Post by panther on Aug 20, 2009 10:04:38 GMT -5
Beginner’s Guide to Pern
This article covers:
Basic Geography
Planetary
Ecology
Socially
-Weyrs
-Holds
-Halls
-Holdless
-Traders
Crime
Currency
Pern has three main continents, and four major oceans, along with an extensive number of Islands. Southern is the Largest continent of Pern, and is noted for it’s large areas of Grasslands and jungles, as well as a high level of tectonic and volcanic activity, likely the result of Pern’s two moons, however activity increases with the passing of the Red Star.
In contrast, Northern continent, in contrast, is relatively infertile, composed mainly of ‘shield’ bedrock, and is the most tectonically stable landmass on the planet.
Very little of Western is known, it has never been explored.
Pern is known for its extensive reach of Cave systems, particularly in Northern. This has heavily affected the development of human society on the planet, as humans were forced to take shelter in these with the passing of the Red Star and fall of thread.
Pern is lacking in most major metals, however, sufficient in deposits of Petroleum and metal are present to supply a high technology society, though not an industrial one.
Planetary
Pern is the third planet of five, orbiting the sun named the Rukbat. – the name it’self is derived from the Chinese and Arabic, Rukbat al-raamii (the knee of the Archer). The Rukbat is a star in the constellation of Sagittarius, it is known technically Alpha Sagittarii.
The Rukbat is a blue, class B dwarf Star, with a magnitude of +3.96, in reality – however in Pern reality, the Rukbat is a class G (yellow) star.
Pern has two moons, Belior and Timor. The Rukbat also has two asteroid belts and an Oort Cloud (a hypothetical spherical cloud of comets that may lie roughly 50k AU/1 light year from the sun). The Oort cloud and a rogue ‘sixth planet’, the Red Star are both the causes of Thread.
Ecology
Because of Perns structure and mannerisms, and different solar system, and consequently, different processes of evolution. Some animals and plants were transferred in the migration from Earth, a list of Pernese animals and plants can be found here
Socially
Pern, of the ninth Pass, is a highly structured society, it consists generally of four different groups of people, Weyrfolk, Holders, Crafters, and those without a Permanent home. Though they are separate, and completely capable of independency, they need to work together.
Social Rank is denoted by a ‘knot’ [see knot guide For reference(up soon)].
Weyrs
The Weyrs are the home of Pern’s Dragon Riders. They are large structures, often situated in an extinct volcano that has an extensive system of caves, or along the face of a mountain, where there is enough space for dragons and their riders, and the people of the lower caverns.
Due to unsuitable terrain of weyr locations, Weyrfolk are generally unable to grow food, and thus depend on tithes from holds. In exchange, dragon riders pledge to protect those holds from Threadfall.
See also
A Guide to Pern’s Weyrs
Dark Moon description
Holds
The holds of pern are where the majority of the Pernese people live. Holds are comparable to terran castles, there are three sizes of Hold, Major, minor, and Cothold. Major holds are ruled by a lord and/or Lady Holder, and their family. The remainder of the residents are staff, workers who run the hold, and professional crafters. The count exists at about one thousand people. The Headwoman is in charge of the inner hold, and looks after the workings of the inside, while the Steward runs the outdoor parts of the hold. Major holds tithe a portion of their produce to nearest Weyr in Return for protection from Thread.
Minor Holds are always beholden to a major hold, and tithe to them in return for protection from Thread and other danges. They are run by a person who bears the title of Holder, and the home to smaller numbers of people than major holds.
Cotholds are small family-run holds, and usually all those who live there are usually close friends and family. Family – on Pern – generally means an extended family of several generations and ranches, as opposed to the common ‘terran’ family.
[Also see Hold Information]
Halls
Crafthalls are the home to the Craftsmen, those of the Pernese who are skilled in a particular industry.
For example, the Harper Hall is responsible for the arts, specifically music, and for teaching young children through the methods of the teaching ballads.
The crafthalls train the crafters, and send them out all over Pern to provide their skills to even the remotest of holds.
All craft halls use the same hierarchy, starting with apprentice, then to journeyman, then to Master – though that stage isn’t reached by everyone. Some leave before they attain the rank even of Journeyman. However, gaining Rank, such a thing is called ‘Walking the tables’ for in the dining halls of the Craft Halls, the different ranks eat only with their liked rank, on long tables.
See also: Craft Halls
Holdless
People who do not live in an established hold, either by choice, or due to punishment (see below) make up the Holdless. They have no Guaranteed protection from Thread. The life of a Holdless is often dangerous.
Several nomadic groups were part of the initial colonization of Pern. Similar to gypsies. They disdain hold life, choosing instead to live on the road, travelling form place to place . They are extremely distrustful of outside and do not often take in strangers, especially ex-holder, without some proof of trust. Many are Traders, and help organise the caravans from hold to Weyr.
Traders
These are the people who take goods to trade to less well-off holds, and to those people who often cannot reach a Gather. It is these isolated holders who need the traders and their trans of goods to keep them equipped with flamethrowers and farming equipment from the Crafthalls. Traders usually visit those holds that have few to no marks, and so take their produce as opposed to currency. It is very rare that a trader will carry perishable goods that can be found somewhere else such as grain or culled animals. The only way this will happen is if the goods in question is local and/or exotic and will be highly valued by those with more marks in the larger holds.
Another way the traders serve the rest of pern is by allowing craft journeymen or masters to travel with them, so that these talented people to do not have to take the long and occasionally dangerous journey by themselves.
Crime
Each hold/weyr is responsible for the discipline of it’s wrongdoers. Most times the Lord Holder will make the wrongdoer pay restitution and service to the wronged party. The nexf level of punishment s incarceration. Death penalty is also occasionally used in response to Heinous crimes. One of the greatest punishments to be named Holdless.
With this, a person is stripped of all rank and status and thrown out of the Hold. The reason this is the most severe punishment of all is Exile, usually to the island of Archipelago known as the Eastern Rin Islands. The Reason this is the most severe punishment is because the holdless have nowhere to go during threadfall and have no other human contact. This punishment is usually followed by a shunning, which causes the shunned to be completely ignored by all humans. It is established that the holdless are marked on their foreheads with an indelible dye for identification.
Currency
Pern’s Currency is the Mark. Marks are circulated coins made from wood. Apparently as a fiat currency (pseudocurrency), whose value is set by a meeting of political and exonomic leaders of the planet, apparently as a command economy.
The choins occur in the denominations similar to imperial measurements, 1/32 , 1/16. 1/8. ¼. ½ 1. 2 5 and 10 mark coins. With very few 100 mark coins, for incredibly lucrative transactions. All coins are the same size, denominations made clear by the stamped number. They also have some sort of picture representing the type of hold or craft mark they are. If the number has a line above it, it represents a unit fraction. Whereas, a line below the number represents a whole integer, so as ½ and 2 marks would not be confused.
Every craft produces its own marks and the supple is kept constant, new marks only being made to replace old ones. The mark is a moderately large amount of money, an exact exchange rate is impossible to determine due to the differences in economies between Pern and Earth.
Credit for image goes to Ghostwalker2061 for the planetary view of pern =) Thanks!
