General Info Approximately 1,500 turns ago the infamous thread last attacked Pern, thanks to the enlightened thinking of a being named Aivas and his helpers. After thread ceased to fall, the Golden Century came to Pern. These were glorious turns in which Pernese worked together with combined leadership of Weyr, Hall, and Hold. Great strides in technical advancement came, until the Horrible Turn. Our records of the event are ancient and decrypted, so we are unable to be certain of the exact details of the event. However, afterwards the Weyrs and Holds developed a deep resentment for each other. The Weyrs, with their decreasing numbers decided to pull together on the Eastern Island chains and make minimal contact with the holders of the main lands. Few crafters followed, giving the Weyrs support in vital areas. Over the turns, the Weyrs numbers continued to dwindle and along with it the contact with the mainland. Now, we of the Island know only one Weyr, Whispering Heights, and tales of the Mainlanders are simply bedtime stories for our children. It is now the turn 3912, and a disturbing event has come to rest upon our doorstep. The Senior Queen, Laekylth, flew far and high, giving her mate, Rath, a merry chase over the glimmering sea. The mating resulted in 34 eggs, an unprecedented occurrence as far as the Weyrs records are concerned. Upon hatching, many of the poor dragonlings perished, creeling for life mates we were unable to produce. Now, with another flight on the horizon, it remains to be seen about the number of eggs. If it, too, is a clutch large in number, what will the Weyrleader, D'mien, do? And what are draconic instincts trying to convey to us with these large numbers? The Places Southern Shores Island   Maps As a landmass, the island of Southern Shores is meager compared to the tales of Mainlands of my childhood. As my home, however, I find its glistening black beaches and flourishing jungles large enough. In the center is a long mountain range, formed by extinct volcanoes. The largest of which houses the small army of dragons. North and slightly west of the weyr, the Hold is nestled snugly between the pristine shore and wild jungle. On the northern end of the island, most of the area has been cleared, creating rolling plains for holders to herd beasts. To the south, and the namesake of the island, stretches a glorious onyx shore popular as a vacation spot for young and old alike. Several small cots have been built, maintained by riders, for islanders to enjoy holidays in. Whispering Heights Weyr   Maps Perched high above sea level, the Weyr is an impressive sight to behold. Under the decade long leadership of D'mien, it has become a place of order and discipline with never a rock nor green foliage out of place. Its sparkling bathing pool catches the eye in the northeast corner, as it cascades down into many waterfalls against the face of the ancient volcano. A road extends to the north, an arduous climb at best on foot, and leads to the hold. Whispering Sands Hold   Maps Built out of the volcanic rock, the Hold has been in my family for generations. Filled with many retired dragonriders, the shores are always lined with the jeweled like hides of sunbathing dragons. In fact, most of the occupants of the Hold have at least one relative who has been paired with one of these magnificent creatures. Whispering Sands' primary function is to produce food and other necessities for life on the island. These products are traded with the Weyr in return for protection from the dangerous beasts of the jungle, additional help at planting and harvest, and transportation to the various isolated holds on the island. Three halls are maintained here, attended by Holder and Rider alike. Harper, Healer, and Farmcraft buildings dot the cliffs above the Hold proper. Soon, we hope to complete a fourth, one to house the people who have befriended the ever-laughing Dolphins who grace the sea. With them guiding, our fish hauls have nearly doubled. Mainland Hyssop Bay Hold - The first hold contacted by dragonriders after searching out the mainland. Hyssop Bay Hold boasts a Harper Hall and a Healer Hall (specializing mainly in Mindhealing). Dragons, up until the first one landed within their midst, were thought to be nothing more than legend. Now, they know better... the question is... will they be able to handle dragons becoming part of their lives again? Fiery Temptress Bed & Drink - Located at the edge of Hyssop Bay Hold's territory, the Fiery Temptress is little more than a brothel. A place that was losing it's clientel at an alarming rate, attitude against the services they offered. Will the influx of dragonriders liven this place up again? The Desert Caravans (Oha`ne Caravan & Seu`nai Caravan) - In the 1500 turns since thread last fell, an entire new culture has emerged. Cutting themselves completely off from the outside, the caravans of the desert are a matriarchal society ruled entirely by women. The men are little more than slaves, required to do the bidding of the women in their caravan. Their one respite, is the dance. Dancing is their way of retelling their history. Their form of entertainment, and their only release. Some Caravans are stricter than others, Seu'nai being one such. The former Elder passed away leaving no heir, her only child a son who couldn't rule because of his gender. A new Elder was chosen, and things began to change... Now, men can't speak unless spoken to for fear of being beaten... or worse, cast out into the desert to fend for themselves. A very diverse culture, men of the caravan are tattoed on one side of their face, signifying which caravan they belong to. A mark of ownership, if you will. On the day they are betrothed to be handfasted, they are given another tattoo on their arm, marking them as taken. These are rituals of great importance, and are celebrated with much good cheer, dancing, and drink. Life is harsh on this landscape, but somehow the caravans manage to survive, coming together a few times every turn to exchange goods, stories, husbands, and of course, to dance. New terms Mainlanders: People living on the Northern and Southern Continents Islanders: People of Southern Shores Islands The Horrible Turn: The turn in which an event, unknown after centuries, occurred causing the sundering of ties between Holders and Weyr Whispering Wine: The wine produced on the island. It is rich and red in color, full bodied in flavor, leaving a pleasant, fruity after taste that has been perfected over the turns. Other Notes of Interest In the past millennia, severe isolation has occurred on Pern. Three main factions will emerge: Northern, Southern, Islander. Islanders: Retained all Dragon and fire-lizard knowledge but lost most crafting knowledge except the basics. Dragons and fire-lizards are held in high regard, shown in clothing, jewelry, tapestries, and other art designs. It has also remained in their language (i.e.shells, shards, etc.) Southerners: Maintained fire-lizards, but dragons are lore. They see Dragons as friendly mythical creatures. They sometimes show up in art designs, but most people call them fire-lizards. Northern: Lost all knowledge of the Draconic. They regard fire-lizards and dragons as tales of lore. Most of these tales are used to scare their children into behaving, as they have been perceived as evil, jealous creatures. Very few art works remained; some have been stored away, although most have been destroyed. JOIN! / Maps / Links / Rules / Council / History Wings / Caverns / The Hold / The Mainland All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright© Anne McCaffrey 1967, 2000, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author. The Dragonriders of Pern® is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited.