasslands produce fine fodder for various varieties of heardbeasts. Also, the Hold's location near the Sea of Azov allows for a strong fishing industry. The Hold's main exports and the basis of its economy are wool, dairy products, leather and fur products, runnerbeast stock, and marine products such as fish, shellfish, crustaceans, pearls and abalone.