Position: Master
Age: Early 40s
Played By: Sean Astin

Tarrent is technically overseeing the entire complement of Herders sent to Southern Weyr, but he's abdicated much of the day-to-day responsibility to Zyari (as was suggested to him by the crafthall). See, Tarrent isn't in this for glory or politics or to prove some big point. He wants to solve the problem.

'Cause that's who he is: a problem solver. He doesn't get involved in people's personal lives or their bizarro version of ambition. He just wants to do his job.

Unfortunately, this lack of political ambition has seen him spend most of his career in some of the backwoodsiest parts of Pern. He honestly wouldn't mind if this whole thing played out so that he could get posted somewhere real for a while, settle down, and do what he loves: sciency stuff.

Position: Journeyman
Age: Early/Mid-20s
Played By: Zooey Deschanel

Look, she is not here to be your BFF. Zyari has a job to do. On the surface, that job is to figure out why the grubs on the Southern Continent are declining. But there's so much more to it than that, and she knows it.

She's trying to solve the problem before the Farmcraft. She's proving that she's competent to handle this whole project. And she's damn sure going to make the point that a woman in the Beastcraft is every bit as competent as any man.

That last bit has been the story of her life, to be honest. The only girl in an all-boy family, she's been fighting to prove she was just as capable as her brothers since childhood. She apprenticed young, excelled, and has fought tooth and nail to get where she is now: a Journeyman Herder noted for her aptitude in entomology and veterinary medicine.

Position: Master
Age: Early 40s
Played By: Jimmi Simpson

Grissom is really into the nuts-and-bolts of entomology. He likes understanding how bugs work, their wings, their legs, their weird weird bodies. And he's been that way his whole life.

This project is right up his alley, and the Farmcraft knows it. Considering there's always been the "question" of whether entomology is the purview of Farmers or Herders, it makes sense that the Craft would send their top guy to oversee this operation, you know? Grissom is definitely their top guy.

Thankfully, he's not so much an arrogant cock about the whole thing. In fact, he and Tarrent have always had a great working relationship.

And. Okay. Yes. Grissom might have a little crush on his colleague in the Herder Hall. But that has nothing to do with his eagerness to take on this project, okay?!

Position: Maicen
Age: Early/Mid-20s
Played By: Dean Winters

Maicen's life hasn't been an easy one. He lost his parents when he was a boy, he lost his brother to the Weyr as a dragonrider - who later died during Threadfall - and he's had a series of bad relationships that all wind up the same way: with him alone.

After the latest romantic fiasco, he decided to put his name on the short list of candidates headed to the Southern Continent to investigate this grub blight. Technically, entomology isn't his thing, but he's damn good at studying soil and local flora, so he's definitely got a solid contribution to make.

Personally… he just wants to keep his head down and figure out what the hell the next step is for him.

Position: K'yez
Age: Late 20s
Played By: Mark Wahlberg

High Reaches born, bred, Impressed, and groomed, K'yez epitomizes the cold-hardness of that Weyr. Except!

He has been passed over for promotions three times now. Despite an impeccable record, despite his Klissenarth being a superb bronze, he just can't get a foot in the door. Maybe, just maybe it has something to do with the quiet knowledge that he's a little too liberal for this most conservative Weyr.

See, quietly, K'yez is actually okay with some of the Oldtimer ideals. Not all of them, mind you, but he's a lot more flexible than is popular at his home Weyr. That's why, when the option to help out Southern Weyr arose, he jumped right on it. Maybe this will be just what he needs to prove himself.

Position: Meglyn
Age: Mid-20s
Played By: Alyson Hannigan

From Fort Weyr, Meglyn had high hopes of heading off to Healer Hall and making a crafter of herself. Her parents had other ideas. They expected she'd make a fine goldrider, and they pushed her into standing with the hopes that she'd Impress a queen.

She didn't, but they managed to keep stiff upper lips when she walked off the Sands with green Hezabinth. The pushing never stopped. They kept trying to press her into being a stronger rider, a potential leader, something bigger, something better.

After a decade of this, she's so ready for a break. Southern Weyr may not have the prestige of Fort, but Meglyn would do anything to get away from her parents for a while. Even volunteer to assist the floundering Weyr.