The original settlers of Pern came to escape the crowded conditions of Earth and settled the Southern Continent. They planned to find land they could work and air they could breathe. Once settled, no return trips were to be allowed, and there were no rescue missions from Earth anticipated. It was a one-way trip.

Eight years into their settlement, Thread fell for the first time. Using the technology available to them from the ships that brought them there, the settlers were able to identify the source of the Thread: a cloud of debris surrounding the Red Star. They identified its orbit pattern, and discovered that it would rain Thread on Pern every 200 years, for 50 years at a time.

To combat the Thread, Kitti Ping, one of the original settlers, bioengineered a larger breed of fire lizards, which were indigenous to Pern. These larger lizards were called dragons because of their strong resemblance to the mythical creature. They had two valuable characteristics: they could to teleport themselves and any passengers, and, after chewing phosphine-bearing rock, could breathe fire to char the Thread mid air.

Even with the dragons fighting Thread, the arid Southern Continent, perfect for the farm life anticipated by the settlers, was not suited to protection from this newly identified danger. They began to explore the mountainous Northern Continent for alternative settlements. The explosion of the volcano right over their original settlement speeded the escape process, and the settlers moved north, any traces of their old settlement buried under ash and lava.

The first settlement on the Northern Continent, Fort Hold, cut into the Eastern Mountain Range, was overrun within a few generations. Dragon riders moved with their dragons to high mountain Weyrs, and the other settlers moved to lower caves, cut into the rock shelf of the Northern Continent.

Time erased memories of the first settlement of the Southern Continent, and within several passes of the Red Star, the people of Pern had forgotten the stories of the journey from Earth, as their concern were based mainly on surviving the harsh conditions of their planet.

[useful terms]

Between: an area of nothingness and sensory deprivation between here and there

Dragon: the winged, fire-breathing creature that protects Pern from Thread. Dragons were originally developed by the early colonists of Pern, before they lost the ability to manipulate DNA. A dragon is hatched from an egg, and becomes empathically and telepathically bound to its rider for the duration of its life.

Green: Female (20-24 meters). The smallest and most numerous of the dragons. Light, highly maneuverable and agile, the greens are the sprinters of dragonkind. They breathe short bursts of flame. Greens are rendered sterile through a sex linked disability triggered by chronic use of firestone.

Blue: Male (24-30 meters). The workhorse of the dragons. Medium-sized, the blues are as tough as the greens, but not as maneuverable. They have more stamina under pressure and are capable of sustaining flame longer.

Brown: Male (30-40 meters). Larger than greens and blues, some well-grown browns are as big as smaller bronzes and could actually mate with queens if they so dared. The browns are the real wheel-horses of the dragons, reasonably agile and strong enough to go a whole Fall without faltering. They are more intelligent than blues or greens, with greater powers of concentration. Browns and their riders sometimes act as Weyrlingmasters, training the young dragons and riders.

Bronze: Male (35-45 meters). The leaders of the dragons. All bronzes compete to mate with the gold queens; the rider whose dragon succeeds becomes Weyrleader. Bronzes are generally trained for leadership and assume Wingleader and Wingsecond positions along with browns. Bronzes and their riders often act as Weyrlingmasters, training the young dragons and riders.

Gold: Queen, full female (40-45 meters). The bearer of the young, the queen is traditionally mated by whichever bronze can catch her. Although browns can mate with queens- and sometimes do, in the case of junior queens- this is unusual and not encouraged. The queen is fertile and bears eggs which she oversees until they hatch. Clutch sizes range from ten to forty; generally, the larger clutches occur during a Pass. The senior queen, usually the dragon of the oldest queen rider, is the most prestigious dragon and is responsible for all the dragons in the Weyr and for the propagation of her species.

firestone: a rock bearing phosphorous that, when eaten by a dragon, is digested to produce phosphine gas, which ignites on contact with air.

harper: Harpers are the teachers and entertainers of Pern. They educate the young in hall, hold, Weyr, and cot; they guide the elders in the practice of their traditional duties. The Masterharper of Pern is responsible for the training of harpers, the appointment of trained harpers to Weyr, hold, hall, and cot, and the discipline of harpers. The Masterharper acts as judge, arbitrator, and mediator in disputes between Lords Holder and between Weyr and hold or hall, but any harper can be called in to mediate if necessary.

hold: A hold is where "normal" folk of Pern live. Holds were initially caverns in rocky cliffs where Thread could gain no foothold; they began as places of refuge. They grew to become centers of government, and the Lord Holder became the man to whom everyone looked for guidance, both during and after the Pass of the Red Star.

Impression: the joining of minds of a dragon and his or her rider-to-be. At the moment of hatching, the dragon, not the rider, chooses his partner and telepathically communicates this choice to the chosen rider.

Interval: the period of time between Passes; generally two hundred Turns.

klah: a hot, stimulating drink made from tree bark and tasting faintly of cinnamon.

numbweed: a medicinal cream that, when smeared on a wound, kills all sensation; used as an anesthetic.

Pass: a period of time during which the Red Star is close enough to drop Thread on Pern. A Pass generally lasts fifty Turns and occurs approximately every two hundred Turns.

Pern: third of the star Rukbat's five planets. It has two natural satellites.

Red Star: Pern's stepsister planet. The Red Star has an erratic orbit.

Rukbat: a yellow star in the Sagittarian Sector, Rukbat has five planets and two asteroid belts.

runnerbeast: also called "runner." An equine adapted to Pernese conditions from fetuses brought with the colonists. Quite a few distinct variations were bred: heavy-duty cart and plow animals; comfortable, placed riding beasts; lean racing types.

Thread: mycorrhizoid spores from the Red Star, which descend on Pern and burrow into it, devouring all organic material they encounter.

Turn: a Pernese year

watchdragon: the dragon whose rider has pulled watch duty on the Weyr roster. A watch is generally four hours long. Essentially Weyrs are military camps. Sentries are part of that ethos. During a Pass, they watch for any chance erratic Fall of Thread, for anyone entering or leaving the Weyr.

Weyr: a home of dragons and their riders

weyr: a dragon's den

Weyrleader: generally the rider of the bronze dragon who has mated with the senior queen dragon of the Weyr during her mating flight. They Weyrleader is in charge of the fighting wings of the Weyr, responsible for their conduct during Falls, and for the training and discipline of all riders. During an Interval, he is responsible for the continuance of all Thread-fighting tactics, for keeping alive the fighting abilities of dragons and riders.

weyrling: an inexperienced dragonrider under the tutelage of the Weyrlingmaster.

Weyrlingmaster: usually an aging rider with good skills and the ability to discipline and inspire the young. Responsible for the training of young riders and their dragons.

Weyrwoman: The rider of a dragon queen and coleader, with the Weyrleader, of the Weyr. She is responsible for the conduct of the queens' wing during Fall, under the Weyrleader's orders' for the care of dragons, riders, and all Weyrfolk; and for the peace and tranquility of the Weyr during a Pass and during Intervals. She appoints all subordinates, insures that all tithes are delivered or collected, and mediates all disputes except honor contests among riders. She is responsible for the training, fostering, and disposition of the Weyr's children and nonrider personnel, overseeing with the Weyrleader the training of weyrlings under the Weyrlingmaster. As any dragon will obey a queen, even against the wishes of his or her rider, the Weyrwomen are in fact the most powerful people on Pern. Weyrwomen have autonomy in their own Weyr, but will act in concert with other Weyrwomen when necessary for the good of the Weyrs.

weyrwoman: a female dragonrider.

Wingleader: the dragonrider in command of a Weyr's fighting wing, subordinate to the Weyrleader.

Wingsecond: the dragonrider second in command to the Wingleader.

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