Dragonflight

F’lar is the rider of the bronze dragon Mnementh and the secondary protagonist in Dragonflight. He starts the book in a minor role as wingleader of his squadron. While F’lar’s father, F’lon, had planned for F’lar to succeed him one day as leader of the entire Weyr, he died before F’lar was old enough to assume the role. F’lar’s rival, R’gul, took over instead, and F’lar was forced to bide his time until the opportunity to remove R’gul presented itself. Like Lessa, he is accustomed to waiting, but he is a foil and complement to her in his greater caution and patience.

In the beginning of Dragonflight, F’lar is on Search to find a new Weyrwoman. His squad is tasked with handling the Holds of Fax, a usurper Lord who has conquered more than his share. While F’lar personally finds Fax reprehensible, he reins in his emotions as all dragonmen must and refrains from action until it is necessary. In Ruatha F’lar senses a great power lying in wait—a potential candidate to end the Search. This power belongs to Lessa, the last of the Ruathan bloodline. F’lar convinces Lessa to come back with him to the Weyr as his candidate for Weyrwoman, recognizing her strong-willed nature would make her a powerful leader. Lessa’s Impression of the new dragon queen Ramoth proves F’lar right, and F’lar finally replaces R’gul as Weyrleader when Mnementh takes Ramoth on her first mating flight.

A staunch believer in tradition and the deep, meaningful purpose of the ancient ways, F’lar is fully convinced that Pern’s ancient foe, the Threads, will soon return. As Weyrleader, he refocuses the Weyr’s energy on training and studies the old texts to shore up Pern’s defenses. His hard work pays off when Records from abandoned Weyrs reveal important details about the Thread attacks. Important too is his respect for the artists and artisans of Pern, who provide Lessa with the crucial clues she needs to solve Pern’s biggest problem: a desperate shortage of dragonriders. While F’lar is rarely the one to take the dangerous leap, it is his steadfast dedication to the old ways that informs Lessa’s actions and enables her (and their) success.

Fax is the tyrannical Lord of Lessa’s home, Ruatha, and six other Holds besides. Though tradition dictates that only one Lord should occupy each Hold, Fax has conquered more than his fair share. He treats his subjects cruelly, especially his Ruathan wife Gemma, who suffers awfully at his hands.

While Fax pays lip service to the old traditions, he does not believe in them. When he tries to renege on his promise to pass his throne to his infant son Jaxom, F’lar engages him in a duel and kills him. Fax’s death is a relief to the people of Ruatha, but strikes other Lords as evidence that the dragonriders are growing too bold and overstepping their bounds.

The rider of the brown dragon Canth, F’nor is son of the former Weyrleader F’nor and the headwoman, Manora. He is F’lar’s half-brother and second-in-command (“wing-second”). Lessa notes F’nor’s easy nature and desire to make her feel at home in the Weyr. She seems to consider him as a potential partner—encouraged by F’nor’s mother, Manora—but eventually settles for F’nor’s more difficult half-brother F’lar.

While at first F’nor mostly serves as a sounding board for F’lar, he becomes more important in Parts III and IV. When F’lar realizes that there are not enough dragonriders in their time to fight off the threat of the Threads, he sends F’nor on a dangerous mission 10 years back in time to the Southern Weyr, where F’nor and Kylara raise 40 young dragons and riders. F’nor’s experiences there also provide vital warnings about the dangers of time travel.

A foil to F’lar, R’gul is the conservative older Weyrleader who is demoted when F’lar’s Mnementh mates with Ramoth. R’gul originally rose to prominence among the dragonriders because his bronze dragon, Hath, had mated with the previous queen Nemora. After Lessa became the new Weyrwoman, R’gul was tasked with her education.

A staunch traditionalist, R’gul often falls back on literal readings of lore to explain his ways and refuses to think about it dynamically or critically. He is also overly deferential to the Holding Lords, wishing to maintain the peace rather than force them to tithe and risk their anger. He does not easily give way to F’lar’s leadership as Weyrleader, but eventually agrees to back off and serves as a competent Wingleader in the war against the Threads. It is implied that after the events of Dragonflight, he will travel to the Southern Reaches to rule the new Weyr there with Kylara.

Kylara is a beautiful woman who was originally brought to the Weyr as a candidate for Weyrwoman—a competitor against Lessa to bond with Ramoth. She remained in the Weyr after the Hatching and eventually Impresses Ramoth’s daughter, the queen dragon Pridith.

Kylara is noted for her flirtatiousness. She was previously romantically entangled with F’lar—her son, T’kil, may be his—and early in the narrative, Kylara serves as a narrative device to move the jealous Lessa closer to admitting her feelings for F’lar.

Eventually Kylara travels from Benden Weyr back 10 years in time to the Southern Reaches, where she and F’nor assume responsibility for raising 40 young dragons. While the reader never sees Kylara’s failed leadership directly, F’nor brings back news that her self-absorption is ruining the plan. Kylara is the text’s main example of the dangerous nature of feminine pride and beauty.