Pern
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Pern is a fictional planet in the universe created by science fiction writer Anne McCaffrey for her Dragonriders of Pern series of novels.
Main article: Dragonriders of Pern
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Historical synopsis
Pern was colonised by settlers from Earth who wanted to return to an agrarian society with a low level of technology. The name was originally a acronym: Parallel Earth, Resources Negligible (i.e., insufficient to support interstellar commercial investment). Shortly after the first colony was established, the settlers were devastated to discover that their chosen planet was not a safe place. Pern is subject to periodic attack from space by the destructive thread, a spaceborn spore that destroys everything organic it touches. Unable to retreat from the peril, the settlers developed methods of combatting the thread. "Holds" were dug into the cliffs for them to live in, and Pernese scientists "upgraded" a local reptilian lifeform, the fire-lizard, into full-sized flame-breathing telepathic dragons, who were able to sear the thread before it could fall to the ground. The dragonriders became a vitally important and highly respected profession, living in Weyrs, and as time progressed, the settlers forgot their Terran origins.
Planetary system data
Pern is the third of six planets in the Rukbat system (the Pernese star is also known as Alpha Sagittarius). In a departure from reality, Rukbat is a class G (yellow) star in the series; the real Rukbat is a blue, class B star. (See spectral classification for more information.) Pern has two moons, Belior and Timor (in order of distance). The Rukbat system in the novel also contains two asteroid belts and an Oort cloud. The Oort cloud and the sixth planet, the Red Star (a Sedna-class inner Oort cloud object), play a major role in the series, as they are the source of Thread.
Geography
Pern bears three continents, four major oceans, and a large number of islands. The largest continent, the Southern, is noted for large areas of grassland and jungle, as well as high tectonic and volcanic activity. The Northern Continent, in contrast, is relatively infertile composed primarily of 'shield' bedrock and is the most tectonically stable landmass on the planet. Not much is known of the small Far Western Continent, as it has never been explored; its existence is known only from orbital satellite surveys and maritime expeditions.
Pern is noted for its high incidence of cave systems, particularly in the Northern Continent. This feature heavily influenced the development of human society on the planet, as humans forced to take shelter in these caves eventually developed an intricate culture associated with cave-dwelling in a feudal society at a medieval - Renaissance level of technology.
Pern is relatively lacking in most major metals. Nonetheless, sufficient deposits of petroleum and metals exist to supply an high-technology agrarian society, though not a high-technology industrial one.
Although Pern has four major oceans, the only ocean of major concern to most inhabitants of Pern is the Southern, which separates the Northern and Southern Continents. Few expeditions have explored the Western and Eastern Oceans to either side of the main continents, and the Ring Sea is known only from satellite observations.
The Southern Ocean is noted for its volatile weather and strong currents, which present a challenge for mariners. At least one tropical cyclone has occurred in the ocean in the course of the books.
Ecology
Pernese biomes have been profoundly affected by the cyclical appearance of Thread, a spore which destroys organic material. This has resulted in a relative dearth of terrestrial plants and animals. However, as Thread drowns in water, Pern has a much more populous and thriving aquatic ecology.
Pernese biomes contain both indigenous Pernese flora and fauna and introduced_species from other worlds -- primarily Earth.
Indigenous Species
Flora
The plants best-known to humans residing on Pern are those that are useful. There are several types of plants which are edible to humans, including the redfruit tree, which produces a red, plum-like fruit, and the klah tree, whose bark is infused like coffee into a stimulant beverage reminiscent of chocolate, coffee and cinnamon. Native medicinal plants include dragon's tongue, which produces a gel similar to aloe; the needlethorn, whose hollow thorns can be used as hypodermic needles; numbweed, an analgesic plant; and fellis, which produces a juice used as a soporific drug.
Fauna
Pern is host to a number of invertebrate species, including the insect-like trundlebugs, rollers (analogous to a wood louse), VTOLS (a kind of fly) and springs (a kind of parasite). There are also spider-like creatures called spinners, and a type of worm or millipede called a grub, which was genetically engineered by the settlers to consume Thread.
Native Pernese vertebrates have a body-structure with six limbs. Flying creatures, such as the fire-lizards and wherries (carnivorous creatures not dissimilar to large birds), have two wings and four legs. Ground-bound creatures like most tunnelsnakes have six legs, which may include specialized digging feet or hunting claws. Some tunnelsnakes are aquatic or semi-aquatic, and have one or more set of fins or flippers in place of legs. Wherries are edible, and have been domesticated for food; some tunnelsnakes are edible, but they are primarily considered a pest animal in Weyrs and Holds.
The native fire-lizard was genetically engineered by settlers into the much larger and more intelligent dragons. Other experiments went less well, resulting in the wher, a stunted, photophobic cousin of the dragon. Whers are used in mining and as guards of Holds.
A wide variety of fish-like creatures dwell in Pernese seas, many of which are edible to humans, including the oily-fleshed packtail, the prized redfin, and the easily-preserved whitefish.
Introduced Species
Flora
Most of the plants introduced by Pernese colonists are providers of food, fiber or medicine. Most grains, vegetable crops, and fruit trees were imported to Pern, as were a wide variety of herbs and fiber plants such as flax and cotton. Notably, the Pernese lack chocolate and coffee plants.
Fauna
The Pernese circa the Ninth Pass of the Red Star tend to categorize animals by use more than by species. Herdbeasts are animals kept in large numbers for meat or leather, and include bovines, ovines and caprines (which became the standard Pernese terms for cows, sheep and goats). Milchbeasts are the same species as herdbeasts, but kept for milk. Draybeasts are donkeys. Runners are a particular breed of horse developed by the Pernese. Burdenbeasts may be donkeys, oxen or draft horses. Cats and dogs, called felines and canines, are kept for pest control or, in the case of dogs, as herd or guard animals.
Dolphins, sometimes called shipfish, accompanied humans to Pern. Contact between dolphins and humans soon deteriorated, and for much of Pernese history they were not known to the human population.
Social Structure
The Pern of the Ninth and Tenth Pass is a highly-structured society, consisting of four different groups of people, Weyrfolk, Holdfolk, Craftsfolk, and those without a permanent home, the Holdless and Traders. The Weyr, Hold and Hall are all separate from one another and the leaders of each are equal in rank. But in the same way, they are interdependant, and no one group could exist without the other two.
Weyrs
Main article: Weyr
The Weyrs are the home of the dragonriders of Pern. They are expansive structures, often situated in a cave-riddled extinct volcano, or along a mountain face, where there is enough space for both the dragons, their riders, and the people of the 'lower caverns', the staff which maintain the weyr.
Holds
Main article: Holds of Pern
The majority of people on Pern live in Holds. There are three sizes of Hold: Major, Minor, and Cothold. Major Holds are ruled by a Lord and Lady Holder, and their family. The remainder of the residents is made up of professional crafters, and staff who run the hold, and usually numbers around one thousand. The Headwoman is in charge of the inner hold, and looks after all of the workings inside, while the Steward runs the outdoor parts of the hold.
Minor Holds are always beholden to a Major Hold, and tithe to them in order for protection from Thread and other dangers. They are run by a person who earns the title of Holder.
Cotholds are small, family-run holds, and usually all those who live there are family or close friends.
Each hold is responsible for the discipline of its wrongdoers. Most times the Lord Holder will make the wrongdoer pay restitution and service to the wronged party. The next severest punishment is incarceration. Death penalty can also be used in response to heinous crimes. But the greatest punishment is to be named holdless. This is where a person is stripped of all rank and status and thrown out of the hold. The reason this is the most severe punishment is because the holdless have nowhere to go during a fall.
Halls
Main article: Crafthalls of Pern
The Crafthalls are the home to craftsmen; those Pernese skilled in a particular industry. The Crafts of Pern are: Harper, Smith, Healer, Weaver, Farmer, Miner, Fisher, Tanner and Herder. For example, the Harpercraft is responsible for teaching young children the Teaching Ballads, which provide them with basic knowledge. When a child is ten or twelve, they are sent to be an apprentice at a Crafthall if they show a flair for that particular craft. The Crafthalls train the crafters and send them out all over Pern to provide their skills to even the remotest hold.
They all use the same heirarchy. Everyone in each craft begins as an apprentice, usually from age 12 to 18, then becomes a journeyman (18 to 30), and then, with a great deal of hard work and dedication, possibly a Master (30+). Not everyone makes it to Master status, and some leave before even Journeyman. Such a step from apprentice to journeyman is called 'walking the tables'.
The crafthalls are located in the major holds. For example, the Harperhall and Healerhall of the Northern Continent are both located in Fort Hold.
The leader of the Halls are called Mastercrafters, for example, the Masterharper is the head of the entire Harper Hall, and is not to be confused with a Master Harper, of which there may be several.
Other
These people are those who have been punished, and left holdless. They have no protection from thread, and the life of a Holdless is often dangerous.
Human settlement patterns
At the time of colonization, the eastern portion of the Southern Continent was selected as the most hospitable site to initiate the spread of civilization. Accordingly, Landing was established near the dormant volcano Mount Garben, on a fertile plateau near the Jordan River. Suitable stakeholds were established across much of the Southern Continent.
The advent of thread and the eruption of Mount Garben, both consequences of a close pass by the Red Star, forced the evacuation of, first Landing, and then the entire Southern Continent, to Fort Hold on the Northern Continent. Circumstances then constrained human settlement for the next twenty-five centuries to the tectonically stable, cave-riddled Northern Continent. During the Ninth Pass of the Red Star, population pressure and improved technology made possible the recolonization of the Southern Continent and the rediscovery of the original settlements.